While still only the Lieutenant of Squad 6, Renji Abarai is easily Captain-class in strength, and is one of the few Lieutenants to have access to a Bankai in Bleach. That said, the true nature of his Zanpakuto, Zabimaru, was only revealed to him after he did a great deal of training.
espite not being a Captain unlike his wife Rukia, Renji is sure to be important as Tite Kubo writes more Bleach material, and therefore it's necessary for fans to understand the different forms of Zabimaru and why his true Bankai took so long to manifest.
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Zabimaru and the False Bankai
In its Shikai form, Zabimaru takes the form of an extendible, saw-like blade with many segments. The segments are joined by threads that extend Zabimaru's range drastically. While it can be used as a sword in its short form at close range, Renji typically wields Zabimaru like a whip. For a purely physical Zanpakuto, it has extremely high range, managing to push Ichigo back several meters with ease, and perhaps rivals Gin Ichimaru's Shinso as one of the longest Zanpakuto in Soul Society when fully extended. Segments of Zabimaru can be broken off, but Renji is still capable of using them as weapons with a technique called Higa Zekko. The broken pieces can levitate and gather around an opponent before firing all at once, creating a powerful attack. That said, Higa Zekko is a last-ditch attack, usually meant to take out enemies that let down their guard after breaking the blade.
After training with Kisuke Urahara, Renji acquired a Bankai, Hihio Zabimaru, which was eventually revealed to be a diminished form because Zabimaru had yet to trust Renji completely. Despite not being his true Bankai, Hihio Zabimaru is still quite powerful, easily surpassing the Shikai of other lieutenants and the Resurreccion of weaker Arrancars, and forcing Byakuya Kuchiki to bring out his own Bankai to defeat it. Hihio Zabimaru also functions as a whip, but is significantly larger, taking on the form of a skeletal snake, with a complete skull at its front end.
Instead of thread, the segments are connected by Renji's spiritual energy, and can therefore be repaired somewhat easily if they're disconnected. Due to its much larger size, Hihio Zabimaru's range is also greatly extended. That said, the segments can still be broken with a powerful attack, and if so, are gone forever. This follows a rule that Bankai cannot be repaired completely if they are damaged. Hihio Zabimaru also has access to an enhanced version of Higa Zekko, but its strongest attack is the Hikotsu Taiho, which fires a massive blast of spiritual energy at an opponent. This takes up a lot of Renji's stamina, but is how he won most of his victories in the series.
Renji's True Bankai
During the events of the Thousand Year Blood War, Renji begins training under the leader of Squad Zero, Ichibe Hyosube, who eventually reveals the true name of Renji's Bankai: Soo Zabimaru. After proving his strength to Zabimaru, Renji finally gains access to it and uses it for the first time in his battle against the Quincy Mask de Masculine.
Soo Zabimaru functions very differently than Zabimaru's other forms. Its blade is much shorter, extending itself from the skull of a snake, which wraps itself around Renji's right hand like a gauntlet. Similar to Hihio Zabimaru, Renji also wears a cowl of fur. Soo Zabimaru no longer has segments.Renji has so far used three techniques with Soo Zabimaru. The first, Hihio, involves his cowl transforming into a giant skeletal arm which follows the movements of his right arm, similar to the Shikai of Squad 7 Captain Sajin Komamura, Tenken. He can grip opponents with the arm using enough force to crush bones.
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The second technique, Orochio, reveals a long column of vertebrates attached to the snake skull, but its exact mechanism is hard to pinpoint. It may be used in place of the segments to extend Soo Zabimaru, but so far it has not been used this way. Soo Zabimaru's ultimate attack is Soo Zabimaru, Zaga Teppo, which forms the giant jaws of a snake out of spiritual energy after an opponent is stabbed with Renji's blade. The jaws then slam shut on their opponent while a huge blast of energy is fired, similar to the Hikotsu Taiho, creating a contained explosion. This technique was strong enough to instantly reduce Mask de Masculine to ash.
It's reasonable to expect that Renji will employ Soo Zabimaru in the future, and that more of its so far mysterious powers may be revealed. Renji is sure to be a key player in the new Echoing Jaws of Hell arc, perhaps along with his and Rukia's daughter Ichika, so fans shouldn't have to wait too much longer to see more of him in action.
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