Renji Abarai

Appearances

Renji and his captain, Byakuya Kuchiki, are sent to the human world to return Rukia Kuchiki to the Soul Society. Ichigo Kurosaki arrives to save her, and Renji briefly fights him; Ichigo gains the upper hand after a sudden release of reiatsu, which are random bursts of resolve. Byakuya steps in and defeats Ichigo easily. It is revealed that Renji is a childhood friend of Rukia, and their relationship was strained by her adoption into the Kuchiki family.

Renji strove to prove himself as a shinigami to match her new social standing and gain acknowledgment from Byakuya. Before Ichigo leaves, Renji pleads with him to save Rukia. After recovering, Renji escapes confinement and trains to achieve bankai of his zanpakutō. He sets out to free Rukia but is stopped by Byakuya; the two clash with their respective bankai, and Byakuya's mastery leads to victory.

Despite extensive injuries, Renji goes to the execution site, where Ichigo entrusts Rukia's safety to him. They try to escape but are teleported back by Kaname Tōsen. Learning that Tōsen and Sousuke Aizen are traitors intending to kill Rukia, Renji fights to defend her but is overwhelmed by Aizen. Rukia is ultimately saved by Byakuya, and Aizen leaves the Soul Society.

Zabimaru

Renji’s Zanpakutō is called Zabimaru, and its spirit usually takes the form of a Nue. When released, the blade is split into segments attached to bellows; it can function as a normal sword when fully connected, extend to slash, or fire all the segments as a finishing move. For much of the series, his Bankai was thought to be Hihiō Zabimaru, a massive skeletal snake that shoots energy beams while Renji wears a baboon fur. This was later revealed to be incomplete. His true Bankai, Sōō Zabimaru, is more practical: it gives him a usable arm-like weapon, while the blade becomes the hand-mounted Orochiō, or Serpent King.

In other media

Renji Abarai appears in several Bleach films and other media outside the main series. He joins other Soul Reapers to battle the Dark Ones in Memories of Nobody and assists in locating Tōshirō Hitsugaya during The DiamondDust Rebellion. In Fade to Black, he and his comrades forget Rukia and Ichigo before eventually facing them. He also features in Hell Verse and the OVA The Sealed Sword Frenzy, where he fights the rogue Soul Reaper Baishin. Across most Bleach video games, Renji is a playable character, often in both his shikai and bankai forms.

Reception

Renji has ranked relatively high in the Shōnen Jump popularity votes, once ranking 4th place. IGN called his debut into the anime stylish and cool and noted that the short battle between Ichigo and Renji was nicely done, adding that his style and weapon made him a character they wanted to see more of. In another review, IGN commented on his change in character, stating it was nice to see a nicer Renji compared to the jerkish character introduced, and that his determination to save Rukia was admirable, making him much more likeable.

By the end of the Soul Society arc, Renji was still cocky but had weaknesses like everyone else, having totally changed since attacking Ichigo in the first season. Animeondvd.com praised his development in the story, commending Tite Kubo's way of telling his background and making readers change their ideas of the character. Wally Wingert, Renji's English voice actor, found Renji to be the coolest part of the series he ever had, liking his design and skills, and also appreciated his development, such as his friendship with Rukia.