Bleach Cosplay Unleashes Ikkaku’s Bankai

The Thousand-Year Blood War is looking to return this October and Bleach has never looked bigger. With almost each member of the Soul Society getting their own chance to shine during the latest anime revival, anime fans have managed to see the anime heroes showing off their Bankais against the Wandenreich. While some Bankais are flashier than others, bringing any of them to life is a feat unto itself. One cosplayer recently took on the herculean tasks of bringing Ikkaku’s Bankai to life as the lower-ranking member of the Soul Society is still lending a hand to taking down Yhwach.

Ikkaku isn’t a captain in the ranks fo the Soul Society, making it all the more impressive that he was able to achieve the use of Bankai in his fighting career. While the lieutenant did have his Shikai ready to go, his Bankai took things up a notch by transforming his weapon into a monstrous three-bladed destroyer that is bigger than its wielder. During the events of the Thousand-Year Blood War, Ikkaku and his closest frenemy, Yumichika, attempt to take down the Sternritter while surviving Yhwach’s assault on their crumbling organization.

Ikkaku’s Bankai Can Exist In The Real World

In a recent interview with Bleach creator Tite Kubo, the manga artist explained the difference between the powerups known as Shikai and Bankai, “Shikai is the state in which the wielder’s power is reflected into the sword. Bankai is the state in which the ego of the sword that was subsequently born has been developed and manifested.” With Ikkaku surviving the earliest battles of the Blood War, expect to see more of the Soul Society lieutenant in part three.

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As of the writing of this article, Bleach has yet to reveal the precise release date when we can expect the Thousand-Year Blood War’s third part to arrive. Based on where we last saw Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies, things were looking bleak for the Soul Society as Yhwach had taken back all of his power and was using it to eradicate the Royal Guard. With the Soul King within striking distance, the supernatural heroes are going to need to lay it all on the line to hold back the sternritter’s leader.

Want to see when the third part of the Thousand-Year Blood War will arrive? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for the latest updates on the Soul Society and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.