Hyōrinmaru's Bankai

Hyōrinmaru's bankai, named Daiguren Hyōrinmaru (大紅蓮氷輪丸, lit. Great Crimson Lotus Ice Ring, Viz: Great Roaring Coldly Shining Moon), causes ice to flow from Hyōrinmaru onto Hitsugaya, forming into two large wings and a tail. Ice also forms into a dragon's head around his sword hand, encasing it up to the hilt. His left arm is covered fully until the wrist where it then spans into claws, leaving his hand and fingers free. Hitsugaya's feet are encased in ice in a similar manner to his left hand. Additionally, his wings are capable of folding around him to serve as ice shields. Three "flowers" of ice, shaped similarly to the guard of his zanpakutō, are also created behind Hitsugaya with four petals each, which melt away as Hitsugaya attacks.

Hyōrinmaru's bankai has two known special techniques. The first is "dragon hail flower" (竜霰花, ryūsenka?), which freezes any enemy Hitsugaya stabs, locking them into a cocoon of ice and freezing them to the core. Once frozen, Hitsugaya can shatter his opponent. The second is "thousand years ice prison" (千年氷牢, sennen hyōrō?),6 which forms a multitude of ice pillars using the moisture in the atmosphere. These pillars then envelop the enemy.7

During a battle with Hitsugaya, where Hitsugaya was fighting under a power limit, the arrancar Shawlong speculates that Hitsugaya's bankai will fade when all twelve petals disappear, assuming that Hitsugaya's bankai is incomplete due to his young age. During his fight with Luppi, Hitsugaya states that as long as there is water in the surrounding area, his bankai can regenerate itself indefinitely, during which time the flowers are not visible.8