Does Shinji use his Bankai in the Bleach manga? Explained

With the latest episode of Bleach TYBW, fans of the franchise finally got to see Gotei 13 Squad 5 Captain Shinji Hirako use his Bankai. While fans did know that the Bankai was banned to be used in the Soul Society, not much other than that was revealed in the anime till now. So, was Shinji Hirako's Bankai revealed in Bleach's manga?

While fans might find it odd, Shinji Hirako's Bankai was not revealed in the manga. The series only saw the captain's Bankai be described as too dangerous to use in the Soul Society. Thus, the Squad 5 Captain was banned from using it. Nevertheless, the captain did not have much trouble while fighting, given how his Zanpakuto's Shikai ability was strong enough to take down enemies.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Bleach manga and light novel.

---

Bleach: Where was Shinji Hirako's Bankai first revealed?

BLEACH Can’t Fear Your Own World light novels (Image via Shueisha)

While Shinji Hirako's Bankai was referred to in the Bleach manga, it wasn't until the BLEACH Can’t Fear Your Own World light novel was released that his Bankai was explored to a great extent. The light novel was published between August 2017 and December 2018 and was created by series creator Tite Kubo and award-winning light novelist Ryohgo Narita's collaborative work.

The story centered on the events that took place in the Soul Society after the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. It focused on several characters, one of them being Shinji Hirako.

---

How does Shinji Hirako's Bankai work?

Shinji Hirako as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

As seen in Bleach TYBW episode 16, Shinji Hirako's Bankai - Sakashima Yokoshima Happōfusagari is quite dangerous to be used when he has his allies around him. Upon activating it, his Zanpakuto turns into a staff with a large ring on the front end. As for Shinji, he himself gets encapsulated within a large flower construct. The flower petals close in order to shield the user from any harm which could come his way due to his Bankai's ability.

The episode sees the Squad 5 Captain pitted against several Quincy soldiers, who had already taken down the Shinigami in that area. As he had no allies around, Shinji Hirako decided to use his Bankai.

Shinji Hirako as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Shinji's Bankai - Sakashima Yokoshima Happōfusagari, similar to his Shikai, has the ability to invert one's perception. While in the case of his Shikai, his Zanpakuto inverts people's sense of direction, during Bankai, Shinji's Zanpakuto inverts the perception of friend and foe.

Upon activating his Bankai, within a certain vicinity, Shinjii inverted his enemies' sense of perception of who their enemies were. Thus, they were forced to kill their allies. Meanwhile, Shinji remained protected within the flower petals, keeping him unharmed.

The Quincy killing each other in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The reason why the Bankai was forbidden in the Soul Society was because of its ability to invert one's perception of allies and enemies. If Shinji were to use the ability around his Shinigami allies, they will certainly become forced to kill each other. Hence, Shinji Hirako can only use his Bankai in certain situations.