Kabane Kusaka is a short, pale-skinned boy with short black hair and dull red eyes. When his human and Kemono sides synchronize, his appearance changes: his hair turns red, his eyes glow with a brighter red hue, and his eyebrows become red as well.

At the beginning of the series, Kabane wears only the plain bathhouse clothes provided by his aunt. After joining the Kemono Office under Inugami, he adopts a more casual outfit consisting of a black short-sleeved hoodie with a skeleton design, loose-fitting sweatpants that originally belonged to Shiki, a simple pair of shoes, and red gloves.

When the Lifestone is removed and Kabane experiences intense anger, he undergoes a transformation into his Kemono form. In this state, the whites of his eyes turn red with blue-green centers, and a horn emerges from the right side of his head. His skin darkens to a grayish tone with prominent veins, and his right arm grows significantly larger than the rest of his body, giving him a more monstrous and imposing appearance.

Kabane Kusaka exhibits traits commonly associated with emotional detachment, likely stemming from a childhood marked by neglect. He struggles to recognize and articulate his own emotions, as well as those of others, a condition resembling alexithymia. As a result, he often responds in a blunt and straightforward manner, and he tends to interpret statements literally, showing a degree of naivety.

Over time, Kabane begins to grow emotionally and socially through his experiences at the Inugami Detective Office. Interacting with others gradually helps him become more expressive and aware of complex emotions. While he maintains a calm and stoic outward presence, he demonstrates deep care for his friends and a strong instinct to protect them. In combat, Kabane shows little concern for his own safety, focusing solely on neutralizing threats to himself and those he cares about.

Beneath his stoic personality lies a compassionate and gentle nature. This is especially evident in his treatment of even the smallest living beings he avoids stepping on bugs and will go out of his way to save them if they’re in danger. When asked about this, Kabane explains that he sees all living things as sharing a desire to survive and believes they are “in the same boat.” While he does not hesitate to use lethal force when absolutely necessary, he avoids unnecessary killing whenever possible.

Kabane was raised by his aunt, Mrs. Kusaka, after being left in her care by his mother, her older sister. From a young age, he lived with his aunt and cousin, Yataro, in the remote Deer Village. Kabane was assigned a job that kept him isolated from others, primarily because of a persistent foul odor that surrounded him. This treatment reflects the emotional neglect he experienced during his upbringing.

It is later implied that the odor was not due to poor hygiene, but rather the natural scent of a Kemono. This is supported by the fact that, once Inugami gives him a special perfume designed to mask Kemono scent, no human characters comment on it again.

Regeneration
Kabane possesses extraordinary regenerative abilities due to his half-ghoul nature. He is capable of regrowing lost limbs and even recovering from complete decapitation or incineration, as seen when his entire body was reduced to a skull yet later restored. However, this power has limitations. If his severed body is enclosed in a confined space such as a suitcase he cannot regenerate. Similarly, if his body is set ablaze, the rate of burning can exceed the speed of regeneration, potentially leading to irreversible breakdown. His head cannot be reattached to a corpse once separated, and excessive use of regeneration can eventually exhaust his body’s ability to heal. However, contact with the Lifestone significantly enhances his regenerative capacity, temporarily removing this limitation.

Immortality
As a half-ghoul, Kabane is functionally immortal. He cannot die from injuries that would be fatal to humans, although decapitation renders his body immobile. Even in this state, he remains conscious and able to communicate.

Superhuman Strength
Despite his relatively small frame, Kabane has immense physical strength. He has been shown decapitating enemies and tearing through powerful Kemono with his bare hands. His strength increases even further when he taps deeper into his Kemono heritage.

Pain Nullity
Kabane is largely unaffected by physical pain. This is demonstrated when his ankle was skinned by Shiki’s webs or when he was set on fire by Nobimaru, he showed no reaction to the pain and continued to move without flinching or hesitation.

Body Dismemberment
Kabane has the ability to separate parts of his body and use them independently. He can detach his head or limbs and maintain partial mobility, although his headless body can only move for a few seconds once severed.

Totsuka (十拳,Totsuka)
Totsuka is a powerful technique taught to Kabane by Fukuhime Yashima. It involves concentrating all of his Kemono power into the palm of his hand, then unleashing it in a single, high-impact strike. The technique channels intense vibrations capable of causing severe internal and external damage. When executed properly, it amplifies the user’s power by up to tenfold, making it one of Kabane’s most destructive abilities.