Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-27140233-20151102183905/@comment-44061-20151103051900

Some issues. Your 1st theory misses some points. Zanka no Taichi corresponds to the four cardinal directions (North, South, East and West) They are not stages, 2 are active from the onset and the other two are only used if necessary. The use of the bankai is so powerful that it can consume everything if used too long. Katen Kyokotsu: Karamatsu Shinji seems to correspond to a play with each act being more devastating in purpose then the last. Shirafude Ichimonji sole purpose is to act in conjunction with its shikai ability to name or rename. What they in fact have in common is they are the bankai of some the greatest shinigami around. Seeing as a zanpakuto is reflection of its wielders power.

Your 2nd Theory is flawed on the account that your using the rational of someone neither a shinigami nor does he have a zanpakuto to make a determination on how such a thing works. you say "When a Shinigami achieves the true power of his Bankai, with its full name, the Shinigami enters a similar state as his zanpakuto spirit fusing with his zanpakuto." You really dont have any proof to go on with this assertion. What is a "true" bankai? whats to assume that a bankai doesnt have its full name from the onset (it only happened once with renji and it wasnt a issue of a full name but the correct name), and the last part is not really accurate.


 * Yamamoto was surrounded by the heat of his bankai from activation, he only made it visible by willing the flames to be seen to demonstrate what was protecting him the entire time.
 * Shunsui's zanpakuto spirit being present doesnt confirm anything that can be true of anyones zanpakuto spirit for all we know, its being brought out which is the purpose of bankai.
 * Komamura's bankai exists in a symbiotic link with him, thats the nature of how it works.
 * Aizen is more or less confirmed of having lost his zanpakuto not fused with it. Seeing as he believed himself beyond the need for it. We dont know what happened with yhwach but it was minor.
 * Rukia taking a new look in bankai is not unheard of for a bankai, we cant determine what her zanpakuto spirit looks like until we see it in the manga.
 * Mugetsu is a technique of the Final Getsuga Tensho, its an attack not a form so how can it look like yhwach with the shadow of multiple eyes over his face. Also ichigo was wrapped up in bandages with long black hair.
 * Renji is the only instance that if given a incorrect name like with a shikai your gonna get a different look and/or powered bankai.

Most importantly none of this fits to your theory. The argument could be made that a bankai would have to be used with its correct name for its power to be fully used but thats about it. Also the very concept of bankai is bringing ones zanpakuto spirit into the physical world. Just using a bankai in general achieves that without a specific zanpakuto form being required to manifest.

As for the conclusions they are somewhat confusing and misleading. Byakuya's zanpakuto didnt change so why would he had a new bankai. He himself said he retrained with his shikai to realize the great power it had for himself not that it was new. In turn his bankai would still be the same. Also Ichigo's shikai has changed to acknowledge his quincy and shinigami halfs using a long and short sword whatever his bankai will be it wont likely give any preference to anything more then his shikai does as a shikai is a zanpakuto's true form.