Hawke Kori

Hawke Kori (ホークコリ, Tōku Kori) is the son of Kusaka and Kireina Kori; as well as a of the Ryū Order, being the protector assigned to the area surrounding Grat. Due to his parentage he is a descendant of both the Shiba clan and Kori clan. Following the Collapse, which devastated the Ryū Order, Hawke joined his cousin Kentaro Hiroshi as a Commander of the Six Directions, and in turn has become a target of the resurgent Imawashī and the mysterious Kikkashō, pitting his strength and intellect against both in hopes of unifying the Reikai. He serves the same role once filled by his father in the series, which is one of primary battle support, whose appearance is often what turns the tide.

Appearance
Hawke appears like his father whilst sharing his maternal uncles yellow eyes, though they shine red as he exerts his spiritual power. He wears traditional Shinigami garb outfitted with a hood and tends to keep his long fringe dyed white, as opposed to his natural black. Like he wears his fringe combed over his left eye whilst letting the back hang loosely between his shoulder blades or on his shoulders. When not on-duty Hawke wears more casual clothing, preferring jeans and hoodies. Following the Collapse, Hawke has grown both physically and mentally, appearing vastly more mature. His hair has grown out and is generally tied into a ponytail, though he does at times wear it unbound with his fringe obscuring the left side of his face. His clothing now tends to consist of a high-necked short-sleeved black kosode and black hakama, with black sandals. As first cousins he and Kentaro have always shared certain similarities but as both matured they grew so similar some have mistaken them as brothers.

Personality
Hawke acts nothing like his father. Instead of being brutish and vulgar Hawke is calm and somewhat sophisticated, though he does share his father's passion in regards to games of chance; especially poker. His calmness is at odds with the blood-lust and excitement those of the Kori clan typically experience during battle, his blood having been diluted somewhat by his mother's kind nature. However, when he activates Bankai, Hawke tends to become more aggressive; to the point his spiritual power sharpens and his Kori bloodline takes over, dulling his normal sense for danger. Even when his father and uncle Kenji partook of their usual back-and-forth banter Hawke remained silent, even when Akiye lost her temper and told them both to sit on their asses, indicating he takes after his mother in being a neutral force in that regard; whilst also demonstrating his patience. Following the Collapse he has seemingly developed his powers of observation, with Kentaro coming to rely upon him in such matters. He was also the first to reason out that Hiden and Eiji where not what they said they where, showing that he is somewhat mistrusting.

Like his mother, Hawke is utterly fearless, with tremendous self-confidence. He rarely baulks from any challenge, declaring he'd be able to kill Kitsui Kōhai one-on-one and Eiji Shinzui when asked, showing the faith he has in his own skills.

Hawke engages in the same back-and-forth banter with his adoptive brother David and cousin Kentaro as his father, Kusaka, partakes in with Kenji. He also demonstrates a forward and fun-loving attitude to some situations, and he particularly likes poking fun at his friends Kentaro and Akiye; whom he refers to as the "love birds", whenever applicable. When Akiye dragged Kentaro into some nearby bushes in the aftermath of her battle with Zatoichi, Hawke responded without surprise and instead turned on his adoptive brother, suggesting that if May, whom David had feelings for, dragged him into the bushes he wouldn't complain. This shows that Hawke is a fun-loving young man; not unlike his father in that regard, which hasn't lessened with time. In addition to this he also demonstrated an unshakable trust in his allies. After Shinji fled, Hawke decided to leave Itazura behind and trust to his strength and resolve, believing that he would free Tomoko without incidence.

Synopsis

 * Main Article - Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi).

Part III

 * Main Article -- Bleach: War of the Worlds.

Rise and Fall of Legends arc

 * Hatching Schemes and Catching Up
 * Shifting Loyalties
 * Dealing with Loose Ends
 * Dealing with Loose Ends: Kori Legacy
 * Unveiling the Grand Scheme
 * Cutting to the Heart of the Matter
 * Cutting to the Heart of the Matter: Son of Kusaka
 * Return of the Legend

Part IV

 * Main article -- Bleach: Cataclysm.

Peri-Collapse

 * Second Battle of Grat

Testing the Waters arc

 * Kentaro Takes Charge (mentioned)
 * Matters of Trust
 * Matters of Trust II
 * Leaving Doubt at the Door (mentioned)
 * Putting Names to the Faces

Bound by Blood arc

 * Note: The below arc is filler and is thus separate from the main plot of Bleach: Cataclysm, despite it being classed very loosely as canon.


 * Terrors of the Night (mentioned)
 * Terrors End

Meian's Legacy mini-arc

 * Kay's Awakening: Birth of a Tsuji

Braving the Waves arc

 * First Battle of Nishiendo
 * Planning Espionage
 * Second Battle of Nishiendo

Navigating the Waters arc

 * Secrets Revealed

Part V

 * Main article -- TBA.

Powers and Abilities
Keen Intelligence: Hawke has demonstrated to be in possession of a mind just as sharp as his parents. He is an effective strategist and cunning tactician; Kitsui even admitted to being somewhat intimidated by Hawke's bold, if risky, strategy. Kentaro also came to rely upon Hawke's astute observations. Once provided with evidence he was quick to trust Hawke's judgment regarding Hiden and Eiji, which ultimately proved to be correct.

He is considered on-par with a Captain of the Gotei 13 and possesses enough strength for Kenji and Kusaka to fancy his chances of triumphing over Kitsui Kōhai; a notion Hawke backs himself and later proved. Following the Collapse he proved himself the equal of Hiden and Eiji, who are both exceptionally powerful Captain-class combatants.


 * Reīkandō (霊感動, Soul Passion): a trait of the Kori clan which enables Hawke to "excite" his soul"; releasing his latent potential and blowing past his bodily limitations. He demonstrated this against Kitsui, gaining a sharper spiritual pressure and enhancing his physical attributes.


 * Jouen (情焔, Burning Passions): a trait of the Kori clan inherent in all its members to some degree, though Hawke's is not as prevalent as his father's version; regardless of this however the trait is strong enough that Hawke can seemingly operate with life-threatening wounds that would have disabled or even killed normal Shinigami. After activating his Bankai against Kitsui and benefiting from its armor plating Hawke prevented himself from succumbing to an earlier attack which had blasted a hole in his chest which, on a normal body, would have pierced the heart. Hawke survived through a combination of a birth defect that left his heart on the opposite side of his body and use of the Jouen to continue the fight; he even passed it off as to unnerve Kitsui further.


 * Reīssen (霊一閃, Soul Flash): as an inheritor of the Kori legacy, Hawke is capable of using the Reīssen. His is black with a silver whirl throughout; however, his is not a wave, as its true form takes the shape of a linear pulse released from his chest, which is capable of extremely high levels of cutting power. In addition, in Bankai, Hawke sheathed his fists in the Reīssen's energy to greatly augment the strength of his punches instead of releasing the energy. Following the death of Shinji Mitsuhide, Hawke came into possession of the latter's research into the Kori clan, allowing Hawke to gain greater mastery and insight into the use of the Reīssen.


 * Reīgaisō (霊外装 (れいがいそう), Soul Cladding): a technique Hawke developed from reading the Mitsuhide's research into the Kori clan. It clads the user in the Reīssen in a manner mimicking Shunkō and Dōdōjōshō to increase one's physical parameters, though the aura is much larger, appearing as a large green warrior-like apparition of spiritual power. Hawke remarks that this technique is purely defensive though he has successfully merged it with certain Kidō to enable a variety of attacks.


 * Reīgaisō Harinezumi (霊外装針鼠 (れいがいそう はりねずみ), Soul Clad Hedgehog): Hawke stabilizes the Reīssen around him to dramatically increase his defensive abilities.

Enhanced Strength: Hawke possesses enough strength to visibly daze the likes of Nakajima and Kitsui with a single simultaneous close-line.

Enhanced Endurance: Even after having his heart and a lung damaged by Shinji's Neijing technique to the point he was vomiting blood and barely capable of keeping his footing, Hawke continued fighting back for a time; even unleashing his Shikai.

Zanjutsu Expertise: Hawke possesses ample skill with a blade, seemingly favouring the offensively-focused Form II stance with his unreleased Zanpakutō. He demonstrates a personalized Zanjutsu technique however upon use of his Shikai. Against Shinji he combined the Reītareginu technique with keen precision by literally hurling his Zanpakutō at targets, who either dodge or block, and then rinsing and repeating; this essentially enables him to reach a form of invulnerability as long as he continues the assault.

Hakuda Master: Although a skilled swordsman in his own right Hawke's truest skill is his in-depth knowledge and skill in unarmed combat, to the point that he himself admitted that he was a fool to have thought he could defeat Kitsui without it. He has demonstrated great athleticism to dodge and then strike at his targets with absolutely no wasted movement, and possesses enough physical strength in his attacks to momentarily stun and daze two Captain-class combatants simultaneously. Against Kitsui he combined his Bankai, Reīssen, and Hakuda skills to devastating effect; effectively shattering Kitsui's strong defence through superior his own superior strength. He has a strong stance and seems to favour attacks with great force as demonstrated against Shinji. Following the Collapse he is second only to Kensei in terms of raw skill, having the necessary abilities to catch Eiji off-guard and kick him in the chin.

Kidō: Although not his favoured form of combat, Hawke has demonstrated some penchant for Kidō, using Hadō #57 and #58 in conjunction. The sheer strength of this combination left Eiji staggering. He later produced a water-based spell with enough power to void the fierce flames of Amagai's Bankai.

Zanpakutō
Jitsunogetsu (実の月, True Moon). Hawke's Zanpakutō takes the form of a traditional whilst sealed, with a basic circular bronze guard with a hollow portion in the center. The blade is keen and sharp on both the inside and outside cutting edge.


 * : Hawke releases his Zanpakutō with the command "Inherit" (継承, Keishō). Once released it retains its katana form, though from halfway up where the cross guard is, there is a 45 degree cut on the inside of the blade where a second blade juts out in the shape of a crescent moon. Hawke releases his Shikai rarely, preferring his Bankai.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Jitsunogetsu is used primarily for melee-combat, with one special ability to aid this function.


 * Reītareginu (霊垂れ絹, Soul Curtain): a technique which allows Hawke to hurl his Zanpakutō towards an enemy like a boomerang and teleport as it approaches his foe; making for a potent and often fatal surprise, or as an effective means to dodge attacks. Hawke also demonstrated minor usage whilst his Zanpakutō was sealed. He used it in this manner to bypass the defences of Nakajima and Kitsui to simultaneously close-line them both. He later demonstrated a more effective usage against Shinji that effectively made him invulnerable to the latter's attacks.


 * : Jitsunogetsu Ryūki (実の月隆起, True Moon Rising). Hawke's Bankai is considered out of the ordinary, in that regard being similar to his father's. Instead of creating a powerful effect or object to aid the wielder in battle, Jitsunogetsu Ryūki instead acts like a Clad-type Fullbring; in much the same manner as Kentaro's Bankai. Activation gives Hawke the benefit of flight thanks to two expansive red wings with grey bones, whilst armour plating of a lighter shade of red covers his entire upper body.


 * Bankai Special Ability: Jitsunogetsu Ryūki is a Bankai of minimal range but great reiatsu. It enhances Hawke's physical abilities tremendously; enough to at first match and then exceed Kitsui's Resurrección Jittoma, as well as overpower Shinji's defensive Hakuda. His speed, in thanks to his wings, also increase to incredibly new levels that Shinji could not react to. Before release he could barely follow and react to Kitsui's enhanced movements, for example, but after releasing his Bankai was fit to completely turn the tables on him. However, whilst it remains a melee-type even in Bankai, what makes Jitsunogetsu Ryūki truly unique and out of the ordinary lies not in its destructive power, speed, or defensive abilities, but rather the minuscule strain it places upon Hawke's body. Jitsunogetsu Ryūki can be released and sustained for extended durations without draining Hawke or exhausting him, and can even be held whilst Hawke himself is suffering from grievous injuries.


 * Gesshoku (月食, Lunar Eclipse): not yet revealed.

Behind the Scenes

 * The pictures used on this article were drawn by Arrancarfighter on deviantart, who gave me his permission.