Kento Tensei

"You people keep asking me about this blade. About Zangetsu. The truth is, I don't know why I inherited the same blade that was used by that Kurosaki kid all those years ago. All I know is that it manifested when I first became a Shinigami. Instantly, I am labeled a copycat by some and a menace by others, but I assure you, my use of this blade does not resemble the Kurosaki brat's weak usage of it. Come here, allow me to take you apart piece by piece with it and then you'll see how different my Zangetsu is."

- Kento about his Zangetsu

Kento Tensei (天声乾徳, Tensei Kento; literally "Emperor's Virtue, Heavenly Voice) is the first Head of the Tensei family, the father of Koga and Tenyo Tensei, and the widower of an unnamed Quincy woman. In his past, he held the seat of Captain of the Fifth Division, but abandoned that post to marry the love of his life, a Quincy woman from Earth, and then flee to Earth, coincidently during the Morteimpero Invasion of Soul Society, to start his family. When he arrived in the Real World, he fled to the jungles of South America until he was found, after the war with Datara Kawahiru, by Junsui Kirei who offered to take his son, Koga, and train him as a Shinigami-Seijin.

He is most famous for his unique possession of the Zanpakutō, Zangetsu. It is unknown why he possess the same zanpakutō as Ichigo Kurosaki. Even Kento himself is unsure of why his soul generated it upon his becoming a Shinigami, but he doesn't seem to care. He prides himself in his unique usage of Zangetsu, despite ridicule from other Shinigami for possessing it.

Appearance
Kento Tensei is a tall Shinigami with bluish-green eyes and wavy black hair. In flashbacks, his hair is tied in a long ponytail and has long bangs that frame the left side of his face, however, he currently wears it without a ponytail, preferring to let it flow behind him. He has thin facial hair around his mouth and on his cheeks, resembling Shunsui Kyōraku or Isshin Kurosaki. He wears the standard Shinigami wear the standard Shinigami uniform, called the shihakushō; a white shitagi, a black kosode, a black hakama, a white hakama-himo, white tabi, and waraji.

In his gigai, he wears black pants with matching black shirt and a dark greyish-black coat, having large white diamond patterns along its bottom half. It should be noted that his coat is designed to look like the opposite of a captain's haori (White with black diamonds), perhaps to elude back to his days as the Fifth Division's captain.

Personality
Kento Tensei possesses a unique personality for a Shinigami. Due to his talent as a swordsman and as a user of the legendary Zangetsu, Kento is very prideful and secure in his own strength. However, he keeps his arrogance in check, and humbles himself towards individuals he felt superior, such as Junsui. He is very brave, risking life and limb on numerous occasions for his family and friends. Kento is especially well known for a sharp tongue and an occasional sarcastic interface.

Despite his bravery, it should be noted that Kento demonstrates extreme caution and reluctance at times, and chooses his friends carefully. He is slow to trust and often came off as remote and intense. Ultimately, Kento Tensei's true motivation for all he does was a divergence from Seijin philosophy, which he studied despite not being a member of the Seijin Order itself. His personal belief system is an extremist viewpoint of peace at all costs. In his mind, peace is created by civilization, and he viewed the Soul Society as the ultimate civilization, developing an attachment towards the institution. He is ultimately willing to do anything to preserve the Soul Society, even if it means violating the Seijin philosophy in which he studies or killing politicians, such as members of the Central 46, whom he despises greatly.

History
Kento Tensei is a Shinigami who self-exiled himself to Earth, after marrying his wife, an unnamed Quincy woman. Kento was a Shinigami during the time of the Morteimpero Invasion of Soul Society and fled with his wife deep into South American jungles in the World of the Living, where they had Koga and Tenyo; it is thought that the true reason they fled was because a Shinigami was strictly forbidden from interacting with a Quincy, much less marrying one. Koga would go on to inherit his father's Shinigami powers, while his brother Tenyo would receive their mother's Quincy powers. Kento's wife was later killed when the Morteimpero troops came looking for Shinigami on earth. After the Morteimpero were defeated as well as the war against Datara Kawahiru ended, Junsui Kirei came to Earth on a mission in the location of Kento. Sensing an overwhelming amount of spiritual energy in Kento's son, Koga, Junsui offered to take the boy back to Soul Society and train him. Kento not only allowed this, but also returned to Soul Society himself.

Powers & Abilities
As the Head of the Tensei family, and a former captain, he is considered one of the few Shinigami on par with Seireitou Kawahiru, Kamui, and Sōsuke Aizen.

High Intellect: One of the most noticeable traits of Kento is his tremendous intellect. He is well-versed in the history, strategy, tactics of the Soul Society, and is privy to knowledge previously unknown to many, such as the knowledge of the existence of the Royal Guard, as well as being well versed in Seijin philosophy and teachings, despite not being one himself. He has also created a hiding spot, which became his home, in the Human World during his exile, which remained undetected for several years during the Morteimpero Invasion and later the War with Datara Kawahiru. He has an innate knowledge of objects like the Hōgyoku, which helps him assess Seireitou Kawahiru's abilities after Seireitou swallows the artifact and gains a tremendous power boost. He is able to figure out Seireitou Kawahiru's Shikai ability's true nature, allowing him to counter its effect.

Master Tactician: He has also shown himself as a masterful, sneaky, and flexible tactician, capable of adjusting seamlessly to any given combat situation, if not plan out events well in advance. He understands the strengths, weaknesses and mannerisms of his enemies and creates strategies to achieve victory. Despite viewing his power as worlds beyond others, he is also shown to be highly cautious in battle. Despite his aloof and unkempt appearance, Kento has also repeatedly shown himself to be a very insightful and cunning man. He possesses great intuition, able to quickly become aware of any incoming danger and react to it in time. As stated above, Kento has an undeniable a talent for thinking things well in advance as well, make decisive and accurate decisions quickly in battle, and able to perceive any situation at hand. He generally has shown himself to also be a crafty tactician from how easily he can deceive both allies and enemies. He has also shown to be a very perceptive and analytical man from how quickly he can analyze an opponent's power and attack patterns to ultimately make them useless against him.

Kidō Master: Being the former head of the Fifth Division of the Gotei 13, as well as the Head of the Tensei family, Kento has highly considerable knowledge of Kidō. During Ichirō and Koga's fight against a horde of Gillian-class Menos, Kento effortlessly restrained three of them with a low-level Kidō without incantation. Kento has shown the knowledge of how to break barriers set up by the spiritually superior noble families that even captains and even some High Marshalls are incapable of naturally breaking. Kento has further shown his masterful skill in Kidō using level 63, 91, and 96 Hadō spells in quick succession of each other without the use of incantation followed by a level 99 Bakudō spell, though the Bakudō spell did require an incantation to ensure the spell was powerful enough to accomplish Kento's goal, though Kento states he could have done it without incantation if he so pleased. He is also shown himself capable of making high-level seals undetected until the trap is sprung.

Immense Strength: He is powerful enough to stop Koga and Renge's combined Bankai attacks with just one palm (albeit Koga was already battle-worn and Renge's attacks didn't mix too well with Koga's), succeeded in cutting a Gillian-class Menos in half with a single swing of a sword, is able to stop Haruko's Shikai with his bare hand and break it with one swing, injuring Haruko in the process. He was also able to stop the giant dragon's fist from Koga's Bankai with his bare hand, proving his strength is more than enough to combat someone of his same level. Kento further shows his strength by being able to effortlessly cut through the sword and wrist of an oncoming Arrancar who was in the process of releasing it's sword. Kento's physical prowess has been shown to go beyond even these flashy skills. During his time in self exile in the World of the Living, he was shown able to effortlessly stop a punch from a giant of a man, a local in the region, with a single hand. During his training with his son Koga, his strikes showed enough power to create rather large craters and easily launch the younger fighter several meters and through solid rock.

Immense Spiritual Power: Even by high marshal-level standards, Kento has shown to have tremendous spiritual energy. His son, Tenyo Tensei, commented that Kento's very presence is monstrously overwhelming, even compared to that of his son Koga's spiritual energy. The force of Kento's spiritual power is also great enough to, without any visible effort, bring the several Adjuchas-class Menos who were fighting him to their knees. He has commented that it takes a lot for him not to keep his spiritual energy in check, hinting at the vastness of it. He also claims that he is more powerful than all of the Gotei 13's current lieutenants as far as power level goes (which must be true due to him having been a former captain). Kento has shown that his reiatsu is powerful enough to nullify abilities, namely Binding kidō spells and low level destructive spells. When releasing his spiritual pressure, it can cause a shockwave strong enough to affect a considerable radius.

Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Despite his appearance, Kento is an extremely skilled fighter, using a combination of powerful attacks and cunning deceptions. His abilities have been considered highly dangerous by Takashi Sora, the Rouge Shinigami leader of Los Cinco Arrancar. While formally being part of the Fifth Division's captaincy, Kento's preferred style of combat seems to be swordsmanship. Despite this, he is shown highly adept in combining his hand-to-hand skills with his swordsmanship. While fighting, his preferred methods of attack are to take advantage of his great agility, striking from various angles to confuse his opponent. His skills in combat have been repeatedly shown as very high, as he was able to keep Koga and Tenyo constantly on thier toes during their training session despite Tenyo's arrows and Koga's much thinner blade. His skills also allows him to rarely ever rely on more than his Shikai as shown when fighting an Espada-level Arrancar. He achieved Bankai within a short time relying on the sheer skill of his ability to wield his Zanpakutō against its own spirit. His ingenuity in using his Zangetsu is much greater than Ichigo's as he is able to use his skill in more versatile and effective maneuvers, such as using his Shikai as a flail, to which he has demonstrated tremendous aim and control of where and how it will strike. Kento fights in a style more akin to a berserker, much like Hollow Ichigo, relying on instinct with little to no regard towards his own well-being.

Flash Steps Master: As the former Captain of the Fifth Division and a Head of the Tensei family, Kento has an exceptional understanding and skill in the use of Flash Steps even being so fast that an opponent does not notice when he replaces himself with an object such as a stone or a log as a means of misdirection, further demonstrated when he used this tactic effectively against Renge Yamato. In addition, the fact that he was always able to keep up with Haruko Shihōin's speed during sparring sessions is further proof of his high mastery in this skill.

Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: While preferring to finish his fights quickly with his Zanpakutō or Kidō, Kento is a highly capable fighter unarmed as well. Repeatedly, Kento has shown himself able to effortlessly catch his opponent's weapons barehanded. While fighting offensively, he has shown tremendous agility and dexterity, able to combine both sword and barehanded skills to simultaneously strike with his sword and kick opponents with great force. His skills in this area have been seen great enough to force even the likes of Haruko to fight seriously as shown from one of their regular sparing sessions after he returns to Soul Society with his son. During his days as a Shinigami Captain, his skills were great enough to effortlessly take down several Shinigami-deserters unarmed.

Zanpakutō
Zangetsu (斬月, Slaying Moon): It is unknown why his soul produced an copy of Ichigo Kurosaki's zanpakutō, all Kento knows is that it did. Former Captain, Toshirō Hitsugaya, has speculated that Kento and Ichigo must have similar souls and thus produced the same zanpakutō. The exact same thing happened to Toshirō during his days in the Academy, when another student, Sōjriō Kusaka, was also granted Hyōrinmaru; the same sword as Hitsugaya. The spirit of Zangetsu resembles a tall (about the height of Kento himself) thirty to forty-year-old man with unkempt facial hair and long ragged black hair. He dresses in tattered all black garbs with narrow sunglasses and a long flowing overcoat that flares out into ragged ends. Zangetsu is portrayed as wise and calm in most matters, and fond of testing Kento in unusual ways, many of which have a purpose completely contrary to the stated goal, much like he once did with Ichigo. Kento's inner world possesses lusher, natural surroundings such as bright sunny skies and green forests which Zangetsu greatly likes, unlike Ichigo's skyscraper filled inner world. Zangetsu has displayed the ability to temporarily close fatal wounds during combat, though whether or not this is a unique ability is unclear. Kento has had a strong connection to his Zanpakutō, as shown from how Zangetsu would regularly come to aid him by literally manifesting to fight alongside him when Kento is in a difficult situation.

In it's sealed state, Kento's Zangetsu has a red handle and square-shaped hand guard. It is carried from a string wrapped around his belt in an iaidō style, and worn with the edge down like a tachi instead of the edge up like a katana. The end of the hilt has a red tassel.
 * Shikai: Released by the command "Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate." (放棄の恐怖. 前方見てください. 前方移動を停止することはありません. あなたはよ年齢を引き戻す場合. あなたがためらう場合は死ぬだろう. ; ''Mikiri kiken fea. Rukku zenpō. Te zenpō soshite kesshite sutoppu. Soko ichidai no kone bakku. Soko sai no ujiuji.), the longest Zanpakutō release phrase yet, the Shikai form of Zangetsu looks like an oversized elegant cleaver rather than a formal "katana". It has no tsuba and no proper hilt; what Kento holds is the cloth-wrapped tang. The sword is 1.75 meters tall, and has a white blade with a black edge, the exact opposite of Ichigo's Zangetsu coloring. The black, cloth wrapping on the tang seems to react to Kento's will, changing length at a thought or twining about the blade in an impromptu sheath. When in combat, the cloth falls away when necessary, shrinking back to a manageable size. The cloth can also be used to swing the weapon like a flail and toss it at opponents for mid-range combat; Kento uses this style far more than Ichigo ever does. The cloth also can be undone to wrap up wounds, but this is done rarely. Kento has also on more than one occasion used Zangetsu's wide blade as a shield from incoming attacks. Unlike Ichigo's version of the Zanpakutō, which cannot be sealed back into it's original form, Kento's Zangetsu can return to it's sealed state at Kento's command.
 * Shikai Special Ability: Zangetsu's is largely used for melee combat but possesses one known special ability.


 * Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝, Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer): At the instant of the slash, Zangetsu absorbs his spiritual energy and releases highly condensed spiritual energy at the tip of the blade. Magnifying the slash attack and then flies forward. This slash takes the form of a crescent moon or in the shape of a wave. As stated by Zangetsu, knowing the name of an attack heightens its power compared to its strength when the wielder does not know its name. Getsuga Tenshō is a powerful technique with great force, capable of causing large scale damage. While it is currently the only attack Zangetsu has taught Kento, Kento has used this technique in several different manners, such as striking the ground to create an omnidirectional blast to knock away incoming attacks or slashing at the ground to upturn it and crush everything in its path. A noticeable difference in Kento's Getsuga from Ichigo's, is that Kento's Shikai version of Getsuga Tenshō is pure silver instead of blue. Kento has even demonstrated use of this attack in his sealed state.


 * Bankai: Tensa Zangetsu (天鎖斬月, Heaven Chain Slaying Moon): It is considered completely out of the ordinary for any Zanpakutō. Unlike most Bankai forms, which usually create some sort of massive creature or effect, the Bankai of Zangetsu actually shrinks Kento's sword down to a daitō (Japanese long sword) with a black blade. The cross guard has four prongs bent out to form the shape of the manji (which is the kanji for "ban," meaning "full", as in "full release"). The blade itself is durable enough to withstand a strong punch from Renge Yamato and even a direct hit from Haruko Shihōin's strongest Shikai attack; in both cases, the blade did not break. Instead of the cloth his Shikai form had, a short length of chain with a broken link at the end dangles from the base of the hilt. In addition to his sword, Kento's robe is replaced with a long-sleeved, ankle-length white coat, or shikakusho, with black lining that is closed at his chest, then left to flare out into ragged ends, much like that of Zangetsu himself; it differs from Ichigo's form, in that in Ichigo's version of Tensa Zangetsu, the cloak is black. This coat is part of Kento's Bankai and the damage it can take is directly proportionate to the remaining strength and level of Kento's reiatsu.
 * Bankai Special Ability: Tensa Zangetsu much like its Shikai form is used largely for melee combat but possess certain special ability.


 * Enhanced Getsuga Tenshō: Tensa Zangetsu retains the use of Getsuga Tenshō and can be used in the same manners, but can be used in an enhanced form. When used in Kento's version of the Bankai, these potent blasts are silver with a forest green outline and their path can be controlled, with explosively augmented power and speed. When seen by Toshirō Hitsugaya for the first time, during Kento's training fight with Junsui, he refers to this attack as a "Ginro Getsuga" (銀色月牙, "Silver Moon Fang"), referring to the attacks silver color. Unlike Ichigo, who's Black Getsuga was originally Hollow Ichigo's technique, and had been proven as Ichigo had no knowledge of it during his fight with Byakuya Kuchiki, using the original Getsuga when in Bankai, and Hollow Ichigo stated that all Ichigo was doing when he used the technique was copying his inner Hollow; Kento's version is completely his own, it draws on no other source of power other than Zangetsu himself, making it far more destructive than Ichigo's Hollow-reliant version. Kento can also keep Getsuga Tenshō within Zangetsu to augment his sword swings.


 * Hyper-Speed Combat: Kento takes all the power of his Bankai and compresses it into a small, condense form. Then he uses the power of the Bankai to perform hyper speed combat. His new speed is so great, that it also enhances his Flash Step prowess and allows him to create dozens of afterimages to confuse his opponent.


 * Enhanced Strength: Kento's Bankai also allows him to further enhance his natural great strength as shown from how effortlessly he blocked a punch from Renge, an Seijin Master known primarily for his immense strength. He is strong enough to cut through an Arrancar's Hierro with relative ease. This new strength allows Kento to break free from any attack that binds him and prevents him from moving just as he releases.


 * Enhanced Spiritual Power: His reiatsu is intense and rough as well as thick and heavy that it can suffocate Humans by being the in general vicinity of his released Bankai. In addition, his already immense spiritual energy has grandly and explosively increased, and now has a forest green-outlined, silver spiritual energy.


 * Enhanced Bankai Duration: Furthermore, the fact that all of his energy is "compressed" means that usage of his Bankai doesn't expel as much spiritual power as other Bankai from the point of activation; thus allowing him to use Tensa Zangetsu at a much longer duration than any other Bankai users of his level.

Behind the Scenes
This guy, Kento, is one of my favorite creations. I based him off of Isshin Kurosaki, and gave him the famous Zangetsu because I hate the way Ichigo uses his Zangetsu (he could use it so much better than he does), so I allowed Kento to also use Zangetsu to show how I would have him wield it. The fact that he wields it is legitimate, as shown in the Bleach movie, DiamondDust Rebellion, two Shinigami can possess the same zanpakutō, though it is rare. The name Kento was inspired by the name of a Jedi Knight, Kento Marek, from the video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.