Bleach

[Vathris]

No idea why we are spoilering, but since all the cool kids are doing it...

Spoiler: show

Whats the reasoning behind calling this a retcon? Cant it be some convoluted thing and he have something like shunsui, dead wife(zanpakuto 1), dead daughter (zanpakuto 2) and nanao as a daughter or something¿? iunno, but both swords have skulls in their head as decor and if one is nanao's, ah screw it, its way too late and im sleepy for this kind of thinking

[Guitarman]

So, reading the mangastream version; Kyokotsu is really Nanao's sword? Am I reading that right? This one was tough for me to follow.

[ninjafox]

When did the zanpakuto arc start? Apparently I didn't read it, but from this chapter alone it seems like Kyouraku only has one zanpakuto and has been using Nanao's the whole time?

[Seha]

Zanpakuto arc was anime only.

[Serra]

It was one of the anime filler arcs.

We know Kubo was involved with the designs, but was he involved in any other part of that arc?

[kuronosan]

Nanao is probably a Zan herself. Katen is one sword, the child (shikai) and the mature woman (bankai). Kyoukotsu is the other sword, which is either Nanao's mother as a spirit or Nanao's sword itself.

It's really no different than when we found out from Ichigo that spirits change from shikai to bankai.

[Sho]

Would make so much sense why Nanao doesn't have a Zan herself -- irony is that some of us always assumed Kenpachi's Zan to be Yachiru, when the idea may have actually been with Kyoraku the entire time.

My problem with that theory Kuro, is that the kid manifests herself right behind Nanao as soon as her Zan is returned to her.

---

It may be better to state that Kyoraku may made a promise with Nanao's mother, quite possibly the only woman he truly loved, with the promise that he would hold both Zanpakutou, that he would keep Nanao safe (and alive) by not allowing her to fight. Makes more sense when you read the entire chapter before when Katen manifests herself behind Kyoraku (the kimono he wears was his lost love's as well). Could also be expanded upon by having some interesting love story on how Kyoraku somehow placed the mother's spirit in his Zan and Nanao's spirit in her own Zan.

The retcon of Nanao already having a Zan knife or tanto type deal in her sleeve has to be explained.

[kuronosan]

That's a very good theory.

[Ayn]

It was Dio all along.

(but seriously, interesting theory).

[BadKarma]

IT WAS ME DIO

[Obsidian]

I think Nanao's mother was Shunsui's sister, and whatever promise he made had to do with keeping Nanao's zanpakuto away from her. His two swords have two different souls but look the same because of the family connection.

I don't know why he would have promised to keep it away from her though.

[ninjafox]

Doesn't he flirt with her all the time?

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[Obsidian]

He flirts with everybody.

[Diomer]

Plot twist: Katen is Nanao's mother and Kyouraku somehow impregnated her giving birth to some kind of weird human-zanpaktou hybrid child. It's all fun and games until you impregnate your zanpaktou. So basically, I've got nothing, but I can't wait to see where Kubo goes with this though.

[Seha]

Having sex with a sword sounds very dangerous!

[arus2001]

Maybe he boinked the sheath.

[Guitarman]

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/651

Pretty surprised, tbh.

Spoiler: show

So Nanao is his niece, Kyokotsu is his sword, he was hiding a third bladeless sword.

kind of a bullshit deus ex, tbh.

[Obsidian]

That thing looks pretty sweet.

[Xno Kappa]

I like it. The story is simple and not overly-convoluted in typical kubo fashion.

[Evane]

It's a sword within a sword.