KilioFrenzy: October 2012

Byakuya Kuchiki (朽木白哉, Kuchiki Byakuya) is the 28th head of the Kuchiki Clan, one of the four great noble clans in Soul Society. He is also the captain of the 6th Division in the Gotei 13 and his lieutenant is Renji Abarai.

Appearance

Byakuya has slate gray eyes and long black hair, which he keeps up in intricate white headpieces called kenseikan that symbolize his nobility as the head of the Kuchiki family, wearing one on top of his head and another on the right side. He wears the standard captain uniform along with a white scarf made by the master weaver, Tsujishirō Kuroemon III. The scarf is made from the silver-white, windflower light silk (ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu) and is a family heirloom that is handed down from generation to generation and is given to each head of the Kuchiki family. The scarf alone is worth ten mansions in the Seireitei. He also wears fingerless white tekkou that covers only the back of his hands.
17 months after the defeat of Aizen, Byakuya wears hairpieces at the back of his head, but it was noted that those hairpieces were not kenseikan.He now wears a variation of the captain haori with a high collar which has light gold on its edges and small, light gold tassels attached to the corners. The white scarf is also no longer part of his attire.

Personality

As the 28th head of the Kuchiki clan, Byakuya acts in an aristocratic manner — he always seems serene and apathetic towards other people, even while actually deeply conflicted. He is also notably calm, even in battle. He generally acts indifferent, bordering on arrogance, to most situations that he is faced with as shown from how he rarely views his opponent as being worth his time. Byakuya is easily offended if his name is not used properly. As such, he views Ichigo Kurosaki in disdain for always referring to him improperly. When Byakuya talks with Ichigo, he calls him by his full name. Byakuya is very perceptive and is fully aware of the limits of his abilities and usually anything he states in comparison to an opponent is justified. However, when he was younger, he was quick to anger and very hotheaded, as noted by his grandfather.
Byakuya strongly believes in law and order. As the head of one of the great noble families and as a Gotei 13 captain, he works hard for a peaceful society. He feels that if someone in his position does not follow the rules as a good example, no one else will. He also believes that to maintain the order, all law-breakers must be punished, even if it goes against his own wishes. Byakuya feels that "part of a captain's responsibilities are to make sure the lieutenant's responsibilities are taken care of". In spite of his icy and regal manner, Byakuya cares for and protects those important to him. After the events of the Aizen incident, he admitted that law isn't perfect and became more lenient towards his adoptive sister, Rukia.
Byakuya is also popular among the female Shinigami of Soul Society, and was voted number one in the "captain we desire to release a photo book for" poll taken by the Shinigami Women's Association. He likes Japanese cherry blossoms, night-time walks, spicy food and bananas, but he does not like sweets. Byakuya also excels in calligraphy.

History

Byakuya was born into the Kuchiki family and grew up in the Kuchiki mansion in Seireitei. He would spend countless hours training, in preparation to take over the leadership of the Kuchiki family.

Yoruichi Shihōin would often visit the Kuchiki manor to play a game of tag with Byakuya. On one such occasion, approximately 110 years ago, she is presented to a training Byakuya by his grandfather Ginrei Kuchiki. Upon seeing the arrival of Yoruichi, he attacked and insulted her. Yoruichi playfully began to tease him, complaining about his greeting after she came all the way there to see him. Byakuya expressed his displeasure at seeing her and stated that he would be the head of the Kuchiki clan soon enough, so he has no time to waste on her. After Yoruichi stole his hair tie, she exclaimed that if the head of Kuchiki clan could get his hair tie stolen by a girl at play, then she would worry about its future. She then used Shunpo to escape from him, leaving an angry Byakuya to claim his superiority and promise to make her see the error of her ways.

Fifty-five years ago, Byakuya married Hisana Kuchiki, a commoner from Rukongai, breaking the rules by accepting her into the noble Kuchiki family. Five years after the marriage, she became sick and was near death. Hisana asked Byakuya to find and adopt her biological sister, Rukia, whom she had abandoned as a baby as her final wish. She also made him promise that he would not tell Rukia that she is her sister. One year later, Byakuya found Rukia at the Shin'ō Academy and immediately adopted her into the Kuchiki clan. By adopting her, Byakuya respected his late wife's final wish, but had broken the rules of his clan again. He later swore upon his parents' graves that he would never break the rules again, no matter what.
Less than 49 years ago and not long before Rukia joined the Gotei 13, Byakuya became the captain of the 6th Division. Gin Ichimaru became captain of the 3rd Division at the same time, and Gin would commonly start conversations with Byakuya during times they crossed paths.

Powers & Abilities

Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Byakuya is a master of swordsmanship, capable of flawless precision and lethal attacks with little effort.
Shunpo Master: Byakuya is probably best known for his usage of Shunpo. Although having been taught by, but never beating "Goddess of Flash" Yoruichi Shihōin, he is still easily one of the most proficient users of this skill in all of Soul Society.

Senka (閃花, Flash Blossom): a special Shunpo technique where one moves to their opponent's back, directly attacking and sealing one's "Saketsu" and "Hakusui" in two rapid strikes (effectively cutting them off of their spiritual energy flow). This attack is his favorite to use. The movement is so fast that an opponent may not be able to tell whether he was attacked from the front or the back and even an outside observer may find it impossible to tell what the movements are.

Utsusemi (空蝉, Cicada, referencing their molting): Way of Onmitsu, 3rd of the Shihō. It allows for a movement at great speed, leaving an afterimage behind. It is a technique taught to him by Yoruichi Shihōin.

Kidō Master: Byakuya has displayed his knowledge of high level Kidō spells, able to cast several in quick succession without the incantation and with almost no effort and still possessing formidable power. He has been shown to use spells up to level 81 and possesses advanced knowledge of Kidō application and consistency. He can use a low-level spell in rapid succession and with devastating effects, as well as a counter to attacks. He even uses a low-level lightning spell to burn a hole right through Ichigo's shoulder.
Hakuda Combatant: While used less often, Byakuya has shown a highly proficient skill in this area. Byakuya was able to effortlessly knock out several Shinigami guards stealthily with a single strike each.
Immense Spiritual Power: He is capable of exerting an immense amount of Spiritual Pressure, which, in league with his already admirable combat skills and finesse, makes him one of the most formidable captains. His spiritual pressure is so great it can be felt from a great distance and it has the tendency to make people perspire in fear. It is implied by Kōga Kuchiki that he is among the few immensely strong heads of the Kuchiki clan, further elaborating on his power level.
Master Tactician: Byakuya is a highly perceptive fighter, being able to almost immediately determine an opponent's attack patterns and weaknesses. He is also a crafty tactician, as demonstrated from how effectively he uses his Kidō to confuse his opponents. He can discern the motives and abilities of his opponents and effectively uses his knowledge to end the battle in his favor.
Enhanced Endurance: While not having the most imposing appearance compared to other Shinigami captains like Kenpachi Zaraki, Byakuya has shown to be a very resilient fighter. During his fight against Ichigo, despite gaining severe injuries, Byakuya was still able to continue fighting effectively and even ignored his wounds to the point that he seemed unfazed by them. At the end of the fight, he was still able to perform an impressive Flash Step to leave. During his fight with the 7th Espada Zommari Rureaux, Byakuya's durability proved great enough for him to willingly damage himself to escape from his enemy's possession attack and continued to fight as if he was unaffected, eventually obtaining victory. During his fight with Tsukishima, he had his entire left arm mutilated by Senbonzakura, and still was able to defeat the Fullbringer.

Zanpakutō

Senbonzakura (千本桜, "Thousand Cherry Blossoms"; a reference to Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura): A regular katana, with a simple cross guard, which is a simple open frame, much like a four-pane window. It has a bronze guard with lavender hilt-wrapping and white sheath.

Shikai: It is triggered by the command "Scatter" (散れ, chire).

Shikai Special Ability: In its Shikai, Senbonzakura's blade separates into a thousand slender, tiny blade fragments, which then fly away from the hilt, leaving only the sword's handle in Byakuya's hand. The release can be negated before it completes, such as when Yoruichi Shihōin wrapped the blade in cloth during Byakuya's short battle with Ichigo. However, if the release completes itself, then Senbonzakura is rendered near-unstoppable. While the blades are supposedly too small to be seen normally, they reflect light in such a way as to appear as cherry blossom petals. By swinging Senbonzakura's hilt, Byakuya can control the blade fragments at will, allowing him to shred opponents at a distance and break through almost any defense. The blades are also used for defensive purposes, as they can even protect Byakuya from an incoming sword swing. In order to protect Byakuya from his own attacks in both Shikai and Bankai, Senbonzakura possesses a Hurtless Area (無傷圏, mushōken; lit. "woundless zone") where it does not cut anything that is within 85cm of Byakuya unless he himself allows the blades to enter the area. During his second battle with Ichigo, he controlled the blade fragments with his hands to keep up with Ichigo's speed.

Bankai: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi (千本桜景厳, Vibrant Display of a Thousand Cherry Blossoms): is essentially a much larger version of Senbonzakura's Shikai. To activate it, Byakuya needs to drop his sword straight down. The sword phases into the ground, as though it were a pool of water. Energy ripples expand out, turning the surrounding area dark, and within seconds, two rows of a thousand giant blades rise up from the ground. Those thousand swords then scatter and countless flying blades pierce the enemy. No one knows the exact number of blades generated and no one can see the movements of those blades or even dodge them. The number of blades is great enough that Byakuya can use them for defense as well as offense at the same time. He commonly forms them into large masses, designed to obliterate opponents instantaneously. As it moves through the air like torrents of waves, it gives the appearance of cherry blossoms flowing swiftly along with the wind. Byakuya's defensive use allows him to cover himself entirely in these tiny blades, and form a body shield. Unlike his Shikai, his Bankai is entirely mentally controlled. While Byakuya can control the blades with his mind alone, using his hands allows him to do so more effectively, making the blades increase in speed threefold. Similar to his Shikai, its attack is triggered with the phrase Scatter.

Bankai Special Ability: Byakuya's Bankai has several forms, achieved by arranging the blades in different patterns. Each form presents a different advantage, such as increasing offense at the expense of defense. This makes Senbonzakura Kageyoshi one of the most versatile Bankai in the series. These techniques are activated by saying the name of the technique, followed by the name of his Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.

Senkei (殲景, Slaughterscape; Viz: "Annihilate"): The true form of Senbonzakura. This unites the scattered petals into complete glowing swords, numbering in the thousands, that form four rows. These rows float just above the other, and circle around Byakuya and his opponent in a continuously moving, column-like array. It abandons defense in favor of a concentrated offense. Though visually menacing, this form is not meant for attack from all sides; rather, it is to concentrate his power into fewer blades, thus increasing his attack power. While Byakuya can mentally control these swords as he does his regular blades, he commonly calls them to his hands for actual melee combat. When in his hand, they lose their glow, and take the form of his sealed Zanpakutō. While they seem solid in this state, the swords can just as easily dissipate back into the multitude of tiny blades that they are made up of. It seems to take fewer blows from a Senkei blade to gravely injure an opponent than the multiple cuts needed from the unfocused Bankai. The Senkei also cages himself with his enemy, allowing neither combatant to move very far from each other, though the area is still large enough for maneuverability. The most effective use of the Senkei form is that it allows for use of all the swords at the same attack level, making it highly versatile as a way to effectively defeat an enemy unaware of the danger of the situation. It is extremely rare for him to use this ability, doing so only when he has sworn to cut down the opponent with his very own hands. Ichigo was the second being to ever witness the ability.

Gōkei (吭景, Mawscape): This form increases the number of tiny blades immensely. It creates a spherical formation of innumerable blade fragments, which swirl around the opponent like a cloud. It then flies into them from every possible angle, leaving no blind spots and no possibility to escape. It then collapses on itself, obliterating the opponent. It was strong enough to completely obliterate a very large building from the inside out, and the resulting shockwave generated by the attack is so powerful that Byakuya himself has to Flash Step away.

Shūkei: Hakuteiken (終景: 白帝剣, "Endscape: White Emperor Sword"; Viz: "Last Sight: White Emperor Sword"): This condenses each and every single one of his blades into a single, potent sword, drastically increasing its cutting power. The spiritual energy and pressure of this form released is immense. The blade appears bright white and its aura takes the form of a bird, earning it the name Hakuteiken (白帝剣, White Imperial Sword; Viz: "White Emperor Sword"). Pure white wings form on Byakuya's back, as well as a halo-like circle, made of concentrated spiritual energy. The blade in this form is dangerous enough to cause aggravated injuries in one single blow. The wings are capable of being used for flight.Whether or not this form allows only one single attack or more is as yet unknown.

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