Bankai

Bankai is the second and final release of a Shinigami's Zanpakuto in the Bleach series. Known as the Final Release, it surpasses Shikai in power and is typically accompanied by a transformation that changes either the weapon or the wielder's form. A Bankai release grants dramatically increased speed, strength, durability, and often new abilities or environmental effects that reflect the Zanpakuto's nature. Each Bankai is unique to its wielder and expresses the bond between sword and soul.

To attain Bankai, a Shinigami must first master their Zanpakuto in Shikai, then undergo extended training and communion with the spirit of the blade. Bankai is normally revealed by the user calling out the Bankai name, after which the transformation completes. The process is demanding and carries significant risks, with misuse or overextension leading to severe physical or spiritual strain. Bankai cultivation is commonly depicted as taking many years or longer, and only a minority of Shinigami ever achieve it.

Notable examples include Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, which compresses his power into a single black blade; Byakuya Kuchiki's Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, which disperses into a cloud of countless blades; Toshiro Hitsugaya's Daiguren Hyorinmaru, which manifests as an ice dragon and related constructs; and Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto's Zanka no Tachi, a devastating flame-wreathed blade. Bankai remains a central and defining element of the series' combat system.