The Ultimate Revelation: Discover the Untold Secrets of the Jinka Technique in BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2

Highlights

In the latest episode of BLEACH, Captain Sajin Komamura taps into the Jinka Technique to assume his immortal human form and defeat his enemy, Bambietta.

Komamura carries the burden of shame due to his wolf-like features, which branded him as a wrongdoer in his previous existence. To evade condemnation, the Wolfman Clan was compelled to live in exile.

At the heart of Komamura's persona lie his unwavering commitment to justice and his yearning for retribution, traits that resonate through his Zanpakutō, Tenken, symbolizing the concept of divine retribution.

BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2, Episode 4, "Heart of Wolf" on Hulu and Disney+ contains spoilers. The episode focuses on 7th Squad Captain Sajin Komamura and his battle against Sternritter E - The Explode, Bambietta Basterbine. Komamura, having been defeated by Bambi in the previous season, reflects and returns to his Wolfman Clan to seek the secret technique from his great-grandfather, the Great Elder.

Resentment From Shadows

The Jinka Technique allowed Komamura to temporarily assume a form of immortality as a human. By combining it with the ultimate form of his Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, Komamura was able to successfully defeat his adversary. However, this victory came at a significant cost, as power-ups of this magnitude often entail. But what exactly is the Jinka Technique?

In the Soul Society arc, it is revealed that Sajin Komamura, an anthropomorphic wolf, concealed his appearance out of shame. This shame stemmed from his humble origins, which is understandable considering the hierarchical structure of Soul Society. Most souls in Soul Society reside in Rukongai, a sprawling city consisting of 320 districts evenly distributed in each cardinal direction. These districts are numbered 1 to 80 based on their proximity to the central district, which is the most prosperous area. The further one is from the central district, the more decay and poverty one witnesses. Komamura's shame lacked context, but it was compounded by his need to live in secrecy. This need arose from the history of the Wolfman Clan.

Of Beasts and Men

Komamura's shame went beyond the scorn he endured from other souls. It stemmed from the fact that reincarnation in Soul Society with an animal-like form indicated a past sin. The Wolfman Clan, a family of these marked souls, chose self-imposed exile in the depths of Rukongai to escape judgment. Living with constant vulnerability to scrutiny, Komamura sought to free himself from shame and regret accumulated over lifetimes and atone for past misdeeds.

In BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 13, the secret ability of the Wolfman Clan called the Jinka Technique, also known as "Humanization," is featured. This ability allows the user to temporarily transform into their previous human form, relinquishing their heart in the process. This transformation brings them closer to death but grants them a significant increase in power. For Komamura, this means he can access the ultimate form of his Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō: Dangai Jōe.

Against Bambietta, this technique proved highly effective, allowing him to swiftly defeat her by unleashing the full force of his Bankai and a forsaken connection to life. However, the cost of this technique is steep, as it results in the user losing their humanity and transforming into a complete wolf once time runs out. According to the Great Elder's explanation, Komamura's utilization of this technique served as his ultimate acknowledgment and acceptance of the defining characteristic of the Wolfmen: an insatiable thirst for vengeance. This partially explains why the Great Elder held such admiration for Komamura, as his actions represented a return to his true self and showcased a profound lack of shame towards one's inherent nature.

Justice and Wrath

The story of Komamura and Kokujo Tengen Myo'o Dangai Joue

Komamura's life was shaped by feelings of guilt, shame, and the need for atonement. These experiences heightened his fixation on justice, making it a central theme in his life. It is within this quest for justice that his most significant relationship unfolds. After Kaname Tōsen betrayed Soul Society, Komamura struggled immensely. He had been close to Tōsen, as he was the only person who truly understood and accepted him without judgment. Tōsen was driven by a sense of justice, deeply affected by the murder of a dear friend. Komamura admired this aspect of Tōsen, but ultimately found himself ensnared by the same flawed thinking. This is where Komamura's connection to Dharmic principles becomes apparent, as his Zanpakutō embodies the essence of his character: guilt and the need to face punishment for one's transgressions.

Tenken's nomenclature is interesting because it shares similarities with the kanji for "divine punishment." However, the word "retribution" captures the essence more accurately, as it conveys the element of vengeance that is integral to Komamura's storyline in BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War, as VIZ translates it. Essentially, Komamura's main objective is to balance his karma, which encompasses his feelings of shame towards his appearance (thus, his past actions) and his desire to avenge the murder of former Captain-Commander Genryūsai Yamamoto. His Bankai embodies the concept of divine punishment through the wrathful Buddhist deity known as "Myō'ō," which upholds wisdom. Specifically, Komamura's Bankai is likened to the Myō'ō residing in the Naraka known as Kalasūtra – the black thread. Beings are born in Naraka due to their past misdeeds, much like Komamura himself. By seeking revenge, Komamura transitions from being condemned to becoming a wrathful condemner, willing to sacrifice even his own life to defeat his enemies.