Post by ● AniSkyWolf on Oct 5, 2009 21:27:12 GMT -5
[/size]斬魄刀------------> Z A N P A K U T O SLike a sword, I'm brought
Into the heat of the day
Like a knight, I'll fight
Until the fight is won
This section deals with the basics as to what a Zanpakuto really is, as well as the different types, as well as the released states. This section will also discuss use and creation on forum, as well as what is allowed and what isn't.
[li]A) Each zanpakutô is a manifestation of its owner's soul, and has a unique name that a Soul Reaper is required to learn in order to use its Shikai and Bankai. As such, each zanpakutô has unique abilities that match their owner's characteristics and personality, and their names usually hint to what these powers may be.
[/li][li]B) A zanpakutō spirit is part of its owner's soul, and they often share the same personality traits. At the same time, they are also independent, and thus, can be considered a Soul Reaper's partner in battle. Because they are part of their owner's soul, a zanpakutō cannot be replaced, though it will slowly regenerate if broken. As a Soul Reaper gains power, their zanpakutō can change form by allowing the inner being to manifest itself to a greater degree in the outside world. The sword and the inner being are synonymous to each other. The spirit of a zanpakutō dwells within an internal world, most naturally the wielder's soul, which is different for each Soul Reapr. The zanpakutō spirit can normally only be seen by its wielder.
- a) Though rare, it is not impossible for more than one soul to be attuned to the same spirit. In such cases, ancient law of the Soul Society will not allow two beings to wield the same zanpakutō, in which case, they must duel for ownership of the spirit, with the winner gaining it and the loser being sentenced to death.
[/li][li]B) As stated, a zanpakutō is a being unto itself and tends to be highly temperamental. Its mood is determined by how it is treated by its Soul Reaper as well as its overall personality. This allows a Soul Reaper to partially determine whether it will achieve its true power or not. For example, Yumichika Ayasegawa normally releases his zanpakutō with the name Fuji Kujaku (Wisteria Peacock), even though its true name is Ruri'iro Kujaku (Azure Peacock), knowing that its favorite color is azure and that its least favorite is wisteria purple. He does this so that its true power is not seen. Since his zanpakutō hates the nickname, it becomes moody and only releases a fraction of its power. This allows him to pass off his zanpakutō as a simple melee-type rather than what it truly is, a Kidō-type, something that is unacceptable in the 11th Division due to an unspoken rule that all zanpakutō in the 11th must be melee-types. Only when its true name is uttered is its full potential achieved.
- a) A Shinigami may find it hard to achieve its zanpakutō's Shikai or Bankai due to its personality, which is a reflection of his or her own personality. Communication is key as seen evident with Kenpachi Zaraki, who has little or no communication with his zanpakutō and therefore doesn't know its name, making its true potential not realized. This inability causes his power to damage his zanpakutō rather than allowing it to truly help him.
[/li][li]C) Each zanpakutō has the power to send pluses to the afterlife, purify Hollows, and transform the zanpakutō itself into more elaborate and powerful forms. Not all Soul Reapers can hear the name of their zanpakutō and thus can not achieve the higher tiers of power.
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[li]A) Most zanpakutō look like regular katana, with slight variations between them as one would expect between different swords. There variations are commonly (see below):
- a) Katana - The term katana may be applied to the standard size moderately curved Japanese sword with a blade length of greater than 60 cm (23.6 inches). The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single edged blade, circular or squared guard, and long grip to accommodate two hands.
- b) Wakizashi - A short blade between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 inches), with an average of 50 cm (20 inches). It is similar to but shorter than a katana, and usually shorter than the kodachi ("small sword"). The wakizashi was usually worn together with the katana. When worn together the pair of swords were called daishō, which translates literally as "large and small". The katana was often called the long sword and the wakizashi the companion sword.
- c) Nodachi - The nodachi was more difficult to wield due to its size and weight. The length of the nodachi's hilt varied between twelve to thirteen inches (30 to 33 centimeters). Its cutting capability and range exceeded that of a katana, due to its weight and size. a large two-handed sword. Nodachi approximately translates to "field sword". Katana, wakizashi, and tachi are worn at the waist or belt; however, it is not "drawn" from the back.
[/li][li]B) In addition to the upgraded forms, the sealed form of a zanpakutō can also be radically altered, though such alterations are purely cosmetic and usually don't offer any significant advantage in battle; Zanpakutō can also be disguised as other objects, though such objects seem to need to be of similar proportions to the sword itself. Both Kisuke Urahara and General Yamamoto, for example, disguise their zanpakutō as canes, Yamamoto's as a large walking stick that dissolves on command to reveal his sheathed zanpakutō, Urahara's as a shikomizue, a thin blade hidden within the hollow shaft of a cane.
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[li]A) The Shikai (始解, Initial Release) is the second form (or first "upgraded" form) available to a zanpakutō. To activate it, the Soul Reaper needs to learn the name of their zanpakutō. This is not as easy as simply picking a name, as the living spirit of the zanpakutō already has its own name. Therefore, the Soul Reapers must be able to communicate and harmonize with their zanpakutō effectively, which requires being able to speak to the spirit within its world.
- a) Soul Reapers usually carry their zanpakutō in the sealed state and activate the released forms as necessary, though in the cases of some this is not the case, be it to out of control spiritual pressure, or simple convenience. A zanpakutō will return to its sealed state when its wielder is knocked unconscious.
[/li][li]B) Achievement of the Shikai is a mark of control of a zanpakutō, and it appears to be a requirement for advancement within the Soul Reaper ranks, as presumably most seated officers are capable of Shikai. It is also required in order to achieve the rank of lieutenant; it is a requirement most captains look for. 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 Soul Reapers who have learned how to use their Bankai.
[/li][li]C) Once the Shikai is activated, the zanpakutō will change form to access whatever special abilities it is capable of. They usually remain in the form of a sword, though they can change it's form to look like other things. A few examples would be Soifon wielding a stinger, Byakuya Kuchiki's turns into many sakura-like blades, Ikkaku Madarame wielding a spear, Kaien Shiba wielding a trident, Marechiyo Ōmaeda wielding a flail, Shūhei Hisagi wielding two connected dual scythes, Rangiku Matsumoto's sword turns into ash, and Retsu Unohana's shikai is a flying manta ray-type creature. But the type of sword differs radically among various zanpakutō. The special abilities of the zanpakutō, like the zanpakutō itself, have specific names that usually must be announced to fully activate the effect. As Ichigo's zanpakutō, Zangetsu, explains, knowing the name of an attack and not knowing it makes a very drastic difference in the amount of power that attack has.[/li][/ul]
[li]A) The Bankai (卍解, Final Release) is the second and final upgraded form of a zanpakutō. To achieve it, one must be able to materialize their zanpakutō's spirit in the real world and subjugate it, giving the Soul Reaper full reign over the zanpakutō's power.
[/li][li]B) According to Yoruichi Shihōin, the power of Bankai typically increases a Soul Reaper's power by a factor five to ten. Because such an act usually takes 100 or more years of combat experience beyond attaining Shikai for even the strongest Shinigami to achieve, it is rare and almost exclusively limited to the thirteen Captains in the 13 Court Guard Squads. Even with this, several years of special training are needed to achieve Bankai, plus the experience needed to master it.
- The only non-captain Soul Reapers known to have achieved Bankai are Renji Abarai (Lieutenant), who finalized his training at about the same time as Ichigo (although he did not use Urahara's device, but rather perfected it while Ichigo was training), and Ikkaku Madarame (3rd Seat), who did so through his own years of training.
[/li][li]C) After a Soul Reaper is able to materialize and subjugate their zanpakutō's spirit, the zanpakutō can assume its final and most powerful form. 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 (Ichigo's Bankai is an exception, becoming more compact instead). The Bankai itself will receive a different name in addition to the ordinary zanpakutō (for example Ichigo's Zangetsu becomes Tensa Zangetsu, Byakuya's Senbonzakura becomes Senbonzakura Kageyoshi). 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. Maintaining the Bankai is taxing for the wielder, and it is difficult to maintain it for long periods of time for most Soul Reapers, with the exception of Ichigo, as it becomes more compact, thus allowing him to hold it for long periods of time.
[/li][li]D) The power that comes with Bankai tends to be similar to the Shikai's ability/theme but amplifies it to much greater levels of power. Some simply increase the original ability, such as Byakuya's blade count multiplied, or Sajin Komamura, who instead of only getting pieces of the giant, summons the giant itself. While other Bankai follow the theme of the sword, such as Renji's remains a whip while containing baboon and cobra features, or Mayuri summons a monster with the same face (Jizō) on his trident, but kept the theme of poison that came from the monsters breath.[/li][/ul]
[li]Melee-Type Zanpakutō: Are typically designed for various forms of armed melee combat rather than magic-based abilities. (i.e. Ichigo Kurosaki, Renji Abarai, etc.)
[/li][li]Kidō-Type Zanpakutō: Are designed around a special ability rather than close combat potential. (i.e. Momo Hinamori, Sosuke Aizen, etc.)
[/li][li]Projectile-Type Zanpakutō: When released separate into many air based blades that the owner can control freely. (i.e. Rangiku Matsumoto, Byakuya Kuchiki)
[/li][li]Defense-Type Zanpakutō: Are designed around defensive capability with little or no offense.
[/li][li]Fire-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to manipulate fire for various forms of attack or defense. (e.i. S.G. Yamamoto)
[/li][li]Ice-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to manipulate ice for various forms of attack or defense. (i.e. Toshiro Hitsugaya, Rukia Kuchiki)
[/li][li]Earth-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to manipulate the ground for various forms of attack or defense.
[/li][li]Wind-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to manipulate wind for various forms of attack or defense. (i.e. Kensei Muguruma)
[/li][li]Water-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to manipulate water (and related effects) for various forms of attack or defense. (i.e. Kaien Shiba)
[/li][li]Plant-Type Zanpakutō: Designed for the manipulation of plant growth for offense or defense.
[/li][li]Light-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to manipulate light for various effects. (i.e. Maki Ichinose)
[/li][li]Poison-Type Zanpakutō: Designed to administer poison as a form of attack. (i.e. Soifon, Mayuri Kurotsuchi)
[/li][li]Electricity-Type Zanpakutō: Designed for manipulation of lightning for offense or defense.
[/li][li]Dual-Blade Type: Zanpakutō that feature more than one blade in Shikai release. It is decidedly rare for one to possess such a weapon and therefore it says a lot about the uniqueness of its wielder's spiritual power. (i.e. Shunsui Kyoraku, Jushiro Ukitake) PLEASE see the regulations below in the next section regarding this type of blade and how to obtain one.
[/li][li]Dual-Type Zanpakutō: In some twin blades it is not unheard of for their to be more than one elemental property to the blade, and example being Jushiro Ukitake whose blade is often portrayed as having both water and electrical tributes. This seems to be an incredibly rare feature though. PLEASE see the regulations below in the next section regarding this type of blade and how to obtain one.
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[li]A) While zanoakuto are versitile and can give the wielder aguments in poper while in combat, please make sure you do not in any way take advantage of this and use all this information to godmod. Yes, you can have this kickass zanpakuto and it'sjust bloody awesome, but it CAN'T kpwn EVERYTHING. Really, let's have some fairness and use your creativity to make up something really kickass and whatnot but at the same time fair for other players.
[/li][li]B) Due to the difficulty obtaining Bankai, we would like it if the highest you can go with released states is just to shikai. Unless you are granted really really specialass permission and such only then you may begin traning for such. But really, no. Let's keep that to the captains and whoever canonically has it.
[/li][li]C) Regarding the "dual-blade" type zanpakuto: This is a very RARE type of zanpakuto. You will actually have to submit a zanpakuto application for it and wait for it to be approved or vetoed. There is a greater chance of it being vetoed than accepted since he won't want everyone runnin' around with dual blade swords. Come on, that's just... stupid and it destroys the rare quality of it.
[/li][li]C) Regarding the "dual-element" type zanpakuto: This is a INCREDIBLY rare type of zanpakuto, and seemingly only possible with 'dual-blade' types, which in itself is rare. You will actually have to submit a zanpakuto application for it and wait for it to be approved or vetoed. There is a very high chance of it being vetoed though due to the fact you are asking for two rare attributes to your zanpkuto, one of which has only one example, and even that is only semi-official.
[/li][li]D) Try not to make it so whacky looking. It can only be whacky when it's released (IF your character can even obtain shikai), but try and stick with the three sword types listed in section II. It would help us all a great deal.
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That's all~ If you have any questions about anything, please PM a staff member and we will be glad to help~
D A I S A K U staff~
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