The hype is real. Honestly, if you've spent even five minutes in a mobile gaming lobby lately, you've heard the name. Kenji. He’s the sushi-chef-turned-samurai who basically broke the internet when he first appeared in Brawl Talk. But now that we're well into 2026, the question isn't just about his debut—it's about how he's fundamentally changed the way people play.
People are still constantly asking when does kenji come out because the release cycle for this specific Brawler was kind of a wild ride. It wasn't just a "press a button and he's there" situation. It was a multi-stage rollout that left a lot of players clutching their gems and praying their Starr Road credits wouldn't auto-redeem on the wrong character.
The Real Timeline: When Kenji Actually Hit the Shop
Let’s set the record straight because there’s a lot of old, dusty info floating around. Kenji officially joined the Brawl Stars universe back in the autumn of 2024. If you were there for the "Scary Tales" season, you remember the chaos.
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The early access window kicked off on September 26, 2024. This was the "pay to play" phase where you could grab a bundle for real cash and start slicing through lobbies before the general public got their hands on him.
But for the free-to-play crowd? The real date was October 3, 2024. That was the moment he landed on the Starr Road. It was a high-stakes morning. I remember people setting alarms for 1:00 AM just to make sure they swapped their unlock progress from Amber or Meg over to Kenji the second he went live.
Why the confusion persists
You might see some sites claiming he came out in May 2024 or even early 2025. That’s usually just AI hallucinating or people getting him mixed up with other "K" brawlers like Kaze (who joined much later). In reality, Kenji has been a staple of the Mythic/Legendary tier for well over a year now.
Why Is Everyone Still Talking About Him?
He’s an Assassin. But not like Mortis where you just dash in and hope for the best. Kenji’s kit is built on this weird, rhythmic alternation. One hit is a slash; the next is a dash. It feels like a dance.
- Self-Healing: This is the big one. Every time he hits someone, he gets a little health back. It makes him incredibly sticky in 1v1 situations.
- The Super: He carves a giant "X" on the ground and becomes invincible while doing it. It’s basically a "get out of jail free" card that also deletes anyone standing in the wrong spot.
- The Secret Past: Supercell leaned hard into the lore. He’s a former samurai hiding out as a sushi chef. That vibe—chilled out but deadly—really resonated with the community.
Honestly, the reason he's still trending is that his skill ceiling is massive. A bad Kenji is a literal feeder. A great Kenji? He's a nightmare that you can't actually kill because he's constantly lifestealing off your teammates.
Hypercharges and the 2026 Meta
Fast forward to where we are now. If you're looking at Kenji today, you aren't just looking at the base character. You’re looking at Kizu Kenji, his Hypercharge form that dropped in late 2025.
The Hypercharge basically turned his Super into a screen-clearing event. It didn't just buff his damage; it increased the speed of his dash, making him nearly impossible to track. In the current 2026 Ranked Season 2 rotation, Kenji is frequently a top-tier pick alongside Brawlers like Sprout and Bo. If you haven't mastered his dash-slash-dash rhythm yet, you're basically giving away ELO.
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Skins and Cosmetics You Might Have Missed
If you’re just getting into him now, you’ve missed a few limited drops, but the good stuff is mostly in the catalog.
- Fruit Samurai: The launch skin. Cheap, 29 gems, makes him look like he's about to make a very aggressive salad.
- Hebi Kenji: This was the heavy hitter from the "Starr Force" season in early 2025. It comes with the Mamushi and Aodaisho variations. Total snake vibes.
- Oni Kenji: The legendary-tier skin that everyone uses to flex. The animations are so heavy they can actually lag older phones.
How to Unlock Him Right Now
If you're a new player or just returning, don't expect a freebie. He’s a Legendary Brawler (though some older guides still mistakenly call him Mythic).
The Starr Road is your best bet. You’ll need 3,800 credits.
Don't waste your gems buying him at full price in the shop—it's usually around 699 gems, which is a total rip-off unless there’s a holiday sale. Wait for a "Legendary Brawler" discount or a random Starr Drop if you're feeling lucky.
Sometimes he pops up in the "Free Brawler Rotation" for Ranked play, which is a great way to test-drive him before committing all those hard-earned credits.
Moving Forward With Kenji
To actually get good with him, you have to stop spamming the auto-aim. His dash moves you in the direction you're facing, so if you auto-aim, you'll often dash right into a wall or a Shelly with a Super ready.
Go into the Practice Range. Practice the "Slash-Dash-Super" combo until it's muscle memory. Learn which walls you can clip through with the dash. In the 2026 meta, mobility is everything. If you aren't moving, you're dead.
Keep an eye on the weekly balance changes. Supercell has been tweaking his lifesteal percentages every few months to keep him from completely dominating the solo Showdown maps. He's strong, but he's not invincible—unless he's mid-Super, of course.
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Check your Starr Road progress now. If you're currently unlocking a Brawler you don't actually care about, switch to Kenji immediately. He provides way more utility in the current Ranked maps than most of the older Legendaries. Once you have him, focus on upgrading his "Honed Edge" Star Power first; the extra range on the slash is a literal game-changer for finishing off retreating enemies.