The Best Kenpachi Fights, Ranked

Important takeaways

• Kenpachi's ruthless fighting style leads to memorable battles but also showcases his flaws as a combatant.
• Kenpachi's thirst for battle drives him to face formidable foes and even his own comrades, proving his raw strength.
• Kenpachi's evolution in battle is evident in battles where he unleashes new powers and techniques, showcasing his growth.

No one in Soul Society loves the thrill of an intense battle quite like Zaraki Kenpachi. This wild and ruthless captain is about one thing; find someone whom he considers strong enough to give him a good fight, and throughout the course of Whitenhe has encountered several enemies who have had varying degrees of success in satisfying Kenpachi's appetite.

While most of the Gotei 13 captains tend to be more calm and calculated in their battles, most of Kenpachi's fights involve him throwing everything he has at his enemy as soon as possible to test his strength once the battle officially begins. So while it's always fun to see him go all-out, there have even been a few instances where Kenpachi has unleashed new powers and techniques during his fights, making them memorable as well.

8 Kenpachi VS Pernida

A rare but intriguing presentation of Kenpachi's flaws as a combatant

Granted, Mayuri does the majority of the fighting against Pernida, but Kenpachi's little skirmish with the mysterious cloaked Sternritter still says something about his character, primarily his fault. Kenpachi, without a second thought, lunges at Pernida when he sees him, despite Mayuri warning him otherwise. This eventually leads to his arm being completely shredded, though Kenpachi doesn't seem to care, instead he's more focused on the enemy standing right in front of him.

It's also only after Kenpachi tries to land a strike that he asks Mayuri what exactly Pernida even is, which just goes to show how he tends to act before he speaks, which could land him in deep trouble if the enemy was a formidable one. It's usually a given Kenpachi will emerge victorious in his fights, but his encounter with Pernida proved that his hot-headed nature can sometimes get the better of him.

7 Kenpachi VS Tosen

Kenpachi proves that he is more than willing to fight his own comrades if they get in his way

Throughout the Soul Society arc, each of the Gotei 13 captains and lieutenants gets their own time in the spotlight to show who they are, what they stand for, and how loyal they truly are to the Seireitei as a whole. Although Tosen's firm belief in justice overshadowed his loyalty, Kenpachi is simply obsessed with battle, so when the two inevitably collide, it results in a brief yet memorable battle that showcases Kenpachi's monstrous strength.

The fact that Kenpachi mocks the strength of both Tosen and Komamura, two of his co-captains, shows that all he cares about at this point in the story is power, and nothing more. However, Kenpachi also manages to outsmart Tosen, even escaping his Bankai that cuts off the opponent's minds, showing that he still has some brains to match his strength.

6 Kenpachi VS Yammy

A duel against a brutal giant shows Kenpachi's raw strength

One thing to know about Kenpachi is that he is a character who will never shy away from an opponent, no matter how big or powerful they may be. Nowhere was this made clearer than when he willingly approached Yammy, who at that point in the story had proven to be the Number 0 Espada, or in other words, the strongest of the pack.

The fact that Kenpachi threw himself at Yammy so willingly proved that he was still willing to put himself in harm's way, as long as he could ease the itch for battle. He was also prepared to take on Byakuya during this skirmish, reminding viewers that he is willing to fight with his comrades if he sees them as a worthy opponent, or if they get in his way.

5 Kenpachi & Byakuya & Hitsugaya VS Gerard Valkyrie

A battle full of power-ups and epic moments

Similar to his fight with Yammy, Kenpachi's encounter with Sternritter Gerard Valkyrie sees him take on a giant, though it doesn't scare him away or make him hesitant to join the fight alongside Byakuya and Hitsugaya. Instead, Kenpachi decides to get creative as he drives up Gerard's massive blade, dealing devastating blows to his newfound foe that only someone with his raw strength can muster.

This is also a fight where Kenpachi gets to use his blade, the Nozarashi, as it would be used traditionally rather than just swinging it around without a care in the world. It's also just a feast for the eyes to see Kenpachi's long-awaited Bankai unleashed as part of the battle, showing just how far his relationship with his Zanpakuto has come since those early episodes.

4 Kenpachi VS Nnoitra

Kenpachi is pushed to his limit and forced to reveal his hidden power

Just as Nnoitra is about to land the final blow on Ichigo, none other than Kenpachi steps in to save the day, and it's fair to say he has his work cut out for him when he takes on this Espada. This is the first time in the series that Kenpachi is seen getting a little worried about dying, bringing out a side of him rarely ever seen from the captain.

But it also showed that the longer Kenpachi fights, the more bloodthirsty he becomes. A standout moment from this battle is when Kenpachi decides to use both hands when swinging his Zanpakuto, admitting that it was never really “His thing”, but after trying it, he unleashes a devastating blow on Nnoitra. It's a clever way to show how unorthodox Kenpachi's fighting style is, along with a subtle hint of the absurd levels of power he has yet to unlock.

3 Kenpachi VS Ichigo

The first real showcase of the bloodthirsty “monster” known as Kenpachi

Kenpachi's first major fight in the series is such a long one Whiten fans will always remember how ruthless and one-sided it was, at least, in the first half. The weight of Kenpachi's spiritual pressure forces Ichigo to run away for the first part of the fight, before Kenpachi then teases the protagonist by offering him the chance to land a free attack on him. Given that Ichigo had slowly worked his way up in terms of power level, seeing him completely humiliated by Kenpachi was a good way to showcase how absurdly powerful, yet terrifying, the latter is.

The reveal of Kenpachi's watches, which give his opponents a chance to find out where he is and when he will strike, also showed how Kenpachi was strong enough to afford to play with his prey in the middle of battle. Although Ichigo eventually gathers enough power to take Kenpachi down, the captain's persona began as a bloodthirsty and violent warrior with no remorse for his enemies.

2 Kenpachi VS Unohana

Kenpachi must prove himself worthy of holding the title of Kenpachi

When it comes to visual spectacle, Kenpachi's match with Unohana is one of the best battles of all Whitenbut it also says a lot about Kenpachi's character throughout this fight. Although he starts out with his usual joy at being able to fight someone on his level, there are times when Kenpachi wonders if he has become weaker and if he is really worthy of being called Kenpachi, which is not something he has ever cared about previous. .

This was also one of the only times that Kenpachi meets someone he respects, giving an intriguing insight into how his mindset and fighting style change when faced with a familiar foe. Kenpachi's epic battle with Unohana was also the fight that made him strong enough to take on the powerful members of the Sternritter that he would face later.

1 Kenpachi VS Gremmy

Gremmy's imaginative powers force Kenpachi to unleash everything he has in a dazzling battle

Kenpachi's duel against the imaginative Sternritter Gremmy is a fight that developed the captain's character in many ways. Almost as soon as the battle begins, Kenpachi proudly proclaims himself “The Kenpachi” highlighting how he has finally begun to take the title seriously after his bloody confrontation with Unohana just a few episodes earlier.

Additionally, Kenpachi also unleashes brand new abilities during this fight in an attempt to counter Gremmy, who can turn anything he imagines into reality. Needless to say, this pushes Kenpachi to his limit, forcing him to unleash his Zanpakuto to hack a literal meteor to pieces. He even manages to use his brute strength to break out of a sealed vacuum in space. This is a fight that shows that even though Kenpachi has matured and accepted his newfound responsibility after the loss of Unohana, that killer instinct is still very much alive and well beneath the surface.