Zanpakutō

The Zanpakutō (斬魄刀; soul slicing sword) is the main weapon of the Soul Reaper, Arrancar and Vizard. They are superior to the Keyblade in terms of strength, but lack the ability to release Hearts.

Overview
Zanpakutō are the trademark weapons of the Soul Reaper. Capable of cutting spirit bodies, they are amongst the few weapons which can be used to combat Hollows. Each Soul Reaper carries a unique Zanpakutō, and each Zanpakutō is unique, as the swords are both reflections of a Soul Reaper's soul and power, and sentient beings unto themselves. Each Zanpakutō has its own name which its Soul Reaper must learn in order to be able to wield its power.

Forms
A Zanpakutō can possess two forms as well as its sealed state; Shikai and Bankai.

Shikai
The Shikai (始解, Initial Release) is the second form of a Zanpakutō. In order to achieve Shikai, the Soul Reaper needs only learn their Zanpakutō's name. Picking a name will not work, as the Zanpakutō spirit already has a predetermined name. In order to learn it, the Soul Reaper must be able to communicate with the spirit in their Inner World, which varies with the wielder. After first learning the Zanpakutō's name, the Shikai can be performed at will simply by speaking a command followed by the Zanpakutō's name. The commands vary between users and range from a simple imperative verb to a short poem. They often relate to the Zanpakutō's signature ability, or hint at the nature of its spirit. This step may be bypassed by expert Shinigami who have learned how to use their Bankai.

Bankai
Bankai (卍解, Final Release) is the final release and most powerful form of the Zanpakutō. Unlike learning Shikai, Bankai must be learned by materializing the Zanpakutō spirit (effectively the reverse of entering the Inner World) and forcing the spirit into submission. Due to the great difficulty, achieving Bankai can take ten years. However, Ichigo Kurosaki and Kisuke Urahara have mastered Bankai through a far shorter, yet much more dangerous method. Using a special device created by Urahara, which forcibly materializes a Zanpakutō spirit (thus bypassing a large portion of the training), they were able to attain their Bankai within three days instead. Unlike the Shikai, there is no command phrase to activate Bankai, though the user will usually say "Bankai" beforehand. A Zanpakutō's Bankai is often a manifestation of the spirit itself, usually creating a massive creature or a powerful effect to aid the user in battle. The Bankai itself will receive a different name in addition to the ordinary Zanpakutō (for example Ichigo's Zangetsu becomes Tensa Zangetsu). Certain Soul Reapers also change with their Zanpakutō, gaining clothing similar to what their Zanpakutō's spirit form looks like. Most Zanpakutō will also gain additional special abilities, or a more enhanced version of the usual one. Like with the Shikai, most of these abilities have an associated name.

Zanpakutō Wielders

 * Nathaniel DreadBane
 * Zane DreadBane