Gin Ichimaru (Ten Tails)

This article, Gin Ichimaru (Ten Tails), is property of Ten Tailed Fox

"Emotions? Nope, I've got nothin' like that. I told you when we first met, didn't I? I'm a snake. With cold skin, no emotions, that slithers around searching for prey with its tongue, swallowing down whomever... and whatever I please." — Gin Ichimaru's comment in response to Sōsuke Aizen.

Gin Ichimaru
Name	Gin Ichimaru
Kanji	市丸ギン
Romaji	Ichimaru Gin
Characteristics
Race	Shinigami-Hollow Hybrid
Birthday	September 10
Gender	Male
Height	185 cm (6'1")
Weight	69 kg (152 lbs)
Professional Status
Affiliation	Gotei 13
Previous Affiliation	Aizen's Arrancar Army Team Yukara
Occupation	Captain of the Ninth Division
Previous Occupation	Captain of the 3rd Division 3rd Seat of the 5th Division Espada Director of the Arrancar Army
Team	9th Division
Previous Team	3rd Division Aizen's Arrancar Army Team Yukara
Partner	Unknown
Previous Partner	Rangiku Matsumoto Izuru Kira Kaname Tōsen Sōsuke Aizen
Base of Operations	Soul Society, Ninth Division HQ
Personal Status
Marital Status	Single
Relatives	Lucius Ichimaru (father)
Education	Shinō Academy
Status	Active
Zanpakutō
Shikai	Shinsō
Bankai	Kamishini no Yari

".......grinning, an act of intimidation." - Tite Kubo

Note: The information listed below is a fanwork based on Gin Ichimaru, and thus, will only be used in works of the author unless permission is given by another user.

Gin Ichimaru (市丸ギン, Ichimaru Gin) is the former captain of the 3rd Division in the Gotei 13; he later leaves Soul Society with Sōsuke Aizen and Kaname Tōsen. His lieutenant was Izuru Kira. After Aizen's fall, unlike his former leader, Gin was considered someone who understood the deeper meaning of fighting, and chosen to join Team Yukara, which was participating in the upcoming Hell Tournament, but left to accept a position with his old comrades in the Gotei 13 after his team lost in the tournament. He is now the Captain of the 9th Division.

Appearance

Ichimaru as the captain of the Third Division.

Gin is fairly ordinary in terms of clothing, and doesn't wear any unique items. His overall appearance, however, is not as normal. He keeps his eyes constantly narrowed to slits (earning him the nickname "fox-face"), rarely ever opening his eyes. Although he appears to be an early to mid twenty-year-old person, he is unusually thin and tall with very sharp features giving him a skeletal appearance. He bears unusual silver hair which has a purple tint to it in the anime (his name refers to his hair color; gin [銀] is Japanese for silver). He also keeps his face set in a wide mocking smile, which he only wipes off on rare occasions of annoyance, surprise, confusion, or even sadness.

In Hueco Mundo, his outfit, like Aizen's and Tōsen's, has been modified since the three abandoned Soul Society. He now wears a long, white robe over his normal Shinigami hakama. The hilt of his Zanpakutō is visible sticking out from under the robe through the opening down to his waist. Later Gin is seen wearing a white hakama like the Arrancar, instead of the black ones he was last seen in. Gin wears his robe open in a narrow 'V' down to his waist, closed to below the hips, and then open again to the hem, which falls about mid-calf. His robe has long bell sleeves, into which he hides his hands like one does with kimono sleeves. The lining of the robe and edges or layers of the under-robe(s) appear to be black. From other examples, it is likely he is also wearing black tabi with white waraji. His Zanpakutō is not visible with this outfit.

During his participation in the Hell Tournament, Gin's attire hadn't changed much. His eye color had remained the same, but his skin was noticeably paler than his time with Aizen. Gin tends to hide his face behind a fox-like mask, which doesn't seem to hold an ulterior motive. Possibly a homage to Rangiku Matsumoto, Gin has taken up the habit of wearing his Zanpakutō on his back hip.

Once he rejoins the Gotei 13 as the Ninth Division's captain, his attire changes into a mix of his Arrancar outfit and the standard captain's attire. Gin now wears a customized captain's haori which opens in a narrow 'V' down to his waist, closed to below the hips, and then opening again at the hem, which falls about mid-calf, just like his former Arrancar outfit. His new haori keeps his bell sleeves, and the underside and the lining of his new haori are colored in maroon.

Personality

Gin is one of the most mysterious Shinigami in the series, since his almost constant smile and slitted eyes, combined with his heavy use of sarcasm and mocking politeness, make it very difficult to discern his thoughts. Many find his demeanor and appearance rather unsettling and there are very few who were willing to trust him even before he was revealed as a traitor. Gin seems to be fully aware of the effect he has on others and more than once has been seen toying with people's emotional states for his own amusement. Both Rukia Kuchiki and Wonderweiss Margera have shown to be rather frightened of him, Rukia noting to herself that she felt like she was being strangled by snakes whenever he spoke, even if he was not speaking to her directly. He explained to Sōsuke Aizen that he is "as unfeeling and cold as a snake", a claim that was proven in both his attack on Rangiku Matsumoto, someone that was considered very close to Gin, and his sudden betrayal of Aizen. In the anime, Gin speaks with a distinct Kyoto dialect, which is polite but indirect. His English dubbed voice is also formal and polite, but with a rather mocking and facetious undertone.

Ever since he was a child, dried persimmons have been his absolute favorite food. Gin planted and raised many persimmon trees around the 3rd division offices, and makes the dried persimmons himself, then distributes them to other divisions. Once he wound up eating a dried sweet potato, thinking, "Oh, it's a dried persimmon!" and he hated it. When he has free time, Captain Ichimaru goes on walks around Seireitei. Although his hobby is people-watching, it seems like he is possibly hunting around and searching for an opportunity to create mischief with some poor victim. The gentlemen of the 3rd Division are contrary, and they have the kind of attitude that enjoys that mean-spiritedness. He also has incredible skill at needle threading.

History

Childhood

While living in Rukongai as a child, Gin found Rangiku Matsumoto, a child herself, collapsed on the ground. He offered her dried persimmon, which he was carrying at the time, telling her that if she could collapse due to hunger, she must have spiritual energy. She recognizes that he must have spiritual energy as well as Gin is introducing himself. Gin and Rangiku's shared love of dried persimmon can be traced to that day. It was later revealed that on that day, he also saw three Shinigami leaving the area Rangiku was in. Following their meeting, Gin and Rangiku started to live together and it was during their time together that Gin asked Rangiku when her birthday was and she replied she didn't know, as she never really counted the days until she met him. Gin then told her that from then on, the day they met would be her birthday.

Sometime later, Gin served as the lieutenant of the 5th Division under Captain Sōsuke Aizen. Aizen and Gin saved the surviving young recruits of the Shinigami Academy - Momo Hinamori, Izuru Kira, and Renji Abarai, who were out on a field exercise, from a group of huge Hollows. Kira would later become the Lieutenant of the 3rd Division under Gin.

Betrayal of Soul Society

After Ichigo Kurosaki defeats the gatekeeper, Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, in his quest to save Rukia Kuchiki, Jidanbō lifts the gate to give Ichigo Kurosaki and his companions access to the interior portion of Soul Society. Upon opening the gate, Ichigo finds Gin Ichimaru waiting for him on the other side. Gin purposefully exerts just enough effort to keep them from entering instead of killing them as he should have.

Later, a meeting of the thirteen division captains is called for him to explain his suspicious actions. Gin, being one of the thirteen captains, should have had no trouble destroying them. Gin merely chalks it up to a mistake on his part.

Upon dispersal of the meeting, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya overhears a scripted exchange between 5th Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen and Gin, which is meant to further increase his suspicions of Gin's foul play; the exchange hints that Gin intends to kill Aizen.

As a result, Tōshirō later warns Aizen's lieutenant, Momo Hinamori, that Aizen's life might be in danger due to Gin and that Gin's lieutenant Izuru Kira, on good terms with her, might also be tainted. The next day, Aizen's impaled body is discovered by Momo, who immediately suspects Gin is the murderer; his appearance at the crime scene shortly after the fact and carefree attitude despite the seriousness of the situation only seem to confirm this. In a rage, Momo attacks Gin, but is intercepted by Izuru. Lost in her rage, Hinamori releases her Zanpakutō and fires an energy blast at Gin, but it harmlessly curves away from its intended target. Kira also releases his Zanpakutō in an attempt to stop her, but both are stopped by Hitsugaya and arrested. After they are taken away, Tōshirō notes that Gin was preparing to kill Momo. Gin calmly denies it, and Tōshirō threatens to kill Gin if even one drop of Momo's blood should be shed on his account.

After Gin releases Izuru from his cell, Tōshirō becomes suspicious and confronts the lieutenant and captain together. He is interrupted by Momo, who now thinks that Tōshirō murdered Aizen, and subsequently tries to kill him. She grips her sword so tightly that her hands bleed. Tōshirō acts upon his earlier threat and attacks Gin, releasing his Zanpakutō and warning Kira to get out of the way (he suggests at least a twelve-kilometer gap). During their fight, Tōshirō successfully freezes Gin's left arm, causing him to open his eyes and drop his smile for the first time. Upon being trapped by Tōshirō, he attempts to kill Momo as a distraction, but his attack is blocked by Rangiku Matsumoto, who threatens to fight him if he doesn't stop; Gin relents and disappears without saying a word. Rangiku remembers that Gin has also disappeared in such a way in the past, leaving her to wonder what he was up to.

Later, as Rukia is being led to her execution, Gin briefly appears on the bridge to tease her by giving her hope that he would stop the execution if she asked, only to admit he was lying after doing so, thus destroying Rukia's hard-built peace over her coming execution and showing just how sadistic he can be. It is at this point that Rukia mentions her fear of him. This serves only to increase suspicions that Gin was the orchestrator of her execution.

When Aizen is revealed to be the mastermind behind the entire conspiracy, Gin is revealed to be nothing more than a subordinate and decoy. As Aizen extracts the Hōgyoku from Rukia's body, he instructs Gin to kill her. He releases his Zanpakutō, but Byakuya Kuchiki appears and rescues Rukia, taking the hit in her place. Aizen, Gin, and Kaname Tōsen are then cornered by most of the other lieutenants and captains. Gin is captured by his friend, Rangiku. The three escape to Hueco Mundo with the help of the Menos Grande and are deemed traitors to Soul Society. Before leaving, Gin tells Rangiku he would have liked to be held by her a little while longer, and apologizes to her (this being another rare moment where he is seen without a smile).

Battle of Karakura Town

After the appearance of Isshin Kurosaki and his subsequent short departure with Ichigo Kurosaki, Aizen questions Gin as to why he has merely been watching during Aizen's battles. Gin replies to Aizen's question by stating that he did not intervene as he did not see an opening nor did he think Aizen needed aid. During this brief conversation Ichigo appears behind Gin and attacks him only to be blocked, Gin then states that it had been a while since the pair had last fought. He asks Ichigo if he recalls the time after he cut off Jidanbō's arm, recounting how an angry Ichigo flew at him and how at the time he thought Ichigo was such an interesting kid. Ichigo states he does not remember. When Gin asks if he is trying to provoke him, Ichigo explains that he is not saying that he does not remember his sword, but rather his heart. Ichigo further explains his philosophy on battle. He notes that normally he can understand a little of what someone is thinking when crossing swords with them, such as their resolve and whether they look down on their opponent. Gin makes fun of him for being so poetic but Ichigo brushes him off and continues with his explanation. He states that Gin has shown nothing to him and when they last fought Gin was not paying any attention to him, though he is unsure what had his attention. Gin states that he had thought Ichigo was an interesting kid, but now thinks he is simply a creepy one. He then notes that is starting to understand why Aizen is interested in Ichigo.

Gin then begins to talk of his Zanpakutō, asking Ichigo if he knows how far it extends. When Ichigo replies that he does not know, Gin states that it extends 100 times its length. He recalls that when he was a kid people called him Hyapponzashi (百本差し, Hundred-span). Ichigo maintains his disinterest in the conversation, so Gin asks him if he knows how far his Bankai can extend. Ichigo states he did not come there for a quiz. Gin is disappointed when Ichigo refuses to play his guessing game states that it can extend 13km. Saying that stating the number will not get the point across, he then tells Ichigo this time he won't go easy on him and releases his Bankai, Kamishini no Yari. In an instant several buildings around them are bisected and begin to topple over. He swings the blade at Ichigo, but Ichigo easily blocks it. Gin is somewhat surprised by this as Ichigo asks why, considering there is no way any Bankai could be incapable of being stopped by another Bankai. Ichigo bats Gin's blade away and fires a Getsuga Tenshō, surprising Gin again as he is hit directly by the blast. When the smoke clears Gin is lightly injured and remarks again that Ichigo is a creepy kid.

Gin swings his Zanpakutō and cuts another building in two, causing it to topple over and crash into the ground below. He remarks to Ichigo that if he doesn't finish him off soon things could get a little hairy. He retracts his Zanpakutō to its normal length surprising Ichigo. Gin then comments that since his Bankai was stopped, he will have to fight him "the old-fashioned way". He then uses Shunpo to move himself up into the air, he then relentlessly attacks Ichigo. He compliments Ichigo's blade, noting that even on the offensive it feels as though his own blade is about to break. They continue to fight and Gin uses Shunpo to move a distance away and release his Bankai again, surprising Ichigo as he slashes him on his left shoulder. Gin moves to slash him again but Ichigo dodges it causing him to destroy a whole section of the ground near him. Ichigo gets in close and counters Gin before he can make another attack. Gin contracts his blade once more and moves to the roof of a nearby building. Ichigo then tells him that the scariest thing about his Bankai isn't the length, or its destructive power. It's the speed at which it contracts. He explains that there was no point in Gin teaching him about the length before its release. It would have been more in Gin's favor had he not told him that at all. Ichigo continues explaining that there was no point in swinging it around and cutting the town in two either, as again it would have been his advantage to just attack him. He notes that the only reason Gin had shown him all of that was to take his mind off the speed at it which it can extend and contract. He asks Gin if he is wrong in his assertion. To which Gin states that he is not. Gin thinks to himself that Ichigo is a scary boy for having figured it out so quickly and that he could go a long way. Gin then states that may as well explain the speed that Kamishini no Yari extends as tucks his Zanpakutō under his arm and claps his hands together once. He asks Ichigo if he heard that and explains that his blade is 500 times faster than that speed. Gin remarks that Kamishini no Yari isn't the Zanpakutō with the "ultimate length", but rather the Zanpakutō with the "ultimate speed". But he states that even knowing that leaves Ichigo no chance for victory.

After knocking Ichigo into a building with his Bankai, Gin congratulates Ichigo on stopping the attack, calling it a fluke. As Ichigo talks with Isshin, Gin asks Aizen if he interrupted his speech to Isshin. Aizen replies that he had reached the end of his speech as the Hōgyoku begins to envelop Aizen who is attacked from behind by Kisuke Urahara. Gin is then seen watching the battle between Urahara and Aizen. He continues to watch as Aizen emerges with his new form. While Aizen continues to toy with his opponent with his newfound power, Gin casually talks to Ichigo, telling him that it is inevitable that Ichigo and his allies will die. Upon seeing that Ichigo's resolve to fight has faltered, he disappointedly states that Ichigo really is just a kid and that he must be removed from the battle. He then unleashes his Bankai's Butō assault on Ichigo, who dons his Hollow mask in response. After the assault, Ichigo is left winded and his mask shattered. Gin once again mocks Ichigo's frail resolve, noting that back then when they crossed blades in Soul Society, Ichigo was much fiercer than he is now. No longer concerned with him, Gin plainly tells Ichigo to run away. Whilst Ichigo turns to watch Aizen's fight, Gin remarks that Ichigo should not turn away when he's standing right next to him. He tells Ichigo that he is no longer a warrior, Shinigami, Hollow or even a person anymore. He asks Ichigo if he thinks that he can beat Aizen now that he has beaten Isshin, Kisuke and Yoruichi. He offers to allow Ichigo to run, saying that he has lost interest in him and Aizen will be disappointed to see him as he is. Gin finishes by saying that Ichigo 'knows' about Aizen's power and draws his Zanpakutō to finish him, but he is stopped by Aizen. When Aizen asks what Gin is doing, he simply replies that he was testing Ichigo's strength. Aizen instructs Gin to open a Senkaimon so that they can attack the real Karakura Town in Soul Society. As Aizen's transformation completes, Gin remarks that his incubation period has ended and he opens the Senkaimon. He then enters the Senkaimon with Aizen.

When Gin and Aizen arrive on the outskirts of Karakura Town, Aizen notes that it is likely to be the last time they see both Karakura Town and Soul Society. While in the real Karakura Town, Gin spots Tatsuki Arisawa helping to move her friends, whom Aizen identifies as Ichigo's ally. As they approach Ichigo's friends, Keigo runs away from them. Aizen tells Gin that there is no need to follow him and that they will start with Tatsuki. However, before they can do anything, they are interrupted by Don Kanonji who hits Aizen in the face with his Kan'onball attack and then strikes his trademark pose. Gin, along with Tatsuki, are dumbfounded by Don's antics. As Kanonji proceeds to charge Aizen, he is stopped by Rangiku - who tells both Aizen and Gin that she made it in time.

After Rangiku forces Kanonji to run away, Gin begs Aizen's leave to talk with Rangiku elsewhere. Aizen tells him to take his time and assures Gin that he won't be inconveniencing him. Gin grabs Rangiku and flies up with her but Rangiku tells him to let her go and eventually breaks free to land on the roof some distance away from him. He then asks her what she is doing there when she can barely stand and she explained that she opened a Senkaimon as soon as his Reiatsu disappeared. Gin tells her that he didn't ask her how she got there but what she was doing there. Rangiku answers that it is because of him and that now she can ask him why he's following Aizen and why he betrayed Izuru Kira who had so much faith in him. Gin in-turn asks if that's seriously what she is asking him and demands to know if it was really Kira's faith in him that was betrayed. He then approaches her, saying he doesn't know why she came and upon getting close to her draws his Zanpakutō on her, telling her that she's in the way. He is later seen jumping down from the rooftop, leaving Rangiku lying on the ground and returns to Aizen's side, prompting Aizen to ask him what happened to Matsumoto, to which Gin simply states he killed her. Aizen admits he is surprised as he thought Gin had feelings for her. Gin states he has nothing like feelings. He then reminds Aizen that he told him long ago that he is a snake, and further explains his mannerisms are akin to that of a snake.

He then casually walks by Aizen as the Ichigo's friends run off, prompting Aizen to state that he is tired of playing cat and mouse. Gin then asks what he intends to do with them, to which Aizen states that after killing them he will hang their corpses in a visible location outside of town and then they shall begin creating the Royal Key. Gin tells him it sounds good as he will be the one to kill them all, he then places his hand on Aizen's Zanpakutō blade. Gin then throws up his sleeve and releases Kamishini no Yari from under his arm impaling a surprised Aizen through the chest. Gin looks back at Aizen and states the sole way to escape Kyōka Suigetsu's ability is to be touching the blade itself before "Complete Hypnosis" is activated. He ponders about how getting that information out of Aizen took many decades. He then states that despite not a single being in the Gotei 13 knowing that fact, they all intended to kill Aizen nonetheless. As Gin retracts his Zanpakutō he admits that watching them try kill him gave him anxiety, since the only one who can kill Aizen is him. As blood flows out his chest Aizen grabs his wound and tells Gin that he knew all along and he brought him with him to see how he would go about trying to end his life, but he mentions how unfortunate if he thought that attack would do it. Gin interrupts stating that he never imagined that it would. He then has Aizen take note of a nick in the blade of his Zanpakutō. He then points to Aizen and states he put that little missing piece inside him. Aizen is confused as Gin explains he told him about his Bankai ability a long while back, he then mentions that he lied. Gin admits it doesn't extend as long as he said and doesn't move as fast, either. It simply turns to dust for one moment while extending and contracting. While in the interior of the blades a deadly poison capable of breaking down cells is secreted. Aizen is surprised at the revelation as Gin senses he now understands that during the time between striking his heart and pulling his sword back, he left a tiny sliver of that dust right in his heart. Aizen attempts to say something but Gin simply tells him if he intends to speak he should do so soon, but then again no matter how quickly he tries to talk he is going to die either way. Gin then places his hand up to Aizen's chest and activates his technique Kill, Kamishini no Yari. Aizen curses him as Gin simply smiles and tells Aizen that a hole will open in his chest and he's gonna die, he then mentions that's what he has always wanted. Gin then watches as Aizen chest begins to dissolve from the inside out leaving a gaping hole with the Hōgyoku floating the middle.

Gin using, Kill, Kamishini no Yari.

Gin moves to take the Hōgyoku but Aizen grabs ahold of his wrist and throws him, but Gin still gets away. Gin goes around the side of a nearby building and looks at the Hōgyoku in the hand of in his now injured arm. He then senses an eruption of a large amount of reiatsu as Aizen emerges with a new form. Aizen states that this is his victory and that, whether the Hōgyoku Gin stole was within him or not, it is already his. The Hōgyoku in Gin's hand begins to glow prompting Gin to wonder what is happening. As Aizen draws near with the the center of his chest radiating light as Gin turns to face him. Aizen slashes him vertically across the chest. The Hōgyoku disintegrates in Gin's hand and reassembles itself in the cross-like structure at the center of Aizen's chest. Gin reaches for it but Aizen grabs him by the wrist, rips off his right arm, and impales Gin through the chest with his blade. Aizen then states that fear is necessary for evolution, the fear that one could be annihilated at any moment. He then thanks Gin for his efforts as he now has risen to an existence that surpasses both Shinigami and Hollow. Aizen throws Gin into a nearby building. Rangiku arrives unharmed and screams his name, she holds him in her arms and cries. As Gin passes out, he affirms to himself that he failed, as in the end, he couldn't get back what was taken from her and that he is glad he said he was sorry.

Synopsis

The Hell Tournament arc

In-Tournament

Meet n' Greet: The Hell Tournament Commences!

The Fox's Grin and The Fury Within: Team Preserver vs Team Yukara

After Tournament

A Rematch of Captains: Jidanbō Ikkanzaka vs Gin Ichimaru

Powers & Abilities

Gin's Battle Data, clockwise. Top: Offense (80), Top Right: Defense (80), Bottom right: Agility (80), Bottom: Kidō (80), Bottom Left: Intelligence (80), Top Left: Physical Stamina (80). Total: 480/600.

Genius Intellect: When Gin was younger, he was hailed as a child genius. He was highly proficient in his classes at the Shinigami Academy and he graduated in one year. His skill was already evident at a young age when he gained a seated position in the 5th Division shortly after graduating, ultimately surpassing the previous child prodigy Kaien Shiba, who was already an adult and had taken five years to become a seated officer. Gin has shown himself to be highly manipulative and deceptive even when it's evident. He comes out unscathed due to the calm confusion he plays at, which is a testament to his overall strategy. In his battle with Hitsugaya, Gin was able to manipulate the positions of three people so Hitsugaya would have to choose between saving his own life or Hinamori's without any visible effort. He has shown capable of simple deception by having his opponent focus on one thing to hide the true threat.

Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Gin is a highly proficient combatant. In combat, he doesn't seem the least bit taken back by the abilities of his opponent, even when they seemingly have an advantage. He fights with seemingly no effort behind his attacks. His ability to wield his combat skills was evident even when he was a child. He easily defeated and killed the former third seat of the 5th division, who by rank and age should have been more powerful and skilled than him. He is commonly seen using his Zanpakutō's special ability, allowing him to be quite deadly at a distance, which is capable of killing multiple targets in one shot. He has shown the ability to use extreme speed mixed with a calm composure and precise attacks.

Immense Spiritual Power: Gin, without putting out any effort, easily incapacitated Chad, Orihime, Uryū, Makizō, and Ganju with his Reiatsu just by facing the direction they were coming from.

Flash Steps Expert: Though never actually shown using this in combat, after his battle with Tōshirō Hitsugaya, he used an impressive Flash Step to retreat. He is also able to fight on even grounds and speeds with Ichigo using Tensa Zangetsu. In his fight with Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, he was able to reach the location of the fight within seconds, beating another captain-level foe by at least a minute.

Enhanced Durability: Gin's durability is strong enough to withstand a direct hit from Ichigo Kurosaki's Getsuga Tensho, only suffering a light wound to his forehead as a result.

Immense Strength: Despite his small stature, Gin has incredible strength. He was easily able to block Jidanbō's giant axes with his bare hands.

Kidō Master: Gin's initial ability in this field was shown when he cast Hakufuku on Rangiku Matsumoto, preventing Sōsuke Aizen from perceiving her reiatsu. Later, he showed that he is capable of preforming several high level Kidō in rapid succession. He has also stated that his limit is a level 88 kidō spell, but due to the wording and the situation, it is unknown whether he was referring to Hadō spells, Bakudō spells, or Kidō spells in general. He has demonstrated that he can use Kidō to heal himself, even getting rid of foreign substances within his blood. Gin is also very crafty with Kidō, having planted Hachinosu, a level 80 binding spell, on his body before he left the Seireitei and revealing it when facing Jidanbō Ikkanzaka's Bankai. He gives Aizen credit for his learning of this.

Zanpakutō

Shinsō (神鎗, God Spear): It looks like an ordinary wakizashi. The hilt is light-blue with a tsuba made of two slim swirls of metal looping around the blade to make an open oval, resembling an "S". Originally, Gin kept his Zanpakutō on his left hip, but now wears it on his back hip; according to him, it is a homage to Rangiku Matsumoto.

Shinsō impaling several Hollows.

• Shikai: It is triggered by the phrase "Shoot to kill" (射殺せ, Ikorose). In the English Dub, however, he uses a command related to piercing/stabbing and ends the phrase with a personal pronoun (him, her, it) defining who he wants to hit.

Shikai Special Ability: In its Shikai, Shinsō's blade glows white and extends at high speed to impale Gin's opponents from a distance. The blade also carries tremendous force when extending, as seen when Gin pushes both Ichigo Kurosaki and the giant Jidanbō out from under the Seireitei gate, despite the latter being firmly braced under it. In addition, Gin can maintain the extension and swing the activated Shinsō in wide arcs, attacking multiple targets quickly and simultaneously. Shinsō is capable of reaching a maximum length equivalent to one hundred times its original length, earning it the nickname Hyapponzashi (百本差し, Hundred-span) when Gin was younger.

• Yarisazame (槍紗, Spear Rain): Activated with the command "Pour Down" (降り注げ、, furi sosoge; "Rain" in the English versions), Gin performs Yarisazame by extending Shinsō into the air, causing swords to rain down on his opponent. Gin has also shown an underground method to this technique as well. By stabbing the ground, Gin can form several blades to stab from the ground, surrounding an opponent as they are cut at all angles.

Gin using Shinsō coated with Yūdokuke.

• Yūdokuke (有毒気, Poisonous Touch): Gin explains that the poison of his Zanpakutō isn't just for his Bankai, but exists in Shikai as well. He explains that when cuts are made by Shinsō, this poison is released into the foe's blood stream. Then, with the command "Pierce", the poison is activated and begins shutting down the nervous system of his target until they finally die as a result of the poisoning.

• Kill, Shinsō (殺す神鎗, Korosu, Shinsō; literally, "Kill, God Spear"): A weaker version of the Bankai ability, it is preformed in the same way. He has stated that he can turn the poison from the Yūdokuke ability into a corrosive poison that dissolves molecules in the body as well as break down cells. To activate this, like Bankai, Gin places his hand on his foe and calls out Kill, Shinsō which produces an immediate effect. Gin explains that the difference between this ability and the Bankai version, is that the poison produced by Shinsō stays in area of the wound, while Kamishini no Yari's poison instantly travels to the heart.

Gin using Kamishini no Yari to destroy his surroundings

• Bankai: Kamishini no Yari (神殺鎗, God-Killing Spear): In its Bankai state, Gin's Zanpakutō does not change in appearance at all, retaining its small wakizashi form. However, as Kamishini no Yari, the blade is capable of reaching lengths equivalent to 13 kilometers (roughly 8.1 miles) at 500 times the speed of sound. The blade can also retract to its normal size at the same rate.

Bankai Special Ability: Gin's Bankai essentially possesses the exact same abilities as his Shikai, but its power, length and speed are vastly amplified. The blade's tremendous cutting power is significantly increased, to the point where Gin is capable of swiftly cutting an entire town in half with a single stroke while standing a great distance away.

• Hypersonic Blade Extension and Contraction: The deadliest aspect of Kamishini no Yari is not within its destructive potential, great length, or wide sweeping range, but rather within the speed with which it can extend and contract its blade. Gin's Bankai can achieve its full length at 500 times the speed of sound: exactly 171,500 meters per second in order to arrive at its full length of 13km in under 0.08 seconds, which makes Kamishini no Yari not the longest Zanpakutō, but the fastest. Because the blade's extension and contraction speed is his Bankai's greatest ability, Gin tends to downplay its speed whenever he talks about his Zanpakutō, and instead focuses on the length and range of the blade in order to gain a psychological advantage over his opponent.

• Butō (舞踏, Dance (Step)): By adopting a stance where he firmly grips Kamishini no Yari with both hands and places the Zanpakutō's hilt squarely to the center of his chest, Gin is able to unleash the tremendous extension and contraction properties of his Bankai to an even more terrifying extent than its normal state. This occurs in the form of a piercing maneuver where the extension and contraction of the blade becomes almost completely-unseen to even the most-diligent of observers.

Gin's Butō Renjin Technique

• Butō: Renjin (舞踏連刃, Dance (Step) Serial Blade): This ability repeats the action of extending and subsequently contracting Kamishini no Yari, as observed within the technique Butō, multiple times in rapid succession. The entirety of this process is completed in a mere moment, resulting in the individual steps involved in this technique becoming virtually indistinguishable from each other, generating an apparent mass of numerous blades that leaves little opportunity for the intended victim to evade successfully.

• Butō: Usomi (舞踏欺瞞ブレード, Dance (Step) Deceiving Blade): This ability begins with Gin setting himself up in the Butō position, as he extends Kamishini no Yari at full length. Gin controls what parts of the blade turns to dust, allowing him to refract the light from the sun to make the blade seem invisible. While it may seem like Gin only extended the blade once, in truth, he could have preformed the technique over hundreds of times and the opponent would be none the wiser.

• Butō: Kagami-ken (舞踏鏡剣, Dance (Step) Mirror Blade): Similar to Kaname Tōsen's Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō, Gin sweeps Kamishini no Yari in an arc, creating numerous clones of his Bankai blade. He will then activate the technique, causing all of them to extend at the same rate of speed as Butō: Renjin, though, due to the numerous amount of new blades, it is much more destructive.

• Hebitō (蛇歩, Snake (Step)): Gin will sheathe his blade, as his sword will turn to dust for a moment as half of it extends on its own through the bottom of the sheath. The dust then reforms as a long blade, moving about as a snake would; hence its namesake. It slithers on the ground, waiting for the moment to strike Gin's opponent(s) from below. While it may have a mind of its own, Gin can control it mentally as to where it moves and when it strikes. The speed exhibited by the blade is terrifying, capable of extending and contracting before the opponent can even comprehend what just transpired.

Gin using his Bankai's true power to eradicate Aizen.

• Kill, Kamishini no Yari (殺す神殺鎗, Korosu, Kamishini no Yari; literally, "Kill, God-Killing Lance"): Kamishini no Yari's true ability as well as its deadliest aspect is not based on its length or speed but rather its ability to turn into dust for just a second when it expands out and contracts. There is a deadly poison inside the blade that dissolves and breaks down cells. He can leave a sliver of his Zanpakuto in an opponent when he retracts Kamishini no Yari allowing him to kill an opponent at any time when he chooses to utter the release command "Kill, Kamishini no Yari" for the technique while placing his hand up to the target. The result causes the target to completely break down and dissolve at the cellular level from the inside out.

Hollowfication

Gin summoning a mask.

Hollow Mask: Like Tōsen, Gin was given Hollow powers from Aizen via the Hōgyoku. To utilize this power, he summons a mask which takes the appearance of a fox's face, with two ears at the top, closed eyes like his own, and whisker marks on the cheeks. He summons it by pulling it onto his face via his index finger and thumb. Like some Vizard, he can take off and move the mask and still utilize his Hollow powers. His Hollowfication is not to the extent of Tōsen's in that he cannot access a Resurrección.

• Enhanced Spiritual Power: Gin's spiritual energy increases far above the level of most Shinigami in this form. He explains that a Bankai enhances a Shinigami's power by up to ten percent and his Hollow mask only increases his power by five percent. Either way, he states, it is a great increase in power, however, when combined with his Bankai, his power is increased by about fifty times more than his standard form, making him several times stronger than most captain-level Shinigami. Like most Vizard, Gin's spiritual energy becomes a mix of Hollow and Shinigami reiatsu in this form.

• Enhanced Speed: With his Hollow mask on, his speed is tremendously increased.

• Enhanced Strength: Gin's strength is also vastly increased in this form, to the point where he can pick up and throw an opponent as large and bulky as Jidanbō Ikkanzaka with great ease.

• Bala: Gin says that Aizen "gave" him this ability with the Hōgyoku instead of Cero because, in his own words, he is "no good at blasting things with large laser beams." His bala is hot pink and is fired from his fists with enough force to demolish a small house.

Trivia

• While it remains the same in the original Japanese version, Shinsō's release command varies in the English dub of the anime, in the fanon, ("Impale him," "Slay them," "Pierce his flesh," "Shoot to kill,"), as well as in Bleach: Shattered Blade and the DS series ("Shoot 'em dead").