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So, this sounds like a stupid question I know but in the bleachverse 'names' are very important and you can only unleash the power of your zanpakuto if you can call out its name. Therefore, if a shinigami is mute, will they ever be able to achieve shikai/bankai? If so then how? Only one case that I know of is for shinigamis who have already achieved bankai to be able to release their shikais without a command.

Answers based on LN are welcome, but if you are citing from a dubious source or a source whose canon status can be question, please specifically mention it. I am mostly interested in an answer based on a canon source.

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  • Not sure if this would just generate opinion-based answers because I cannot recall this ever happening in the manga. There is no way to know how unless the mangaka answered this question before or the manga depicts a mute shinigami or a shinigami releasing zanpakuto without any word.
    – W. Are
    Commented Mar 31, 2019 at 1:16
  • @W.Are Kenpachi Zaraki released his bankai without calling out its name IIRC. There are also official/unofficial Bleach light novels out there, and for example, Kenpachi Azashiro seems to not know his shikai release name even though he achieved both shikai and bankai. Therefore, I believe there are enough materials out there to at least make a very educated guess that answers the OP's question.
    – Gao
    Commented Mar 31, 2019 at 6:46
  • @Gao I see. I'll retract my close vote. I knew there are LN's for Bleach (have not read them yet) but by unofficial light novels, what do you mean? Can it be considered canon?
    – W. Are
    Commented Mar 31, 2019 at 6:52
  • I also haven't read any Bleach novels (and don't ever plan to), but by unofficial light novels, I mean those not written (or co-authored) by Kubo Tite himself, but which may be endorsed by him. Those not endorsed by the author himself may not be considered canon, but the question didn't explicitly ask for canon sources.
    – Gao
    Commented Mar 31, 2019 at 7:25
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    Do Arrancar count? Because Wonderweiss couldn't speak and performed Resurrecion just fine.
    – IG_42
    Commented Apr 1, 2019 at 11:57

1 Answer 1

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Yes.

Ichigo does it here when he fights Grimmjow

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And again when he fights Ulquiorra for the first time in Las Noches

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So yes, you can conclusively silently activate your Bankai.

The only other disability I can remember reading of, is Tosen's Blindness. Not only can he wield all of the blade's powers, but it actually adapts to him and his Bankai blinds (among other things) his opponents. No canon source can answer this question about a mute shinigami, none has ever been shown.

Names are important, yes, but it is more about knowing than actually yelling them. Otherwise, top-tier Shinigami fight strategies would be to silence your opponents.

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  • Interesting. Completely missed this when I reread the manga. But what if you are born mute? Ichigo was able to say Zangetsu's name before but what if you are not able to say your Zanpakuto's name at all. Can you still release it? Is merely knowing a Zanpakuto's name enough to release it?
    – W. Are
    Commented May 28, 2019 at 2:06
  • @W.Are We don't know that. I believe yes, and just like Tosen's blade adapted to his condition, a mute Shinigami's Asauchi would too. But it's just theories, we have no canon confirmation
    – BlueMoon93
    Commented May 28, 2019 at 8:33

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