I know a few of you followed me more for Bleach and fanfic, and outside of a few reblogs here and there I’ve mostly pivoted to posting about Lancer due to brain rot, so to make it up a little I’ve decided to provide some Lancer!AU headcanons for some of the cast, despite normally not being about AUs.
Abarai Renji: I originally considered the idea that Renji pilots a standard General Massive Systems Everest, on account of his lack of money, but after thinking about it I realized he would pilot a GMS mech, but not an Everest. He would pilot a Sagarmatha, because Renji loves a good pep talk, and what is Raise The Banner if not the ultimate pep talk? Later on, his equivalent True Bankai moment would be grabbing an Royal Karrakin Foundries Orchis. Orchis' love of being adjacent to its allies, alongside Ferrous Lash providing options for pulling allies close/pushing enemies away fits Renji rather nicely. That said, I did about die laughing to myself earlier imagining Renji in a Harrison Armory Enkidu.
Incidentally, I think in this AU he would be an Ignoble from the Karrakin Trade Baronies who got into the Karrakin Cavalry College somehow alongside Rukia.
Kuchiki Rukia: Rukia would pilot a Calendula, I think. Its focus on slowing mechs to make them vulnerable matches how she uses Sode no Shirayuki, I feel. Naturally, the Kuchikis would be a Karrakin House in this AU too, so it makes for her to pilot a Karrakin mech. Also, there's something morbidly funny about her having the power to put an ally and an enemy in the shadow realm to duel one another alone and uninterrupted. One imagines she enabled the Lancer! AU Kaien in a much more direct way than in canon.
Kuchiki Byakuya: Byakuya would pilot a Smith-Shimano Corpro Mourning Cloak. It's the most "-teleports behind you- nothing personnel, kid". Also, SSC is the luxury brand, and nothing says luxury like buying a scarf worth seven mansions a Mourning Cloak. Also also, however, Mourning Cloak's versatility in being suited to melee combat, ranged combat, AND e-warfare line up very nicely with Byakuya's own versatility as a Shinigami.
Zaraki Kenpachi: Kenpachi would absolutely use a GMS Everest, but he'd outfit it with Interplanetary Shipping-Northstar Blackbeard weapons and systems, for some real close-combat hacking and slashing. Post-character development, though, I think he'd swing towards Blackbeard's variant frame - the IPS-N Empakaai. A mech with an integrated superheavy weapon just feels right.
Kusajishi Yachiru: Yachiru does not get her own frame. She's Kenpachi's personal SEKHMET-Class NHP. She's maximizing Kenpachi's potential for violence.
Madarame Ikkaku: Ikkaku is absolutely the kind of guy to use a superheavy weapon, but I think the IPS-N Vlad is more his style. Both because it has a lance weapon, but also because Ikkaku's seiyuu, Nobuyuki Hiyama, was the voice of Viral in Gurren-Lagann, so of course he should use the mech with the big fuck-off superheavy Combat Drill.
Ayasegawa Yumichika: With Yumichika, we're gonna go in a wild direction. He would pilot a HORUS Manticore. It's a real close-combat type, much like Ikkaku and Kenpachi, but unlike them his Manticore is secretly built for hacking as well. Also, Yumichika's willingness to throw his life away to keep a secret feels like the kind of mindset that would CASTIGATE.
Komamura Sajin: Komamura would pilot the Harrison Armory Saladin. I'm not even sure I need to explain this one. Everyone remember to say "Thank you, Big Sajin".
