I think an example of Shukai would be the actual transformation of the sword into the user as opposed to the release of the sword, which implies Bankai. That is, this is the form of Ichigo and Aizen.
Now THIS is way more interesting and likely within the Bleach power system. Fusing with the blade as we've seen and the whole "I am the blade" theme really make this more worthwhile than a slap on.
That's pretty much the conclusion I reached. "The Blade Is Me" isn't really a metaphor, it's supposed to be literal. If you aren't the blade and the blade isn't you, then you're not complete, and because the Shinigami power system mostly boils down to "understanding and accepting oneself = power", if the Zanpaktou is separate from you like it is in Bankai then you're not at your actual peak, because you're still (literally) keeping aspects of yourself outside of yourself. It's Hollow Ichigo going "I AM ZANGETSU" all over again.
Yeah this is what I was thinking. We already have examples of it woth both Ichigo and Aizen as they literally fuse with their zanpakutos. And the beyond bankai thing from bbs seems to be that idea plus the concept of "wearing your power" as most of them are clad in their respective zanpakutos abilities
These levels have already been discussed, Aizen when he talks about trancendence is actually speaking about the power of the soul as well. notice how the final getsuga is essentially ichigo forcing himself onto a higher plane when he merges with his zanpakuto. Aizen himself has trancended where he doesn't even need his sword to use its abilities now.
I don’t think he shukai make you ascendent / divine! Just ichigo and aizen become so powerful they also got divine status… My example is ichigo’s early bankai! Even renji’s! They was very weaks because not understand well their bankai and then later it become very powerfuls! Shukai is when you fully understand yourself or there is 100% harmony with your zanpakuto So even in early stage you can reach and not give you divine power but high bankai
I definitely think that there should be a level above Bankai but it should make sense. The idea that your Bankai could "evolve" as you understand yourself more and go through a more spiritual training is an amazing concept. People change overtime and considering how your Bankai is attached to your soul, I would believe the same could be said for that.
Bleach shouldn't fall for the "next level" to "next level" Troupe... Bankai is exhausted... However, Hollows and other 4 realms are not fully explored...
I think a level beyond makes perfect sense: Shikai = communicating with the zanpakuto Bankai = dominating the zanpakuto "Shukai" = becoming one with the zanpakuto Ichigo's form when fighting Aizen the last time feels like something _more_ to me and Aizen even specifically notes that he merged with his blade
Yal just start watching bleach huh? It clearly states why and what ichigos final form was against aizen...those weren't evolutions...they were the real names...omg what do you folks be watching
@@DBZimran I would absolutely be down with that! Zenkai Boosts are pretty awesome, and retroactively explains why Kid Goku would get more powerful after getting nearly murked (Tao Pai-Pai comes to mind, though he got an even bigger boost from the Sacred Water in that particular case as well).
Yeah. ''Bankai'' is peak shinigami, so - I think ''Shukai'' should be an outside influence to that. Like Imran said. Could be Resurreccion Bankai hybrid or Bankai infused with Hell powers. Kinda like Skull-Clad Ichigo
That’s exactly what I want to!!! They’ll need to go further beyond because the dead captains are gonna be way stronger than before. Look at how strong espada 8 got
nah, i feel like that'd cheapen and ruin everything established so far, a case by case basis of power increase or self actualization to change the way their powers manifest makes more sense
I always thought that "Shukai" is effectively the full realization of what the Final Getsuga Tensho was, like a resurrection it would be a Shinigami fusing with their Zanpakto
I agree but the issue is for ichigo to obtain Final Getsuga the complete fusion of it uses up the existence of the zanpuktou completely. As you use it you are expending its life force when you fight to have it at its complete power. So they'll have to explain how there is a fix for that. And if we get to see the return of Dangai Ichigo in all his glory to an even higher degree now that Ichigo is truly aligned with himself and his blade then I'm all in for that in the Hell Arc.
BBS has given us some amazing original designs. Truly it is the Bleach game that will have the biggest legacy of the franchise! Would love to see you do a video on the new Espada forms as well!
I hope you read this. The in-universe reason for why these beyond-bankai forms exist within Bleach-Brave-Souls is pretty simple, and fits within canon, which makes sense, since the beyond-bankai storyline was supervised by Kubo. The beyond-bankai forms are attained utilizing a Tenshintai, normally used for manifesting zanpakuto by Kisuke Urahara. The Tenshintai in this case is fused to the shinigami, which causes the physical form of the users zanpakuto to merged with their body, which results in the appearance of the beyond-bankai forms you see. Where instead of the bankai being outwardly emitted, it is self-contained now to the users altered body. It gives much indirect insight as to the appearance of zanpakuto spirits we don't know the forms of, such as Kyouka Suigetsu seemingly being suggested to be a entity made of mirrors based on Aizen's beyond-bankai appearance. Sajin becomes a giant red humanoid beast, like his unarmored bankai. Shunsui gains fashion attire from his dual zanpakuto spirits. Ichigo gains black hair like Zangetsu. Soi-Fon gains all the characteristics of her zanpakuto spirit, including flight. Ukitake gains the scroll that his zanpakuto spirits use. Toshiro gains the horns of his ice zanpakuto dragon, as well as its icy scales, and its red eyes turn into red details on his body. You get the idea by this point. If you need confirmation as to this lore, you can play through the full visual novel storyline for 'Untold Stories' via the sub-stories section of BBS. As a result, these forms are not really beyond-bankai, and can't be considered bankais either, rather, these forms are a transformation that fuses shinigami and zanpakuto, rather than the two being seperate, a much different philosophy from both shikai and bankai.
So in actuality, the concept of beyond bankai is just fusing yourself with your zanpakuto?? If it's like that, then it would be like in those chinese cultivation stories, beyond bankai is the same as being one with the sword in cultivation stories
@@Classic_Glass_Bead Aizen mentions this in his final showdown with Dangai Ichigo, noting that his sword is fused to his hand and Ichigo's is permanently chained to his, so transcendence must involve fusing with one's Zanpakuto. This is also the core of the lesson Ichigo learns in The Blade Is Me: that there is no separation between what looks like a sword, or a inner hollow, or even Yhwach in himself. They're not different things, or other people, like he tried to believe during The Blade And Me 1 and 2. They are all just him. "The Blade Is Me." The BBS "Beyond Bankai" are even more perfect theoretical fusions than those forms, since those forms still have some separation.
I could have sworn that the captains using Beyond Bankai was explained by Mayuri giving the captains some medallions that allowed them to replicate the clone captains’ powers. If anything, you could say it’s a bit inspired by the Bankai stealing medallions. I think if a form higher than Bankai is achieved, it’s going to result from a mixture of powers. That was the whole point of the Arrancar and Aizen arcs after all: breaking past the limits as a shinigami either by Hollowfication or using the Hogyoku.
@@0eyes This is basically what Dangai accomplishes as a complete fusion of shinigami and soul, which is why it is so immensely powerful. If there was a way to use dangai without losing your spiritual pressure after using it, that could be a possible "third release" option, but it would take a whole lot of BS to work around the losing your spiritual pressure after utilization, and probably should be left alone
@@can_opener755you are not talking about dangai but mugetsu which is not a form basically anyone fusing with his zanpakuto will not lose any power since they won't use mugetsu like aizen for exemple he did fuse with his zanpakuto and attained a new evolution without losing anything
There is confirmation of a level beyond bankai: Dangai ichigo was starting to merge with his sword and was fully merged in mugetsu...Same with aizen, who is currently one with ks and can cast them at will. Both of them reached a level beyond bankai.
I think Aizen did in a way. Remember that the hogyoku was only able to allow those around it to achieve what they would eventually be capable of in the first place. Whatever his transcendent form was, Aizen would have achieved if he put enough time and effort into bettering himself. The hogyoku just facilitated it much more quickly.
I've always though there will be another stage above Bankai. Not only because of universe power creep in such stories, but also for character development. The first stage Shikai is learning you have another power inside of you, second stage Bankai is trying to force that power to do what you want, I feel that a 3rd stage should be learning how to coexist with that power in a balanced cooperative way. If Kubo continues the Hell arc there will inevitably NEED to be some character development and strength growth otherwise it will seem like there is no challenge there for the characters to overcome.
Instead of focusing on new forms/powerups, I think Kubo should put emphasis in making the characters learn how to utilize their powers more efficiently and creatively. Imagine how cool it would be if Toshiro fused his ice powers with lightning kido. Or if Byakuya combined Tenran with Zembonzakura to create a destructive tornado. Kubo could just introduce more Kido that we've never seen before and give us a large variety of combinations.
you have a point, but you also should know that the more powerful enemies become, the less useful kido techniques become.. especially since the more powerful ones need to be "chanted" unless you're Aizen spamming Hado 99 lmao
@@JxFTW hence why I said "fused" and "combined". I know kido alone will not achieve much, the idea is that by combining it with the user's Zanpakuto abilities, it would result in a boost to speed, power or certain side effects. Think of it like how Shunko is the result of combining Kido & Hakuda but apply that concept to Zanpakuto abilities instead. A closer example, would be what Momo did in the Arrancar arc by combining Fushibi, Shakkaho, Kyokko and triggering the explosion with her Zanpakuto. Obviously, combining that many spells requires a high level of mastery but what I propose is much simpler since it would require only one.
@@kitano8025 yeah I guess that's true then... but it seems like up to this point (Hell Arc) there never really seemed a reason to go so "try hard" (I'm being funny btw) because there was never a Soul Reaper vs Soul Reaper war. But now it can definitely help going against these monsters a.k.a. old Captains.
Ya know, ever since I've known about it, Beyond Bankai(Shukai) is sometimes I not only wouldn't mind seeing it further on in the future but it could potentially work out well. Ps, I like your artwork.
I wonder if Urahara's true and complete bankai/shukai form can remake even reality. Probably why Aizen is very vigilant of him and his abilities aside from his intellectual and prep game.
I would like to think something like Ichigo becoming Getsuga itself or actually becoming the zanpakuto would be beyond bankai, as manifesting the blade itself and actually becoming it in ichigo's case proved to be beyond the power of a bankai, just as you need to actually embody the power of your soul to its absolute limit while instead of dominating your zanpakuto to materialize it, its more of a mutual agreement and understanding where you and the blade fully accept each other and your ideologies Just a thought since thats basically the theme of bleach XD
Not only that but when he combine all his abilities at the end of the series to kill yhwach that level might very well be away above bankai. Some have even said that the reason why yhwach is so afraid of ichigos bankai is because it can change the future
I feel the opposite, I feel the horny of salvation only came about because his powers are so closely linked. Based on other resurrección forms, I think he'd both horn had Ichigo used both bankai and resurrección, having both the physical might of his hollowfied form now unsealed and his spiritual might of bankai fully manifested.
@KingCaeLIVE i think he meant similar Or at least the horn of salvatiob mimics a ressurection As its similar to vasto lorde ichigo Which resurrecion is does Gaining the form of your hollow form Which is white for ichigo if he does resurrecion Or ichigo doesnt need to cuz thats the point of the mask( though ichigo doesnt need the mask anymore)
@@brandonhamada9645 correct, the main difference comes down to ichigo's hollowfication is a natural fusion of hollow and shinigami reichi in the zanpakuto itself , while for others its pretty artificial and separated with barriers , so for it to work they have to use both resurreccion and bankai at the same time , while ichigo only needs to say bankai because both are the core of his zanpakuto lol
Like another video explained, it's impressive how Ichigo became a soul reaper, learned Shikai and Bankai, survived Hollowfication, gained control of his hollow mask, went beyond THAT, combined his powers, gave up his powers, found a new branch to it in Fullbring, regained his ShinigamiXQuincy form.... ALL before finding out what Zangetsu even does. Ichigo is probably 15-17 years old in the anime. For some persepective, most standard soul reapers and quincy are over 1000s of years old. He has in 2 years, surpassed every being, living or dead, that he has ever fought. If the movie is anything to go by even hell can't contain him. Some might even say that the Soul King is in danger at this rate.
Pretty sure we could consider the final getsuga to be a proto form of that already, as Eizen remark they both fuse with their zanpakuto and it seems to reason that it would indeed be the next stage for shinigami.. the ultimate getsuga being the rational mext step the shinigami becomes the release of his zanpakuro
I feel like the closest we've ever got to this is Dangai Ichigo and Aizen Dangai Ichigo happend after Ichigo finally trained his soul along with his Zanpakuto in Bankai for 3 months, as said by Byakuya "it takes years to attain Bankai, and even more to truly master it", something Ichigo didn't really do at all with his first false Bankai When he finally did train with his Bankai specifically and Zanpakuto after a really long time, we can see big progress From his outfit changing, him getting physically taller, the chain on Tenza Zangetsu wrapping around the entirety of his right arm, which was always there as we can see when Full-Hollowfication Ichigo commanded the sword but the chain just didn't appear, I see it as him not having that much of a bond to his Zanpakuto before his Final Getsugatensho training, the chain wrapping around his arm shows his level of bond with his Zanpakuto at this time Aizen even commented on how both of their Zanpakuto have fused to their right arm and how maybe this is the true form of the Zanpakuto
I think the Shukai bit is true, because that was what Ishin Shiba was trying to get to when he used to train with Yamamoto and started meditating with his zampakto to find the final Getsuga...
I always wondered if other shinigami can use a "Final" form of their bankai like Ichigo's final getsuga. It was weird that Isshin knew about it and how to unlock it but no one brought it up again. Makes sense that the next level after fully manifesting your Zanpakuto would be merging with it
In the episode when Aizen fully fused with hogyoku Nobody could sense his spiritual pressure meaning that he was a "plain" above them all. But then Ichigo said that he does feel Aizen's spiritual pressure which gave Isshin the idea that Ichigo was on par with Aizen in a spiritual level but was never using his full potential. Isshin's Zanpakuto is Engetsu which is very similar to Zangetsu. So final getsuga is probably Shiba technique which could explain why he knew Abt it
@@henrydragoCan you explain what exactly the Getsuga Tenshi is? Isshin can use it in spit of it being unrelated to his Zanpakuto's unique ability, but it's Ichigo's only ability. That always confused me. Why doesn't Ichigo have a different ability?
Great video as always brother. Really appreciate your research and effort. I believe that it is entirely possible to reach beyond bankai. However, such a level may only be achieved by special beings such as Ichigo or Aizen who have enhancements/ traits beyond what a shinigami can achieve through training and understanding their abilities alone. We can also call Ichigo's current evolution of bankai as sort of a fusion between his bankai and resurrección, so that possibility has already been validated in some way.
Great video! This pretty much sums up about how I feel about the Beyong Bankai stuff that brave souls were releasing. I felt that most of them weren't even a power beyond bankai but just Shikai+, I mean literally all Yamamoto got was a fire arm lol.
if shikai is acquired by entering your zanpakuto's internal world, and bankai is acquired through the reverse by bringing out the zanpakuto into the real world, then the only logical step forward would be to "merge" the two realms of "outside" and "inside". examples of this would be to bring an opponent into your internal world where you have the complete advantage (but there are still downsides, as they can technically invade your inner world). of course there's the possibility for reserrection awakening on top of bankai for some characters. but personally i don't see the need for it except maybe in the hell arc where we still don't know the extent of the powers that hell bestows upon shinigami or hollows and if there's a need for this "beyond bankai" power to exist
Huh. First I see of this. To me, this looks like they're kinda wearing their shi/bankai. Kinda makes sense to me as a third step in the power progression. First step is to enter and meet their sword spirit inside their soul. Second step is to drag the sword spirit out and beat it to submission. Third step would be to get closer to the now externalized, subjugated sword spirit and merge with it, getting closer to their original state of shinigami and zanpakuto being the same being. Kinda, sorta.
Honestly i always thought that going beyond bankai would be less about having more and more flashy forms, and more about actually fusing with your blade like Ichigo and Aizen did. it could come with a new visual look, but i dont necessarily think it would give you any new powers, but rather than it just enhances those powers you already have, and perhaps allows you to use your Bankai powers without having to call out the command the same way you stop having to call out Shikai when you attain Bankai.
So my idea of a third release was called "Tenkai" and it was essentially the final step in the relationship between a shinigami and zanpakuto, or as Ichigo called it, "When I BECOME Getsuga". Tenkai was the absolute fusion of a shinigami and a zanpakuto.
i feel that something like beyond bankai would be more like a fusion with the sword since to unlock bankai you have to manifest and understand the spirit of the sword , so becoming one with your zampakuto wold be the maximun power that you could get even stronger than the bankai
if you think about it the arrancars resurreccion and bankai are essentially the same primarily because bankais and resurreccions gave drastic changes vs just a shikai. if you think about it that way, shinigamis could possibly have a 2nd release like Ulquiorra did
After digging around and reading online about the concept of Shukai, the best way to look at this is this. According to the Bleach Wiki - Shukai was created by Otetsu. However, something that doesn't make any sense is that the Wiki also us that there was an unnamed user of Shukai when the Soul Society, Living World, and Hueco Mundo were imbalanced. So this naturally led me to believe, and this is where I depart from the Wiki entirely - Shukai is the mastery of a Shinigam's Asauchi (Zanpakuto) and their Hollow state. I say this because there is a very connected theme between the concepts of Zanpakuto and Hollows in the Manga and the Light novels. Even Aizen himself understood that Shinigami and Hollow's weren't wholly different.
its important to note that beyond bankai is just the name of the forms. They are described as powers beyond that of bankai meaning that they're stronger than bankai but they don't necessarily have anything to do with bankai which is how they got round giving them to characters whose bankai we have never seen like ukitake. And why a bunch of them have hollowfication elements. Already in the series we have seen the stage beyond bankai really although its more of a stage beyond zanpakuto. Ichigo and aizen when they fought had their zanpakuto fused with their arms. then ichigo went a stage further where his zanpakuto completely fused with his body and now ichigo and aizen are in roughly the same stage where both of them are one with thier zanpakuto and they can materialize it and put it away inside their body at will.
The fact Kubo confirmed that a hollofied shinigami could use resurrection + bankai makes me think that may be something that comes up during the hell arc
Honestly, my opinion of ‘beyond Bankai’ should only be capable by hybrid beings. Yamamoto had a 2k old Bankai, that could destroy the world. That is a power that honestly has no need for a ‘beyond’ version, and the same can be said about alll the captains. Hybrid beings, on the other hand, should(and technically do) have a beyond Bankai, where the pinnacle of each of their bloodlines, fuse to create a greater power. Ichigo is the clearest example of this, with his TYBW Vasto/Bankai mode. The thing is, it clearly gave room for the next half of his face being morphed by his Vollstandig from his Quincy side. This would truly be a perfected Beyond Bankai mode, with the pinnacle of both Hollow and Quincy mixed in! I want to see that so badly lol
I think it has something to do with the soul of a soul reaper, if the soul can evolve and change I think that may affect the Bankai, The first person that comes to mind is The head captain remember how his Bankai had so many stages 🤔
Ive always considered Final Getsuga Tenshou to be the unofficial step beyond bankai. It is just so damn on point, first you awaken the shikai, then you manifest it into reality, then you become it. Imo it just feels like the natural progression. On a different note, Ive always wondered what is stronger Ichigos Horn of salvation form or Final Getsuga Tenshou?
Mugetsu is the strongest! You can see how the horn of salvated bankai merged tensa zangetsu gived His full power to ichigo!!! Litereally it is the power of the final ichigo true bankai! But i think mugetsu Still stronger because it’s a one shoot attack…
To be fair, a Shukai has technically been shown in the manga and anime. Hear me out before you execute me. What we refer to as Dangai Ichigo is technically a Shukai. From what I understand about this transformation, both Soul Reaper and Zanpakuto become one and the same, merging with one another to achieve this. Ichigo's Dangai form has him merged with Zangetsu fulfilling this requirement
I've seen "Beyond Bankai" in Bleach d20 Classless homebrew have mechanics for Reikai/Ijoreikai, Murikai, & Shukai (Which may or may not be Bankai-equivalent). There are other releases in the splats, generally for Epic Levels.
Great discussion DBZimran. For be I think Beyond bankai needs to also follow what Ishin Kurasaki said just because the blade is bigger doesn't mean it's more powerful. So beyond Bankai needs to be more a technique than a form. Asthetics aside.
It’s heavily Insinuated that it wasn’t just Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia who never actually Truly Synergized with their Zanpaktous’ Spirits to attain all of their True Bankais until Zero Squads’ Help that those fruits of those labors will be showcased during Cour 2. Even other characters get a more realized True Bankai in Cour 3 & 4 Events that I wont spoil for anime onlys. Based on all of that, I believe a Beyond Bankai like Bleach Brave Souls has will be officially Canonized during The New Breathes From Hell Arc that is sure to progressively pick up again following Cour 4’s Anime Episodes Conclusion of The Thousand Year Blood War Arc a few years from now.
You’ve got a good point, I’ve already had to apply suspension of disbelief to justify characters constantly putting mental limits on themselves so they wouldn’t win fights right away, safety measures that needed to be released so they don’t use too much power/put surrounding people at risk, all while risking their lives needlessly and in some cases letting characters die for no reason. Like it’s a lot, and I I’ve let it slide up to the TYBW, which is probably much farther than I should let it slide. But if they were to continue the story they’d need a really justifiably good reason for power creep to a yet whole extra level. Hopefully it’s not just, something they need to train super duper hard to achieve and anyone could have done it, they’ve all just been slacking during all the other life and death times. A power creep that involves a new energy source beyond reiatsu or whatever would be nice. If the new strength comes from outside of the established power structure and is only recently available to characters due to special current events that would make enough sense to not just ruin the previous plot points. All my attention is on the potential stuff with the concept of Hell or maybe even the Burn the Witch content. Just gotta wait and see though. Bummer the Bravesoul stuff just feels like fanart at this point.
When you say a powerup is an evolution of bankai, that is not contradictory to 'beyond bankai'. Bankai itself is an 'evolution' of shikai a 'beyond shikai' if you will. If bankai is a more complete release of shikai does it not follow that shukai is a more complete release of bankai? Shukai seems to be a complete unification of a soulreaper and their zanpakuto. Would that not be the next logical step in a zanpakuto's release?
Aizen isn’t a beyond bankai but his is my favorite transformation in bbs and second favorite version of aizen aside from muken version plus it makes sense bc it’s if aizens zanpakuto fused with the hogyoku and it makes a lot of sense and feels less fan fic compared to the other forms
10:28 incorrect. First of all Ukitake's one is actually, initially, an extension of his own ability to "absorb" other abilities. The official description reads: "This original version of Jushiro created as part of the "Spirits Are Forever With You" novel tie-in shows his appearance when he has unlocked a power greater than Bankai and has absorbed his fighting partner Shunsui's Kageoni." So in other wordsUkitake first unlocked a power Beyond Bankai, and then using that Beyond Bankai, he absorbed Shunsui's Kageoni to utilize and further add to his powers. Which makes sense cos Sōgyo no Kotowari itself relies on the use other's abilities. It was actually revealed an answered (from Klub Outside) that Yachiru is actaully part of Nozarashi: part of Nozarash's Bankai manifestation to be precise. (You can google this online) So technically, Yachiru's powers actually belong to and stem from Kenpachi himself meaning that he isn't exactly gaining his Beyond Bankai "through the use of another's power." Lastly, you just mentioned Shunsui without even elaborating on it.. you do that quite a lot in your videos. But Shunsui's Beyond Bankai is essentially a new form with a brand new game attack. So if his Zanpakuto's powers is to manifest children's games, how on earth is his Beyond Bankai gained "through the use of another's power"? To conclude, they are basically just evolved extension of their own powers they already possess.
I always saw the next step of evolution of zanpakuto, as the shinigami becoming one with the blade. Aizen perfectly showed us that concept, with him surpassing limitations of other shinigami, becoming the next evolutionary step himself. There is no longer any blade, no shikai or bankai, just a shinigami in a perfect harmony with their blade, becoming one with it.
I'll never forget when i first read bleach that i was curious what bankai translated into english was. So i put bankai into google translate and it auto detected a language and translated the word into "for the bank". My confusion was immeasurable
As Kazui, Ichigo must overcome his PTSD, because in the final page of hell arc prologue, Orihime and himself repeated the scene where Masaki and himself attacked by a hollow.
I agree that newer evolved forms of a bankai is more likely than a _beyond bankai_ However, we've seen Kubo do something like this in the manga with Quincy abilities. Letzt Stil was introduced as the equivalent to Bankai as the "Final form". Vollständig was then introduced later on as a "beyond" Letzt Stil concept. Even though it's just an evolution of the ability, it got a new name. And of course, through Yhwach; Schrifts also are "beyond" Letzt Stil but technically below Vollständig. Each stage or form is the equivalent of Bankai or Resurreccion in their own ways. Letzt Stil = Bankai Vollständig = Bankai Schrift = Bankai Vollständig + Schrift > Bankai (on average) So a form that incorporates Shikai and Bankai into one, would for most Captains, be a more powerful form. Or just introduce some kind of Kido that makes a bankai more powerful, like a Vollständig does with Schrifts. For example, Ichibei doesn't need to use his Shikai before using Bankai, he could simply use both white and black ink in one form. Lore-wise, it doesn't make sense that all those really old captains hadn't reached that level if it existed, but I could see Kubo pull a "Only powerful Shinigami that die and go to Hell can attain a higher form than Bankai, due to their Zanpakutou being corrupted" or something. I don't remember Ukitake's Zanpakutou being able to grow that large as it did when he stabbed Szayelaporro and pulled him back to Hell.
I always viewed the Shinigami and Hollow abilities as two sides of the same coin. They're the same thing, just manifesting in different ways. That's how I always viewed it anyways. Made the most sense for why Shinigami could be given hollow powers and vice versa.
The thing I think would best fit the description of being beyond bankai would be something like mugetsu. Yes it is ultimately an attack but it's a state that's higher than dangai form. Ichigo fusing with his sword, becoming his sword entirely is something that other soul reapers haven't quite shown. You have things that seem similar but ultimately there's still division between what's the sword vs the shinigami. Mugetsu there is no such thing as a separation, there is only a single being which uses it's full power to destroy it's foe. Aizen forcibly attains this type of power through the hogyoku, fusing with his sword to the point his power is always active. So my theory is that it's possible for a shinigami to gain a power akin to being beyond bankai, but it'd be through fusing with their zanpakuto completely. We aren't entirely aware of what the final getsuga tensho was like for Ichigo's father, was it similar to mugetsu or was it different with just the same property of expending all your spiritual powers afterwards. As far as I'm aware we've not been told about that. But this is the closest thing I (and to be fair many others) think of when it comes to something beyond bankai. Cause while dangai Ichigo does appear to be very much Ichigo in his bankai state but changed. Mugetsu was something entirely different in appearance. Of course it's possible for a shinigami with hollow powers to have another form to pair with bankai, but I believed it'd be manifesting the power alongside it having a resurrection and bankai at the same time in a mix. But doing that with Ichigo would not yield a form similar to Mugetsu, it'd be more like his vasto lorde form but with some alterations and with him actually in control. I'm not sure how best to explain it beyond that, and we'd ultimately need for Kubo to tell us how such things would be, if they even exist, and what else can we expect to see in the future for Bleach.
the only bankai in the whole story that could maybe feel like some kind of shukai would be the release of ichibe Hyosube which follow the same base rule of a bankai but does seems to have some level of reach beyond comprehension
Perhaps a tool that the voltstaffen used to steal bankai can be studied to awaken it in a way as well? And with quincys relationship with hollow powers, it can be like how ichigo manipulates the hollow and quincy powers in himself; agitating the energies to manipulate them in certain ways so as to bring out their powers, coinciding with the soul reapers bankai to manifest a ressurrecion in their "beyond bankai" awakening. What di you guys think?
The alt/Beyond versions of characters were basically part of the advertising for a light novel release called Spirits Are Forever With You, however like most Bleach light novels the new abiblities of characters, both established and original are not considered as canon and nore are the events.Which is unfortunate as some of them are really cool. As far as I can remember the only time something from a light novel has been semi- canonised is shinji's bankai as that concept is taken from another bleach light novel called Can't Fear You Own world, as shinji's bankai from CFYOW was adapted in TYBW anime.(CFYOW also got a run of inspired characters and was supervised by kubo, much like all of the anniversiry characters for Brave Souls are) Iv come across 2 distinct camps where it concerns canon and canon "ajacent" characters/skills/abilities those that do not accept anything outside the manga as canon, the other considers the main run Bleach anime as a seperate universe and therefor seperate canon, surprisingly enough both camps agree that the TYBW anime is its own seperate thing, kinda odd really XD. make of that what you will Im simply a very enthusatic Bleach fan (i love anything and everything Bleach) Jushiro and Shunsui are my fave characters, Unohana, Kisuke, shnji and Kensei cme a close second
If there is ever a power beyond bankai it will be a result of Urahara giving the captains a drop of hollow essence to their Zanpakutou to make them immune to be Bankai-stolen. Would lead to some sort of fundamental change in the way their power is used.
One possible step beyond Bankai is the manifestation of the Zanpakutou's inner-world to override the existing space. Similar to how Yhwack's shadow overrode the Seireitei, or how Aizen showed that with enough raw spirtual pressure he could inhibit the effect of Soi Fon's shikai (overriding reality?). In other media, it could be similar to a paramecia Devil Fruit awakening or a Domain Expansion. The "Expansion Theory". Another option would be similar to the Kenpachi example. After being able to physically manifest the zanpakutou spirt, give them an Asauchi until it becomes their own zanpakutou. The "Recursive Theory". Another example would be if some of Aizen's theorizing of transcendentals during his fight with Dangai Ichigo were achievable with merely high enough Shinigsmi powers. Namely, integrating with the zanpakutou, and demanifesting its physical form from the outside world. The "Fusion Theory". However, I feel that this one may actually require Hollow powers depending on the intepretation, as Hollow powers inherently break down divisions between soul membranes when it consumes a soul.
There might not be a "beyond bankai" But bankai isn't the last stage of zanpakto Bankai is the full manifestation of one's zanpakto next is user's fusion with it (dangai Ichigo and butterfly Aizen) Final is becoming one with it where asauchi is no longer required (Aizen in TYBW)
honestly when we go deeper the coolest group is the vizards ... how cool is it to have a mask on mask off ~ kinda feel like kamen rider ... loved the way the vizard puts on their mask to activate their powers ~ the style and "cool-ness" is even better than bankai activation.
This starts to resemble so much the "evolution" of forms from DBZ. We'll soon discover there's a level beyond Shukai. It'll be called God Shikai...or better, Shikai Blue:))
i would argue that a "shukai" would be to bring reality into the world of your Zanpakuto, similar to a Domain Expansion from JJK. it makes sense. Shikai, you go into the sword. Bankai, the sword becomes reality. Shukai, you bring the world of the sword into reality. similar to how some of the fullbringer's abilities works
I mean, what _would_ be the next step in the evolution of a Zanpakuto? I think it'd be total unification between the Shinigami and the Zanpakuto Spirit, which strikes me as something reminiscent of what happened to Aizen after prolonged exposure to the Hogyoku. So, if you have a Hogyoku, then I don't see why you couldn't ascend beyond the external construct of a Zanpakuto.
Well the problem is aizen when he said the ceiling of his power meaning he has reached the limit then the hyogokhu kinder breaks that limit of which he has done so much research on it unless it's something coming from the royal palace that was hidden
Head captain had a form of reality talisman which looked as though he had 4 banks with the north,south,east and west forms. By reality talisman I mean something that's integrated to reality that you may not need to physically touch
I think I get it: Shikai: manifesting yourself in your zanpakto's world and learning its name. Bankai: manifesting your zanpakto into the real world and learn its name. Shukai (beyond bankai): create a reality marble and manifest your zanpakto's world into the real world and learn its name. Makes sense.
I agree with you, from what you've presented, that basically all the Shukai presented thus far in Brave Souls are just evolved Bankai or Resurreçion-Bankai combos, thus making the whole thing a gacha gimmick to sell SSRs, but I think something like it is possible in the source material because at their core, Zanpakuto aren't inherent to the bodies of Shinigami, but they are in a sense spiritual technology meant to externalize, refine and develop the potential of a Shinigami's Soul. I could imagine Nimaiya or one of the scientist types refining this technology further and basically inventing a stage beyond Bankai. Would I like it? Not really, but I think it's possible, especially in any Hell Arc.
i mean... you could argue that the final getsuga form of ichigo is said shukai.. since its another form that came after ichigo was already in bankai and it gave him a huge power boost... at the cost of him loosing his shinigami powers soo maybe idk... it was incomplete/false shukai?
There could be one which would explain what danagi and mugetsu are but they're so rare that they don't have an official name. It's just beyond bankai. I think you fuse with your zanpakuto to achive this, and it isn't natural, so you need to transcend
I think a way to expand on bankai is the fusion of kido with a zanpakuto similar to Yoruichi's shunko (hakuda/kido). This would give all soul reapers an adjacent power up to the vizard's hollow fusion instead of going Bankai2, 3, God, etc. This would also give the soul reapers something that Ichigo doesn't have since he doesn't use kido, I think this would an interesting narrative. Ichigo could do something like this with his Quincy power as well as Hollow.
Zanpakuto is the power of the Konpaku or Tamashi. Resurrection is the power of the Heart. Beyond Release would be what Aizen did (becoming one and not having a "release" anymore", Beyond Zanpakuto would be combining your heart and soul. I wouldn't say anything could be "beyond bankai".
there should definitely be something, bankai was introduced to viewers relatively early in the anime and besides character power ups swords powers remained pretty much the same, i with they could introduce something beyond bankai to give swords their power ups as well
Man BBS is the best from character design to gameplay style i just love it ahemmmm…. Wish the rates were a bit higher tho those last step continuous summons are brutal
I mean it makes sense, if bleach continues past this arc they either need to bring in a new "species" of enemies, or a new "transformation" of some sort, and seeing we've seen ichigo get hollow powers, quincy powers, there doesnt seem like much more places he can go
in theory, if bankai is the manifestation of a zanpakuto, shukai could be something like a perfect fusion between a zanpakuto and its wielder. if bankai is the true release of a zanpakuto spirit, shukai would be the pinnacle of union between a zanpakuto and its wielder. if you think about it its kind of just the next logical step, shikai is the initial step, where a zanpakuto's wielder first learns its name, then bankai is the next step, where the wielder manifests the zanpakuto spirit, and then shukai would be like perfection union between a zanpakuto spirit and its wielder.
I agree with ya. One thing I really like about Bleach is that it does not have 100 forms and power creep like DBZ. Although some of that is getting eroded away with 1000 Year Blood War.
the only way i will accept them as part of "shukai"-concept and not a natural evolution of a bankai alongside of the natural evolution of the character is if it add a major difference in achievement, like fully merging zanpakuto with the shinigami, like aizen and they should serve meaning and narration as the shikai and bankai does
Yeah, but is your sword bigger than my sword?
What color is your zanbaktu 🍷🗿?
My kintamas are gold
🤨
Waay bigger!
Which sword
I think an example of Shukai would be the actual transformation of the sword into the user as opposed to the release of the sword, which implies Bankai. That is, this is the form of Ichigo and Aizen.
Now THIS is way more interesting and likely within the Bleach power system. Fusing with the blade as we've seen and the whole "I am the blade" theme really make this more worthwhile than a slap on.
That's pretty much the conclusion I reached. "The Blade Is Me" isn't really a metaphor, it's supposed to be literal. If you aren't the blade and the blade isn't you, then you're not complete, and because the Shinigami power system mostly boils down to "understanding and accepting oneself = power", if the Zanpaktou is separate from you like it is in Bankai then you're not at your actual peak, because you're still (literally) keeping aspects of yourself outside of yourself.
It's Hollow Ichigo going "I AM ZANGETSU" all over again.
@@Graysett Makes sense, seems similar to how Zaraki struggled with his sword because he didn't really understand himself.
yes YES
Yeah this is what I was thinking. We already have examples of it woth both Ichigo and Aizen as they literally fuse with their zanpakutos. And the beyond bankai thing from bbs seems to be that idea plus the concept of "wearing your power" as most of them are clad in their respective zanpakutos abilities
These levels have already been discussed, Aizen when he talks about trancendence is actually speaking about the power of the soul as well. notice how the final getsuga is essentially ichigo forcing himself onto a higher plane when he merges with his zanpakuto. Aizen himself has trancended where he doesn't even need his sword to use its abilities now.
aizen also has his final form in brave souls/ He becomes kyoka suigetsu fully.
I don’t think he shukai make you ascendent / divine!
Just ichigo and aizen become so powerful they also got divine status…
My example is ichigo’s early bankai! Even renji’s! They was very weaks because not understand well their bankai and then later it become very powerfuls!
Shukai is when you fully understand yourself or there is 100% harmony with your zanpakuto
So even in early stage you can reach and not give you divine power but high bankai
This is clearly the explanation … why people act like it’s some huge unknown is crazy😂😂😂😂
I definitely think that there should be a level above Bankai but it should make sense. The idea that your Bankai could "evolve" as you understand yourself more and go through a more spiritual training is an amazing concept. People change overtime and considering how your Bankai is attached to your soul, I would believe the same could be said for that.
It already exists
@@muleyamwiinga3988 🤦🏽♂️
if that existed the dog captain would be the strongest
Bleach shouldn't fall for the "next level" to "next level" Troupe... Bankai is exhausted... However, Hollows and other 4 realms are not fully explored...
@@muleyamwiinga3988 I agree
I think a level beyond makes perfect sense:
Shikai = communicating with the zanpakuto
Bankai = dominating the zanpakuto
"Shukai" = becoming one with the zanpakuto
Ichigo's form when fighting Aizen the last time feels like something _more_ to me and Aizen even specifically notes that he merged with his blade
Saigo no Getsuga Tensho.
Yal just start watching bleach huh? It clearly states why and what ichigos final form was against aizen...those weren't evolutions...they were the real names...omg what do you folks be watching
there already exists "becoming 1 with the zanpakuto" called true bankai where u call out the whole name shukai doesnt make sense
If that's the case , then Shunshui definitely " dominated" Katen Kyokotsu
Too bad back then Aizen didn't use hypnosis a single time. Back then he was more of a being that was hollow and shinigami at the same time
Finally a youtuber who talks about Shukai. I would ask for a video on Zenkai next.
As in the Zenkai power boost from DBZ?
@@DBZimran yes
@@seel2835 is there a level beyond shukai?
@@DBZimran I would absolutely be down with that! Zenkai Boosts are pretty awesome, and retroactively explains why Kid Goku would get more powerful after getting nearly murked (Tao Pai-Pai comes to mind, though he got an even bigger boost from the Sacred Water in that particular case as well).
There’s not much to say about zenkai lol
I wish Kubo will add these "Shukai" in the upcoming hell arc, if there is one.
SHUKAI IS STUPID. GIVE CHARACTERS MORE VARIETY WITH THEIR ABILITIES.
Yeah. ''Bankai'' is peak shinigami, so - I think ''Shukai'' should be an outside influence to that. Like Imran said. Could be Resurreccion Bankai hybrid or Bankai infused with Hell powers. Kinda like Skull-Clad Ichigo
I don't know what people are talking about.... We know their is a level above Bankai
That’s exactly what I want to!!! They’ll need to go further beyond because the dead captains are gonna be way stronger than before. Look at how strong espada 8 got
nah, i feel like that'd cheapen and ruin everything established so far, a case by case basis of power increase or self actualization to change the way their powers manifest makes more sense
I always thought that "Shukai" is effectively the full realization of what the Final Getsuga Tensho was, like a resurrection it would be a Shinigami fusing with their Zanpakto
This makes the most sense of what it would it be.
Imagine if the Vizards could use resurrection? Exploring that in the Hell Arc would be insane
I agree but the issue is for ichigo to obtain Final Getsuga the complete fusion of it uses up the existence of the zanpuktou completely. As you use it you are expending its life force when you fight to have it at its complete power. So they'll have to explain how there is a fix for that. And if we get to see the return of Dangai Ichigo in all his glory to an even higher degree now that Ichigo is truly aligned with himself and his blade then I'm all in for that in the Hell Arc.
@marclee82 well aizen did fusion with his zanpakuto and didn't lose any power I think mugetsu is an unique case since,it's not a form but a technique
BBS has given us some amazing original designs. Truly it is the Bleach game that will have the biggest legacy of the franchise! Would love to see you do a video on the new Espada forms as well!
Their Hogiku infused Sugunda Etapa forms? Well Ulquiorra will need a different name cause he has a third release
@@Caelus32 he doesn’t have a “third release” the third release you’re referring to is the Hogyoku fusion one
Chyeaaaa❤❤❤❤
I hope you read this. The in-universe reason for why these beyond-bankai forms exist within Bleach-Brave-Souls is pretty simple, and fits within canon, which makes sense, since the beyond-bankai storyline was supervised by Kubo.
The beyond-bankai forms are attained utilizing a Tenshintai, normally used for manifesting zanpakuto by Kisuke Urahara. The Tenshintai in this case is fused to the shinigami, which causes the physical form of the users zanpakuto to merged with their body, which results in the appearance of the beyond-bankai forms you see.
Where instead of the bankai being outwardly emitted, it is self-contained now to the users altered body. It gives much indirect insight as to the appearance of zanpakuto spirits we don't know the forms of, such as Kyouka Suigetsu seemingly being suggested to be a entity made of mirrors based on Aizen's beyond-bankai appearance.
Sajin becomes a giant red humanoid beast, like his unarmored bankai.
Shunsui gains fashion attire from his dual zanpakuto spirits.
Ichigo gains black hair like Zangetsu.
Soi-Fon gains all the characteristics of her zanpakuto spirit, including flight.
Ukitake gains the scroll that his zanpakuto spirits use.
Toshiro gains the horns of his ice zanpakuto dragon, as well as its icy scales, and its red eyes turn into red details on his body.
You get the idea by this point.
If you need confirmation as to this lore, you can play through the full visual novel storyline for 'Untold Stories' via the sub-stories section of BBS.
As a result, these forms are not really beyond-bankai, and can't be considered bankais either, rather, these forms are a transformation that fuses shinigami and zanpakuto, rather than the two being seperate, a much different philosophy from both shikai and bankai.
So in actuality, the concept of beyond bankai is just fusing yourself with your zanpakuto?? If it's like that, then it would be like in those chinese cultivation stories, beyond bankai is the same as being one with the sword in cultivation stories
@@Classic_Glass_Bead Aizen mentions this in his final showdown with Dangai Ichigo, noting that his sword is fused to his hand and Ichigo's is permanently chained to his, so transcendence must involve fusing with one's Zanpakuto. This is also the core of the lesson Ichigo learns in The Blade Is Me: that there is no separation between what looks like a sword, or a inner hollow, or even Yhwach in himself. They're not different things, or other people, like he tried to believe during The Blade And Me 1 and 2. They are all just him. "The Blade Is Me."
The BBS "Beyond Bankai" are even more perfect theoretical fusions than those forms, since those forms still have some separation.
I could have sworn that the captains using Beyond Bankai was explained by Mayuri giving the captains some medallions that allowed them to replicate the clone captains’ powers. If anything, you could say it’s a bit inspired by the Bankai stealing medallions.
I think if a form higher than Bankai is achieved, it’s going to result from a mixture of powers. That was the whole point of the Arrancar and Aizen arcs after all: breaking past the limits as a shinigami either by Hollowfication or using the Hogyoku.
It’s basically just zanpakuto fusion with the wielder.
@@0eyes This is basically what Dangai accomplishes as a complete fusion of shinigami and soul, which is why it is so immensely powerful. If there was a way to use dangai without losing your spiritual pressure after using it, that could be a possible "third release" option, but it would take a whole lot of BS to work around the losing your spiritual pressure after utilization, and probably should be left alone
It's maybe horn of salvation
@@can_opener755you are not talking about dangai but mugetsu which is not a form basically anyone fusing with his zanpakuto will not lose any power since they won't use mugetsu like aizen for exemple he did fuse with his zanpakuto and attained a new evolution without losing anything
There is confirmation of a level beyond bankai: Dangai ichigo was starting to merge with his sword and was fully merged in mugetsu...Same with aizen, who is currently one with ks and can cast them at will. Both of them reached a level beyond bankai.
Yep!
Wtf are you talking about? Are we watching the same show?
Exactly, whatever he is achieving now is nothing compared to his form he used against aizen.
If beyond bankai was a thing, Aizen and Urahara would have figured it out by now.
I think Aizen did in a way. Remember that the hogyoku was only able to allow those around it to achieve what they would eventually be capable of in the first place. Whatever his transcendent form was, Aizen would have achieved if he put enough time and effort into bettering himself. The hogyoku just facilitated it much more quickly.
@@goldoan ichigo too
Only the two has gain the final form of their zanpaktou
Its a thing. There are official design of some characters with their shukai in the game blecah brave souls
@@niksolu Not canon.
What if they were using their bankai the entire time an manipulated us into thinking it was their skikai
Hey man. Thanks for the great content! Really enjoy it, keep up the good work.
I've always though there will be another stage above Bankai. Not only because of universe power creep in such stories, but also for character development. The first stage Shikai is learning you have another power inside of you, second stage Bankai is trying to force that power to do what you want, I feel that a 3rd stage should be learning how to coexist with that power in a balanced cooperative way.
If Kubo continues the Hell arc there will inevitably NEED to be some character development and strength growth otherwise it will seem like there is no challenge there for the characters to overcome.
Instead of focusing on new forms/powerups, I think Kubo should put emphasis in making the characters learn how to utilize their powers more efficiently and creatively. Imagine how cool it would be if Toshiro fused his ice powers with lightning kido. Or if Byakuya combined Tenran with Zembonzakura to create a destructive tornado. Kubo could just introduce more Kido that we've never seen before and give us a large variety of combinations.
this is the one right here !
you have a point, but you also should know that the more powerful enemies become, the less useful kido techniques become.. especially since the more powerful ones need to be "chanted" unless you're Aizen spamming Hado 99 lmao
@@JxFTW hence why I said "fused" and "combined". I know kido alone will not achieve much, the idea is that by combining it with the user's Zanpakuto abilities, it would result in a boost to speed, power or certain side effects. Think of it like how Shunko is the result of combining Kido & Hakuda but apply that concept to Zanpakuto abilities instead. A closer example, would be what Momo did in the Arrancar arc by combining Fushibi, Shakkaho, Kyokko and triggering the explosion with her Zanpakuto. Obviously, combining that many spells requires a high level of mastery but what I propose is much simpler since it would require only one.
@@kitano8025 yeah I guess that's true then... but it seems like up to this point (Hell Arc) there never really seemed a reason to go so "try hard" (I'm being funny btw) because there was never a Soul Reaper vs Soul Reaper war. But now it can definitely help going against these monsters a.k.a. old Captains.
It can be if you say fused I don't know. But smart is sexy👍
Ya know, ever since I've known about it, Beyond Bankai(Shukai) is sometimes I not only wouldn't mind seeing it further on in the future but it could potentially work out well.
Ps, I like your artwork.
You do know that hollofication is mentioned to be beyond bankai both stated by aizen, and the databook
I wonder if Urahara's true and complete bankai/shukai form can remake even reality. Probably why Aizen is very vigilant of him and his abilities aside from his intellectual and prep game.
I would like to think something like Ichigo becoming Getsuga itself or actually becoming the zanpakuto would be beyond bankai, as manifesting the blade itself and actually becoming it in ichigo's case proved to be beyond the power of a bankai, just as you need to actually embody the power of your soul to its absolute limit while instead of dominating your zanpakuto to materialize it, its more of a mutual agreement and understanding where you and the blade fully accept each other and your ideologies
Just a thought since thats basically the theme of bleach XD
About using both bankai and resurrección at the same time, i believe that's what ichigo did when activated horn of salvation+bankai
Yea
That definitely feels and looks like the white tensa zangetsu we saw when ichigo was training to leaen final getsuga
Not only that but when he combine all his abilities at the end of the series to kill yhwach that level might very well be away above bankai. Some have even said that the reason why yhwach is so afraid of ichigos bankai is because it can change the future
I feel the opposite, I feel the horny of salvation only came about because his powers are so closely linked. Based on other resurrección forms, I think he'd both horn had Ichigo used both bankai and resurrección, having both the physical might of his hollowfied form now unsealed and his spiritual might of bankai fully manifested.
@KingCaeLIVE i think he meant similar
Or at least the horn of salvatiob mimics a ressurection
As its similar to vasto lorde ichigo
Which resurrecion is does
Gaining the form of your hollow form
Which is white for ichigo if he does resurrecion
Or ichigo doesnt need to cuz thats the point of the mask( though ichigo doesnt need the mask anymore)
@@brandonhamada9645 correct, the main difference comes down to ichigo's hollowfication is a natural fusion of hollow and shinigami reichi in the zanpakuto itself , while for others its pretty artificial and separated with barriers , so for it to work they have to use both resurreccion and bankai at the same time , while ichigo only needs to say bankai because both are the core of his zanpakuto lol
Like another video explained, it's impressive how Ichigo became a soul reaper, learned Shikai and Bankai, survived Hollowfication, gained control of his hollow mask, went beyond THAT, combined his powers, gave up his powers, found a new branch to it in Fullbring, regained his ShinigamiXQuincy form....
ALL before finding out what Zangetsu even does.
Ichigo is probably 15-17 years old in the anime. For some persepective, most standard soul reapers and quincy are over 1000s of years old.
He has in 2 years, surpassed every being, living or dead, that he has ever fought. If the movie is anything to go by even hell can't contain him. Some might even say that the Soul King is in danger at this rate.
We already saw some kind of evaluation way before Yama in the series like Byakuya's Senkei and Toshiro's last attack on Hallibil
Excited for tomorrow. Hopefully we'll get a date
Pretty sure we could consider the final getsuga to be a proto form of that already, as Eizen remark they both fuse with their zanpakuto and it seems to reason that it would indeed be the next stage for shinigami.. the ultimate getsuga being the rational mext step the shinigami becomes the release of his zanpakuro
I feel like the closest we've ever got to this is Dangai Ichigo and Aizen
Dangai Ichigo happend after Ichigo finally trained his soul along with his Zanpakuto in Bankai for 3 months, as said by Byakuya "it takes years to attain Bankai, and even more to truly master it", something Ichigo didn't really do at all with his first false Bankai
When he finally did train with his Bankai specifically and Zanpakuto after a really long time, we can see big progress
From his outfit changing, him getting physically taller, the chain on Tenza Zangetsu wrapping around the entirety of his right arm, which was always there as we can see when Full-Hollowfication Ichigo commanded the sword but the chain just didn't appear, I see it as him not having that much of a bond to his Zanpakuto before his Final Getsugatensho training, the chain wrapping around his arm shows his level of bond with his Zanpakuto at this time
Aizen even commented on how both of their Zanpakuto have fused to their right arm and how maybe this is the true form of the Zanpakuto
I think the Shukai bit is true, because that was what Ishin Shiba was trying to get to when he used to train with Yamamoto and started meditating with his zampakto to find the final Getsuga...
I always wondered if other shinigami can use a "Final" form of their bankai like Ichigo's final getsuga. It was weird that Isshin knew about it and how to unlock it but no one brought it up again. Makes sense that the next level after fully manifesting your Zanpakuto would be merging with it
That's a good point actually. How did isshin know about the final form and do others know about it?/ Can it be attained by anyone?
In the episode when Aizen fully fused with hogyoku Nobody could sense his spiritual pressure meaning that he was a "plain" above them all. But then Ichigo said that he does feel Aizen's spiritual pressure which gave Isshin the idea that Ichigo was on par with Aizen in a spiritual level but was never using his full potential. Isshin's Zanpakuto is Engetsu which is very similar to Zangetsu. So final getsuga is probably Shiba technique which could explain why he knew Abt it
The final Getsuga tenshou is a technique of their family, that's why he knows about this stage
@@henrydragoCan you explain what exactly the Getsuga Tenshi is? Isshin can use it in spit of it being unrelated to his Zanpakuto's unique ability, but it's Ichigo's only ability. That always confused me. Why doesn't Ichigo have a different ability?
Great video as always brother. Really appreciate your research and effort.
I believe that it is entirely possible to reach beyond bankai. However, such a level may only be achieved by special beings such as Ichigo or Aizen who have enhancements/ traits beyond what a shinigami can achieve through training and understanding their abilities alone.
We can also call Ichigo's current evolution of bankai as sort of a fusion between his bankai and resurrección, so that possibility has already been validated in some way.
Great video! This pretty much sums up about how I feel about the Beyong Bankai stuff that brave souls were releasing. I felt that most of them weren't even a power beyond bankai but just Shikai+, I mean literally all Yamamoto got was a fire arm lol.
if shikai is acquired by entering your zanpakuto's internal world, and bankai is acquired through the reverse by bringing out the zanpakuto into the real world, then the only logical step forward would be to "merge" the two realms of "outside" and "inside". examples of this would be to bring an opponent into your internal world where you have the complete advantage (but there are still downsides, as they can technically invade your inner world). of course there's the possibility for reserrection awakening on top of bankai for some characters. but personally i don't see the need for it except maybe in the hell arc where we still don't know the extent of the powers that hell bestows upon shinigami or hollows and if there's a need for this "beyond bankai" power to exist
Huh. First I see of this.
To me, this looks like they're kinda wearing their shi/bankai.
Kinda makes sense to me as a third step in the power progression.
First step is to enter and meet their sword spirit inside their soul.
Second step is to drag the sword spirit out and beat it to submission.
Third step would be to get closer to the now externalized, subjugated sword spirit and merge with it, getting closer to their original state of shinigami and zanpakuto being the same being. Kinda, sorta.
I've always seen it as it just being the peak of their bankai. Like this is meant to be their bankais at their "sharpest".
Honestly i always thought that going beyond bankai would be less about having more and more flashy forms, and more about actually fusing with your blade like Ichigo and Aizen did. it could come with a new visual look, but i dont necessarily think it would give you any new powers, but rather than it just enhances those powers you already have, and perhaps allows you to use your Bankai powers without having to call out the command the same way you stop having to call out Shikai when you attain Bankai.
So my idea of a third release was called "Tenkai" and it was essentially the final step in the relationship between a shinigami and zanpakuto, or as Ichigo called it, "When I BECOME Getsuga". Tenkai was the absolute fusion of a shinigami and a zanpakuto.
i feel that something like beyond bankai would be more like a fusion with the sword since to unlock bankai you have to manifest and understand the spirit of the sword , so becoming one with your zampakuto wold be the maximun power that you could get even stronger than the bankai
FINALLY I WAITED FOR THAT VIDEO TOO LONG
if you think about it the arrancars resurreccion and bankai are essentially the same primarily because bankais and resurreccions gave drastic changes vs just a shikai. if you think about it that way, shinigamis could possibly have a 2nd release like Ulquiorra did
After digging around and reading online about the concept of Shukai, the best way to look at this is this.
According to the Bleach Wiki -
Shukai was created by Otetsu. However, something that doesn't make any sense is that the Wiki also us that there was an unnamed user of Shukai when the Soul Society, Living World, and Hueco Mundo were imbalanced.
So this naturally led me to believe, and this is where I depart from the Wiki entirely -
Shukai is the mastery of a Shinigam's Asauchi (Zanpakuto) and their Hollow state.
I say this because there is a very connected theme between the concepts of Zanpakuto and Hollows in the Manga and the Light novels. Even Aizen himself understood that Shinigami and Hollow's weren't wholly different.
its important to note that beyond bankai is just the name of the forms. They are described as powers beyond that of bankai meaning that they're stronger than bankai but they don't necessarily have anything to do with bankai which is how they got round giving them to characters whose bankai we have never seen like ukitake. And why a bunch of them have hollowfication elements.
Already in the series we have seen the stage beyond bankai really although its more of a stage beyond zanpakuto. Ichigo and aizen when they fought had their zanpakuto fused with their arms. then ichigo went a stage further where his zanpakuto completely fused with his body and now ichigo and aizen are in roughly the same stage where both of them are one with thier zanpakuto and they can materialize it and put it away inside their body at will.
what i want from Shukai that its like returning to origin or basics where you dont need flashy attacks because of fusing with ur zampaktou
The fact Kubo confirmed that a hollofied shinigami could use resurrection + bankai makes me think that may be something that comes up during the hell arc
Pls Segunda Etapa with a bankai
It would be like a few captains and they didn’t even use their mask in the war.
Honestly, my opinion of ‘beyond Bankai’ should only be capable by hybrid beings.
Yamamoto had a 2k old Bankai, that could destroy the world. That is a power that honestly has no need for a ‘beyond’ version, and the same can be said about alll the captains.
Hybrid beings, on the other hand, should(and technically do) have a beyond Bankai, where the pinnacle of each of their bloodlines, fuse to create a greater power.
Ichigo is the clearest example of this, with his TYBW Vasto/Bankai mode. The thing is, it clearly gave room for the next half of his face being morphed by his Vollstandig from his Quincy side.
This would truly be a perfected Beyond Bankai mode, with the pinnacle of both Hollow and Quincy mixed in!
I want to see that so badly lol
Thanks for reminding me to subscribe. Been watching your videos forever and had no idea that I wasn’t subscribed to the channel 🙊
Yes please!! Do a video on each of the possible Shukai forms from Bleach Brave Souls!!!
FINALLY!
A video about this topic...
I think it has something to do with the soul of a soul reaper, if the soul can evolve and change I think that may affect the Bankai, The first person that comes to mind is The head captain remember how his Bankai had so many stages 🤔
It always felt like, to me, the concept of it was fusing with the spirit of the Zanpaktou itself.
Ive always considered Final Getsuga Tenshou to be the unofficial step beyond bankai. It is just so damn on point, first you awaken the shikai, then you manifest it into reality, then you become it. Imo it just feels like the natural progression. On a different note, Ive always wondered what is stronger Ichigos Horn of salvation form or Final Getsuga Tenshou?
Ichigo new shikai surpasses all of his previous forms so yeah it is stronger infinitely stronger
Mugetsu is the strongest!
You can see how the horn of salvated bankai merged tensa zangetsu gived His full power to ichigo!!!
Litereally it is the power of the final ichigo true bankai!
But i think mugetsu Still stronger because it’s a one shoot attack…
To be fair, a Shukai has technically been shown in the manga and anime. Hear me out before you execute me. What we refer to as Dangai Ichigo is technically a Shukai. From what I understand about this transformation, both Soul Reaper and Zanpakuto become one and the same, merging with one another to achieve this. Ichigo's Dangai form has him merged with Zangetsu fulfilling this requirement
🤦🏽♂️
@@felipesantos-er4kk thank you
@felipesantos-er4kk he's right though
@@Hatedj nah
I've seen "Beyond Bankai" in Bleach d20 Classless homebrew have mechanics for Reikai/Ijoreikai, Murikai, & Shukai (Which may or may not be Bankai-equivalent).
There are other releases in the splats, generally for Epic Levels.
Great discussion DBZimran. For be I think Beyond bankai needs to also follow what Ishin Kurasaki said just because the blade is bigger doesn't mean it's more powerful. So beyond Bankai needs to be more a technique than a form. Asthetics aside.
I've been waiting for this video
It’s heavily Insinuated that it wasn’t just Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia who never actually Truly Synergized with their Zanpaktous’ Spirits to attain all of their True Bankais until Zero Squads’ Help that those fruits of those labors will be showcased during Cour 2.
Even other characters get a more realized True Bankai in Cour 3 & 4 Events that I wont spoil for anime onlys.
Based on all of that, I believe a Beyond Bankai like Bleach Brave Souls has will be officially Canonized during The New Breathes From Hell Arc that is sure to progressively pick up again following Cour 4’s Anime Episodes Conclusion of The Thousand Year Blood War Arc a few years from now.
You’ve got a good point, I’ve already had to apply suspension of disbelief to justify characters constantly putting mental limits on themselves so they wouldn’t win fights right away, safety measures that needed to be released so they don’t use too much power/put surrounding people at risk, all while risking their lives needlessly and in some cases letting characters die for no reason. Like it’s a lot, and I I’ve let it slide up to the TYBW, which is probably much farther than I should let it slide. But if they were to continue the story they’d need a really justifiably good reason for power creep to a yet whole extra level. Hopefully it’s not just, something they need to train super duper hard to achieve and anyone could have done it, they’ve all just been slacking during all the other life and death times.
A power creep that involves a new energy source beyond reiatsu or whatever would be nice. If the new strength comes from outside of the established power structure and is only recently available to characters due to special current events that would make enough sense to not just ruin the previous plot points.
All my attention is on the potential stuff with the concept of Hell or maybe even the Burn the Witch content. Just gotta wait and see though. Bummer the Bravesoul stuff just feels like fanart at this point.
When you say a powerup is an evolution of bankai, that is not contradictory to 'beyond bankai'. Bankai itself is an 'evolution' of shikai a 'beyond shikai' if you will. If bankai is a more complete release of shikai does it not follow that shukai is a more complete release of bankai? Shukai seems to be a complete unification of a soulreaper and their zanpakuto. Would that not be the next logical step in a zanpakuto's release?
Aizen isn’t a beyond bankai but his is my favorite transformation in bbs and second favorite version of aizen aside from muken version plus it makes sense bc it’s if aizens zanpakuto fused with the hogyoku and it makes a lot of sense and feels less fan fic compared to the other forms
10:28 incorrect.
First of all Ukitake's one is actually, initially, an extension of his own ability to "absorb" other abilities. The official description reads: "This original version of Jushiro created as part of the "Spirits Are Forever With You" novel tie-in shows his appearance when he has unlocked a power greater than Bankai and has absorbed his fighting partner Shunsui's Kageoni." So in other wordsUkitake first unlocked a power Beyond Bankai, and then using that Beyond Bankai, he absorbed Shunsui's Kageoni to utilize and further add to his powers. Which makes sense cos Sōgyo no Kotowari itself relies on the use other's abilities.
It was actually revealed an answered (from Klub Outside) that Yachiru is actaully part of Nozarashi: part of Nozarash's Bankai manifestation to be precise. (You can google this online) So technically, Yachiru's powers actually belong to and stem from Kenpachi himself meaning that he isn't exactly gaining his Beyond Bankai "through the use of another's power."
Lastly, you just mentioned Shunsui without even elaborating on it.. you do that quite a lot in your videos. But Shunsui's Beyond Bankai is essentially a new form with a brand new game attack. So if his Zanpakuto's powers is to manifest children's games, how on earth is his Beyond Bankai gained "through the use of another's power"?
To conclude, they are basically just evolved extension of their own powers they already possess.
I always saw the next step of evolution of zanpakuto, as the shinigami becoming one with the blade. Aizen perfectly showed us that concept, with him surpassing limitations of other shinigami, becoming the next evolutionary step himself. There is no longer any blade, no shikai or bankai, just a shinigami in a perfect harmony with their blade, becoming one with it.
I'll never forget when i first read bleach that i was curious what bankai translated into english was. So i put bankai into google translate and it auto detected a language and translated the word into "for the bank".
My confusion was immeasurable
As Kazui, Ichigo must overcome his PTSD, because in the final page of hell arc prologue, Orihime and himself repeated the scene where Masaki and himself attacked by a hollow.
Love your videos and your explanation
Really hope we see Resurreccion plus bankai from the visoreds
It would be fire to see them take that next step
I agree that newer evolved forms of a bankai is more likely than a _beyond bankai_
However, we've seen Kubo do something like this in the manga with Quincy abilities.
Letzt Stil was introduced as the equivalent to Bankai as the "Final form".
Vollständig was then introduced later on as a "beyond" Letzt Stil concept. Even though it's just an evolution of the ability, it got a new name.
And of course, through Yhwach; Schrifts also are "beyond" Letzt Stil but technically below Vollständig.
Each stage or form is the equivalent of Bankai or Resurreccion in their own ways.
Letzt Stil = Bankai
Vollständig = Bankai
Schrift = Bankai
Vollständig + Schrift > Bankai (on average)
So a form that incorporates Shikai and Bankai into one, would for most Captains, be a more powerful form. Or just introduce some kind of Kido that makes a bankai more powerful, like a Vollständig does with Schrifts.
For example, Ichibei doesn't need to use his Shikai before using Bankai, he could simply use both white and black ink in one form.
Lore-wise, it doesn't make sense that all those really old captains hadn't reached that level if it existed, but I could see Kubo pull a "Only powerful Shinigami that die and go to Hell can attain a higher form than Bankai, due to their Zanpakutou being corrupted" or something. I don't remember Ukitake's Zanpakutou being able to grow that large as it did when he stabbed Szayelaporro and pulled him back to Hell.
it can get outta control, that's for sure... as cool as it is
I always viewed the Shinigami and Hollow abilities as two sides of the same coin.
They're the same thing, just manifesting in different ways.
That's how I always viewed it anyways.
Made the most sense for why Shinigami could be given hollow powers and vice versa.
The thing I think would best fit the description of being beyond bankai would be something like mugetsu. Yes it is ultimately an attack but it's a state that's higher than dangai form. Ichigo fusing with his sword, becoming his sword entirely is something that other soul reapers haven't quite shown. You have things that seem similar but ultimately there's still division between what's the sword vs the shinigami. Mugetsu there is no such thing as a separation, there is only a single being which uses it's full power to destroy it's foe. Aizen forcibly attains this type of power through the hogyoku, fusing with his sword to the point his power is always active.
So my theory is that it's possible for a shinigami to gain a power akin to being beyond bankai, but it'd be through fusing with their zanpakuto completely. We aren't entirely aware of what the final getsuga tensho was like for Ichigo's father, was it similar to mugetsu or was it different with just the same property of expending all your spiritual powers afterwards. As far as I'm aware we've not been told about that. But this is the closest thing I (and to be fair many others) think of when it comes to something beyond bankai. Cause while dangai Ichigo does appear to be very much Ichigo in his bankai state but changed. Mugetsu was something entirely different in appearance. Of course it's possible for a shinigami with hollow powers to have another form to pair with bankai, but I believed it'd be manifesting the power alongside it having a resurrection and bankai at the same time in a mix. But doing that with Ichigo would not yield a form similar to Mugetsu, it'd be more like his vasto lorde form but with some alterations and with him actually in control. I'm not sure how best to explain it beyond that, and we'd ultimately need for Kubo to tell us how such things would be, if they even exist, and what else can we expect to see in the future for Bleach.
the only bankai in the whole story that could maybe feel like some kind of shukai would be the release of ichibe Hyosube which follow the same base rule of a bankai but does seems to have some level of reach beyond comprehension
Perhaps a tool that the voltstaffen used to steal bankai can be studied to awaken it in a way as well?
And with quincys relationship with hollow powers, it can be like how ichigo manipulates the hollow and quincy powers in himself; agitating the energies to manipulate them in certain ways so as to bring out their powers, coinciding with the soul reapers bankai to manifest a ressurrecion in their "beyond bankai" awakening.
What di you guys think?
The alt/Beyond versions of characters were basically part of the advertising for a light novel release called Spirits Are Forever With You, however like most Bleach light novels the new abiblities of characters, both established and original are not considered as canon and nore are the events.Which is unfortunate as some of them are really cool.
As far as I can remember the only time something from a light novel has been semi- canonised is shinji's bankai as that concept is taken from another bleach light novel called Can't Fear You Own world, as shinji's bankai from CFYOW was adapted in TYBW anime.(CFYOW also got a run of inspired characters and was supervised by kubo, much like all of the anniversiry characters for Brave Souls are)
Iv come across 2 distinct camps where it concerns canon and canon "ajacent" characters/skills/abilities those that do not accept anything outside the manga as canon, the other considers the main run Bleach anime as a seperate universe and therefor seperate canon, surprisingly enough both camps agree that the TYBW anime is its own seperate thing, kinda odd really XD.
make of that what you will Im simply a very enthusatic Bleach fan (i love anything and everything Bleach) Jushiro and Shunsui are my fave characters, Unohana, Kisuke, shnji and Kensei cme a close second
If there is ever a power beyond bankai it will be a result of Urahara giving the captains a drop of hollow essence to their Zanpakutou to make them immune to be Bankai-stolen. Would lead to some sort of fundamental change in the way their power is used.
I really hope you make a much more in depth video of shukai. There is so much more information available...
Very interesting, especially Ichigo that dude has so many variations
im praying type soul adds this for the sr equivalent of segunda
One possible step beyond Bankai is the manifestation of the Zanpakutou's inner-world to override the existing space. Similar to how Yhwack's shadow overrode the Seireitei, or how Aizen showed that with enough raw spirtual pressure he could inhibit the effect of Soi Fon's shikai (overriding reality?). In other media, it could be similar to a paramecia Devil Fruit awakening or a Domain Expansion. The "Expansion Theory".
Another option would be similar to the Kenpachi example. After being able to physically manifest the zanpakutou spirt, give them an Asauchi until it becomes their own zanpakutou. The "Recursive Theory".
Another example would be if some of Aizen's theorizing of transcendentals during his fight with Dangai Ichigo were achievable with merely high enough Shinigsmi powers. Namely, integrating with the zanpakutou, and demanifesting its physical form from the outside world. The "Fusion Theory". However, I feel that this one may actually require Hollow powers depending on the intepretation, as Hollow powers inherently break down divisions between soul membranes when it consumes a soul.
There might not be a "beyond bankai"
But bankai isn't the last stage of zanpakto
Bankai is the full manifestation of one's zanpakto
next is user's fusion with it
(dangai Ichigo and butterfly Aizen)
Final is becoming one with it where asauchi is no longer required
(Aizen in TYBW)
honestly when we go deeper the coolest group is the vizards ... how cool is it to have a mask on mask off ~
kinda feel like kamen rider ... loved the way the vizard puts on their mask to activate their powers ~
the style and "cool-ness" is even better than bankai activation.
I think its like the hire conection that ichigo and aizen got with their sanpakuto, when their sanpakuto started fusing with them
This starts to resemble so much the "evolution" of forms from DBZ. We'll soon discover there's a level beyond Shukai. It'll be called God Shikai...or better, Shikai Blue:))
i would argue that a "shukai" would be to bring reality into the world of your Zanpakuto, similar to a Domain Expansion from JJK. it makes sense. Shikai, you go into the sword. Bankai, the sword becomes reality. Shukai, you bring the world of the sword into reality. similar to how some of the fullbringer's abilities works
I mean, what _would_ be the next step in the evolution of a Zanpakuto? I think it'd be total unification between the Shinigami and the Zanpakuto Spirit, which strikes me as something reminiscent of what happened to Aizen after prolonged exposure to the Hogyoku. So, if you have a Hogyoku, then I don't see why you couldn't ascend beyond the external construct of a Zanpakuto.
i full heartedly believe that Mugetsu and Sajin's human form are both "beyond Bankai" states since both are obtainable in a very similar way
Well the problem is aizen when he said the ceiling of his power meaning he has reached the limit then the hyogokhu kinder breaks that limit of which he has done so much research on it unless it's something coming from the royal palace that was hidden
Head captain had a form of reality talisman which looked as though he had 4 banks with the north,south,east and west forms. By reality talisman I mean something that's integrated to reality that you may not need to physically touch
I think I get it:
Shikai: manifesting yourself in your zanpakto's world and learning its name.
Bankai: manifesting your zanpakto into the real world and learn its name.
Shukai (beyond bankai): create a reality marble and manifest your zanpakto's world into the real world and learn its name.
Makes sense.
I agree with you, from what you've presented, that basically all the Shukai presented thus far in Brave Souls are just evolved Bankai or Resurreçion-Bankai combos, thus making the whole thing a gacha gimmick to sell SSRs, but I think something like it is possible in the source material because at their core, Zanpakuto aren't inherent to the bodies of Shinigami, but they are in a sense spiritual technology meant to externalize, refine and develop the potential of a Shinigami's Soul. I could imagine Nimaiya or one of the scientist types refining this technology further and basically inventing a stage beyond Bankai. Would I like it? Not really, but I think it's possible, especially in any Hell Arc.
ichigo's "horn of salvation" or the "vasto lorde" form of ichigo and white's super hollowfied form is technically a resureccion
i mean... you could argue that the final getsuga form of ichigo is said shukai.. since its another form that came after ichigo was already in bankai and it gave him a huge power boost... at the cost of him loosing his shinigami powers soo maybe idk... it was incomplete/false shukai?
Love your content dude ❤
There could be one which would explain what danagi and mugetsu are but they're so rare that they don't have an official name. It's just beyond bankai. I think you fuse with your zanpakuto to achive this, and it isn't natural, so you need to transcend
I think a way to expand on bankai is the fusion of kido with a zanpakuto similar to Yoruichi's shunko (hakuda/kido). This would give all soul reapers an adjacent power up to the vizard's hollow fusion instead of going Bankai2, 3, God, etc. This would also give the soul reapers something that Ichigo doesn't have since he doesn't use kido, I think this would an interesting narrative. Ichigo could do something like this with his Quincy power as well as Hollow.
Zanpakuto is the power of the Konpaku or Tamashi. Resurrection is the power of the Heart. Beyond Release would be what Aizen did (becoming one and not having a "release" anymore", Beyond Zanpakuto would be combining your heart and soul.
I wouldn't say anything could be "beyond bankai".
there should definitely be something, bankai was introduced to viewers relatively early in the anime and besides character power ups swords powers remained pretty much the same, i with they could introduce something beyond bankai to give swords their power ups as well
Man BBS is the best from character design to gameplay style i just love it ahemmmm…. Wish the rates were a bit higher tho those last step continuous summons are brutal
Never knew this had another fanmade term! Cool!
I mean it makes sense, if bleach continues past this arc they either need to bring in a new "species" of enemies, or a new "transformation" of some sort, and seeing we've seen ichigo get hollow powers, quincy powers, there doesnt seem like much more places he can go
The evolution of Bankai is fusing with your sword. Becoming transcendent like Ichigo, and Aizen.
It could be cool if the unspoken Arc intoduces it and people who died in tybw can also get it sience they are in hell
in theory, if bankai is the manifestation of a zanpakuto, shukai could be something like a perfect fusion between a zanpakuto and its wielder.
if bankai is the true release of a zanpakuto spirit, shukai would be the pinnacle of union between a zanpakuto and its wielder.
if you think about it its kind of just the next logical step, shikai is the initial step, where a zanpakuto's wielder first learns its name, then bankai is the next step, where the wielder manifests the zanpakuto spirit, and then shukai would be like perfection union between a zanpakuto spirit and its wielder.
I agree with ya.
One thing I really like about Bleach is that it does not have 100 forms and power creep like DBZ. Although some of that is getting eroded away with 1000 Year Blood War.
the only way i will accept them as part of "shukai"-concept and not a natural evolution of a bankai alongside of the natural evolution of the character is if it add a major difference in achievement, like fully merging zanpakuto with the shinigami, like aizen and they should serve meaning and narration as the shikai and bankai does