What is Kensei's Bankai in Bleach? Explained

Modified Nov 13, 2024 09:30 GMT

Bleach and what is Kensei — What is Kensei's Bankai? (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Bleach fans often ask what Kensei's Bankai is, as he doesn't have a major role in the series, despite being the captain of the 9th Division in the Gotei 13 for a good portion of the story. Moreover, he doesn't get a lot of opportunities to display his fighting style, which might be the most peculiar in a franchise that is usually focused on swordsmanship.

Meanwhile, Kensei's Bankai is called Tekken Tachikaze and his Zanpakuto turns into an armor of sorts for his arms. He stands out from most fighters in Bleach because he relies heavily on Hakuda, which is the hand-to-hand combat discipline in the series, and is definitely one of the finest in that department.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series and reflects the author's opinion.

Kensei's Tekken Tachikaze, explained

Kensei using his Bankai in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

As mentioned earlier, Kensei's Bankai is called Tekken Tachikaze, turning his Zanpakuto into knuckle blades, and its ability focuses on releasing immense explosive force on impact. If Kensei manages to keep his fists in contact with the target's body, the blasts are going to be felt time and time again, which has the potential for a lot of damage.

Perhaps the best opportunity Kensei had to use his Bankai was against one of the Sternritter - Mask de Masculine, during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, although that also proved to be the former's doom. If Kensei had been lucky, he would have won, but Mask had the support of his ally, James, which allowed him to be brought back to life whenever he was killed.

This has often undermined Kensei's Bankai, and as a result, many fans don't rank him very high among Gotei 13 Captains and the Vizards. However, he never got a target where his abilities could be shown at their best.

Shikai and other abilities of Kensei in Bleach

Kensei using his Shikai as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

While it makes sense that several Bleach fans would wonder what Kensei's Bankai is, he also has the distinction of being one of those Shinigami who don't rely heavily on their Zanpakuto. He has been confirmed to be a Shunpo expert, as evidenced by the speed he showed when he saved Mashiro from Wonderweiss Margela during the Fake Karakura Town arc, and also when he protected Shuhei Hisagi from Mask de Masculine during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.

As mentioned earlier, he is a Hakuda expert, which is something that he manages to display while using his Bankai. When it comes to his Shikai, Tachikaze, it turns his Zanpakuto into a small knife, which allows him to manipulate wind and create a lot more impact, thus making him a more varied fighter.

On the other hand, since he is a Vizard, he naturally has access to a Hollow Mask, while also having the distinction of being the first member of this group to go through Hollowfication, during the Turn Back the Pendulum flashback arc. As of now, Kensei has mastered the Hollow Mask and boosts his power, speed, and endurance, giving him an edge over most Gotei 13 Captains in terms of raw strength.

Final thoughts

There are several valid reasons to ask what Kensei's Bankai is in Bleach, as he has a minor role to play in the series, and it is easy to forget it. However, he also stands out because of his unique fighting style, and his Bankai serves to set him apart from most characters in the series in that regard.

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Edited by Janhavi Chauhan