Yoruichi Shihōin

""Just like a person holding a sword trying to protect something. That maybe one's life, or place in society, or reputation, things that one loves, things that one believes; it matters not if it's good or bad, the will to 'protect it' does not change.""

- Yoruichi Shihōin.

Yoruichi Shihōin (四楓院 夜, Shihōin Yoruichi) is the former captain of the 2nd Division of the original Gotei 13, as well as the former commander of the Onmitsukidō. Having abandoned her command of both, she worked with Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi, based out of the Urahara Shop in the Human World during the battle against Aizen. She has since then rejoined the reorganized military arm of the Soul Society and serves as the overall head of the Onmitsukidō. She will play a major role in Bleach: New Beginnings.

Appearance
Yoruichi Shihōin is a dark-skinned woman with golden-colored eyes and long purple hair, which she keeps up in a ponytail. Her standard attire consists of a backless, black sleeveless undershirt, an orange over-shirt with two white straps on each shoulder, a large beige sash around her waist, black stretch pants and long beige wrist warmers, secured by bands, and long beige leg warmers with brown light shoes, allowing for stealth and easy use of Shunpo. She previously wore a beige neck warmer, which she pulled up to cover her face in order to hide her identity, but seems to have forgone its use. She, unlike any known Shinigami, is able to transform into a black cat for long periods of time. In this form, she has a distinctive male voice and golden eyes. 110 years ago when she was a captain, she wore the same sleeveless and backless Onmitsukidō uniform, with long black wrist guards that Soifon wears now, but had a black ribbon tied around her neck. She also wore a long-sleeved captain's haori. Also her hair was much shorter and cut in a style similar to Soifon's current hair-style without the braids. At some point prior to this she wore the white Onmitsukidō uniform of the correction corps.

Personality
Yoruichi is intelligent and witty, holding an intimate knowledge of the Soul Society and its workings, as she was the former leader of the Onmitsukidō and the Second Division's captain. Although of noble birth, she acts differently from most other nobles, very much like Kaien Shiba. For instance, she instructed Soifon to refer to her without using honorific suffixes, but reluctantly settled for being called "Yoruichi-sama" ("Lady Yoruichi" in the dub). She also transforms into her human form directly in front of Ichigo on several occasions just to see his reaction to seeing her naked, which she even teases him about. Another note of her eccentricity is that she speaks in a dialect that elders use, such as identifying herself as "washi" (a term that usually old men define themselves with) instead of more feminine terms like "watashi" in both her human and animal forms (though specifically for the Japanese version).

Although relatively calm and mature when a situation calls for it, Yoruichi is quite laid-back and playful, often teasing or flirting with those younger than her, such as Ichigo Kurosaki at the underground hot spring, a younger and hot-headed Byakuya Kuchiki, Soifon before her time as a captain and Kisuke Urahara, childhood friend, former underling and fellow ex-captain. Yoruichi prefers to drink milk, which fits with her practice of transforming into a cat a lot of the time.

Equipment
Two of Yoruichi's unique items are accessories which grant the user the power of flight.


 * A long beige bone wand-like artifact with a small white bird shaped skull with four protrusions similar to fingers bones extending from the back of the skull. By channeling Reiryoku in the wand, it produces a tentacle that acts a harness and a single bat-like wing manifests from the four bone protrusions, which acts as a one handed hang glider. No skill or previous experience is required to use it.


 * Tentōken (天踏絢, Heaven-Stepping Adornment): it is a brown mantle with a large draw string closure at the collar and a large brooch displaying the Shihōin family crest. Like the wand, the Tentōken seems to require no skill or previous experience to use. It also seems to be superior to the wand, since it allows one to hover in mid-air and does not immobilize one of the user's hands.


 * Yoruichi also possesses a number of hidden blades. Kept in her boots, she launches them with a swing of her leg.


 * A set of metal gloves and boots invented by Kisuke Urahara, specifically designed to counter an Arrancar's Hierro during hand-to-hand combat. They are exceptionally durable, capable of protecting the wearer's limbs even during the moment of their destruction.

Powers & Abilities
Feline Transformation: Yoruichi possess a unique ability which allows her to shape-shift into a black cat at will. How she alone out of all Shinigami is capable of this is yet unknown. Though she has apparently possessed the ability for well over 100 years, and its apparently known to others she knew from that time. She apparently has no set time limit on the transformation as she had been in the assumed form for over 100 years. In cat form, Yoruichi can still channel her spiritual energy and move at incredible speeds, though she is physically limited by the form. Her transformation also allows her a complete disguise, as her voice in this form is deep enough for most to assume she is a male. This, of course, leads to awkward situations when she reveals her true form.

Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Yoruichi, as Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō is one of the most accomplished hand-to hand combatants in Soul Society. Her mastery of the art form is so great that she uses it exclusively as her form of combat of choice forgoing the use of a Zanpakutō altogether. She has been shown to take down nearly 50 Onmitsukidō members with only Hakuda. She has been shown taking on the likes of Espada-level Arrancar as when she brutally defeated Yammy and is even regarded by the 4th Espada Ulquiorra Cifer as highly dangerous.

Expert Swordsmanship Specialist: While preferring to fight her opponents barehanded, during flashbacks of her days as a captain, Yoruichi showed herself to be a highly capable swords-woman from her ability to take down a huge hollow with a single strike of her sealed Zanpakutō.

Flash Step Master: Considered to be the most proficient Hohō master ever in all of the Soul Society, Yoruichi is highly skilled in the use of Shunpo, a high speed movement ability. Though this is by no means a unique skill, as most seated officers are capable of performing it to various degrees, Yoruichi holds the title "Flash Goddessshunshin" ("Flash Master" in the English version), because she has mastered this ability to such an extent that she can appear to be in several places at once and wipe out an entire Onmitsukidō squadron in seconds. She can easily close tremendous gaps of distance in the blink of an eye while remaining undetected, as shown from her ability to surprise Byakuya, who is one of the most proficient in the art as well. She has mastered all of the Onmitsukidō's speed-oriented techniques and even created some of her own, such as Utsusemi (空蝉; cicada, referencing their molting). The full extent of her abilities remain unclear, but she was able to outrun Byakuya while carrying an unconscious Ichigo over her shoulder, where she was able to perform around 300 steps before feeling tired from 100 years of being out practice. She is so fast that Soifon could barely keep up while Yoruichi was still holding back. It is revealed that she can still perform Shunpo even while in her cat form. Unfortunately for her, she is not as fast as she is in her true form.


 * Utsusemi (空蝉, Cicada, referencing their molting): Way of Onmitsu, 3rd of the Shihou. It allows for a movement at great speed, leaving at least one tangible after-image behind. Byakuya Kuchiki states that she taught it to him.

Enhanced Strength: Despite her slender appearance, Yoruichi is quite strong in her Shinigami form; she could still easily use flash steps while carrying around an unconscious Ichigo to outrun a fellow flash step master. She can also easily catch a direct punch from the 10th Espada, and simultaneously throw him several feet away. She was able to easily injure him despite his thick Hierro with various unarmed moves, but it was later revealed that she was injured by his Hierro. Though she admitted that she wasn't expecting his skin to be that hard, she states that she could have avoided taking any damage if she had Shunko activated. Yoruichi has shown the strength of a concentrated blow from her is highly destructive, capable of destroying an entire city block.

Enhanced Endurance: Despite her own admission of being out of shape, Yoruichi has shown to be a very resilient warrior. Both when out of breath from prolonged running against Byakuya and sustaining fractures from Yammy's Hierro, Yoruichi was still able to fight effectively while showing no signs of weakening.

Master Assassin: As the former Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō, Yoruichi is one of the foremost masters of the art of assassination. She has repeatedly shown impressive skill in staying hidden and unseen. When necessary, she can effectively exploit having a advantage against an opponent or hiding her presence. Even one as intuitive as Aizen was completely taken by surprise and just as easily subdued.

Master Strategist: As the former head of her clan and ex-commander of the Onmitsukidō, Yoruichi has shown herself to be a capable leader. Repeatedly, Yoruichi has shown to be insightful and crafty, quickly capable of understanding any situation that presents itself and adjust to it effectively. Upon learning that Ichigo would go to save Rukia no matter what, Yoruichi began making preparations of her own by training Orihime and Chad.

Kidō Expert: As former captain of the 2nd Division and the Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō, Yoruichi is well-versed in a mastery of w:c:bleach:Kidō. Though she commonly employs Shunpo and hand-to-hand fighting techniques, she is masterful in using Kidō to further her capacity in combat - being so experienced she is able to mix it with other fighting techniques. She has been shown using mid-level binding and destruction spells with no incantation with expert skill.


 * Shunkō, (瞬閧, Flash Cry): An advanced technique that combines hand-to-hand combat with Kidō. She fights by surrounding her back and arms with pressurized Kidō. The keisen uniform has no back or sleeves since they will rip apart when it is activated. What is known of it so far, is that it can allow her to instantly neutralize an opponent's movement. Yoruichi's version of the technique was developed and studied by her a century ago. Therefore, the technique is complete. Unlike Soifon's version, the compressed Kidō is visible.


 * Hanki (反鬼, Reverse Demon: This technique is an ability Yoruichi uses during Shunkō, which nullifies an opponent's Kidō by hitting it with a Kidō of perfectly opposite speed and energy. The ability can even neutralize an opponent's movements.

Immense Spiritual Power: As a former captain and head of a noble clan, Yoruichi boasts a great amount of spiritual energy. Her spiritual energy is great enough to act as a shield from fairly powerful attacks, as seen from blocking Jin Kariya's lightning blast with a single hand. While using Shunkō, her concentrated spiritual power becomes far greater than normal.

Zanpakutō
As a former captain of the Gotei 13, it is known that Yoruichi possesses a Zanpakutō and has achieved Bankai, but she relies nearly exclusively on Hohō, Shunpō, and Shunkō. Although she doesn't carry it at all in the current time, she is shown wearing it in the past. It resembles a kodachi or wakizashi which she kept sheathed horizontally behind her on her lower back, similar to how Soifon carries hers in the present day.


 * Shikai: Not Yet Revealed


 * Bankai: Not Yet Revealed

Quotes

 * (To Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado) "Heart and Soul are connected, what is important is where is the heart."