Bleach: Who Is Kenpachi Kuruyashiki & Is He Canon?

Although it was initially introduced as a name, it was later revealed that “Kenpachi” was actually a title usually held by the current head of the 11th Division of the Gotei 13. In total, 11 people held the title of Kenpachi, from Yachiru Unohana to the current one, Kenpachi Zaraki. Now, the core manga revealed only three of them, while two additional Kenpachi were revealed in the light novel Bleach: Spirits Are Forever With You, written by Ryogo Narita and illustrated by Tite Kubo. One of the two is Kenpachi Kuruyashiki, the 7th Kenpachi, and in this article, we are going to tell you all you need to know about him and reveal whether he is canon or not.

Kenpachi Kuruyashiki was the former Captain of the 11th Division and the 7th Kenpachi, according to the story Bleach: Spirits Are Forever With You; although not written by Kubo himself, this story can be considered to be canon, as Kubo himself provided illustrations for it. He was a very friendly and well-respected Captain who was especially good friends with Kyoraku and Ukitake. His Bankai was one of the most powerful ones, with the potential to destroy the whole Seireitei, which is why it was banned by Central 46.

The rest of this article will tell you what you need to know about Kenpachi Kuruyashiki and his story from the Bleach: Spirits Are Forever With You light novel. The status of the light novels is not so clear among the fans, which is why we will take this opportunity to tell you everything you need to know. This article will tell you Kuruyashiki’s story and how it ties into the Bleach canon. Be careful, though, because this article will be one large spoiler for haven’t read the Bleach: Spirits Are Forever With You light novel already.

Kenpachi Kuruyashiki was the 7th Kenpachi and he can be considered as being part of the canon

Kenpachi Kuruyashiki was the 7th Kenpachi and the former Captain of the 11th Division 250 years ago, according to the novel Bleach: Spirits Are Forever With You. Unlike the Kenpachi we’ve seen in the series, Kuruyashiki seemed to be very different. He was powerful, but he wasn’t a brute.

He was friendly, outgoing, and he was especially close with Kyoraku, with whom he regularly had drinking parties. He also respected the other Captains and their powers, especially those of Captains Yamamoto, Hikifune, and Unohana; he also greatly respected the noble families of the Soul Society. Also, unlike the other Kenpachi, he was humble when his powers were concerned, despite being immensely powerful.

Kenpachi Kuruyashiki was held in high regard and was beloved among the Gotei 13, which wasn’t all that common; if you remember, the 10th Kenpachi was utterly despised by everyone in the Gotei 13. He earned that respect after defeating a powerful Vasto Lorde Hollow, that was supposedly a general of Baraggan himself; after that, he organized a large drinking party for his friends.

Also, when he was younger, he was offered a promotion to the Royal Guard, but refused it because he thought himself too lazy to effectively guard the Palace. This is the only part of his story that actually contradicts the canon, as Kubo stated that each member of the Royal Guard was promoted because they made a significant contribution to the Soul Society, and from what we know, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki made no such contribution.

But, be that as it may, during the aforementioned drinking party, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki was approached by a mysterious young man accompanied by a woman; the man challenged him to a duel for the title of Kenpachi, which Kuruyashiki accepted, despite Kyoraku warning him that it could be dangerous.

Confident in his abilities, he asked Kyoraku to be his witness, and once the conditions had been met, the duel could commence. But it was a quick one. Namely, as soon as the duel started, Kuruyashiki was cut down by an unknown force, and as he was bleeding to his death, he admitted defeat.

The members of his Division, refusing to accept his loss, accused the young man of cheating and wanted to attack him, but Kuruyashiki activated his Shikai and told them to stay away.

Upon learning the young man’s name – which was Soya Azashiro – he proclaimed him as the next Kenpachi, warning him that he should not make the same mistake as him and approach his opponents with less than 100% of his power, as that was what being a Kenpachi was all about.

He then said his goodbyes to Kyoraku, saying he was sorry he couldn’t test his strengths against him and Ukitake. Finally, he turned to his Division, smiled at them, and died, saying that while he might be dead, the title of Kenpachi will live on forever. This is his story and the story of how Soya Azashiro became Kenpachi.

However, the outcome undoubtedly would have been different if Kuruyashiki had utilized his Bankai during his battle with Azashiro. However, Kuruyashiki chose not to use it because Shunsui and the 11th Division were present to see the final battle of his life, knowing that his Bankai would endanger all of them. He also prophesied the appearance of someone like Zaraki just before he passed away.

As stated, Kuruyashiki was a very powerful Captain. His Zanpakuto was called Gagaku Kairō and consisted of him summoning several special creatures that consisted solely of a gigantic, ravenous mouth; in that aspect, it was similar to Unohana’s blade, as it manifested living beings.

His Bankai had the same name, and when activated, it would summon just one exceptionally large creature that was so ravenous that it would eat everything around it except Kuruyashiki, both animate and inanimate. It was also so powerful that Soya Azashiro believed that he would have lost against Kuruyashiki had he activated his Bankai; also, whenever he would activate it, he would be unable to use his powers for six months.

Because his Bankai had the potential to destroy the Seireitei and massacre the Shinigami, Kuruyashiki was explicitly forbidden by the Central 46 to use his Bankai within the walls of the Seireitei.

So, finally, is Kuruyashiki canon? Well, since Kubo provided the illustrations for this character and was part of the creation of Narita’s light novel, just as is the case with Can’t Fear You Own World, we assume that he can be considered part of the larger Bleach canon.