Raian Getsueikirite

Raian Getsueikirite (月影切り手梁, Getsueikirite Raian) was the first captain of the, later being promoted to the Royal Guard. He was exiled from Soul Society following the Akujin Crisis, but regained his status as a captain following the incident with Mūkade; becoming the captain of the Eighth Division. He was the main protagonist of Bleach: Second Act. By Bleach: Blutmond, he had regained his position within the Royal Guard. He was the fourth Kenpachi, due to his killing of the third Kenpachi, and one of the few not associated with the. His title, in the Royal Guard, is the.

Appearance
As a member of the Royal Guard, Raian wears a more modified version of the standard captain's haori; a high-collar, white haori, with red markings across the chest area and along the bottom rim of the robes, as well as his personal insignia near the shoulder of each sleeve. Underneath this, he wears a white tunic and, beneath even that, a standard black shihakushō. He also wears a standard white obi,an unusually colored, blue hakama, for a Shinigami, and standard white tabi.

Raian, himself, is a man of average height, with deep sapphire-blue eyes and long black hair, which he keeps up in a spiked-ponytail, similar to that of. He also allows his bangs to spike outwards. Raian is also noted for his thin eyebrows. He is fair-skinned and is fairly muscular in build, likely from his thousands of years worth of training and exercising as a Shinigami.

During his time his time in training as a Shinigami, before the 's formation, he simply wore the regular Shinigami shihakushō, and upgraded to a haori shortly before his fight for the title of the "Kenpachi". This became a permanent part of his attire during his captaincies of the Eighth and Tenth Divisions, each time with the respective division's emblem emblazoned on the back.

Personality
Despite his laid back disposition, Raian is easily one of the most emotional characters in the series. As he has aged and wizened, he has been able to, for the most part, internalize these emotions, and display a calm and cool mind in the majority of his activities. He is well-renowned for his kind and compassionate behavior, which extends to his subordinates, friends, and family. During his time as the captain of the Tenth Division, his division had one of the highest morale in the entire thirteen divisions, primarily because Raian considered his staff and officers as part of his family and treated them as such. As a leader, he was brilliant, leading his division with confidence, determination, and resolve which only served to boost the morale even further.

From an early age, as a captain, Raian often conflicted with authority. In one of his first appearances in the series, he is seen arguing and even throwing verbal slurs at stand-in Head Captain, Amatarō Omaha. This causal disregard for authority would even extend to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto himself, likely because he has known Yamamoto for so long, referring to him as, same as Seireitou Kawahiru and , rather than by his full name or his title. Nevertheless, Raian is never above showing respect for individuals like Yamamoto, clearly holding the elder captain in high regard. He has even shown respect for his opponents, such as Vladik Volkov and even Akujin, in rare instances. The man he seems to hold with the highest regard, however, is Seireitou Kawahiru, whom is also his closest friend and comrade. His reverence of Seireitou is such that it even trumps his respect for his other Yonkō comrades, which he demonstrated during his battle with Mizu Kurosaki, and while watching Seireitou's fight with Hikaru Kurosaki. Seireitou is also the man that Raian strives to surpass at all costs.

Raian, not all that unlike Ichigo Kurosaki, desires, above all else, to protect those he values most; particularly his younger brother, Mashū Getsueikirite. It was this determination that led him to achieve his Bankai, and even to go on to the Royal Guard. He is known to drive himself to insane lengths to achieve the power necessary to protect those he cares for, as noted by Seireitou, who oversaw two of his training sessions in this pursuit. All of his heroic endeavors in the series have been in direct response to his need to protect his friends; Seireitou, Mashū, and Sanji, during Akujin's first invasion, Yūbi and Yūga during Setsuna Kōmei's onslaught, Seireitou himself during the World Court incident, and the entirety of Soul Society during Akujin's resurgence with the Impero Nascosto. He can also be highly vengeful because of this. After Mashū's death at the hands of the Arrancar, Johann Fichte, Raian killed every single member of Tiro con L'arco, save one, as vengeance and then tried to kill Akujin himself.

In battle, Raian is generally laid back and analytical, a trait that can easily unnerve opponents. True to his title of "Kenpachi", he highly enjoys the thrill of battle. He has noted that he has lost count of the number of times he has fought Seireitou simply to test his skills. He was also willing to kill the previous Kenpachi for the title. When his comrades or family are in danger, he'd rather resolve matters through battle than diplomacy, likely due to his highly vengeful nature. He is also very confident in his abilities, best displayed in his battle with, where, despite the way the elder Shinigami looked down on him, he proved time and time again that, not only was he confident he could match Hiroya's immense power, but he could back up his confidence with actions. At the same time, Raian has a profound sense of honor, refusing to kill an opponent that can no longer fight to defend themselves. He also subscribes to the "" philosophy, which goes along with his vengeful nature.

He is, however, a noticeably responsible individual. During his two tenures as a captain in the Gotei 13, whenever he wasn't out on a mission, he always completed his various paperwork assignments, even if it took him all day; in stark contrast to his more free-spirited and lazy best friend, Seireitou. As a member of the Royal Guard, Raian takes the World of the Living as his responsibility and guards it faithfully from the Spirit King's dimension.

While he is a highly skilled individual, high above many other Shinigami, he was never a good exam taker, having only barely passed his tests in the Shakyaryū Dojang, despite all of his skills.

Dark Raian
, more correctly named the, is the manifested and combined fears and nightmares of Raian and his Zanpakutō, Kanāji Fūshin, which manifested during Raian's Shukai training. Normally, these fears are suppressed and rarely shown in Raian's demeanor, however, the power of the Kōruihora made him manifest.

Raian has noted that he is very similar to his former inner Hollow in personality. Dark Raian is incredibly psychotic and sadistic, caring nothing for anyone or anything around him, in stark contrast to Raian himself. His one desire to lay waste and kill as much as he possibly can. He claims that this reality is not worth living in, stating that the world Raian lives in is filled with disappointment, pain, and death and that the only worth of such a reality is to utterly destroy it. He also claims that things such as friendships and bonds are worthless, as they only serve as a conductor and a magnifier for pain and suffering, and the spark for death and destruction. For this reason, Dark Raian perceives Mashū Getsueikirite to be Raian's greatest weakness and is the person he hates most, exactly the opposite of Raian himself.

Dark Raian appears as a fusion of the beings whose fear makes him up; Raian and Kanāji Fūshin. He has the youthful face of the Zanpakutō spirit, possessing short black hair, and is fairly tall in stature. He wears a mix of the two's clothing as well. His most noticeable trait is the scaring on his face, which he claims is the physical manifestation of the scaring the pain in Raian's life has had on his heart.

Becoming a Shinigami
Raian was born to a low-ranking family in the, living in District #79, in north Rukongai, Kusajishi; an outer district, where crime infested the neighborhoods, nearly 1,800 years ago; eight hundred years before the foundation of the. He was an infant when the remains of the Getsueikirite Family were exterminated by the Shinigami, ironically being rescued by his uncle and soon-to-be enemy, Tadoku Getsueikirite, but was left orphaned. He recalls an early meeting with his soon-to-be best friend, Seireitou Kawahiru, at the time, recalling that Seireitou was much colder back then though Raian could tell it was from loneliness and so he never let Seireitou's coldness get to him.

During a Shinigami mission to Rukongai, and Shōyō Shakyamuni passed by Raian in the streets and immediately sensed an unnatural level of  coming from the young boy. The Kuchiki clan leader immediately arranged for the boy to be transported to the Seireitei for Shinigami training. Raian was placed into the household of Jinsuke Kuchiki upon arriving in the Seireitei so that he would have a place to live during his stay.

Soon after getting settled in Seireitei, he began his early Shinigami training at the Shakyaryū Dojang, along with Seireitou and Shiori Miyamoto, and Senka Kururugi, lead by Shōyō himself, who became a highly-idolized mentor figure in Raian's life. There, Seireitou and Raian often butted heads and it was there, at the Dojang, that their rivalry began. Raian, himself, immediately came out on top of all of his classmates, including Seireitou himself, in, displaying a natural affinity for the art, while Seireitou excelled at his opposite, ; being considered prodigies in their own rights. The only skill they seemed to be even at was. Even with this considerable skill level, however, Raian only made average scores on his examinations, while Seireitou made perfect scores, only underscoring their rivalry and pushing Raian to do even more, such as learning the Shikai of his Zanpakutō, despite his rather short instruction on the matter within the confines of the Dojang. Raian also continued personal training sessions with his brother, Mashū, who had also become a Shinigami. Eventually, Raian graduated in the same class as Seireitou, Senka, and Shiori. Following their training's completion in the Dojang, all four moved on to train at Yamamoto's newly established ; a more advanced and centralized training institution for Shinigami. However, once again, along with his rival, Seireitou, he would be personally trained at Shōyō's behest even in the Shinō Academy. Soon after, he learned the Shikai of his Zanpakutō.

Becoming a Captain
Five hundred years later, Yamamoto decided that a Shinigami organization was needed to maintain the balance of spirits, and created the Gotei 13, then known as the in name only, as Juhabach noted that they were actually just a group of killers. The leaders of each of this organization's thirteen divisions, called captains, were to be selected from the best of the best. Each was administered a captain's proficiency test. For Raian's test, he took on the third Kenpachi, Kenpachi Kenshiki, another captain prospect. In the onset of the battle, both men struggled endlessly against the other, only able to deliver a single cut to each other, as their swordsmanship prowess were nearly even with each other.

Kenshiki then decided to unleash his Bankai early on, quickly gaining the advantage. Raian displayed his genius knowledge of Zanjutsu, however, and was able to hold his own after awhile of maneuvering. At the end of the fight, he surprised everyone present with the activation of his own, newly achieved, Bankai, Shiseikaze Fūshin, swiftly widening the gap between their two respective powers. With his Bankai and Kendo combination, he swiftly bisected the Kenpachi, gaining the title and securing his captaincy; becoming the first and only Kenpachi to captain a division other than the. Seireitou, on the other hand, became the fifth seat of the, under captain Nagato Hiroshitaki.

Captaincy
Raian is known to have promoted his brother, Mashū Getsueikirite, to the lieutenant slot following his own promotion. He then allied the Getsueikirite Family with the, making its youngest protege, , his third seat.

Only a few decades later, during a captain's meeting, Raian was made aware of Nagato's true identity, "Myoken", and of his betrayal of the Gotei 13. His old rival, Seireitou, and friend, Shiori, had been the reason behind Myoken's defeat, and so, following his acquittal for accusations of insubordination, and, at the recommendation of Raian and five other captains, and the approval of five of the remaining seven, due to his actions, Seireitou joined Raian as a captain of the Gotei 13; replacing Myoken as the Eighth Division's captain and Senka, their other classmate, becoming his lieutenant. Not long after this, the Gotei 13 faced its first military conflict in the form of the Reikai World War; the second conflict with the in Soul Society's history. During this time, Raian meets two new comrades in Hikaru Kurosaki and Echo; both Shinigami that rivaled himself and Seireitou in their respective arts of combat. The war ends in a Shinigami victory and sees Shiori and Senka's promotion to captains in the Gotei 13 for their valor in combat.

After Senka's promotion, Seireitou would later go on to promote Akujin, Raian uncle, unbeknownst to them, and a colleague of his, to lieutenant of the Eighth Division. Raian seemed to get along well with Akujin, though, on the other hand, Seireitou seemed to have suspicions about him. Peace would not ensue, however, as the First Shinigami-Arrancar War broke out merely a decade after the end of the Reikai War. While the details of the war are still sketchy; Raian became one of four Shinigami to earn the title of  due to the valor he showed in combat and the sheer number of Arrancar he killed with his tremendous swordsmanship. The other members were Seireitou, Hikaru, and Echo; Raian's comrades from the last war.

Royal Guard Tenure
A vacancy within the Royal Guard appeared only three hundred years after the war's end, and Raian resigned from his post as the Tenth Division's captain to fill it, leaving his friends behind for centuries to guard the. Because of the organization's secrecy, not much is known of his time in the Spirit King's dimension, except for the fact that his power grew exponentially during his stay there.

Nearly four hundred years after this prestigious promotion, both and Akujin, testing an early phase of one of their numerous projects, forced Hollowfication on Seireitou, Senka, and Shiori. Seireitou was put on trial for experimentation with Hollow powers; a capital offense in Soul Society. Not only was he stripped of his captaincy and dishonorably discharged from the thirteen divisions, but he was also sentenced to death after his Shinigami powers were taken from him forever. Just as this deed was about to be completed, Raian, who had been watching from the Spirit King's dimension, used his considerable influence and power to secretly free his three friends, sending them off into exile in the Human World instead, to save them from whatever horrible fate the newly formed would no doubt have in store for them.

Raian was initially highly upset after hearing what had befallen Seireitou and his other friends, deciding that the best way he could help them was to spy on Akujin from a distance and strike when the opening presented itself to him. Ironically, however, the Tenth Division, which Raian had lead during his time in Soul Society, was charged with hunting them down and capturing them.

Equipment
 (王鍵, King's Key): The key of the Royal Palace that can open a gateway to the dimension where the King of Souls is found. It is quite literally grafted into the bones of those who are in the Royal Guard. As such, Raian's very bones contain the ability to open a dimensional rift to the Royal Palace, allowing him to transverse the dimensions freely.

Current Powers & Abilities
As the first captain of the Tenth Division, a former captain of the Eighth Division, a member of the Royal Guard, and one of the four Yonkō, Raian stands at the pinnacle of Shinigami power. At his current point, he has faced many daunting opponents, such as Akujin,, and his greatest rival, Seireitou Kawahiru. Even Mizu Kurosaki, considered in his own right, to be Yonkō-level himself, was almost effortlessly defeated by the might of his power.

Natural Abilities
High Growth Rate: As a Yonkō-level warrior, Raian is an incredibly skillful individual. Even as a young boy, he possessed an innate talent for many Shinigami abilities. In the, his instructors noted his quick progression through his classes; particularly Kidō and. In the battles he has been witnessed in, for example, his early fights with Akujin, his fights against Setsuna Kōmei, and his later battles with Mizu Kurosaki, and Akujin's Impero Nascosto, he was praised as an extremely intelligent and versatile individual, being smart enough to outsmart Mizu in their own fight.

High Intelligence: Even the likes of Seireitou Kawahiru acknowledges his intelligence and abilities. Though he is, by far, one was formerly one the most powerful captains in the Gotei 13, formidable enough to be promoted to the King's Guard, and easily one of the strongest Shinigami alive, he never underestimates an opponent; best illustrated in his fight with Mizu, earning him the praise of both Seireitou and Hikaru Kurosaki, both fellow Yonkō. Following his fusion with Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto during the War of the Worlds, his battle tactics took on a new ruthlessness that, combined with his cunning, left his opponents completely overwhelmed. With his range of abilities and tactics, combined with the sheer strength provided by Yamamoto's added power, Raian can fight almost any opponent and win. Combat Will: One of his greatest strengths is that he fights to win, even if winning means causing harm to himself. For this reason, he inherited Yamamoto's nickname, Old-Man Genocide (親父の大虐殺, Oyaji no Daigyakusatsu). He is willing to utilize suicidal techniques and tactics to win a fight, killing everyone in his path if he has to. This change in personality and tactics was brought on by Mashū Getsueikirite's death at the hands of a member of Impero Nascosto. The previous Kenpachi, Kenpachi Kenshiki, noted that he could "feel" Raian's combat will on his skin. He noted that it was both overwhelming and dangerous, as if he were a "big beast". He would later go on to state that he had gotten his analysis wrong; that Raian wasn't just a simple beast and that he was a man of immense calmness, and had a fighting capability beyond that of a beast.

Akujin himself has called him a monster because of his. His spiritual pressure is large and dense enough to cause seemingly impenetrable barriers of Kidō to crack under stress. It is normally colored red, however, in Bankai, it is white with a light blue outline. Raian's spiritual power has adapted the natural effects of his Zanpakutō's element of wind. Raising his spiritual pressure can cause tremendous gales or wind and an increase of wind pressure. His spiritual pressure now has the ability to make weaker fighters come close to fainting and stronger fighters, such as Saori Sumeragi, sweat when in its presence. One such instance of this took place in his fight with Mizu Kurosaki, causing both Saori and Seireitou to comment that the heat of his spiritual pressure was enough to make them both go insane. has noted that a battle between Shinigami is one of spiritual pressure; with the higher competitor always having the advantage. Using this system, Raian's power can easily be gauged, considering he is responsible for the defeat of Akujin, Adolfo Benttino, Mizu Kurosaki, and was able to fight on even grounds with Hiroya, all of whom have tremendous volumes of spiritual pressure in their own rights. Seireitou himself has noted that Raian is at the pinnacle of Shinigami powers>

Immense Strength: Raian's true physical prowess goes beyond flashy skills, such as Kidō or speed. His strength has visibly surprised Seireitou, as he was able to grab his rival's Bankai with ease; something Seireitou notes is no ordinary feet for a Shinigami.

Genius Tactician: Raian has been noted on numerous occasions to be a genius when it comes to forming battle tactics as well as analyzing others battle strategy, well shown during his battle with Mizu, but also due to his consideration as Supreme Commandant of the Spiritual World Army, during the War of the Worlds. He can deduce the nature, power, and effects of an opponent's technique simply by seeing it once, as he did against Hiroya Ginkarei, and effortlessly come up with a countermeasure to defeat it. He is easily able to recognize danger and prepare himself well ahead of time with the proper knowledge and tools. One of his greatest skills is to create several strategies before entering the fray and executing them flawlessly, switching to a different strategy if his initial one fails to meet his expectations. This was, again, readily apparent in his battle against Hiroya, where he had several strategies in play to defeat the rogue Shinigami's tremendous fortitude with Kidō, which allowed him to counter several mass combinations of Kidō.

Grandmaster of Zanjutsu
Among the Yonkō, Raian is the respective master of ; the fighting style of Zanpakutō. Among the Shinigami of the and the Royal Guard, exist many masters of swordsmanship, however, due to centuries worth of training and refining his skill, he has placed himself in a league of his own when it comes to Zanjutsu mastery. Having gained the title of Kenpachi, he is revered in the Soul Society as a "grandmaster" of Zanjutsu, unrivaled by all in this field of Shinigami combat. He was promoted to the Royal Guard due to the fact that he invented Kendō. : Raian has proven himself to be far above average when it comes to Zanjutsu. Opposite of his rival, Seireitou Kawahiru, Raian uses his Zanpakutō almost exclusively, rarely using hand-to-hand combat at all, and only employing Kidō to enhance his Zanjutsu techniques. Like Seireitou and Shiori Miyamoto, he trained under Shōyō Shakyamuni, and, even at a young age, was able to take on fully mature and developed Shinigami with his sword-related skills. His predecessor, Kenpachi Kenshiki, noted, at the time, that the young Raian had a natural connection to his Zanpakutō, and was able to work flawlessly. Raian has a distinctive fighting style that involves first analyzing his opponent's and their fighting style before employing the full might of his own skills. He is also known to preform self-damaging maneuvers for the sake of victory, such as impaling his own leg to allow himself to block a strike from Kenpachi Kenshiki's own Zanpakutō. Due to his extensive career as both a captain of the Gotei 13 and a member of the Royal Guard, he has defeated many high-level opponents, among which are Akujin, a swords master in his own right, Meiga Kuiarasu, Mūkade, and Sōkudo. He has also proven himself to have a healthy rivalry with Seireitou Kawahiru himself, who is a master of, the opposite of Raian's own specialty. His extensive mastery of the blade has earned him the designation of "monster" from both Akujin and Kenpachi Kenshiki. Raian's sword strikes contain a tremendous amount of cutting power, being able to easily slice through an Arrancar's, and force a Quincy's to the limits. His calculated manner of fighting ensures that he doesn't waste a movement. Because of this, he is one of the few fighters who can fight Seireitou Kawahiru on his own terms.
 * Zanpakutō Bond: Due to the centuries he's trained to master his Zanpakutō, Raian has eliminated the individuality between himself and his Zanpakutō, and is able to fight completely unified with his sword; so much so, that some of his Zanpakutō's personality seeps into his own. He can use Shikai without verbalizing the command, a sign of a Shinigami who has mastered his Bankai. He can also go straight to Bankai from the sealed state; a trait that few Shinigami possess. His Zanpakutō and himself are in almost constant mental communication, swapping ideas for strategy and coming up with contingency plans.

Martial Arts Mastery: As Zanjutsu incorporates numerous traditional schools of martial arts, known as, Raian can be viewed as a master of the martial arts; modeling his own Zanjutsu style, with its numerous sub-categories of schools and styles he has learned throughout the centuries, off of the principles and teachings he has received throughout his centuries of experience. He can effectively employ three of the traditional martial arts schools which deal with swordsmanship,, , and , in such a way, that he can use it almost exclusively in combat against his foes and win nearly any fight with them. In addition to this, he is highly knowledgeable of martial arts that do not deal with swordsmanship, such as Seireitou's and, and even the  philosophies of martial arts, both for his own enlightenment and also to allow himself to understand the movements and techniques of his foe's own special skills. The most basic of techniques, a simple thrust for example, can be deadly, able to split the pillars of the Seireitei during his very first confrontation with Akujin. He is also incredibly flexible, with superb dexterity, able to to preform swift flips and roles while fighting. In addition to this, he can create an endless amount of techniques which can be applied well within the various parameters of his fighting style, as well as adapting preexisting techniques to his style. : As a grandmaster of Zanjutsu, Raian is naturally a master of the general art of Kenjutsu, having mastered its most basic principles to the point in which they alone cause mortal wounds should they be successful. His feigns (usually Iaido) are so fast and spontaneous, he can create several openings in a foe in just one movement; a utilization of his Zanpakutō, footwork, and center of gravity. Applied effectively, the opponent is set-back one move, while creating an opening elsewhere. Unlike other captains of the Gotei 13, and any known master of Zanjutsu, Raian, adhering to the traditional teachings of Kenjutsu, aims for his foe's sword hand or arm in an attempt to disable and/or disarm his foe of their weapon, and creating large openings from which to deliver the killing blow. There are some attacks, however, that do not require a preceding subterfuge to create the necessary opening for attack. Raian refers to these as his. They are done with two hands on the sword, much like his various Kendo techniques, or with sword in each hand, thanks to the unique manifestation of his Zanpakutō's sealed state. One hand is at the base of the handle to provide longer reach, while the other hand is at the ridge of the blade to provide the initial force to flick the sword as quick as an arrow to hit the target. This could also be done with his unique double sword, with one sword providing the push for the dispatch. He usually hides these postures from his opponents, and the ready positions are implemented while switching hands or while changing steps. These flicking strikes can be administered from any angle (from the top, sides, or below). The only time he aims for his opponent's sword itself, is when parrying; merely in attempt to knock his foe's blade away to allow him to deliver a more powerful thrust of his own. When parrying, Raian always directs the point of the sword to the target. This minimizes the step usually needed for him to be able to counter-attack. Thus, his opponent is at an immediate disadvantage. Also, using the quick strike at the opponents sword hand or forearm, as he usually would do in one of his thrusting techniques, will immediately incapacitate the opponent's attack before having to parry it. By keeping the point of his Zanpakutō pointed towards his opponent while attempting to parry in all angles, provide him with a good foundation for an appropriate counter maneuver reflexes. His ability to employ all three of these aspects of the art, not only flawlessly, but, instinctively, where he doesn't even have to think about them, are a testament to his mastery of the art. His reflexes are trained to react to sword movements, however chaotic or unpredictable they may be, to the point that he can fight in total darkness and still effectively parry and return opponent techniques and strikes. He is also capable of taking on several opponents at once with his techniques. Because his Zanpakutō manifests as a katana duo, Raian is also a master of double-bladed combat and can adjust his style correctly to incorporate them into his attacks and parries. : Another traditional Japanese school of swordsmanship in which Raian has practiced in his pursuit of swordsmanship mastery. , focuses primarily on drawing the sword in such a way that it can actually be used as a combative art. Iaido is primarily used as a feigning technique, meant to surprise an opponent before using more traditional Kenjutsu or Zanjutsu to deal damage, or Kendo to finish an opponent off. He can also use it as a disarming technique, for example, drawing his sword so fast, he can strike his target with the hilt, knocking the wind out of them and taking them out of a fight before the fight really begins. During the opening moves of his battle for the tile of Kenpachi, against Kenpachi Kenshiki, he used an Iaido technique, drawing his sword and, in one swift movement, slashing the tendons in Kenpachi Kenshiki's shoulder. His Iaido strikes are so incredibly fast and spontaneous, defending against them could result in maiming or, in more severe cases, broken bones and even death.
 *  (鬼火, Oni Fire): A technique in which Raian takes the sealed state, or the Bankai state, of his Zanpakutō and uses a powerful thrust to cause a large hole in the body of large opponents.
 * Raian is credited as the inventor of the art of Kendō, and is considered a master of the art in ever way. Because of his masterful command of the art, he is known as a . It is primarily a two-handed sword art, with tremendous power behind it. The purpose of Kendō is to throw off a target's determination and test their resolve. A weakening of resolve usually produces several openings from which Raian can exploit to deliver a killing blow. Unlike Zaraki, Raian mixes his Kendō in with his traditional Zanjutsu and Kenjutsu fighting, usually using Kendō techniques as finishing moves. His Kendō, in particular, is feared as the strongest among any Shinigami practitioner, as he was able to use it to cut through his predecessor's Bankai and sword arm. His Kendo strikes are so powerful, they can easily slice through large debris, and even the stone that composes the gates of the Seireitei; . They also have a tremendous amount of concussive force behind them, able to create a large explosion of air pressure after each and every swing.
 *  (一つ目・撫で斬り, "The First: Killing Stroke"): This basic technique allows for a precision cut of extreme force and speed, it can casually slice through large, multi-story high opponents. The opponent can be killed with one swift slash so precise, that they aren't even aware of until after it has taken place. He used this technique to successfully slice in two the Bankai of Kenpachi Kenshiki.
 *  (両断, Bisection): A technique, like most Kendo techniques, in which Raian uses gripping his sword with two hands. It allows one to split an opponent down the middle. He used it as the finishing move to kill Kenpachi Kenshiki.
 *  (西瓜割, Watermelon Splitting): A double-handed Kendo technique, in which Raian raises his sword above his head and leaps towards his opponent, with blinding speeds, and slashes down, completely cleaving an opponent's head off of their shoulder, regardless of said opponent's size.
 *  (顎割, Chin/Jaw Splitting): An advanced Iaido technique in which Raian draws his sword swiftly from its sheathe and swiftly slashes his opponent across their torso, usually without warning, as it is a spontaneous technique in nature. The result is splitting the target from was to waist, causing the target to be completely bisected. Even larger targets, such as are susceptible to this move.

Grandmaster of Hohō
Though Zanjutsu is his primary means of combat, his second most powerful skill is his mastery of. His speed allows him to land blows against foes that would have otherwise found a way to counter his maneuvers. His movements, at times, have been so fast, that some have confused his movement wit. Even fighters like, who is known for his tremendous, almost otherworldly speed, pale in comparison to Raian's own.

His skill in Shunpō, which has a heavy emphasis on footwork, has been vastly improved due to the training and precision he has gained in his footwork due to his Zanjutsu training. Raian can cross considerable distances with merely a single step of his Shunpō, whereas even average captains would need a considerable number of other steps to complete the same distance as Raian. As stated above, his movement with this technique is so fast, that it has been confused with teleportation on many occasions. His Shunpō was so fast, he was able to effortlessly keep up with Kenpachi Kenshiki's movements while he was in Bankai. The same could be said of his situation in his battle with Mizu Kurosaki, who was also in Bankai. Point-blank moves are rendered just as effective as standard-range or long-range attacks on his person, as his perception and speed allows him to dodge point-blank attacks with just as much ease. When used in combat, Raian is an immensely fast fighter, being able to completely overpower the likes of Mizu Kurosaki, in their battle, with the sheer speed of his sword slashes. He aids his movements with the use of his Shunpō techniques, vanishing completely from sight in mid-combat. A common maneuver of his, learned from copying the standard type of counter attack, used by Hikaru Kurosaki, is to use his Shunpō to get behind the opponent and aim for their hakusei. Only combatants at his level are even able to perceive his movements when he is fighting with this hyper-enhanced speed. Raian has stated that Seireitou is perhaps the only one who can fully comprehend his movements, due to his own mastery of martial arts and Shunpō.
 * Fullbring-Enhanced Shunpō: Due to learning Fullbring during his exile in the Human world, and then later fusing it with his regained Shinigami powers, Raian can enhance his speed exponentially; reducing the amount of steps need to make a movement tremendously. By using the principles of Fullbring, he can pull on the "soul" of whatever platform he is standing on, propelling him skyward and, with the aid of Shunpō, adds propulsion that can allow him to cover the distance of a city like Rider City in mere seconds, such as he did to confront Mizu Kurosaki as their fight was beginning.
 * Shunpō Techniques: Using Hohō as his secondary skill in combat, Raian has naturally developed a masterful usage of its various sub-techniques.
 * : One of the Hohō methods Raian employs to dodge from point-blank range, he moves at such a speed that even a point-blank attack can easily be avoiding, leaving an afterimage behind that may even appear to be damaged.
 * : A special Shunpō technique where one moves behind the opponent to directly attack and seal one's and  in two rapid and successive attacks. 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.
 * : A move Raian himself developed based on the principles of Senka and Utsusemi, as well as the maneuvers demonstrated by Hikaru and Mizu Kurosaki in combat. The first step(s) create an afterimage, while, at the same time, Raian moves to the opponent's back. This causes the opponent to attack the afterimage, rather than himself, and also serves to allow him to attack his opponent from point blank, directly behind them, usually while they are unaware. Raian states that his technique is more refined than the instinctual version preformed by Hikaru and Mizu, as his is far more deceptive and harder to see through, likely because his level of speed is above theirs, allowing him to strike before the opponent figures out the deception.


 * Due to his mastery of Shunpō, over centuries worth of study and development, Raian has developed a completely unique style of Hohō, that combines Shunpō with Zanjutsu combat, his primary means of combat. It can only be used when he is in Shikai or Bankai. Using it, Raian can ride the currents of the wind he controls through his usage of his Zanpakutō's abilities. This allows him to easily and quickly transport himself to any location the wind blows, almost as if he is teleporting to that location through the wind itself. Whenever he arrives at his destination, a gust of wind bursts from his person, a trademark of the style. Though this can be seen as a weakness, as it reveals his location, by the time the noise reaches his opponent's ears, it is already too late, as he could have moved again by this point. It severely limits the number of steps he needs to take to make a movement.

Kidō Master
Raian can easily use and employ Kidō at least on the degree that he can fight on par with Hiroya Ginkarei, though he has noted, that he is not magically inclined. He sees Kidō as a way to supplement his fighting style, though, as he showed Hiroya, he is more than capable of fighting solely with Kidō.

He was skillful enough to preform a #81 Bakudō, , with enough power to block Shiro Morimoto's Zanpakutō; only lightly cracking, but this was probably due to the lack of incantation. Raian is well known for being able to create new Kidō with ease and being able to use Kidō in many unorthodox ways, so as to surprise his opponents. Unlike any Kidō user seen before him, Raian can summon Kidō with just waves of his hand, conjuring up barriers, offensive spells, and even sneaky trap spells to fool his opponents merely by willing them into existance with his thoughts. Raian once claimed that his abilities with Kidō were only limited to what his imagination could produce. This is backed up by the fact that he was considered for the position of captain at one time, though he denied the position, as well as being considered the Yonkō strongest in Kidō, despite the fact that both his skills in Shunpō and Zanjutsu highly exceed his skill in Kidō. His mastery of Kidō has even impressed the likes of Hiroya, who is considered one the strongest Kidō masters currently alive. His spells are so complex, that Mizu's Bankai, Maō-chū Nijūsupai, which has the ability to cut reishi and reiatsu, was repelled by a simple Kidō aura laced with the ability to reflect such techniques.
 * Spell Alteration: In his fight against, Raian altered spells such as and  into animal-like forms to attack in a unique fashion. Additionally, he has proved capable of setting elaborate traps with Kidō. A particular sign of his abilities with this skill is his creation of }, which involves infusing every single cell in the body by Kidō at the same time. Raian considers it "the perfect Shunkō." Unlike the unstable electric appearance of the standard Shunkō, Raian's variation appears as a fiery calm aura that surrounds Raian's entire body. The speed and strength that comes from this form is nearly unrealistic, allowing Raian to contend even with a Royal Guardsman's Bankai with minimal effort. A unique trait of this form is that because Raian's body cells are infused with Kidō energy, he can activate a full-powered Kidō from any body part without a command or incantation, such as utilizing Danku to cover his entire arm in a liquid-like form, or forming chains from any part of his body through the Sajō Sabaku spell. However, these abilities come at a price. Due to the force being exerted on each cell in Raian's body, he can not prolong usage of this form for longer than twenty seconds when he first mastered it. Although, through training, it appears that he can maintain the state for an undetermined couple of minutes. In addition, he can increase the strength, speed, and power supplied in this form by exerting more stress on the body cells via more Kidō energy infused into each cell, although the time in which he can then maintain the heighted form is severely reduced.

Spell Creation & Modification: As an extremely proficient user of Kidō, considered the Yonkō most proficient in it, Raian has come up with a whole host of unique Kidō techniques that only he can use. This allows him to be more versatile in battle, should the situation call for it. He has also invented several pieces of equipment meant for combat that he has developed to utilize his Kidō techniques. Like regular Kidō, Raian classifies his unique brand of spells as Bakudō, Hadō, and healing spells. He also has a unique type of spell which he invented;.
 * : A high-level Bakudō spell that was derived from . Raian plants this spell by touching an object or person. Should his target come into contact with the object or person this spell is implanted on, chains will begin to emerge and ensnare the target. These chains also have the effect of disturbing one's reiryoku, making it incredibly difficult to form techniques or attacks that use spiritual energy. Furthermore, they cause a great deal of pain.
 * : By gathering a large amount of reishi from the surrounding area to fuel and maintain the spell, Raian will then unleash nature itself upon his foe. During his fight with Hiroya, he used this technique to generate a tremendous wave of sand (since Hueco Mundo was both made entirely of spirit particles and sand) and bring it crashing down on his foe. He could also manipulate the sand beneath his foe, creating a top-down, bottom-up situation.
 * : A seal formula, consisting of seven points arranged around a spiraling mark, as well as formula markings, appear on Raian's palm and down his arm. Small flames of reishi will then light up on each of Raian's fingers, allowing him to strengthen or weaken any Kidō he comes into contact with up to seven-times its current strength. He primarily uses this to strengthen or weaken other sealing-type Kidō, however, it has its uses against Hadō and Bakudō spells.
 * : A sealing Kidō that manipulates space an time. By opening a small tear in space and time, creating a linkage between the corporal world and his own inner world, Raian can seal physical objects within himself for later use. Using the same method, he can unseal these objects, ejecting them from his inner world at various speeds.

Unique Spell Usage: Raian not only knows how to use high level Kidō — being able to create and utilize many Kidō that many others would prove ineffective at using — but, he also has many methods of using Kidō which differ from more traditional users, such as his friend, Seireitou Kawahiru. In a fashion similar to that of the Quincies, Raian can draw on the reishi and reiryoku that make up his spiritually constructed surroundings, absorbing them into himself and allowing him to cast extraordinarily powerful spells, as well as maintaining them, with little or no cost to his own reiryoku reserves. In environments like Hueco Mundo and Soul Society, which are completely composed of spiritual particles, this strategy can allow him to command his battles with Kidō alone. Raian has, on multiple occasions, demonstrated the ability to, without incantation, implant spells into anything he touches, while, at the same time, setting conditions for those spells being released. For example, in his battle with Hiroya Ginkarei, he implanted a spell into the ground and set it to activate whenever he was physically in danger.

Hakuda
While not his usual style of combat, Raian is at least competent when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. He has shown himself capable of taking on a whole range of opponents while unarmed, even being able to catch their swords with his hands due to his reflexes. His Hakuda abilities vastly improve after his fusion with Yamamoto to the point that he badly wounded Mizu Kurosaki, during their battle, with a simple kick to the chest.

Like with his swordsmanship, he has several named abilities he can use;
 * Ikkotsu (一骨, "Single Bone"): A powerful punch used by Yamamoto originally, and now Raian. Using this technique, Raian is able to destroy much of his opponent's abdomen and sending him or her flying a rather sizable distance and into a nearby object, destroying it.
 * Sōkotsu (双骨, "Double Bone"): Being stronger than Ikkotsu, it is a powerful two-fisted punch used by Raian. The attack can completely destroy an opponent with a single blow.

Other Skills
He has shown incredible speed-levels, capable of keeping up with and, in some cases, outrunning captain-class enemies. He does this by pumping raw spiritual power into his leg and feet muscles and using it to propel him in the direction he wants to go. After merging his Fullbring with his Shinigami powers, Raian seems to be able to mix his Bringer Light and Shunpo together to surpass ordinary Shinigami speed.

Raian's true physical prowess goes beyond flashy skills, such as Kidō or speed. He can effortlessly stop a punch from the giant Shinigami Chūkin Komamura, who is well known for his physical strength. His strength has allowed him to easily block Renge Yamato's spiritually-enhanced punches or kicks.

Numerous times, Raian has shown himself to take brutal beatings and continue fighting. He is often physically abused, albeit comically, by his best friend Seireitou Kawahiru. During fights with Sao Feng and subsequent battles with Oke Hogosha and Beliar, he has shown to take their powerful attacks head on and still be capable of fighting.

Raian has been noted on numerous occasions to be a genius when it comes to forming battle tactics as well as analyzing others battle strategy, well shown during his battle with Mizu, but also due to his consideration as Supreme Commandant of the Spiritual World Army. He can deduce the nature, power, and effects of an opponent's technique simply by seeing it once. He is easily able to recognize danger and prepare himself well ahead of time. One of his greatest skills is to create several strategies before entering the fray and executing them flawlessly, switching to a different strategy if his initial one fails to meet his expectations. Upon fusing with Yamamoto, the ancient Shinigami's tremendous vaults of knowledge and wisdom are added to Raian's own, easily making him one of the smartest Shinigami alive.

Raian seems to have gained a great aptitude for assassination and it's required techniques. Since his return from eight years of exile, Raian has been shown to be even more stealthy when entering secret or otherwise unknown areas to him. This stealth is attributed to his minimal use of his Zanpakutō and it's large, flashy techniques in situations that require a calm and collected view of the mission. The second factor in his marvelous assassination skills is his speed; the ability to get from Point A to Point B without being detected by his target or any bodyguards they may have positioned around them. The third factor is his immense knowledge. Raian seems to have an eerily massive amount of knowledge about his targets before he goes after them; though this could be attributed to research he does. The final attribution of his assassination prowess is his combat skills. He is more than capable of taking on even an armed target with ease, and can kill them fast enough so as not to alert any bystanders.

Zanpakutō
Kanāji Fūshin (金味風神, Bladed Wind God): Raian's Zanpakutō, Kanāji Fūshin, is both the oldest and most powerful of the wind-type Zanpakutō in Soul Society. It is one of the few Zanpakutō that materialize as two separate swords when in its sealed state; taking on the form of a pair. Both are identical to each other and bear no special markings that set them aside from average katana. They both have circular guards, red hilt-wrappings, and black sheathes.
 * Shikai: Kanāji Fūshin is released by the command . Because he has mastered his Bankai, however, he can release the blade without a command should he choose to. In Shikai, the twin blades of the sealed state vanish and are replaced, instead, by a singular sword — a large black cleaver emblazoned with a red cross, and a hollow portion at the blade's center, which has a pole running through it, allowing Raian to alternate the position of his hands during combat, which affords him the ability to fight at close range. The hilt is round, and is also colored red. According to Raian, his Zanpakutō forms a pair with Seireitou Kawahiru's Hanullim, as they are polar opposites in terms of abilities; Hanullim controlling "interactions", while Kanāji Fūshin controls "flow".
 * Shikai Special Ability: Kanāji Fūshin's ability is to manipulate — specifically the pathways in which energy, spiritual or otherwise, flows in nature, which allowed him to mimic control over the wind, hence the name of his Zanpakutō. Essentially, Kanāji Fūshin can control all natural forces in their entirety. For example, in relation to wind, Raian can direct the currents of air around him in any manner he wishes. By making the energy's path shorter or "smoother" to follow, the wind speeds up and becomes faster. For this reason, there is no limit to how fast this wind could move. In Shikai, Kanāji Fūshin allows Raian to completely control the concept of "path". The concept of path is what allows energy to follow a form of flow. Raian's Shikai is the power to define what that path is: its starting place, length, properties, and destination. Whether a flow between those two points, the start and the destination, exists in nature or doesn't exist is irrelevant, as Kanāji Fūshin can actually create paths as well as manipulate them. In other words, he can connect things together that normally were never connected by a flow — creating a bridge between them. Seireitou has speculated that this is the true reason he acquired  during his battles in, because, likely, his battles with multiple Arrancar created a "bridge", or flow, between his own power, and the power of Hollows.


 * : The only real "attack" granted by Kanāji Fūshin, according to Raian, Raian opens a path of energy directly from the world around him to his sword, feeding Kanāji Fūshin with incredible amounts of spiritual energy, which then engulfs the blade in blue energy, which then flares out and surrounds Raian himself. He can then fire these energy blasts, creating massive damage with ease. Seireitou himself has noted that, for being the only attack of a Zanpakutō with such complex abilities, it is rather simple — comparing it to the Getsuga Tenshō. Over the course of the series, Raian has become more versatile while using the technique. In his battle with Ahatake Noriko Kurosaki, he used the technique in the form of branches of energy, which had a sharp, cutting effect.


 * Bankai: : In many ways, Shiseikaze Fūshin is simply a massive scale version of its Shikai. Upon activation, Raian's Bankai materializes as a singular, white . The blade, however, is constantly engulfed with the energy of Raian's primary attack, Sōga Tenpū. Appearance-wise, Raian's shihakushō becomes more formfitting — becoming a long coat with flared out edges. His hair also turns completely white, not all unlike that of Seireitou's, and his sclear turn black. He also gains a black cross across his face. The blade itself shrinks down, once more, into that of a katana, though the new sword has a more jagged tip, as well as having a bone-like structured hilt.
 * Bankai Special Ability: In Bankai, rather than the creation of paths and, therefore, the manipulation them, Raian himself becomes the path of all energy flows. Keeping with the theme of his wind-like abilities, he can transform into the wind itself if he so desires. In addition, he can literally insert himself into an energy flow, or become the path for all energy in the surroundings around him to follow. Absorbing energy, according to Seireitou Kawahiru, would be one ability granted by this. Like his Shikai, this, as well, has almost limitless potential. Because of this, he can also cause attacks that rely on energy of any sort to change course or divert, making Kidō and other means of energy attacks virtually useless against him.


 * Enhanced Sōga Tenpū: When used in Bankai, Sōga Tenpū is enormously enhanced, far beyond its Shikai incarnation. By opening himself completely to all channels of energy, via his Bankai's own unique ability, Sōga Tenpū's power is enormously argumented, to the point of creating a blast that dwarfs a large area of the Seireitei. Additionally, the energy from Sōga Tenpū seems to be every present in Bankai, surrounding his Zanpakutō in a constant aura of Sōga Tenpū-like spiritual energy. By hardening this energy, and releasing it at close-range as a shockwave, Raian can use it for a powerful defense. He can also absorb the energy of others, using his Bankai's power, to increase Sōga Tenpū's strength even further., Raian's former 3rd Seat during his days as the Tenth Division's captain, noted that just the shockwave from a Sōga Tenpū in Bankai, could be potentially lethal.
 * Flow-Enhanced Swordsmanship: By creating a flow path between his own energy and the energy of his opponents while in combat, as well as with the environment, Raian can drastically increase the power of his sword swings. Doing so causes his Bankai's blade to be engulfed in the energy of Sōga Tenpū. It also weakens the defense and offense of the opponent by redirecting their energy to empower Raian's own Zanpakutō.


 * Flow-Enhanced Movement.: According to Seireitou, speed is no longer a proper term to define what Raian uses while in Bankai. By using flow to connect him from one point to another, Raian can accelerate instantaneously to any location of his choice. Raian likens this ability to "teleportation". He can even do this mid-combat, so long as he is able to focus on the location he desires to transport himself to hard enough to establish a connection with his Zanpakutō's ability.


 * Shukai: : In Shukai, Raian manifests the winds of his Bankai into the form of a large, which is connected to a black chain, which then wraps around his upper right arm. Additionally, he gains a new shihakushō, with a raised collar. His hakama is replaced by black cargo pants, and he gains black gloves on his hands. He also gains a mask which covers his entire head, similar to a helmet, which features three tomoe around a central hole in the mask, with the two lower tomoe acting as eye sockets, allowing him to see. According to Raian, this entire outfit is made up of his and his Zanpakutō's spiritual pressure, and therefore is only damaged proportionately to his loss of spiritual energy. Like with all Shukai, Raian gains a new name while in the form, much like his Zanpakutō. In Shukai, he is literally known as.
 * Shukai Special Ability: Kōtōteki Fūshin retains all of the powers of both Raian's Shikai and his Bankai. Additionally, unlike both of his Shikai and his Bankai, Raian's Shukai actually eliminates flow altogether. All of the energy surrounding him, or that comes into contact with him, becomes "path-less". Likewise, Raian himself becomes "nobody" and "nothing", and, as the master of Shukai, becomes the wielder of this "path-less" power. According to Seireitou, while fighting Raian, Kidō itself becomes impossible to use against him due to the implications of this power. According to him, Kidō relies on energy flow, and since, under Kōtōteki Fūshin's ability, there's no energy flow anymore, Kidō can simply not be used anymore. The only exception to this, however, is Raian himself, who can still generate and manipulate energy, though others within the range of his Shukai, become unable to. For this reason, Raian's Shukai is extremely dangerous, not only to himself, but his surroundings, and his companions. Seireitou expresses that if he were to remain in Shukai for too long, Soul Society itself faced extinction, as energy itself would be unable to flow any longer.
 * Enhanced Kenatsu: In part with his weapon being a large war fan, a simple swing of the weapon can generate enormous shockwaves, able to crush and crumble the environment around him with ease.
 * Enhanced Spiritual Power: In Shukai, Raian's power has drastically increased — being ten times stronger than he was in Bankai.

Creation & Conception
Raian Getsueikirite, whom I had originally named Ryun Toshiro, a combination of my Naruto Fanon wiki character's first name and 's first name, was initially conceived with no real intention behind him. I was new to the Bleach universe upon creating him, so a lot of older versions of him were ignorant of the Bleach universe. However, after getting involved with User:Blackemo1's Second Coming of Aizen Arc, I decided on a path I wanted to go with Raian.

Raian is largely based on myself; his personality and ticks largely reflect my own. I wrote the story, Bleach: Second Act, to show a few main points in Raian's development. There is one main point in Raian's story that is shown in every story arc; it is essentially the essence of his entire character. Each story arc shows Raian gaining the power to protect his younger brother, Mashū Getsueikirite. Even in the last arc, where Mashū is supposedly dead, Raian's drive to join the fray is ultimately his brother.

I've drawn inspiration from other sources outside of myself, as well, for the creation of Raian. For example, his appearance resembles that of, as do some of his abilities. The anime Naruto has also played a part in inspiration for the abilities and enemies Raian has faced throughout his journey. Other manga/anime that have inspired his character, or some of the trials his character has gone through include Darker than Black, Gintama, Neon Genesis: Evangelion, and Casshern Sins.

Raian has also has had an in-character push for development in the form of Seireitou Kawahiru. User:Seireitou and I have been partners on multiple wikis, including this one, for near five years now, and his characters have always been like a beacon for Raian to get stronger. Seireitou acts as Raian's greatest rival. The two have a sort of and  rivalry, and yet their friendship is best compared to  and  from Gintama. As long as Seireitou is around, Raian's will to get stronger never ceases to diminish.

Trivia

 * In terms of stat totals, Raian shares the same sum as ; 560.
 * His theme song, according to his creator, is "".
 * According to the author, were this an actual anime, Raian would be voiced by, the seiyū for both Gaara from Naruto, and Kusaka from Bleach: DiamondDust Rebellion.
 * When he was first conceived as a character, Raian was known as Ryun Toshiro, which was eventually changed to Ryan Getsueikirite, and later finalized as the name he now has.
 * Naturally, he is the fated person of Ten Tailed Fox's alternate history of Bleach.
 * Ironically, both Kenpachi he has faced in battle were the "third Kenpachi", however, wasn't from Raian's timeline, so both were legitimate.