Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-44061-20140416142029

So, now that we've seen Zaraki's blade shift forms with a release command and its name, shouldn't we be admitting that Ichigo was right in that duel back in the day? As I recall, Zaraki claimed that his sword was permanently released due to his uncontainable power; after a bit of coaching from Zangetsu, Ichigo decides that's not really true it's that Zaraki's one-man-army mentality blocks communication with his sword. Hence all the damage to the sword - the flow of reiatsu is so low that the blade can't regenerate fast enough to restore all the damage he does to it.

Keep in mind that the only Shinigami, excluding Zaraki from either side, who has a permanently released blade is Ichigo, who's canonically horrible at containing his power (the broadsword he had in the initial arc, for instance, was mocked as a sign of his inability to control how power; the Arrancar Grand Fisher is similarly mocked by Isshin because of his skyscraper-sized sword) There were also some hints fairly early in the series that the reason Sado and Orihime developed their own powers is due to backlash from fights where he saved them from Hollows (Orihime's brother and the Hollow following Sado's posessed cockatiel)...if that is indeed the case, there's definite proof of his lack of control. Admittedly Zaraki is also rather unrestrained, but he seems to have the ability to not flatten everything within 100 meters of him when he's not fighting, so he demonstrates a degree of control of his powers. (Also, there's the fact that he goes from even with pre-bankai Ichigo to overpowering Nnoitra with no (on screen) training aside from a shift in sword techniques; given Ichigo's powers are growing at levels that are canonically unprecedented, Zaraki must have been holding back in his fight with Ichigo.

Also, Zaraki's use of his sword now mirrors that of every other Shinigami with a Shikai. They use the sealed blade until something notifies them that restrained power will not be enough (for some of the lieutenants, this is defined by simply entering a fight, while the captains tend to hold back for more extreme conditions.) Given Zaraki's basic power output, it's perfectly logical for him to stick with his sealed weapon (particularly since he's relatively inexperienced with using the monstrosity we saw at the end of the last chapter) for normal fighting. It's only when he's presented with something that's insurmountable by normal means (like his current opponent playing the FF7 trump card) that he stops restraining himself. Rashkavar (talk) 10:52, April 16, 2014 (UTC)


 * Zaraki's blade was always released in some form because it would not a sealed Katana, every blade is sealed that way but Zaraki's wasn't!! However, this is not the first time we have seen a Shikai with more than one form, Yumichika and even Ichigo come to mind in this category, even Renji has had two forms in his Bankai release!! The difference being that some has limited the previous released form!! But we will be updating this, no need to rush!!


 * Sun is right there is 2 chapters and a databook that back constant-release. There is also multiple instances for various reasons of wielders with more then one zanpakuto form in shikai. Ichigo's Zangetsu. Ikkaku's Hozukimaru. Yumichika's Ruri'iro Kujaku / Fuji Kujaku. Also everything currently presented around zaraki are fully within the confines of the "shikai" and the "Communication & Personality" section of the Zanpakuto page. Anything else is just speculation. Also I think your mistaking what Zangetsu told him about there being a lack of communication between zaraki and his zanpakuto. Ichigo didnt say that and certainly didnt come to that conclusion. Isshin said to Grand Fisher when the pseudo-arrancar made a misinformed claim about the size of a zanpakuto in relation to a wielders power. But the explanation was in reference to most Captains-Shinigami, which isshin specifically stated. Im not sure your point Ichigo having uncontrolled reiatsu is really pointless to this whole thing, cause it doesnt overwrite established fact of a constant-release zanpakuto written alongside the uncontrolled reiatsu fact. Zaraki's change is due to releasing unconscious limitations placed on his own power which was determined during his fight with Unohana.--  