The Quincy's unexpected attack simply devastates Seireitei, leaving countless Shinigami dead and even more wounded, while several others are simply lost without their Bankai. Renji was about 0,5 seconds away from joining the ranks of Bankai-deprived warriors in Bleach but is unintentionally saved by Mask De Masculine in a fortunate twist of fate. Zaraki Kenpachi also dodged a bullet because, at the time of the attack, he had no connection to his Zanpakuto Spirit (and therefore, no Bankai to speak of.)
Surprisingly, Ichigo is seemingly immune to the Wandenreich medallion's effects, which Asguiaro Ebern discovers the hard way. The first course of the Bleach:Thousand Year Blood War caused six Bankai casualties, but now that the Shinigami know what the Sternritter are up to, hopefully, the rest will be saved from suffering the same fate.
6 Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū (Chōjirō Sasakibe)
The 1st Division's Lieutenant is the first known Shinigami to lose his Bankai during the Quincy invasion after being completely caught off guard. He ensures to alert his fellow warriors of the dangers of the Wandenreich medallion (assuming his Bakai simply got sealed away), but unfortunately, not all heed his warning. Sasakibe's never-before-seen Bankai gets a bitter-sweet debut, after laying dormant for two thousand years due to its terribly destructive nature.
Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū is a volatile attack that encases the wielder in a dome of lightning, fortified by several pillars of potent electrical energy. A singular, concentrated lightning bolt can then be targeted at the enemy, leaving them little chance of escape. Driscoll Berci is the lucky recipient of Sasakibe's Bankai; however, his glory is cut short by Yamamoto's vengeful sword.
5 Senbonzakura Kageyoshi (Byakuya Kuchiki)
The 6th DivisionCaptain takes his leadership and law-enforcement role very seriously indeed, and thankfully, he has learned to apply a semblance of compassion to his conduct over the years. One of the most well-known Zanpakuto around, Senbonzakura is a breathtaking site, with thousands of razor-sharp cherry blossom petals cascading through the air. These pink petals transform into swarms of blades (of various forms and magnitudes, depending on the special skill used.)
One of the most epic fights in the Thousand Year Blood War (so far) is between Byakuya and the terrifying Äs Nödt, who takes the concept of sadism to a whole other level. Byakuya throws caution to the wind by pulling out the big guns against the seemingly invincible Sternritter, hoping to find out more about their newfound foes during their battle. Fortunately, Byakuya somehow survives the whole ordeal and is promptly sent to recover at Tenjiro Kirinji's revitalizing Hot Springs.
4 Daiguren Hyōrinmaru (Toshiro Hitsugaya)
The youngest Captain in Gotei 13 history is the stern-faced Hitsugaya, head of the 10th Division (who ends up doing his subordinate's work too, on far too many occasions.) Hitsugaya's Bankai is as cold as his demeanor, as Hyōrinmaru has many ice-dragon components for this skilled child prodigy to utilize. His Bankai is particularly memorable, turning the white-haired wonder into a winged, ice-wielding powerhouse with yet another set of overpowered techniques at his disposal.
This youngster happens across the mysterious Cang Du during the chaos and activates his Bankai without hesitation after seeing firsthand that his usual icy attacks are ineffective against this strange foe. Hitsugaya seems to take the loss of his Bankai the hardest, calling out to Hyōrinmaru like a long-lost brother before falling to the floor, grief-stricken. However, he quickly jumps into action and instructs Matsumoto to inform the others via Tenteikura that the intruders are not sealing, but stealing their Bankai, saving countless more from suffering the same fate.
3 Jakuhō Raikōben (Soi Fon)
The 2nd Division Captain has a lot on her plate, as Soi Fon (sometimes spelled Suì-Fēng) is also responsible for running the top-secret Onmitsukidō from behind the scenes. Her Bankai, Jakuhō Raikōben, is essentially an oversized, gilded missile launcher that is nearly twice as tall as she is, and can launch potent and precise spirit energy projectiles from vast distances away. The kickback is so powerful that the stealthy Shinigami has to tether herself down to prevent herself from being blown away from the recoil alone.
After discovering that Suzumebachi could not pierce BG9 and work its magic, Soi Fon resorts to extreme measures and risks revealing her colossal Bankai; a plan which backfires quite brutally. However, out of everyone affected, Soi Fon arguably has the best chance at bouncing back swiftly, as she was not known to rely too heavily on her Bankai, preferring to use her Shikai or immaculate Kido and Hakuda skills during battle instead. The fact that she suddenly uses Jakuhō Raikōben during the Quincy Invasion is quite bizarre, and is seemingly just a poorly placed plot device.
2 Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō (Sajin Komamura)
The underrated Captain of the 7th Division eventually gets a chance in the spotlight during the Thousand Year Blood War; however, he pays a mighty price to get there. Komamura's colossal Bakai summons an ancient, armored samurai to the battlefield that towers over everyone while expertly replicating its master's movements. And while this giant's size evidently comes with a significant power boost, it does not impede Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō's speed in the slightest.
Komamura's battle with Bambietta Basterbine is brief and unsuccessful, and yet it opens up the pathways for this Wolfman to reconnect with his roots. The nagging questions surrounding his animalistic appearance will finally get some answers as this Shinigami attempts to reintegrate with his Clan to learn their secret technique. At least Komamura puts his Shikai to good work and incapacitates several Quincy before Bambietta gets her hands on him, leaving quite an impression on the stunning Sternritter.
1 Zanka no Tachi (Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto)
It's a rare occurrence to see the Captain Commander on the frontlines and even less common to witness his Bankai in action, and yet, the Thousand Year Blood War delivers both. Yamamoto has been the main man since creating the Gotei 13, and Ryūjin Jakka's reputation alone is enough to instill fear, while his overwhelming Reiatsu practically guarantees submission.
Unbeknownst to most, Zanka no Tachi has various levels of intensity, each pushing the limits as to how truly potent flames can be. The heat produced by Yamamoto's Bakai is so extreme that it sucks the water straight out of the air (throughout Seireitei), while the ensuing inferno is arguably unbeatable. Through deception and trickery, Royd Lloyd distracts the Captain Commander long enough for Yhwach to swoop in and claim the ultimate prize before slicing Yamamoto in two and childishly stomping on his corpse.