Byakuya Kuchiki

Basics

Name: Byakuya Kuchiki (朽木 白哉, Kuchiki Byakuya)

Gender: Male

Age: Unknown, appears mid 30s

Personality:

Byakuya Kuchiki is the 28th head of the noble Kuchiki clan, one of the four great noble families in Soul Society. As such, Byakuya acts in an aristocratic manner — he seems always serene and apathetic towards other people, even when he is actually deeply conflicted. He is also extremely calm, even in battle, and is very seldom surprised by even the most drastic of actions. However, when he was younger, he was quick to anger and very hotheaded, as noted by his grandfather. Due in part to his status in Soul Society, he generally acts indifferent, bordering on arrogance, to most situations that he is faced with as seen from how he rarely views his opponent worth his time. Despite this trait, Byakuya is a very perceptive man and is fully aware of the limits of his abilities and usually anything he states in comparison to an opponent is justified.

Byakuya strongly believes in law and order. As the head of one of the great noble families and as a captain in the Gotei 13, he always works hard for a peaceful society. He feels that if someone in his position does not follow the rules as a good example, then no one will follow them. He believes that to maintain the order, all law-breakers must be punished, even if that goes against his own wishes. 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, as well as more protective, of his adoptive sister, Rukia.

Byakuya is 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. Similar to Sōsuke Aizen, he excels in calligraphy. He, apparently, is very fond of calligraphy, being the representative or possibly president of the Calligraphy Society.

As astonishing as it may seem, Byakuya seems to have a comedic side, as he not only attends the lieutenant's meeting when Renji's absent, but also implies that he attends the meetings of the Shinigami Women's Association when Rukia's absent. As he puts it, "part of a captain's responsibilities is to make sure the lieutenant's responsibilities are taken care of," to which Renji asks if he also goes to Rukia's meetings, which is only responded with a secretive smile. He also once jokingly remarks that he uses Senbonzakura to cut his hair. In one of the omake chapters, Byakuya claims that life in general is not supposed to be entertaining, and even makes up an idea for a game that is not really meant to be amusing.

Having descended from noble stock, 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, although he has never said anything to him to change that. On one occasion, Byakuya calls Ichigo to his mansion in order to have a talk with the young substitute Shinigami, but they were interrupted by Yachiru's appearance, who asks Ichigo to follow her elsewhere. After Ichigo's disappearance, it is revealed that Byakuya wanted Ichigo to refer to him properly, and to stop calling him by only his first name. When Byakuya talks with Ichigo, he calls him by his full name, Ichigo Kurosaki.

Byakuya has shown open disdain for those who have been disgraced or who he finds to be annoying or overconfident. This is shown when he uses unnecessary force against Ganju Shiba, who was little to no threat to him, just because he was a member of the formerly noble Shiba family. He also shows that he bears a grudge toward Yoruichi Shihōin for being better than him at Shunpo as well as annoying him by constantly rubbing his face in it, with this particular grudge spanning 110 years. This goes even as far as him even disliking having to use techniques taught to him by Yoruichi.

Apperance

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, 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 Kuchiki family head. The scarf alone is worth enough to buy ten mansions in the Seireitei.[4] He also wears fingerless white tekkou that cover only the back of his hands.

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 141.1lbs

Eye Color: Slate grey

Hair Color: Black

Zanpakutô

Zanpakutô Spirit:

Name: Senbonzakura (千本桜, "Thousand Cherry Blossoms"; a reference to Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura)

Appearance:

Senbonzakura appears as a masked samurai in full-body armor. He has long, dark brown hair tied with a silver ribbon and wears a golden forehead plate that resembles a half-cherry blossom. From what little is seen from when his mask was broken apart, he appears to resemble Byakuya to some degree.

Personality:

Much like his master, he is portrayed as serious and uninterested in small-talk, as shown when he ignored Ruri'iro Kujaku's attempts at conversation. However, unlike Byakuya, he has occasional emotional outbursts and can be rather impatient. According to Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake, this is likely a reflection of Byakuya's inner nature from his younger years. . Senbonzakura also cares for Sode no Shirayuki much like Byakuya cares for Rukia. Unlike his partner, Senbonzakura is more cheerful and humble, willing to relax and enjoy partying, even to the point of passing out from too much drinking. He tends to keep his mask on at all times, even while taking a bath, and he also has a spare mask at hand, should his current one break.


Zanpakutô Realm: Unknown

Sealed Zanpakutô :



A regular katana, with a simple cross guard, which is a simple open frame, much like a four-pane window. It has a white-colored hilt and white sheathe.

Shikai Description:



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.

Shikai Abilities:

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.

Release: "Scatter" (散れ, chire)

Bankai Description:



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.

Bankai Abilities:

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 three fold. 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 is created by his blood, which glows and turns into spiritual energy, mixing with the tiny blades of his Bankai. 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.

Background

History/Background:

Byakuya was born into the Kuchiki family, one of the four noble families. Byakuya grew up in the Kuchiki mansion in the Seireitei of Soul Society. He would spend countless hours training, in preparation of taking over the leadership of the Kuchiki family and the 6th Division from his grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki.

Yoruichi Shihōin appeared to be on good terms with the members of the Kuchiki noble family, as she would often visit the Kuchiki manor to play tag with Byakuya. On one such occasion, approximately 110 years ago, she is presented to a training Byakuya by his grandfather Ginrei Kuchiki, the head of the Kuchiki family as well as the 6th Division captain. Upon seeing the arrival of Yoruichi, he swung his sword at her and called her a demon cat. Yoruichi laughed and playfully began to tease him, calling him "Little Byakuya," complaining about why she received such a greeting after she came all the way there to see him. Byakuya yelled at her that he would never want to see the likes of her and that he will be the head of the Kuchiki clan soon enough so he has no time to waste on her. This prompted Yoruichi to steal the ribbon holding his hair back, Byakuya reacted by quickly turning and swinging his sword at her, but she used Shunpo to move to the roof of a nearby building. Yoruichi laughed at him and exclaimed that if the head of clan Kuchiki could get his hair tie stolen by a girl at play, then she would worry about the future of the clan. Not to be defeated so easily, Byakuya told her not to move an inch, but before he could finish speaking, she told him that he couldn't catch her just as she used Shunpo again to begin the chase. Byakuya plainly stated that he could see that she wished to incite his wrath, and he promised to make her see the error of her ways, further making the claim that his Shunpo is far superior to the likes of hers.

Fifty-five years ago, Byakuya married Hisana Kuchiki, who was a commoner from Rukongai; therefore, he broke the rules by accepting her into the noble Kuchiki family. Five years later, she became sick and was near death. Shortly before her passing, Hisana asked Byakuya to find and adopt her biological sister, Rukia, whom she had abandoned as a baby. She also made him promise that he would not tell Rukia about her real family, for she believed that by abandoning Rukia when she was younger, she was not worthy to be called her sister.

One year later, Byakuya found Rukia at the Shinigami 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. As a result, he, though entirely apathetic on the surface, is actually deeply conflicted with the matter of Rukia's execution; should he intervene, it would require breaking the promise to his parents and the rules again, but should he do nothing, he would fail to fulfill the last promise he made to his dying wife to protect Rukia as his own sister.

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 pointless conversations with Byakuya during times they crossed paths.

Extra Abilites:

Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Byakuya is masterful at swordsmanship, capable of flawless precision and lethal attacks without much 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 one strike (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 low-level spells 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. In the anime, Byakuya was able to effortlessly knock out several Shinigami guards stealthily with a single strike each.

Immense Spiritual Power: He is capable of exerting a vast 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. In the anime, his spiritual pressure is white. 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 Durability: 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 several major 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.[124] During his fight with the 7th Espada, 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.

Roleplay Sample:

Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

The soft sound of his chaka rapping gently against the floorboards filled the silence of his home. Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of the Sixth Division. He was well known, well respected. Famous. It was a petty thing, for civilians. For those whose lives were centered around hard toil and feeble earnings. Thats not to say he didn't respect them, or that he thought himself better then them. However, he did not believe any of them could truly understand what it meant to be great, or strong. He had strength, true strength. It was a force he used for the protection of all, for his defense of the law. Nothing was more important to him. Nothing overrode his sense of duty, and discipline. Except her. She was like a weakness to him, one that nobody really considered utilizing for fear of their own lives, and for good reason. He would not say he name, not even think it.

"Sir, your supper is ready."

He casually flicked his hand, dismissing the girl with a stoic wave. She was a nice girl, well trained and very appropriate, respectful. He continued walking, the young lady bowing and walking back the way she had come, the way Byakuya had come from a few moments before. He stopped in front of a door. Staring at the small wooden handle momentarily, seeing a girls hands grasp them with a small laugh. He flung them open, light pouring into the candle-lit room. His eyes struck the case at the far end of the room, the leader of the Kuchiki clan showing apparent emptiness on his face. He walked through the room slowly, his sword moving easily at his side, Byakuya more then accustomed to its weight at his side. His hand reached up, opening the cabinet smoothely, deliberately.

There was her picture, the light of the candles around her flickering off his eyes.

"..."

He stared, for what seemed an eternity.

"Hisana."

His voice was barely a whisper, and memories flooded his mind. He could see her, laying in bed, sick. Asking him to find her. His eyes closed as he continued to think and remember. He did it often, coming here and admiring her photo. Though he was cold, and stoic as an individual, most of it only became that way after her death. He clenched his fists at thinking of it, of that time nearly a hundred years past. He had made her promises, promises he intended to keep. His duties, however, dictated that he remain here and serve the Gotei. But someday, someday he would take leave, and go in search of those whom might be connected to Hisana. Perhaps after this pointless war. It seemed baseless to him. Who cared who ruled? There would always be someone in control, and order and upholding the law were what mattered in the end, not who laid down those laws or whose side got the greatest victory.

If Aizen won, and Byakuya lived through it, he would serve under his rule just the same as he served under Seireitei's.

As things stood, however, he would fight Aizen to his last breath as the law required and asked of him. He was a Captain, and he would make sure that Aizen would rue the day he stood against them. For the Gotei, for the law. For Hisana.

He closed the cabinet doors dutifully, looking one last time at the place he knew the picture rested. Turning smoothely, he walked from the room, closing the door behind himself and moving off to his awaiting meal.

Approved Broski.

Approved for 0-4+

Reapproved 1-1+