Unlocking the Secrets: Unveiling Komamura's Extreme Bankai in BLEACH's Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2

Highlights

Komamura's Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, is a powerful suit of living samurai armor that mirrors his movements and attacks with great strength.

Komamura, when taking on his human form, obtains temporary immortality and unleashes the ultimate power of his Bankai, known as Dangai Jōe. This extraordinary ability removes his armor and transforms him into a fierce warrior driven solely by offensive strategies, powered by his reiatsu.

Komamura's Zanpakutō named Tenken, along with his Bankai, embodies elements of wrathful deities and the realms of the underworld, influenced by Buddhist and Hindu concepts. These concepts are represented by the vajra guard and black ropes, respectively.

Spoilers for BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2, Episode 4, "Heart of Wolf" are revealed ahead. This episode, titled "Heart of Wolf," features the confrontation between 7th Squad Captain Sajin Komamura and Sternritter E – The Explode, Bambietta Basterbine. Despite a long absence since his previous defeat, Komamura returns with the power of the secret technique of the Wolfman Clan and the ultimate form of his Bankai, swiftly defeating the Quincy opponent. This episode is available for streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

Zanpakutō

or

Zanpakutō

Tenken, the Zanpakutō of Komamura, is an immensely powerful weapon even in its Shikai form. In its sealed state, Tenken appears as a typical katana with an hourglass-shaped guard. Surprisingly, even upon release, its appearance remains unchanged. Once activated, Tenken grants Komamura the ability to manipulate colossal phantom limbs that emulate a formidable suit of armor. These phantom limbs dutifully mirror Komamura's every movement and possess strength that corresponds to their massive size. Therefore, when Komamura chooses to swing his sword, the accompanying giant phantom limb replicates the motion with extraordinary force, which corresponds to its size. Notably, the blade held by this armor set bears a resemblance to the common Shikai blades, featuring a striking two-tone color scheme.

The Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō ("Vidyaraja of Kālasūtra's Heavenly Punishment"), showcases a unique summoning ability similar to the Shikai. However, instead of just summoning an avatar-like entity, the Bankai manifests as a complete suit of armor. This enormous samurai armor faithfully mimics Komamura's movements, harnessing immense strength. The amplified power comes from the collective strength of the entire suit of armor, rendering its attacks even more formidable.

Interestingly, there exists a symbiotic relationship between Komamura and his Zanpakutō in this scenario. If the Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō sustains significant damage, Komamura's own life becomes threatened. Fortunately, unlike most Bankai, the armor can heal itself when Komamura is healed. This delicate connection between Komamura and his Bankai has hindered his ability to fully utilize its most potent application until now.

Gloves Come Off

BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Episode 4: Kokujo Tengen Myo'o Dangai Joue

After mastering the secret Jinka Technique, Komamura gains the ability to transform into a human form temporarily and obtains immense spiritual power. He sacrifices his heart and becomes like a hollow shell, driven solely by the desire for revenge. In this state, he becomes invincible in his human form, as he becomes a walking corpse, possessing temporary immortality. This is what allows him to activate the ultimate power of Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō: Dangai Jōe, also known as the "Armor Repulsion Rope Raiment." When Komamura unleashes his Bankai, he summons an avatar in the form of a living suit of armor. However, Dangai Jōe represents the shedding of this very armor, symbolizing his true essence.

This paradoxical situation leaves behind an exposed body consisting solely of reiatsu; a warrior forsaking defense in favor of full-fledged attack. While in this state, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō remains linked to Komamura; however, any inflicted damage swiftly regenerates. Given Komamura's effective immortality in his second encounter with Bambietta, he was able to utilize this incredibly daring ability in combination with the Jinka Technique to overpower the Quincy. The Bankai's emergence in the Dangai Jōe state is truly terrifying, featuring a demonic appearance complete with a snarling, fanged visage and blazing eyes.

Heavenly Punishment

Komamura's Zanpakutō, Tenken, reveals different facets of his personality, requiring a closer examination. The term "Tenken" is written as 天譴 in Japanese, combining the characters for "Heaven" and "Reproach" to form "Heavenly Punishment". This leads to his Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, represented by the characters 黒縄天譴明王, which can be translated as "Vidyārāja of Kālasūtra's Heavenly Punishment" or alternatively as VIZ's "Divine Retribution, Black Ropes of Ruination". Both translations draw upon Buddhist concepts, although with varying emphasis. According to Eastern Asian Buddhist and Hindu teachings, a multitude of deities govern wisdom, particularly within the realm of "Wisdom Kings", referred to as Vidyārāja in Sanskrit and Myō'ō in Japanese, denoted by a kanji that symbolizes brightness or enlightenment followed by another representing "king".

As a result, these deities are associated with brightness, radiance, or the heavens. Nonetheless, their defining characteristic is their wrathful nature, representing the embodiment of esoteric wisdom's mystic power. Different schools have devised various arrangements of the significant Myō'ō. However, the key to the Myō'ō invoked in Komamura's Bankai lies in the "Kokujō," a term written with the kanji for "black" and "rope," but it is also the name of a specific Hell-like realm in Buddhist cosmology known as Kālasūtra – the Hell of the Black Thread.

Naraka

A Naraka is a realm in Buddhist cosmology that resembles Hell. Unlike Christian beliefs, being in a Naraka is not seen as a divine punishment for specific wrongdoings but rather as a consequence of accumulated karma. While the stay in a Naraka is incredibly long, it is not eternal. There are sixteen Narakas in total, with eight being cold and eight being hot. Kālasūtra, known as the realm of "black thread," is particularly horrifying, as beings born in this realm endure unimaginable horrors. The term "black thread" refers to the scorching black ropes used to bind the bodies of those who are reborn there, which are then utilized as guides for inflicting gory injuries with fiery saws and axes.

Dharmapala

Komamura embodies certain aspects found in various Vidyārājas. Yet, his tale closely mirrors that of Acala, known as "The Immovable." Like Acala, Komamura transitioned from a humble apprentice of the Buddha Vairocana to a formidable guardian of the Dharma, adept at dispelling obstacles and defeating evil with his sword and noose. As we delve into the lore of Buddhist deities, the enigmatic hourglass-shaped guard on Komamura's sword unveils its true identity - it is not an hourglass, but a vajra, a symbol of thunderbolts associated with both Hinduism and Buddhism, often attributed to Indra.

Komamura Draws Tenken – BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Episode 4

The guard of Komamura's Zanpakutō is identified as a vajra due to the striations that extend from the rectangular center to the edges, resembling divisions or petals. Additionally, when Komamura activates his Bankai against Bambietta, the accompanying chanting music and the distinctive sound of a bell, known as a "ghanta," can be heard. This bell is traditionally linked to the vajra in Buddhist religious practices and is believed to have the power to ward off evil spirits. The Jinka Technique, positioned as a ritual, showcases Komamura's commitment to his role as an acolyte turned punisher of evil. In various depictions, the vajra-wielding figure ("vajrapani") fiercely wields the weapon in their right hand, holding it above their head – just like Komamura when utilizing his Bankai.

Tenken and Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō symbolize Komamura's journey as a Wolfman and his quest for justice and retribution. The appearance of Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō resembles a "dharmapala", a guardian of the Dharma, and the binding ropes allude to a Naraka, a place associated with the existence of Wolfmen in Soul Society. Tetsuzaemon understood Komamura's beliefs and freed him from his feelings of guilt with the simple words, "you haven't done anything wrong." The black ropes represented in Komamura's Bankai are thematically connected to the white threads seen by Ichigo, hinting at his encounter with Senjumaru Shutara, the Fourth General of the Royal Guard who manipulates cloth.