Background of Shinji Hirako's Sword In the anime and manga series Bleach, Shinji Hirako is a Shinigami captain and one of the main characters. His Zanpakuto is named Sakanade, which means "Counter-stroke" in Japanese.

Sakanade has a unique ability to flip the perception of those who look at it. This means that the left and right sides of everything that is seen through the sword are switched, making it difficult for opponents to anticipate and react to attacks. This ability also applies to Shinji himself, making it hard for his opponents to predict his movements.

Like all Zanpakuto, Sakanade has a release command that allows Shinji to unleash its true power. The release command for Sakanade is "Collapse" (hakai), which causes the sword to disintegrate into several petals of light. When the petals dissipate, Shinji's appearance changes, and his abilities are greatly enhanced.