Kenpachi Zaraki
Kenpachi Zaraki (更木 剣八, Zaraki Kenpachi) is the Captain of the Eleventh Division within the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Yachiru Kusajishi. Among the current captains of Gotei 13, he is the only one to have obtained his position by defeating and killing the previous Captain of the division. He is well-known for his fanatical love for the carnage of combat and for being the only Shinigami captain who does not know the name of his Zanpakutō.
Appearance
Kenpachi has a wild and aggressive appearance that fits his personality. He wears his captain's haori without sleeves and has a ragged look to it (he acquired his jacket from the previous 11th Division captain, whom he killed in a duel). He styles his hair into spikes with bells at the tips and wears a special eye patch on his right eye created by the 12th Division to absorb the bulk of his power. Both of these are meant to give enemies an advantage so that he can fight evenly with weaker opponents. He has a huge scar on the left side of his face, apparently gained well before his time in the Gotei 13, and even before finding Yachiru. He is also one of the tallest Shinigami, towering at 202 cm (approx. 6 ft 7½ in). This is slightly taller than Yasutora Sado and more than double the height of his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi. His stature is often exaggerated even more for dramatic purposes, especially in contrast with Yachiru's.
Zaraki's unique hairstyle is partly the result of his habit to take a bath every day before going to sleep, a necessity due to his strong perspiration. During these baths, he usually washes his hair with soap, making it stiff. He began to like this because it was easy to set. Once, he tried a hair treatment recommended by Chōjirō Sasakibe, but his hair became too silky and was impossible to set for a while. Since then, he slightly disliked the lieutenant of the 1st Division.
Kenpachi is once shown attaching the bells to his hair, which apparently takes quite a while to accomplish. The highest bell in particular takes him several hours to attach, as the tip of his hair is just beyond his reach. Occasionally, Yumichika will offer to do it, but Zaraki usually refuses because he thinks that it is weird for someone else to style his hair.
Personality
Despite his initial introduction as a lethal foe, Kenpachi later begins to play the role of the comical anti-hero: though still self-centered and violent, his actions tend to be for the best and his relationship with his division and others is always portrayed comically. This comical shift is primarily centered around his appearances in the Bleach anime and omake stories, with the exception of the occasional diatribe between himself and Yachiru. He is usually depicted as having a very poor sense of direction, asking his lieutenant Yachiru for directions (who then randomly points in a direction).
Kenpachi lives for battle (evidenced by his method of attaining his rank) and enjoys a good fight more than anything. He even weakens himself in an effort to make any fight last longer. He also claims that injury and death are nothing but the price one pays for a good fight. Despite his group being the most bloodthirsty of the Gotei 13, they have a code of ethics, though different from the set rules of Soul Society.
Though he literally lives for battle, Kenpachi has shown human emotion and caring for two things: his lieutenant Yachiru (who is one of the few people he is shown to care for, along with Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa) and his name, which he gave himself. Following his battle with Ichigo Kurosaki, in a rare moment of sorrow, Kenpachi talks about the pain of not having a name (as he lived his childhood and early adult years without one), and feels guilty that his sword isn't acknowledged by its name. Despite his violent tendencies, Kenpachi will usually give up on a fight if his opponent is too injured to fight back, claiming that the fight is no longer fun. However, he will unhesitatingly kill his opponent if they refuse to end their fight on his terms as seen during his battles with Tousen and Nnoitra.
Since he fought Ichigo, he seeks revenge or likely another fight with him since he is a challenging opponent. But he considers Ichigo as part of his squad. In Bount arc he stated he could let Ichigo take care of the Bounts because he will grow stronger then so he can fight him. Though being unable to feel Spiritual Energy, when Ichigo comes in Amagai's arc he knew he was in Soul Society with Rukia.
Kenpachi also strongly believes that fun comes before working. In every battle, he tries to get as much enjoyment out of it as possible. He also sent his 5th seated officer, Yumichika, to fend off the Bount in Karakura Town, as he was the only high-ranking officer who wasn't busy, or rather, busy having fun, as Yachiru was snacking and Ikkaku was napping, while Yumichika was organizing documents. Kenpachi, when his duties permit it, always takes his afternoon nap. He does not have a particular favorite dish, but he does not like nattō.
At times it seems Kenpachi contradicts his own logic, as he on one hand wishes for ever increasing personal power, yet on the other restricts his might. Irrational to a certain extent, Kenpachi is one of the most complex characters in the series, as he exhibits a wide range of traits; lackadaisical abandon, reckless blood lust, peculiar sentiments of affection toward his subordinates, and even indications of wisdom in the form of terse pep-talks usually given to opponents just before or even during battles. All these factors parallel Ichigo's character giving insight to the inward struggle he seems to contend with.
Younger Kenpachi carrying his lieutenant.
Kenpachi removes his eyepatch
Kenpachi Zaraki (更木 剣八, Zaraki Kenpachi) is the Captain of the Eleventh Division within the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Yachiru Kusajishi. Among the current captains of Gotei 13, he is the only one to have obtained his position by defeating and killing the previous Captain of the division. He is well-known for his fanatical love for the carnage of combat and for being the only Shinigami captain who does not know the name of his Zanpakutō.
Appearance
Kenpachi has a wild and aggressive appearance that fits his personality. He wears his captain's haori without sleeves and has a ragged look to it (he acquired his jacket from the previous 11th Division captain, whom he killed in a duel). He styles his hair into spikes with bells at the tips and wears a special eye patch on his right eye created by the 12th Division to absorb the bulk of his power. Both of these are meant to give enemies an advantage so that he can fight evenly with weaker opponents. He has a huge scar on the left side of his face, apparently gained well before his time in the Gotei 13, and even before finding Yachiru. He is also one of the tallest Shinigami, towering at 202 cm (approx. 6 ft 7½ in). This is slightly taller than Yasutora Sado and more than double the height of his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi. His stature is often exaggerated even more for dramatic purposes, especially in contrast with Yachiru's.
Zaraki's unique hairstyle is partly the result of his habit to take a bath every day before going to sleep, a necessity due to his strong perspiration. During these baths, he usually washes his hair with soap, making it stiff. He began to like this because it was easy to set. Once, he tried a hair treatment recommended by Chōjirō Sasakibe, but his hair became too silky and was impossible to set for a while. Since then, he slightly disliked the lieutenant of the 1st Division.
Kenpachi is once shown attaching the bells to his hair, which apparently takes quite a while to accomplish. The highest bell in particular takes him several hours to attach, as the tip of his hair is just beyond his reach. Occasionally, Yumichika will offer to do it, but Zaraki usually refuses because he thinks that it is weird for someone else to style his hair.
Personality
Despite his initial introduction as a lethal foe, Kenpachi later begins to play the role of the comical anti-hero: though still self-centered and violent, his actions tend to be for the best and his relationship with his division and others is always portrayed comically. This comical shift is primarily centered around his appearances in the Bleach anime and omake stories, with the exception of the occasional diatribe between himself and Yachiru. He is usually depicted as having a very poor sense of direction, asking his lieutenant Yachiru for directions (who then randomly points in a direction).
Kenpachi lives for battle (evidenced by his method of attaining his rank) and enjoys a good fight more than anything. He even weakens himself in an effort to make any fight last longer. He also claims that injury and death are nothing but the price one pays for a good fight. Despite his group being the most bloodthirsty of the Gotei 13, they have a code of ethics, though different from the set rules of Soul Society.
Though he literally lives for battle, Kenpachi has shown human emotion and caring for two things: his lieutenant Yachiru (who is one of the few people he is shown to care for, along with Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa) and his name, which he gave himself. Following his battle with Ichigo Kurosaki, in a rare moment of sorrow, Kenpachi talks about the pain of not having a name (as he lived his childhood and early adult years without one), and feels guilty that his sword isn't acknowledged by its name. Despite his violent tendencies, Kenpachi will usually give up on a fight if his opponent is too injured to fight back, claiming that the fight is no longer fun. However, he will unhesitatingly kill his opponent if they refuse to end their fight on his terms as seen during his battles with Tousen and Nnoitra.
Since he fought Ichigo, he seeks revenge or likely another fight with him since he is a challenging opponent. But he considers Ichigo as part of his squad. In Bount arc he stated he could let Ichigo take care of the Bounts because he will grow stronger then so he can fight him. Though being unable to feel Spiritual Energy, when Ichigo comes in Amagai's arc he knew he was in Soul Society with Rukia.
Kenpachi also strongly believes that fun comes before working. In every battle, he tries to get as much enjoyment out of it as possible. He also sent his 5th seated officer, Yumichika, to fend off the Bount in Karakura Town, as he was the only high-ranking officer who wasn't busy, or rather, busy having fun, as Yachiru was snacking and Ikkaku was napping, while Yumichika was organizing documents. Kenpachi, when his duties permit it, always takes his afternoon nap. He does not have a particular favorite dish, but he does not like nattō.
At times it seems Kenpachi contradicts his own logic, as he on one hand wishes for ever increasing personal power, yet on the other restricts his might. Irrational to a certain extent, Kenpachi is one of the most complex characters in the series, as he exhibits a wide range of traits; lackadaisical abandon, reckless blood lust, peculiar sentiments of affection toward his subordinates, and even indications of wisdom in the form of terse pep-talks usually given to opponents just before or even during battles. All these factors parallel Ichigo's character giving insight to the inward struggle he seems to contend with.
Younger Kenpachi carrying his lieutenant.
Kenpachi removes his eyepatch
