It’s no secret that theThousand-Year Blood War arcof Tite Kubo’s manga seriesBleachsuffered from some behind-the-scenes conflicts. What exactly these conflicts were are irrelevant here. The end result is the same regardless; the manga’s ending was rushed, forcingKubo to cut many partsof the story that fans were looking forward to.
These include reducing the roles and contributions of many characters. One such character is Jushiro Ukitake, the captain of Squad 13 and generally regarded as the most peaceful of the thirteen captains. Ukitake was held in high regardby Genryusai Yamamoto, the former Captain Commander of the Court Guard Squads, and considered to be an equal to the current Captain Commander, his best friend, Kyoraku Shunsui.
For all of this talk of his power, though, the most fans ever got to see of Ukitake in action was his brief contribution to Shunsui’s and Coyote Starrk’s fight and his offscreen battle against Yamamoto alongside Shunsui. Adding further to his fan’s disappointment, he dies unceremoniously towards the end of the final arc after making what turns out to be a pointless sacrifice.
In order to give Ukitake his proper due, theBleachanime adaptationof the final arc should adapt his Bankai; here’s why and what his Bankai should be.
The first significance that Jushiro Ukitake has in the manga is his relationship with Rukia Kuchiki. At this stage in the story, Rukia has been arrested by the Soul Society for transferring her powers to a human, and many of the captains and other members of the Court Guard Squads are divided. The ruling judicial institution, Central 46, has called for Rukia’s execution, a harsh punishment considering her crime. As such, a wedge is driven between the more orthodox and conservative Soul Reapers and the more skeptical progressive ones.
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Ukitake and his friend, Shunsui, both disagree with the execution and defy the Central 46 by destroying the Sokyoku, the weapon that was supposed to be used to execute Rukia. From there, Ukitake’s significance dwindles. He hardly contributes in the Fake Karakura Town arc, being defeated in one hit by a surprise attack from Wonderweiss and absent from much of the arc afterward. In the Agent of the Shinigami arc, he plays a somewhat decent role, which is why Kugo Ginjo defected from his position as a Substitute Soul Reaper. Inthe Thousand-Year Blood War arc, following the Soul King’s death, he sacrifices himself to try and stabilize the dimensions, only to be immediately killed off by Yhawch.
Giving Ukitake a Bankai would help the audience see what the other characters see: An incredibly powerful captain worthy of the praise he receives. And it would also provide a chance to get more emotionally involved in his character before his death. Even if he doesn’t have an entire battle to himself, getting to see his Bankai would practically, by definition, grant him more plot relevance.
His Bankai Should be a Defensive Way of Fending Off his Opponents
Ukitake’s Shikai, Sogyo no Kotowari, possesses the ability to absorb an opponent’s attack, modify it (speed, pressure, etc.) and send it right back. Following this idea, his Bankai should accomplish the same thing. For example, his Bankai could allow him to force the enemy to damage themselves. It would be in line with his more defensive fighting style, where he never strikes first. A Bankai such as that could be something akin to a voodoo doll where all damage done to him is instead reflected on the opponent (although admittedly, this sort of ability has been done twice in the series). That way, just as in his Shikai, he avoids directly harming his opponents himself.
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Another idea, more physically speaking, for his Bankai would be the transformation of his swords into shields, perhaps with mirrors. One meant for physical attacks, and the other meant for attacks consisting of spirit energy. And to elevate it more above his Shikai, his Bankai could have the ability to bank his opponent’s attacks, so he doesn’t have to use their own attacks immediately after their use. This would give him more flexibility on the battlefield.
It Should Fit Ukitake’s Peaceful Motif
As stated previously, Ukitake is not someone who would throw the first proverbial punch. This aspect of his personality is reflected in his Shikai ability, where his swords take in and reflect, not physically being able to attack first. As a peace lover, it wouldn’t make sense for his zanpakuto, an embodiment of his soul, to harbor aggression that he doesn’t have. So his Bankai should definitely remain as something that can’t operate first. In essence, it should be reactive, not proactive.
This way of thinking spawns the idea that perhaps his bankai is a way to negate his opponent’s abilities entirely. This idea has more to do with peace than reflection, but both are key aspects of his abilities, and thus, both are valid. Negating an opponent’s abilitieswould allow for peace; it would almost literally force him and his opponent to resolve their conflict via a different, less violent method.
