Kenma

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Shikashuin Kenma (砚磨)
Alias(es)	Yanmo; Lord Kenma; King Enma; Great King
Species/Race	Soul / Shinigami
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Shikashuin Family; Onmitsukidō; Uchiha Clan; Underworld City; Shadow Space empire
Occupation/Role	Commander-in-Chief and Commander of the Onmitsukidō; former Third Seat of the Second Division; contractor and patron of the Uchiha Clan; Lord of Yomi; ruler of an interworld empire
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Lieutenant-level Spiritual Pressure	2	Subdues the entire Uchiha Clan while holding back; his full pressure is stated to be capable of scattering their souls.
Third-Class Spiritual Might / Captain-level	29	Reaches the third level of Spiritual Might through the Spiritual Pressure feedback of his Uchiha contractors; described as solidly Captain-level.
Peak Third-Class Spiritual Might	75	Nears Second-Class Spiritual Might; opens an interworld spatial passage in under an hour, compared with nearly three days when he possessed Vice-Captain-level pressure.
First-Rank Spiritual Might	133	Reaches top-rank Spiritual Might through massive soul growth, the Uchiha contractors, and contracting the entire Yomi Underworld.
Bankai: Time Severance	205, 206	Releases Kiritsugu as a horse-cutting sword and gains the ability to sever the connection between instants, entering the gap within time.
Sukuna’s Slashing Technique	232, 233	Separates Sukuna’s soul from Yuji Itadori, forcibly contracts Sukuna, and claims his slashing technique.
Survival and Regeneration After Beheading	294, 296, 298	Survives the destruction of his heart and lungs, beheading, and incineration; later uses the Spirit King’s kneecap as a basis for rebuilding his body.
Time Severance: Revised	303	Adapts his technique after Yamamoto counters his usual time stop. Yamamoto’s position and stance change without his awareness, allowing Kenma to strike from behind.

Background

Kenma arrived in Soul Society after death and was adopted by an elderly former noble and military officer, who taught him swordsmanship, tea ceremony, and other formal skills. He later became the underboss of a criminal organization before enrolling in the Shino Spiritual Arts Academy. Following his excellent graduation, he joined the Eleventh Division and was named one of the academy's “Three Elites.” 8 22

Before reaching Soul Society, Kenma lived on Earth. He retained knowledge of stories from his previous life, including the Uchiha Clan. His adoptive family found him near an abandoned millstone workshop and named him Kenma. 1

After becoming engaged to Shihōin Yoruichi, Kenma earned the trust of her father, Shihōin Chunyan. Chunyan entrusted him with the family’s financial records, properties, secret bases, vassal relationships, informants, and intelligence network, expecting him to protect Yoruichi and the family. 7

Kenma entered the Ninja World shortly after the Uchiha massacre. He preserved Uchiha Shisui’s soul, recruited him as a subordinate, and offered the dead Uchiha Clan a new life in Soul Society in exchange for a life-and-death contract. 2 3

Kenma later told Shisui that his older brother, Takahisa, died when the Shinigami purged souls to preserve the balance of the Three Worlds before a war with the Quincy. Kenma survived partly because the Shinigami carrying out the purge spared him. Although the loss remained painful, Kenma said he had come to recognize that act of mercy. 255 256

Appearance

Kenma is a tall, imposing Shinigami with a stern, unsmiling presence. He dresses in black robes and carries a katana at his waist. 2 9

• Thick, heavy eyebrows.
• Upright, stern facial features.
• Narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes.
• Usually maintains a blank or severe expression.
• Wears white tabi socks and wooden sandals beneath black robes. 2 9 50
• As commander of the independent Onmitsukidō, wears a white haori marked “Onmitsu.” 114

Personality

Kenma presents himself as calm, disciplined, and rule-oriented. He is known for handling affairs steadily, following established procedures, and keeping his emotions controlled even under pressure. 21 22

He is also highly strategic. Kenma evaluates people primarily by their usefulness and potential, recruits capable individuals across worlds, and uses his contracts to create dependable long-term alliances. He is willing to manipulate circumstances to gain leverage, particularly when securing Urahara, Hachishō, and Mayuri. 41 50 54

Despite his calculating nature, Kenma consistently invests in his subordinates. He provides the Uchiha with supplies, housing, training materials, Zanpakutō, financial support, and medical assistance; he also recognizes Shisui’s progress with genuine pride. 12 13 31 75 102

Kenma’s ambition eventually places him in open conflict with Soul Society. He acknowledges having deceived Yoruichi and harmed innocents, yet struggles to abandon either his plans or his conscience. He tells her that his rebellion is not principally about revenge: having gained the opportunity to pursue greater power, he refuses to remain ordinary. 278 282 287

He is affectionate toward Yoruichi and their son, Tōichirō, but his secrecy and willingness to put his ambitions first severely damage their relationship. He also displays a vindictive streak when his authority is challenged, particularly in his dealings with Yamamoto. 257 278 286

Abilities & Skills

Kiritsugu

Kenma’s Zanpakutō, Kiritsugu, possesses two primary release functions: Severance and Connection. 50

• Release commands: “Sever it, Kiritsugu” and “Connect, Kiritsugu.” 24 54
• Severance: Cuts through barriers and space, allowing Kenma to open Senkaimon and travel between worlds. Given sufficient Spiritual Pressure, it can cut tangible or intangible things within his understanding. 3 25 75
• Connection: Forms life-and-death contracts with other souls; contractors are bound to Kenma’s fate and cannot sever the bond without his consent. 2 3
• Can communicate with contractors and perceive their sincere emotions through their connecting threads. 3 30
• Can borrow a contractor’s abilities, including Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan. 28 29
• Can grant contractors portions of his Spiritual Pressure and temporarily project his consciousness into their bodies. 30 58
• Can preserve or restore foreign abilities through a connection, including Whitebeard’s Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Ace’s Flame-Flame Fruit, Kaido and Big Mom's abilities, and Sukuna's Severance technique. 42 46 157 233
• Retains ownership of borrowed or restored abilities and can withdraw them at will. Kenma states that he can forcibly reclaim a contractor’s power at a critical moment even if doing so breaks a vow. 42 46 233
• Cannot directly connect two separate targets; he can only connect himself to each target. 42
• The number of connections depends on his available Spiritual Pressure. Connecting the entire Uchiha Clan initially consumed nearly half his capacity, while contracting the Yomi Underworld later counted as a single connection. 3 133
• Once he has opened an interworld passage, Connection can stabilize it and preserve its coordinates, making later crossings easier. 3
• Kiritsugu has two distinct spirits: a brown-skinned, white-haired manifestation of Severance and a yellow-skinned, black-haired source of Connection. The latter told Kenma that it entered him when he first arrived in Soul Society and connected his otherwise vulnerable soul to that world. 117 119
• Kenma traces Connection to a fragment of the Spirit King in his body, identified during his regeneration as the Spirit King’s left kneecap. 119 298
• After Urahara refuses to join him, Kenma takes Benihime and successfully releases its Shikai despite being someone other than its original wielder. 282

Bankai: Time Severance

Kenma’s Bankai allows him to sever the connection between one instant and the next, entering the gap within time. 206

• Release Chant: “Three Thousand Worlds, all karmic debts, the myriad phenomena of the universe—sever them all with a single stroke!” 232
• Effects: Overwhelming spatial and temporal distortion that allows him to effortlessly bisect high-tier beings like the Sage of Six Paths, Hamura Otsutsuki, and Ryōmen Sukuna. Its severing power can also act on metaphysical bonds: Kenma uses it to separate Sukuna’s soul from Yuji Itadori without cutting Yuji’s body. 206 232
• Transforms his Zanpakuto into an enormous horse-slaying sword. Its long black hilt bears a chain that coils around Kenma’s body. 231 232 248
• Kenma has trained extensively with Bankai, though he continues working to contain the surge of Spiritual Pressure produced by its release. 231
• Yamamoto counters Kenma’s usual Time Severance by casting a forbidden Time Stop Kidō on himself, allowing him to perceive and move within the stopped-time battlefield. Kenma subsequently uses Time Severance: Revised, which changes Yamamoto’s position and stance without his awareness. 293 294 303
• The Bankai’s blade can be damaged: Yamamoto’s Zanka no Tachi leaves melted notches in its edge during their clash. 303

Spiritual Pressure

Kenma possesses immense Spiritual Pressure, which serves as both his principal deterrent and the foundation of his contract system.

• Suppressed the Uchiha Clan with restrained Lieutenant-level pressure. 2
• Can crush weaker opponents through the sheer difference in Spiritual Pressure. 2 30
• Receives Spiritual Pressure feedback from his contractors as they train and grow stronger. 11 29
• Can lend Spiritual Pressure to contractors, allowing them to fight with Shinigami-like power. 30 46
• Temporarily granted Ace a Shinigami’s Spiritual Pressure. 46
• By reaching First-Rank Spiritual Might, gains enough Spiritual Pressure to sustain his Connection with the entire Yomi Underworld. Their shared fate means that, so long as Yomi endures, Kenma will not perish. 133
• Survives beheading and incineration during his first battle with Yamamoto. After absorbing life and power, he begins repairing his injuries; he later uses the Spirit King’s kneecap to regenerate a complete skeleton and rebuild his body. 294 296 298

Hakuda and Swordsmanship

Kenma is a capable close-range combatant trained in swordsmanship by his adoptive grandfather.

• Defeated a mob of imprisoned former Shinigami through White Strike without killing them. 52
• His Hakuda ability is considered potentially superior to Yoruichi’s White Strike. 52
• Practices a sword style featuring “Monkey Howl,” a characteristic vocal technique of his adoptive grandfather’s school. 8
• Displays exceptional speed against the Gotei 13, striking Kyōraku and Ukitake before they can react and cutting Ryūjin Jakka during the same confrontation. 290

Mangekyō Sharingan Access

Through his contract with Shisui, Kenma can temporarily wield Shisui’s Sharingan.

• Gains enhanced long-range vision and extreme visual clarity. 28
• Used the Mangekyō Sharingan to observe Marineford from afar. 28
• Used it to target Whitebeard Pirates commanders during the Marineford War. 33
• Returning the borrowed eyes restores Shisui’s sight and removes Kenma’s enhanced vision. 29

Devil Fruit Powers & Other Stolen Techniques

Kenma can wield Devil Fruit abilities and cursed techniques held through his contracts.

• Flame-Flame Fruit — Produces flames and can use Logia elementalization. 46
• Tremor-Tremor Fruit — Generates Whitebeard’s tremor power. Kenma uses it to break Aizen’s Black Coffin and devastate the surrounding area. 46 47 99
• Sukuna's Severance Technique — Steals Sukuna's innate slashing technique to effortlessly bisect opponents. 233
• Can wield the Flame-Flame and Tremor-Tremor Fruit powers simultaneously. 47
• While Kenma actively uses a contracted Devil Fruit power, its original user cannot access it. 46

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Kiritsugu — Kenma’s Zanpakutō and the source of his Severance, Connection, and Bankai abilities. 3 50 206
• Benihime — Urahara’s Zanpakutō, which Kenma forcibly claims and releases after Urahara rejects his offer of allegiance. 282
• Spirit King’s left kneecap — A fragment associated with Kenma’s Connection power; he uses the recovered bone as the basis for regenerating his body after Yamamoto nearly destroys it. 298
• Shikashuin Family financial and intelligence records — Includes assets, lands, properties, secret bases, vassals, informants, and noble connections. 7
• Zanpakuto and training materials — Distributed to the Uchiha Clan to develop them into Shinigami combatants. 11 12
• Kido-sealed Wooden Box — Prepared to assist his gathered allies, including Whitebeard, Ace, and Uchiha elders. 72
• Barrier Armor and Kido Warheads — Advanced gear developed for his expanding forces using Barrier techniques and Kidō-carrying ammunition. Kidō warheads enter field testing, while the armor initially remains too heavy for practical use. 218 222 239

Relationships

• Shihōin Yoruichi — Fiancée and later wife. Their relationship begins with distrust and frequent arguments but develops into a marriage and parenthood in which Yoruichi increasingly understands Kenma’s past and capabilities. Kenma’s concealed empire, manipulation of her friends, and plans to conquer the Seireitei eventually leave her feeling betrayed; she distrusts him even while he insists that he cares for her. 7 21 61 68 220 282 286 287
• Shikashuin Tōichirō — Kenma and Yoruichi’s infant son. Kenma is affectionate toward him and hopes he will grow strong without inheriting his father’s cruelty or weakness. 257 278
• Shihōin Chunyan — Father-in-law who trusted Kenma with the Shihōin Family’s finances and intelligence network. 7
• Uchiha Shisui — First major contractor, subordinate, student, and trusted agent. Kenma recognizes Shisui’s exceptional talent and entrusts him with major missions. Shisui remains deeply devoted to Kenma and is distraught when Yamamoto apparently kills him. 2 3 12 58 218 294
• Uchiha Fugaku — Clan head of the contracted Uchiha. Fugaku serves Kenma with loyalty, later joining the Second Division under him. 2 13 55
• Uchiha Clan — Kenma’s contracted followers and primary private force. He provides them with resources, Shinigami training, and protection in exchange for loyalty. 2 12 24
• Whitebeard / Edward Newgate — Contractor and powerful ally from the Pirate World. Kenma restores his Tremor-Tremor Fruit and provides him with a custom Guan Dao. 41 42 72
• Portgas D. Ace — Contractor and ally. Kenma restores Ace’s Flame-Flame Fruit, grants him Spiritual Pressure, and gives him a Zanpakutō resembling his former weapon. Ace later shields Kenma’s followers from Yamamoto’s flames. 46 72 294
• Kaido and Big Mom — Contracted through Kiritsugu; Kenma restores their Devil Fruit abilities and secures their allegiance. 157
• Kisuke Urahara — Former academy acquaintance and later contractor. Kenma recruits him from the Worm Nest through a Connection contract. Urahara ultimately rejects Kenma’s attempted reconciliation and opposes his plans, prompting Kenma to seize Benihime. 15 54 282
• Hachishō Ryo — Yoruichi’s subordinate and one of Kenma’s contracted recruits from the Worm Nest. 54
• Mayuri Kurotsuchi — Recruited from the Worm Nest after Kenma provokes him into competing with Urahara, acting as his chief scientific researcher. 54 70
• Shimazu Toyohisa — Kenma’s grandfather. Kenma regards him with concern and supports his renewed ambition in Soul Society. 65 68
• Oda Nobunaga, Yoichi, and Michikatsu Tsugikuni (Kokushibo) — Longstanding or newly recruited associates who provide strategic military leadership for Kenma's forces. Kenma contracts Michikatsu after the swordsman pledges himself as a retainer. 65 66 222 223
• Sengoku and Tsuru — Recruited from the afterlife; they assist Kenma in establishing a bureaucratic, world-government-style system for managing the Underworld City territories. Sengoku later serves as a deputy commander in the campaign against the Seireitei. 213 287
• Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni — Captain-General and Kenma’s principal opponent in the campaign against the Seireitei. Yamamoto overcomes Kenma’s initial time-stop strategy and nearly kills him, forcing Kenma to reassess the veteran’s strength and experience. 278 287 293 294 303
• Sōsuke Aizen — A dangerous rival with whom Kenma maintains a pragmatic alliance. Kenma values Aizen’s work on the Hōgyoku but intends to eliminate him when he is no longer useful. 218 285

Story Role / Major Arcs

Uchiha Clan Contract

Kenma appears before the massacred Uchiha Clan, subdues them with Spiritual Pressure, and offers them continued existence in Soul Society. He contracts the clan through Kiritsugu, making their fates dependent on his own. 2 3

He subsequently establishes the Uchiha in Rukongai, supplies them with necessities and Zanpakutō, trains their most talented members, and turns them into an expanding private force. 9 12 13

Pirate World Expedition

Kenma travels to the ocean world with Fugaku, Shisui, and selected Uchiha elites. During the Marineford War, he uses the Uchiha’s abilities and his own contracts to collect powerful souls. 25 28 33

He contracts Whitebeard and Ace after the war and, over subsequent expeditions, contracts Kaido, Big Mom, and Oars, while selecting only those souls with enough potential to justify investment. He also traces and contracts the entire Yomi Underworld, becoming the Lord of Yomi. 41 46 47 133 157

Consolidation in Soul Society

Kenma expands his influence through the Shikashuin Family’s resources and by recruiting Urahara, Hachishō, and Mayuri from the Worm Nest. 7 54

Following political upheaval and reforms in Seireitei, Central 46 appoints him Commander-in-Chief and Commander of the rebuilt, independent Onmitsukidō, and the Shikokuin family rises to become the most prominent of the Five Noble Clans. 107 112 114

Interworld Recruitment and Conquest

Kenma continues opening passages to new worlds, contracting exceptional individuals and bringing them into Soul Society. His targets include Toji, Riko Amanai, Misato Kuroi, Gojo, and Sukuna. 83 233

He organizes forces from Underworld City and the Ninja World, defeating figures like the Sage of Six Paths, and prepares a systematic campaign supported by modern weaponry, Barrier armor, and a structured bureaucratic hierarchy. 177 206 213

He also recruits Michikatsu Tsugikuni and brings the Spirit Killing Squad under his influence. In the Curse World, Kenma separates Sukuna from Yuji Itadori and claims Sukuna’s slashing technique. 223 224 232 233

Shadow Space and the Seireitei Campaign

Kenma’s forces seize Shadow Space, the former territory of the Quincy Empire, and establish Nethercalm as their seat of government and military command. After years of preparation and infiltration, he announces an invasion intended to suppress Central 46, replace the Gotei 13 with the Onmitsukidō, and neutralize the Great Noble Families. He appoints Nobunaga commander-in-chief, with Sengoku and Tobirama as deputies, while reserving Yamamoto as his own opponent. 287

The campaign follows Kenma’s rupture with Yoruichi and Urahara. Yoruichi and their family are taken to Underworld City under guard, a measure Kenma’s followers describe as protection but Yoruichi regards as confinement. 282 286 287

At the First Division, Kenma gravely wounds Kyōraku and Ukitake and cuts Ryūjin Jakka. Yamamoto nevertheless coordinates a counterattack, using forbidden Time Stop Kidō and Ginrei’s intervention to expose Kenma to a fatal-looking strike. Ginrei beheads Kenma, and Yamamoto incinerates his body, but Kenma survives and begins regenerating. 290 293 294 296 298

Kenma later returns to protect his allies from Yamamoto’s Bankai, Zanka no Tachi. Their clash damages Kenma’s Horse-Cutting Sword, and Yamamoto can still move during Kenma’s usual Time Severance. Kenma responds by using Time Severance: Revised, striking Yamamoto after the older Shinigami’s position changes without his awareness. 303

Trivia

• Kenma’s contract ability is repeatedly compared to Yhwach’s power because he can both grant abilities and reclaim them. 46
• He initially underestimated the Uchiha Clan, expecting only a few potential Shinigami; instead, roughly one-seventh to one-eighth of the clan could feel hunger and qualify for Shinigami training. 9
• Kenma considers the Uchiha’s Sharingan and Yin Release heritage the reason for their extraordinary spiritual talent. 10 11
• Despite his stern demeanor, Kenma is capable of visible excitement when discovering valuable talent or useful resources. 10 11
• He has a gentle side around animals, including a calico kitten he feeds after returning to Soul Society. 164
• Kenma finds his Bankai’s spoken name so long that reciting it in one breath is difficult. 232