Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-2135510-20130608053251

Hello this is my first actually question for this particular wiki and its users but I was hoping to get a a few different opinions on this subject. I've watched bleach sporadically for the last few years and have noticed that several characters have developed the ability to use multiple shikais. I was always under the impression that a shinigami's zanpakuto possessed a sealed state, one shikai, and one bankai. A shikai of course can have several techniques or powers but I've taken note that a few shinigami posses multiple shikai(qualifying as such due to individual commands, forms, ya know). For example (I'm going to give a quick overview of a few).

Tosen (http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Kaname_T%C5%8Dsen) for example has two commands. "Cry" which causes unconsciousness and another technique (not really sure if theres a command here) which produces multiple blades. I found this unique as one command produces a near instant effect, well the other actually generates some form of matter.

Yumichika (http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Yumichika_Ayasegawa) probably the best known example. Yumichika calls his zanpakuto by a nickname it hates in order for it to only release a portion of its power, resulting in its small sickle form. He can call it by its full name however, and release its full power, its true shikai form. Honestly I find this interesting as it isn't a case of having two commands but actually altering the name of his zanpakuto when he says its release command.

Oko Yushima (http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/%C5%8Cko_Yushima) Last example I promise. Although he technically exist outside of canon I found the idea behind his story to be rather interesting and I think its one of the better filler arcs. I noticed that his zanpakuto also has two shikai's. The first is a pole with a blade attached to each end, the second cause the pole to gain a large circular loop in its center. This loop is added by using the command "seethe". To me its second shikai form is more of a small upgrade to its first and almost functions as an attachment(similar to how a under-slung grenade launcher gives a rifle the ability to launch grenades, the seethe command gives his zanpakuto access to certain abilities.) Off topic but I honestly felt his "Renzan" ability was quite powerful for a shikai but thats me.

Well this brings me to my questions. Besides your opinion on just the idea of multiple shikais in general, I also wanted to know if you avid bleach fans think the concept is a good idea? I was also curious as to your opinion about why the concept isn't practiced widely in soul society. Yumichika for instance isn't even a captain yet he possess multiple shikais, wouldn't it make sense for shinigami in general to attempt to access all aspects of their zanpakuto? Especially if the power of two shikais can vary as widely as Tosens? 