Shinigami Racial Information

When souls train their bodies, they reach the level of Shinigami. They possess high Reiryoku and a body of Reishi. They are invisible to those without spiritual powers. The most talented of them become affiliated with various organizations like the Gotei 13. They purify Hollows who do evil in the World of the Living and ensure the safe crossing of souls - the Pluses who have lost their way after death - by giving them a soul burial.

Most Shinigami appear like average Humans. There are, however, a few Shinigami who are less Human-like in appearance. For example, there are much greater variations in body-sizes between Shinigami than between Humans, with smaller Shinigami at 43 inches (3'7) and tall and giant ones at 113 inches (9'5) tall. Shinigami do not visibly age at the same rate as Humans and tend to maintain a youthful appearance for centuries. Shinigami can live for much longer than Humans, with some Shinigami being, at maximum, 4,000 years old.


The Shinigami arts are broken down into four categories: Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō, and Zanjutsu. Collectively, these are known as Zankensoki (「斬」「拳」「走」「鬼」; Cut-Fist-Run-Spirit).

Hakuda: 白打; White Hits) Hakuda is the Shinigami ability to utilize Reiryoku in unison with hand-to-hand techniques. By using both at the same time, a warriors strikes hit harder, faster, and can better bypass things like armor or hierro. This skill governs a Shinigami's ability to access the coveted "Shunkō" technique.

• Shunkō: (瞬閧; Flash War Cry) Shunkō is the ultimate Hakuda technique, and it is one of the most difficult techniques to master of all the spiritual arts. It is infusing one's arms and legs with large amounts of Reiryoku. When the arms and legs are infused in this manner, the user's Reiryoku condenses into an element (such as wind or lightning) and surrounds the arms, legs, and upper back. The user can fire Kidō-like blasts from their body as well as condensing infused Reiryoku to deflect physical attacks.
  

Hohō: (歩法, Step Method) Hohō relates to footwork. The agility and speed of Hohō can be enhanced and improved through concentration, training, and mastery of it. Shunpo is the greatest expression of the Hohō technique. However, there are variations even within Shunpo which only master Hohō practitioners can use.

• Shunpo: (瞬歩; Flash Steps) Shunpo is a movement technique which allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow. As speed is the main factor of the technique, the method is best characterized by how fast one can get from point A to point B in the least amount of steps. Training and skill are what determines how fast a user of Shunpo can move. Users of little skill in the technique or those who have not used it for an extended period of time would obviously be out of practice, causing them to be considerably slower, which requires the use of more steps to move the same distance and become winded in a shorter amount of time.
  

Kidō: (鬼道; Demon/Spirit Way) Kidō is a form of Shinigami combat based on advanced spells. These spells are produced with strong Reiryoku and fall into four categories: Hadō for direct attacks, and Bakudō for battle support, Kaidō for healing, and Kinshi Kidō for those that are forbidden to be used. Kidō spells are triggered by an incantation. Experienced users can trigger them without an incantation, though the effectiveness of the spell will be diminished. Most spells are graded on a scale from 1 to 99, spells of the latter being the most powerful and the most difficult to perform. A more in-depth breakdown and list of Kidō can be found lower in this thread here.
Zanjutsu: (斬術, Swordsmanship) Zanjutsu is not only the most basic of the Shinigami arts, but it is also the most varied. Zanjutsu might imply swordsmanship, but it is more akin to the use of one's Zanpakutō as a weapon by infusing it with Reiryoku. Like Hakuda, higher skill in the ability allows one to better bypass things such as armor and Hierro.



What is a Zanpakutō? Zanpakutō (斬魄刀; Soul-Cutter Sword) are the trademark weapons of the Shinigami. Capable of cutting spiritual bodies, they are among the few weapons which can be used to combat Hollows. Each Shinigami carries a Zanpakutō, and each Zanpakutō is unique: the swords are reflections of a Shinigami's power and soul, and sentient beings unto themselves. The Zanpakutō's name is the name of the living spirit which empowers the sword and lends its strength to the Shinigami who wields it. These beings can vary greatly in appearance, and have their own distinct personalities which are similar to their owner's.

A Zanpakutō's shape and abilities are based on their Shinigami's soul. Once a Shinigami learns his/her Zanpakutō's name, they can communicate with one another and grow stronger together. Shinigami use them in battle as a reflection of their heart. When released, they can display a vibrant power. No matter what form (or size) a Zanpakutō takes, it is always virtually effortless for its owner to wield because it is a part of its owner's soul. They are one with the Shinigami, and they share a Shinigami's conviction.

Asauchi: Asauchi (浅打, Shallow Hit) are the nameless Zanpakutō which all low-class Shinigami wield. Shinigami who are still in training—those who do not yet belong to any of the Gotei 13—and Shinigami who are unable to communicate with their Zanpakutō all wield generic Zanpakutō. "Shallow hit" refers to the grossly reduced power of a Zanpakutō whose wielder cannot connect with it properly.

Shinigami are loaned one of these nameless Zanpakutō upon first entering the Shin'ō Academy, and this same blade is officially given to them upon joining a division. All Shinigami must spend every waking moment with their own Asauchi, and as they progress in their training, they slowly and methodically imprint the essence of their soul into their Asauchi. This is how they guide and mold their own unique Zanpakutō

Zanpakutō Spirit: A Zanpakutō Spirit is a part of their Shinigami's soul, and their appearance and abilities are a reflection of this; as such, they also share their master's resolve. A Zanpakutō Spirit's power is separate from that of their owner, and when a Shinigami draws on this power in addition to their own, their Zanpakutō will become even stronger. Normally, the Zanpakutō spirit can only be seen by its wielder. Otherwise, they dwell in their own "inner world", created within the minds of the Shinigami who wield them. As such, each Shinigami's inner world is drastically different from another Shinigami's, and is unique to themselves. A Zanpakutō's spirit can bring its wielder into its inner world, though Shinigami can voluntarily achieve this simply by meditation.

Though a Zanpakutō Spirit's personality is also influenced by the soul of their master, they possess their own thoughts, feelings, opinions, and desires, which may differ from their master's to varying degrees. Additionally, Zanpakutō Spirits are unwilling to teach their masters new techniques, and will engage them in battle in order to determine whether or not they are worthy. They can also determine if their master is worthy of wielding their power. In some instances, a Zanpakutō Spirit's personality can influence how their master can use their Zanpakutō in battle.

Konsō and Purification: Konsō (魂葬, Soul Burial) is the process by which a Shinigami sends wandering Pluses in the living world to either Soul Society if they are good in life, or Hell if their life was full of evil acts (such as murders, theft, etc). Konsō is performed by using the pommel of the Shinigami's Zanpakutō to tap head of the soul, thereby transporting them to the Soul Society. Souls who pass into Soul Society will be reborn again into the Human World once their "life" in Soul Society comes to an end. When a Hollow is sliced with a Zanpakutō, it is cleansed of the sins it committed as a Hollow, and passes into the Soul Society.



Sealed Abilities: A Zanpakutō can have limited abilities related to its own power even when it is sealed. Although usually a sign of mastery, sometimes these latent abilities can appear even before a Shinigami knows their Zanpakutō's name—and therefore give them a hint to what their true power is.

Shikai: (始解, Initial Release) Shikai is the first form of a Zanpakutō. A Shinigami must be able to communicate and harmonize with their Zanpakutō Spirit to be able to access this release. As stated above, each Zanpakutō has a unique name. Each Shikai has a unique release phrase, which is followed by stating the Zanpakutō's name. When a Shikai is released, the blade changes shape and allows access to a fraction of the power of a Zanpakutō. This is effectively the equivalent of bringing out 10%-20% of a Zanpakutō's powers.

Bankai: (卍解, Final Release) Bankai is the second and final form of a Zanpakutō. It is the mark of mastery of one's Zanpakutō, as it requires the Shinigami to manifest and subjugate their own Zanpakutō Spirit. Even though Bankai is the final stage of a Zanpakutō, the Bankai can further evolve as its Shinigami gets stronger. This is because Bankai is effectively bringing out 100% of a Zanpakutō's power. Bankai are usually larger and more expressive than Shikai. Upon achieving Bankai, Shinigami are capable of releasing their Shikai without calling out the release phrase or name. Unlike with a Shikai, a broken Bankai will never return to its original state.  

This is a masterlist of all custom and universal Kidō. This also will define Kidō and its four subsections.

Categories

As stated above, Kidō is broken down into four categories. However, only three of these are taught. Those three are Hadō, Bakudō, and Kaidō. These three categories are the traditional Kidō which a Shinigami would know. The last category is Forbidden Kidō. Forbidden Kidō require great skill and energy to even use, but they are highly illegal even for the Captain-Commander of the Gotei to use.

Hadō (破道, Way of Destruction) is the first category of Kidō. It is what most people would think of when picturing Kidō. Hadō spells are the only type of Kidō which inflict direct damage onto an opponent. This can be a simple fireball or something more complex such as a black coffin whose blades eviscerate anything inside. Hadō is extremely versatile as a category, although most Hadō seem to have an attachment to a traditional element (earth, air, water, fire, et cetera). This is not always the case, and there are many Hadō which do not have an element attached to them.

• Gisei Hadō (犠牲破道, Sacrificial Way of Destruction) is a sub-branch of Hadō. Gisei Hadō are frowned upon, but not entirely banned. They require the caster to sacrifice part of themselves in order to cast the Kidō. These spells are usually extremely powerful.

Bakudō (縛道, Way of Binding) is the second category of Kidō. For most of the time Kidō was taught, Bakudō encompassed an extremely wide variety of spells. It was determined eventually that this was too wide of encompassing and so Bakudō was turned into specifically Kidō that will immobilize or otherwise hamper an enemy's movements. Most Bakudō are the type to completely immobilize the target.

• Barriers (結界, Kekkai) are focused Reiryoku formed into a solid form of energy. This energy can take on many shapes or colors as determined by the user. Barriers are protective in nature, and can be as simple as a barrier only protecting one direction or encompassing all sides of an area. Barriers can be used for containment, and some barriers can be used offensively. Barriers can mask spiritual pressure and can make one spiritually and physically invisible. The strength of a barrier is dependent upon the power of the user. Weak barriers are easily breakable, while strong ones can last for centuries. Certain barriers can be placed beforehand and activated later, while others require certain artifacts and time to activate.
  
• Seals (封, Fū) are similar to barriers, but far more powerful and require far more preparation to create. Seals can only be used by those of sufficient spiritual power, and are meant to hold the most powerful and/or dangerous artifacts or beings. Seals are usually hard to break.

Kaidō (回道, Turn Way) is also known as healing Kidō. These spells do not have known names, numbers, or incantations to cast, and simply heal the target. As the user holds his/her hands above the patient's wounds, his/her palms glow with green spiritual energy to facilitate healing. When one heals with regular healing Kidō, they perform Reiatsu restoration first. By doing so, one can attempt to recover the physical body using the patient's restored Reiatsu and the healer's external Reiatsu. Therefore, restoring the Reiatsu when the physical body is in a fully healed state is no trouble at all.

Kinshi Kidō (禁止鬼道; Banned Demon Way) is a classification for any type of Kidō that violates certain laws of the Soul Society. The use of such spells will commonly result in some form of lengthy imprisonment or worse. The Kidō spells which fall under this class are those which involve the manipulation of space and time.

Incantations

Incantations are an important part of Kidō. All Kidō have an Incantation, which is a small poem-like saying relating somewhat to the actual Kidō's abilities or its name. Each incantation is unique, although most Hadō start with the same line: "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man!"

• Eishōhaki (詠唱破棄, Incantation Abandonment): A class of Kidō Incantation where the Kidō practitioner forgoes using a spoken incantation at all. While it decreases the time needed to release the Kidō, it drastically weakens the spell (to roughly 1/3 of its power). While anyone well versed in Kidō can use this technique, it is most effective when done by a skilled practitioner, otherwise the spell could utterly fail (e.g. explode in the user's face). The most skilled experts are capable of using this technique to amazing effect. Upon reaching a 30 in Kidō, Eishōhaki can be used on Kidō of a number equivalent to half of their skill in Kidō. Thus, a Shinigami with a 30 can use Eishōhaki on Kidō up to, and including, Number 15.
  
  
• Nijū Eishō (二重詠唱, Twofold Incantation): a class of Kidō Incantation where the Kidō practitioner mixes the incantations of two entirely separate Kidō spells together to simultaneously save time and confuse their opponent. Nijū Eishō requires at least an 60 in Kidō. The way this works mechanically is that once someone reaches Rank 60, they can then cast two Kidō that equal up to their skill. Thus, when someone reaches rank 60, they can use Nijū Eishō to cast a #1 Kidō and a #59 Kidō, both #30 Kidō, a #15 and a #45 Kidō, and so on.
  
  
• Kōjutsu Eishō (後述詠唱, Spoken-After Incantation): A class of Kidō Incantation where the incantation is recited after initiating the spell in order to power it up.

Creating and Customizing Kidō

There are two important terms to know when it comes to creating and customizing Kidō: Personal and Universal. Universal Kidō are Kidō that are always numbered (unless they are Kaidō or Forbidden). Universal Kidō are Kidō that anyone who can cast up to that number can learn. There are no restrictions to creating Universal Kidō. Personal Kidō are what people might refer to as "custom Kidō." These are Kidō whose learning is restricted to one or more characters or groups. They are not officially taught and cannot be learned from anywhere but those sources. The main restriction to creating a personal Kidō is that there has to be one character capable of learning it in order for it to be taught. Therefore, if you create a Personal Kidō equivalent to a Number 85 and your character is capable of casting only up to 80, that Kidō will be denied. The same rules apply to customizing existing Kidō.