LadyAngel
Captain
Data inscrierii: 13/Iun/2008
Mesaje: 134
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 Trimis: 17/06/2008 11:51 Titlul subiectului: WHAT ZANPAKUTOU MEANS |
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A zanpakutou is:A zanpakutō (斬魄刀, zanpakutō? lit. soul-cutting sword) is a fictional type of sword in the anime and manga series Bleach wielded by those with Soul Reaper powers. The art of using a zanpakutō is called zanjutsu (swordsmanship). In Viz's English adaptation, they are translated as Soul Slayers.
A zanpakutō spirit is part of its owner's soul,[1] and often shares the same personality traits.[2] However, they can act independently, and thus can be considered a Soul Reaper's partner in battle. Because they are part of their owner's soul, a zanpakutō cannot be replaced, and will slowly regenerate if broken.[3] As a Soul Reaper gains power, their zanpakutō can change form by allowing the inner being to manifest itself to a greater degree in the outside world. The sword and the inner being are synonymous to each other. No matter what form (or size) a zanpakutō takes, it is usually virtually effortless for its owner to wield because it is a part of its owner's soul.[4] On the other hand, it is much more difficult for a Soul Reaper to wield a zanpakutō that is not their own. Kaname Tōsen is the only character in the series known to do so.[5]
Soul Reapers can transfer their powers to others by stabbing their zanpakutō through the recipient's heart. Rukia Kuchiki does this at the beginning of the story to help Ichigo save his family. Although she only intended to give him about half of her power, he absorbed nearly all of it.
The shikai (始解, shikai? initial release) is the first "upgraded" form available to a zanpakutō. To activate it, the Soul Reaper needs to learn the name of their zanpakutō. This is not as simple as simply picking a name, as the living spirit of the zanpakutō already has its own name. Therefore, the Soul Reaper must be able to communicate with their zanpakutō effectively, which requires being able to speak to the spirit within its world. Achievement of the shikai is a mark of control of a zanpakutō, and it appears to be a requirement for advancement within the Gotei ranks, as most seated officers and presumably all lieutenants are capable of shikai.
After first learning the zanpakutō's name, the shikai can be performed at will simply by speaking a command followed by the zanpakutō's name (in most cases). The command varies between users and range from a simple imperative verb to a short poem. It often relates to the zanpakutō's signature ability, or hints at the nature of its spirit. This step may be bypassed by expert Soul Reapers who have learned how to use their bankai. In rare cases, a zanpakutō, once released, will remain in that state indefinitely. Such zanpakutō are described as a constant released form type, such as those of Ichigo Kurosaki and Kenpachi Zaraki.[8]
Once the shikai is activated, the zanpakutō will change form to access whatever special abilities it is capable of. They usually remain in the form of a sword, but the type of sword differs radically among various zanpakutō. The deosebit abilities of the zanpakutō, like the zanpakutō itself, have specific names that usually must be announced to fully activate the effect. As Ichigo's zanpakutō, Zangetsu, explains, knowing the name of an attack and not knowing it makes a difference in the amount of power that attack has.
The bankai (卍解, bankai? final release) is the second and final form of a zanpakutō. To achieve it, one must be able to materialize their zanpakutō's spirit in the real world and subjugate it, giving the Soul Reaper full reign over the zanpakutō's power. According to Yoruichi Shihouin, the power of bankai typically increases a Soul Reaper's power by a factor of five to ten. Maintaining the bankai is taxing for the wielder, and it is difficult to maintain for long periods of time. If the owner is on the verge of death, the bankai will disappear.
After a Soul Reaper is able to materialize and subjugate their zanpakutō's spirit, the zanpakutō can assume its final and most powerful form. Unlike the shikai, there is no command phrase to activate bankai, though the user will usually say "bankai" beforehand. A zanpakutō's bankai is often a manifestation of the spirit itself, usually creating a massive creature or effect to aid the user in battle (Ichigo's bankai is an exception, becoming more compact instead). The bankai itself will extend the name of the zanpakuto (Ichigo's Zangetsu becomes Tensa Zangetsu, Byakuya's Senbonzakura becomes Senbonzakura Kageyoshi), or sometimes change it altogether (Tōsen's Suzumushi becomes Enma Kōrogi). Certain Soul Reapers also change with their zanpakutō, gaining clothing similar to what their spirit form looks like. Most zanpakutō will also gain additional singular abilities. Like with the shikai, most of these abilities have an associated name or trigger command.
Centuries of experience are normally needed to achieve bankai and ten years of additional training to master it; however, a device created by Kisuke Urahara can forcibly materialize a zanpakutō spirit, thus bypassing the experience portion of the training. This method is potentially fatal if not completed within three days, and the only two to successfully complete this abbreviated method of achieving bankai are Ichigo and Urahara himself.
Byakuya Kuchiki claims that even within the four noble houses of Soul Society, only one person in several generations will be born with the spiritual power necessary to achieve bankai.[9] Because the act of bankai usually takes hundreds of years of combat experience to achieve, it is rare amongst Soul Reapers and almost exclusively limited to the thirteen Soul Reaper captains in the Gotei 13. The only captain not to have achieved it is Kenpachi Zaraki. The only non-captain Soul Reapers shown achieving bankai within Bleach are Renji Abarai, Ikkaku Madarame, and Ichigo Kurosaki.
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