BLEACH: TYBW Part 3 — Yoruichi’s Raijin Shunko, Explained

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Summary

  • Yoruichi reveals a new form of the Shunkō technique – Raijin Senkei – during an intense battle.
  • Shunkō combines Hakuda with Kidō for a boost in physical abilities and offensive power.
  • Yoruichi’s lightning-based Shunkō technique, inspired by the Shinto god of thunder, showcases her incredible talent.

In the climactic battle of “BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 – The Conflict,” I found myself observing as Yoruichi, a key figure in the Shinigami’s defense against Yhwach’s invasion, stepped into the fray. Up until this point, she had primarily served in a supportive role, assisting in the defense of the Soul King Adnyeus and setting up the circumstances that allowed the Shinigami and their allies to return to the Soul King’s Palace following Yhwach’s transformation of it into Welt. However, when Sternritter D – The Deathdealing, Askin Nakk Le Vaar, overpowered not only Ichigo but also incapacitated both Chad and Orihime, Yoruichi swiftly intervened to protect her comrades.

In her duel with Nakk Le Vaar, Yoruichi unveiled a novel facet of the Shunkō technique she and Soi-Fon employed during their Soul Society arc fight, known as the Shunkō: Raijin Senkei. To put it simply, this new application functions as follows:

It appears to be an augmentation of the original Shunkō method, where a user can manipulate lightning in combat. The Raijin Senkei version seems to allow the user to summon and control numerous bolts of lightning simultaneously, creating a powerful and destructive storm-like effect. The specifics of how it works are not explicitly stated but can be inferred from observing Yoruichi’s use of the technique during her battle.

Quick Recap: What Is the Shunkō Technique?

A Powerful Kidō-Based Strength-Augmentation

Shinigami combat has four pillars:

  • Hakuda – hand-to-hand combat
  • Zanjutsu – swordsmanship
  • Kidō – literally “Demon Arts”, the various offensive and support spells employed by the Shinigami
  • Hōhō – footwork, referring to the fast defensive movements of which Shunpo (“Flash Step”) is an important aspect

The Shunko technique, devised by Yoruichi Shihouin, seamlessly blends martial arts (Hakuda) with spiritual energy manipulation (Kidō), significantly amplifying all physical capabilities. By channeling Kidō into their limbs, the technique causes a tear in the standard Shinigami uniform at the shoulders – this is why the Onmitsukidou’s uniform, known as the Keisen Shozoku, lacks sleeves. At first, Soi-Fon believed she was the first to master this ability, but during their encounter, Yoruichi unveiled that she had developed and named it long ago. The Shunko technique serves not only for physical enhancement, but can be used offensively, as the Kidō energy can also function as a potent projectile in combat. Defensively, the user can concentrate their spiritual power (Reiatsu) to protect specific body areas.

Types of Shunkō
User Element
Soi-Fon Wind/Air
Yoruichi Lightning
Yūshiro Fire

When Soi-Fon expertly uses her Shunko ability in combat against BG9 during the events of “BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 – The Separation”, her spiritual power takes on a spinning wind shape, creating a whirlwind vortex that surrounds her continuously. Soi-Fon calls this powerful, ever-spinning Shunko technique the “Mukyū Shunko” or “Infinite Shunko”. Yoruichi’s lightning-based Shunko is a skill she refers to as “Shunko: Raijin Senkei”, which translates to “God of Thunder Battle Form”.

Raiden’s Battle Form

The Flash Goddess is The God of Thunder

In Shinto folklore, Kaminari-sama, also recognized as Raijin, Raiden, Raikō or Narukami, is the deity associated with lightning, thunder, and storms (making him the Elder God in the Mortal Kombat universe). He is often portrayed with intense facial expressions while standing atop a cloud, surrounded by a cluster of den-den daiko drums bearing tomoe symbols. In the Soul Society, Yoruichi is revered as the “Flash Goddess” due to her extraordinary Shunpo skills; it was she who instructed Byakuya Kuchiki in this technique. When performing the Raijin Senkei, Yoruichi summons a radiant web of lightning bolts, using her Reiatsu to empower her limbs with kidō, thus generating an electric ring behind her that resembles the drums commonly depicted in representations of the Shinto god. The form and its abilities are inspired by this deity.

Yoruichi discharges a pillar of electric power that envelops the adversary. If not for Askin Nakk Le Vaar’s Schrift, which alters the lethal amount of substances he consumes and ultimately made him resistant to Yoruichi’s attacks due to his acquired resistance to her Reiatsu, this attack would have been fatal. Despite Yoruichi’s ability appearing incredibly potent, it is not the ultimate stage of the Shunkō technique’s evolution. Many readers eagerly anticipate the climactic revelation, often referred to as the “final trump card,” in BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4 – The Calamity, which is expected to premiere around late 2025.

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2025-01-12 21:33