zanpakutoh's 3rd release..  

Oh wait a sec! 3rd release is technically bankai, first form is called Zanpakuto which is then the swords all look the same, basically the katana or tanto for some, then there is shikai which is the second and then bankai would be the third and Bykauyas Senbonsakura's Shinkai(??) form being a 4th

no no no, Byakuya's special, you can tell he's one of those people who's spent ages on his techniques. He's still limited to original form, shikai form and bankai form, like everyone else. He's just (expressing)? his bankai in different ways, it's all essentially the same thing.
Think of it this way, the HUGE mass of petals is the basic idea of his shikai and bankai, but if he alters his thinking a bit, the petals, which are really little blades by themselves, group/reform into swords. This shouldn't be too hard to accept since, they control their bankais with their reiatsu (spiritual energy) which means controlling it with their mind, and once you think of it differently, the sanpakutou should assume the new form. Now, finally, the last one, with the big sword with wings, it's just taking the second form of his bankai one step further. So millions of weak little blades have group/solidified to form a hundred odd swords, so the third form's just concentrating it more to fit all of those grouped swords into one big, very powerful sword.

OMG, I can't believe how much I just crapped on!

hmmmm...its not just shinigami who named their katana as zanpakuto, remember the arancars?? their katana are also named zanpakuto. according to a friend who read bleach manga for advance knowledge about the show (bleach manga) vaizards are able to release more stronger than BANKAI... i dont know if this rumors are true..ill keep reading till i get there, i dont want to jump into that scene because i might miss some important ideas and happenings...

im on the 126th episode of the anime now.

there is a reason for that because the Arrancars are Hollows who have removed their masks and took an the powers of a shinigami which is why they have a zanpakuto. Their release of their zanpakuto is a type of fusion with it.
Vizards are something similar, they are former Shinigami who have taken on the abilites of the Hollows, like ichigo, they have an inner hollow as we already have seen. Which they also have a zanpakuto as well. so the other 2 who have zanpakuto have combined their own powers for that of a shinigami or vise versa. its a little confusing at first, but they are similar which is why they called their swoards zanpakuto. the zanpakuto's are actually supposed to be some what of a living beings...hence, the old man who's inside ichigo as well. The bankai isn't that much known since Ichigo is really the only Vizard to show his bankai form while wearing the mask. I'm pretty sure, but I could be wrong. I read the manga as well because the storyline has progressed far beyond the anime has.


check these links to read more about the differences between the Arrancar and Vizard.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrancar#Arrancar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vizard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrancar#Arrancar

hmmm thanks for the links..i have fun reading it...

I always thought Arrancars zanpakuto was just a way to seal there powers and there bankai. It there true power and they go back to there true forms as hollows when released.

i can look through the manga again...but i'm sure the bankai was a mergance with their zanpakuto..

oooh i kinda agree with emarie about the 1st state being a normal-lookin katana, 2nd stage the shikai n the 3rd stage being bankai. it kinda makes sense

episode 245?? isnt there only 131 episodes so far? lol did you mean CHAPTER 245??