Bleach: The secret behind Dual Zanpakuto explained

❘ Updated: 2023-06-01T14:42:26

An image featuring every Dual Zanpakuto user in Bleach

Dual Zanpakuto is an extremely unusual occurrence in Bleach. However, it doesn’t determine the wielder’s strengths or weaknesses.

Bleach portrays a variety of characters with numerous races and abilities. Soul Reapers, the series’ central characters, always carry a Zanpakuto. They use the Zanpakuto to carry out their missions of defeating Hollows and helping lost souls find their way to the Soul Society.

In its sealed state, a Zanpakuto resembles an ordinary sword. However, once released, each weapon has a distinct appearance and set of abilities. A Soul Reaper has a special connection with its Zanpakuto and has the ability to communicate with its spirit.

The released form of a Zanpakuto is usually a single weapon, such as a sword, spear, or axe. However, every once in a while, a Zanpakuto will have two blades. In the entirety of Bleach, only three characters have Dual Zanpakuto – but it has nothing to do with their strengths and weaknesses.

What is the secret behind Dual Zanpakuto in Bleach?

An image of Ichigo's Dual Zanpakuto in Bleach

The appearance of Dual Zanpakuto is so rare in the Soul Society that up until the TYBW arc, Shunsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake were the only Soul Reapers wielding Dual Zanpakutos. While they both have two separate blades, Ukitake’s Zanpakuto is connected with some sort of rope or string.

Later, after realising his true powers as a Quincy and Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki gained a new Zanpkauto with two separate blades. Gaining a Dual Zanpakuto in Bleach is no coincidence. It only happens when external factors are involved where an additional spirit is residing in the Soul Reaper’s Zanpakuto.

Every known Dual Zanpakuto in Bleach

An image of Shunsui and Ukitake vs Yamamoto in Bleach

Ichigo Kurosaki’s Zangetsu symbolises his powers as both a Soul Reaper and a Quincy. His two blades are different in size and shape where. The larger one is manifested from his Soul Reaper powers, while the smaller one represents his Quincy powers.

Furthermore, Shunsui Kyoraku’s Katen Kyokotsu is a pair of giant black blades with silver edges. The reason behind Shunsui having Dual Zanpakuto is revealed in his backstory when he was trusted to hide his brother’s Zanpakuto. Later, after becoming a Soul Reaper, Shunsui got his own Zanpakuto. It was able to store another spirit in the form of an identical sword.

On the other hand, Jushiro Ukitake’s Sogyo no Kotowari is a pair of similar-looking swords. The swords have a large red rope connecting them from the base of the hilt. It was revealed in the final arc of Bleach that Jushiro has had a separate existence residing within him: Mimihagi. It is a fallen deity that was once the right hand of the Soul King that saved his life as a child.

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