This article, Tetsuo Momohara (SCB)/Fanon Canon, was added by ShonenChicoBoy who determines its usage on this wiki. |
Tetsuo Momohara | |
Full Name | Tetsuo Momohara |
Kanji | 桃原 鉄生 |
Romaji | Momohara Tetsuo |
General Information | |
---|---|
Race | Human (Fullbringer) |
Birthdate | June 12 |
Age | 32 |
Gender | Male |
Height | 178 cm (5'10) |
Weight | 66 kg (145 lbs) |
Hair Color | Black |
Eye Color | Gray/blue |
Blood Type | O+ |
Professional Information | |
Affiliation | Xstence |
Previous Affiliation | Xcution |
Occupation | Electrical Engineer |
Partner | Amaya Isaka, Michiyo Yamahana |
Previous Partner | Kōhaku Morimoto |
Base of Operations | Karakura Town, (Formerly) Ikeda, Osaka |
Personal Information | |
Education | Naruki Middle School Karakura High School Osaka Institute of Technology |
Marital Status | Single (formerly engaged) |
Family | Matsuda Momohara (father, deceased) Hanako Junshiro-Momohara (mother, deceased) Hikari Momohara (sister) |
Status | Active |
Fullbringer Abilities | |
Focus | Steel Tonfa |
Signature Skill | Electricity manipulation |
Fullbring
|
Flash Point |
- "When I go down,
I will go down fighting...
I'll go down like lightning." - —Character tagline
Tetsuo Momohara (桃原 鉄生, Momohara Tetsuo) is a Fullbringer and the current leader of Xstence. During high school he was a leading member of the Karate club at Karakura High School and a classmate of Ichigo Kurosaki. He was unofficially involved with Xcution for some time before the death of his father, after which point he moved with his sister, Hikari, to Ikeda, Osaka, where he currently resides. Tetsuo is close friends with Kōhaku Morimoto, as they have known each other since early adolescence and co-founded Xstence together. He was also close with Amaya Isaka until recently, their relationship becoming strained after the latter broke off their engagement.
Appearance[]
Tetsuo is a tall, narrowly built man with slender, albeit masculine features. Standing at just above average height, he appears to be more lithe than he actually is, especially when wearing his suit for work. In reality, he has a powerful, lean build with wide shoulders, long limbs and a tapered torso: a classic swimmer's build. This allows him more distance and power to his kicks in karate, and in the dojo he strikes an intimidating figure, his speed evident from the way he carries himself—like a coiled wire ready to spring.
Tetsuo has short, black hair, light skin with darker tan undertones, and gray-blue eyes. While a man in his early thirties, he appears to be a few years younger due to both his physical fitness and his scruffy, unkempt hair: an attempt at casualness. He has an angular jaw, a sharp nose with a high bridge, and square-shaped eyes that taper softly up at the corners. While considered to be somewhat attractive, his features are fairly average and his most notable aspect is a small scar on the corner of his left eyebrow from an injury he received in high school.
Tetsuo is typically seen in the suit and tie he wears to work, and he prefers blues, grays, and blacks to other colors. While his suits are well-tailored (courtesy of Kouhaku's fashion advice), Tetsuo is not particularly attuned to style and as such there is little variation among his outfits. Nonetheless, he considers uniforms to be non-negotiable, whether that be his suit for work or his gi for karate, and he keeps them well-maintained. Since his motorcycle is his main form of transportation, he also frequently sports a form-fitting riding outfit, which is black with gray accents. Otherwise, he wears comfortable, looser clothing, such as a sports jacket, T-shirt and sweat pants when lounging around the house.
Personality[]
Tetsuo is a responsible man who is determined, focused and observant. He has a serious, no-nonsense demeanor and is generally too uptight for his own good, which his friends tease him for endlessly. While he might become annoyed with them and refuse to participate in their light-hearted banter, he is nevertheless extremely loyal, and will never back down on the commitments he has made to others. This ties into his inherent stubbornness, which can be both a positive and a negative trait. For example, while strong-willed and dutiful, capable of seeing out a challenge until the end, he also has an inflexible mindset and can be insensitive towards others. In short, once he's made up his mind, there's no convincing him otherwise.
Over years of practice in karate, Tetsuo has become extremely disciplined. He can use this self-control to his advantage as both a karate-ka and Fullbringer, as he refuses to react to the taunts of an opponent during a fight. His steely resolve allows him to analyze an opponent's abilities as he deliberates a plan of attack. If an enemy threatens one of the people he's sworn to protect he can become particularly ruthless, carrying out his self-assigned duty with bloodless efficiency. Nevertheless, his trained self-restraint isn't perfect, and Tetsuo will occasionally crack, reacting with a spontaneous burst of emotion that leads him to take impulsive, dangerous risks—a reflection of his younger, much more aggressive self. This, coupled with his stubbornness, can lead him to develop unhealthy, obsessive tendencies, his greatest flaw.
Relationships[]
- Kōhaku Morimoto:
- Michiyo Tanaka: Tetsuo has a great deal of respect for Michiyo, and feels indebted to her. When the Rift opened above Ikeda, Tetsuo relied on Michiyo for how they should react to the unknown entities, and waited until she arrived to start the emergency meeting.[1]
- Hikari Momohara: Tetsuo is protective of his younger sister. At times he can be overbearing, as he does not want her to repeat his same "mistakes."[2]
- Amaya Isaka:
- Kūgo Ginjō and Shūkurō Tsukishima:
History[]
Early LifeTetsuo's parents had been long-time friends during their childhood, as they both grew up in Ikeda, Osaka and attended the same primary and high schools. Matsuda Momohara, Tetsuo's father, was a skilled Fullbringer whose powers had manifested at a young age. Influenced by the popular shōnen and tokusatsu series that he would watch on early morning Saturday television, such as Astro Boy and, later, Kamen Rider, he became convinced that his powers had been given to him in order to protect humanity and to fight against the evil Hollows who preyed upon innocent souls. As she was spiritually aware and thus one of the few people who did not consider Matsuda to be completely crazy, Tetuo's mother, Hanako Yamazaki, would often accompany Matsuda on his elaborate adventures. Originally, she had been "recruited" somewhat unwillingly onto his two-man "hero team," but she nonetheless tried her best to aid him in his fight against the Hollows. As time passed, Matsuda's childhood dream was eventually forgotten, and soon the two simply became close friends without the pretense of playing superheroes. When they reached junior high, however, they attended two separate schools and realized how much they missed each other. By chance, the two rejoined at the same high school, and by this time their relationship began to take on romantic undertones. They were once again separated as Matsuda's undying altruism led him to the Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo, where he studied to become a doctor. The distance placed some strain upon the couple, but they weathered it nonetheless and, upon returning to Osaka, Matsuda promptly proposed and they were married soon after. When Hanako was pregnant with Tetsuo she was attacked by a Hollow that was attracted to her Reiatsu. Matsuda sensed what was happening and rushed to her aid, managing to arrive just in time to save her from what would have been a fatal blow. Enraged that a Hollow had dared to prey upon his wife and unborn child, he attacked the Hollow mercilessly and destroyed it. Hanako had sustained serious injuries and in fact nearly miscarried, but Tetsuo miraculously survived and was born in good health a month later. Tetsuo's childhood was relatively uneventful. Like his parents, he had always been able to see ghosts and other spiritual beings, but there was initially no sign of his Fullbringer powers, which came as a relief to Matsuda and Hanako as he was already a rambunctious and impetuous child. When he began to attend primary school he was bullied by older classmates and often came home with bruises and black eyes, the result of his numerous playground scuffles. Concerned for their son's safety and seeking a way to channel his inexorable energy, his parents enrolled him in a karate dōjō in order for him to learn discipline and self-defense. Tetsuo was an avid student and seemed to be naturally talented in martial arts. By the age of seven he had won several regional tournaments, and the bullies at school had ceased to bother him and in fact avoided him entirely, calling him "Rakurai" (落雷 , "lightning strike") for his powerful, inexplicably fast strikes. His sister, Hikari Momohara, was born when he was eight, and due to the large gap between their ages he took his role as an older brother seriously and was protective of his baby sister, although he remained somewhat jealous of the attention that his mother lavished on the newborn. But the happiness shared by the intimate family would be short-lived, as three years after Hikari was born Hanako began to suffer frequent bouts of fatigue, dizziness, and headaches, and it was discovered that she had developed terminal brain cancer. The onset of her illness was sudden and completely unforeseen, and it had already progressed to its advanced stage before they even realized anything was wrong. Helpless, Matsuda and Tetsuo watched as Hanako began to slip away from them, while Hikari remained largely oblivious to her mother's pain. And, after a difficult, brief six months, she passed away. Hanako's death was a severe blow to those she left behind. As a doctor, Matsuda was plagued with guilt over not having detected signs of the cancer earlier. He even blamed her exposure to the Reiatsu of the Hollow that had attacked her twelve years earlier, or to his own Reiatsu, as a possible cause. For his part, Tetsuo felt remorse for the jealousy he had previously had of his sister and for inwardly accusing his mother of favoritism, especially considering that Hikari was too young to remember the attention of a mother that she would be forever deprived of anyway. Nevertheless, the traumatic event brought Tetsuo and his father closer together, and their bond gradually became unshakeable. Eventually, after the initial grief of losing Hanako began to subside, Matsuda decided that distancing the family from Ikeda, where every street was a painful memory, would be best for everyone. Thus, when Tetsuo was thirteen, he and his family moved to Karakura Town. His father was employed at Karakura Hospital, while Hikari started primary school and Tetsuo entered junior high school. Still coping with the loss of his mother, Tetsuo poured himself into both his studies and karate, becoming a serious-minded and dedicated student and withdrawing from those around him. Nevertheless, his stubborn, sullen disposition seemed to attract trouble, and Tetsuo was frequently involved in fights both inside and outside of school. While he never invited combat, he seemed to welcome it as a chance to vent his frustrations with the world and never turned down an opportunity to fight, which eventually earned him a notorious reputation. First FriendshipDuring the first week of junior high school, Tetsuo attended the club recruitment festival, where he met Kōhaku Morimoto, a representative for the kendō club. At first, Kōhaku tried to convince Tetsuo to join the club, but the latter refused, coldly stating that karate was superior on account of having more practitioners worldwide and was "physically and mentally speaking, the more demanding sport." An argument ensued, until another student was forced to intervene. The two went their separate ways, expecting to avoid each other as much as possible, but they soon discovered that they had been assigned the same class. In an attempt to save face, Tetsuo pointedly ignored Kōhaku for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, they found that they also took the same route home. The debate between the two martial arts fanatics quickly resumed, and progressively became more heated over the following weeks until a concerned classmate suggested that they reach a compromise. Finding the proposal favorable, Tetsuo agreed to join the kendō club for a period of one month, in which time he promised Kōhaku that he would master the art of swordsmanship and thus prove that it was simplistic and inherently inferior to karate. In exchange, Kōhaku agreed to join the karate club under the same terms. At first, it seemed as though Tetsuo would succeed in his boast. Because of his solid foundation in martial arts as well as his strong will, sharp mind, and unwavering discipline, he progressed quickly in kendō and, while he always seemed to maintain a personal distaste for the martial art, he nonetheless seemed to grasp its concepts instinctively. Of course, this served only to exacerbate the situation as Tetsuo stubbornly refused to see things from Kōhaku's perspective and showed him very little respect. One day during practice, however, Yokochini, the leader of a prominent juvenile gang in Karakura, arrived at the dōjō with a few of his henchmen in order to rile him up. They were trying to expand their territory and, having witnessed Tetsuo's skill in hand-to-hand combat, wanted to either recruit him or provoke him into a fight in order to declare a "gang war" against the school. Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Tetsuo did not respond to their attempts to antagonize him and refused to fight them even when Yokochini called him a coward to his face and broke his shinai. After the disgruntled gang left, Tetsuo brushed aside their appearance at the school, thinking that would be the end of it. On his way home, Tetsuo first stopped by the playground near Hikari's school in order to walk her back to their house, like he did everyday. However, to his horror, he found that Yokochini had stationed his henchmen around the perimeter of the playground and would not allow Hikari to leave. Obviously she was beyond upset, and when Tetsuo arrived all he knew was that his sister was huddled on the ground in tears. Since Tetsuo was their target, not Hikari, the gang had not physically hurt her. Yokochini once more demanded that Tetsuo join his gang, but the latter bluntly turned him down and told him that committed a grave error when he had harmed an innocent girl— his sister. He would take them on himself, regardless of their true motivations. Then, Tetsuo attacked. Despite having made the first move, Tetsuo quickly found that he was drastically outnumbered, and that his opponents were much larger and stronger than he was. While he fought admirably, he was soon overwhelmed and pinned to the ground. But, just before the brutal punishment began, the gang was interrupted by Kōhaku, who used his Fullbring to arm himself and Tetsuo with dynamite and a blunted katana, respectively. Back to back, the two classmates fought off the gang, implicitly acknowledging each other's spiritual powers. At last, Yokochini and his henchmen fled the scene, vowing to one day exact revenge. Fortunately, unbeknownst to both Tetsuo and Kōhaku, due to an even more complete failure at the hands of Ichigo Kurosaki a few months later[3], his threat would never be fulfilled. Kōhaku helped Hikari and Tetsuo home, despite the latter insisting that he could handle himself. In fact, he was more wondering of Kōhaku's strange ability than he was concerned about his own rather serious injuries, and he ultimately determined that Kōhaku was spiritually empowered, just like him and Matsuda. The next day after being released from the hospital, Tetsuo showed up at the dōjō, as he was determined to keep his promise and continue practicing kendō for the remainder of the month. He offered to replace the damaged shinai, but Kōhaku informed him that he had already paid for it in full. Nearly overcome by emotion as he realized how much Kōhaku had done for him, Tetsuo apologized and admitted that he held great respect for him. Afterwards, Tetsuo pretended to keep a superficial distance from Kōhaku while at school, when in reality they began to develop a deep bond over their shared circumstances. Battle for KarakuraFor some time leading up to when he had met Kōhaku, and especially in the aftermath of the fight, Tetsuo had begun to notice strange phenomena occur around him. Lights would often mysteriously flicker out when he tried to turn them on, metal objects seemed to be attracted to him, and he once touched an electric fence without being harmed. His father noticed as well and realized that Tetsuo had inherited the Hollow Reiryoku that would allow him to become a Fullbringer. He began to train Tetsuo, who learned to achieve Fullbring at an astonishing pace. While never confirmed, Matsuda theorized that Tetsuo might have had a greater capacity for Fullbring due to the combined Reiryoku inherited from himself and the Hollow who had attacked Hanako, although the only possible proof that could attest to the hypothesis was the fact that both father and son possessed an affinity for electromagnetic abilities. Shortly after completing his Fullbring, Tetsuo started his first year at Karakura High School. He immediately enrolled in the karate club and was appointed as the recruitment officer due to his experience, despite being a new member. As the classmate of Ichigo Kurosaki, he began to notice his growing Reiatsu after the latter gained the powers of a Shinigami, and while he was initially unaware of Ichigo's true identity, he became convinced that he possessed great fighting potential. After mentioning this to Tatsuki Arisawa, a fellow member of the karate club, she began to boast about Ichigo's exploits during junior high school, including the time he "kicked the asses of that Yokochini guy and all his cronies." Tetsuo was thoroughly impressed, and tried many times to ask him to join the karate club, but Ichigo always refused his request.[4] However, Tetsuo was not overly discouraged, as he was more impressed by Tatsuki at the time, who had just placed second in a national tournament despite suffering a broken arm during the match. He soon developed a huge crush for her, and his practice sessions with her suffered greatly as a result since he would pull his punches and allow her to gain the upper hand in an attempt to act like a gentleman. He tried many times to confess his love to her, but continuously failed. Tatsuki, on the other hand, remained oblivious of him, and he soon noticed her preoccupation with Ichigo's frequent absences and assumed her concern stemmed from romantic affection. Thus, Tetsuo did his best to nobly suppress his own feelings for her, although he still admired and remained attracted to her. A year after he had achieved Fullbring, during early fall, a strange incident occurred where Tetsuo fell unconscious while at school. When he woke up, he found that everyone around him was unconscious as well, and he also discovered he was unable to contact Matsuda, who was out of town on a business trip at the time. Assuming the phenomenon to be the trick of a Hollow who was close by, Tetsuo quickly tracked down Kōhaku, who informed him that the rest of the city—not just Karakura High School—was experiencing the same thing. Tetsuo originally wanted to join up with Tatsuki to make sure she was safe, but as she was nowhere to be found he and Kōhaku left for the nearby elementary school to get Hikari. On the way there, Tetsuo sensed an immense, suffocating presence emanating from the center of town. While he had no idea as to what was happening, he knew instinctively that certain calamity was approaching. Thus, after a brief, desperate search, he located Hikari and then carried her to the safest place he and Kōhaku could think of at the time: a shrine on the outskirts of Karakura, away from the center of town where the presence could be felt most strongly. The two Fullbringers hid themselves in the shrine and waited in silence, completely still as Ichigo Kurosaki battled Sōsuke Aizen. Neither could sense the Reiatsu of the powerful beings, but they could hear the sounds of mountains crumbling in the distance and feel the trembling ground as the two entities clashed. At last, the sounds of battle subsided, and Hikari eventually regained consciousness. The three returned to Karakura and found everything to be completely normal, as though nothing out of the ordinary had ever happened at all. However, Tetsuo and Kōhaku did not have much time to ponder over the incident, as Kōhaku announced that he would be moving to Nisshin. |
Plot[]
Harbinger[]
Tetsuo is on his way back home from the karate dojo when he senses an intense, suffocating spiritual pressure and notices the rift open in the sky above the ocean.[5] He sees the silhouettes of several figures emerge from the rift, and immediately heads to Xstence's headquarters at the abandoned school in Hōnara Town. Once there, he sends a message via pager, summoning all the members of Xstence to an emergency meeting to prepare to engage the mysterious creatures. He warns them not to engage the creatures on their own.[5] As he waits for the other members of Xstence, Tetsuo makes plans to defend their headquarters and disperse the Fullbringers throughout Ikeda.[1] Once everyone is gathered, Tetsuo begins the emergency meeting.[1] He explains that the rift seems to be similar to a Garganta, but that its spiritual pressure is different. Michiyo Tanaka puts forward the idea that the creatures could be Yōkai. The Fullbringers decide to split up, with Tetsuo and Michiyo volunteering to investigate the rift in the east sector of Ikeda. The meeting is interrupted when Otoya Kurogane offers Tetsuo a bouquet of lilacs. Realizing that this gesture means he's simply the next victim in Otoya's list of crushes, Tetsuo tiredly refuses the flowers. Michiyo points out that the flowers can both symbolize the springtime of love and also be an omen of death. Tetsuo becomes uneasy as there were so few members present at the meeting. They all leave to engage with the rift creatures.[1] |
Extinction[]
Tetsuo Momohara and Kōhaku Morimoto arrive in Macau for a gambling trip at Kōhaku's expense.[6] Tetsuo had accompanied Kōhaku assuming it was a business trip, but Kōhaku quotes the businessman's version of Sun Tzu to him, revealing it had been a "test" of "friendship." The reality, however, is that Kōhaku can't gamble and so brought Tetsuo along for support. They enter the Niú Niú Zhìguài casino, and initially Tetsuo wants to leave Kōhaku at the slot machines so he could be rid of any distractions. Unfortunately, Kōhaku had noticed him glancing towards the black jack tables and insists on trying his luck at table games. They emerge a few hours and several antics later. Tetsuo had managed to turn a profit thanks to the distractions Kōhaku had caused at the table games, but the latter left with nothing, having lost every yuan. As they sit outside the casino, they detect a reiatsu signature in the distance and decide to investigate it.[6] Tetsuo and Kōhaku appear on the sea bridge where Bang and Kyang-jae Maeno, two Fullbringers, are battling.[7] Tetsuo catches Bang's sword just as the latter prepares to impale Kyang-jae. However, the instant he recognizes Kyang-jae, he charges the sword with electricity and kicks the pommel so that it flies towards Kyang-jae, which he narrowly dodges. Both Tetsuo and Kōhaku know Kyang-jae because of his past involvements with either Xstence or the Morimoto Conglomerate, which leaves Bang confused. Bang cuts towards Tetsuo's neck, but Kōhaku stops the attack with the bones of his Fullbring. Tetsuo then turns to question Bang about why he was attacking the other Fullbringer.[7] Several months after the events in Macau, mages from the Coven emerge in Ikeda, Osaka. Unbeknownst to Tetsuo or any of the other members of Xstence, they are in search of the Soul King Fragments he and Kōhaku Morimoto carry.[8] That day, Tetsuo is at work, searching for an electrical short at a gas plant. He uses his Fullbring to find the exact point of the short while his colleague isn't looking. In the process, he detects powerful reiatsu signatures to the north of Ikeda. He tells his coworker he has a migraine and uses the excuse to leave. Once on the road, he calls Kōhaku and tells him to call a meeting with Michiyo and Emi at Xstence's headquarters.[8] As he travels towards Hōnara, his adversaries seal Ikeda within a sensing barrier and prepare to engage the Fullbringers in battle, with Arata Kogo summoning several zombified Shinigami lieutenants and Jurō Henkō casting Kakushitsuijaku to track the movement of their targets.[8] Tetsuo arrives at Xstence headquarters, taking measures to avoid detection. He notices two Shinigami in the sky above the abandoned high school and does his best to stay out of their sight. Arata attacks him with Hainawa while the zombified Shinigami remain on standby, preparing to strike. Tetsuo diverts the Hainawa by throwing up a dust screen and using high-speed Fullbring to dodge the attack.[9] Noticing the Shinigami's lieutenant badges, he questions why they are attacking him. They demand he surrenders in response, and Tetsuo stalls, trying to buy time for Kōhaku to arrive.[9] Arata threatens to harm his friends if he doesn't comply, and the Shinigami arm their Zanpakutō with Tanma Otoshi. From this, Tetsuo is able to deduce that his true adversary is puppeteering the Shinigami, is likely close by and concealing themselves so that their presence can't be detected via reikaku. He then uses Fullbring to pull on the air around them to physically detect the presence of the mage, after which he seemingly retreats towards the school.[9] Tetsuo then attacks Arata by electromagnetically charging two coins to create an explosion in midair. Kōhaku arrives at Tetsuo's location just as the Shinigami attack him by redirecting a Sōkatsui and firing a small volley of Shakkahō. Tetsuo deflects with an electromagnetic wave of force, then appears at Kōhaku's side, complaining that the latter is late.[9] Arata attacks both of them with Hyapporanken and summons two additional zombified Shinigami lieutenants to aid him in capturing the Fullbringers.[10] Tetsuo leaps out of the way of the Hyapporanken, but Jurō aids Arata by attacking Kōhaku with Sajō Sabaku. Kōhaku is barely able to escape the Kidō prison by using the bone rings of his Fullbring, and Tetsuo creates a screen of diversion using after images from his high-speed use of Fullbring. The two of them escape to the roof of the high school. From there, Tetsuo sends out a page to the other Xstence members, switching the stand-by to a request for help. In the meantime, Arata has the zombified Rukia freeze the battlefield with Tsugi no mai: Hakuren. The third mage, Megumi, interferes, weakening the attack so she can display her own prowess, which allows Kōhaku to block. Megumi monologues to the two Fullbringers, which allows time for Tetsuo to electrify the ice around them. He uses the vaporized ice as a conduit to try and shock Megumi with an electric discharge.[10] In response to Tetsuo's request for aid, Michiyo Tanaka, along with a few other Fullbringers, arrive at the location of the battle.[11] Seeing the new arrivals, Arata changes tactics to focus on extracting Kōhaku. He directs the Shinigami to use Tenran and has the zombified Rukia attack with her Shikai once more, intending to separate Kōhaku and Tetsuo.[11] At the same moment, Megumi shoots a nine-pronged lightning strike towards Tetsuo. Kōhaku disperses the Tenran with an explosion from his Fullbring, but Arata's use of Hakufuku is effective. Left in a semi-conscious state, he is trapped behind Rukia's sheet of ice. Tetsuo manages to deflect most of Megumi's lightning strike, but one of the bolts brushes across his leg. He redirects the current before it can stop his heart, then uses the ambient electricity to smash through the ice barrier and reach Kōhaku.[11] Arata attempts to enclose Tetsuo and Kōhaku in a barrier to paralyze them at the same moment the zombified Renji takes a swing at them.[12] With no other option available to him, Tetsuo allows Kōhaku to drop so he can deal with the attacks. He miscalculates, losing control of the positive and negative charges in his tonfa the moment he blocks Renji's Zanpakutō. The electrical backlash throws him away from the high school, and he crash-lands near Michiyo. After a brief moment's recuperation, Michiyo uses her Fullbring to teleport Tetsuo back to Arata and Kōhaku's location. Tetsuo directs a lightning strike towards the mage, but the zombified Renji absorbs the attack. Arata has Nanao use Sentan Hakuja to reach Kōhaku's side while the other zombified lieutenants attack Michiyo and Tetsuo to divert them. He then begins the ritual to extract the Soul King fragment from Kōhaku.[12] At that moment, several Shinigami, including Chitose Wasuchiru and Shiemi Makinami arrive from the Soul Society. They were alerted to a disturbance in the area due to the destruction caused by Megumi, and dispatched to the Human World to deal with the perceived threat.[12] In response, Megumi shifts her focus to Michiyo and Tetsuo, attacking them with a Byakurai dragon. Chitose and Shiemi intercept, the latter using Dankū while the former protects the Fullbringers with the use of his Shikai and dual-incantation Kidō.[12] Michiyo, who had been preparing herself to shield Tetsuo from Megumi's attack, is surprised by the arrival of the Shinigami. However, next to her, Tetsuo loses control of his Fullbring. Since the level of his spiritual energy has been drained, his physical energy begins to compensate by tearing off pieces of his skin. He manages to reach the base of the tower of wind Arata created and, putting everything he has left into the attack, splits the cyclone apart by threading lightning up into the column. Fortunately, Tetsuo's attack is effective in waking Kōhaku from his stupor and he frees himself from the mage's clutches. Emi, who had arrived much later than any of the other Fullbringers, catches him as he falls. Dazed, Kōhaku initially confuses her for Tetsuo.[12] A day and a half after the Coven's attack, Tetsuo (who still hasn't fully recovered from his Fullbring's imbalance), calls a meeting to order. He requests that all Xstence members, both past and current, gather at the abandoned high school in Hōnara. One of the Fullbringers who arrives is Kyang-jae Maeno, whom Michiyo immediately distrusts.[13][14] Once Xstence is gathered there, they discuss the national crisis in Amagasaki where the Coven has set up their headquarters in the human world, wiping out yet another city in the process. Assuming that the Shinigami are busy dealing with the new threat posed by the Coven, Tetsuo states that they can't rely on the Soul Society for help: they are on their own as they prepare to defend their home in Ikeda against a new attack by the Coven.[14] The discussion is interrupted by two Quincy: Abraham Lewinsky and Eleonore Adler, who obtained Xstence pagers and access to the headquarters.[14] After overcoming their initial hostilities, they recognize the common interests shared by Xstence and the Stunde and discuss the possibility of an alliance.[15] Despite clearly struggling on account of his physical condition, Kōhaku handles most of the negotiations.[15] At last, Tetsuo is convinced, realizing Quincy's offer could also provide an opportunity for revenge on the Coven. To everyone's surprise, the voice of reason is Kyang-jae, who points out that it would be folly to attack an enemy powerful enough to wipe out an entire city at their home base. Tetsuo asks him if he has another strategy in mind.[15] |
Equipment[]
Tonfa: versatile, mid-range weapons that have become representative of the ancient Ryukyu martial art style developed in Okinawa. Although tonfa have a short reach, they are extremely fast and can be wielded in a number of ways to exploit their strengths in both offense and defense. Tetsuo's particular tonfa are made of a high carbide tungsten-steel alloy, which is remarkable for its robust physical properties: tungsten has a higher melting point than any other non-alloy in existence, and the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications. Its temperature can be raised to the point where it glows with a brilliant white light without compromising its structure. Carbide is an extremely hard material that is used for making industrial cutting tools, and the steel alloy is used for its toughness and stability at high temperatures. This makes them heavier than normal tonfa, thus demanding a greater level of skill to utilize effectively. The tonfa are bladed on the outer side, but the blades are retractable so he can use them for either cutting or blunt impact. Mostly, however, he uses them to conduct the electricity released by his Fullbring.
Powers & Abilities[]
Natural Abilities[]
High Spiritual Pressure: Tetsuo possesses a high amount of Reiatsu. It has been described as "heavy and chilling, [being close to that of a] Hollow." His spirit energy is unique in fact that it has been altered by his Fullbring, even when he has not released his powers. Thus it closely resembles an "electrical charge," and possesses several properties unique to that channel of Reiatsu. Such as an electromagnetic "pulse" that effects a being's nervous or organ system, causing them difficulty in moving; or hallucinations from contact with his charged attacks. This can send false signals in the synapses of the brain, and would result in them seeing double images of Tetsuo, "mirroring," or other unconscious effects. However, these are by-products of the Reiatsu and not proper techniques, as they only affect certain individuals and he has no conscious control over them. His Reiatsu is blue in color.
High Stamina and Strength: Because of his rigorous martial training, his body is in top physical condition. Tetsuo is an extremely resilient combatant, able to withstand most high-powered attacks from Hollows and other Fullbringers. He often continues to fight until the point of exhaustion, refusing to surrender while he still has energy left.
Enhanced Speed: When he was part of Karakura High School's Karate Club, Tetsuo was known for his incredible reflexes. He is light on his feet and can easily dodge most physical attacks without aid from his Fullbringer abilities. His speed is his greatest asset.
Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Tetsuo is extremely skilled in martial arts and is an agile fighter, easily able to perform mid-air maneuvers with little physical strain. His natural abilities are so impressive that even without his Fullbring he is a competent match for an opponent. He is ranked as 5th dan in Karate.
High Intellect: Tetsuo is insightful of other people, which allows him to predict their movements in a fight. He possesses a very pragmatic and resourceful intellect; demonstrating a knack for improvisation during the heat of combat. Since his ability relies on direct contact with the intended target, he utilizes stealth and unpredictability to take his opponents by surprise in order to gain the advantage in a fight. This tactical irregularity and resourcefulness coupled with his enhanced speed makes him a formidable foe.
- Bilingual: Tetsuo is fluent in both Japanese and English.
Special Abilities[]
Bringer Light: (完現光 (ブリンガーライト), Kangen Hikari (Buringā Raito); lit. "Full Manifestation Light") Due to his mastery of Fullbring, Tetsuo is able to use Bringer Light, which allows him to increase his speed and the height of his jumps by pulling on the "soul" of the ground surface or air. He has shown to be quite fast and skilled at the technique, able to dodge successive attacks with ease.
- Bringer Limelight: Tetsuo is also capable of using this enhanced form of the Bringer Light technique. By adding an extra step, the technique increases his speed to such a degree that he is able to create an afterimage of himself. This can be used to confuse the opponent, as well as having several other tactical advantages.
- Electrical Path Channeling: Tetsuo invented a specialized use of the Bringer Light which allows him to overcome the inhibition of using electricity in mid-air. By using the Reishi contained in the "soul" of the air, he connects the electricity of his Fullbring attacks to a target along a "channel," thus bypassing non-conductive substances (such as air) altogether. Essentially, he utilizes the Reishi of the substance, not the substance itself, to serve as a conduit.
Fullbring[]
Flash Point (引火点 (フラッシュポイント, Furasshu Pointo); Jpn. Inkaten): When activated Tetsuo's tonfa begin to spark with electricity that is generated by his spirit energy. (Technically speaking, the ionic imbalance created when Tetsuo subconsciously splits the influent/effluent currents or charged "protons" of his released Reiatsu.) He must make physical contact with his foe in order to electrocute them, with the exception of his synthesized lightning technique. His Fullbring consists of four main aspects:
- Electricity Manipulation: Tetsuo possesses the ability to generate and discharge electricity through conductive media at sufficiently high amounts to kill grown men or short out a building's electrical system. He can also manipulate electricity in its natural form. He has specialized the technique in many different ways, often depending on the circumstance or need, such as: charging his hands and feet in order to move at speeds much higher than normal, especially for long distance travel or evasionary maneuvers; hacking into electronic devices and bypassing security measures; immunity to the effects of telepathic manipulation due to an electromagnetic "brain barrier," and sensing electric phenomena. He most heavily uses this technique, however, to charge his tonfa as well as creating electric shock waves. He can also sense and release electromagnetic waves to enable him to see the image of a room three-dimensionally without the use of sight, which eliminates potential blind spots and allows him to "see" in the dark.
- Electromagnetism: Tetsuo can use electromagnetism to attract and repel metallic materials, as well as manipulating metalloid elements to his advantage. He most commonly uses this technique to redirect projectiles or adhere/propel off of metal surfaces.
- Synthesized Lightning Bolts: At the peak of his Fullbring, Tetsuo can produce over 100,000 amperes of electricity with a potential of 100 million volts, rivaling the power of a lightning bolt. The time needed to complete a strike is incredibly fast, and as such the attack is unavoidable. To use this technique, he first charges a Reishi path to lock on his target, then he unleashes the powerful discharge of his Fullbring's electricity. The "return stroke" travels at an average of 30 kiloamperes, (1×108 m/s) the speed of naturally occurring lightning. There is a very small window where, if an opponent senses the charged particles in the air right before the return stroke, they are able to dodge the attack, but it is extremely rare to find an individual capable of such speed. This technique, while extremely destructive, can only be used once during his Fullbring, and is severely draining on his spirit energy. As such, it is mostly impractical for fights, except as a finishing blow, and Tetsuo tries to avoid using it in combat.
- Neuron-Synapse Disruption: Arguably Tetsuo's strongest technique. When Tetsuo makes direct contact with an opponent, he is able to manipulate energy at a molecular level. This disrupts the inhibitory synapses in the opponent's nervous system, causing an overload of sensory information to flood the brain. (As every little detail and unnecessary distraction that the body automatically blocks out is suddenly perceptible.) This results in paralysis, as the victim is unable to focus on anything in this state—even controlling their own muscles. However, the effects are only temporary, and Tetsuo must strike within a certain window in order for this technique to be effective. A secondary effect of this technique would be for Tetsuo to take control of his own muscles and nerves via transmitting all electrical impulses from his brain in a straight line directly to the part of the body he wants to use, completely bypassing his nervous system. This is useful if his ability to move has been inhibited or removed by an opponent. However, to use this technique he is forced to find or construct a "closed circuit" in order to influence his own body. It also charges his body completely; so contact with water or another highly conductive substance would be fatal. If used for a long period of time, it also begins to degenerate his physical body.
Limitations[]
- In order to activate his Fullbring, both Tetsuo's physical and spiritual energy levels must be roughly equal in order to reach the threshold of activation. If he fights when his body is exhausted yet with a high output of spirit energy, he risks severely injuring or destroying his physical body. If he tries to fight when his body is in normal condition but his spirit energy is depleted, he will be unable to maintain his Fullbring or fight on a level that demands high speed or strength. (This is similar to the principle of equilibrium.)
- The distance and damage of an attack is dependent upon how much energy is expended. A greater outpouring of reiatsu generally results in a more powerful attack.
- After using his "nervous disruption" technique, he is forced to deactivate his Fullbring due to the demands of the attack. He cannot reactivate his Fullbring for a minimum of one hour (although he may need up to a day to recover, depending on the amount of energy he expended for the particular attack.) He can, however, continue to fight using only his tonfa.
- His powers are largely unpredictable in the rain or in other wet conditions, as it is uncertain which path the electrical attacks will take, even with careful execution..
Quotes[]
- "Rain is good for me. When it rains I can achieve actual clarity of mind. The longer I have to stand under it and endure it, the clearer my thoughts become."
- Life is about choices. Some we will regret, some we are proud of. And some will haunt us forever. For this reason choices must be calculated, and made carefully.
Trivia[]
- Tetsuo's theme song, from which the tagline featured at the top of this article is taken, is When I was King, by One Ok Rock.
- While Tetsuo's powers and abilities were mostly either original ideas or based on a conglomeration of different anime, his weapons of choice were inspired by the character Kyoya Hibari from the Katekyo Hitman Reborn series. Consequently, the picture of him at his current age is of Takeshi Yamamoto from the same series.
- Tetsuo drives a Yamaha 2012 R6, which he stripped down to the frame and customized to be an electric bike. Normally, electric motorcycles allow for less control than a normal transmission engine, but Tetsuo compensates by using his Fullbring to operate the vehicle. This also means he never has to refuel his bike, thereby saving on energy costs.
- Tetsuo has stated that his likes include "efficiency," rules, doing things on his own, and canned coffee. He dislikes broken promises, deception, and rain.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Harbinger: The Meeting
- ↑ Harbinger
- ↑ Bleach Manga; Chapter 107, pages 8-13
- ↑ Bleach Manga; Chapter 58, pages 1-3
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Harbinger: Summons
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Blood and Steel: The Onlookers
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Blood and Steel: Intervention
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Descending Despairs: Storm Front
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Descending Despairs: First Strike
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Descending Despairs: Cornered
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Descending Despairs: Emergence
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Descending Despairs: The Breath
- ↑ A World Beyond
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 A World Beyond: Flies in a Bottle
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 A World Beyond: Negotiations
- Note: This character has been adapted from canon. The original article can be found here.