Bleach: Does Yachiru Have a Bankai?

When we usually talk about Bankai, we either explain an already-revealed one, or talk about those that have not been revealed yet. But, while this article is going to be about a Bankai, it is going to be about Yachiru Kusajishi’s Bankai, and if you know anything about Yachiru, you’ll certainly know that she is quite special. So, in this article, we are actually going to tell you whether Yachiru can even have a Bankai in Bleach.

Yes, Yachiru Kusajishi was perfectly able to have a Bankai, although she had not achieved it by the time she returned to Kenpachi’s Zanpakuto. Yachiru is a Zanpakuto spirit, albeit a partial one, but as such, she was able to activate her Shikai, which also means that she would have been able to activate a Bankai, had she reached that level of skill. It has been seen in the case of Hollow Ichigo and the spirits from the Zanpakuto Rebellion (filler) arc that Spirits are perfectly capable of using both their users’ Shikai and Bankai. The only issue is that Yachiru’s Bankai would have been wholly different from Nozarashi’s Bankai, just like the Shikai.

Thanks to her unique nature and her relationship with Kenpachi, Yachiru Kusajishi’s Shikai and Bankai are a very hot topic for Bleach fans, and after telling you what you need to know about her Shikai, we have now decided to tell you what is known about her Bankai, which should be quite unique in the world of Bleach, which is why it was essential that we actually clarify this aspect, as it is confusing, even to some long-time fans of the series. There will be spoilers, so you have to be careful how you approach certain parts of the article, as usual.

Yachuru’s true nature is essential to understanding her Shikai, Sanpo Kenjū

If you remember Yachiru’s fight against Guenael Lee and Gremmy Thoumeaux, you’ll remember that Yachiru was able to activate her Shikai, Sanpo Kenjū, during that fight. This was an important moment for both Yachiru and her story, but it also added an extra layer to the mystery of her true nature.

Once she releases it, her Zanpakuto doesn’t change, but she summons two monsters to battle with her. Boney, a large, hollow-like monster, and Lumpy, a small, chubby monster covered in yellow fur, are the two monsters that are summoned to aid Yachiru in battle (this is, actually, very much in line with Yachiru’s overall portrayal in the story).

They both have their weapons, so as Yachiru starts her attack, they almost immediately follow suit. It is termed the three-step technique because all three of the monsters attack essentially simultaneously: Yachiru initiates the attack, one of them attacks a moment before her, and the other immediately after her. Due to the difficulty of efficiently dodging three almost simultaneous hits, especially when they come as a surprise, it is almost impossible to avoid her attack.

Now, all of this wouldn’t be a major issue, but as Isane Kotetsu said, not knowing the whole story, Yachiru’s Shikai was unique. Not only could it summon two beasts, but the blade also remained unchanged even though two monsters came out of it. According to Isane, this was unheard of in Soul Society, and it confirmed just how unique Yachiru was.

But, what Isane did not know then was that Yachiru was the manifested Zanpakuto spirit of Kenpachi’s Zanpakuto, Nozarashi. Or part of it, at least. Namely, as Kubo later revealed, Nozarashi was a grown woman, and Yachiru was simply a manifestation of only a part of her full powers. It is possible that her Shikai was so unique exactly because of that fact. But, be that as it may, this part was actually essential to understanding Yachiru’s overall role in the series in that aspect, and it, of course, serves as a basis for us to explain the relationship between Yachiru and her Bankai.

Yachiru was perfectly capable of activating a Bankai, but she never reached that level

We’ve done several articles on Bakai, so you know that the revelation of a Shinigami’s Bankai is always a special moment in the series, as the Bankai are not only powerful, but they also look quite cool. Most Bankai have been revealed early on in the series, while only a small portion of them was revealed later in the story (among them are Yamamoto’s Bankai, Unohana’s Bankai, Shinji’s Bankai, Rukia’s Bankai, Kenpachi’s Bankai). But, there is also a significant number of characters who have never achieved Bankai, and Yachiru Kusajishi is certainly among them. But, before we explain that – is Yachiru even capable of achieving Bankai?

Due to her nature and relationship with Nozarashi, fans might be confused as to whether Yachiru can even activate a Bankai as a Zanpakuto spirit, but we can confirm that she is. If you remember Hollow Ichigo, he was perfectly able to use both Bankai and Shikai, and many of the Zanpakuto spirits from the filler arc were also capable of using Bankai. The issue here is that the Bankai of the spirit corresponded to the Bankai of the Shinigami, but in Yachiru’s case, that probably wouldn’t have been true.

This is a conclusion based on the fact that her Shikai was completely different than the Shikai of Kenpachi Zaraki, implying that the Bankai would also be different. Why? First off, the Bankai usually enhances the Shikai’s core competencies. The Bankai of Byakuya Kuchiki, Sajin Komamura, Toshiro Hitsugaya, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and other authors are just a few instances of this rule. Second, we must remember that the Bankai is always, in some way, a reflection of the Shinigami. For this, Yachiru’s personality and method of carrying out her responsibilities are crucial factors to take into account when discussing her Bankai.

Now, in light of all of that, we have to state that Yachiru’s Bankai would probably have been just an enhanced version of her Shikai, and seeing how her Shikai consisted of two fighting monsters, her Bankai would probably either consist of more monsters or even stronger versions of these two monsters.

It could be that the two monsters could actually fight alone, unrelated to Yachiru’s movement, which would make it a three-on-one battle, and that would certainly give Yachiru a big advantage in any fight. Now, this is also mere conjecture on our part, as Yachiru Kusajishi never activated her Bankai, so we don’t really know what it would have been like.

Long story short, Yachiru Kusajishi, despite being a Zanpakuto spirit, was fully capable of using both Shikai and Bankai in battle, but since she was never able to reach the desired level to activate the latter, we don’t really know what it would have looked like or what its powers would be. That is why we stated our opinions based on what we know from the series as a whole.