Mideo

Benihime (紅姫, Crimson Princess; Viz "Red Princess"): A blade described by Urahara as "not nice", it is one of the few known Zanpakutō with a female spirit owned by a male. When sealed, Benihime is a beige-colored shikomizue (a blade hidden inside a cane) with a curved handle and silver base. As the blade resides in a cane, the cane's handle is still the hilt and the shaft is the sheath, allowing it to still operate like other Zanpakutō.[237] The shaft's base bears a skull and blue flame mark on the bottom, which can separate souls from bodies by pressing the mark to it.[238] Back when Urahara was still in the Gotei 13, Benihime was sealed in an average-sized katana form, with a black sheath worn under Urahara's sash. It had an oval-shaped tsuba, with a snowflake-design embossed in it, and a black hilt-wrapping.[2][239]

UraharaShikai

Benihime's Shikai state.

Shikai: Benihime's Shikai command is "Awaken" (起きろ, okiro; Viz "Wake up"). Its Shikai takes the form of a sleek, medium-sized sword. The hilt's grip, which has a gentle black-decorative wrapping, bends forward at the end, with a pommel shaped overlap three times, and a crimson tassel dangling from its base. Instead of a tsuba, there is a U-shape guard covering three inches of blade, with a flower petal design. At the base of the guard is a red string wrapped thrice around the hilt, with a three-loop bow on the back side and a folded paper decoration on the front side. The blades hamon is straight, colored black with a silver edge, and is somewhat thicker than the cane-sealed state. It remains straight and slim with a somewhat short size, with the tip ending in a slanted razor-like edge instead of tapering to a point.[240][241]

Shikai Special Ability: Benihime is capable of producing and manipulating a crimson-colored energy to perform a variety of techniques. Urahara can use these techniques by declaring the proper verbal command that corresponds to Benihime's different abilities.[242][243][244]

Uruhara-nake-blast

Urahara uses Nake, Benihime.

Nake, Benihime (啼け紅姫, Sing, Crimson Princess; "Scream" in the English dub): This technique fires particularly strong and destructive crimson-colored energy blasts. The energy flows out of the blade and fires in the arc of the sword's swing.[245] The technique is capable of taking on a point-blank Cero from an Espada-level Arrancar by dissipating it with a blast of equal power.[246] He can charge up this technique to deal considerably more damage.[196]

Chikasumi no Tate (血霞の盾, Blood Mist Shield): This technique forms a hexagon-shaped crimson barrier in front of the blade for defensive purposes. The barrier is called out with the same command as the "Nake" technique. The barrier can easily block a direct punch from the immensely strong Yammy Llargo without any damage or repercussions to Urahara,[247] and block Ichigo's first use of his "Getsuga Tenshō" while only slightly eroding, after which Urahara states he would have lost an arm were it not for the shield.[248]

Kamisori, Benihime (剃刀紅姫, Razor, Crimson Princess):[212] A technique which fires an energy arc capable of cutting through materials and substances with relative ease. This arc moves towards the target and can instantly change direction. It cut through a Hierro-protected tentacle of Luppi Antenor.[249]

Tsuppane, Benihime (突ッ撥紅姫, Spurning, Crimson Princess):[212] After analyzing a technique's Reishi composition and the subject's muscle movements when they use the technique, by simply drawing a circle of energy with the edge of Benihime and timing it right, this technique can cancel out the enemy's attack at the point of contact.[250]

Shibari, Benihime (縛り紅姫, Crimson Princess of Binding): This technique launches condensed energy in the form of a tangible blood red net, generated from the blade length, and simply throws it over the intended target (typically from above) with a simple slashing motion from Benihime. The net further binds and restricts an opponent’s movements by constricting to its form. This net appears elongated and somewhat narrow.[251]

Hiasobi, Benihime, Juzutsunagi (火遊 紅姫 数珠繋, Fire-Playing Crimson Princess Beaded Mesh): After using the Shibari technique, Urahara stabs the net with the tip of Benihime, creating orbs of fire along the outside length of the net, which explode like linked land-mines in a domino formation, leading toward the target bound under the net. When the orbs come into direct contact with the intended target, they create a tremendously large and devastating explosion.[252]

664Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame

Urahara's Bankai, Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame.

Bankai: Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame (観音開紅姫改メ, Modification of the Crimson Princess' Dissection at the Doors of Avalokiteśvara; Viz "Opened Red Princess Neo"): Urahara's Bankai takes the form of a giant woman with dark, braided hair arranged in loops on her head and mannequin-like arm and wears a revealing robe,[253] while Urahara himself retains his Shikai sword for combat.[254] Urahara learned Bankai in three days using the Tenshintai he created.[255] When Yasutora Sado comes to him for training, Urahara states that Sado needs to fight against the power of a Bankai to improve and assigns Renji Abarai to fight him, saying that his own Bankai is not fit for training or helping others.[256]

665Urahara restructures

Urahara restructures his eyes to restore his vision.

Bankai Special Ability: Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame has the ability to restructure anything it touches for both offensive and supportive purposes. Offensively, it can split open whatever is within its area of effect as if cutting with a knife. This "splitting" is similar to the act of dissecting something by cutting it open. Supportively, it can restructure something by stitching it back together; this can be used as a form of healing, such as when Urahara restored his eyes using this power. It also can be used as a way to bring something to an optimal working state by enhancing it, which Urahara used to overpower Askin Nakk Le Vaar by restructuring his arm to have greater strength. All uses of this are manifested in the form of cutting said objects into parts and then using stitches to sew the pieces back together. With it, Urahara can also create a path for others to move through obstacles or barriers