Zaraki Kenpachi's Zanpaktou: Shikai or not?

[Munsu]

I think you missed the last picture I put on my post. Ichigo compares his constantly released zanpakutou to Kenpachi's, and that's all the evidence we need at the moment.

And you can't compare Kenpachi's situation to the "laws" as how they've been explained in Bleach, he's a unique character with unique circumstances. His zanpakutou is constantly released, now is he drawing the full power of that shikai? No, because he doesn't know the name of it. Just like Ichigo could use getsuga tenshou without knowing the name of Zangetsu, given it wasn't as powerful as when he finally learned the name and could actually control it.

[darkmetal505]

Kenpachi hasn't been fighting the longest out of everyone in SS. Sure, he puts more pressure and force into his strikes, but I hardly think that accounts for the serrated edges. Shinigami swords endure this wear and tear they are subjected to and seem to stay in good shape, and I don't find Kenpachi's to be any different. His sword might be stuck in an attempt to go shikai seeing as how Kenpachi does not know his Zanpaktou's name, but it doesn't look like an unreleased form.

[mage]

Kenpachi's sword is all busted up because he doesn't know how to tap into it's abilities. Normally, when a zanpakutou is damaged, it's able to heal itself like Ichigo's in his fight vs Kenpachi when it was cut in half. He doesn't even know its name, so it can't heal itself, much less be a shikai.

Even if it were a shikai, what difference would it make? All it does is cut like a normal sword.

[DeathscytheVII]

I know wiki is a questionable source at best, but i referenced it because it at least made a large number of footnotes from the manga itself and the official guidebook, which has stated that Kenpachi's zanpaktou is in a constantly released state, just like Ichigo's!

Bleach Official Character Book SOULs; page 258.

[Kraco]

Kenpachi's sword is all busted up because he doesn't know how to tap into it's abilities. Normally, when a zanpakutou is damaged, it's able to heal itself like Ichigo's in his fight vs Kenpachi when it was cut in half. He doesn't even know its name, so it can't heal itself, much less be a shikai.

Even if it were a shikai, what difference would it make? All it does is cut like a normal sword.

I don't know why Kenpachi's sword looks so worn. Sometimes I have thought it's because he doesn't know its name - but not so that it couldn't heal itself but rather as a sign of a protest. Zaraki has abused it for ages without bothering to know anything about it. However, it can heal itself just fine, because it was cut nicely in half in the final clash of Ichigo and Kenpachi. If it couldn't heal itself at all, Zaraki would have been fighting with a dagger for the rest of his days. But such wasn't his fate and later against Tousen it was just fine.

And we have no idea what is his zanpakutou's true power. While it could be in a contant released form one thing seems to be sure: It's not possible to use the actual shikai powers without knowing the name. It took Ichigo long enough to master his shikai even with knowing the name. Before that he just used it all the time like an unreleased zanpakutou.

[EpyonNext]

I'm failing to see whats the big deal here, Kenpachi has already stated that his sword is unsealed.

[mage]

However, it can heal itself just fine, because it was cut nicely in half in the final clash of Ichigo and Kenpachi. If it couldn't heal itself at all, Zaraki would have been fighting with a dagger for the rest of his days.

Kenpachi's sword wasn't cut in half or even damaged in that fight, Ichigo's was.

[StillAlive]

Not even damaged...


Edit:
Now if you look at this image you can see that Zaraki's soulslayer doesn't look like a normal, sealed one: It has a white bandage wrapped around its handle like Ichigo's constant released shikai-zangetsu and its guard doesn't look normal, too. Not to speak of its damaged style that fits Zaraki's scar-addiction pretty well.
Now I'm not sure about this but didn't Kenpachi say his sword doesn't even have a name? Maybe he simply is going to give it a name himself - just as he did with his own and Yachiru's name .

[Kraco]

Kenpachi's sword wasn't cut in half or even damaged in that fight, Ichigo's was.

Really? Peculiar. Care to explain this, then?



(In case you can't explain it otherwise than by saying: I got owned, it's episode 40, around 2:14 or so.)

[mage]

Really? Peculiar. Care to explain this, then?



(In case you can't explain it otherwise than by saying: I got owned, it's episode 40, around 2:14 or so.)

Oh, I only checked up to the end of 39. Guess your theory makes sense, then.

[Ryllharu]

It was my understanding that Kenpachi never even thought about his sword as anything other than to hack things apart with. To him, it was always just a tool. He had never even thought about looking deeper into it until Ichigo defeated him. That's why it became so worn away, he neither cared for it or considered it.

As for it's unique appearance, the lowest state of every shinigami zanpakutou is unique. Since the beginning of the series. Look back through it or even through the manga. The details are often small, but they are there. Kenpachi simply becoming a shinigami gave his zanpakutou a unique appearance. Ichigo's very first version had a slightly different guard the moment he took Rukia's powers, in addition to being obviously larger.

Kenpachi's zanpakutou is not in shikai. Only Ichigo's is in permanent Shikai because he's too much of a moron to suppress it. (Plus, it is also a convenient device to make him easier for the audience to recognize.)

[animus]

I liked how at the beginning of the show everyone made all the hustle and bustle about Ichigo's zanpaktou being so massive and how it's a sign of his massive reiatsu. Now no one even cares about that, and his reiatsu's not even considered high anymore.

Kenpachi knew his zanpaktou's name at one point but he forgot it, he probably released it and forgot it due to him only thinking it's a tool, and since he was so strong didn't bother to have it go shikai ever maybe. *shrug* Ichigo learned Zangetsu's name, released him, had it in constant permanent release and still has not forgotten the name. So I do believe Kenpachi MIGHT have had been able to release shikai at one point, but I do not beleive that is the case anymore.

[Mhalador]

I don't know why Kenpachi's sword looks so worn. Sometimes I have thought it's because he doesn't know its name - but not so that it couldn't heal itself but rather as a sign of a protest. Zaraki has abused it for ages without bothering to know anything about it. However, it can heal itself just fine, because it was cut nicely in half in the final clash of Ichigo and Kenpachi. If it couldn't heal itself at all, Zaraki would have been fighting with a dagger for the rest of his days. But such wasn't his fate and later against Tousen it was just fine.

On top of that, don't their zanpakatou return to their sealed form when they're broken in shikai and bankai? I can't remember the last time Ichigo had his sword broken, but if it has been since he got his shikai and it didn't seal back up then my point is invalid.

[NeoCybercoin]

Because Ichigo's Zanpaktou is an All Release type. It's can't go back to its sealed form. So even if it is broken it will remain in Shikai form.

[Mhalador]

Because Ichigo's Zanpaktou is an All Release type. It's can't go back to its sealed form. So even if it is broken it will remain in Shikai form.

That's what I'm saying. If it broke, and didn't go back to release then that could mean that Zaraki's zanpaktou could be a permanent shikai like Ichigo's since it didn't change. Likewise it could mean it's just in a sealed state. I'm leaning toward the latter. As far as I know, every other zanpaktou went back to the sealed state after breaking. I just can't remember Ichigo's ever breaking AFTER he got his shikai. The only time I can remember is when he lost his powers.