Major spoilers for Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War ahead, so here’s a warning.
What is Yamamoto’s Bankai?
The battle between the leaders of their respective teams get heated-up as Yamamoto reveals his Bankai, which is called Zanka no Tachi. The release gives Yamamoto the power of the sun. The flames that pour out of the captain’s blade are so hot, so his Bankai can potentially incinerate the entirety of Soul Society if used for too long, and as you can see below, his Bankai is intense.
According to Bleach’s lore, Yamamoto’s Bankai can cut things out of existence with its sheer heat. The powerful Bankai is said to produce heat upwards of 15 million degrees, and it gives Yamamoto the power to summon the dead he’s killed with his Zanpakuto to command in battle.
Fans finally get to see Yamamoto’s Bankai in the anime after years of waiting, but unfortunately, for the Soul Reapers, his power was not enough to stop Yhwach and his Wandenreich army. It turns out that the opponent Yamamoto fought was not the Yhwach, but the imitating Sternritter, Royd Lloyd. The captain is surprised to see the real Yhwach appear.
When Yamamoto tries to unleash his Bankai again, Yhwach steals it with his medallion. The villain explains how it was not that they could not take his Bankai, but it is that his power is too enormous for anyone but him to handle. Yhwach brings out a huge sword made of spiritual energy from the sky, and as he bids Yamamoto farewell, he attacks him.
The first six episodes of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War are available to stream on Hulu (U.S. audience) and Disney Plus (other regions). Episode 7, titled Born in the Dark, is set to release next Monday.
