Powers & Abilities Rank these Bankai

[L o g i a]

These three are by far the strongest Bankai in Bleach, but in your opinion which is the strongest?

Shirafude Ichimonji
User - Ichibei Hyosube
Ability -
- Name manipulation, in doing so, whatever is manipulated is essentially bent by reality to take on the properties or power of that which is named, as a result he can weaken any opponent, no matter how powerful they are and can change opponents as he sees fit
- Manifestation of that which is drawn - this provides possibilities only limited by Ichibei's creativity
Drawbacks -
- With enough spiritual power, the effects of the Bankai can be overwritten, though this feat has only been accomplished by Yhwach so we do not know how many people can do this

Spoiler

Zanka no Tachi
User - Genryusai Yamamoto
Ability -
- North = Assumes the form of his normal sword, can vaporise anything the blade touches - complete vaporisation - however, this cannot be used in CQC and is only limited to ranged attacks
- South = Necromancy of flame engulfed skeletons (former victims of Ryujin Jakka and Zanka no Tachi) - a seemingly endless army
- with this, he can bring forth any corpse he wishes for any type of fight adding massive flexibility, furthermore, this could be used for psychological damage against an opponent
- East = Very similar to north: Anything the blade touches vanishes into nothingness without a trace - complete vaporisation - though there is no range beyond CQC
- West = Produces a shroud of flames at 15,000,000 degrees celsius - an impenetrable shield that vaporises all
Drawbacks -
- Damaging/dangerous to use around allies
- No more than two of these abilities can be used at a time. Specifically, North cannot be used at the same time as South and West cannot be used at the same time as East, but all other combinations work
- Immense consumption of reiatsu

Spoiler

Uro Zakuro (from the extended universe)
User - Azashiro Kenpachi
Abilities -
- Can merge with substances, whether tangible or intangible. These substances become a part of him i.e. merge with the air and he can become intangible
- His senses merge with souls and objects he merges with
- Can phase into objects as part of his merging process, including his opponents bodies - this is unstoppable by any means known to the Shinigami
- Impossible to locate while merged with solid objects
- As things he merges with become a part of him, he can manipulate and control any soul he merges with. No level of spiritual power (e.g. Yhwach, Aizen) is immune to this
-Teleportation, with seemingly limitless distance
- Can manifest parts of himself with merged objects, e.g. mouths, limbs etc.
Drawbacks -
- Not much is known about this Bankai other than what is written in the novels, however, we know for a fact there is ZERO stamina/reiatsu drain and it does not impede any other physical abilities
Feats (not everyone has read the novel, so...) -
- Oneshot the seventh Kenpachi, somebody who had previously turned down an offer to join Squad Zero
- Azashiro is completely clairvoyant of all ongoings in the Rukongai etc. because of his merging ability - this ability was used to completely overwhelm and outmaneuver Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu - yep. You read that right.
- He can reform/heal his body from places or items he has merged with in the case of damage or death
- Azashiro can perform an insane amount of high level kido all at once, only limited by the amount of reiatsu he has, this is done through multiplying his limbs etc. through objects he has merged with (think Nico Robin esque stuff)

Spoiler

So does the Eighth Kenpachi's Bankai break the top two? I'm interested to find out. I also would have included Shunsui's Bankai, but it has far too many risks, conditions and drawbacks required to be usable

Spoiler

@TheAncientCenturion @ZenZu @Haoshoku @Jiihad @Van @WillOfMyD @SmokedOut @Topi Jerami @Blackbeard

 

[TheAncientCenturion]

The crazy part of Azashiro's bankai is he doesn't even know its name yet, implying it's not a fully matured bankai. It could be a lot stronger than we actually read of it.

I've been a big fan of Soya since I discovered the novella info on reddit. I definitely think he has a top tier bankai and would trash most characters that aren't freaks of nature like Zaraki. But Ichibe's bankai and zanpakuto in general always impresses me. Part of it could be the man himself, because he's ungodly strong, but the ability to diminish power with a single cut, to wipe it away in shikai and if you need anything more, give them a wholly new name/power in bankai as an insult is basically playing god.

 

[L o g i a]

The crazy part of Azashiro's bankai is he doesn't even know its name yet, implying it's not a fully matured bankai. It could be a lot stronger than we actually read of it.

I've been a big fan of Soya since I discovered the novella info on reddit. I definitely think he has a top tier bankai and would trash most characters that aren't freaks of nature like Zaraki. But Ichibe's bankai and zanpakuto in general always impresses me. Part of it could be the man himself, because he's ungodly strong, but the ability to diminish power with a single cut, to wipe it away in shikai and if you need anything more, give them a wholly new name/power in bankai as an insult is basically playing god.

If Soya was more physically capable, he may well have been strong enough to surpass even Yamamoto and Ichibei - now, he had no destructive ability of note and physically he was pathetic, but that Bankai... i mean, it oneshot somebody who was renowned to be the strongest EVER Kenpachi (pre-Bankai Zaraki ofc). It's like Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu (but even more hax) - weak at first but with perfect use, it is a monstrous ability

Like, the guy lost to Kenpachi Zaraki only because of the following reasons:
1. He was in a weakened and dazed state
2. He was rusty as he had only just escaped from Muken
3. Kenpachi figured out what his Bankai was capable of and how to counter it (this is never explained to us, but i doubt anyone other than somebody with the experience of Zaraki or the elder Shinigami like Shunsui could figure it out)
4. It's worth noting Kenpachi was originally powerless even with his Bankai

It's worth noting, given Soya was only exceptional in his Bankai and Hado type Kido and was weaker than an average human soul physically, in shunpo etc. that Shunsui thought Soya was stronger than he. That's how ridiculous his Bankai is.

I agree with you here. Ichibei's is top but Soya's has to be second.

 

[Haoshoku]

That 8th Kenpachi has one powerful bankai. But I gotta give it to Ichibe, that was hax, broken, overpowering, overwhelming and any other synonym you can find on a dictionary all in one. He completely decimated base Yhwach with that overwhelming hax and only more broken nonsense hax was able to give Yhwach the win there.

I mean this dude’s name manipulation power was so broken, he could come back from death with just his name being called. Insane.

 

[ZenZu]

That Kenpachi's bankai is almost as strong as Golemn Pica. Now that's saying something.

I'm going with Ichibei's though. Where would you rank Kyoraku's?

 

[Haoshoku]

That Kenpachi's bankai is almost as strong as Golemn Pica. Now that's saying something.

I'm going with Ichibei's though. Where would you rank Kyoraku's?

Kyoraku should be in the top 4 imo, disregarding novels it goes like this imo: Ichibe, Yama, Kyoraku, Rukia,

Could be forgetting someone.

 

[TheAncientCenturion]

If y'all didn't know, Azashiro's the guy in prison with Aizen that actually undoes some of Aizen's bindings. It's why Shunsui's so confused when he goes to Muuken and sees Aizen partially free.

If Soya was more physically capable, he may well have been strong enough to surpass even Yamamoto and Ichibei - now, he had no destructive ability of note and physically he was pathetic, but that Bankai... i mean, it oneshot somebody who was renowned to be the strongest EVER Kenpachi (pre-Bankai Zaraki ofc). It's like Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu (but even more hax) - weak at first but with perfect use, it is a monstrous ability



It's worth noting, given Soya was only exceptional in his Bankai and Hado type Kido and was weaker than an average human soul physically, in shunpo etc. that Shunsui thought Soya was stronger than he. That's how ridiculous his Bankai is.

I agree with you here. Ichibei's is top but Soya's has to be second.

I'm torn, because I'm pretty sure Yamamoto's bankai would probably be enough to obliterate Soya Azashiro's. It was hyped up to destroy all of Soul Society if left unchecked, and at the very minimum can probably wreck everything nearby Soya that he's potentially fused to. IIRC, the Novella only had him fused to the actual city itself right? When he fought and killed the 7th Kenpachi, that's the furthest he went?

It's definitely notable to mention that Azashiro's rebellion was so calamitous, they had to call down the Royal Guards to stop him (which, he only gave up voluntarily because he thought Reio directly opposed his actions). This means that Yamamoto's shikai had no effect on him.

Like, the guy lost to Kenpachi Zaraki only because of the following reasons:
1. He was in a weakened and dazed state
2. He was rusty as he had only just escaped from Muken
3. Kenpachi figured out what his Bankai was capable of and how to counter it (this is never explained to us, but i doubt anyone other than somebody with the experience of Zaraki or the elder Shinigami like Shunsui could figure it out)
4. It's worth noting Kenpachi was originally powerless even with his Bankai

Didn't he also only fight Zaraki in shikai? His shikai is strong—taking the cumulative reiatsu of everything he was fused with in Bankai and condensing it into his blade—but like you said. He isn't a physical fighter. He's extremely weak when not in bankai.

 

[Haoshoku]

If y'all didn't know, Azashiro's the guy in prison with Aizen that actually undoes some of Aizen's bindings. It's why Shunsui's so confused when he goes to Muuken and sees Aizen partially free.

That was a hype moment for Aizen and it was implied he came out of that with raw power or atleast thats how I took it, I don’t like how it was actually someone else who helped Aizen undo some of the bindings but meh.

 

[TheAncientCenturion]

That was a hype moment for Aizen and it was implied he came out of that with raw power or atleast thats how I took it, I don’t like how it was actually someone else who helped Aizen undo some of the bindings but meh.

Lmao. Sorry to tell you, but yeah. Azashiro did it to talk to Aizen while his zanpakuto suggested Azashiro straight up steal the hogyoku.

 

[TheAncientCenturion]

The Reddit summary


The reddit summary of the novella, if y'all are interested. Personally love stuff like this, the world building's cool and seeing other stories besides Ichigo's is refreshing.

 

[L o g i a]

That Kenpachi's bankai is almost as strong as Golemn Pica. Now that's saying something.

I'm going with Ichibei's though. Where would you rank Kyoraku's?

I'd say

1. Ichibei
2. Azaroshi
3. Yamamoto
4. Kyoraku - it's more powerful than Zanka no Tachi imo but it has way too many drawbacks and risks to be usable 99% of the time
5. Either Zaraki or Kisuke

Don't know enough about Ichigos Bankai to rank it, but I suspect based on how it was a threat to Yhwach, it might be even stronger than Ichibeis

A further shoutout to Unohanas Bankai which we know too little of. Sajin's final form Bankai was mad strong too - in the novella, they explain Shuhei Hisagis Bankai and Shinji's Bankai. While Shinji's is quite disappointing, Shuhei's is literally impossible for him to lose - it perfectly equalises all reiatsu, health, stamina etc. between him and his opponent in 1v1 - he can literally stalemate someone like Yhwach and then have somebody else take him out. The whole point of the Bankai is to avoid killing/death which fits his character perfectly. While there's no major strength to the Bankai in actuality, it's a similar thing to Ichibei in that he can altar his opponents power. It's a broken Bankai that i would put top 5 if there was a way for Shuhei to actually win the fight on his own

 

[ZenZu]

I'd say
4. Kyoraku - it's more powerful than Zanka no Tachi imo

Damn so lowkey you lied in the OP about the 3 strongest by far lmao, this is why I was curious, was expecting to see his Bankai up there but got a non Kubo (?) one. Good to know anyway.

 

[L o g i a]

Damn so lowkey you lied in the OP about the 3 strongest by far lmao, this is why I was curious, was expecting to see his Bankai up there but got a non Kubo (?) one. Good to know anyway.

well, strongest isn't just about power, but usability and drawbacks are taken into account too

Well, it is a Kubo one as he was co-author of the Novel so idk

The danger of Kyoraku's is that without knowledge of how it works and an extreme talent for adaptability, you die. I would probably have included it had it not carried the risk of also killing the user

 

[FaradaySloth]

Ichibe is the strongest here though I would rather use Uro Zakuro over the other two, seems more useful and broken in combat

 

[L o g i a]

Ichibe is the strongest here though I would rather use Uro Zakuro over the other two, seems more useful and broken in combat

Im not asking about the characters but the Bankai themselves

if it wasnt for his Bankai, Azaroshi wouldnt even be strong enough to be even the lost ranked seated officer - he is much weaker than Yama and Ichibei because they also have much superior physical ability, kido, experience etc. they'd wipe the floor with him as soon as they figure out his ability

 

[Guan Yu]

Where is this Uro zakuro things came from? Haven't heard of it.

 

[L o g i a]

Where is this Uro zakuro things came from? Haven't heard of it.

From the light novels in the extended universe