Kūgo Ginjō

Kūgo Ginjō (銀城 空吾, Ginjō Kūgo) was the former leader of the mysterious organization,, as well as the first Substitute Shinigami (死神代行, Shinigami Daikō). After his death at the hands of, he becomes a in the service of Yokoshima.

Appearance
Kūgo has brown eyes and long dark hair that he keeps combed back, down to the nape of his neck. After being released from Tsukishima's Fullbring, Kūgo lets his hair become messy with strands hanging over his face. He is tall and wears dark trousers and a light T-shirt, over which he wears a dark jacket that has a fur-covered collar. He also wears a thin chain necklace that has an X-shaped pendant attached to it.

As a Togabito, whenever he leaves the confines of Hell, Kūgo will don a traditional Togabito outfit; a black cloak with white rectangular buttons, draped across his entire body, concealing his physical makeup, as well as a standard Togabito mask.

Personality
Kūgo is a calm and cool-headed individual. He is quite manipulative, shown when he attempted to hire Ikumi Unagiya to do a background check on Isshin Kurosaki, intentionally doing so in front of Ichigo in order to get his attention.[3] According to a member of his group, he is a charming individual that apparently talked them into following him. He claims that he carries ramen around with him because he likes it.

When not under the influence of Tsukishima's Fullbring, Kūgo is shown to be very malicious and sadistic, delighting at Ichigo's emotional and physical pain. He also becomes very arrogant, bragging about his accomplishments and underestimating his opponents.

History
Some time ago, Kūgo became the first substitute Shinigami. However, he gave up the position and disappeared.

According to Kūgo, while he was under the influence of Tsukishima's Fullbring, sometime later, Kūgo joined Xcution along with other humans with Fullbring abilities under the leadership of Shūkurō Tsukishima. Their aim was to rid themselves of their powers and Tsukishima came up with the plan to pass them onto someone who was both part Human and part Shinigami. However, when this process began, Tsukishima changed his mind and slaughtered the Substitute Shinigami and anyone who had given him their powers. Kūgo subsequently took the Substitute Shinigami's badge. Sometime after this, Kūgo became the leader of Xcution as the group continued its search for another candidate to pass their powers onto.

This was proven to be false, as Kūgo was the first Substitute Shinigami himself.

Current Powers & Abilities
He was also able to take on the combined might of Jackie, Riruka, Giriko, and Shishigawara with his sword.

Energy Sword: Once apart of his Fullbring, Kūgo can engulf the blade of his sword with a large aura of energy. He can then swing the sword at his target, producing a massive explosion on impact.

Ability Absorption: Another power that was once apart of his Fullbring, by stabbing a target in the direct center of their chest with his blade, he is capable of absorbing all of their spiritual powers and then integrating them into his own. He can then keep these powers for himself or share them with others by cutting them with his blade.

Enhanced Speed: Due to his mastery of Fullbring, he is able to use "Bringer Light", which allows him to increase his speed and the height of his jumps by pulling on the soul of the concrete or air. Kūgo has shown to be quite fast, able to dodge successive attacks from Jackie, Riruka, and Giriko, all while they were using their Fullbring abilities. He is also able to get between a point blank attack by Tsukishima on Ichigo from a considerable distance, taking the attack himself in the process. He is also capable of dodging Ichigo's incredibly fast and powerful sword swinging after the latter regains his Shinigami powers.

Enhanced Endurance: Kūgo has shown a large amount of endurance, being able to take the full brunt of the explosion caused by Ichigo's Fullbring completing and still being able to stand afterwards.





Zanpakutō
Hensetsu (変節, Betrayal): Kūgo, being a powerful Togabito, has enough strength to manifest the sin that damned him to Hell in the form of a Zanpakutō. It takes the form of the Fullbring he had while he was alive; a large Claymore. The blade is long and wide, the sword's handle runs through its guard, continuing on through a hollow space at the base of its blade. This part of the handle allows Kūgo to attack opponents at closer ranges.


 * Zaikai: When he wishes to release his sword, Kūgo calls on the release phrase "Stab their back!" (背中刺す, Senka sasu). In its released form, Hensetsu takes on the form of his second Fullbring appearance. The base now resembles a skull with an 'X' over it and the handle in the hollow part of his blade resembles a spinal column after this transformation.
 * Zaikai Special Ability: When his sin is released, Kūgo has powers themed around "betrayal". With it, anyone he cuts is subject to betraying the person closest to them against their will. The ability is not always immediate, and takes time to surface in the affected person, making it appear more natural. Like all Zaikai powers, it works by "tempting" the affected person. For this reason, its major weakness is ability of the target to resist the temptation itself. A target that can successfully do so will be released of the ability's effects.

Skull Clad Form
Skull-Clad Mode: A form he achieved by absorbing the powers of a. In this form, Kūgo has a skeletal-like appearance, in which his chest is enveloped in a bony lattice resembling a ribcage. His new form also bears many similarities to the form he took after absorbing Ichigo Kurosaki's Fullbring while he was alive; in which his leg, neck and shoulder plating are derived. This form allows Kūgo to achieve feats that would be deemed impossible in Hell, such as severing chains of people bound to Hell or binding enemies in chains then sending them to a lower level of Hell to atone for their sins. The users and their allies are considered friendly to the Kushanāda while the armor is active.


 * Enhanced Energy Sword: In this form, the power of the energy blast from his sword is increased several times, and is now golden in color, with several skull-like apparitions surrounding it. It is capable of cutting Hell's Chain.

Fullbring
Cross of Scaffold (クロス·オブ·スキャッフォルド, Kurosu obu Sukyafforudo): Using Fullbring, Kūgo is able to transform the Saltire pendant on his necklace into a large Claymore. The blade is long and wide, the sword's handle runs through its guard, continuing on through a hollow space at the base of its blade. This part of the handle allows Kūgo to attack opponents at closer ranges.


 * Energy Blade: By gripping the handle near the base of his broadsword's blade, Kūgo can engulf the blade with a large aura of energy. He can then swing the sword at his target, producing a massive explosion on impact.


 * Second Form: Kūgo places his Substitute Shinigami Badge onto his sword, merging it with his sword into a base that resembles a skull with an 'X' over it. The handle in the hollow part of his blade resembles a spinal column after this transformation.


 * Third Form: Kūgo's new form manifests after he emerges unscathed from Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō attack. In this form, Kūgo has a skeletal-like appearance, in which his chest is enveloped in a bony lattice resembling a ribcage. His new form also bears many similarities to Ichigo's Fullbring form, in which his leg, neck and shoulder plating are derived.

Trivia

 * Kūgo's theme song, as chosen by Tite Kubo, is "Last Man Standing" by Bon Jovi.
 * While in the color page of chapter 449 Ginjo has blue eyes, in the cover of volume 50 he appears to have brown eyes.