Fun with Titles: The Speed Phantom 2 (Denial by Pride, Contradiction by Power)

Chapter 163 of the Bleach manga has one of my favorite chapter titles ever out of all the titles in the whole Bleach series. Said title is “The Speed Phantom 2 (Denial by Pride, Contradiction by Power)”. It is a chapter in the climax of Soul Society arc in which Byakuya and Ichigo fights with their respective bankais. Let’s break down the title and see how it relates to the contents of chapter 163.

“The Speed Phantom” refers to Ichigo. He just revealed his bankai in chapter 162 and is now beginning to demonstrate its powers in chapter 163. One of the things Tensa Zangetsu does is increase Ichigo’s speed. Ichigo is able to sneak on Byakuya not once, but twice. He is also able to catch up, overtake, and even deflect Senbonzakura’s fast blades. Thus, “The Speed Phantom” must refer to Ichigo. (The number 2 is there because the previous chapter, chapter 162, is called “The Speed Phantom” too.)

Next, “Denial by Pride” refers to Byakuya’s denial of Ichigo’s bankai. In this chapter, we see Byakuya rejecting the fact that Ichigo’s bankai is a real bankai. Since Byakuya takes serious pride in all-things-shinigami, he gets personally offended when something goes against the established shinigami rules and traditions. Ichigo’s bankai is one of those things. Normally, bankai take a long time to achieve, and only the most seasoned shinigami can do so. However, a nobody like Ichigo is able to learn bankai in three days! Byakuya perceives this as a threat to his pride as a shinigami. His denial here results from his pride – hence Denial by Pride. (Check out my full analysis on Byakuya in this fight!)

However, there is a problem with Byakuya’s denial, because there is a “Contradiction by Power”. I think the “power” here refers to Ichigo’s power, his bankai Tensa Zangetsu. The tremendous power (especially speed) Ichigo demonstrates is a testament to the fact that his bankai is indeed a real bankai. Byakuya’s denial does not last for very long as a result of this contradiction. At the end of the chapter, Byakuya admits that Ichigo’s bankai is indeed a bankai and swears to destroy it.