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Zanpaku Sword Megapost
Yes, I know I've done this before, but this time I'm gonna do it BIGGER! And BETTER! And I've actually got a translation for Tsunzakigarasu this time!

The Zanpaku swords are the trademark weapons of the Shinigami. Capable of cutting spirit bodies, they are amongst the few weapons which can be used to combat Hollows. Each Shinigami carries a unique Zanpaku sword, and each Zanpaku sword is unique on more than one level: the swords are both reflections of a Shinigami's self and power, and sentient beings unto themselves. The sword's name is also the name of the living being that empowers the sword and lends its strength to the Shinigami who wields it. These beings can vary widely in appearance and have their own distinct personalities. They apparently dwell in their own "inner worlds," created within the spirits of the Shinigami who wield them.

Shinigami who are still in training--those who do not yet belong to any of the Thirteen Divisions--all wield generic Zanpaku swords called "Asauchi," or "Shallow Strike." Asauchi swords have no special powers, and it is not known whether or not there is a being or beings empowering them. This seems unlikely, given how all of these swords share the same name.

When a Shinigami graduates from the training academy, he gains his own unique weapon. The process by which this happens has not yet been shown. It seems reasonable to assume that Ichigo, who was trained independently and in an unusual manner, did not gain Zangetsu in a typical fashion. Then again, perhaps the process is similar for ordinary Shinigami--a test in combat that requires a prospective graduate to reach deep within and take hold of his or her own power in a way they never have before. At any rate, it is known that when a Shinigami obtains their own Zanpaku, they learn its name and become able to "activate" it. This activated ability is called the "Shikai," the first of two levels of activation. When a Zanpaku sword is changed into its Shikai form, what is actually being seen is the true form of the weapon.

Wielding a Zanpaku sword effectively is more than just a matter of swordsmanship. Since the swords themselves are alive, a Shinigami must obtain his or her sword's cooperation to truly maximize its performance. This can be done in a variety of ways, though it seems that the orthodox approach involves subjugating the sword; the Shinigami belonging to the Thirteen Divisions keep their swords sealed into the forms of ordinary katana and have strict rules about when and where they are allowed to release their true forms. Keeping a sword in its unsealed form all the time seems to be considered gauche, a sign of carelessness or inexperience. The Shinigami also use certain phrases when they activate their swords, which appear to be necessary to release the seals keeping the swords' powers bound. These are always phrased as commands, further emphasizing the "subjugation" aspect of Zanpaku control. Most swords have at least one, though some Shinigami use more than one to command their weapons. Yumichika doesn't seem to need any, though, and Ichigo has no seals to release, so Fujikujaku and Zangetsu have no command phrases (at least so far).

Another major exception to just about all of the aforementioned rules, 11th Division Captain Zaraki Kenpachi, somehow failed to learn his sword's name. He ignored its living embodiment and preferred to use it simply as a tool, relying only on his own power. He never developed the control to seal his power, and thus also breaks the rule/tradition of keeping a Zanpaku sword in a sealed form--his sword is always in its true form. Zaraki's immense personal strength not only made it possible for him to buck these rules, but also to rise to the rank of Captain. However, his neglect wasn't exactly good for the weapon, causing immense pain to its embodiment and damage to the sword itself.

Most Shinigami, however, must truly master their Zanpaku swords--bend them fully to their wills--in order to reach Captain level. A Shinigami who attains this level can use the second level of activation, the Bankai. Bankai activation allows the sword's embodiment to manifest in the real world and fight directly. A Zanpaku in Bankai form is much, much more powerful and dangerous than it is in Shikai form. So far, only the Bankai ability of 12th Division Kurotsuchi Mayuri has been shown in the series. Ichigo is well on his way to gaining this power, and Renji has probably already done so. There has also been one hint that Vice Captains Hisagi Shuuhei and Iba Tetsuzaemon, of the 9th and 7th Divisions respectively, have also reached this level of control: Aramaki, the 11th Division soldier following Zaraki around, refers to them as "Captain level" when they appear with their Captains to challenge Zaraki's group.

One odd little thing about the workings of the Zanpaku swords that has yet to be explained is the matter of the ownership of Rukia's sword. When she imbued Ichigo with her Shinigami power, it appeared as though her sword was given to him as well, but he was unaware of its ability or name (or that Zanpaku swords even had names) and its embodiment never appeared to him. Furthermore, Rukia's sword was later destroyed during Ichigo's training, and its remains were reshaped into Ichigo's sword Zangetsu. Is it gone forever? Or will it return to Rukia when (if) she regains her Shinigami powers? If it doesn't return, is it possible for a Shinigami to obtain a new Zanpaku?

(Of course, it's entirely possible that Kubotite wasn't thinking ahead about the nature of the Zanpaku swords and simply failed to leave room to account for the ideas he eventually came up with--in short, continuity error ahoy! Still, I hope this isn't the case.)

That being said, here:


Note that with the name translations, I've ignored any instances of "maru" or "suke" at the ends of names. Those're common name endings and don't (at least, as far as I can tell) actually add any meaning to the names.

Ashisogi Jizou (Beast-Killing Jizou) (Another bad kanji read by me--thanks to rukia for catching my mistake!)
Owner: Kurotsuchi Mayuri, Captain of the 12th Division
Command Phrases: "Kakimushire!" ("Tear off!")
Ability: When in its released form, Ashisogi Jizou's three blades secrete a substance that interrupts the nerve signals governing movement, effectively paralyzing any part of the body they injure. This substance is highly specific and does not affect any other types of nerve activity, meaning limbs it paralyzes can still feel pain. In its Bankai form (known as Konjiki Ashisogi Jizou, or Golden Beast-Killing Jizou), it becomes an immense sluglike creature with a stomach covered by massive numbers of blades. It also emits a potent and eventually fatal toxic vapor which is derived from Mayuri's blood. Finally, as a last resort, Mayuri can stab himself with Ashisogi Jizou. This causes him to transform into a liquid form that cannot attack or be attacked, thus allowing him to escape combat if he's in danger of being killed.

Benihime (Crimson Princess)
Owner: Urahara Kisuke, former Captain of the 12th Division
Command Phrases: "Okiro!" ("Wake up!") and "Nake!" ("Sing!")
Ability: Benihime is capable of disguising itself as Kisuke's cane. It can still act as a weapon in this form--it becomes a cane sword--but isn't as powerful. Its real ability, however, seems to be the ability to shape and manipulate blood. This is demonstrated in Chapter 67, when Kisuke uses Benihime to create a barrier against Ichigo's high-powered slash.

Fujikujaku (Wisteria Peacock)
Owner: Ayasegawa Yumichika, 5th Seat of the 11th Division
Command Phrases: none known
Ability: Fujikujaku's released form is curved, like the blade of a sickle. It can split into a fan of four separate blades.

Hoozukimaru (Ogre Lamp)
Owner: Madarame Ikkaku, 3rd Seat of the 11th Division
Command Phrases: "Nobiro!" ("Grow!") and "Sakero!" ("Split!")
Ability: Hoozukimaru transforms from a katana into a spear. The spear, in turn, is capable of splitting into a three-sectioned weapon joined by lengths of chain.

Hyourinmaru (Ice Ring)
Owner: Hitsugaya Toushirou, Captain of the 10th Division
Command Phrases: "Souten ni zase!" ("Sit in the frozen sky!")
Ability: Hyourinmaru manipulates air conditions and weather; in particular, it creates huge volumes of ice and freezing water. Hitsugaya can apparently control the shape of this effect, as shown in chapter 132 when he creates an immense wave in the form of a dragon. Going by what Izuru says, Hitsugaya's sword is one of the most powerful Zanpaku swords ever, and the sheer amount of damage it can inflict even in its Shikai form seems to bear this out. As if the "huge freezing deluge" thing weren't enough, Hyourinmaru's hilt can sprout a length of chain which Hitsugaya can use to entangle enemies (and also to direct the course of the storms he makes, apparently).

Nejibana (Screw Flower)
Owner: Shiba Kaien, late Vice Captain of the 13th Division
Command Phrases: "Suiten sakamake!" ("Uncoil the sky and water!" - unsure of this)
Ability: Unknown. Nejibana is destroyed by the Hollow Kaien fights in chapter 135 before its ability can be shown.

Senbonzakura (A Thousand Cherry Trees)
Owner: Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain of the 6th Division
Command Phrases: "Chire!" ("Scatter!")
Ability: Senbonzakura's blade disappears, transforming into a flurry of tiny blades so small that it is difficult for the eye to follow them. These absorb light, taking on the appearance of scattering flower petals. The blades are remarkably effective at inflicting damage, quite in spite of their size.

Shinsou (Divine Spear) (Thanks to snickerers for catching the mistranslation!)
Owner: Ichimaru Gin, Captain of the 3rd Division
Command Phrases: "Ikorose!" ("Shoot to death!")
Ability: Shinsou's sealed form is that of a wakizashi (a shortsword version of a katana, basically). Its blade can increase its length extremely rapidly--in essence, firing its point like a projectile.

Suzumushi (Pure Insect)
Owner: Tousen Kaname, Captain of the 9th Division
Command Phrases: "Nake!" ("Sing!" - uses a different kanji for "naku" than the one used by Urahara to command Benihime, but the meaning is basically the same)
Ability: Suzumushi emits sound waves, which apparently have hypnotic properties; Kaname uses it to put Ishida to sleep in Chapter 126. In chapter 139, however, Kaname demonstrates an entirely different ability--a special technique called "Suzumushi Nishiki - Benihikou" ("Pure Insect Second Style - Crimson Flying Locust"). This attack generates a thick swarm of slender blades (almost like needles) that rain down upon Kaname's target.

Tsunzakigarasu (Splitting Crow)
Owner: Ikkanzaka Jiroubou, 4th Seat of the 7th Division
Command Phrases: "Habatakinasai!" ("Flap your wings!")
Ability: Tsunzakigarasu's blade transforms into a veritable cloud of whirling two-bladed shuriken. Even if those are destroyed, more can be produced by joining the bladeless hilt to the sheath and "re-drawing" the sword.

Tobiume (Flying Plum)
Owner: Hinamori Momo, Vice Captain of the 5th Division
Command Phrases: "Hajike!" ("Snap!")
Ability: Tobiume generates fire, which can either be released in short-range explosions or concentrated into spheres that can be hurled at enemies.

Wabisuke (Apology)
Owner: Kira Izuru, Vice Captain of the 3rd Division
Command Phrases: "Omote wo agero!" ("Show your face!")
Ability: Although Hitsugaya interrupts before much of Wabisuke's ability can be shown, it apparently has the power to transform into a hooklike weapon.

Zabimaru (Serpent Tail)
Owner: Abarai Renji, Vice Captain of the 6th Division
Command Phrases: "Hoero!" ("Howl!")
Ability: Zabimaru transforms into a large blade divided into sections. When swung, it stretches out, becoming an enormous whip-like weapon. Renji has apparently attained the level of control over Zabimaru necessary to use its Bankai ability, though the nature of that ability has yet to be revealed. Zabimaru's living embodiment appears as a strange, sleek-bodied ape covered in tatoos and with a snake for a tail. The ape and the snake both speak with their own distinct voices. Zabimaru's Bankai is called Hihiou Zabimaru ("Hihiou" meaning "Baboon King"). Its form is that of an enormous skeletal serpent with a wild mane and a demonic skull of a head, and its power is rather similar to that of Shikai-form Zabimaru: it lashes likes a whip. Of course, its destructive power is greatly increased, and it has the power to split at the joints to avoid attacks--the individual pieces are linked by Renji's aura, so he can reassemble them at will.

Zangetsu (Cutting Moon)
Owner: Kurosaki Ichigo, independent Shinigami
Command Phrases: none
Ability: The cloth wrapped around Zangetsu's hilt can change length, becoming a makeshift sheath, but it has demonstrated no other abilities yet. Then again, Ichigo seems unable (or at least unwilling) to seal Zangetsu into the shape of a normal katana, so it's possible that Zangetsu's size and shape are actually its abilities. Zangetsu is probably powerful enough on its own that it doesn't need any "gimmick" powers; that would also be a good reflection of Ichigo's "charge in headlong and take no prisoners" fighting style. Zangetsu's living embodiment is a scruffy-faced man dressed in black who is fucking awesome.


I left Zaraki's unnamed sword off the list, since we'll probably be getting its name soon.

So, like, discuss and stuff.