Takahara Yasuhiro

Takahara Yasuhiro (高原康弘, Yasuhiro Takahara), known formerly as Raiden (雷電), was the former lieutenant of the 11th Division of the Gotei 13 under Tadashi Kori. He was replaced, at first unofficially and then officially by Izaya Masaharu, following fears of his true allegiance. Subordinate to Shori Keihatsu, Takahara is an agent of the Collective Vices, who fed them information on the throughout his tenure as lieutenant, with only a select few individuals having doubts about him. Takahara is also one of the surviving s of Project Nijū and, as a result, capable of performing the powerful Tsuinkai release.

He has recently partnered himself with Zenshin in order to take vengeance on Itazura Kori for the deaths of his brother and father.

Appearance
Takahara is a lean-built young man who appears in his early-to-late teens, with greenish-blue hair, yellow-colored eyes, a smooth face and a small nose. His fringe and bangs serve to cover the good majority of his face and is long enough to reach the base of his back when unbound.

Like most Shinigami, Takahara wears the staple Shihakushō (死覇装, Garment of Dead Souls), all-black with little that breaks tradition except the addition of a hood. Over this uniform he favors an haori-type overcoat open at the middle, draped in light shades of yellow, brown, white and red.

Personality
Takahara is a very devious, forceful and resourceful young man, as he was forced to scavenge for scraps of food while in the Rukon District just to stay alive. This breed into him an instinct to survive no matter the cost and become strong so he could have a better life, which he often puts above everything else; including his former position and secret mission. He is cold and mean to others because of the way he was treated growing up and holds no real love or attachment to anyone, including Tadashi Kori, who happened to be the man who helped raise him.

Tadashi has observed him to have a darker side, exemplified through his desire to rise above his meager standing as a Shinigami and become what he describes as a god, in his own words. For years, Tadashi investigated Takahara's movements, never truly trusting him based on the views Takahara held deep within. Calling him twisted would be an understatement in the words of Shin Nagakura, who is one of the few people to know of his true persona who openly challenges him in public, much to the confusion of others.

When on duty he has shown himself to be kind and trustful, as noted by Izaya Masaharu during a discussion with Captains Tadashi and Kakyoku Kawakaze, though this in truth is merely a well worked facade to hide his true goals, actions and personality from those he regularly meets with. Kakyoku speculated that he was kind to those he didn't see as a threat, for he treated Tadashi with a degree of professional distance, while being kind to Izaya, mostly to preserve his true identity.

He is also in control of himself and his emotions, though there are certain tells in his body language that enable someone to tell when he's either flustered, hiding something or some combination of both. When questioned he puts his hands behind his back with interlocked fingers, giving the illusion of professionalism. If he's hiding something he tenses momentarily as Tadashi pointed out, which, he went on to say, is as sure a sign as any that Takahara was hiding something of importance. He is, however, also incredibly careful. He rarely leaves a trail leading to him and be quite difficult to find should he not wish to be.

Synopsis

 * Main Article - Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi).

Exploring the Human World Arc: Seeking a Purpose

 * Patrolling the Boundaries

Cat and Mouse arc

 * Crimson-haired Assassin and the Silver-tongued Student
 * Calm Discipline meets Quiet Fury
 * Finding that which is Needed

Dragonforce arc Part II

 * Eventual Breakthrough

Soul Society arc

 * To The 4th Division
 * A Fearful Hunt

Interquel Chapters

 * Solemn Vow: Justice or Vengeance?

Impostor arc

 * Landing in Heisekai
 * Looking Ahead

Powers and Abilities


Dual-bladed Expert: As a wielder of two seperate zanpakutō, one a katana and the other a wakizashi, Takahara is a skilled user of the daishō pair. His right arm, favoring his katana, strikes with more strength but less speed, while his left, favoring the smaller and lighter wakizashi, moves with greater speed but less strength. Quick twists and delicate wrist flicks enable him to constantly shift his attacks from left to right, helping to hide his inability to balance the strength and speed of his swings.

Lightning Kidō Expert: When it came to Kidō, Takahara was mildly experienced. He could perform simple Hadō and Bakudō spells and was knowledgeable enough to counter higher-level Kidō spells used against him. He was even somewhat skilled in healing, even if he was somewhat rusty. This wasn't his true skill however. As a lieutenant, Takahara would come to be known as Raiden in thanks to his tremendous aptitude for lightning-based Kidō spells. His usage of these spells, namely, and , was nothing short of tremendous. He could use any lighting-based spell on reflex without an incantation while maintaining more than half of its maximum power.

Zanpakutō
As a Modified Soul of Project Nijū, Takahara wields two zanpakutō with equal skill, and is capable of releasing both singularly or simultaneously depending on his needs. As a result his combat ability is especially high, especially since the entire point behind Project Nijū was to create the "ultimate Shinigami". The two zanpakutō Takahara uses are Sorairo Kōtaishi (空色皇太子, Azure King) and Shuiro Hime (朱色姫, Vermilion Princess).

Sorairo Kōtaishi is sealed in the form of an average katana blade, which has a plain circular guard and azure-colored hilt wrapping. Takahara wears it threaded through his ōbi sash in the traditional style.


 * : Not yet Revealed.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Itazura has revealed that Sorairo Kōtaishi is the offensive-based zanpakutō used by Takahara. It is capable of producing azure-colored scales for offensive purposes, exemplified by his use of bunched scales to form various objects. The scales are sharp, durable and linked completely to Takahara's spiritual energy; which allows him to control them with flawless precision. Amazingly capable at any range and in a number of situations, Sorairo Kōtaishi has but two weakness: it cannot defend Takahara directly, only indirectly, nor can any formed scale come within three meters of his person.


 * : Not yet Achieved.

Shuiro Hime (朱色姫, Vermilion Princess) is sealed in the form of a wakizashi and, as a result, Shuiro Hime is worn strapped horizontally across Takahara's back. Her sheath and hilt wrapping is colored vermilion, complete with a rectangular guard colored a dim gold.


 * : Not yet Revealed.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Itazura has revealed that Shuiro Hime is the defensive-based zanpakutō used by Takahara. She is capable of producing vermilion-colored scales for defensive purposes, exemplified by his use of bunched scales to form various defensive objects, such as personal shields. The scales aren't sharp, but possess incredible durability and are linked completely to Takahara's spiritual energy; which allows him to control them with flawless precision. Amazingly capable in any situation where defense is key, Shuiro Hime has but one weakness: she cannot be used for attack, unless the enemy themselves run headlong into the shield. Takahara cannot even use it as a battering ram. If he did the bunched scales would immediately break apart, leaving him defenseless.


 * : Not yet Achieved.

Tsuinkai: Rirajōgi (リラ定規, Lilac Ruler).


 * Tsuinkai Special Ability:

Behind the Scenes

 * Takahara's two Shikai powers were inspired by two monsters in the Monster Hunter series of games. Their names were also inspired by a mission from the same series. The Rathalos, also known as King of the Skies, has an Azure-colored counterpart. The Rathian, also known as the Queen of the Earth, has a Pink-colored counterpart.