What could Yoruichi's zanpakuto be? Do you like any of my ideas? How do you design a zanpakuto that's right for a character...but also wrong? Let me know in the comments!
The last idea you had was closest to what I had thought might be the case--Yoruichi creating a clone of herself, the Zanpakuto being a whole person that's a copy of her. To take things further, it would work similar to Komamura's in that any damage it takes would be shared with Yoruichi. It'd play into the whole deceptive ninja element but would be at odds with Yoruichi's preference for taking things head on by herself.
As someone who can transform into a cat and seemingly because of her bloodline. Is it out of the realms of possibility to suggest she could be either part of or related to the Beast Clan? Maybe the Shihoin clan have some kind of relation to them and thus have this transformational power. In which case her ability could show some similarities to a Zanpakuto like Kommamura. Together with the fact she has to go 'soothe her Zanpakuto because it sulks because she doesn't use it' much like a cat sulking if you don't play with it or give it attention sometimes, I feel like her Zanpakuto could be some kind of construction, some other being that's physically brought out upon release. And maybe that's one reason she doesn't' like using it, maybe much like Kommamura, this big beast that's a large target for most could also share wounds with her, and suddenly all her ability to avoid attacks and act with speed are useless when someone can target this giant beast to fight with instead. Maybe the beast is practically immortal, but all the damage it suffers applies to her body instead, so it just stays alive as long as she can withstand it.
My headcannon has always been that her zanpakutou turned into some sort of armor, which would explain why she avoided using it so much. Then, when she fought Aizen wearing those heavy looking implements Urahara made for her, I was sure that was her shikai. It would have made so much sense. A cumbersome armor type of power would be the perfect reason for her to forgo her zanpakutou. Anyway, awesome video. I always love watching these because I enjoy seeing your drawings, it's the exact type of thing that I used to draw in highschool during class, thinking about Bleach instead of quadratic equations.
As a fan of Yoruichi, I would like to note that the main reason for dissatisfaction with her cat form is not her appearance, as everyone might think, because she is not embarrassed even to walk naked. But it is her lack of freedom, Urahara can manipulate her LITERALLY with the help of a cat toy. Her escape from the clan is similarly caused by the “chains”, “manipulations”, the shackles of the fate that she had to live at the behest of someone. She MUST be the head of the clan. She SHOULD dress decently like a princess. She MUST wear a Zanpakuto since she is a Shinigami. She MUST act as directed (Urahara Moment). Her nature, on the contrary, strives for freedom, for inconstancy and expression of will. From which I made a small conclusion that her zanpakutō has a similar principle of influence directly on Yoruichi’s soul, which is why she does not even carry an ordinary asauchi (ordinary katana). At least that's how I see the current situation.
Her Zanpakuto is visible in flash back panels of both Urahara and Soifon. The biggest evidence that Tomo missed was that the young clan head, her little brother, doesn't have a Zanpakuto either, and has trained/ mastered Shunko already. Theory: The Zanpakuto is an inherited Zanpakuto, just like the Ise Clan. Considering that the Shihouin Clan is one of the Four Great Noble Houses, since ancient times, it is reasonable to assume that it is a Zanpakuto that serves a specific function of the Soul Society. Ex: Sokyoku (Execution Zanpakuto) If it is a functional Zanpakuto, then that explains why she doesn't have it with her anymore and why her brother doesn't have one, as he isn't the Head of the Clan yet. Most likely, the Steward of the family Head, or the previous Head retook the position when Yoruichi left the Soul Society.
You never had a Cat had you? Cats are incredible easy to distract and maipulate with about everything. And they also defently have they're favorite toy wich they respond even more to, the same goes for dogs honestly. I think it really fits the whole Cat theme.
So what you MUST be saying is that she is a symbol of rebellion like how they make black women in this world? Its crazy because they only use blacks to prove some social or political point, they can't just be a cool character... sadly
@@killerv135 bro what ? Where did you pull that conclusion from ? There are a lot of rebellious characters in Bleach. Urahara, Zaraki, Aizen, Ichigo….etc.
The fact Yoruichi is this powerful without a zanpakuto is a testament of just how powerful she is. Anyway her zanpakuto definitely has to be related to why she is the captain of the 2nd division. And her Bankai is probably somewhere on the line of being quick but devastating
I quite like that we never saw Yoruichi's Zanpakuto to be honest. It is one of the things that helps makes her very memorable, being the only Soul Reaper to focus pretty much exclusively on hand-to-hand fighting. As for the actual reason, I like to think her Zanpakuto is something that focuses exclusively on killing or controlling others. Both of which are things that Yoruichi was raised to be a master of, yet she always held a strong distaste for. Therefor, her refusing to use her sword, would be symbolic of her abandoning her duties as a Soul Reaper and instead living a life of freedom and being a mentor rather then a Assassin/Noble.
I love this idea. That her Zanpakuto is too lethal for Yoruichi's personality. She considers herself stronger without using it because it takes a lot of effort to not kill someone when using her Shikai and/or Bankai, meanwhile her Hakuda and Shunko have a lot more control in how she outputs power.
She couldn't have possibly thought it was a good idea to take on Aizen with that hypothetical 'creed'. That would make her quite foolish in fact despite how strong she could potentially be.
I really hope that if we do get a Hell arc Yoruichi will be allowed/forced to use her zanpakuto. Really the only way she would ever use it imo is if she was forced into a life or death situation where her hand to hand & speed don't offer anything and the abilities of her zanpakuto are a direct counter to whoever she's up against. I also feel like she would have to be in a position like Ikkau with his Bankai or Yumichika with his true shikai to really be pressed into breaking it out. If she has Kisuke with her, it always seems like she leaves things in his hands or in the hands of his inventons. It's always been a bit weird to me that she never brought it out against Aizen or Nakk Le Vaar where it couldn't hurt to try catching the enemy off guard with an unknown ability. With that in mind I really think she'd have to be all by herself with no one and nothing else around to offer potential backup to be forced into unleashing it.
The problem with Hell Arc, if she has a fight ... it will be likely that she will fight Chika Shihōin. And i wont be surprise if he is Shunko Creator or at least the best Shunko user ever in the top of being years in Hell and being the original captain of Squad 2.
She's also a very staunch defender, so her Zanpakuto could be something very bulky like an AOE shield or suit of armor. Essentially, she would absorb blows/attacks and after absorbing enough energy, create a shock wave. It makes a lot of sense. You most often see her coming to the rescue of others/defending them. It would also explain her appreciating her Zanpakuto and constantly showing it love, but not using it. I feel as tho the heavy gauntlets and boots are Kubo hinting to this.
I feel like Yorurichi's case is like Nanao's, in which she uses a noble family house zanpaktou instead of her own. Because noble house swords are passed down, there's a chance that Yorurichi simply doesnt want to bother with or use a sword thats not her own. A theory that lends to this is that her Beyond Bankai form uses the Noble House zanpaktou that has her family crest on it.
We know that is not the case because we seen that guy from the original gotei 13 who is from her clan and he has his own zanpakuto, unless the one he has is the one of her family
@@Maxjuliann could be. There's alot that kubo needs to tie together. Also her Beyond Bankai form was shown before the original gotei so Kubo could of changed his mind on noble family zanpaktou
@@dinolover oh okay that's true . I just hope Kubo plans to give yurouchi, aizen and ukitake a chance to show their bankai in the anime or the hell arc 🤭
but she said she has to soothe her zanpakuto every night due to it wanting to be used if it was the noble clans she would have left it at home and the new head would use it
I don't know why,When people get to ask Kubo questions and he answers,Why noone hasn't asked what's her swords name,What does it do,And why doesn't she use it?
The names can be red rerrings, and the powers on itself arent as carved in rock as one may think. But the power, or at least an general direction of why she hates her own power is probably something he already has an answer for.
She operates far better at hand to hand combat and it fits with her personality doing so. She'd much rather leave someone tripped over with a bruised ego, only going for hard hits when things get serious. It's humorous and worrying how Soifon was immensely jealous at Yoruichi soothing her Zanpakuto in CFYOW. It shows how unhinged her obsession has made her. Over a Zanpakuto. Ah Soifon.
@@jrgenvellesen7800 True that. Then again Yoruichi was certainly the first person to treat her as a human being other than extensive indoctrination and brutal training, it snowballed from there. It shows the psychological effect of the nobles turning their offspring into little more than tools/weapons and continuations.
@@manuelacosta9463 Indeed. It adds to the idea that Soifon is very emotionally immature and has repressed her true self. Which is why when she expresses herself, she nearly always comes across as extreme. Whether it be her obsession with Yoruichi or her petty dislike towards Kisuke. It also makes her being left behind in terms of power and understanding herself compared to her contemporaries, very noticeable. Still, at least her relationship with Omaeda has improved somewhat, with her allowing him to take time off to work at his families business.
@@jrgenvellesen7800 That's quite the silver lining given her less than stellar relations with Omaeda. Yes her being reduced by her family into a weapon stunted her emotional growth and maturity. There still is some light shining through with her. Remember when she slew Ggio at Fake Karakura she did not look happy, something tells me that deep down she does not like killing despite her bluster and reputation as Soul Society's top assassin. That expression on her face was telling. She's only a killer because of her family.
@@jrgenvellesen7800I disagree with her being left behind in terms of power and understanding herself. Problem is Kubo giving her terrible match ups putting her at terrible disadvantage. I mean she doesn’t get as much page time either so that doesn’t help. She just has a shitty bankai, same can be said for Komamura who had to sacrifice his own heart to make it useful.
I like 3 different ideas for her zanpakuto: 1. During her younger years she was very playful and with the cat nature it could be that her zanpakuto is just too playful to deliver the killing blow effectively and inherently prolongs the fight 2. She's very much about speed so what if her zanpakuto is like Sloth from FMA:B? It's too fast to control and thus unreliable. 3. What if her zanpakuto is again, very unpredictable, going also with your idea, and thus it would be similar to Kite from HxH. There's no knowing what power up or weapon she receives and so it's impossible to rely on a power like that when trying to actually finish a fight fast and efficiently
My own idea of Yoruichi's zanpakuto lines up with your No. 1, that the form it takes is not one suited for battle because of a cat's nature to toy with their prey, with the extra line of thinking that as a former head of what is basically the Gotei 13's spy agency, the zanpakuto would instead be a tool intended for "enhanced interrogation techniques."
@@DoctorWortspieler I quite like that as it still plays into the role she's in, although the utter subversion of that, while keeping with the trope of her character is a bit funnier to me
@@jackoall9236 glad you like it! This is why I love the concept of the zanpakuto as a whole, since they can easily play into the duality of a character and make what is their biggest asset into an issue, or something that they need to work around. For example Kyoraku being this cheerful guy that holds a lot of pain in his heart. His zanpakuto plays children's games but at a very morbid level and his bankai just takes it up a noch. It's a constant reminder of all the tragedy.
I'd like to think that her zanpakuto has a degree of sentience. A creature type, probably a cat like entity, that has the capacity to disregard commands. As it can't be relied on it makes her weaker.
Also if it is in some way Feline related it fits perfectly with her saying that since she doesn’t fight with it (or thinks she’s stronger without) it sulks and she has to spend time everyday “pacifying” it, I mean that sounds like how a house cat acts if you don’t play with it. If it was more house cat based than wildcat her not wanting to use it could mean it functions similarly to shunsui Katen Kyoketsu in the way if Katen doesn’t abide by Shunsui ‘s will to play a certain game - she’s “moody” like Yoruichi. Plus does Yoruichi lightning cat form get stronger SE wise based on her mood swings from being part cat? That’s why she can only use it with kisuke controller her otherwise she goes through like 4 emotions a second or attacks teammates - what if increase was cause she’s tapping into her Zanpakuto
I was always under the impression of, She never used her Zanpaktou because of it's power. Whether it was dangerous to use or conflicting with herself similar to Soi Fon but then once the small detail of her Zanpaktou got revealed in Cfyow I got the idea of maybe her Zanpaktou was a hinderance to her when fighting. Not necessarily weak but more of she has to use a fighting style that is blatantly different to hand to hand combat and with this idea I thought that maybe her Zanpaktou reflects the lazy part of her personality. Not a bad part of her personality but something that directly counteracts how she would normally fight, Again similar to Soi Fon but still a good bit different. I feel like no matter what a hand to hand combat specialist shinigami would probably always have a part of thier Zanpaktou that they didn't like. So perhaps her Shikai and Bankai deal with being patient in some way, Whether it's waiting for a dot effect to fully activate or maybe even a really powerful single blast. This would make it so she'd have to occupy a hand with her Zanpaktou and have to take damage or run from a oppponent instead of fighting them head on kind of like a lazy cat
Building off the shadow shikai for her, a good Bankai would be her Zanpakuto taking the form of a single copy of herself capable of everything she is to double her overall threat. At the cost of it splitting her power in half. Even at half strength, facing 2 of her at once would be trouble for most opponents considering her sheer speed paired with shunko. These feel like they match her style while also being a significant hindrance to her in combat versus powerful opponents.
This video gave me the idea that the reason yoruichi might not like her zanpakuto is the power of it is somewhat random like what games kyoraku has access to with his shikai. This could explain why she feels stronger without as then she isn't subject to chance and possibly ending up in a bad position due to getting unlucky.
My bet is it’s a support type not meant for combat. Something similar to Unohana’s shikai. Her shikai isn’t really meant to be used for fighting and her bankai might be similar to Soi Fon’s in that it’s too loud for stealth. Think about it, Yoruichi isn’t shy at all. Hell she will walk around naked in front of others and laugh about it. So her bankai might be related to that side of her.
I dont think Yoruichi would discard her Zanpakuto. She often plays the role of support during the story, i dont think she would dislike for that. I think it's a huge drawback from using it. I personally i would retcon that her zanpakuto is family legacy weapon. That is why she never uses in the present timeline. Her Zanpakuto is currently being used by Yūshirō Shihōin. I personally i dont think Yoruichi should be similiar to Sui-feng for two reasons. 1- Kisuke and Omeda never had similiar weapons to them and it would make Squad 2 being too similiar. The squad where captains get useless stages.
@@ghostrouxinol6169 I don’t necessarily like it either. But nothing we can do about it because Kubo seem to like the idea of parallels between Soi Fon and Yoruichi.
I wouldn't be surprised if it was a Kido-type, that's strongest with preparation/time that shunpo doesn't really work well with and/or kind of unweildy in hand-to-hand.
Her bankai probably doesn't slow her or immobilize her.. instead I'd like to think her bankai gives her a rage buff like a beast berserker same with Kenpachi a demon berserker, when she activates her bankai she gets stronger, faster and increase stamina but her mind wont be working while she's in rage mode.. she'll lose her focus and she'll just be just swinging wildly in a battle which makes her easy to anticipate if the opponents are smart. which would probably explain why she didn't use her bankai against askin because she knows askin is a tricky opponent and if she uses her bankai, she's surely be easily fallen from askin's poison traps..
I always thought her zanpakuto would be a support type. She is either a front line combatant or a trainer, coatch, support, etc. She has trained herself to be axcelent combatent, but her nature is to bring up or amplify others. Her zanpakuto would reflect her nature.
Personally I think she would be the first to make it an offensive power anyway. Something like To Aru's Junko or MadoMagi Sayaka that can use healing in a offensive way by "taking the hits, healing instantly and keeps charging".
I had to think of Yoruichi's beyond bankai form in Bleach brave souls, which looks very regal, traditional something that nobles would wear. If you see Yoruichi you could say that there isn't really anything regal or noble about her. She is an "outlaw" or a "vagabond" someone royality would rather to distance themselves from, she acts like a beggar, using her cat form to ask for food,(😅 yes i know im using the illustrated guide book for soul reapers as refrence.) What if her Zanpakto is royal in nature, something very fancy and elegant contrary to her brash and straightforward personality. Something that prioritizes boundaries, rules and respect, something that lets one enemy know that their dealing with royality. The Kuchikis zanpakto for example are royal, elegant and beautiful, they mirror the regality of their clan.
Be nice to see it officially. It was a cool concept at the beginning of the series, but there's only so much scaling your character can have w/o your zanpakuto.
For idea 5, maybe the bankai plays off of the stealth, shadows, and even flash. With the ability to instantly move between shadows, amd even bring people into these shadows where she could kill or seal them, in my opinion could be cool. I don't know of a reason why she wouldn't use this tho, maybe everytime she does the sword chips abit.
Running with the randomness idea - I could see her zanpakto being something similar to Kite's from HxH. A bunch of powerful and useful weapon/ability options but random which she gets and maybe even changes at random too. As amazing as the abilities & power can be, most of them just conflict with her preferences too much and are difficult to be proficient in all, thus she can be a stronger fighter by focusing on her preferred fighting style instead.
It's an interesting design challenge to make a zanpakutou that doesn't compliment its wielder and still make sense. In Yoruichi's case, I think it's more thematic. She could've ultimately directed her genius towards using her zanpakutou if she really wanted to, I'd imagine. However, her most prominent trait is her independent nature -- she left being a Captain, head of the secret police, and a very high-ranking noblewoman to be a literal cat in the Human World after all. That she'd want to be independent from her very zanpakutou - and master a complicated form of martial art to do so - is pretty on brand.
Since she love to use shunko i will say her sword is a per of wings or something that connect to her back and therefore weaken her since she cant use shunko on top of it. Because a mid range weapon wouldnt inconvenience her with her speed. Throw, run, punch, catch, repeat.
I've always thought Yourichi's zanpakuto release is some kind of ranged attack. It makes sense then that as someone who much prefers to get up close and personal, she would not like having to stay back to fire off attacks.
I could also see Yoruichi not wanting to use it for other reasons than she lets on. It is Yoruichi after all, and she tends to plays things off, despite normally being straight forward.
I always say , I still believe Yoruichi and a few other characters are still hiding their true powers. That’s probably why she doesn’t feel the need for her zanpakuto. Such a shame ❤ but my favorite bleach character for sure .
The difficulty with determining her zanpakuto is the fact that I feel like if it was actually powerful or useful in any way, she would have almost no excuse to not utilize it at some point in the series. The ideas and concepts you made are intriguing, but it's so hard to pinpoint a truly concrete concept since we have no inclination to what it could actually be. Hopefully in the Hell Arc we get some answers about it, even if just in reference and not actual showing. Personally I'd put this as my number 1 mystery of the series, its always confounded me
Yeah like she didn't use it even against Aizen which was a threat so big it could destroy Seretei, instead she just used some weak ass gauntlets. It's really strange. Maybe she doesn't have access to it, must be in possession of the noble family.
I'd like to see a Part 2 where you instead focus on her royal image instead of stealth. I think the reason she doesn't use her zanpakuto is that it deals with her royal side that she is embarrassed about. If you did here are some ideas... Funny Idea: Her zanpakuto is a healing weapon that does no damage. Her speed and stealth can still play a role but her job would be to quickly heal rather than damage. She is always saving people in the series so this also plays to her personality but not her fighting style. Her Bankai could be a huge gold Maneki-neko that heals and gives boons to all comrades, but also does no damage :D Princess Idea: Her Zanpakuto would be a flute. This flute allows her to summon electric cats to do her bidding similar to Stark. She had to learn the flute as a royal activity which is why she hates it. She takes care of her zanpakuto by practicing on it everyday to cull its anger. The flute goes against her style of fighting because it is loud and hands off. Her Bankai would summon "The Five Wisdom Cats", a set of powerful cats. This is limit of her bloodline and is what is passed down through generations and is as strong as Zanka no Tachi NESW when summoned as each cat is a literal god. They can be annoying though. I took inspiration from this but changed them to cats: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_King#:~:text=The%20Five%20Wisdom%20Kings%5Bedit%5D
I subscribe to the idea that in her Bankai, Yoruichi becomes a Shrine Maiden. This idea comes from her royal lineage, while also being the head of the familly. She summons a shrine, where she must make an intricate dance and ritual, and that essentially summons a god like figure (which would be her Zanpaktou spirit). The problem is, that the ritual takes so incredibly long to cast, the fight might as well had been over before the creature even shows up, causing it to sulk, because Yoruichi preffers to go in and rush down her opponent's, rather than to go through the pain in the ass ritual to summon a giant Kaiju.
Her Shikai could follow a similar theme. Rather than a weapon, it's some type of lightning rod that activates while she's still. The lightning called down creates shadows behind all players on the field, which allow a paw of the kaiju to attack thru the shadows. It plays on her lightning energy and sneaky aspects while also being unwieldy
In Soi Fon’s flash back in the Soul Society arc, Yoruichi is seen in a golden robe that looks almost identical to what she wears in her Beyond Bankai form in Bleach Brave Souls. I know that BBS original forms aren’t canon, but maybe the sword she has in that form is what her Zanpakuto is supposed to be.
Actually bbs is half cannon most things are run by kubo before being released into the game and for the beyond bankai event kubo told them to do her clans ceremony weapon
The cat like personality could be the problem. Her zanpakto could be too playful and have a short attention span, therefore being unreliable. I imagine something like Kyoraku’s shikai were the zanpakto considers the battle as a game but in a more cruel feline way. It could want not to kill the oponent in order to further extend it’s enjoyment, which contradicts an assassination atempt. 21:38
There is always another option for her Bankai... it is irreparably damaged so she cant use it or at least not without risk to herself And absent a way to repair it just found a different skill set to focus on rather than the finite resource
I thought the same, but backed away from this after seeing it on the person in the flashback and the comments she made in the light novel. Otherwise, I would be there with you.
I remember a very well written fanfic just gave her a cat themed Shikai and the Bankai only cat thee was SUNFLAME PANTHERS (TezCATlipoca) XD hilarious curveball, but an awesome read. And since I am awful at names I haven't remembered the title so far writing this...
Honestly the simplest answer is probably the correct one. Raikō Neko (Lightning Cat) Is the name of her Zanpakutō. It's shikai command is likely 'Hiss'. Turning it into a lightning spewing ornate Naginata. And her Bankai would likely be a far more ornate yet unwilding version of her anti arancar armor she used vs Aizen. That basically fires EL Thors, on command but it's too heavy for Yoruichi's fighting style. Similer to in DnD when you put so much into dexterity in you character that anything more than a bikini armor slows you down.
Matsumoto already has a cat themed zanpakutõ with the release command Hiss. But I guess Yoruichi's zanpakutõ has something to do with lightning, I guess?
As we have no idea of Kisuke Urahara's past and origin, and the lack of any information about Lady Yoruichi's Zanpakutō has been going on for years, I have a very radical idea. The connection and entanglement of the two characters Urahara and Yoruichi is very obvious, but the past of this connection is not clear and stated. Is it possible that Kisuke Urahara, the founder and former captain of the 12th Guard Research Laboratory, is the Zanpakutō of Lady Yoruichi?
I had the idea that Yorichi's shika could be a whip, but a very fickle one that could be somewhat controlled by the zanpakto spirit with the temperament of a cat. And her Bankai could be an enormous, Kaiju-sized Panther-monster with no capability for stealth.
Yoruichi seems to have an affinity for lightning so I'm guessing her zanpakuto is a lighting type, assuming she has one of course. If not then maybe she's like Nanao where they have heirloom zanpakutos.
I could see her shikai being a Fūma Shuriken or a blow darts. Then her bankai be something large and destructive weapon that will slow her down for a short period of time and use a lot of her power to use it.
From a writers point a view there is a very key piece of information we are missing here, that is exactly WHEN she first discovered her Shikai. Timing with this is everything. Obviously most top ranked shinigami in all their squads are expected to have that ability at the very least. We don't know that much about her rise through the ranks, plus her squad is fundamentally different from all the others in the first place. When she discovers that ability however is key because one of two situations could be true. Either she developed shunko BECAUSE she couldn't fight with her shikai properly, OR she developed shunko first and found her shikai undesirable when compared to what shunko gave her. It might seem like a very small difference but considering her part in the story of Aizen and how she left the shinigami world entirely in order to prepare and defeat him it shows that compared to the other captains her pursuit of strength had far more urgency to it than they did for a great many years. It would have had a much greater influence on all of her decisions, namely the decision to never use her zanpaktou. I don't think it makes any sense to suggest that she would shun the weapon entirely just because it didn't fit with her style, she is not so stubborn I feel that she would do that. Especially if she feels bad about not using her zanpaktou, going so far as to console it daily. I think she is far too practical a person to not use every weapon at her disposal. Given what kind of fighter she is I think the most likely scenario of what you brought up would be the weapon that randomly changes from lethal to harmless. Even though she is very strong that strength is not from raw muscle, it is her agility, speed, technique and her great skill with kidou that augments all of those things. The very fact that she didn't die when fighting Soi Fon (if you dismiss the idea that Soi Fon never would have or could have emotionally gone through with killing her mentor) emphasizes just how much everything about her fighting style is based on speed and precision, that is where all of her power comes from. If your entire methodology for fighting relies on such precision then the last thing you want thrown into the works is something you can't rely on to be consistent. Another thought is that she rose to Captain level and (forgive me if I'm wrong because I haven't followed bleach in nearly a decade now but unless she was one of the exceptions) that generally means she must have shown off her Bankai at some point to earn the qualification to be a Captain. That seems to indicate that despite the fact that she never used her zanpaktou in battle she continued training with it to the point that she eventually became capable of using Bankai. In which case she never abandoned her zanpaktou during that time period at least and didn't come to the conclusion to exclusively fight hand to hand and with kidou/shunko until after that point. So when she became a captain or when she became capable of Bankai is also a very crucial time for this situation, we don't know what was going on at that point in the story and what kind of decisions she was facing.
Yoruichi is a big-sisterly, almost motherly figure throughout the story. Despite her rough manners and playful attitude, she is responsible, caring and nurturing. My idea is that her zanpakutō isn't a weapon at all, but a support tool that forces her to stay out of the actual fighting and uses her energy to protect and empower her allies. It could be that she turns into a cat and her blade into a tiny temple, the size of a doghouse, and she falls asleep inside it and radiates an aura that increases her allies' strength, speed, perception and reflexes. Her Bankai could be a full-size temple with maneki neko figurines that shields others from harm and gives them good luck, but again, Yoruichi herself is asleep at the altar in cat form. The release command is "Nap!".
Just a random thought do you think maybe Yoruichi could have possibly handed down her zanpakuto to soifon as head of the stealth force because if i remember zanpakuto can be passed on like Kenpachi or even Tosen didn't originally own their zanpakuto
Yoruichi's Zanpakuto could be situational like Shinji and Kyoraku's Bankai, and even Unohana's Shikai. it could be a hindrance like Soi Fon's Bankai. maybe it is a family Zanpakuto like Nanao's
I always got the feeling she didn'tuse her zanpakuto because of her rebellious nature. Leaving the soul society, stepping down as a captain, leaving her family, her Zanpakuto just felt like an extension of those things so why would she keep it.
Definitely. Her zanpakutõ is probably a family zanpakutõ passed down like other noble families do. It's either kept as a artifact and heavily guarded or her brother is currently using it.
i would think the biggest reason for her would be something like komomaru... summoning some kind of bulky avatar that shares damage and greatly reduces the agility and power she can deliver on her own... aside from that is some kind of super armor that makes her take greatly reduced damage but makes her super immobile... and the 3rd being something similar to momo where it turns into a long range casting type zanpakto...
I think it is either an Illusion Type that hits enemies, friends and maybe even herself. Or it is one that injures herself along the way. Both fit certain parts of herself (she was always one to play games or dive into danger for others) and go counter to her normal style of fighting. It might also be the case of her Zanpakuto being a clan weapon that simply noone can draw out or she can not control? We have seen those weapons and she comes from one of the noble families. It may also be the case that her weapon is considered a family heirloom that is connected to something so she could not take it along when fleeing Soul Society with Kisuke. Another point would be a sealing type that has to protect something or keep something sealed. There is a part where she said, she had to keep her sword appeased. At some point, fighting with it would be easier so why not use it? She has a flexible mind and knows how to use swords... So some external factor might keep her from using it.
I think her shikai and Bankai are a long distance ability, I’m thinking something like shikamaru’s shadow jutsu but more cat and noble like, I think the reason she doesn’t really use it is because it wouldn’t allow her to use shunko and that it reminds her of her noble status which she left to be free.
Considering her clan lineage, maybe she has a zanpakuto is one passed down through the generations? And since she left the clan, maybe her brother has it as the new head of her clan.
Yoruichi must be the same as Nanao Ise meaning she must have a Zanpakuto unique and universal to all the members of the Shihouin clan so the reason why she didn't use it is because it must be in possession of her clan
I feel like I remember reading/hearing somewhere that her Zanpaktō was destroyed or confiscated, and it is not a case of her not wanting wield it. So maybe after when Uruhara went on the run, being labled a criminal with the Vizards after Aizen Hollowfied, she maybe tried vouching for him. But Yamato or Central 46 saw this as disrespectful, unruly and suspicious and placed her under arrest, thinking maybe she could be a collaborator. So her sword was taken from her. And as an act of rebellion she escaped the Soul Society to look for Uruhara leaving her Zanpaktō behind
It’s crazy if you really think about it. Yoruchi is powerful AF without her zankapatou, definitely in the high tiered captain class. Literally just hand to hand and kido. I can imagine just how much stronger she is with a shikai and bankai.
Mr. Tommo I think her Bankai and Shikai are so broken that if she were to use them regularly that they would take her to represent the soul king, and she doesn't want to do that, so she's afraid to use it, which might be part of the reason she left the soul society with Kiske and why they have such a bound since he helps her fight without her sword and knows why she prefers not to use it. Just a thought.
I like the "erratic cat"-idea since even though cats want to help,that doesn't make them any less erratic/unpredictable :D (I've lived with 7 different cats in my time,I have some experience). Another idea I got was that the Zanpakuto is a traditional lazy/grumpy cat (think Ryumon Houzukimaru but much worse :D)
I think it's most likely that her bankai and shikai are ones that transform her. Think about it, Yoruichi is often portrayed cat like in her attitude as well, so what if she doesn't use it for the same reasons she doesn't like using her cat form, maybe the energy required to use it messes with her sanity and she can't control how she acts. Idk what the actual ability would be, but that might be a reason as to why it's impractical, because she has to literally be like a cat every time she needs to fight.
Here’s my idea Kanji may be off sorry Bankai 全部切り裂く猫 > I tried Zenbu kirisaku neko All cleaving cat Has 2 modes one that slashes everthing that comes in contact with user or everything in a 120 foot sphere. Shekai キラー猫 > I tried Kirā neko Killer cat Summon Command Hide Ability makes scratches appear on a target by pointing at them and swinging the shorten sword.
Forgot to include flaws so here they are now For Bankai it requires her to destroy the environment making a ton of noise and likely removing anything she could hide behind or jump off of , which is not ideal for a stealth fighter, it Also attacks indiscriminately and thus it’s not great for team ups. Additionally in its more defensive form it would require her to take damage in order dish it out. In either state it keeps enemies at a distance, In shikai it has the same issue of keeping enemies from her but is otherwise better at sneak attacks.
In the anime we do get to see yourichi’s zanpakuto in the flashbacks soifon has, she used it to cut down a hollow saving soifon from the hollow about to attack her. Still it’s never seen again after that
I think her zanpakuto would fit more her personality vice just her fighting style. I can see it being a Naginata or a Uchigatana. Long spear or sword that are beautiful, deadly and fiercely stands out
It was actually explained that Yoruichi has an inherited Zanpakuto of the Shihoin family, but when she left the Soul Society she gave it to her brother as it was supposed to only be used by the shihoin family head. The zampakuto messes with time, making time move slower around the user while the user himself, while affected, it is not nearly by as.much. that is also why the family practices shumpo so much as they need to be much faster to not be as hampered by the zampakuto and also be able to run away in case its ability becomes a liability.
I believe her Zanpakuto would be one that favors speed and close quarters combat. I also think it would release into a pair of short blades: Deer Horn Knives, Emei Peircers, Ring-Daggers, Huedaidao, etc. Mix a pair of blades with Shunko skills, she's a human blender. That would suit her character and fighting style.
I think it would interesting if Yourichi's Zanpakuto was the same deal as Nanao. Maybe she only can use her Zanpakuto when she is the head of her clan. That why we never see her using in first place during present timeline. Maybe her Zanpakuto forces her to play the princess angle that she often seems to hate.
I always like the idea that her shikai would make her sort of likea werecat, where she's more animalistic. Her bankai would absolutely just turn her into a giant cat monster that is very slow but highly damaging.
I figured it out. Her Shikai is a razor sharp clawed gauntlet similar to Soifong's but on every finger, indeed inspiring the Shikai of her 'friend' later on. Her Bankai on the other hand gives her two gauntlets, but they take on the form of to oversized and adorable plush kitty paws. In pastel pink. Her Zanpakuto took this form entirely out of spite after they had another disagreement over something petty, she threw it over a cliff in a blind rage and didn't retrieve it for 3 days and the two have refused to cooperate ever since
I really liked the 5th idea. It seems complex and super interesting and a fitting design and reason as to why she chooses not to use it. I really hope Kubo shows us what hers truly is
I don't know if it'll work but I could see Yoruichi's Bankai being similar to Sajin, where she summons a giant monster cat that she controls, and maybe the reason she won't use it is due to how big it is, and how it's impossible to not destroy the area around you.
Maybe Yoruichi bankai is similar to rukia where upon use she's immobilized for a short period of time or maybe like isshin where if she's injured she won't be able to use it or prolly something similar to yama or shunsui where her bankai effects a wide area but I think it is prolly related to her family caz chika em I think that's the name of the first 2nd division squad captain, we saw him n he was also not using a zanpakto so maybe their shikai is a familiar where their zanpakto transforms into an animal (similar to mayuri's bankai) n maybe there zanpakto is very clingy where they always want to be beside their master n prolly they hider them in a fight instead of actually fighting (example imagine their fighting n yoruichi is about to land a critical blow but then her zanpakto jumps on her n blows her cover or something similar) n their bankai they fuse together and the familiar turns into a armor that protects the wearer but it limits their movement speed n flexibility and it is a borden on the body
Argument: Yoruichi's Zanpakuto is the generational Zanpakuto of her family clan, just like the Ise Clan. Since she decided to abandon her role as Family Head, she no longer needs to use her Zanpakuto. Theory: The Zanpakuto has an ability that is tied to maintaining the structure of the Soul Society, just like the Ise Clan. Outside of specific scenarios, the Zanpakuto is just a normal blade to Yoruichi. Evidence: We see her family member not using a Zanpakuto too, in the TYBW Arc. FACT: The Punishing Uniform has the back and shoulders exposed, specifically for the use of the "Shunko" technique. We can assume that many members of the Punishment Division can use this technique, to a lesser degree of Mastery.
She seems to dislike her title as noble, so perhaps her shikai is related to that? Perhaps it might prevent her opponent from touching her, like how nobles are not to be touched by commoners. I could see such an ability making her fights boring and thus she suppresses it to keep it interesting?
I honestly think the first idea is the best, cept its like a rocket fist. Highly powerful but easy to dodge or avoid if the enemy is fast. Also the idea that the bankai is like s morter that can cover s battlefield feels right on point.
Despite what she says regarding her Zanpakuto’s nature it’s always possible she could be lying, or not telling us the whole truth. Ive always thought it’s not unlikely that similarly to Nanao, Yoruichi may have inherited some kind sacred, special weapon from her clan. I mean the Ise clan isn’t even one of the Four Great Noble houses and their clan leaders inherit a GOD KILLER?? I don’t see how the other clans would let that slide unless they had similarly powerful tools at their disposal. So yeah- I would not be at all surprised if her Zanpakuto was a weapon passed down and not to be used except under some kind of dire and specific circumstances. Being that her family is in charge of the Onmitsukido, maybe “passifying” it means a daily sacrifice of one of their criminal prisoners. This could also very well explain her distaste for using it.
My first thought is that maybe her Zanpakuto takes on a tanky and slow armor form. Which is alright for taking hits, but terrible for inflicting it or closing/making distance. Second idea; I saw a comment about her maybe having one that could've been passed to her from her clan/noble house. Perhaps she avoided inhereting her family's Zanpakuto? Third; Maybe the powers her Zanpakuto's Bankai gives is too support focused for her tastes? Fourth; It's outright deterimental to herself or allies. Maybe she can heal her allies by taking their wounds away and inflicting all their injuries onto herself? Or maybe once she activates her bankai, she may gain a massive power boost, but she also loses control of her body or mind, and then becomes a massive threat to her allies.
I think it’s quite logical of Yoruichi to say her zanpakuto would hinder her hand-to-hand combat skills. Looking at the soul society, only Soi Fon’s suzemebachi works well to aid her fighting abilities. Using a sword and hakuda is not going to be smooth, and no other shinigami exhibit such talents. Also, I don’t think her zanpakuto might be cat like, as Kubo has made some comments on Yoruichi’s animal transformation. I feel it might be more stealth like… anyways, Shiohin Yoruichi will always be my best girl.
The fact that she's consider it not worth it and yet she's need to console it means that she's respecting it power but still considers it one-two steps behind her own taijutsu skills. The fact that she never uses it means it completely changes her fighting styles and doesn't at all helps her in any way ,shape or form. And the fact that's she's a technique/physical/magic/assassin type of fighter means whatever her Zanpakuto role is probably a support/healing/tank/auxiliary(curse)/production type. Healing type is out. Because even if she doesn't use it on battle that deosn't mean she shouldn't use it outside of battle. Tank is also out. Because no matter how heavy her Zanpakuto would become, she technically only need a blink of that weight to tansform her lightning fast fist into an invisible freight train. Production is also a no-no. Because its the same as her healing. And she did consider her Zanpakuto to becapable of fights. Support type Zanpakuto. A power to enhance your allies except herself. Pretty plausible dare I say, nobody as strong as her, she can't use it on herself, and probably the boost is not enough to justify the cost. And my prime theory, an Auxiliary(curse) type Zanpakuto not too dismilar to Shunsui's Bankai. It probably prevent her to use her fist or maybe touch her enemy at all. Like an illusory cat that need to be catch for the curse to breaks. Like how her character is literally a black-shadowy-cat, Her Zanpakuto would be literally the source of misfortune for her enemy. It would be too long set up, too boring to work, but the payout is strong enough that she did consider it at some point. But doesn't work at all with her in-your-face personality.
lol plot twist of Yourichi's black cat form being her "post dangai" form. 🤣 instead of near unstoppable power it's just stealth and cuteness. I kinda like the idea that her bankai could be something that causes a storm of sorts on the field and the erratic bolts of lightning can harm friend and foe alike as well as being too illuminating for stealth. (considering we have a few weather changing characters this isn't outside the realm of possibility.) I bet when she left the Soul Society she just forgot her zanpakuto somewhere and the Gotei 13 just locked it away. 😂"bad kitty disobeying your masters. We take away your toy."
After giving it a bit of thought, I've been thinking that perhaps the reason she dislikes her zanpakutou has to do with the fact that it might, to some degree, be hereditary like Engetsu & Zangetsu since she hails from the prominent Shihouin family. As since zanpakutou often take characteristics from their wielder, both the good and the bad, so I think you're onto something with it being a long-range type weapon with cat-like characteristics. Something that embodies her more aloof sometimes playfully catlike nature with a noble spin to it; hence it 'acting out' and needing to be consoled by her on a daily basis. And because cat's often like to 'play' with their food, an exclusively long-range weapon would fly in the face of how Yoruichi prefers to fight, and would be irrelevant in most situations given just how fast she is as the 'Goddess of Flash' if her punches can hit that much harder anyway; especially if it's as fragile as it's personality. Plus having her zanpakutou play off of her cat-like traits could make it rhyme with how Soifon's has an animal theme and it's sense of nobility could contrast it with that of her childhood friend, Urahara. o:
As you were describing yoruichi's fickle nature, I was considering. What if she had dual zanpactos? I'm imagining a tonto and a nodachi or even a club where the smaller lighter Tonto reflects her stealthy cat-like nature. And the nodachi/club represents her sheer power. However, in her fickle nature, the two blades do not always function expectedly. Perhaps they lose strength or sharpness based on the use, or lack thereof, of their counterpart. And because of the unpredictable nature, combined with the cumbersome nature of these two blades, she decides to forgo her weapon entirely for her own body.
I start with thinking of Kensai's zanpakuto, armoring her fists and strikes I also consider her feline form, cats are lithe and quick to their strikes. What if her zanpakuto was more canine, building muscle and weight to form stronger attacks. The build would be against her quick style, plus using her cat form would upset her zanpakuto, since the meme of cats and dogs not getting along Also might have some connection to the squad 11 captain
I... thought it was implied that Suzumebachi was an heirloom zanpakuto, and that Sui Feng attuned to it after Yoruichi left it behind when she fled with Urahara...?
I think a piece of this equation were missing it is the fact that she is a noble. When she said her Zanpakuto made her weaker I believe it was an insult to her nobility not to the Zanpakuto it self. In other words she's a princess and a coward, everything she does is actually a lie to everyone and most importantly herself thinking she's more then just a princess. No matter how strong and how fast she becomes she'll never be able to deny or escape from it. As for the shikai and bankai I imagine it being beautiful and grandeur do her nobility very similar to Byakuya. OMG, Yoruichi is Simba from Lion King. You can either run from your past or learn from it.😂😂😅
Idea for a video... How would you rank all captains in order to be the next head captain. Not considering only strength, but personality and temper. For example I would probably choose Iba over Zaraki or Mayuri 😂😂
going with the idea that her zanpakutou reflect sh er cat-like nature, maybe her shikai would be a sword whip... that would make it's attacks fast and flexible like a cat, but it would be hard to control and edge-alignment would be a nightmare... and not really suited for an in-fighter... could still be electric, though... i like the idea of her zanpakutou also being electricity alignes, cause we don't have enough of those... anyways, the bankai for this could be something resembling a large ball of yarn... could be a ball of multiple whips but she would end up standing still herself to properly direct them... and maybe it would have a tendency to wanna play with enemies instead of directly finishing them off...
