These are my picks for the overall 'worst' Bankai in Bleach! Now like I mention in the video, that doesn't mean weak - these Bankai all suffer from flaws of some kind, but let me know your thoughts on the list! Do you agree, or would you make some changes? Thanks everyone!
I feel like Ichigos Bankai also was never used to its full capabilities. His inexperience in combat showed that often. Especially when white took over or when he was fighting white within his inner self. Like we see quite a few examples even before he learns Bankai of white using his shikai in ways we never see Ichigo try and that to me is kinda sad. So while I agree it's not incredibly powerful but give to someone with more combat experience I feel like they probably would have won against Byakuya with the same skill set
I agree with the rukia statement anyone with fire powers or high speed regeneration in that state of her bankai she'd would probably lose easily she can't dodge Or block
Wouldn’t surprise me if Ikakku has a false bankai. I suspect that Ikakku’s respect for Kenpachi is a kind of limiter and his zanpaktou basically thinks “hey, if you don’t actually want to try to kill the strongest fighter you know and are content to live in his shadow, I’m not giving you all of my power.”
In fairness to Soifon's Bankai. She punched a hole in both opponents head. That is a kill shot 95% of the time. She just happen to fight two things that can live with a whole in their head.
I still hate the whole “bankais that are damaged can’t be repaired” crap. Bankais should just gradually heal once the zanpakuto is back in its sealed state.
Agreed, I'm fine with things like what Renji went through with "Your sword didn't tell you the true Bankai name" but the perma broken just has never sat well with me. While that fact did 'buff' Komamura's, it nerfed so many others.
I feel you but i actually think lore wise it is very logical obviously from a story/ writing point of view it is a easy plot device but in universe it makes sense. Because a shikai is you using the power within and with your sword as a medium bankai is the full externalation of your zanpaktou spirit kinda like how in the rebellion arc they were roaming outside just now in the form of a blade . So it makes sense that if that externalised spirit is damaged it wont just freely heal itself but keeps that damage. ( hope my bad grammar wasn’t a problem)
Yea. Like he said though I don’t think kubo intended this. But for years Ikkaku was on my list for be a massive overrated character to me. He’s beaten less than mid tier guys and his bankai is garbage.
@@DEVILS_advocate05I have a feeling Kubo did his usual trick of subtly foreshadowing the plot point, but in such a way that if he decided to drop it later there would be no difference. So basically he probably did and didn't intend it.
@if7723 yh he might. He's supposed to parallel eachother in that they both want to surpass or stand on equal footing with their captains. But instead of persevering like renji, ikkaku gave up and chose to be a follower instead. He's quite literally a sleeping dragon in both the power of the bankai that you have to wake up and his suppressed ego. Once he regains it tho, that will be when we see what his zanpakuto has been holding out on him.
Ichigo's fake bankai is pretty impressive especially it's first appearance however in arrancar arc it seems pretty weak not because it's actually weak but due to other several factors like the substitute badge limiting ichigo's power and him not accepting his hollow which is ichigo directly rejecting his zanpaktou. His mental and emotional state were making his bankai look weak.
Yes, I agree. Didn't byakuya say that he only lost because he didn't really have control over his Bankai and destroyed the incredible speed and strength of his own body because he couldn't handle it yet? For me it just shows that bankai is very strong, too strong. Ichigo could have defeated Bbyakuya at the beginning, but he didn't want to, he just wanted to humiliate him. I think in the Arrancar arc Ichigo never really used the full power of his Bankai because he knew from that point on that his body wouldn't be able to handle it and he wouldn't be able to move again.
@@FuchsfeuerI think the issue in such an approach is He Doesn’t Know that Íchígō’s White Zángètsū is Still JUST in his own spirit body… (why the mask keeps appearing over serious wounds… & maybe some blūt if they’re not too busy within the blade…) so the more wounds the more desire for the Hollow Shīnígámí form to Take over… BUT props to Black TènsàZángètsū or Yhwachígō (or whatever we should call him) somehow Stopping Shírō from Just murdering captain Kūchīkí a few moments later with Kūrōsákí’s bare slightly hollowfied hands… which Probably would’ve gotten people more serious instead of “wait… why were we killing Rukia again?! Dead peoples’ orders that are actually Aîzèn who’s Faked his own death?! Really not cool bro!” : D It does, however, make me wonder how an unsealsealable sword made of Yhwach’s soul down some Ëcht Quincy plus royal Shíbà family blood got so easily cut by Haschwalthe… well I guess it makes sense that the second in command who often holds the Allmighty whenever it’s “QuincyKing Naptime” WOULD be able to break a Lesser Yhwach who probably doesn’t Like being in some Shīnígámí Zánpákūtō form… though he’s Not gonna be wielded by some bloody Àrráncár… so that made sense… hmm… Excuse my rambles, but I totally count that Victory as White Tènsà Zángètsū’s partial manifestation through Kūrōsákí Spirit Body which of course leads up to the Vástō Lordé form at climax of hüécō múndō… though I’ve got mixed feelings on the Fullbring form mixing the whole human hollow shinigami Réīô bits manifested from… I dunno wasn’t it loosely implied to be Proximity to Rukia in her sealed Temporary Human Body containing the hōgïôkū which awakened all the Kárákūrà Town kids’ crazy abilities?! Brings into question whether this explains the “child” security work at the local candy shop from Unusually Successful ModSouls… if he ever broke his Bánkaî might they be turned into some shaky Kūrōtsūchí style New Bánkaî form?! Could this explain the Puppet Hand form he uses in BBS’ ranged Kísūké “Beyond Bánkaî” series form?! Do we still get something wild like the weird forms which feel like Shūnsüí & Ūkītáké’s twin sword spirits had been quite seriously dating?! : D hehe just saying those two forms are like the thematics of eachothers’s shíkaî forms were mixed into their Bánkaî forms in a really unusual but cool way WHICH does sound totally doable for Shūnsüí’s Bánkaî if he made the right play to mix the theming of their blades so each could use eachothers abilities collaboratively… But then again Ūkītáké’s capabilities in using even Cérō réīátsū does Potentially imply that simply holding hands and sharing a small amount of réīátsū from a comrade’s zánpákūtō should Allow for something that wild… I think we even have the Gemini twin fishes in the pond beneath Shūnsüí’s special attack animation, whilst he still sends strange spinning tops rather liberally, unless I’m remembering multiple Shūnsüí forms in BBS which… I do tend to mix up my ranged and short but still ranged attackers… would I call them midranged? Maybe? I dunno…. : D There’s a Lot to consider when it’s the only spot we get more Exploration of Sword Forms that go beyond anything we see from most featured characters in the show… & I love the alternating 2 character forms… would’ve LOVED a Ranged Zángètsū with a switching between Black & White forms coming naturally on some specials but maybe the ultimate is the both of them OR the Íchígō with them both moving around or with him on different normal attacks… but that could be its Own Íchígō transformation for his true shíkaî maybe? Where’s the Alternate Double Original Bánkaî forms with a shifting Vasto Lordé with Blūt Vein? that would’ve sold a Lot of units as an anniversary piece… JUST Saying…. Love them doing form change stuff with some characters… feel more Need for That! Though I wish we had this in a Warriors style game on consoles but that’d be basically a Cooler Version of BBS for consoles where all maps and graphics etc are better and would probably be totally overpriced to attempt developing so that the characters couldn’t be that expansive which… is a bummer… Though if we had that much customisation built into characters in a system like Kakarot where they include the Zánpákūtō filler arc & a New Game + where you can throw in whichever version of whichever characters unlocked (like in a Pirate Warriors 4 style game) then we’d be able to switch between various characters or even have specific Combo abilities… which Some might be more complex like the Rángíkū & Tōshīrō twin shíkaî combination attacks thing from at least 1-2 fights… Some Zánpákūtō feel like they’d work quite nicely in collaborative moves with particular characters depending on kídō skills… Can ANYONE potentially functionally imitate a flaming gètsūgà tènshō?? Cause just a réīátsū heavy sword slash with… Shákàhō maybe? I dunno… just thinking about all them “Kídō type” zánpákūtō & if it isn’t a mix of instinct & natural proclivity for some specific Kídō that’s naturally part of their soul… but then I’m gonna write a whol Fookin essay about it if I don’t stop myself now! There’s a LOT to work with if you can have any number of Kídō abilities learnable as an aspect of customising moves with your blade or training the character to do the fancy stuff other zánpákūtō seem to naturally do… But then I just made a really epic and time taking game where maybe you develop the signature moves in training as each character from mixing weird Kídō in strange ways with sword moves that are particular to their blade shape & personalities? Just ideas… Hope game devs working on bleach games somewhere are hearing this and seeing how many different directions they can have fun with that… But then there’s the aspect of having Transformation for Both Blade & Body which would be more dramatic for some characters like Íchígō… which I bet the mechanics could be even set up so it’s misleading & makes sense if white’s réīátsū gets too charged & nowhere to go in the Bïákūïà fight in soul society… that could make sense & then there’s some awareness of the Soul having these different inner souls growing & expending réīátsū in different ways… just thought of too many other ways to overcomplicate this to be way too cool a concept… be fun have some options like having attacks still in Japanese even if dialogue is in English… just ideas… (excuse the rambles folks…)
Don’t forget is that using the mask is for ichigo to unleash his full fake bankai. Zangetsu is limiting his soul reaper powers and the hollow mask shows how much of that seal weakens. So we should always counts the hollow mask ichigo to ichigos fake bankai.
@@hairlessgrizzly559And considering the size, an attack hitting it is proportionally far smaller than if it hit Komamura himself. So it's sort of better defensively than it initially seems. Especially since trying to go after Komamura means taking your eyes off the unsettlingly fast giant.
It’s a shame Ikkaku couldn’t go to the Soul Palace as well and had a new Bankai forged. Imagine how much more useful he could’ve been in TYBW because he just stayed getting shafted and wasn’t gonna do much with a broken Bankai.
I think it’s an anime troupe at this point to have a awesome character do something really cool once and never be used in the story in that cool way ever again lol
I still think this will happen because there's no way Ryumon Hozukimaru is his true Bankai. If Zabimaru saw fit to lie to Renji like that, Hozukimaru would do the same, especially given Ikkaku's reluctance to use it.
The fact that Bankai cannot be repaired is probably my least favourite twist in all of Bleach. Especially with how much it seems the story has to bend over backwards to make exceptions like Mayuri and Komamura. I feel like the only reason to include that was to send ichigo to the Soul Palace, but there would have been other ways to achieve that. (just let Mayuri say he can't repair the Bankai for the same reason the Quincy couldn't steal it or something to that effect. Idk I'm sure there would have been other explanaitions.)
The arguably doesn't even apply to Ichigo anymore (or might not even matter in the story), since we know Inoue can just "reject" any broken Bankai back to its original state. I don't consider it unreasonable to assume we were told the rule in the first place just for the "OH ****" moment when Yhwach broke Ichigo's Bankai, only for Inoue to "reject" the broken Tensa Zangetsu once the moment's purpose was served - to show off Yhwach's "The Almighty" and to temporarily defeat Ichigo and have his power stolen.
Don’t forget how Kubo had to retcon Renji’s bankai being completely shattered. After his fight with Byakuya it should be banished to the shadow realm, but somehow it only lost a few bones… Right.
@@MrGksarathy It says something when the only thing that can keep her power from working, other than dying when she's not around, is a power that literally decides "what will happen and what will not", and the man who possessed that power died only three chapters later.
The bankai lore revealed in the final arc really shifts the way you perceive Ikkaku in the fake katakura arc. Dude got fleeced for not using his bankai and losing the battle when he probably knew full well his bankai is now worthless but he’s too ashamed to admit it to his peers.
Imagine if ikaku keep using his bankai, the sword chipped little by little, and after some time, his bankai is only a handle 😭😭😭 What a cleaver way to Nerf your system kubo
If you think about it, that's kinda perfect for him. His captain went through almost the entire series without ever having unlocked his shikai and was one of the most fearsome combatants. When he finally unlocked Shikai, he lost Yachiru. When he finally unlocked Bankai, he almost died. If you think about Ikkaku's personality, he's not one to use any sort of special power. Hozukimaru doesn't even do anything special. It's just a segmented staff. My point is that he's fallen right into the Yoruichi camp, where they are so good, or can get so good, they don't NEED to use bankai.
There’s only two ways to solve Ikkaku’s situation, 1. Tsukishima cuts Ikkaku’s zanpakutoh and resets it to what it was before his fight in the arrancar arc. 2. Send Ikkaku to train with the Zero squad and talk to the ZANPAKUTOH CREATOR. What if this is not Ikkaku’s real bankai?
We think Kubo revealed Ichigo's true bankai to explain that he's the only one to have a fully realized zanpakuto outside of the Zero Division and Yamamoto. Soi Fon and Ikkaku follow warriors and ideals that are nothing like themselves, and we know that the essence of the zanpakuto is actually the wielder. The fact that Soi Fon dislikes her bankai when it resembles her tenacity and style more than anything is probably why it hasn't evolved further. She behaves with flashes of aggression or passion even when she tries to be calm to save face for her role, and is more like a destructive wind than a bolt of lightning. Ikkaku literally has to wake up his bankai as if it doesn't respect how he wields it, which is probably because it actually has abilities outside of direct combat. That might be why it fills with red reiatsu; it could be a weapon that's meant to have energy projections or something more. Yet, because Ikkaku and Soi Fon attempt to fight like Yuroichi and Zaraki, their zanpakuto MUST feel betrayed in some sense, as they can probably tell that even Zaraki and Yuroichi don't necessarily have above average bonds with their zanpakuto. Renji cared more for others than he did for himself. His initial bankai seemed to be more of a protector type than his new offensive type bankai. Shinji and Kensei haven't even fully embraced their hollow aspects, which is now probably hindering them from reaching the depths of their bankai and evolving them further. Komamura had to be willing to return to his true form in order to achieve his realized bankai, but because of the process, he ended up losing access to it afterwards. He literally became immortal and evolved his bankai just from that sacrifice, almost somewhat synchronizing with his zanpakuto on a level of "fusion" that seemed to be there but was hidden by the armor (mask) that he wore to hide. Mayuri? He's just awesome. The man refuses to live with himself. He's reaching out for perfection on a constant basis while running from the quiet, calm peace he seems to neglect. It takes him losing something for him to realize what he had, and it's an endless cycle of the hamster wheel for him. Kind of like running in the Buddha's palm.
It’s an assumption that Shinji and Kensei’s Bankai aren’t fully developed. Not every character doesn’t have their Bankai in it’s true form, it’s actually rare to not have your Bankai in it’s true form. Aside from Ichigo and Ginjo who are exceptions due to being substitutes and not having Asauchi, it’s really just Toshiro for being immature when it comes to power and experience, and Renji for not being respected by his zanpakuto
@@jocoolshow We agree on your stance about Ginjo and Ichigo. However, we believe Kubo proved with Byakuya's enhanced Shikai and Bankai that they aren't fully developed. Based on what we've read, it appears that Kubo is telling his fans that the use of the zanpakuto is similar to Hollows, as once you've fully become one with your zanpakuto, you transcend Bankai. And, thus, your Shikai and Bankai will develop further or become something else. Similar to Aizen fusing with is zanapkuto, a character could be able to manifest their abilities without the zanpakuto. We believe you can actualize a Bankai and even master it, but becoming one with it takes much more time or other situations, as it is literally your subconscious self separate from your being. Each character has flaws that, if you back away from the story, you can see Kubo laid out in their abilities. Shinji and Kensei are no longer what they used to be genetically, which could give credence that their Bankai may not have developed due to their inability to perform a resurreccion similar to Kaname or Ichigo. Heck, they may have abilities that they just haven't showcased yet since we haven't seen the vizards flex new hybrid powers outside of Hachigen. A character may have Bankai that is powerful that they've bonded with and mastered over time, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's fully developed. But, that's just what we think. You could be 1000% right. Thank you for the response!
@@studiofzd To further add on to your point, the zanpakuto IS the shinigami. It grows with the shinigami as the shinigami learns new things about themselves, adopting new philosophies, personality traits, etc. This is why meditation is so important to their power system compared to hollows who need to feast on other hollows (rather than inner peace and discovering themselves, they need to hone their instinct to dominate and justify their existence over another creature). As the shinigami lives, that shinigami will learn new things about themselves and the world around them and those experiences integrate into their soul, and thus into the zanpakuto, because it IS them. So, I reject the idea that there is such a thing as true bankai. I believe your zanpakuto changes over time as you understand yourself, hence why meditation is important to the shinigami to learn.
@@urameshitrev1851 honestly shusuke isn't even that bad, he fused his bankai with something else so I can give him a pass That other guy with the flower petals was worse😂
@@elaizakaguya4631 I had to google that guy, cause he's so forgettable but yes, his name is Kenryuu and his shikai was called Benishidare. And it's power was...to sprout flowers on your opponents weapon (it is unclear how this helps in battle, and they can be blown off pretty easily) and he attacks one time, and it just looks like a much worse Senbonzakura lol.
@@urameshitrev1851the petals did turn into blades too, so I could see the potential in a shikai that can cause your own weapon to sprout blades against you. Or even worse, put flowers on your body and impale you immediatly.
The only way Ryūmon Hozukimaru could be worth using is if the dragon crest loading further powered it up past the 5-10X increases all Shinigami receive while using Bankai. As it is now, it’s incredibly unimpressive.
Similar to renjis being very impractical with the whole giant dragon that even petal boy took down easily.... Renji did eventually get his true name bankai and I suspect it's the same with him too I don't think Ryūmon Hozukimaru is his true bankai.
It's main appeal was its sheer power, now it doesn't have that anymore. Honestly, if he had gone all out from the beginning, maybe he could've defeated that Fraccion without breaking his Bankai. This is honestly a great way to make a cool character look bad imo.
dont forget that sanpakutou/bankais are CONNECTED to their soul, their personality. Aizen having that shikai shows how shrewd/conman he is. Ikkaku, being a strong but kind of laid-back shows on his bankai. Strong but brittle.
@@Mortarion-xt9wpwhat I always believed is that the Shikai represents the surface level personality. Minazuki, Suzumebachi, and others really show this off. Their Shikai represent how they show themselves (and are likely subject to change) and the bankai is the true self
And that sucks, being hollowfied was supposed to be a powerup, A POWERUP. Also, Sakanade would likely be terrifying to anyone below the level of Shinigami Aizen, I mean seriously, Sakanade messed up Aizen Sosuke of all people, thus proving that in all likelihood it could likely mess up the likes of Yamamoto, Unohana, and the Zero division somewhat.
ALL we needed was Shūnsüí yelling at some really dramatic Moment like Maybe the Gerard fight? “Captains of the- no… Everyone that can bloody Hollowfy! Get ready to dodge crazier than ever before, if you can… Everyone eat your bloody Hollowfication pills again AND ALL Visored members, Hell; Even Non Gōtéī, any Àrráncárs Here?! Everyone with a Bit of Hollow Réīátsū, Unleash as Many Cérō blasts as you Possibly Can!!!” THAT could be dramatic as hell! I wonder if Aîzèn can do a more advanced better control Properly Transcendent but not in a nasty way Form whilst he has multiple clone bodies… & whatever abilities from the bloody Multiple Réīô pieces in his double hōgïōkū (or whatever transliteration works) that allows for him to not get Almighty-fookt the second Yhwach feels like it… I hope we get him at the end saying “when were you under the impression I wasn’t already using my Bánkaî?! I had to learn to use both forms of my blade together simultaneously which… it’s not a lot of hypnotising oneself after you get used to it…” or something to indicated we’d never remember him having said Bánkaî because HE KNEW the ability to steal it of quincies or something & already stole whatever from whoever and actually was also just chilling in Réīôtown any time he felt like it without anyone knowing he was there cause he didn’t want them to… Maybe he’s already hypnotised the Réīô corpse to pass the íràzūsándō or however we were meant to spell/transliterste it? Hehe I bet he knows the Réīô Candidacy stuff already… that bit can expand the Kísūké & aîzèn commenting on the Réīô a Lot heavier… But who knows how much was intended vs Added & so on… Meanwhile fans are bloody powerscaling or whatever… but, of course they are… : D All we need is New Commander to Shout “Hollowfy!” In whatever conditional variant & I know he’d try and do cool dramatic closeups BUT it might be scarier for the Quincies if we see the Cérō & limb ripping happening faster than the Quincies can see it? At least some Sákànádé Multi-Shīnjí Clone nō Jūtsū Cérō with hollow sounds Action? Maybe one of them bleeding does an accidental Gran Rey Cérō? Just some ideas for making them feel… at least above the level of people stuck in the living realm for 100 years… & Quincies SHOULD be offguard oneshotted by Visored captains! More Kísūké hollowfication pill action! We all want Vengence for Hüécō Múndō! : D Can’t just be Shīnjí took out a small group of soldat right?! Let the man shoot some Cérōs with his mask later on! Màÿúrí should be doing some crazy stuff with his zombie corps right?!
@@SeiyaTempest Hey, Isane heals people. She may be useless in a fight, but you really need someone who can reattach your arm and stuff. Half the time i just forget the Vizard exist though...
First it’s not actually banned, that’s a misconception. Second, this is headcanon but I like to think that he went out into the Rukongai to affect pack animals and that was observed from a distance.
@@Mortarion-xt9wp There still has to be three captains present. Who would have seen the Bankai. Perhaps they saw from a distance outside it's actual range.
Hi my name is Logan I work with VIZ on BLEACH and I just want to thank you. I can legitimately call myself a BLEACH expert after watching your videos for such a long time. I owe like 50% of my BLEACH knowledge to you. You are legitimately my GOAT and your loyalty to the series is super awesome to see (although I do enjoy the JJK content as well). Keep it up!!!
I personally wouldn't say that Ichigo's original bankai wasn't enough to beat Byakuya. It was just the fact that his body couldn't handle it yet. The stress of using it was taking its toll after awhile
Doesn't White say that Ichigo's body is being crushed under his own spiritual pressure? Ichigo was totally exhausted and damaged from his training as well.
Ichigo proved that he could've killed Byakuya at least twice during the fight after activating his bankai, before Zangetsu took over. As someone mentioned even Zangetsu comments on how the strain of his bankai's SP is affecting him. He just obtained bankai, his body couldn't possibly be ready to handle using it for long periods
Ichigo's "bankai" isn't even a bankai. Hell, it's not even a real Zanpakuto. What we see Ichigo use for the majority of Bleach is a reishi weapon manipulated by Old Man Zangetsu to change form depending on how deep Ichigo taps into his soul reaper powers. It's also why Ichigo only really uses hollow powers while in Bankai
In a way, it actually might be a version of a Ressereccion. Old Man Zangetsu using the inner hollow to imitate Bankai. When the old man is in control, he can manipulate the Ressereccion to act as a Bankai, but when the hollow takes control, he tries to use it as it’s meant to be used, pure hollow form.
@@mikesmoviemadness24 It's something different, something completely new and insular in Bleach. No other being in all of Bleach has a part Hollow, part Shinigami Zanpakuto spirit. Arrancars use the part of their mask they ripped off and turn it into a Zanpakuto with no spirit inside while the Vizards have an additional hollow inside them. Both types of beings are imperfect. But Ichigo? He was perfected. One entity, two races in one, initially made the same way as Asauchis, bonded with Shinigami powers to become that perfected hybrid spirit. In a way Ichigo has a completely new release because he theoretically uses a hybrid of Bankai and Ressureccion.
Yup its not even half of his true power.... His power come from hollow which Is suppress by old man zangetsu... Plus even when Ichigo using bankai he was stupidly strong against Aizen army and fight against most strongest Espada 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 I think his Powers and Zanpaktou matured tremendously in Bleach Series + when he starts new game With Fullbring arc he gotten godly power from every Captain ,lieutenant and Yamajii himself to restore ichigo power + Fullbring + Vasto Lorde shiro + ywach soul piece this is all before his True Awakening 😨😨😨 After TYBW his body is like godlike like Squad Zero lvl 🔥🔥🔥🔥 20:38
I mean yes and no. It's false in the sense that it's not an asauchi but it's real in the sense that zangetsu is his zanpakto. His hollow powers are his shinigami/zanpakto powers. Ichigo refusing his heritage is what made them feel like separate powers. Best example I can give is when hikone uses shunpo, sonido, and hirenkyaku all mixed together to create a new faster form of movement. He's not using them separately although they are all separate techniques. Also the statement about hollow only using his hollow powers in only bankai is false. When he initially gets shikai he has the mask. It also manifest itself to save ichigo from a body shot before he learns bankai. And during his hollow training where he fully hollowfies he wasn't in bankai. The reason we see him use it in bankai is for 2 reasons. Power creep and ichigos hesitance to accept his hollow side. Why go hollow for his 10 second limit when he can go bankai? It was more of a trump card initially. Then if his opponent is too strong he can use it when needed. Which we see against grimmjaw. Then again in his last fight against ulquiorra but only after fighting him in bankai for a while. Then after that we don't ever really see it again with the exception of a brief moment against yammy. And that's when he started fearing the power again.
Ikkaku was hiding his Bankai and thus quite possibly didn't know how vulnerable they are. And it fits with something Byakuya said to Renji back in the Soul Society Arc: that you need a decade of experience with your Bankai before you're ready to use it in combat.
Which is true because the way you gain experience is through literal combat... And the ones who get near death experiences have their powers skyrocket up... Like with Izuru after nearly dying he gained a LOT of power and easily took out one of those Quincys.
I wish the enhanced speed of Tensa Zangetsu was used more because that was its coolest aspect to me and at some point it devolved to just a boost to all of Ichigo base stats
I’m genuinely convinced soifon’s Shikai is better than her Bankai Like I feel Kubo knew her Shikai was OP and that’s why most of her major opponents were enemies it couldn’t work on like Barragan and BG9
And that’s why all her fights are fuckin lame. Somehow all her opponents are immune to her powers or know how to counter them like Yoruichi and BG9 knowing how to shut down her Shunko so she doesn’t use it either. Also her Bankai never works because of purposely bad match ups. Kubo never even let us see what her perfected Shunko can fully do. I’m still annoyed we never got to see an all out fully optimized Soi Fon with Shikai, Shunko, and flash step clones used at the same time against someone that isn’t immune to her existence.
I've always believed that the fact that Ikkaku hated even having a bankai weakened it substantially, that self rejection causing it to either never show its true power, or making as brittle as it was. He was always holding himself to never stand out, and it shows.
Shinjis' bankai is really interesting in that it's power and usefulness is mostly dictated by the base power of its user. If Shinji just had a higher base power level (on par with some of the stronger captains) then he could be safe knowing that in a 1 on 1, or a situation where it was him and some allies vs a number of enemies, he would still most likely win by sheer strength while in a situation where he was completely outnumbered he could just whip out his bankai and let his enemies do the hard work for him. The big issue is that without his swords' ability to rely on, he almost always gets completely dumpstered 😂 he's sort of a weird mirror of yamamoto in that regard, yamamoto can't just break out his bankai anywhere without the issue of potential destroying the place and its people, but he's able to get around that by not needing his bankai to be incredibly powerful and win fights. Shinji on the other hand is only really useful if the power of his sword works, which weirdly makes the power of his bankai seem worse.
A little theory I have about why Ikkaku's Bankai breaks so easily is it actually reflects his desire to not reveal it something to prop him for a Captain. He said it himself that he refuses to allow anyone to view it, or else they may recommend him as a Captain for a future vacancy in another squad. This then means he wouldn't serve under Kenpachi. So, if he were to use it and there were witnesses, the blade would be permanently broken to erase any chances of recommendation as he now lacks the prerequisite Bankai. So the Bankai is low-key more inline with Ikkaku than we previously thought.
He did go to Mayuri to try and get it fixed however. Suggesting he knew Mayuri would actually respect his wishes [and did until he accidentally mentioned it when explaining to Ichigo about his bankai]
I wonder, now that Ikkaku is the lieutenant of Squad 11, will he be more willing to use his Bankai? The main reason he did not wanna use it originally was that he feared he'd be forcefully promoted to another Squad if they learned of his Bankai, and he wanted to serve under Kenpachi forever. But as a lieutenant, him using Bankai is no big deal so maybe he'll be more willing to use it?
I like to believe that Sui feng's bankai lied to her in the same way that Renji's did. It represents her wild and explosive side, which is a bit uncontrolled and a testimate to her arrogance. She legitimately believed that she invented shunko that she could defeat Yoruichi. Her pride as the number 1 assassin kind of betrays her, and is very counter to what you'd expect from an assassin: someone cool and collected and inconspicuous enough to be forgettable in a crowd. She never controlled that pride or that anger so her bankai was loud and unusable for an assassin. However, if she *were* to control that hot streak and contain her anger, I like to think her true bankai would follow suit. That massive missile would be contained in a casing: instead of shooting rockets they'd be bullets fired from a sniper rifle similar to Lillie Barro. Thus she'd get the power to assassinate in one "strike" in true assassin fashion: inencumbered and potentially hidden. Her reticle in a scope could be the butterfly target she places on enemies as well!
I don't think so because we did see Hihio Zabimaru was missing the segments Byakuya destroyed. I could believe that Kubo hadn't fully decided if he'd commit to that plot point, though.
ya it was clearly never meant to be a thing ashisogi jizou got split in 2 during its first fight in the series and i think tousens bankai burst as well but that may have just been because he was beaten and it went away but still it was clear it was never meant to be an actual plot point and was just an excuse to give ichigo a new zanpaktou
@@kawainessa Tousen was just defeated after Zaraki clocked him. Ashisogi Jizou also feels kinda different, given that it can be modified by Mayuri to create a new form, and he can change the poison on the fly. Not to mention, the revelation that its body is Mayuri's 4th attempt at creating artificial life, so perhaps the true power of the Zanpakuto is modification.
You reminded me that Soifon lost her arm. And got it back. I some reason thought it was Orihime but double checking it was said the Gotei 13 healed it (Reddit/Qora showing manga info panel). If the Gotei 13 healed/restored her arm, why didn't Yamamoto have his restored? TWBW seemed to state he had too much pride to let a human (Orihime) fix it but why not the Gotei 13?
I guess if it was the Gotei 13 it was probably Unohana specifically. She's the only one who seems like she'd have that level of skill. But maybe Mayuri, assuming Soifon was willing to let the guy near her.
@@shadenox8164 Those are my two likely suspects (assuming some of the things Mayuri does to himself can be done to others easily). But still doesn't explain why Yamamoto wouldn't tell a Shinigami to fix his arm.
Since this is a video on bankai I was reading CFYOW and I realized something that isn't talked about while we have seen/read Hisagis bankai we have only seen the beginning of it. At the end of the TYBW Hisagi says he's mastered his bankai and we haven't seen that. The point I am bringing up is that the issues we discovered with his bankai could have been removed or are less of an issue now that he has mastered his bankai. For example while this is speculation it could be possible that his bankai could give him enough spirit energy to either escape the battle or finish the fight without the need of a partner. I bring this up be Byakuya has told Renji that it takes ten years to master bankai Renji had issues with his bankai before he truly understood and became worthy of its true power.
1. Ichibe- If you think about it, it really doesn't do anything his Shikai doesn't. 2. Ikakku- big fragile sword that isn't that strong 3. Renji- more versatile than ikkaku but same problems 4. Kensei- doesn't do enough damage for how limited it is 5. Soifon- ...idk why this is her bankai of all things 6. Ginjo- Tensa Zangetsu at home, which is still pretty good tbf 7. Shinji- Way too situational
@@Eugene_TEC Nope. His shikai allows him to blot out names thus removing someone's power plus drain all the darkness from someone. His bankai allows him to completely change that thing's name rewriting them entirely. He could easily use this to empower others since any word he writes will change that thing, something his shikai can't do at all.
One thing I never understood was why did BG9 get completely paralyzed by the poisoning, leaving him open to Soi Fon’s Bankai, while Cang Du can still move somewhat freely and even attack? One would imagine that the one who is a machine would be less susceptible to poisoning, especially when he didn’t have the stolen Bankai out unlike Cang Du when the Captains got their Bankais back. It’s also a shame that Soi Fon didn’t get a Hollowfication design like Toshiro did.
BG9 glitched out. It was probably interfering with his systems. Also Soi Fon isn’t a fan favorite so no cool hollow mask or an actual good fight. Those are for popular characters.
We learn later that he wasn't using the full Bankai, which could be the main reason it didn't hit him as hard. Based on what we see in the manga, Hitsugaya's initial Bankai is more like a second level Shikai that melts into its true Bankai
You probably won’t see this but remember how it was stated Yamamoto’s bankai changed over the years and got the North East South West thing, what if you did a video on other bankai if they were to develop that far?
Why will I always follow Mr.Tommo's content? Facts. Objective, source-based references, or opinions gleaned from Bleach expertise. No ass-pulls here. Great list!
Ngl, I love Jakuho Raikoben a lot, probably more than most, but even I cannot argue with its placement here. I wish just one time, ONCE, it did what it was supposed to and just took out an enemy in one shot. Side tangent, I hope Soi Fon gets something to do in the royal palace in the anime. She just kinda disappears in the source material, I think we’re supposed to assume Lille Barrow snipes her, but I really hope we get see her again. Doubt we’ll get her bankai again, but just like something. Anything.
I'd argue with its placement here. It's simple but can be used for both destruction of enemies en masse or single entity targets. Also it seems like in TYBW, in comparison to Arrancar arc, its damaging effect was much more concentrated, with more impact on target itself and less collateral damage, since she was so close to her target this time. And, quite importantly, it can be used repeatedly and isn't easy to destroy since it's projectile meant to be fired and detonated. A number of shots available and concentration of damage seem to be factors which are subjective to change via further training. As for her role in TYBW, I'd guess few times she could play a role. Such as: 1) Give the rest of Gotei time to play as decoy against Lille, even if she's out of the game eventually. Others can't use flash step but she still has her shunko and training. 2) Fire her bankai at Gerard in one if his final forms. 3) Save Yoruichi and Urahara after their fight against Askin. If her filler ability to neutralise any poisonous effect with her shikai mark is made canon, she could use that to help them out.
3 Points: -Shinji's Bankai is not useless in one-on-one fights, it will make the opponent think that Shinji is an ally and he will be able to make a free attack on the opponent, it only works once per fight, but it can define the winner with just this free attack. -Ichigo would only lose to Byakuya because he didn't want to finish him off with that first quick attack, if it were Soi Fon, Byakuya would be dead on the ground, and speaking of her -Soi Fon simply uses her Bankai the wrong way, her shikai is to kill in 2 hits in close combat while the Bankai should work like a cruise missile, hitting enemies hundreds of kilometers away, still being an assassination Bankai, but it kills out of visual range, without Soi Fon having to get close, the death of the skies that does not announce itself or fight, it just explodes.
Sorry, Diaguren Hyorinmaru NEEDS to be last on the list of weakest Bankai. He's been smoked several times while activated and couldn't kill Harribel with, at the time, the most powerful attack available to him.
As always thanks for the content! A vid idea would be to see how has the best relationship with there zanpukto? I was remembering the conversation that Shinji had with Sakande when he was speaking to it saying you're soo reveresed that's why the bankai is for small fry and the shikai is for the big target
Does anyone else kind of want the MrTommo sign that’s on the wall in the background of the video of his office especially after watching his videos for a few years? Also I kind of wish we would have seen them reforge ikkaku’s bankai given how much attention he got throughout the series.
We believe that's because they all have drawbacks. The characters who didn't use their Bankai before were able to get by with the powers and abilities they had outside of Bankai, especially the Vizards, Zaraki, Kyoraku, and Yamamoto. However, Yamamoto had already proven to be a threat to everyone with Wonderweiss
@@studiofzdthere's a lot of you guys in there? 👀 Also, he's not wrong. Even Byakuya told Ichigo that his bankai is too small to be itself, because in his perception bankai was a shikai but better or bigger.
@@Prushinthespirit We believe that was Kubo just planting seeds. But, hey, maybe you guys are right. Maybe Kubo didn't know where the story was going, that would make people feel better about their theories because it would show that the writer had to come up with ideas on the fly. Our theory is he knew more than he put out and possibly made changes as time went on, like most artists who get better over time. Even when Kubo answers questions, he doesn't always outright give full details, which is smart. The story isn't over for him, so giving away too many details could end up in an Obito/Tobi revelation too early. We believe he showed Uryu getting his powers back to foreshadow Rukia stabbing Ichigo in the fullbringer arc to grant his Quincy powers again, reawakening his Shrift "The Shinigami" or something similar. We believe Kubo knew to showcase everyone's flaws and spirits with their zanpakuto in the Zanpakuto Unknown Tales arc to explain why each of the shinigami have not fully accepted their subconscious selves. We believe Kubo used Byakuya as a means to explain what HIS Bankai was at the moment he stated what you said, because...let's be real...that pretty much is what Byakuya's Bankai is, "Shikai but better" (and now his Shikai pretty much is his former Bankai).
You are entirely correct about Tensa Zangetsu. And I didn't even realize he was actually spending most of the series in his Bankai form. It is not surprise now that we know Tensa Zangetsu is his actual Zanpakto, i.e. shikai. So it kinda makes sense in a way. And his hollow form, in a way WAS his Bankai this whole time.
Soifon's is more suited for a desperate last stand scenario where all options are expended and all other Shinigami are deceased or incapacitated with her as the last one standing. She's perfect with her standard assassin's skills in conjunction fellow Squad 2 members backing her. Especially now that Yoruichi is showing her that teamwork/comradeship does the job better than mere pawns.
I feel like Soi Fon's Bankai serves her character/personality more than anything It doesn't fit her "silent ninja assassin" persona, compared to her shikai. And like her personality, she can be this serious ninja assassin, but she's prone to explosive outbursts of anger
@@hairlessgrizzly559 Yes. Her extreme training and conditioning certainly also contributed to her extreme traits, wouldn't be surprised if her explosive temper is also subconscious anger at her lot in life even with it comes with perks. Only Yoruichi is a normal humane presence in an otherwise bleak and bloody world of assassins despite being one herself.
Now that she is reunited with her teacher and idol I wonder if Soi-Fon will work on her temper. I still would like to see a more calm and calculating Soi-Fon lining up a powerful shot while Yoruichi ties the enemy down. In my opinion the two of them have great potential for synergies.
I think it more represents her unresolved issues with her true self vs her ideal self. Suzumebachi represents who she wants to be and who she's supposed to be, while Jakoho Raikoben represents the aspects of herself she doesn't exactly take pride in. I feel once she finishes growing up, her Bankai might change form (i.e. true name reveal) or she might not find it so cumbersome.
Ryumon Houzukimaru is still one of the coolest designs imo. I really wish he would have gotten it reforged by Oetsu. I feel like what we saw of it wasn't even its full potential too since Ikkaku is so reluctant to use it. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't even his "true" or complete bankai like Renji's first bankai for that reason. But that is probably all wishful thinking because Ikkaku is one of my favorite characters... though I would love to see him get a redemption fight and something new with his bankai in the potential Hell Arc now that he's officially the Vice-Captain of Squad Eleven. And I also feel like one of the few people that really likes Tekken Tachikaze, too. Though perhaps that is just because I'm a boxer and it is punch focused.
Didnt Ichigo get nerfed after the soul society arc tho? I feel like the reason it felt lackluster in the arrancar arc is just because he wasnt at full power. Also white is also just Ichigos power so I dont see why its portrayed as a negative point for his bankai power in defeating byakuya
Shinji’s Bankai brings so many questions - friends become foes. What about those who are foes already? What if an Arrancar, Quincy, Shinigami, and fullbringer are in the same vicinity and they all hate/are neutral to each other?
Where his shikai reverses your senses, his bankai reverses your perceptions. So i think if all factions where there, then the perceptions being neutral reverse and become volatile. Achieving the same effect i guess 🤷🏻♂️ haha
Because Ichigo’s first “Bankai” was technically his Quincy powers, I’ve seen an interesting fan theory that the reason it was so ineffective in Hueco Mundo was due to the poisonous hollow reishi all around him for that whole arc. Ichigo is PROBABLY the most immune Quincy to hollow reishi, but it probably did have SOME effect.
It seems backwards that Renji's is the one that gets away with being broken by saying "that wasn't my real name", when Ikkaku's was the one that actually had a reason to not share its name because he hides it, had a reason to be an exception because it has to take or deal damage to wake up, and had a parallel with Yumichika's shikai. Maybe Ryumon Hozukimaru could make sense if everyday it woke up it produced a new form with two different weapons as its extensions, based on how the sword is feeling that day. Then it would be giving Ikkaku a fun challenge to have to learn a new weapon with each fight.
This is shikai related but my biggest gripe with Bleach was always that two guys shikais could burn everything into ash and the other complete hypnosis. And then other guys get like a spiky ball that can be broken by a punch.
True but that's just most shonen power systems. Look at Naruto for example one guy is born with eyes that let him copy things, strong and sometimes unbreakable genjutsu, and an energy mech, and another dude is born with a connection to dogs or can grow big.
@@garthyahudahandrews8504 his makes the weapons of his enemies heavier. If used correctly it can be devastating (assuming that his opponent isn't too much more powerful)
I have this theory there's something more to Ikakku's zanpakuto, and why even if we accept a broken bankai can never be recovered (which I dislike as well) it might not apply to him. The first note is his shikai is actually fairly unique in that it's a primarily wooden weapon. As such, it gets broken in every single fight he's in. He even activates his bankai with his shikai already broken, which means the state of zanpakuto is irrelevant to his bankai. So then when his bankai also completely shatters, it seems to fit his zanpakuto theme. It's important to note here that Ikakku loves fighting like Zaraki, and will also limit himself for the sake of a better fight. However, unlike Zaraki's unlimited power, Ikakku is often just putting himself at a dangerous disadvantage. And also unlike Zaraki, Ikakku is completely willing to die for the sake of his own challenge. Now there's one other note about all Ikakku's fights: luck. Whether he's winning or survives losing, there's always something lucky about them. So my theory is what if his zanpakuto has some sort of secret luck ability that even he's unaware of. The blade itself is just completely oridinary- even the bankai's red dragon bar doesn't actually do anything- and doesn't matter how much it's broken, because even the smallest piece is still granting Ikakku some improved luck to keep fighting.
Honestly my ruling for Bankai's is simple. "Are there Shikai that I would consider stronger?" And honesly a few character's Shikai ruin that for everyone.
I know I’m the minority on this, but I thought Kenpachi’s Bankai was very underwhelming and predictable. The combat craving monster becomes even more of a monster………didn’t see that coming at all. I think it would’ve been cooler to give Kenpachi a more complex Bankai that actually takes some skill and technique to master. It would be a cool change of pace for a character that always wins just by slashing at his enemy until it dies. Idk, the Bankai he got just feels extremely obvious. *edit: I know the point of his character is to be predictable and obvious. That doesn’t mean I have to love his Bankai for being more of the same.
With what Zanpakutou and their Bankai are it would be honestly weird to have anything different for Zaraki tho. Just like you said - he just hacks and craves battle, so the manifestation of his own soul - entity born of Zaraki himself, that is him at the same time - cannot be situational technique requiring anything special. It might feel basic and predictable, but it is precisely why it works for Zaraki.
Well it is predictable... Just like Kenpachi himself. He is the battle hungry berserker and he will stay that way. When in battle he will wail on his opponent and if that doesn't work he will lift his self-imposed restraints one after another. Lastly he still hasn't fully mastered his bankai, leaving room for growth
You should've know this already. Shikai and bankai play a big role in a Shinigami character writing. His bankai represent who he is. Those who their bankai is less predictable are those who are kind of hidding their true self to others. Ex: Unohana, Kyoraku, Urahara ect. Kenpachi is the most honesry guy in the soul society. I never hide anything. We all know he just want to fight nothing more, nothing less. So that bankai perfectly make sense.
Way to make Ikkaku Bankai atleast somewhat viable, do a Kubikiribōchō from Naruto. When he cuts/kills and opponent the blood spilled reforms Ryūmon Hōzukimaru. Ikkaku is one of my favourite characters, felt was done dirty by Kubo.
2:49 Note his bankai changes the perception of ally and enemy. That will potentially be like he is gonna use his bankai, the enemy consider him an ally, then he backstabs.
In a bit of a defence of Soi Fons Bankai, it seems like its a powerful area of effect attack to deal with larger targets/groups. Suzumebachi's Shikai always seemed like the single target poison attack while her Bankai was always a group attack that requires no initial attack to deal with enemies.
I'd genuinely be interested in seeing your take on a list of "strongest/most 'flawed'" female characters in bleach, maybe even female characters bankai tier list or something (I'm sure there's a way to include kisuke's bankai in all of that, but between shinigami like rukia and unohana, arrancar like nel and hallibel, quincy like ichigo's mom and that admittedly kinda underwhelming squad of girls in tybw, and honestly even zero squad's hikifune and senjumaru.... There's just alot of ground to cover with interesting and/or powerful female characters in bleach.) Bfw anyone else remember when orihime had powers and potential that was intriguing enough for aizen to literally single her out from all the other side characters, and randomly kidnap her...? No? Just me? No one else out here is all that curious on wtf that was all about with her ability to undo causality, apperantly? Oh, okay. Lol why can't kubo commit to coolifying any given female character and/or Chad.
Honestly Tensa Zangetsu is such a weird one. He moves so fast that Byakuya literally can't even follow his movements and is able to block EVERY SINGLE PETAL of Senbonzakura to basically never doing anything nearly as cool with it ever again except in non-canon movies. And what's even worse is that Kubo eventually made it so that he basically couldn't fight *at all* unless he was in bankai (like with that first privaron espada) I was actually going to write even more to talk about how his bankai felt like a shikai and his vaizard mask felt like what we would have expected a bankai to be... but then you said that right after I begin typing it lol
Ikkaku's Bankai is weak AF and a lesser version of that should have been his Shikai. His Bankai should've been something more akin to Noitra's release to where Ikkaku could have used multiple blades to fight to his hearts content with total disregard to his own life
Thank you man. I’ve been saying this for years. When mayuri explained bankai, Ikkaku bankai went straight to 1 worst bankai. He doesn’t have one anymore
The use of the word WORST is totally subjective. Maybe the wielder just has not realized the true potential the weapon has. A bad track record is a good metric for consideration though. Like the content bro keep it up!
It continues to suprise me that with how well he articulates himself with confidence, whether knowingly or unknowingly he once again sprinkles a lot of misinformation/errors in his videos, I immediately noticed it with his Shinji segment then subsequently with other characters, and this sucks because people that dont know any better would take his words as facts.
The two things that I feel like would help ikkaku's bankai. Because it's a bankai with essential a charge timer. 1. A projectile that builds the gauge when fired. 2. When the bar is filled up, any damage on the blades is automatically fixed. Yes I get this goes against the rules. But if people like Mayuri can bend the rules of his own bankai. To where any damage done on the baby gets converted into data. Then the damaged baby rebirths another one with no preexisting damage. Having the special ability of a bankai be an auto fix isn't really stretching it as far as the prior scenario.
Except we were never actually told what would happen if the petals ran out. Shawlong Koufang speculated the bankai would deactivate but we were given no confirmation on that. Unless the wielder themselves says it or we see it proven you shouldn't take something like that as gospel.
Something unique to mention about Ichigos Bankai, at all times so far, is that it never wears on him, the capitans dont use their bankai unless they have too, the Vizard mention using Bankai is too taxing on the body already hence why they dont mix Bankai + Mask, but for Ichigo, its different, the Bankai is never a burden on him, as you mentioned, it seems to be his most natural base form, of course knowing the truth about his powers makes it give more sense, but it still shows how different Ichigo is
Very off topic but I miss the forgotten characters series and if I’m not mistaken Karin and yuzu haven’t been done yet. I enjoy all the content you put out but seeing an addition to the series for those two or even just Karin would be great!