While many more bankai have been revealed in Bleach, Byakuya’s Senbonzakura Kageyoshi still stands above all the rest.
In the story of Bleach, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki served as an example of what a Soul Reaper commander is supposed to be like: powerful, high-class, disciplined, wise and merciless to his enemies. During the Soul Society arc, Byakuya unveiled his deadly shikai, Senbonzakura, and released the full power of his bankai during that story arc’s climax.
Bankai is a rare and powerful ability in that. According to Byakuya, every bankai wielder will have his or her name etched into the annals of Soul Reaper history… While many more bankai have been revealed since Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, Byakuya’s own bankai still stands above the rest….
Bleach’s Shikai and Bankai Often Reflect User Personality:
Many shikai and bankai reflect the personality of their users, though some of these reflections are closer than of others . like , Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s bankai is a monstrous creature that wields the power of mad science, while the assassin Captain Soi Fon oddly has a cannon-like bankai. Meanwhile, Captain Kuchiki’s bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, fits his personality perfectly, and that’s more significant than it sounds…
Byakuya’s shikai and bankai both embody this, as the zanpakuto will dissolve its blade into countless sharp pieces that float around. They catch the light in such a way that they resemble pink cherry blossoms floating in the wind. However, these are not gentle petals — they are ready to slice and dice, representing and bloodily defending the Soul Society’s beauty at the same time. This bankai is a wonder to the eyes and a devastating foe for Byakuya’s enemies, just like the man himself….
How Byakuya Got His Bankai Back In Bleach..
Later, during the Hueco Mundo arc, Byakuya was a changed man. He had since given up his stubborn views on honor and the law, and instead fully embraced his role as a responsible and protective big brother to Rukia Kuchiki at last. Now Rukia is the pride and joy of Byakuya’s life, not ancient laws and decorum, and this fact reflected in Byakuya’s duel against Zommari Rureaux, the 7th Espada. Once Byakuya finished figuring out his opponent’s abilities, Byakuya used bankai right away and utterly crushed his foe without mercy. He explained that he was slaying Zommari not out of Soul Reaper duty, but to protect Rukia. Byakuya’s full might represented his fierce determination to protect Rukia from this Espada, with no arrogant pride to get in the way….