Zaraki Kenpachi's Zanpaktou: Shikai or not?

[DB_Hunter]

Since this is a contentious issue that has not been completely put to rest I am creating this thread. It will allow people to continue to discuss this topic without dragging episode specific threads off topic. Use the poll to allow everyone to get a quick summary of where people are leaning towards on this forum.

For my two cents, there are strong arguments on both sides. Yes, Kenpachi has said his sword is in unsealed state like Ichigo's. However, we know that even Ichigo could not unseal his swod despite his blade being chopped off until he found out its name.

So my official position is: I don't know.

[Turkish-S]

i say no.. but i think it will become a chainsaw!!! when the time is there.

[DeathscytheVII]

I say yes

1.) Shikai has already been established as an initial release, and bankai as the final. If the sword ain't sealed, then its in constant release, as Zaraki himself pointed out. So i would say it fulfills the first release requirement.

2.) His power forced the sword into release, and in DB's words, his zanpaktou has been 'violated' how else can you explain all that screaming we heard from his zanpaktou during his fight with ichigo

3.) I say its a shikai, but an incomplete one. He's in release but has no access to any higher level attacks. Similar to the way the arrancar says Hitsugaya's bankai is incomplete, only the incompleteness is impeding his attack strength. This is also like the example where even if Ichigo knew zangetsu's name, he still had no clue that he could do that spinning on the hilt attack that hollow ichigo had access to. So you can even argue that ichigo's shikai is incomplete.

[Assassin]

if kenpachi's sword is in a permenant shikai form then every other shinigami with a normal katana also has thier sword in permenant shikai.

The only reason ichigo started with a released form was cuz he didn't know how to restrict his reitsu. Kenpachi is not the same. he even has that eye patch wich lowers his reitsu all the time. If he had shikai, his sword wouldn't be a normal katana. Thats like the most basic element of a shikai, that it looks/does something different instead of just cutting. If its a beat up katana, then its not a shikai. Stop assuming things for no reason.

[mage]

It is not a shikai.

[animus]

It is not a shikai. He says he doesn't know it's name, and that's the big hint that it's NOT shikai. Ichigo's zanpaktou was just a huge katana, and until he learned the name of Zangetsu, he couldn't release. Though, it's in permanent shikai right now.

[Munsu]

if kenpachi's sword is in a permenant shikai form then every other shinigami with a normal katana also has thier sword in permenant shikai.

The only reason ichigo started with a released form was cuz he didn't know how to restrict his reitsu. Kenpachi is not the same. he even has that eye patch wich lowers his reitsu all the time. If he had shikai, his sword wouldn't be a normal katana. Thats like the most basic element of a shikai, that it looks/does something different instead of just cutting. If its a beat up katana, then its not a shikai. Stop assuming things for no reason.

No one is assuming here, you're the one assuming. The people that are saying that his sword is constantly released are using facts from the series. Ichigo's constantly released zanpakutou has nothing to do with him not being able to control his reiatsu, it simply the nature of his zanpakutou. And even if it has to do with him not being able to control it, there's nothing stopping Zaraki from doing the same, especially with the amount of reiatsu he has.



In the series, it has never been said that Kenpachi hasn't reached Shikai, but it has been said over and over how he doesn't have Bankai, there has to be a reason for the omission of saying that he doesn't have shikai if he indeed doesn't have it. Everything is pointing towards his zanpakutou being in the first release state.

[DB_Hunter]

Hang on there might be a loop hole there. Kenpachi is saying that HE hasn't put any seal on it because it won't be strong enough to contain his spirit pressure. Yet looking at all the other Shinigami the seal's on their swords are not put there by them, they are simply released by them once they know the name of the sword. It seems that maybe Kenpachi doesn't understand seals on Zanpaktou's, which is maybe why he has not been able draw upon the power of his sword so far.