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Wielding Your Zanpakuto Sword !
Wielding a Zanpakuto 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 Zanpakuto 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 Zanpakuto 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 Zanpakuto 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 Zanpakuto in Bankai form is much, much more powerful and dangerous than it is in Shikai form.
 humanbias · Mon Jan 25, 2010 @ 01:39am · 0 Comments |
