DUTY AND HONOR Q&A
ZANPAKUTOU
Why does Yoruichi's Zanpakutou have no voice?
In flashback chapters, Yoruichi is shown carrying a blade presumed to be a Zanpakutou. However, this blade is only seen in the past, and she has since ceased carrying it, apparently in favor of fighting with her Shunko and Flashstep abilities. My theory - drawn in part from the Zanpakutou Rebellion arc and therefore probably bearing no relation whatsoever to canon no matter how much sense it makes (does it making sense preclude it from relating to canon?) - is that if the bearer of a Zanpakutou disregards their blade-spirit for long enough, after some time they will no longer be able to hear their blade-spirit's voice, and eventually, the blade-spirit's voice, and later the spirit itself, will fade altogether.
If Yoruichi has been ignoring her Zanpakutou for roughly a century, give or take, the spirit itself may have just faded into nothingness by now from the complete lack of spiritual energy through which it could sustain itself, which would result in Yoruichi's blade having become nothing more than a piece of sharp metal. This may qualify as some type of murder within the laws of the Seireitei or the Gotei, although it's very difficult to say whether it would actually bother Yoruichi even if it does.
How does Kin wind up with her father's Zanpakutou?
The Zanpakutou Rebellion Arc tells us that Zanpakutou are born with their Shinigami, and die with their Shinigami. Canon is a little muddier on this, given that Tousen carried the Zanpakutou of his friend after she died, rather than acquiring one of his own. Somewhere in the grey area in between these is my theory, which is partially tied into reincarnation as well.
Becoming a Shinigami fractures your soul. Think about it. Their Zanpakutou are representations of their souls that an inexperienced Shinigami can't speak to or control, and they're frequently injured learning how to use them. It's the oldest and most powerful Shinigami, the ones who have the strongest sense of 'self' - often achieved through meditative communion with their Zanpakutou - the broken-off piece of their soul - that have gone the furthest to healing the fractures in their soul and actually becoming whole again.
Some people in our world are called 'old souls', which is a term used for people who often seem wise beyond their years (or occasionally world-weary beyond their years). It's my personal theory that these 'old souls' have a stronger connection to their past lives than the average human, and can in fact feel the weight of some of their past lifetimes. When it's applied to Shinigami and their Zanpakutou (Hitsugaya being a good example here), it's because the Zanpakutou has retained either memory, power, or both, that was acquired in previous lives. The reason Hitsugaya is so insanely strong at his young age is because he was a very powerful Shinigami in previous lives, and Hyorinmaru retained that power. The Zanpakutou, like the Shinigami, will alter appearance, abilities, and identity when it and its wielder are reborn.
Gin's reiatsu channels were burned out and his ability to be a Shinigami therefore destroyed after the War. What, then, happens to Shinsou? Gin isn't dead, but he can't support a connection with his Zanpakutou spirit any longer, because the energy channels that were destroyed were necessary to sustain and communicate with one's Zanpakutou. And Shinsou, left at loose ends without the ability to connect to Gin, is adrift without anchor or paddle.
So, what's a Zanpakutou spirit to do? Well, follow his master's life goal - protect those he loves. Kin, having not been a Shinigami in previous lifetimes, has not yet fractured her soul in order to create her own Zanpakutou. So, instead of her actually breaking her soul and gaining her own Zanpakutou spirit, Kin has a piece of her father's soul attached to her own. It is, as you can imagine, a rather unconventional arrangement, and I don't know yet how well it will work out in the end. In human terms, think of it as not being able to use your own arms, but having a third arm attached instead, possibly a la Inspector Gadget's hat. Even if you learn to control it perfectly and have it cooperate and do precisely what you want, it's still not your own arm, so it's basically a weird situation all around.
Will you show Shuuhei's Bankai?
Yes, he gets to show it off in the climactic final battle! (Chapter 31 and onward.) And yes, I had already decided on the appearance/abilities of his Bankai when he achieved it in RDBH. I'm told he has one in canon now, but I haven't looked to see if I got it right.
What is Minori's Zanpakutou?
Named a few times already in the series, Kurotora [lit 'Black Tiger] is a close combat weapon. When released into Shikai, he takes the form of a gauntlet that reaches to slightly above the biceps of Minori's right arm. The metal is dark copper with black stripes, and the fingers are each tipped with extremely sharp claws capable of cutting or stabbing. When in Shikai, Kurotora will also focus and amplify any kidou fired from her right hand, as well as act as a shield when necessary. The short range of her Zanpakutou forced Minori to become an exceptional melee combatant and Shunpo user.