Ryōga Jōkaihan

"The world is shrinking. The blank edges of the map are being filled in."

- Ryōga speaking at the change in the world's scene.

Ryōga Jōkaihan (上界判・竜駕, Joukaihan Ryouga; lit. "imperial carriage of heavens judgment") is a shinigami and current captain of the within the, having replaced   in the years following the , being the successor to Shiro Kujo. He is known to be a fair and just captain but he is looked at with some distaste as the previous captain had abandoned the post, leaving it somewhat cursed along with the Captaincy of the and that of the. After traveling to he made a contract with the  becoming the liaison between the underworld and the soul society.

Appearance
Ryōga bears the appearance of a boy in his late teens with spiky black hair, tan skin, a lean appearance, and golden eyes. He wears the standard Shinigami attire, with the exception of his Shihakushō (死覇装; Garment of Dead Souls), where, instead of the kosode, he wears a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat that divides into two at the end and flares out, and he possesses armored plates on his shoulders. Unlike most captain he is almost never seen wearing his Haori, stating that it is too formal for him and that he would rather try to connect with his subordinates on a mutual level.

Personality
Calm and Collected, Ryōga is in many ways similar to former captain, Tōsen in that he tries to be diplomatic in his approach to a situation. He doesn't see himself as superior to his subordinates as they are all shinigami, serving a common goal, to which he doesn't like to wear his Haori as it is too formal for him outside of special occasions or Captain's meetings. Ryōga prefers to maintain a sense of order in his division as he was once one of them not to long before and as such has remained the same as he was when he was a seated officer.

As a captain he is fair and just, but his just behavior only goes towards the deserving as he was seen scolding an officer who was insubordinate as well as showing Mushoku not to underestimate a captain level opponent. His traits are what led to him being chosen not only to being a captain but also a holder of the hell contract as he is not the type to exploit its great powers.

Childhood
Ryōga had died young due to while his family lived in. This led to him living in the alone for sometime. As he trekked around 's 64th district he was found by his future adoptive father the current head of the Jōkaihan Family and he took him in seeing great potential within him. As Ryōga grew and lived humbly with his new family he was trained in how to be a noble in this lesser known noble family as well as learning shinigami basics such as Kidō usage and Shunpo. About two hundred years later he had the appearance of a teenager and was admitted into Shinō Academy.

Time in Shinō
During his time in Shinō, he excelled in Kidō and Zanjutsu, as he was able to generate his own zanpakutō, within his first two years attending but he would not learn its name for another two years. He was noticed by during his term and within his short four year stint at Shinō by special recommendation he was allowed to graduate two years early and join the Third Division as the 6th Seated officer.

Appointment to Third Division
After graduating early, he was admitted to the Third Company as the Sixth Seated officer, under Gin Ichimaru. It was here that he excelled most as in the field he never left a man behind, often ordering his men to finish the mission while he stayed behind to help another member who was hurt or to by his men time to complete the mission. It isn't until the when it was discovered that his own captain, who he trusted, along side  and the man he would eventually replace  defected was his hearts true desire discovered as he trained relentlessly day and night to become strong enough to take his captain down for his betrayal.

Achievement of Bankai and Promotion to Captaincy
Around the time of the White Invasion, he was stationed in the Soul Society, protecting the real while the other captains and vice captains were in the fake Karakura Town in the. It was during this time he finalized his bankai and some time afterwards revealed it to who nominated him for a captains position. After taking the Captain proficiency test, he was appointed to be the new captain of the Ninth Division.

Equipment
Kibōsui (希望水, "water of hope"): Kept in a small jars on his person these droplets have the power to heal any wound that is non-fatal as well as counteract most poisons. This was invented by Ryouga while he severed as a seated officer in the 3rd Division.

Powers and Abilities
When fully expressed the air becomes heavy and the ground slightly quakes. As a captain this reiatsu is fully realized to being on par with other nobles such as or, being able to stun lower ranked officers with a mere glance or small spike of his pressure. In combat he is able to harden this energy similarly to that of the Arrancar's Heirro and block sword strikes with his bare hand.

Kidō Specialist and Inventor: His best skill is his kidō usage as he trained extensively in the art. Ryōga is a prodigy and several attempts havve been made to make him captain of the all were turned down, as he prefers his current position. It was noted at Shinō that Kidō, more particularly Hadō spells come naturally to him as he was shown how to do a level 90 spell and within a few days he was able to replicate it perfectly and within a week he was able to use it without the incantation and have it retain tremendous power.
 * Gyakuho (逆歩, "Reverse Counter for Steps"): Dabbling in kidō mechanics he was able to develop a spell that temporarily allows him to halt time and then rewind a few minutes or hours or fast forward the same amount of time. This spell does not however allow him to change anything that has already happened or will happen, as he exist outside of time as an observer in either case. This is used solely to learn from a past mistake or see an outcome, but as the future is not set in stone and he is shown only one outcome he prefers not to go to the future often.
 * Unnamed Teleportation Kidō: A Kidō spell developed by Ryōga to travel across dimensional planes in order to bypass the to the  as well as allow him instant access to the  and . This is noted to be a mixutre of  and  as he is seen forming four tags made from spiritual energy before using this spell.
 * Unnamed Power Transfer Kidō: This is a spell he created to store a large portion of his power into another vessel in the event that he uses his Hell's Grace technique to end an opponent. This spell coats him in runes to which he reaches inside himself to remove a part of himself and then seal it instantly inside the person of his choosing, and as a bonus that person may be able to become a shinigami as a result.
 * Hadō #63, Part 2 Guren Raikōhō (紅蓮雷吼炮, "crimson lotus flower fiery lightning howl"): This is a modified form of Hadō #63 that is cast by Ryōga after cupping his hands together at his waist and chants the incantation only editing it slightly as a red ball of lightning spirals in his hand, thrusting his arms out in front of him he fires this blast at his opponent.
 * Incantation: "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast and the man! Sharp tower, scarlet crystal, steel ring and needle. Move and become the hurricane, stop and become peaceful. The sound of warring spears echos in the empty castle!"

Hakuda Expert: Ryōga was trained by his previous Captain Gin Ichimaru to be fast and swift with his strikes as Gin saw much promise in his skills. These led to several sparring sessions to occur between the two. Gin noted that he would be a good proxy for him later when Aizen enacted his plan and as such groomed him in certain areas. Ryō is able to fight several high level opponents such as, and  simultaneously and still have enough stamina to go toe to toe with  unarmed.

Shunpo Expert: Despite his skill with shunpo he is hardly seen using this art as he had developed a kidō spell to travel a lot faster. On the rare occasions when he is seen using shunpo, he has been noted to be as fast as most members in that he does not make a sound when moving. He is ofen seen using Hohō techniques Senka and Utsusemi.
 * Senka (閃花, Flash Blossom): Using Senka only to apprehend fugitives, Ryōga is seen to be very proficient in its use, using a mix of his own swordplay and speed to pierce both the Saketsu and Hakusui to disable his target by sealing away their spiritual powers.
 * Utsusemi (空蝉, Cicada, referencing their molting): Taught to him by in his youth, he became quite skilled in its use, using it to play pranks while in school or to avoid fatal blows as a seated officer. As a captain he uses this skill the most to avoid hollow attacks or to dodge fatal blows.

Zanjutsu Specialist: His principle skill is his swordplay, as he only uses his full shikai when absolutely needed. He is an ambidextrous swordsman, able to switch hands seemlessly in combat, leaving little to no openings for his opponents to exploit. Before it was noted that he held a kidō type Zanpakutō, several attempts were made to recruit him to the for his prowess.

High Intellect: Shown in his adaptability in combat and natural talent with kidō; Ryōga has been noted for being bright beyond his years. He is able to weave together complex maneuvers and Kidō in seconds as well as cover his true intent by masking his attacks.

Zanpakutō
For the manifested spirit of Ijōame that appears in the New Captain Ryōga Jōkaihan arc, see Ijōame (Spirit). For Ijōame's Bankai manifestation that appears during Jinzen, see Amenōnkei Ijōame.

Ijōame (囲繞天, "surrounding heaven") is the name of Ryōga Jōkaihan's zanpakutō and when sealed takes the form of a black katana, that has a simple hilt ornamented with green diamonds, and a crossguard that is shaped like a four-paned window. When not in use it is held in a solid white sheath to contrast the blade, and the sheath is decorated in gold and blue as a contrast again to the simple design of the zanpakutō itself. Shikai Special Ability: After speaking the phrase "Become Realized" (的中, "tekichū") his full shikai is released in a burst of spiritual pressure but the over all look of his zanpakutō does not change. Once released he is able to manipulate the bonds between reishi and control the particles as if they were extensions of himself. Using theses he can create clones of himself, extend his blade by converting it to pure energy attached to the hilt of his zanpakutō or affect the senses of his opponent by attacking them with a flurry of false and real blades.
 * Shikai To release his shikai he calls out the phrase "Praise" (讃賞, "sanshō") to which his blade resonates and then slightly curves back, from his hilt one can see a crystal appear and attached to it a black tassel of sorts. his crossguard also opens and forms a cross-like look. Due to another release phrase is needed to use his full power many have assumed that this is a melee type, not a kidō type.
 * Kamishini Ijōame (神神威・囲繞天, "spirit of god's authority surrounding heaven"): By drawing in a large valume of spiritual energy, focused at his zanpakutō's tip, Ryōga is able to create a massive dragon that is golden in color and scary to behold. This dragon is said to be the manifestation of Ryōga's soul and fighting spirit. Once released only something of equal or greater force is said to be able to stop it as it carries the might of a hurricane when at full power.
 * Shinki Ijōame (神気・囲繞天,, "divinity surrounding heaven"): By manipulating the properties of his zanpakutō, Ryōga is able to convert his blade to pure energy allowing it to become malleable grants it the power to extend, similarly to his previous captain's zanpakutō . After converting his blade, he adopts a stance to brace himself against the recoil as he launches the energy blade, which moves at near light speeds due to its composition, and it carries a tremendous amount of force behind it. However due to its speed he cannot change the direction of his extended blade nor can he swing in in arcs as light cannot willingly bend itself.
 * Inyō Ijōame (陰陽・囲繞天, "cosmic dual forces surrounding heaven"): After swinging his sword he able to generate a streak of spiritual energy which he freely manipulates to create a flurry of blades. These blades are a mixture of solid blades and intangible ones. Since he nor his opponent can tell which is which the sheer amount overwhelm the target.
 * Tennin Ijōame (天人・囲繞天, "nature and man surrounding heaven"): By manipulating spiritual particles, Ryōga is able to create realistic clones of himself. These clones move independent of the original and are able to bleed when wounded, decieving his opponent of what is real and what is simply a clone. Once enough damage is recieved the clones shatter into light beams and fade away.
 * Yokiseki Ijōame (黄泉関・囲繞天, "hell's gate surrounding heaven"): After manipulating the spiritual energy of his zanpakutō he is able to fire several energy disk with every swing of his blade. These disk become considerably weaker after each consecutive usage, shown by the number of spokes in each.

Bankai Special Ability: His base level bankai ability is the ability to use enhanced versions of his shikai skills; he is also while in bankai capable of generating a devastating aura that completely destroys the bonds of reishi, effectively ripping spiritual buildings and objects apart if caught within the 5 foot radius around him after triggering his ability. While this ability could effectively destroy other zanpakutō or his surroundings it is cautiously monitored by Ryōga himself as he has to stop it from killing his allies as well as destroying his opponents.
 * Bankai: Amenōnkei Ijōame (天の恩恵・囲繞天, "divine grace surrounding heaven"); When Ryōga activates his bankai, he holds his shikai outstretched before his body, horizontally with the blade pointed down to the ground. After which he drops it causing it to fade into the ground beneath him in water like ripples after which he declares bankai. Once he declares bankai, the area around him explodes outwards with his spiritual pressure, cratering the ground once the done of energy has reached its full radius of about 3 feet around his center. Once this subsides he is then seen clad in noble robes, being of light springtime colors on the outter white kimono with contrasting dragon designs on the inner portions of the overall outfit. The kimono is kept together by a long ribbon belt, brown with golden edges. His hair changes color becoming white and is visably longer than normal. In addition to his changed appearance his chest is uncovered and bare, revealing that he has obtained an increase in muscle mass. Around his neck, a long pelt of white fox fur is worn. His blade is shown to become a or Chinese horse-cutter sword.
 * Particle Implantation: Amenōnkei Ijōame's ability can be refined into a simple aspect in that Ryōga can implant a particle of his anti spiritual energy into his opponent by way of a cut or physical contact with an open wound. This particle reacts with all foreign spiritual particles breaking apart all bonds it comes into contact with slowly shattering the individual from the inside out. This effect is triggered by the command "Scatter, Amenōnkei Ijōame" (散れ, 天の恩恵・囲繞天, "Chire, Amenōnkei Ijōame") and afterwards the target disintegrates in agony.


 * Nagame, Amenōnkei Ijōame (眺め・天の恩恵・囲繞天, Outlook of the Divine Grace Surrounding Heaven): This is an enhanced version of his Inyō Ijōame technique, but it is performed differently as to use while in bankai, Ryō calls out the name of the technique to which six rows of swords come from the ground as they encircle his person. These swords are similar in shape and form to that of his sealed zanpakutō and in this state greatly resemble Byakuya Kuchiki's Senkei, but these blades however are remotely controlled by Ryō, attacking his opponent(s) from any direction. However the remote controlled action requires a hand sign unique to the technique and if he is unable to use it the technique falls apart.
 * Munashī, Amenōnkei Ijōame (空しい・天の恩恵・囲繞天, Void left by the Divine Grace Surrounding Heaven): Summoning a translucent purple dragon from the tip of his blade, it roars at first to intimidate the opponent, then throws itself at Ryou, forming a many sided barrier with multiple translucent orbs located on it that form it's squared faces. The barrier is extremely durable, it's only weakness being that if an orb is destroyed, the barrier shrinks, and will continue to shrink the more orbs are destroyed, until it crushes Ryō. To avoid this, he can deactivate it.
 * Hantai, Amenōnkei Ijōame (反対・天の恩恵・囲繞天, Opposition of the Divine Grace Surrounding Heaven): This is one his most used techniques for evasion purposes. It allows for him to become shadow-like and have incoming attacks pass through him seamlessly, but there's a catch he can only remain intangible continuously for a span of 5 minutes and then he cant become intangible again for a time period of 10 minutes, This makes it both a great power but also a great burden as if his opponents would discover the weakness of his technique it could be disastrous for him.

Hell Contract
As he traveled to he encountered both the  as well as the, as a sign of peace and good will he signed a contract with Hell's Will and offered a portion of his spirtual energy in exchange he was endowed with the essence of Hell, and he underwent something new which he dubbed "hell contract". Unlike Shinigamification or, Ryōga was able to harness the powers of the Kushanāda whenever he felt the need to by summoning at least one and fusing with it to increase his own powers.


 * : After triggering this transformation he gains a tremendous boost in his spiritual pressure, able to influence Sadame from a great distance away as well as be felt by Sūyurai and it was noted by her that she felt like she was suffocating under an ocean. The density of his spiritual pressure has been compared to the 's in terms of pressure and force it exerts on those around him, and was noted that it can't be readily called spiritual energy as it just extremely dense, and to those around him it was denser than anything ever felt, this was not quite as high as a transcended being like Aizen or Ichigo when he used the Final Getsuga however. This large pool of spiritual energy comes from the onset of merging with several Kushanāda, pooling their collective reiatsu into his vessel increasing his over all power, allowing him to project a denser aura than before. His new spiritual energy was noted by Sadame after his initial transformation that it felt as if there was a weight on his back as he neared his captain and it simply got heavier as he got closer, eventually bringing him to his knees until Ryouga stopped exerting it.


 * Kushanāda Summoning: Due to his contract with the Kushanāda, he is able to call them to his location instantly, often accompanied by a finger snap. While he normally does this in a dire emergency in order to call on the Skull-clad State, he can also use this to send escaped Togabito back to hell by summoning the mighty beast.


 * Skull-Clad Armor: As a sign of good will for his offering, the Kushanāda have granted him use of the Skull-Clad Armor, which unlike Ichigo's variation takes a black and red motif. This armor enhances his hell contract as well as grants hims enhanced zanpakutou powers allowing him to forgo using his bankai unnecessarily.


 * Intangibility: While in Hell, he gains the Kushanāda's ability to walk through any structure within hell, traveling faster this way.


 * Hell's Grace: This suicide attack pours all of the users energy into one central point, showing as a magnificent golden aura surrounding them. After charging this last ditch technique they absorb the magnified energy field, which gives them a few seconds to close any gap between them and their target, after this they release the stored energy, creating a domed explosion around them and their target, which due to the magnitude of the attack the user is left as a stone shell of their former selves, and nothing short of the or something of equal power can restore them to life. The resulting explosion leaves a large crater as it decimates all in the vicinity of 5 meters.

Trivia

 * According to his author, His name alludes to his zanpakutō's powers as his name and powers are related to heaven in some way.
 * This is the authors 1st captain of the 9th Company that has not defected but like the others he eventually became a hybrid fusing with Kushanāda.
 * His theme song is Harukaze by Scandal, Ironically he shares this with the Bleach Anime.
 * According to the Author, if he were in the actual anime he would want him to be voiced by, the seiyū for Itachi Uchiha in Naruto and Jūshirō Ukitake in Bleach.