Bleach: Aizen’s Greatest Strength That Made Him the Greatest Anime Villain is the Reason Why He Can Never Perform Bankai
With the numerous ways he has altered the trajectory of the series and had a hand in most of the series’ significant events, BLEACH character Sōsuke Aizen is one of the most iconic anime villains. Aizen was initially introduced as the kind, deeply respected Captain of the 5th Squad of the Gotei 13, but in a major twist, it was revealed that he is one of the most heinous criminals of Soul Society and one of the strongest beings in the universe.
In order for a Shinigami to be eligible for Captaincy, they have various criteria to fulfill, the most important being their ability to perform the most significant skill: the Bankai. Despite the fact that Aizen proved integral in setting the central conflict of BLEACH in motion, we are never treated to the dramatic revelation of Aizen’s Bankai. This raises the question of whether Sōsuke Aizen has ever been able to achieve Bankai in the first place. While he may be withholding his power until the right moment, there is a harrowing possibility that he maintained his status through deceitful means.
Exploring The Different Aspects Of Zanpakutō
To understand why someone as powerful as Aizen is incapable of ever achieving Bankai, one needs to understand the deeper mechanics of Zanpakutō, or Soul Slayer swords. Zanpakutō are weapons that start as Asauchi – blank slate souls that develop sentience as the connection between the wielder and the weapon deepens with time. Once a Shinigami begins to hear their Zanpakutō and learn the Zanpakutō’s name, a Shinigami is able to achieve “Shikai”: the initial release state that transforms the weapon and molds to reflect the wielder’s soul.
“Bankai” is the second release of a Shinigami’s Zanpakutō, and is considered the pinnacle of a Shinigami’s mastery over the Zanpakutō. Generally, achieving Bankai would require even the most talented Shinigami to train rigorously for over a decade and build a deep connection with their Zanpakutō. To achieve Bainkai for the first time, the Shinigami must be well-experienced, have already achieved Shikai, and most importantly, develop a close bond with their Zanpakutō to forcibly materialize its spirit. Once it materializes, a Shinigami must control the spirit through combat.
BLEACH Theory Suggests Sōsuke Aizen Used An Illusory Bankai
There are strict requirements for achieving the rank of Captain among Soul Reapers. Only a few methods exist to achieve the rank: either defeating the current Captain in a battle or demonstrating one’s proficiency with Bankai, a Zanpakutō’s ultimate release.
With the exception of Kenpachi, all Soul Reaper Captains were proficient users of Bankai, such as Senbonzakura Kageyoshi and Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo. While Captain Aizen made good use of his shikai’s hypnotic powers in the “Soul Society” arc, he didn’t use Bankai at all. To add to that, he also failed to use Bainkai during the Fake Karakura Town battle and the final combat against the Quincy King Yhwach.
According to fan theory on Quora, Aizen doesn’t have a Bankai at all and he only has the Shikai, Kyoga Suigetsu. Under normal circumstances, this would bar him from becoming a Captain, but Kyoga Suigetsu’s illusions are so powerful that Aizen could have released his Shikai to hypnotize everyone and fool the others into seeing whatever Bankai the examiners would deem satisfactory. Every other Captain would be present during the test and that would be a perfect opportunity for Aizen to put them all under a hypnosis spell.
Moreover, Aizen’s illusions don’t have any time limit, so he could put up the illusion right up until his betrayal when it didn’t matter to keep up with appearances. Additionally, Captains rarely have to use Bankai in battle and it worked in Aizen’s favor so he could “seal” his Bankai away. It was sufficient for other Captains and no one begrudged the fact that someone as kind and efficient as Aizen would not use his “Bankai”.
BLEACH is available on Disney+.
