Entei Tsukahara

Entei Tsukahara (炎帝塚原, Flame Emperor of the mound plain) is a former Royal Guard who is revered for having rebelled "The Blight", a massive invasion from Hell that attacked Soul Society, and later the World of the Living. He is notable for possessing a Zanpakutō revered as "the sword that comes every few centuries", Hiwamaru (火輪丸 Fire Ring), the flame counterpart to Hitsugaya's Hyōrinmaru.

Appearance
Entei takes the appearance of an elderly man with golden eyes and long, crimson hair, tied in a ponytail, the bands having bells attached to them. He has a matching moustache and beard nearly reaches his chest. Many people equate his appearance with that of a feral beast that appears in the lore of lands far away. Entei possesses a muscular physique strange for someone of his advanced age, quite similar to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, and his most notable physical trait is the long scar on the left side of his face, over his left eye that extends from above his eyebrow to his cheek. As a Shinigami, Shihakushō (死覇装, Garment of Dead Souls), and a traditional Captain's haori over it that bears not a Division insignia, but the symbol of the Special Royal Task Force.

Personality
Entei is a man loyal to Soul Society—and because of his fierce loyalty, he does say that he would kill anyone in a position of power if they betrayed the Soul Society. He is also quite perceptive, as he can understand the mechanics of many a special ability from all races. In regards to dealing with the affairs of Soul Society, Entei is usually tightly-strung and incredibly serious; rarely does he ever crack a smile if the fate of Soul Society is at stake, and when forced into a tight position, he can be rather pragmatic.

Outside of battle, Entei can be rather laid-back and light-hearted; and has a habit of playfully teasing those he knows for a cheap laugh; the responses given usually range from accepting and downright irritation. Although he is generally light-hearted and gregarious, Entei can be very serious in a demanding situation, and he is a strong believer in peace; his hope being to one day bring eternal peace to Soul Society, and because of that, he holds a great hope in that of the younger generation.

Powers and Abilities
Immense Spiritual Power: Among all of the current generation of Captains of the Gotei 13, Entei Tsukahara has proven more than able to retain far more Spiritual Power than nearly what half of Captains could muster. Capable of keeping a good portion of his power sealed deep within his heart, only at times of great dire need or when his heart is lit aflame does her exert his earthshaking volumes of Spirit Energy to the surface. If anyone were to be caught within his Spiritual Pressure, it would feel as if their skin was on fire and their body be starved of oxygen, as if they were in the epicenter of a rolling firestorm that consumed all in its path. Unseasoned Captains could fall prey to this sensation if they aren't prepared, as the fluxuation of the combustible energies coming from Entei's core can be both lethal and psychologically damaging. This was shown to have been incredibly capable of standing on even grounds with even the likes of Michala, during his invasion of the Soul Society, which gave him pause when he entered the battlefield, having projected such an overwhelming aura that it was difficult to discern if he was kilometers away or right next to him, due to the whole Soul Society feeling as if they were under the penetrating gaze of a burning sauna. Incredible Physical Attributes: As being considered one of the most physically intimidating entities of the Gotei 13, Entei witholds a body that excells far beyond what most Soul Reapers could achieve in an elongated lifespans. With muscles and scars depicting his tales as both a warrior and a veteran, Entei has honed his body to break past the very limits of what even known masters within various martial arts would uphold within the Hakuda and Zanjutsu forms. With ability of effortlessly splitting Menos Grande-sized opponents with a single chop of his hand or his blade, to destroying an entire city block with a released potent swing of his most keen attack, Entei's physical prowess is only rivaled by the current generational Kenpachi, Kenpachi Yudan.
 * Volatile Spiritual Pressure: Due to the innate mastery of his Zanpakutō, Hiwamaru, Entei's Spiritual Pressure has a constant volatile flux whenever he projects it. Capable of lighting things aflame, whether it be friend or foe, it is unwise to be near Entei when he is projecting a Spiritual Pressure wave of a higher class than his enemies are projecting themselves...or they shall find themselves lit aflame!
 * "Heart"-Empowerment: The echelon of Entei's Spiritual Power is up to a point where the level of resolve he places within his fighting power or exertion of Spiritual Energy, could be measured by the condition of his emotions within the depths of his heart. If he feels a feral joy within it, he would be chaotically rending the landscape around him aflame as he would do battle. If he feels rage, his body itself would become enraptured in a thick coat of flames and his movements would sound as if lightning would be crackling through the sky, blasting anything within contact of his being.
 * Kōniku (こうにく, kou niku; Jap Lit Translation, "Steel Body."): A technique in utilizing perfectly controlled Spiritual Pressure along his well honed, endowed muscular structure, Entei can create a virtual wall of steel with his own flesh and bones without becoming harmed by some of the most brutal attacks. By flourishing his spirit energy both along the surface of his skin and along the neural paths of his spiritual network to the point of impact, Entei can both protect himself from both internal and external points of attack by some of the most high-class enemies. He used this upon several occasions when battling Michala, upon first clashing with him to test his abilities and measure his own against him.

High Intelligence: Attained from his long-lived years of going through battle and trials of life, Entei has accumulated a large volume of knowledge of various different subjects. Whether it regarded the inevitable return of Michala, as he once stated he knew would occur upon returning to the Soul Society, or the indepth knowledge of Hollowity, the capabilities all Soul Reapers retain, and the forces of Hell, Entei cotinues to astound and amaze those around him with his wisdom and intellect. Even a man of mathematics and science, Entei has also made numerous subjective opinions to his current generational 12th Division Captain (as well as the R&D Dept's President) of current technologies and their relevent uses in the field as well as for future benefits to the Soul Society itself, as a whole. Multilingual: During his sojourn and travels across the greater portion of the Spiritual Realms, Entei has learned many different cultures, having lived and talked with them, imbuing their native tongue into his own vast repertoire of languages he can use fluently. This, unintentionally, has also helped him decipher the meaning behind foreign culture-based spells or arts of combat by hearing the names or phrases uttered upon employment.
 * Hyper-Battle Perception: While some may say it appears as if he has a form of precognition, Entei retains the unique and mastered ability to observe the smallest and minute details at accelerated speeds. Proven during the duration of his battle against Michala, Entei can observe some of the most instaneous events as if they are moving in a fraction of its actual speed. From observing the smallest of substances at their essence, like the spiritronic bonds of a particular weave constructed for a decieving Kidō or Spell, and determing the true nature of its origin without even having seen it before, to determine the correct path of least effort in order to counter and dodge his opponent best. For this one particular trait, it was what separated him from prior Head captain Shigekuni Yamamoto, allowing him to fight on an even greater field of success against Michala during their battle.

Ambidexterous: Despite being primarily right-handed, Entei, from the time of his birth, has been prone to interimittenly change hands without realizing it. Practicing this oddity into a well-honed skill, Entei can utilize a number of different combat arts and tactics by just using the ability to use one hand just as well as the other, allowing to finely tune and focus the muscles of each arm to decieve some of the most insightful and perceptive of beings.

Zanjutsu Grandmaster
Among all those of the current Gotei 13, only Kenpachi Yudan has rivaled Entei's prowess with his swordsmanship, as his legendary skills were placed on par with that of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto during the days preceding even the creation of the Gotei. After returning over more than a thousand years of absence, Entei's skills have far from waned, but had increased exponantially to the point of fighting on a successfully superior high ground in comparison to the King of Hell.

Natural Zanjutsu Artist: Regarding the skills of Entei's prowess within the swordsmanship martial arts would be like going through a history book of both length and detail in the foreknowledge and strength he retains within his ability to fight with just his blade in hand. Having fought alongside of soon-to-be Royal Guards from the Gotei's ranks, as well as the legendary Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto himself, the scars on the latter's body are attested of several battles they "sparred" against each other with, (not to mention his own body) showing both a testament to the quick resolve in one's reaction/timing and prowess within the swordsmanship arts. Having purely relied on switching from form to form, keeping his opponents guessing, Entei promotes on using both raw power to disorient his foes while observing their tactics for a better point of a finishing move. Occasionally using his deft martial artistic prowess to grapple his enemy's weapon or limb to send them off balance or halt their attack to leave them open for counterattack, Entei's opportunistic mindset has been seen as a bit offsetting from most samurai-mindsetted entities within the Gotei 13. Other moments of his swordsmanship coming into play would be when he would purposely leave himself open during moments of his own attacks and techniques so he could lure his prey in close for a more appealing range for his counterattack upon them. Having been the one to have fought and partnered with the very first Kenpachi of the Gotei, Entei's career as a swordsman is well renowned highly spoken of by those who still know him by name and reputation (such as Chōjirō Sasakibe, upon hearing his name and noticing his appearance from a brief encounter). Sword Martial Arts Mastery: Having trained himself through numerous schools and arts of the various martial artist methods of utilizing weaponry and swordsmanship, Entei has been deemed both a true master within the swordsmanship arts as well as a weaponsmaster for his indepth knowledge within the other forms of weapon-style combat classes, in the event he should fight such a master within its own school. Above all else, Entei is primarily a master of three favored forms of swordsmanship: Kenjutsu, Kendō, and Iaijutsu. Using just these three forms, as well as stemming knowledge and methods from many other forms of sword martial arts, Entei has been rivaled by only those depicted in legends or within the ranks of the Royal Guard themselves.
 * Strong Zanpakutō Bond: Due to the longevity of Entei's life in using and learning about his Zanpakutō, he had created a bond between them that is noted as one of the strongest within the Soul Society's history, between Soul Reaper and Zanpakutō spirit. Placing absolute trust within each other, they are like blood and bone, one Will with two minds and two sets of perception, allowing each of them to analyze differences in battle or in peace that one might've missed from the other. Because of this, Entei's ability to combat is on a much higher plane than those weakened by petty disagreements or no genuine "love" to their Zanpakutō.

Kenjutsu Master: Probably regarded as one of Entei's most balanced, and more favored form of swordsmanship, Entei most oftenly uses this form as both an aggressive form of combat as well as a defensive posture. Mostly due to his ability to switch hands without effort, Entei can adjust and collaborate the differences of his sword arm strength from hand-to-hand, alowing random fluxes to occur within his smooth and fluent sword movements. Adhering to the principles and standards of most Kenjutsu practitioners, Entei mostly directs the flow of his sword to strike at both the joints and the limbs, in an attempt to disable before aiming to kill. Utilizing his deft mastery within the Iaijutsu Arts, Entei's swifter and more rapidly swung strikes are nearly incomprehensible to the observer. With this in mind, Entei can allocate and direct the flow of his blade many points of direction, capable of being seen even as a blurring motion to the naked eye of any entity witnessing it. Entei has also been noted to take particular stances when natural senses and perception fail him, allowing the reflection of his blade to allow him to see things within his blindspot directly behind him. In doing this, his direct link to his Zanpakutō allows him to intercept and counter incoming attacks too fast for his normal senses to trace, allowing him a faster/reaction timing to keep up with his opponents. Even within its sealed form, Entei can thrust with enough potency to incinerate and shred incoming targets with ease, ranging from humanoid to skyscraper-sized in stature, Entei's limits are unknown to just what mass of an enemy disallows him to use his immense strength and graceful application to the Kenjutsu Arts may allow him.

Iaijutsu Master: A favored form of his martial prowess of the blade, Entei uses the natural qualities of Hiwamaru and his fiery-based Spiritual Power to the utmost advantage with this swift, evasive, and unpredictable form of swordsmanship. With inhuman thrusts that are nearly blinding to any proximate observer, Entei often moves in with an array of powerful and multiple strokes with this form of sword art in an attempt to open his enemy's guard. Disorientation and intimidation are used thoroughly, as Entei might demonstrate a sword stroke within an Iaidō stance before decimating the landscape with it, either being torn to shreds or burned to ashes, with either having the satisfying result. Able to make clean strokes through some of the most resolute and stalwart of entities, his precision and accuracy determined by his own unnatural keen perception, able to see the faint factures within the billions of weavings all spiritronic bodies possess. When weaving his naturally potent flames, Entei can often cause an extranomical force of cutting power to act as a feign, as well as blinding heat to disorient the senses, while he moves in for a killing blow. If any sword art style adhered the most to his "Way of the Flame," it would be Iaijutsu.

Kendō Master: The one form of swordsmanship that strictly consolidates maximum strength and speed into relentless brutal strikes is Entei's Kendō form. Allowing him to move uninhibited when he naturally uses two hands at all times for this form of swordsmanship, the speed and power behind each thrust and strike spikes with an extranomical increase in the prior attributes. When imbued with his flames, it makes continued evasion, countering, as well as parrying incredibly difficult as the projection of flames is nearly at its highest when doing so, capable of frying the opponent before the blade can even make contact with the considerable concussive and cutting force put behind it. Defense is also nigh impervious when Entei assumes a particular posture, capable of intercepting and countering any form of assault while within the Kendō stance of his choice. Moving at lightning speeds, Entei panoramic perception is used within this style of defense, using quick and powerful parries laced with successive powered-attacks. If there is any form Entei is the most ruthless with, it would be Kendō.

Hohō Grandmaster
Almost a necessity for Entei's combat to be the most effective, Entei imbued all of his talents within the supreme mastery he witholds within the Hohō Arts. Moving at startling speeds with his Flash Steps, Entei's blurring form can almost give himself the impression most renowned Hohō Masters are standing still, such as the likes of prior generational Head of the Onmitsukidō, Yoruichi Shihōin, whom was given the title the "Flash Goddess" due to her superior form and power within the Hohō Arts.

Flash Step Mastery: Entei's level of speed has been recorded as one of the fastest within the history of the Soul Society. Capable, if not with little effort, to outrun some renowned Captain-class Shunpō Masters, Entei's speed is within its own league which few can discern or match evenly. Using a lot of emphasis within his mastery within Zanjutsu and Hakuda, his controlled and mastered footwork allows him to move with unrivaled speeds without the necessary waste of energy most practitioners do when evasion and attack is concerned. By controlling special synapses within his spiritronic network, following the innate mastered Hyper-Perception he witholds, Entei can make sudden and swift gestures without ever having to move more than a few inches. Borderlining on superhuman speed, Entei can send out a burst of high-sped thrusts without even appearing the casual observer that he actually moved, as well as controlled swings and gestures that would've otherwise gave himself away to the most perceptive and intelligent of entities. Able to change and fluxuate the range of his speed upon will, Entei may purposely withold a portion of his full potential within his Flash Step artistry when not utilzing his Zanpakutō's Shikai or Bankai, so that he can give the assumption his Zanpakutō powers his flighting capabilities.

Flash Clones: An advanced technique only Hohō Masters are aware of (especially within the Onmitsukidō Force), Entei can shift his Spiritual Energy into crafting life-like and remotely controlled copies of himself from which he can project at will. Whether they are the byproduct of a momentary afterimage, to instill the delusion that he is within one spot while an enemy has struck it, or to aid in an array of simultaneous attacks or to cloak his true intentions, Entei witholds a vast array of practical and unorthodox methods in employing these avatars of his own appearance.

Chōsenkō (超閃光, chou senkou; Jap Lit Translation, "Hyper Flash."): The ability in which Entei's body can move within instaneous speeds within a higher plane of mastery Instead of utilizing the proportionate acceleration of the surface of his feet or body, Entei rapidly accelerates the electrical spiritronic synapses within his body to move at speeds excelling past the point of what Fast Movement techniques become absymal in comparison. Able to react upon instinct bordering instaneous awareness of his surroundings, all Entei needs to do is charge the spiritronic flow throughout his body and will gradually become faster and more fluent the longer Entei employs this technique. A subtle sign that Entei is using this technique is a neon-blue transparent aura of spirit energy coursing the surface of his body.
 * Shōidan (焼夷弾, shouidan; Jap Lit Translation, "Fire Bomb."): A special technique in which where Entei imbues either the naturally volatile flames within Hiwamaru, or a specially laced Kidō he preemptively planted within a particular Flash Clone. When the Flash Clone is within a certain range or is struck, often due to the perception the Flash Clone is the Entei himself, the Flash Clone will detonate with incredible force, throwing out any form of Kidō chosen and/or naturally incinerative flames from Entei's own Zanpakutō itself.

Kidō Master
Although not as creative and cunning as particularly well versed entities, Entei's skills and prowess within the Kidō Arts are enough to make anyone take care to not underestimate him. Having professed to know all forms of Kidō with a well mastered level, as well as the ability meld them into any form and projection of his choosing, Entei's power within Kidō is both the sheer mass of spells within his arsenal, the hybrid-creations he selects, as well as deadly arsenal of his very own special select spells of his own choosing.

Kidō Spell Master: Having been one of the first entities during the days before the Gotei was founded by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Entei has been a practitioner in nearly all of the founding arts being practiced by the Gotei 13, Onmitsukidō Militia, and foremostly by the Kidō Corps. With such foreknowledge of all things in Kidō, Entei had allowed himself to craft and mold Kidōs in any number ways, from changing the shape and density within a spell to silently deploying any number of barriers that can spontaneously erupt other hidden spells within dormant states. Entei's ability in using both practical and unorthodox methods in defeating his enemy or defusing a situation speaks volumes of the sheer power he possesses.

Hakuda Master
Having trained his body to the peak of its prime, Entei has also acquired a number of martial arts from which he mastered to a high extent, using as a more-than-sufficient replacement for his Zanpakutō should he berift of it. With techniques of nearly half a dozen preferred martial arts, Entei's Hakuda can more than compensate for the taste of steel or the burning fire of his Hiwamaru, possibly making him one of the strongest Hakuda combatants of the Soul Society next to Kenpachi Yudan.

Zanpakutō
Hiwamaru (火輪丸 Fire Ring) is the counterpart to Tōshiro Hitsugaya's Hyōrinmaru. When sealed it bears the appearance of a normal katana about 1.4 meters in length. It's guard is shaped like diamond, but the inside is Hollow. It's sheath is completely red and bursts into flames when the sword is drawn. The spirit of Hiwamaru is that of a gigantic, flame orange, fire dragon with large wings, and a menacing glare. Hiwamaru's inner world is that of a dry desert.

Shikai: Hiwamaru's release command is Ignite the sky with heaven's flames (元其の上空に取ってライト上界火の手 Moto sono joukuu nitotte raito tomoni joukai hinote). In its Shikai, Hiwamaru extends slightly in length, and gains a round, sawed blade attached to its hilt by a long metal chain, which can extend greatly if necessary by force of will. The chain itself can be used as an attack or to entangle a target. When releasing Hiwamaru, a great amount of spiritual energy is released, manifesting in the form of giant flames that can be felt for miles.

Shikai Special Ability: Hiwamaru's Shikai Special Ability is controlling flames. By just swinging his blade, the user can send out an overflowing amount of spiritual pressure that converts into flames in the shape of a Chinese Dragon. The dragon flies towards opponents and instantly incinerates anything it touches. The user can also direct their slashes towards the ground and form a wave of flame which rushes over their opponents, overwhelming and incinerating them.
 * Hakai Suruten (破壊する天 Destruction Of The Heavens) One of Hiwamaru's most basic abilities, but also one of it's most powerful. It allows the user to use thier spiritual pressure to shoot a large ball of energy high into the stratosphere, which bursts and mixes creating a large "false sun". This sun proceeds to increase the heat around the area, that itself a dangerous scenario as it can cause heatstroke to those who cannot take intense heat. This additional heat boosts the power of Hiwamaru's techniques, increasing their lethal potential. This technique is unstable however, as the increased heat can cause everything within the vicinity to catch flames and turn to ash, the user included if the heat increases too much. This technique is usable in both Shikai and Bankai.

Bankai: Hoshieki Hiwamaru (星劈火輪丸 Star Burst Fire Ring) causes flames to flow from Hiwamaru onto the user, starting at their right arm which flames forms onto in the shape of a dragon's head around his sword hand, encasing the sword up to the hilt. The fire continues forming up over their shoulders with two large wings sprouting from their back and a long tail. The fire forms down their left arm enveloping their hand which ends in a claw. The user's feet are enveloped in fire in a similar manner to their left hand which as they to end in claws. These new flame limbs are movable and can be used as an extension of thierself to aid in battle.
 * Bankai Regeneration: During a scenario where the Bankai is hit with water and the flaming appendages are put out, the user can pour spiritual energy out, regenerating the flame appendages, though the regeneration is faster in hotter areas. As long as the user has enough spiritual energy, the Bankai can be revived indefinitely.
 * Flame Clone: Similarly to Hyōrinmaru's Ice Clone, once per activation of Hiwamaru's Bankai, the user an create a tangible image of themselves out of flame. The clone appears real, as it is capable of bleeding.
 * Tensōretsu (天葬列 Heaven's Funeral Procession): This ability is an extension of Hiwamaru's Hakai Suruten power. The false sun that is created when using Hakia Suruten begins to dissolve and the flames rain down on the opponent. The flames are cold and when they touch the opponent, the take the form of diamonds. When all the embers fall onto the opponents, the flames flare up and the opponent is incinerated.

Trivia

 * If Entei was a character in the anime, the seiyū and voice actors best suited to portray him would be Naoto Takenaka and Dan Green, the seiyū and voice actors for the Entei from Pokémon 3: Spell of the Unown.
 * Entei's name comes from the Pokémon Entei, who the character is said to have a passing resemblance to.