Shuten Tamane

Shuten Tamane (酒呑童子, Tamane Shuten), often referred to as the Fallen Traitor or the Great Deciever, better known by his moniker the Knight of Assimilation (きしきし, Kishi no Sesshu) was an enigmatic and powerful Shinigami who was formerly the Vice-Captain of the Ninth Division sometime after the leave of Dōkeshi Fujiwara, the Captain of the Seventh Division. He gained a fierce reputation as a no-nonsense and by the book Shinigami who would perform physical punishment on those violated the rules in front him. Otherwise, he was regarded as a laid back and moody person that liked to keep to himself and explore the vast Shinigami Records for hidden knowledge.

Many deemed Shuten was destined for greatness and was well on the way of being nominated for Captaincy but a drastic change in personality and an corrupting influence by an unknown figure stopped that short, which ultimately cultimated in the betrayal of his life long companions: the famed Kei Yume, the repentant Masaki Satō, and his beloved Nerine Amamine. During his attack, Shuten cited that the world they lived in was unworthy to exist and it needed to made anew with reorganized order. He revealed that he had partially achieved his Bankai and attempted to forcibly assimilate Kei, Nerine ,and Masaki with his abilities. However, Shuten was only partially successful with his efforts due to the untimely awakening and intervention of an mysterious innate power within Kei. After his supposed failure, Shuten framed the trio for a series of murders and a plot to access forbidden powers, immediately warranting their execution.

Content with the recent turn of events, Shuten continued to serve the Ninth Division for several years. However, on the anniversary of his betrayal, Shuten abdicated his position and mysteriously disappeared to parts unknown. Coincidently, Kousetsu Tora also passed away under unknown circumstances.

He is one of the central antagonists of Bleach: Tribulations as he acts as the main opposing force for Kei Yume and company and was the one who instigated their exiles. However it was later revealed that he was merely an associate to an even stronger figure. He is also one of the central antagonists of Bleach Trinity and its extended universe as he joined the opposing side upon orders from the same figure and his own interest in Kei. Along with that, he serves as one of the guest antagonists in various storylines, including the Site Canon.

Appearance
Even though Shuten was borne several hundred years ago, he still bore the appearance of a young man nearing his late twenties yet had aged significantly to appear as an older individual due to his assimilation of several older Shinigami. His body was stated to be physically fit, made lithe and muscular through years of constant training and being blessed with a naturally built frame. He possessed a pair of luminous green eyes that seemed to emit an ominous undertone in the dark and whenever he was around with someone. His irises take on a slit-like appearance, comparable to that of a cat, marking a sinister and untrustworthy air if one took the time to notice. It was purposely reported that he was able to see in the dark as a result but whether that was true or not remained up to debate. Shuten's most noticeable traits was his shoulder length silver hair with his bangs parted to either side of his face. At times, he left his hair unkempt

Synopsis
Main Storyline = Introdution Arc/Turn Back the Pendulum Extended Storyline= Meeting Arc Filler Storyline = Filler Arcs
 * An Unwanted Truth
 * Darkness on the Horizon
 * Left for Dead in Hueco Mundo

Powers and Abilities
Deafening Spiritual Power: It was apparent that Shuten had been gifted with an immeasurable amount of spiritual power

Shunpo Master:
 * Utsusemi: (空蝉, Cicada):
 * Senka: (閃花, Flash Blossom): This Shunpō technique is used when one moves to their opponent's back, directly attacking and sealing their "Saketsu (鎖結, Chain Binding)" and "Hakusui (鎖結, Soul Sleep)" in one swift strike. The movement is so fast that an opponent may not be able to tell whether they was attacked from, the front or the back, and even an outside observer may find it impossible to tell what the movements are.
 * Tenshi Ippo (てんしいっぽ, Angel Step): A method of movement

Genius Intellect: Immense Durability:
 * Master Tactical Forecaster:
 * Highly Perceptive Combatant:

Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant:

Kidō Master:

Zanpakutō
Jenoba redirects here. For the manifested spirit that appears to Shuten, see Jenoba (spirit). Jenoba (ジェノバ, Jenova) was the name of Shuten's Zanpakuto and its designation is currently unknown but acts similar to several Kido-Subdivision types. In its sealed state, the Zanpakutō takes the appearance of a standard katana, its handle colored white while the tsuba had a circular design with several intricate runic symbols etched onto the base. The sheath was midnight black with a thin white line running throughout the sheathe. Near the entrance of the sheathe was a circlet that had a cord of yellow wrapped around it and was merely used for appearance. Jenoba was often described by Shuten as a "loving" and "motherly" figure but could easily become harsh and cruel if offended or when her master was in danger. As such, Shuten has gotten around to calling his spirit Mother. His preferred method of carrying was materialization much like several others but was also seen carrying it within his cloak.

Shikai: The release command of Jenoba is Assimilate

Shikai Special Ability:

Bankai: Jenoba No Taibō No Saikai (ジェノバの待望の再会, Long Awaited Reunion of Jenova)

Bankai Special Ability:
 * Devastating Spiritual Power: The spiritual energy and pressure now exhibited has become dense and immense, just enough to suffocate and overwhelm any low-mid Shinigami with a simple stare. His already immense spiritual power has grandly been increased to a level that only a few can imagine to comprehend.
 * Strength & Durability Augmentation:After Bankai has been initiated, Shuten has reached the pinnacle of performance to say the least. His enormous strength had been increased even further and his durability had been augmented to a point of near-invincibility, able to take even the most strongest attacks with relative ease.

Stats
Shuten Tamane is classified as an Aizen-class Character

Trivia

 * 's first reported kill was reported to be Yukio Hoshimitsu.

Behind the Scenes

 * The article, contains many obvious allusions to Final Fantasy VII primary antagonist character, Sephiroth.
 * Shuten's Zanpakuto, Jenoba, provides a reference and nod to Jenova, an extraterrestrial life-form in Final Fantasy VII that served as the story's primary antagonists, which produced many other antagonists, such as the infamous Sephiroth.
 * Jenova/Jenoba's name is a portmanteau of "Jehovah" and "Nova". "Jehovah" is a widely-accepted romanization of the ineffable Hebrew name 'יהוה', one of the many names of the Abrahamic God. "Nova" is from the Latin feminine adjective for "New". Thus, Jenova's name means "New God", a point of symbolic significance due to the abilities the Zanpakuto Spirit can provide to its wielder.
 * Shuten is an abbreviation for Shuten-dōji (酒呑童子), the gigantic ruler of the Oni in Japanese Folklore. Tamane is the corrupted version of the word Tamanna, an Indian word meaning Longing for;Desire;Wish. Thus the complete meaning of Shuten Tamane's name is Wish of the Gigantic Oni Ruler.
 * Shuten has been implied to be homosexual due to the fact that he has an extreme obsession over Kei and how he wishes to assimilate him into his very being. And that he had created a "child" named Kai Yume with both his and Kei's DNA. However, this can be purely philosophical as he can be referring to his Zanpakuto abilities and insanity. Whether this is true or not is left to up to the reader, not the categories.
 * It has been stated by the Author that Shuten's theme is Those Chosen By the Planet and One Winged Angel, pieces of music composed by Nobuo Uematsu. Shuten and Sephiroth share the same theme song and is more likened to a tribute to the awe-inspiring Villain.

Literature References

 * An Unwanted Truth (First Appearance/Canon)
 * Darkness on the Horizon (Canon)
 * Left for Dead in Hueco Mundo (Canon)