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A Zanpakutō Spirit (斬魄刀の本体, Zanpakutō no Hontai; lit. "Soul-Cutter Sword's Substance")[1] is the spirit embodying a Shinigami's Zanpakutō that resides within their master's inner world.

Overview[]

A Zanpakutō Spirit is a part of their Shinigami's soul, and their appearance and abilities are a reflection of this; as such, they also share their master's resolve. They exist in tandem with their master; they are born alongside their Shinigami, and die with them.[2] A Zanpakutō Spirit's power is separate from that of their owner, and when a Shinigami draws on this power in addition to their own, their Zanpakutō will become even stronger.[3] They dwell within the inner worlds of their Shinigami masters.[4]

Appearance[]

As unique reflections of their masters' souls, Zanpakutō Spirits do not share any common appearance traits.[5] Their appearance can change while their master has their Bankai activated,[6] can be temporarily altered when their master uses a Shin'eiyaku,[7] and varies drastically between spirits:

  • Zabimaru takes the form of a large, white-furred baboon with a snake for a tail.[10]
  • Hyōrinmaru takes the form of an enormous, serpentine ice dragon with large wings.[11]
  • Katen Kyōkotsu takes the form of two separate Human women, due to being a Dual Zanpakutō.[12]

Personality[]

Though a Zanpakutō Spirit's personality is also influenced by the soul of their master,[13] they possess their own thoughts, feelings, opinions, and desires, which may differ from their master's to varying degrees.[14][15][16] Additionally, Zanpakutō Spirits are unwilling to teach their masters new techniques, and will engage them in battle in order to determine whether or not they are worthy.[17] They can also determine if their master is worthy of wielding their power.[18][19] In some instances, a Zanpakutō Spirit's personality can influence how their master can use their Zanpakutō in battle:

  • Ruri'iro Kujaku's favorite color is azure, and its least favorite color is wisteria. Because of this, Yumichika Ayasegawa, who wishes to hide its true power from others, can release it as Fuji Kujaku (藤孔雀, Wisteria Peacock) instead of as Ruri'iro Kujaku (瑠璃色孔雀, Azure Peacock), causing it to sulk and only release a fraction of its full power by becoming a melee-type Shikai.[20]
  • Benihime is described as "not nice" by Kisuke Urahara, who mentions that she would refuse to hold back her power against Ichigo's Zangetsu.[22]
  • Hōzukimaru is very lazy, to the point that it takes Ikkaku Madarame some time to get his Bankai, Ryūmon Hōzukimaru, to full power.[23]
  • Initially, Zabimaru did not fully acknowledge Renji Abarai's power, so when he attained Bankai, Zabimaru gave him a drastically weakened version of his Bankai form called Hihiō Zabimaru (狒々王蛇尾丸, Baboon King Snake Tail). However, once Ichibē Hyōsube revealed the true name of his Bankai and Renji proved his strength to him, Zabimaru gave Renji access to his true Bankai, Sōō Zabimaru (双王蛇尾丸, Twin Kings Snake Tail).[24]

Communication[]

Ep138IkkakuHitsugayaJinzen

Ikkaku Madarame and Tōshirō Hitsugaya perform Jinzen.

Communication with one's Zanpakutō Spirit is essential for a Shinigami's growth.[2] The most common method of communication between a Shinigami and their Zanpakutō Spirit is called Jinzen (刃禅, Sword Meditation), where the Shinigami places their Zanpakutō nearby, enters a meditative state, and merges their mind with that of their Zanpakutō Spirit while entering their inner world.[25] However, a Zanpakutō Spirit can also pull their master into their inner world[26] or manifest itself in the real world in order to speak with their master.[27]

A lack of communication between a Shinigami and their Zanpakutō Spirit can lead to the power of both being weakened.[28] Communication can be lost or prevented for several reasons:

  • Kenpachi Zaraki never heard the voice of his Zanpakutō Spirit because of the mental power limiters he subconsciously placed on himself during his first battle with Retsu Unohana,[29] leading to the power of both him and his Zanpakutō being severely degraded.[30] Additionally, Zaraki did not even attempt to communicate with his Zanpakutō Spirit because he believed Zanpakutō were simply tools of war that only weaklings fought alongside.[31]

References[]

  1. Bleach manga; Chapter 127, page 5
  2. 2.0 2.1 Bleach anime; Episode 230
  3. Bleach manga; Chapter 111, pages 8-9
  4. Bleach anime; Episode 231
  5. Bleach Official Character Book MASKED, page 68
  6. Bleach manga; Chapter 409, pages 9-10
  7. Bleach manga; Chapter 553, page 14
  8. Bleach manga; Chapter 110, page 18
  9. Bleach manga; Chapter 540, page 13
  10. Bleach manga; Chapter 118, page 2
  11. Bleach manga; Chapter -16, pages 16-17
  12. Bleach manga; Chapter 649
  13. Bleach manga; Chapter 229, page 19
  14. Bleach manga; Chapter 112, pages 2-4
  15. Bleach manga; Chapter 118, pages 3-4
  16. Bleach manga; Chapter 409, pages 18-19
  17. Bleach manga; Chapter 409, pages 13-14
  18. Bleach manga; Chapter 110, pages 10-11
  19. Bleach manga; Chapter 110, page 19
  20. Bleach manga; Chapter 322, pages 4-5
  21. Bleach manga; Chapter 374, page 5
  22. Bleach manga; Chapter 66
  23. Bleach manga; Chapter 205
  24. Bleach manga; Chapter 564, pages 5-11
  25. Bleach manga; Chapter 408, page 3
  26. Bleach manga; Chapter 110, pages 10-13
  27. Bleach manga; Chapter 118, pages 1-5
  28. Bleach manga; Chapter 113, pages 7-8
  29. Bleach manga; Chapter 525, pages 9-13
  30. Bleach manga; Chapter 113, page 8
  31. Bleach manga; Chapter 113, page 12
  32. Bleach manga; Chapter 497, pages 3-4

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