Zanpakutō System

The Zanpakutō of low-ranking Shinigami are called Asauchi and do not have names, but the Zanpakutō of high-ranking Shinigami do have names. In its sealed state, a Zanpakutō has the form of a Japanese sword. Such weapons are unique swords generated from their owner's souls. Its shape differs depending on its owner.

Zanpakutō are the trademark weapons of the Shinigami. Capable of cutting spiritual bodies, they are among the few weapons which can be used to combat Hollows. Each Shinigami carries a Zanpakutō, and each Zanpakutō is unique: the swords are reflections of a Shinigami's power and soul, and sentient beings unto themselves. The Zanpakutō's name is the name of the living spirit which empowers the sword and lends its strength to the Shinigami who wields it. These beings can vary greatly in appearance, and have their own distinct personalities, which are similar to their owner's.

A Zanpakutō's shape and abilities are based on their Shinigami's soul. Once a Shinigami learns his/her Zanpakutō's name, they can communicate with one another and grow stronger together. Zanpakutō are born with their Shinigami, and they die along with their Shinigami. Shinigami use them in battle as a reflection of their heart. When released, they can display a vibrant power. They are one with the Shinigami, and they share a Shinigami's conviction.

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It is not enough to simply know the name of one's Zanpakutō. If a wielder were to lend its power to its Zanpakutō, the weapon would become stronger. To fully use a Zanpakutō's power, a wielder must get to know its Zanpakutō's spirit.

Jinzen (刃禅, Sword Meditation; Viz "Sword Zen"): This method is the only way to carry on a proper conversation with one's Zanpakutō. One places their sword over their lap, takes a meditative pose, and forces their mind to become one with the Zanpakutō.
In this form, one can call out the true form of the powers of their Zanpakutō. It has been refined over thousands of years, since the beginning of Soul Society, to allow one to commune with their Zanpakutō.

This advanced form of training is far different from attaining abilities by force. In this form, one enters a state of calm to enter the inner world of the Zanpakutō and engage them there. In this state, a wielder will have to fight their Zanpakutō spirit in order to attain access to new abilities. Unwilling to teach its owner these abilities, the Zanpakutō spirit engages its wielder in a battle, the likes of which has never taken place before.

In this meditative state, one is so deeply entranced, even sustained wounds are ignored. Any form of injury sustained in the inner world while in this meditative state is reflected in the real world.

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A wielder knows their Zanpakutō spirit very closely and vice versa. The connection is very deep, though in the beginning the connection is one sided, with the wielder being unable to fully hear the spirit communicating with them. It is not uncommon for the introduction of the Shinigami and Zanpakutō spirit to take place in the Shinigami's "inner world" while the prospective Shinigami sleeps.

As stated, a Zanpakutō is a being unto itself, and tends to be highly temperamental. Its mood is determined by how it is treated by its Shinigami and its overall personality. This allows a Shinigami to partially determine whether or not it will achieve its true power.

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Normally, the Zanpakutō spirit can only be seen by its wielder. Otherwise, they dwell in their own "inner world", created within the minds of the Shinigami who wield them. As such, each Shinigami's inner world is drastically different from another Shinigami's, and is unique to themselves. A Zanpakutō's spirit can bring its wielder into its inner world, though Shinigami can voluntarily achieve this simply by meditation.

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Depending upon the Shinigami's ability to communicate with and control their Zanpakutō's spirit, a Zanpakutō can manifest itself in two additional forms and revert to a sealed state. These two forms, known as Shikai and Bankai, are akin to upgrades for the Zanpakutō, giving it abilities far beyond those of its simple use as a sword. Shinigami usually carry their Zanpakutō in its sealed state, and activate the released forms as necessary.
A Zanpakutō can change size and shape depending on the spiritual strength of the owner.
All Zanpakutō have two levels of release. The first one is Shikai and the second one is Bankai. One must be able to perform both of them to become a captain. The power and forms of Shikai and Bankai are dependent on the Zanpakutō, and vary according to the wielder's strength and training.

Most Zanpakutō look like regular katana, with slight variations between them as one would expect between different swords. Their variations are commonly:

Katana (刀): The term katana may be applied to the standard-size, moderately curved, Japanese sword with a blade length of 2 shaku (606 mm / 23.9 in) and longer. The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade, a circular or squared guard, and a hilt long enough to accommodate two hands.
Wakizashi (脇差, Side Insertion): A short blade between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 inches), with an average of 50 cm (20 inches). It is similar to but shorter than a katana, and usually shorter than the kodachi. The wakizashi was usually worn together with the katana. When worn together, the pair of swords were called daishō (大小, large and small). The katana was often called the long sword, and the wakizashi the companion sword.
Nodachi (野太刀, Field Sword): The nodachi was more difficult to wield due to its size and weight. The average length of an nodachi is 65-70 inches long (approx 165-178 cm), often with a 4-5 foot (approx 120-150 cm) blade. The length of the hilt of the nodachi varied between 30 to 33 cm (12 to 13 inches). Due to its weight and size, its cutting capability and range exceeds those of a katana.
Tantō (短刀, Short Sword): The tanto is commonly referred to as a knife or dagger. The blade is single or double edged, with a length between 15 and 30 cm (6-12 inches, in Japanese 1 shaku). The tantō was designed primarily as a stabbing weapon, but the edge can be used for slashing as well.

Zanpakutō can also be disguised as other objects, though such objects seem to need to be of similar proportions to the sword itself. Kisuke Urahara, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, and Kagerōza Inaba disguise their Zanpakutō as canes. Yamamoto's cane resembles a large walking stick, which dissolves on command to reveal his sheathed Zanpakutō, Urahara's forms a shikomizue (仕込み杖, Prepared Cane), a thin blade hidden within the hollow shaft of a cane, and Inaba's becomes a silver cane, which is immersed in a green light once released.
A Zanpakutō will return to its sealed state when its wielder is knocked unconscious.


Shikai (始解, Initial Release) is the second (or first upgraded) form available to a Zanpakutō. To activate it, the Shinigami needs to learn the name of their Zanpakutō. This is not as easy as simply picking a name, for the living spirit of the Zanpakutō already has its own name. The Shinigami must be able to communicate and harmonize with their Zanpakutō effectively, which requires being able to speak to the spirit within its world. Gaining access to one's Shikai and releasing it for the first time is known as Manifestation (顕現, Kengen).
The blade changes shape and gains special abilities by chanting a Kaigo (解号, Release Call), or release incantation. Using the Kaigo, followed by the name of the Zanpakutō, activates Shikai. It is crucial to memorize each phrase, as every Zanpakutō has a different incantation.
The commands vary between users and range from a simple imperative verb to a short poem. They often relate to the Zanpakutō's signature ability or hint at the nature of its spirit. This step may be bypassed by expert Shinigami who have learned how to use their Bankai.
Achievement of the Shikai is a mark of control of a Zanpakutō, and it is a requirement for advancement within the Shinigami ranks, for most seated officers are capable of Shikai. It is particularly required in order to achieve the rank of lieutenant, as it is a requirement which most captains look for.
[NOTE: ONE MUST BE LEVEL 25, as well as doing 5 POSTS of the UNLOCKING PROCESS]


Bankai (卍解, Final Release) is the second and final upgraded form of a Zanpakutō. Prior to Ichibē Hyōsube giving this form its name, it was known as a Shinuchi (真打, True Strike), and when a Shinigami achieved it, they would possess an "Evolved Zanpakutō" (進化した斬魄刀, Shinkashita Zanpakutō). To achieve Bankai, one must be able to materialize and subjugate their Zanpakutō spirit. Materialization means the opposite of getting dragged into the Zanpakutō's inner world: the wielder needs to summon the Zanpakutō's spirit into the physical world. It usually takes 10 years or more to achieve, plus the experience needed to master it. Despite the Zanpakutō spirit being subjugated for their Shinigami to learn Bankai, the Zanpakutō also becomes stronger and learns Bankai at precisely the moment their Shinigami learns it. Even though Bankai is the final stage of a Zanpakutō, it does not mean the Shinigami's growth ends there. A Bankai, especially one recently obtained, can evolve even further as its Shinigami gets stronger.

The power and forms of Shikai and Bankai are dependent on the Zanpakutō and vary according to the wielder's strength and training, but the power of a Zanpakutō's Bankai is generally 5 to 10 times greater than that of its Shikai. Only the strongest Shinigami can use it, and it is the ultimate technique of a Zanpakutō. Even the four noble families, whose members are always exceptionally talented, only have one member capable of Bankai every few generations. Those who achieve Bankai always have remarkable roles in the history of Soul Society.

[NOTE: TO ACHIEVE BANKAI ONE MUST BE LEVEL 50 and do 10 POSTS OF THE UNLOCKING PROCESS]

Arrancar usually seal the nuclei of their abilities within the form of a sword, which is entirely different from what the Shinigami use. When they release their weapons' seals, they unleash their true power and their true form. The only time they can return to their humanoid form is when they reseal their powers in sword form.

Most known Resurrección give the Arrancar user an animal-like appearance, but this is not always the case. While most unreleased Shinigami Zanpakutō take the form of a katana or wakizashi, there is a significantly broader range for Arrancar. Typical examples include a wide variety of melee weapons as sai, axes, or uniquely shaped weapons such as Nnoitra Gilga's double-crescent scythe-esque Zanpakutō. More exotic sealed states include organic appendages such as Aaroniero Arruruerie's Zanpakutō, or even an entire, sentient being such as Lilynette Gingerbuck being the Zanpakutō of Coyote Starrk.

An Arrancar's release drastically increases the combat viability and power of the Arrancar in question, and allows them full access to all of their abilities. The post-release form usually reflects to varying degrees what the Arrancar looked like as a pure Hollow. A Resurrección restores an Arrancar to its "true" form, resulting in significantly various increases in speed, strength, stamina, durability and spiritual power, as well as allowing access to both more powerful variations of previous techniques and completely new abilities. Some Arrancar even gain new weapons as a part of their released form. An Arrancar's Resurrección completely reverts their Reiatsu from that of an Arrancar to that of a Hollow. [ONE MUST BE LEVEL 40, as well as doing 7 posts of the UNLOCKING PROCESS!]

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Among exceptionally powerful Arrancar there exists a second form of Resurrección called Segunda Etapa (刀剣解放第二階層 (レスレクシオン・セグンダ・エターパ), Resurekushion Segunda Etāpa; Spanish for "Resurrection: Second Stage", Japanese for "Sword Release: Second Level"; Viz "Second Stage Resurrection"). This increases the users power to a much greater degree and is accomplished not by drawing the inner being out of their blade, but by evolving this being all together. This is done through intense training that is said to take years of solitude and battle. [ONE MUST BE LEVEL 60, as well as doing 10 posts of the unlocking process!]