Summary

  • Zaraki Zaraki's Shikai release proves to be one of the most powerful in Soul Society, cutting through space and obliterating a massive asteroid with ease.
  • Despite wearing an eyepatch, Zaraki's raw power is unmatched, overpowering an extremely deadly opponent and defeating him simply by trying to power up.
  • Fans eagerly await the reveal of Zaraki's Bankai, anticipating an even greater level of unimaginable power after witnessing the sheer strength of his Shikai.

Warning: Spoilers for Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War episode 20Bleach's long-awaited reveal of Kenpachi Zaraki's Shikai release has finally occurred, and the power he puts on display with only this first release is enough to make some Bankai look pathetic.

While battling against the overpowered Sternritter known as Gremmy Thoumeaux, whose abilities are limited only by his imagination, the villain summoned a massive asteroid down, threatening to destroy the entire Seireitei along with friend and foe alike. That threat was all that Zaraki needed to justify pulling out his Shikai, the first stage release of a Zanpakuto, for the first time, an ability he only recently unlocked after his battle to the death with Retsu Unohana. Zaraki's incredible spiritual pressure combined with the Shikai release brought him a level of power he's never seen before, allowing him to destroy the meteor with a single strike.

Zaraki's Shikai is One of Soul Society's Most Powerful

Bleach: Zaraki's Shikai cuts through space itself.

In its Shikai state, Zaraki's Zanpakuto, Nozarashi, looks less like a sword and more like an enormous axe of some sort, a weapon more fitting for the powerful hacking and slashing style that Zaraki fights with. Aside from obliterating the meteor, Nozarashi proved its power by cutting through the very fabric of space to escape yet another attack from Gremmy, one which sealed Zaraki into an area of vacuum. Not only is this being achieved at the Shikai level rather than the full-release Bankai, but Zaraki continues to wear his spiritual power-suppressing eyepatch throughout the fight, proving it could be even stronger still.

While Zaraki's Zanpakuto might not be one of the showiest around, it is without a doubt one of the most powerful seen in the series to date. Fans have waited a long time for this reveal, as Zaraki's natural power was bound to make his Zanpakuto releases impressive, and the scene certainly didn't disappoint. Gremmy was an extremely deadly opponent, and may well have killed any other Soul Reaper Captain he was up against, but Zaraki's raw power, even while wearing the eyepatch, was something that the Sternritter simply couldn't measure up to. It's not often a villain dies just from trying to power up to his opponent's level, but Zaraki has managed it.

With the Shikai state revealed, the anticipation is only further building for the inevitable reveal of Zaraki's Bankai, which could be wielding an almost unimaginable level of power. Given everything that Zaraki had to do to obtain his sword's name, including killing Unohana, it's good to see that the power he obtained really is as incredible as everyone hoped it would be. There are still plenty of deadly opponents that Zaraki will have to go up against in Bleach, so hopefully one will put his true full power on display, for both enemy and ally to wonder at.