Zanpakutō

A Zanpakutō (斬魄刀, Soul-Cutter Sword; Viz "Soul Slayer") is the main weapon of the, the , and the , it was preceeded by the Jiūkǔndao. The Shinigami art of wielding a Zanpakutō is called (斬術, swordsmanship).

Overview
The Zanpakutō of low-ranking Shinigami are called Asauchi and do not have names, but the Zanpakutō of Shinigami of rank 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 match their owner's.

A Zanpakutō's shape and abilities are based on their Shinigami's soul. Once a Shinigami learns his/her sword'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.

Inside each Zanpakutō is an incarnation which manifests itself upon the Zanpakutō's transformation. The first step is to acquaint oneself with this incarnation.

Facts

 * Asauchi are almost exclusively forged by Ōetsu Nimaiya. For a large part of Soul Society's history, there had never been a Shinigami who awakened his or her own Zanpakutō without wielding an Asauchi which Nimaiya forged. His craft has been past to others over the millenia however, such as Raian Getsueikirite, Altan Kartal, or Tazuma.
 * Because they are part of their owner's soul, a Zanpakutō cannot be replaced, though it will slowly regenerate if it is broken.
 * The only thing which can heal a broken Zanpakutō is its own wielder's force of will, Reiatsu, and the time required to infuse the Zanpakutō with this Reiatsu. This only relates to one's Shikai. The destruction of a Shikai and the destruction of a Bankai hold quite different meanings, for a destroyed Bankai can never be restored to its original form.


 * The size of the Zanpakutō reflects the amount of the swordsman's spiritual power. Exceptions to this rule are beings of immense power, who are required to actively control the size of their Zanpakutō.
 * If a Shinigami pierces the chest of a Human with their Zanpakutō and channels their through it into the Human's body, it will transform this Human into a Shinigami temporarily. This process does not have a high chance of viability even when the Human in question has a high level of spiritual energy, and if the method does fail, the Human will die.
 * Every Zanpakutō has its own name, which the wielder must learn.
 * A Zanpakutō can determine if its wielder is worthy of its power. Based on this, the Zanpakutō may choose not to give its true Bankai name (and its full potential) if it feels the wielder is not worthy.
 * Zanpakutō have a true form. This true form resides inside their Shinigami. A Zanpakutō has a mind and a body, which control their powers. Shinigami can grow more powerful by communicating with them.
 * Zanpakutō possess their own Reiatsu, which can be sensed as any Reiatsu can and is identical to their wielder's, though with subtle differences.
 * It is possible for a Shinigami to lose harmony with their Zanpakutō if they are suffering from mental instability, resulting in the Zanpakutō spirit in question unable to hear their wielder's voice, and thus causing the Shinigami to lose access to the sword's Shikai despite knowing its name.
 * No matter what form (or size) a Zanpakutō takes, it is always virtually effortless for its owner to wield because it is a part of its owner's soul. Shinigami captains all consciously keep their Zanpakutō in a manageable size, or else they would be holding Zanpakutō the size of skyscrapers, so one cannot judge the strength of one's opponent solely by the size of their Zanpakutō.
 * No Zanpakutō in existence has a Shikai and a Bankai which use unrelated abilities.
 * A Zanpakutō cannot ordinarily use elemental attacks of more than one element, such examples typically being Illusion-type weapons.

Obtainment
Asauchi (浅打ち, Shallow Hit) are the nameless Zanpakutō which all low-class Shinigami wield. Shinigami who are still in training - those who do not yet belong to any of the Gotei 13 - and Shinigami who are unable to communicate with their Zanpakutō all wield generic Zanpakutō. "Shallow hit" refers to the grossly reduced power of a Zanpakutō whose wielder cannot connect with it properly. This way of thinking is partly inaccurate.

Asauchi are actually the ultimate Zanpakutō, for they have the potential to become anything. There are over 6,000 members of the Gotei 13, all of whom are loaned one of these nameless Zanpakutō upon first entering the academy, and this same blade is officially given to them upon joining a division. All Shinigami must spend every waking moment with their own Asauchi, and as they progress in their training, they slowly and methodically imprint the essence of their soul into their Asauchi. This is how they guide and mold their own unique Zanpakutō.

Training
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, Blade Zen/Sword Meditation): 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.

Communication & Personality
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 "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.

For example, normally releases his Zanpakutō with the name Fuji Kujaku (藤孔雀, Wisteria Peacock), even though its true name is Ruri'iro Kujaku (瑠璃色孔雀, Azure Peacock), knowing its favorite color is azure and its least favorite is wisteria purple. He does this so its true power is not seen. Since his Zanpakutō hates the nickname, it becomes moody and only releases a fraction of its power. This allows him to pass off his Zanpakutō as a simple melee-type rather than what it truly is, a Kidō-type, something which is unacceptable in the due to an unspoken rule that all Zanpakutō in the 11th Division must be melee-types. Only when its true name is uttered does it achieve full potential.

Inner World
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.

General Powers

 * Konsō (魂葬, Soul Burial) is the process by which a Shinigami sends wandering es in the living world to either if they are good in life, or  if their life was full of evil acts (such as murders, theft, etc). Konsō is performed by using the pommel of the Shinigami's Zanpakutō to tap head of the soul, thereby transporting them to the afterlife.
 * Shōka (昇華, Sublimation): When a Hollow is sliced with a Zanpakutō, it is cleansed of the sins it committed as a Hollow, and is led into Soul Society. Souls who live in Soul Society are reborn again into the Human world.

Forms
Depending upon the Shinigami's ability to communicate with and control their Zanpakutō's spirit, a Zanpakutō can traditionally manifest itself in two additional forms and revert to a sealed state, though further forms exist. 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.

Sealed
Most Zanpakutō look like one of the most common swords prevelant in a particular era, with the current standard for Zanpakutō being that of the 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 greater than 60 cm (23.6 inches). 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 (わきざし), 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 (小太刀 (こだち), small sword). 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 (のだち), field sword): The nodachi was more difficult to wield due to its size and weight. The length of the hilt of the nodachi varied between twelve to thirteen inches (30 to 33 centimeters). 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. ,, and 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.

Shikai
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.

The blade changes shape and gains special abilities by chanting a Kaigo, or release incantation. Using the Kaigo, followed by the name of the Zanpakutō, activates Shikai. It is crucial to memorize each phrase, for 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. Occasionally, Shinigami who did not learn Bankai can release their Zanpakutō simply by saying its name.

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 required in order to achieve the rank of lieutenant, for it is a requirement which most captains look for.

Bankai
Bankai (卍解, Final Release) is the second and final upgraded form of a 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.

The power and forms of Shikai and Bankai are dependent on the Zanpakutō, and vary according to the wielder's strength and training. But in general, one's power can grow 5 to 10 times greater by attaining it. 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 a member capable of Bankai every few generations. Those who achieve Bankai always have remarkable roles in the history of Soul Society.

and are two known individuals who have attained Bankai through a far shorter, yet much more dangerous method. Using a special device created by Urahara, which forcibly materializes a Zanpakutō spirit (thus bypassing a large portion of the training), they attained their Bankai within three days instead of the normal hundreds of years. After successfully testing the device and achieving Bankai, Urahara stated training by using this method for more than three consecutive days could prove to be fatal, which is why Ichigo was forced to achieve his own Bankai within three days.
 * Weakness: The biggest flaw of Bankai lies in the overwhelming power it releases. Its power and form are often far beyond those of a normal weapon, which is why one needs to train at least 10 years with Bankai in order for one to become capable of using it completely and effectively. No Bankai should be used in battle before this period of time has been reached. A broken Bankai can never be returned to its former state. Though exceptions do exist such as with Captain 's Bankai: he and his Bankai share a bond so strong, when one is injured, the other reflects the damage, but the Bankai is healed when the captain is healed. A Bankai's form and strength is determinant on how much the spirit recognizes its wielder. If the Zanpakutō does not fully recognize its wielder, then it may not give its Bankai's true name. The result is the Bankai not being in its true form and therefore weaker.
 * Bankai Mastery (卍解習得, Bankai Shūtoku) refers to the "completion" of the Bankai form. It is a state of mental and physical perfection of the core Bankai state itself, generally taking a normal Shinigami several decades before they are capable of accessing the form. However, these restraints can be surpassed depending on the skill of the Bankai user.

Bankai Stage 2
Bankai Stage 2 (卍解二准, Bankai Nijun; literally "Final Release Level 2"), also recognized as Bankai Second Stage, is an ascended state beyond the level of Bankai. It is considered Bankai's direct successor, attained only by those who have achieved Bankai Mastery.

Seikai
Seikai (聖解, Sacred Release) is an upgraded form of the Zanpakutō. Though rarer, and seemingly harder to achieve, it is not a form beyond Bankai, the final form of a Zanpakutō, but instead it is a form that exists alongside Bankai. It is built upon the relationship between a Zanpakutō spirit and its wielder, in that they must share a bond so deep that they could be identified as one and the same being. The deepest trust is required, as Seikai means handing the wielder's body over to their Zanpakutō spirit. The transformation is brought about by the nature of a Shinigami and his weapon, as a Zanpakutō is a fragment of their own soul, Seikai essentially changes the roles, with the Zanpakutō becoming the whole and the wielder becoming but a fragment of them. In the strictest sense, it does not grant anymore power than is afforded by Bankai, instead it bestows a greater degree of control over that power so that it might be used to its fullest potential.

Resurrección (帰刃 (レスレクシオン), resurekushion; Spanish for "Resurrection", Japanese for "Returning Blade") returns the essence of an 's offensive abilities to their humanoid bodies.

Types
There are several types of Zanpakutō, though only a few types are commonly mentioned (Melee, Kidō and Elemental). Kidō has many sub-groups, and the Elemental group, while part of Kidō-type grouping, is large and diverse enough to can stand on its own as its own grouping. Zanpakutō are not strictly bound by the types they belong to and are often capable of feats that would seemingly go against their given status. These types include:

Kidō Sub-Types
Certain Zanpakutō possess defined abilities and exist in their own category. Due to them being designed around a special ability they are therefore a form of Kidō-Type Zanpakutō.

Elemental Sub-Type
A large amount of the Zanpakutō are classified by elements, generally utilizing their respective elements as forms of attack. Elemental Zanpakutō are all Kidō-sub-type which have an element based as noted by and  during their battle. This is later affirmed by.

Concept Sub-Type
Some Zanpakutō have powers revolving around an idea, a notion, or some kind of law (Natural or otherwise). Though they have are typically weapons focused around that ability, they are considered seperate from Kidō-type Zanpakutō as their abilities are often capable of effects on a much more pervasive level. Zanpakutō of these types are rarer than most.

Behind the Scenes
This article is a compilation of canon and fanon elements, with parts of its content being derived from Bleach Wikia and other articles on Bleach Fan Fiction Wikia which is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.