Senketsu

"Don't you dare lay a finger on Ryūko. If you do, I'll make you pay."

- Senketsu fair warning to Tsumugu

Senketsu (鮮血) is a main character in the anime series Kill la Kill. Appearing as a living sailor uniform, he is a Kamui created by Isshin Matoi and was found by his daughter Ryūko Matoi, becoming her ally in her battle against Satsuki Kiryūin; and later, Ragyō Kiryūin and COVERS.

Appearance
Senketsu appears to be a navy-blue and red sailor suit with the midriff shown and a lower cut skirt. When Senketsu is on his own, the section above the skirt resembles a mouth, in that he is attached to his lower jaw in the back. When he is worn, however, the skirt and the rest of him are completely separate exempting some suspenders. He speaks with a deep male voice, implying the male pronouns, even though kamui can technically be assumed to be sexless entities.

Personality
In most circumstances, Senketsu is a composed and analytical individual, calmly observing and describing situations as they occur. He maintains this level-headedness even during the heat of battle, giving Ryūko advice and warning her whenever she is about to run out of energy. However, he has a strong craving for Ryūko's blood as he needs it to remain active. Whenever he tastes her blood after a period of deactivation, he becomes manic and aggressive, and demands she feed him more. Senketsu also is shown to have humanistic qualities, as he seems to legitmately care for Ryūko and wishes only to help her achieve her desires. He seems also to be troubled by that none other than Ryūko can understand him when Ryūko herself is not present.

Synopsis
Senketsu was created by Isshin Matoi as a nameless Kamui specifically for his daughter, Ryūko Matoi, with the purpose of fighting off the threat of the Life Fibers. Isshin imbued him with Ryūko's DNA; as such, only she can communicate with and properly wear him.

Some time after his creation, he was hidden by Isshin under a pile of clothes during Nui Harime's invasion into his laboratory. There he remained inactive until Ryūko fell into the room, inadvertently reawakening him when blood from a reopened wound dripped on him. Desperate not to fall asleep again, he forcefully put himself on Ryūko. Once he regained his composure, he told her he remembered little more than his powers and creator. Ryūko reasoned she could use his powers in her battle against the Student Council of Honnōji Academy, and named him Senketsu after her fresh blood that awakened him.

Ryūko effectively wears Senketsu in their first battle together against council member Takaharu Fukuroda. However, she overexerts herself and is advised by Senketsu to run away before she collapses from fatigue. The next day, Senketsu fails to awaken because Ryūko was unable to feed him, resulting in her defeat against Omiko Hakodate. To rectify this, Ryūko's homeroom teacher Aikurō Mikisugi gives her a Seki Tekkō, a glove that allows her to conveniently draw her blood to keep Senketsu fed and active.

During the battle against Satsuki Kiryūin and her Kamui, Junketsu, they were outmatched at first, but Ryūko was able to perform better with Senketsu when she finally became able to wear him in public without feeling embarrassed, achieving full Life Fiber Synchronization and unlocking his full potential. Together, they nearly match Satsuki and Junketsu's power.

During the battle against Nui Harime, Ryūko's rage caused her blood temperature to elevate to the point that Senketsu was no longer able to control himself. This caused Ryūko's rage to overwhelm him, transforming them both into a berserk abomination. While she was eventually calmed and Senketsu returned to his normal state, the fear of the encounter left Ryūko hesitant in her next meeting with Nui, the result of which was Senketsu's destruction. His remains were then taken by Satsuki and given to Shirō Iori to be added onto uniforms of students deemed worthy of such power. Ryūko had however managed to hold onto a piece of him, which she put on a scarf for the time being.

Ryūko then sets out to the raid trip to retrieve the rest of Senketsu, in which she does successfully, aside the glove, which was being worn by Satsuki. After fixing Senektsu, the two confirm their friendship and how Senketsu with help achieve Ryūko's goals. After, Ryūko asks Senketsu to transform at the risk of her hand not being able to handle the life fiber flow. Ryūko successfully does so and retrieves the glove. Senketsu and Ryūko then learn of how Nudist Beach was formed and what Isshin Matoi had set to achieve.

During the school festival, Ryūko and Senketsu both comment on how powerful they have become, being able to overpower Nui Harime. Soon after, Ryūko learns of how she is perfectly merged with life fibers, and not human. After Satsuki blows the Academy up, Senketsu drags the unconscious Ryūko to Aikuro, and then watches over her while she is in a comatose-like state. Sukuyo Mankanshoku comforts Senketsu, knowing that he is worried for Ryūko. After Ryūko wakes up and destroys a number of covers in a fit of rage, Senketsu asks for her to put him on. She refuses, stating she isn't a human, but a Life Fibers monster, just like him, leaving him shocked.

Later on, Ryūko expresses her distress to Senketsu and the others on discovering that she was in fact the weapon made to battle Life Fibers, and not Senketsu. Mako tries to make Ryūko put him on again, but she gets another fit of rage by the sudden appearance of Nui Harime and Ragyō Kiryūin, who in turn tells her to go to Honnouji to settle their scores. Senketsu tries to tell her not to go. She steals a motorbike and goes anyway. Senketsu ends up talking to himself trying to tell his allies that he wants to go to Honnouji to save Ryūko, though Mako manages to speak up for him and they hug before Mikisugi activates the S.S. Naked Sun, a Nudist Beach carrier ship fully funded by Takarada. They launch and depart after Ryūko.

After Ryūko lands on the Naked Sun and begins destroying everything in sight, Satsuki requests Senketsu's assistance in stopping her sister, even though Senketsu may dislike her. Senketsu agrees to this and Satsuki wears him into combat.

Powers and Abilities
As a Kamui, when fed with blood, Senketsu has the ability to change into very revealing armor that grants Ryūko immense power. Initially the extent of power was limited and the blood drain was a constant problem due to Ryūko's embarrassment at her appearance, but after she comes to terms with it, they were able to use the Life Fiber Synchronisation to achieve the full power of a Kamui while minimizing the blood drain. In addition, although very skimpy in appearance, kamui are implied to "become the wearer's skin".

Most uniquely to the Kamui, Senketsu has the ability to absorb the Life Fibers of defeated Goku Uniforms, making him grow stronger. In addition, Senketsu possesses more than one Banshi.

Later, after witnessing Ira Gamagōri's Goku Uniform and its ability to undergo a secondary transformation, Senketsu was able to apply the idea to himself and gained the ability to change his configuration in the middle of battle to gain a better advantage. Known configurations are shown below.

Senketsu Senjin (鮮血閃刃)


 * In this form, Senketsu protrudes blades from all over its body. Senjin also has retractable claws. These claws can also be used during Senketsu's normal-mode and was also upgraded to a blade made of Ryuko's blood once.

Senketsu Shippu (鮮血疾風)


 * Senketsu's flying form. The bottom part of the uniform becomes a jet propulsor, and the crest (Senketsu "eyes") becomes wings.

Senjin Shippu (鮮血刃疾風)
 * Only form used by Satsuki.

Relationships

 * Ryūko Matoi - His friend and partner. Originally he was considered by Ryūko as just clothing or as a tool she could use to find her father's killer. In later episodes, it is shown that Senketsu cares for Ryūko in his own way, as he alerts her when she's about to faint when Ryūko was not 'wearing' him properly. In episode 3 he transforms back into his uniform form so that she would not faint in the battle with Satsuki and Junketsu. His care for Ryūko is elaborated on throughout episode 5.


 * In Episode 4, Senketsu is worn by Maiko, who then transforms. He prevents her from bringing harm to Ryūko and Mako and once he is removed off of Maiko he spits out all her blood. Ryūko states that she forgives him because he didn't 'cheat' on her by drinking Maiko's blood.


 * Episode 5 shows a big development in Ryūko and Senketsu's bond. Knowing that it was he who Tsumugu was after, he tells Ryūko not to wear him so that Tsumugu wouldn't hunt her down the next day. She refuses and wears him still, intending to challenge Tsumugu. Ryūko is nervous about fighting Tsumugu, which Senketsu comments on and she gets annoyed at him, which makes her say that she thinks of Senketsu as merely her clothing, and that he should just let himself be worn by her. Once Senketsu reaches his limit due to the jamming rounds Tsumugu made, Senketsu gives himself up to protect Ryūko from further harm, telling her to run and save herself before getting shot by Tsumugu. Mako comes in and interferes, giving a speech about how Senketsu was Ryūko's friend, and afterwards returns Senketsu to Ryūko before leaving. Ryūko protectively holds Senketsu and refuses to give him up again, saying that the only time Tsumugu would be able to get him back was if she died. Tsumugu hesitates with shooting her, and a scene of Senketsu speaking to him is played, with Senketsu threatening Tsumugu. The end of the episode has Ryūko saying that Senketsu wasn't just her clothing, but her friend, and he responds that he was indeed her friend.


 * In Episode 18, Ryūko and Senketsu achieve total synchronization, with Ryūko being able to move at lightning speed in her battle against Ragyo.


 * Though, in Episode 19, Mako is taken by a COVERS suit and Satsuki blows up the stadium the battle was taking place. Senketsu managed to stay awake and tried to protect an unconscious Ryūko against COVERS, but they were actually found by Mikisugi and taken to a Nudist Beach base. Ryūko apparently remained in a coma for the rest of the month while Senketsu waited for her to wake up.


 * When she wakes up and defeats all of the COVERS surrounding the base in a single strike of the Scissor Blade, Senketsu becomes overjoyed. But, in an fit of rage, Ryūko says that she gets angry just by looking at him and will never put him on again.

Memorable quotes
"Don't go! Put me on! And feed me blood! I do not wish to go back to sleep! You'll have time to be surprised after you put me on!"

- Senketsu clings to Ryūko after waking up from his slumber, unable to contain himself

"Am I... feeding off Ryūko?!"

- Senketsu panics as he remembers the truth about the Life Fibers and their parasitic behavior