One name that everyone in Soul Society fears is Kenpachi Zaraki, the bloodthirsty Captain of Team 11 and the rightful owner of the title. Kenpachi, the title given to the strongest warrior of the Soul Society. age.
The deputy of such a capable and fearsome captain is Yachiru Playful and jovial, someone with a childish appearance should not be taken lightly. Her ability is something that one should pay close attention to. However, in the TYBW episode, she mysteriously disappears when Zaraki arrives to fight Gremmy Thoumeaux.
After using the title of “Kenpachi” in Unohana, Zaraki not only defeated the true image of the kind and calm 4th Division Captain, he also unleashed a new power within himself.
According to newly appointed Commander-in-Chief Kyoraku Shunsui, the strength required for Zaraki to master to defeat Quincy is the ability to use Zanpakuto effectively.
But when Zaraki learned to use Shikai and gradually Bankai, Yachiru disappeared. Is this just a coincidence or is there something more? That’s what we’re going to cover today and without further ado, let’s get right into it!
Spoiler warning: Spoilers abound if you’re not up to date with the Bleach manga and novels, so read at your own risk!
Who is Yachiru and how did she meet Kenpachi?
We know very little about Zaraki’s lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi. We need to go back many years ago, to the true form of the Gotei 13 according to Yhwach, who are the most criminal and ferocious of them all. Yachiru Unohana cruel.
It’s not Yachiru mentioned, but the captain of Team 4 and the future healer of Soul Society. She is known as the first Kenpachi and her bloodlust can never be satisfied no matter how many warriors she kills.
One fateful day, she met a boy holding a sword who challenged her to a duel. He is different from the rest and is the only warrior who can keep up with her. She received a deep wound on her chest that never healed and she realized that the boy himself could satisfy her will to fight.
The person she fought with was none other than Zaraki. Despite losing, both find each other as the strongest opponent they can fight. But interestingly, we can also see another moment from Kenpachi’s past shown in the image below:
We see here a young Yachiru cuddling a slightly injured Kenpachi boy in Rukongai, district 79 of Kusajishi (hence her name Yachiru Kusajishi).
At some point, she suddenly appeared in front of him and began to play with him, unfazed by the fact that he was covered in blood. Kenpachi decides to keep her with him and becomes her guardian.
He also named her Yachiruafter his rivalry and admiration with the former captain and mentor of the 11 team. Additionally, the fact that she never left him and followed him for many years strengthened their bond.
When she became his lieutenant, Yachiru also got her own zanpakuto that possessed strange abilities. Let’s take a closer look at her abilities as a shinigami.
What is Yachiru’s Soul Slayer ability?
Yachiru uses Sanpo Kenju (三步剣獣) means Beast sword three steps. When Sanpo Kenju was released, two monsters appeared to fight Yachiru. One of those animals was Boney, tall, bone-thin, and with teal fur. It wore a black cloak and had a large bone running across its skull.
The second monster, Lumpy, is chubby and covered in yellow fur, with only part of its Eyes exposed and it wields a machete. When Yachiru attacks his opponent, the two monsters used their own weapons to imitate her sword. The smaller creature’s attack comes first, followed by the larger creature’s attack, basically guaranteed to hit.
Her Zanpakuto is also considered unique according to Isane Kotetsu, as she mentions that a Shikai manifesting its power inside creatures while the blade remains unchanged is unheard of.
She used her Zanpakuto momentarily against Guenael Lee, when he was attacked by the beast before being killed by one of her own.
Also, if you look closely at the chubby soul sword, it resembles Nozarashi’s knife-like shape, i.e. Zaraki’s zanpakuto in shikai form as well as in bankai form.
This could mean that Kenpachi has not yet mastered his zanpakuto and in the TYBW part only knows the name of his sword.
Therefore, there is room for growth.
Back to Yachiru, let’s find out how Yachiru disappeared after Kenpachi Zaraki’s battle with Gremmy.
What happened to Yachiru Kusajishi in Bleach TYBW?
Yachiru can be seen picking up the eye patch that Zaraki left behind before he went to ‘train’ with Unohona. She then helps Isane treat the wounded, but they are suddenly attacked by Sternritter Guenael Lee inside the infirmary.
When he tried to interrupt the healing operation, Gremmy Thoumeaux, Sternritter V – Visionary appeared and killed him.
But thanks to Zaraki’s great timing and heroic appearance, they don’t have to be afraid to fight the monster Gremmy on their own.
It was during this war that Zaraki released his Shikai Nozarashi and since then Yachiru has never been found. When the Gremmy-Zaraki fight ended with the latter being the victor, he began searching for his lieutenant.
Strange. Nozarashi’s liberation and Yachiru’s disappearance.
She then appears in the final moments of Zaraki’s fight against Schutzstaffel Gerard Valkyrie. Zaraki couldn’t have made much of a difference even if he continued to fight without the eye patch. It is in this moment that we get this amazing scene:
When she suddenly makes her Appearance back to the same as the first time, she specifically uses the word “If you use me properly”, which implies a lot.
But as we all know, the result of that fight was that Kenpachi turned into a demon who was able to single-handedly take down Vollstandig Gerard, one of the strongest Quincies ever. With this, he gained a new ally in the form of Nozarashi but also lost Yachiru.
So Yachiru Zaraki’s Bankai or Zanpakuto Spirit?
We have good news. The good news is that we don’t have to worry about the speculation as Tite Kubo himself talked about this topic on his fansite. Responding to a Q&A related to the said topic, Kubo said that Yachiru is Nozarashi’s Bankai Manifestation.
Nozarashi’s true form was an adult woman, but Bankai separated from Zanpakuto and took the form of Yachiru. Since Zaraki doesn’t rely on Zanpakuto as much as on her mental pressure, Yachiru is living freely in her physical body.
When Zaraki finally released Nozarashi, he heard the voice of the blade and that was the same as when Yachiru disappeared and merged back with Zanpakuto. In Zaraki’s injured state, she comes out and says “If you use me properly”, confirming Kubo Sensei’s explanation of her being Zaraki’s Bankai.
To clarify, Kubo Sensei compared Yachiru and Nozarashi’s relationship to the Tensa Zangetsu and Zangetsu, Ichigo’s Bankai and Zanpakuto spirits. Tensa Zangetsu is the Bankai incarnation of Ichigo.
Conclude
Yachiru is the plucky lieutenant of the 11th squad who has had a life-defining past with the ruthless Kenpachi Zaraki. Suddenly appearing in front of Zaraki and playing with his Zanpakuto, he decides to take her in and become her guardian. Having fought countless battles together, the two have formed one of the best teams in Soul Society.
When times get tough, Zaraki must make tough decisions as he continues to battle Team 4 Captain and former criminal Yachiru Unohana. After defeating her, he finally begins to hear Nozarashi’s voice but loses contact with Yachiru.
Last seen during the fight against Gerard Valkyrie, she is revealed to be Zaraki’s Bankai as she previously merged with Nozarashi. Using her properly, he was able to unlock Bankai and once again gain the title of Kenpachi. She continues to live inside his Zanpakuto.
What do you think? Do you find Yachiru’s presence and importance in the story compelling? Do you think her ending was satisfactory? Let’s all join in a healthy discussion in the comments section below.
References taken from VIZ, Bleach Fans, and Tite Kubo Fan Sites
