'Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War': Yamamoto's Bankai Explained

In Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, the Soul Reapers from the Soul Society have been doing all they can to fight against Yhwach and his followers.

One way in which they try and fight the Father of the Quincy is by releasing their Bankai, a powerful attack that only certain Soul Reapers are able to use.

'Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War': Yamamoto's Bankai Explained

In episode six of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, which aired on Monday, November 14, long-time fans of the anime franchise were able to finally see the Bankai of Yamamoto.

The captain stepped up to the forefront of the battle against Yhwach, aiming to fight the villain one-on-one as leaders of their respective teams.

A Soul Reaper's Bankai is the second release of the Zanpakutō, the sword that they each possess. The normal attack of a Soul Reaper using the Zanpakutō is known as the Shikai release, and the Bankai is a powerful attack that can only be achieved by Soul Reapers with the rank of captain or higher.

As the Captain Commander of the Soul Society, Yamamoto can, of course, use his own Bankai but up until Monday's episode, he had kept the power under wraps for almost 1,000 years.

Each Bankai is unique to the Soul Reaper using the attack, and Yamamoto's ability is named Zanka no Tachi and is so powerful it can burn anything out of existence, particularly because flames engulf Yamamoto's Zanpakutō and also protect him.

Anyone who attacks Yamamoto while his Bankai is unleashed will be burned with the heat of the sun, simply put, and one cut of the blade can also burn his enemies to ash instantly.

Another power that Yamamoto's Bankai gives the captain commander is the ability to summon up an army of all the enemies he had burned out of existence in the past.

Viewers were amazed by the animated sequence that brought Tite Kubo's original manga to life in the anime, with many taking to Twitter to share their thoughts on the most recent episode.

One person wrote: "Absolutely speechless, one of the most raw animated attacks I've ever seen. They really held nothing back with Yamamoto bankai man I'm sooo happy."

Another fan of the show added: "Yamamoto Bankai animated ... some of the best animation I have ever witnessed ... This whole fight you can tell Kubo couldn't wait for us to watch."

While one viewer wrote: "Yamamoto's Bankai was animated to perfection. The Guardian of Hell that reduces everything to ashes; YAMAMOTO SHIGEKUNI GENRYUSAI."

New episodes of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War air Mondays on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.