Kidō

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In the manga and anime series Bleach, kidō (鬼道, lit. demon arts) are a form of magic used by shinigami.

[edit] Overview

Kidō spells are used by Bleach characters of the shinigami race for various purposes. Spells exist for attacking, binding, and healing. Like conventional magic, most of these spells require an incantation of some sort to activate their effect. They are performed through channeling spirit energy, which the incantation then focuses into a specific effect. As stated by Ganju Shiba, the principal behind demon arts, and channeling spirit energy in general, is a mental image of throwing oneself within a darkly-colored circle.^[1]

Most demon arts spells are sorted into two categories: binding spells (縛道, bakudō^?) and destructive spells (破道, hadō^?). The former category is more generalized, referring to basically any technique not intended to harm, including tracking and communication spells. Some binding spells, however, can be quite harmful to their targets, if not deadly. Destructive spells, on the other hand, are always intended to harm, usually consisting of some sort of directed energy blast.

With the exception of healing, which requires no incantation or even a name to perform, demon arts spells consist of four distinct steps: reciting the incantation of the spell (which is usually long-winded), its category (binding or destructive), its number, and finally its name. The number of a spell determines the difficultly of casting it correctly and effectively (#1 is simple to cast, #99 is incredibly difficult). With sufficient training, the first step can be bypassed, allowing spells to be used in combat quickly. Doing so, however, lessens the spells effect, the degree of which is dependent upon the skill of the caster. Bypassing the incantation is also more difficult for higher-numbered spells, as casting them is already fairly difficult even with the full verbal component.

Complementing kidō may be combined for a single ability, something that Isane Kotetsu demonstrated when she used binding spell #58 to locate Sōsuke Aizen and Gin Ichimaru within Soul Society, and then #77 to convey the information to every captain and lieutenant (as well as Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends).^[2] Kidō can also be combined with other forms of shinigami combat to form unique abilities, such as Yoruichi Shihouin's flash cry (瞬閧, shunkō^?) technique, which combines kidō energy and hand-to-hand combat (白打, hakuda^?) to concentrate spiritual power at the back and shoulders for quicker movement and increased attack power.

[edit] Known kidō spells

[edit] Binding spells

• 1. Restrain (塞, sai^?)^[3] — Locks a target's arms in place behind their back.
• 4. Crawling Rope (這縄, hainawa^?)^[4] — An energy rope entangles a target's arms.
• 9. Hit (撃, geki^?)^[5] — Engulfs a target in red light, completely paralyzing them.
  • Incantation: Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! (自壊せよロンダニーニの黒犬！！ 一読し・焼き払い・自ら喉を掻き切るがいい！！)
• 58. Summoning of the Tracking Sparrows (摑趾追雀, kakushitsuijaku^?)^[6] — Tracks and locates any spiritual force the user focuses on.
  • Incantation: Heart of the south, eye of the north, finger of the west, foot of the east, arrive with the wind and depart with the rain. (南の心臓 北の瞳 西の指先 東の踵 風持ちて集い 雨払いて散れ)
• 61. Six Rods Prison of Light (六杖光牢, rikujōkōrō^?)^[7] — Summons six thin, but wide, beams of light that slam into a target's midsection, holding them in place. Referred to as "Six Rod Light Restraint" in the english edition.
  • Incantation: Carriage of thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six.^[8] (雷鳴の馬車 糸車の間隙 光もて此を六に別つ)
• 75. Quintet of 1 kan Iron Pillars (五柱鉄貫, gochūtekkan^?)^[9] — Forms a cage made of five incredibly high and thick pillars around a target.
  • Incantation: Walls of ironsand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end. (鉄砂の壁 僧形の塔 灼鉄熒熒 湛然として終に音無し)
• 77. Heavenly Rickshaws in Silken Air (天挺空羅, tenteikūra^?)^[10] — Transmits messages to anyone within Soul Society.
  • Incantation: Black and white net. Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowns and belts. Footprints, distant thunder, sharp peak, engulfing land, hidden in the night, sea of clouds, blue line. Form a circle and fly through the heavens.^[11] (黒白の羅 二十二の橋梁 六十六の冠帯 足跡・遠来・尖峰・回地・夜伏・雲海・蒼い隊列 太円に満ちて天を挺れ)
• 99, Part 1. Seal (禁, kin^?) — Binds the arms of a target with spiritual fabric and iron shafts.^[12]
• 99, Part 2. Great seal (卍禁, bankin^?) — This spell covers a target from head to toe with spiritual fabric (first song), stabs them with numerous metal blades (second song), and then smashes them with an immense metal cube (final song).^[13]
  • Incantation: First song: halting fabric (shiryū), second song: hundred linked bolts (hyakurensan), final song: great seal of 10,000 forbiddings (bankin taihō). (初曲・止繃 弐曲・百連閂 終曲・卍禁太封)

[edit] Destructive spells

• 4. White Lightning (白雷, byakurai^?)^[14] — Fires a concentrated bolt of lighting from the caster's forefinger.
• 31. Shot of Red Fire (赤火砲, shakkahō^?)^[15] — Fires a ball of red energy at a target.
  • Incantation: Ye Lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, The sea barrier surges, March on to the south! (君臨者よ！血肉の仮面・万象・羽搏き・ヒトの名を冠す者よ！ 焦熱と騒乱 海隔て逆巻き南へと歩を進めよ！)
• 33. Blue Fire, Crash Down (蒼火墜, sōkatsui^?, Pale Fire Crash in the English dub)^[16] — Fires a burst of blue spiritual energy at a target in a similar manner to 31, but over a wider area and with more power.¹
  • Incantation: Ye Lord! Mask of flesh and bone, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, Upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws!^[17] In the English dub, it is read as "Ruler, the mask of blood and flesh, all things in the universe that fly, that which names all! In the name of truth and temperance, dig your claws into the wall of sinless dreams!^[18] (君臨者よ！血肉の仮面・万象・羽搏き・ヒトの名を冠す者よ！ 真理と節制 罪知らぬ夢の壁に僅かに爪を立てよ！！)
• 54. Waste Flame (廃炎, haien^?)^[19] — Incinerates a target completely; Kaname Tōsen uses it to burn Grimmjow Jaggerjack's severed arm.
• 63. Thunder Roar Cannon (雷吼炮, raikōhō^?)^[20] — Fires a massive wave of yellow energy at a target.
  • Incantation: Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!^[21] (散在する獣の骨！尖塔・紅晶・鋼鉄の車輪 動けば風 止まれば空 槍打つ音色が虚城に満ちる！)
• 63. Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down (双蓮蒼火墜, sōren sōkatsui^?)^[20] — Essentially a doubled version of 33, this spell fires two shots of blue fire with greater potency than the single-shot variety.
  • Incantation: Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens. ^[21] (血肉の仮面・万象・羽搏き ヒトの名を冠す者よ！ 蒼火の壁に双蓮を刻む 大火の淵を遠天にて待つ)
• 90. Black Coffin (黒棺, kurohitsugi^?)^[22] — Forms a box of black energy around a target, which is then pierced by dozens of energy "spears", lacerating the one inside from head to toe. Its appearance and function is reminiscent of a common magician's trick, as well as certain torture devices used during the Spanish Inquisition.

[edit] Other

These spells are not explicitly stated to be in one category or the other.

• White Crawl (白伏, hakufuku^?)^[23] — Momo Hinamori uses this spell while imprisoned to knock out a guard and destroy everything within a certain radius of herself. The anime suggests that it is a binding spell, but doesn't number it.
• Mirror Door (鏡門, kyōmon^?)^[24] — Tōshirō Hitsugaya used this to seal Momo Hinamori's hospital room. It creates a glass-like barrier which is difficult to break from the outside, but quite simple to break from the inside.
• Reverse Demon (反鬼, hanki^?)^[25] — This technique nullifies an opponent's movement by hitting them with a perfectly opposite surge of energy. Yoruichi uses this against Soifon's shunko.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References