Reason

This article, Reason, was added by Seireitou who determines its usage on this wiki.

"Reason exists for those who cannot live without clinging to it."

—Sōsuke Aizen.

Reason (理 (ことわり), Kotowari) is a term that refers to the will of the world. It is the consciousness of reality itself, acting in effort to give rise to all things in the world but to also maintain the balance of the world itself. As such, it is both a force of action and a force of response, stagnation and progression, which are often referred to as yin and yang. Reason is known to manifest in the form of tangible incarnations, exalted as Gods, while living beings who manage to break free of Reason and stand outside of it are known as Transcendents.

Overview

Shinigami were once referred to as "Balancers" (調整者 (バランサー), Baransā; Japanese for "Regulators"), denoting their role as agents of Reason that serve to maintain balance in the world in its stead.

Sentience

"During that age, all of creation was in a state of ambiguity. There was neither life nor death; progression and regression flickered to and fro. Swaying and swaying slowly, this waning and waxing world waited for a hundred million years to cool down. Eventually, Hollows became a part of the circulation of souls. But before long, Hollows began devouring humans. And so, the circulation ceased. All those souls came together to form a gigantic Hollow, a Menos. The world became completely still. But you know, it's a strange thing. A new life came into being. As if the world itself naturally rejected it, he destroyed it and turned it into sands of reishi. Thus, circulation began once again."

—Ichibē Hyōsube speaking of the world's nature.

Beings of Reason

Main article: Kaijin

"That thing isn't a creature of reiatsu, it's a creature of reason. It's not something reiatsu can handle."

—Gin Ichimaru referring to the Kōtotsu.

Behind the Scenes

Although an idea introduced by Kubo through indirect mentions, the author has chosen to interpret the concept of Reason as something akin to that of Brahman from Hindu mythology. Similarly, the concept of Reason can be likened to that of the Counter Force from the multimedia franchise, Fate/Stay Night.