Bleach: Yumichika Ayasegawa Still Doesn’t Have Bankai – Here’s Why!

When we usually talk about Bleach and Bankai, we either explain an already-revealed one or talk about those that have not been revealed yet. And that is what we will do in this article as well. The topic of this article will be Yumichika Ayasegawa, a well-known member of Kenpachi’s 11th Division, as we will tell you the story of his Bankai, i.e., everything you need to know about the topic at hand.

Yumichika Ayasegawa has not yet achieved Bankai, and it is unknown if he will achieve it in the future. Achieving a Bankai is a complex task, and with Yumichika having a specific relationship with his Zanpakuto, it would probably be even more difficult for him. On top of that, the 11th Division values physical fighting skills over anything else, and there was also the fact that at the time, his captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, had not achieved Bankai either, so it wasn’t really good for the lower-ranked members of the Division to have a Bankai, while the Captain does not; this is why Ikkaku kept the fact that he had achieved his Bankai a secret from most people, as all of them respected Kenpachi a lot.

The rest of this article will be focused on Yumichika Ayasegawa and his abilities. We will focus on his Zanpakuto, as you will learn about his Shikai and why he has not yet activated his Bankai. We will provide you with all the relevant details about this question, so this article will serve as a go-to guide for the issue at hand. Some spoilers might be present, but there won’t be too many of them; still, be careful how you approach certain parts of the article.

Yumichika Ayasegawa’s Shikai: Understanding Ruriiro Kujaku

Yumichika Ayasegawa is a Shinigami who is a member of Kenpachi Zaraki’s 11th Division. He is an elegant guy who takes care of his appearance and values beauty over anything else. This makes it look like he is not suited for the 11th Division, but in reality, he is an exceptionally powerful Shinigami with a versatile set of skills and abilities that make him quite special.

In this section, as we always do before discussing a Bankai, we will talk about Yumichika’s Zanpakuto and his Shikai before we actually move on to his Bankai, i.e., the story about his Bankai.

Although Yumichika introduced his Zanpakuto as Fuji Kujaku, that is actually not its real name. The real name of the Zanpakuto is Ruriiro Kujaku. However, Yumichika always calls it Fuji Kujaku, because Ruriiro Kujaku hates the color of wisteria and immediately sulks when it is called that.

(In the anime, Yumichika explains to Charlotte in episode 218 that his Zanpakuto loves the color azure and detests violet.) This causes it to lose its power, and Yumichika can better hide its Kidō abilities. When sealed, the sword looks like an ordinary katana with a purple hilt.

At Yumichika’s command, “Bloom”, the blade of “Fuji Kujaku” bends inward and three more curved blades appear from the handle, arranged like a fan. Since it is an unwritten law in the 11th Division to only use a Zanpakuto for direct attack and without Kido, i.e., magical power, Yumichika keeps it a secret from Ikkaku Madarame and his captain Kenpachi Zaraki, who otherwise considered him a coward, that “Fuji Kujaku” also has Kido abilities.

To use this, he uses the command “Split and Deviate.” “Fuji Kujaku” then flares up and takes the form of many peacock feathers. It then drains his opponent’s Reiatsu, apparently regenerating his own, as the one time he used this technique, he returned from battle without any wounds. He appeared to be even more energetic than before.

When he calls the Zanpakuto by its true name, Ruriiro Kujaku, it unleashes its full power. In this state, his attacks seem to gain in strength. So far, he has only used this technique in front of Shūhei Hisagi and Charlotte Chuhlhourne, shielded by a technique because he could be sure that neither Kenpachi nor Ikkaku could see him. In this state, he easily defeats Charlotte by draining him of his spiritual energy, effectively killing him.

This a very rare and basically unique example in the series that a Shinigami wilfully restricts the power of his Zanpakuto. But, aside from the reasons stated above, there is also the fact that Ruriiro Kujaku has a very volatile personality and that he and Yumichika don’t really get along, which is why there is a constant rift between the two.

The Zanpakuto Rebellion anime-only filler arc revealed some details about their relationship, their similarities, and their differences, but since that was a filler arc, we cannot really consider it as a reliable source of information. We know from the canon that the differences in their personalities make it very difficult for Yumichika to establish a normal relationship with his Zanpakuto, which is also reflected in other aspects.

Still, which is a lucky coincidence for him, Yumichika Ayasegawa can use his Shikai to the fullest, even in its “restricted form,” which shows that he is an incredibly powerful Shinigami. Ruriiro Kujaku is far more powerful, but Yumichika is lucky enough to be able to avoid using it unless necessary, which helped him maintain his reputation within his Division but also fight his opponents effectively at the same time.

Will Yumichika ever achieve Bankai?

As we have stated, Yumichika Ayasegawa has not yet achieved his Bankai. The volatile nature of his Zanpakuto and Yumichika’s difficult relationship with the spirit of his blade makes the already difficult process even more difficult in that aspect, so we don’t know what the future holds for Yumichika. He already has a very powerful Shikai, so he can get around even without a Bankai.

As we’ve explained, members of the 11th Division had it quite difficult. The Division valued physical strength over anything else, so using enhancements wasn’t really all that encouraged; using Kido was even a reason to be mocked by other members of the Division.

On top of that, there was the issue of Kenpachi, the Division’s Captain, not having a Bankai at the time, so it wasn’t really encouraged for the other members of the Division to have one, as it would be strange for them to have a power that their Captain does not have. This is why Ikkaku hid that he had achieved Bankai from most of his colleagues and only activated it when he knew it would not be seen.

Having said this, Kenpachi has, in the meantime, achieved Bankai, and we also know that Yumichika is currently in the process of training to achieve Bankai, so, while the future remains uncertain, it is implied that Yumichika will be able to achieve Bankai in the near future.