Summary
One of the most controversial decisions ofBLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood Waris the Kenpachi succession, in which the original Kenpachi of the Gotei 13 would stake her life not against the Quincies, but in a whole other deathmatch.
It was decided by Captain-Commander Kyoraku that Unohana train Zaraki so that he could be an even bigger asset to the Shinigami; however, the fated battle between Unohana and Zaraki would leave only one alive. All the parties involved were well-aware, but why was it seen as a necessary sacrifice? Was there really no other way?
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Kenpachi
The Kenpachi title (剣八 – lit. “Sword-Eight”) was first given to the first Captain of the 11th Squad of the Gotei 13, a diabolical criminal recruited into the ranks of the Shinigami named Yachiru Unohana. As part of the founding members of the Gotei 13, Unohana was one of the oldest Shinigami and therefore part of the most powerful, most ruthless installment of the Gotei 13. During her service as 11th Squad Captain and Kenpachi, Unohana was taught healing techniquesby Royal Guard member Tenjirō Kirinjibecause she sought the knowledge to prolong her fights. The kanji used in the title denote “sword” (in a general sense) and the number 8, which has historical significance in Japan as one of the go-to expression for large numbers; major significance in Buddhism as it refers to the Noble Eightfold Path – the practices that lead to liberation from the cycle of rebirth; and as a symbol of increasing prosperity.
Unohana’s great strength meant that fighting was no longer enjoyable for her as battles would end in a flash, until she went on a mission on the outskirts of the Rukongai and came across a feral child who attacked and wounded her on sight. Despite her clear victory, Unohana’s enjoyment of the fight made her think he could make a worthy Kenpachi, one even stronger than herself. After leaving the 11th Squad, Unohana changed her name from the graceful promise of prosperity that is Yachiru (八千流 – lit. “Eight-Thousand Flows/Styles”) to Retsu (烈) – literally, “Tempestuous”. Unohana left the 11th Squad to become the 4th Squad Captain, the only non-combat oriented division in the Gotei 13. When she is first introduced, Unohana seems polite or even kind – despite this, there was a recurring gag that she was somehow deeply terrifying.
Suppression
Upon the revelation that she is the original Kenpachi, Unohana abandonsher “Yamato Nadeshiko” personalityfor her violent true self during the events ofBLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood Warepisode 10, “The Battle”. Unohana exhibits a ravenous appetite for violence, and she relishes being able to clash swords with the only living person with whom she could do so without restraint. Unohana’s reason for participating in their deathmatch, beyond the sake of enjoyment, was to enable Zaraki to finally tap into his full potential.
The narrative makes a huge point of their being birds of a feather, and like Unohana, Zaraki found that he could never put his all into a fight because they’d always be short. Unlike Unohana, who developed healing abilities for the sake of counteracting this peerlessness, Zaraki found the answer in self-suppression. He began to unconsciously cap his own strength to the very limit against his opponents, which was the reason for his narrow losses against various enemies over the years. Unohana noticed that each defeat Zaraki suffered against a strong foe brought him back a little stronger, and she used this tendency to chip away at him until she has unearthed his true might.
Birds of Prey
Zaraki’s fear of no one but Unohana is important because such fear cannot be accessed in training – he needed to be in true danger to dig deep, something that Zaraki would end up teachinghis first opponent since Unohana, Gremmy Thoumeaux, who had also not known the “joys of battle”. On the other hand, Unohana herself had grown dissatisfied because she could no longer find worthy opponents, until the day she met the young Zaraki. While her rapidly closing world opened up from their meeting, the young Zaraki would be shackled by their encounter. The reason for Unohana’s sacrifice is a personal one, and given the various instances of fighting for pride or personal fulfillment found throughoutBLEACH, Unohana putting her life on the line to correct something she considers to be her gravest mistake makes sense.
As a genius at combat, Unohana could instantly tell the moment that Zaraki realized he was stronger than she was, a moment she deeply regrets because it meant she was no longer good enough for him, and it drove him to his bad habit in the first place. She calls it her “sin”, and it appears to be the primary reason for her abandonment of her real name and the Kenpachi title. Fearing the consequences of victory, Zaraki weakened himself to avoid having to lose the only person who could ever grant him access to the kind of battle he’d always craved. Visually, as Unohana recallsthe encounter during “The Battle”, Kenpachi’s sealing away of his true strength is indicated by the obscuring of one of his eyes to invoke the appearance of his eyepatch.
Wish-Fulfillment
Killing Kenpachi was important to Unohana’s character journey because it would make her truly worthy of the title of Kenpachi, and enable her to “return to self”, having grown disillusioned with her own strength since her first encounter with Zaraki. This is a fated battle for Unohana, who believes she gained her power specifically for this fight, and even if it ends in her death, Unohana would take pleasure in having raised a killing machine far more proficient than she. It’s also possible that Unohana’s disillusionment with battle is what kept her away from centre of the major conflicts, opting to heal the injured instead; so even in this grave situation, it’s likely that she never would’ve become part of their combat forces to begin with.
Unohana and Kenpachi speak the language of violence, and the recurrent theme inBLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood Waris the exploration of the root of the character relationships. Kenpachi’s wails of distress as Unohana dies in his arms are an expression of grief. Countless times inBLEACHhave characters been driven to their lowest, weakest point because it would make them highly receptive to change – something that is at the core of theThousand-Year Blood Wararc. Killing Unohana isZaraki’s acceptance of his own strength, her guilt-free acceptance of the end of her time as Kenpachi, and therefore, the only key to unleashing his full power. As Unohana dies, Zaraki is able to hear the voice of his Zanpakutō for the first time. Kyōraku called Unohana to train Kenpachi for the sake of Soul Society, but she did so for her own reasons – to fulfill her deepest wish to experience the true thrill of battle like before. Unohana had committed herself to the sharpening of the blade that is Kenpachi Zaraki; the only man who ever brought her joy.
