Kensei Muguruma

Kensei a tall muscular man with sharp features, short light-gray/silver hair and golden eyes (brown in the anime). He has a 69 tattoo on his chest (the “6” for his last name, “Muguruma”, which uses the kanji for “6” in it; the “9” for 9th Division), which the young Shūhei Hisagi saw and later copied by tattooing his face with the same number. During his time as a captain, he wore a standard but customized shihakusho with a rope belt and a sleeveless kimono and haori with black gloves.

Currently his attire is a blue and white basketball jersey with green cargo pants as well as black combat boots and orange fingerless gloves. In the manga his shirt is shown slightly differently, as it appears black with a white and orange outline. He has also acquired a series of golden peircings in his time as a vizard, one in his eyebrow and three on his left ear. He bears a small resemblance to Jin Kariya of the Bounts.

Unlike some of the other Vizard, Kensei is portrayed as a much more serious character, often angry at the others for their immaturity. A skilled and respected battlefield commander, he has a rather brutal fighting style quite often blasting his opponents apart. When outside of battle he has a blunt and slightly aggressive attitude, trying to cheer up a tearful Hisagi in a manner reminiscent of an army drill sergeant, though he seems more passive as a Vizard. He is most frequently irritated by his former lieutenant Mashiro Kuna due to her childish airheaded manner, he once noted she had the uncanny ability to aggravate him even when asleep.

Approximately 100 years ago, Kensei was the captain of the 9th division with Kuna Mashiro serving as his lieutenant, though she easily annoyed him due her childish behavior. During an investigation of mysterious disappearances in Rukongai he fought off a giant Hollow, and saved Shūhei Hisagi in the process, who would eventually become Lieutenant of the 9th division. During the night his entire group was attacked and he was stabbed from behind by Kaname Tōsen. Following this he appeared as a half Hollow and attacked Hiyori Sarugaki and then Shinji Hirako. He was then restrained by Hachi’s Kido binding spell. He and the others were eventually saved from turning into Hollows and death by Soul Society, by Kisuke Urahara. They then escaped to earth.

Tachikaze (断地風, lit. Earth-Severing Wind): When sealed, it is shown as a short katana with a rectangular guard in an ‘H’ shape and white hilt weaving.

Shikai: Kensei’s Shikai is triggered by the command Blow it away (吹っ飛ばせ, futtobase) in which it shrinks down to the size of a survival/combat knife with a small ring on the hilts blunt edge.

Shikai Special Ability: While in this form, Kensei demonstrates the ability to charge and fire spiritual energy from the blade as well as creating a transparent air blade to cut enemies from a distance. He appears to be quite powerful, easily destroying a giant hollow with one blast and blowing off the arm of Ichigo’s hollow form. In the video games, his fighting style resembles that of Western Boxing combined with Tachikaze.

Kensei is unique among the Vizard so far in that he seems to prefer his Shinigami abilities over his Hollow powers. His hollow self is a large bulky humanoid with armored hands and feet and with a number of thick cylindrical protrusions on its back and forearms.