Kaijin

Kaijin (界人, "World Being") are born as personifications of. They were called "Gods" (神, Kami) by those who witnessed their powers and worshiped them as such. Though Kaijin is their true name, it is considered synonymous with 'God'. It is said that the first Kaijin was the, who possessed powers close to omnipotence and omniscience. According to, Kaijins (or more specifically, gods) are born when the desires of mankind seeking something to put their faith and hopes into are strong enough to impose a significant influence onto the world. In truth, they are existences born as personifications of worldly aspects, and are often born to govern certain phenomenon or workings of the world itself. As such, they are often indifferent to the plights of living creatures; concerning themselves solely with maintaining the universal balance of progression and stagnation.

Overview
They are beings which personify aspects of nature. As the first Kaijin, the was a personification of the most basic aspect of nature itself, ; hence the name he was called by. They are tied to the causality of this world and are extensions of the world's consciousness.

Born as manifestations of nature, it is said that Kaijins are beings exempt from the standards of good and evil. Living creatures decide what is right or wrong, but those things do not apply to gods, simply for the reason that they can do no wrong. If they are nature itself that has taken form, then it suggests all of their own personal actions are natural actions made of the world itself, and thus, anything that a god does is tantamount to a natural cause. While right and wrong are subjective concepts, a natural cause cannot be disputed as either of them. This is often a topic of philosophical debate among those who discuss the nature of deities and their place in the world.

Characteristics
As personifications of, Kaijins are considered to be 'beings of Reason' that cannot be interfered with by 'beings of '. In Ichibē's case, he sealed his own powers into the form of a so that he could live as a normal. However, when that power is released, there is no trace of reiatsu that can be sensed from the weapon.

Worship
Throughout the, , and even other realms, gods are revered within different sects and mythologies. The of the  is known for their Shinto belief. People of the Eastern were known to believe in an old fallen god named, which was said to be enshrined as the right arm of the. In particular, there was a shine dedicated to the worshiped deity in the 78th District of the aforementioned region. Within the region where was born, the people who flocked to the infant because of the miracles he could perform called him by the name of the deity that they believed in, which the infant eventually took as his own name. However, there are some that do not believe in the existence of such entities. questions if the even have a god, especially one in which to pray to, which leaves  perplexed. also makes mention that there is no being with 'god' in its name within the Soul Society other than the Shinigami, suggesting that even the itself is not considered a deity in their eyes.

Deification
There are methods that allow living creatures to achieve the "status of god" (神の御業, Kami no Miwaza; literally "Godhood"), in which they gain powers similar to that of Kaijins themselves. Those individuals are referred to as. attempted such a thing when he used the to realize his desires of godhood, but because it was not what his heart truly desired, the result was something entirely different, bordering on monstrous.

Powers
Worldly Aspect: Every Kaijin is born as a personification of some aspect related to the world itself. The was born as a being of omnipotence that could control and manipulate souls. Thus, he could be called a personification of 'souls' themselves. This was often expressed in powers such as. , an of the power that was  of the Soul King, was able to grant pieces of his own soul onto others. The, who also share in this power, derive their ability to destroy souls and manipulate , which are themselves fragments of souls long since passed, from the Soul King as well. , on the other hand, was born as the personification of 'black'. More specifically, he represents the idea of 'marking' something with a definition or identity. As such, he was the person to name all things within when it was first created. Because his ability is intrinsic to his existence, it cannot be stolen by another.

Behind the Scenes
While given a unique name, they are meant to parallel the Kami (神, "God") of Japanese mythology. They exist as beings that parallel certain aspects or phenomena in the world. This article was based on the subtle hints left by in various character dialogues and volume poems to produce a working concept for deities in the Bleach universe. In addition, this page also borrows some inspiration from the concept of gods in the anime and manga series, Noragami, as well as the idea behind Altana Mutants in the anime and manga series, Gintama.