Ikiryō Kuragari

Ikiryō Kuragari (暗がり生霊, Kuragari Ikiryō) is a Shinigami and the Captain of the Second Division of Gotei 13. His Lieutenant is Motoko Manihōrudo.

Appearance
Kuragari is a tall and slender young man with a toned physique. He has a rather pale skin, relatively short, unkempt black hair and pale blue eyes.

There is a prominent, deep scar on the left side of his face. It severs his upper lip, goes upward through the cheek, splits the eyebrow and goes through forehead to end somewhere beyond the hair line.

During the early years of Academy he used to have much longer, braided hair and short eyebrows, which denoted his descent from nobility.

He wears a short-sleeved variation of the standard Shinigami uniform which is also less spreading than normal. His haori also has sleeves much shorter than normal.

Personality
Kuragari is characterised by being extremely level-headed even in particularly dire situations. He also seems to be rarely surprised even at truly unexpected turns of events. He is usually rather serious and gentle, but there is a more malicious and sardonic side to him as well.

Whilst he initially seems to be either callous or arrogant, he can be quite friendly at times, but only toward people he knows well and whom he trusts.

Because of his usually grim demeanor and darkness-type Zanpakutō powers, he is sometimes called "the Spectre".

History
Ikiryō hails from a mid-rank noble family. He is a single child, and as such his father had very specific role for him to fulfil. However, Kuragari has decided to enlist to the Shinō Academy against his father's wishes.

His determination and dilligence were praised, but his pompous mannerisms used to be mocked by some of his peers. After extensive training and some preliminary missions, Ikiryō matured and changed significantly. He graduated from the Academy as one of the top students of his class.

Subsequently, he was recruited to the Second Division. When he learnt his Shikai, he quickly advanced in the ranks and became a high-Seated Officer within a short timespan. Eventually, he was promoted to the Division's Lieutenant. Years later, after his Captain had retired he succeeded her on that post.

He has already kept that position since about 100 years.

Powers and Abilities
Expert Swordsmanship Specialist: Even though Ikiryō managed to become quite good in swordfighting, according to himself he has never achieved a satisfactory level. His style is characterised by the focus on offence and flurries of rapid cuts and jabs, and its defences are lacking. It is greatly reminescent of Iaijutsu, with prominent Iaidō and Battōjutsu elements.

Hakuda Master: As a member of the 2nd Division, Kuragari has been extensively trained in unarmed combat. After achieving his Shikai, he spent even more time to develop his skill, eventually becoming a master-level Hakuda combatant. He can effortlessly deliver series of rapid hits and use his flexibility and agility to surprise his opponents.

Master Assassin: Since the 2nd Division became very closely affiliated with Onmitsukidō during his time, Ikiryō has been extensively trained in the art of assassination. Using his Shikai and Kidō in conjunction he becomes a true master of silent elimination, capable of imperceptibly killing even vigilant opponents. That skill earned him the moniker "the Spectre".

Keen Intellect: He is a very perceptive and focused person, and he constantly remains suspicious and vigilant. As such, coupled with his above-average intellect, he is highly resistant to various kinds of tricks and he is capable of reacting accordingly to sudden threats in the blink of an eye.

Enhanced Strength: Because of the importance of unarmed combat in his profession, Kuragari has trained his physical strength enough to surpass an average level by far. He is capable of sending lesser opponents through walls with single punches.

Enhanced Endurance: He is characterised by a great resistance to pain. He can completely ignore light injuries and is capable of fighting practically unhindered even after suffering significant damage.

Kidō Expert: Due to his burning ambition and the desire to develop comprehensively, Ikiryō trained Kidō in order to diversify his combat techniques. He can effectively use mid-level Hadō and Bakudō without incantations. His favourite spells are Bakudō #26: Kyokkō and Hadō #32: Ōkasen. He frequently makes use of 60s-level Bakudō spells to quickly immobilise his adversaries. Furthermore, he is capable of using offensive spells of this level as well, up to Hadō #63: Raikōhō, but only with a full incantation.

Shunpo Master: Ikiryō is incredibly fast. He can easily outpace most other Captains. He utilises that exceptional speed extensively to evade attacks and to confuse and ambush his foes. He knows several advanced Hohō techniques, like Senka and Utsusemi.

Immense Spiritual Power: Kuragari has a tremendous amount of spiritual power at his disposal. Normally of indigo colour, it becomes almost black and "cold" whilst in Bankai. When exerted it is suffocating and renders low-level spiritual beings nearly blind. It has some properties of shadow and darkness.

Zanpakutō
Shi no Hōyō (死の抱擁, Embrace of Death): When sealed, the Zanpakutō resembles a wakizashi which has a hollowed, circular tsuba with a spiral ornament inside and a dark purple hilt. Its spirit is female, and takes the form of a very elegantly dressed gothic woman.
 * Shikai: Its release command is "Fade Away into Nothingness" (虚空に消えていく, Kokū ni Kieteiku). Ikiryō grasps the scabbard with his right hand and makes a rapid, horizontal slash with the sword in his left hand. Then the scabbard and the sword each become a separate, black-and-silver armoured gauntlet with sharp claw-like fingers.
 * Bōrei (亡霊, Spectre): A technique which temporarily renders the body immaterial, making it completely invulnerable to attack. It allows him to phase through obstacles and to avoid powerful attacks, but it can be used only once in about half a minute for the duration of several seconds, or until he exits an object. Additionally, Kuragari himself cannot attack either whilst it is in effect.
 * Bunkatsu Genjitsu (分割現実, Reality Split): A mid-range attack which instantaneously cuts almost everything in its way. Ikiryō utilises it by making a sudden cutting motion with one of his gauntlets, which results with the eponymous "split in reality" that is up to three metres long. It may be resisted with spiritual pressure.
 * Yami no Ibara (闇の茨, Thorns of Darkness): An offensive technique which consists of shooting condensed reiatsu projectiles from the tips of the fingers. It has a long range, decent attack power and piercing capability, but it can be deflected with a Zanpakutō's blade or neutralised by 30s-level Kidō.


 * Bankai: Sonzai no Yūgure (存在の夕暮れ, Twilight of Existence): Kuragari slams his palms in front of him and utters "Bankai". Black-purple reiatsu emitted during the activation rises to the sky in the form of a thick pillar, creating a vast dome of spiritual energy around Kuragari (Hoshi no Nai Yoru, Starless Night). The sky inside becomes black and featureless, the area within is rendered colourless and silent, and the shadows become dense and wide. Ikiryō's gauntlets are substantially enlarged, and he himself is covered with a black, light armour with silver ornaments. Moreover, he is surrounded by a spreading and torn cloak made from dense reiatsu.
 * Enhanced Bunkatsu Genjitsu: By making a sudden sweeping motion with his hand, Ikiryō can "split" a substantially longer range of reality than in Shikai, slashing everything in the attack's path.
 * Enhanced Yami no Ibara: When used in Bankai the projectiles are several times larger than normal, which translates directly into greater attack power.
 * Shōkyo Taihō (消去大砲, Eraser Cannon): A powerful technique in the form of an invisible beam which disintegrates objects in its path. Seconds before it takes effect the air within its range starts visibly undulating. Afterward, it destroys everything inside almost immediately. However, it may be resisted with strong spiritual pressure.
 * Yami no Shokushu-shin (闇の触手の神, Tentacle-God of Darkness): Ikiryō's most powerful technique, it allows him to freely manipulate the darkness and shadows he is surrounded with. He uses it to attack with extendable shadow tentacles which can change into large spikes on a whim, or to defend himself with a thick shroud of darkness. Extended use taxes Kuragari considerably and due to the semi-physical nature of the darkness used, it can be countered with strong Zanpakutō and Kidō techniques.
 * Higure (日暮れ, Nightfall): Kuragari's finishing move. He surrounds his adversary with tangible darkness, ensnares them and crushes with incredible force. Only individuals with spiritual power at the very least nearing that of Ikiryō himself can attempt to resist that technique.

Trivia

 * His name means roughly "Gloomy Wraith". It sounds similar to Ichigo Kurosaki, but this is a pure coincidence.
 * His Bankai theme is Bleach OST - Enemy Unseen (Violin).