Abarai Renji is one of my favourite shinigamis in Bleach partly due to the voice of Toru Furusawa which really brought life to his smug, arrogant and brash character. Renji is the lieutenant of the 6th Division in the Gotei 13 and reports to captain Kuchiki Byakuya. He earned his eccentric nickname "red pineapple" due to the long crimson hair kept in a high ponytail. His upper body is covered with black tribal tattoos which seem to spread everytime he achieves an advancement. His zanpakutou's spirit Zabimaru also bears similar tattoos but in purple.


Zabimaru means "snake tail" and its spirit (or spirits) takes the form of a baboon with a snake tail. The baboon was portrayed as more dominant of the two. To release Zabimaru's shikai form, Renji commands hoero or "roar". Zabimaru then transforms into a 7-segment blade with a pick-like protrusion on each segment. There are a total of 7 picks, the one at the blade tip the largest. The blade can take-on another form where the segments break from one another, connected by elastic threads. This converts Zabimaru into a long-range weapon more like a whip. It's as if due to Zabimaru's 2 spirits, the blade can assume 2 forms.

Abarai Renji's bankai is called Hihio Zabimaru or "baboon king snake tail"). In bankai state, Zabimaru turns into a giant skeletal snake with a red lion's mane similar to Renji's crimson hair. Renji's outfit also changes with a fur coat over his shoulders and a skeleton on the left arm. Unlike its shikai form, Zabimaru's segments are now bound together by Renji's reiatsu (spiritual power) which can detach and attach again at will. The segments themselves are extremely tough and even if one of it is damaged, Renji can simply detach it and reform Zabimaru. Renji's bankai has the special technique known as hikotsu taiho or "baboon bone cannon" which fires an energy blast from Zabimaru's mouth. He can also use a more powerful technique higa zekko where all the segments detach and sharpen using spiritual energy.


The Functional Abarai Renji Unawaken Zabimaru Sword replica from SwordsSwords is a functional high-carbon steel katana (last checked all stocks were sold out). The Zabimaru sword replica has an overall length of 40", blade length 28" and handle length 12".The sword features a full-tang blade with razor sharp edge. The handle is nylon wrapped in beige red, ray skin and dual-pegged for full functionality. The wooden scabbard is painted in high gloss red liquid finish similar to the anime. Fittings are made of brass and blackened copper. The functional sword replica comes with a sword bag.


If you prefer a decorative sword, why not choose the Stainless Steel Abarai Renji Unawaken Zabimaru Sword replica from Hanzo Steel? The sword replica has an overall length of 41", blade length 27" and handle length 12". The sword comes with a wooden scabbard hand-painted in red with a lacquer coat finish. The tsuka (handle) is wrapped in a red cloth in the popular Tsumami Maki style. The stainless steel blade has a slight factory-sharpened edge with visible hamon (temper line).


If you prefer the shikai or awakened zanpakuto sword, bad news is there are no exact steel replicas available yet. Good news is the wooden 52" Awakened Abarai Renji Zabimaru Sword replica from SwordsSwords. This high-quality wooden sword replica is amazingly light for its size (3lbs) so toting it around the convention hall all day shouldn't work you much sweat. The blade is 35" long with an 11" wide protruding spike at the tip. It has a two-tone paint - silver along the blade edge while the rest is black. The 16" long handle is leather-wrapped for excellent grip. Great for cosplay events.


If you're looking for Bleach costume, check out the site at AllAnimeDVD.com. They have several selections of Shinigami, Espada, Quincy and other Bleach costumes. Perfect for Halloween, birthdays, cosplay events and themed parties. Just take your pick.