The shinigami in Bleach are known to employ a variety of techniques during battle, one of the more popular choices being kido, or "the demon arts." This spell-based ability requires a sizeable reiatsu energy source in order to manifest completely, which is why it is employed by both heroes and villains.
Kido is generally divided into hado and bakudo—offense and defense, respectively. Spell strength is largely dependent on the number assigned to each spell, but several other factors come into play when grading anime abilities as useful as kido.
10 Kyujurokkei Kakafumetsu — 96 Capitol Fire-Suspended Seal Destruction
Urahara obscures his true goal by camouflaging a secret bakudo with a grandiose hado, a gambit that works like a charm. Urahara's personal invention, Kyujurokkei Kakafumetsu is capable of sealing Aizen within an implausibly thin three-dimensional asterisk.
The only drawback is that the bakudo cannot be triggered until the opponent's reiatsu levels drop significantly, but Kyujurokkei Kakafumetsu remains an incredibly versatile spell with great potential.
9 Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho — Dragon Strike Heaven-Shaking Lightning Cannon
At number 88, this hado is directed at Aizen by Tsukabishi Tessai, emerging from the latter's palms as a massive cylinder of blue-violet lightning. Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho cannot be wielded by ordinary shinigami, but it's not exactly unstoppable given that Aizen blocks the spell with a counter bakudo of his own.
In addition, the Reigai Uprising arc shows Unohana Retsu's clone firing the hado at the real version, who dispels the blast with Danku. This is because no sensible shinigami is likely to take something called the Dragon Strike Heaven-Shaking Lightning Cannon lightly.
8 Kurohitsugi — Black Coffin
Kurohitsugi, #90, is never used by any character other than Aizen, probably because the hado's mechanics are terrifyingly macabre. It generates a huge box composed of dark reishi, piercing the target with spears of similar material.
Kurohitsugi's efficacy is off-the-charts—the spell is known as Black Coffin because it's intended to kill, and, in one case, it nearly puts Sajin Komamura in an early grave. Aizen states that completing the invocation can twist the fabric of reality for those trapped in the "coffin."
7 Shiju no Saimon — Four-Beast Blockade Gate
Shiju no Saimon is a product of Hachigen Ushoda's genius; a four-layered bakudo consisting of Koko no Jomon, Hoyoku no Jomon, Kigai no Jomon, and Ryubi no Jomon. Each of these constituent elements work as individual barriers, inevitably walling their target inside a cuboidal space.
Ushoda manages to trap Baraggan's Respira in Shiju no Saimon, at least until Suì-Feng launches her missile bankai at the Espada. This fusion spell also helps minimize damage to the environment by stifling the explosion created by Jakuho Raikoben.
6 Senju Koten Taiho — Thousand-Hand Bright Heaven Cannon
Senju Koten Taiho is observed during Aizen's free-for-all battle with Isshin, Yoruichi, and Urahara. The start of the #91 spell involves ten reiatsu spots blotting the sky behind them, which ultimately blend together to generate the desired effect.
Aizen mistakenly mocks Urahara's attempt to defeat him with pure force, completely oblivious to the fact that the hado is little more than a distraction. Still, Senju Koten Taiho's destructive explosion would intimidate anyone lacking the Hogyoku's protection.
5 Hakudan Keppeki — White Severing Boundary Wall
Nanao Ise isn't known for her battle prowess; she doesn't even possess a working zanpakuto. However, her insight into kido is so deep that she can calculatedly cultivate her own spells, tailoring them for specific circumstances. Nanao's Hakudan Keppi is a beige-tinted screen built from interlocking reishi hexagons.
It's completely different from every other known bakudo in that it incorporates spiritual energy from the Quincy, making Hakudan Keppeki impermeable to the likes of Jugram Haschwalth. Further, Nanao grudgingly admits she's the only shinigami in Soul Society who knows how to construct this particularly difficult spell.
4 Itto Kaso — Single Blade Cremation
Itto Kaso stands at #96 on the list of Hado techniques, a testament to its immense capacity for destruction. Although officially forbidden by Soul Society's judiciary, Yamamoto employs it as a last resort against Aizen, sacrificing his left arm as part of the spell's casting requirements.
Itto Kaso doesn't cause much damage to Aizen because the latter evades it in the nick of time, but the katana-tip conflagration vaporizes entire city blocks before dissipating into the wind.
3 Kin And Bankin — Prohibition And Full Prohibition
Kin and Bankin are Parts 1 & 2 of the #99 bakudo—both of them work in conjunction, swaddling any targets in layers of metal and cloth, an inescapable self-contained prison.
This double spell is theoretically the best method to restrain and/or defeat overpowered characters, given its numerical tier, as well as the impact it has on Ichigo before he breaks out. Interestingly, Kin is a single-step process, while Bankin is released in three acts: Prologue, Refrain, and Finale.
2 Sannodo: Teppusatsu — Third Path: Iron Wind Murder
Ichibei Hyosube unleashes the full might of his wisdom with spells like Sannodo: Teppusatsu. This technique is an Ura Hado, meaning that it is unknown to most shinigami, an intelligent choice when facing the most dangerous villain Bleach has ever seen.
Sannodo: Teppusatsu manifests as a dragon that proceeds to blow an overwhelming gust of air at Yhwach, eroding his allegedly unbreakable Blut Vene Anhaben to dust.
1 Goryutenmetsu — Five Swirling Dragons of Destruction
As the #99 hado, Goryutenmetsu packs an incomparable punch with its five reishi dragons wreaking havoc on everything in the area. Aizen casts the spell on Yhwach, but it doesn't even bother the Quincy, given that he has the Almighty as well as the Soul King in his grasp.
That said, Goryutenmetsu is the single most powerful spell in Bleach; it's unfortunate that nobody utilizes it in earlier arcs where it would have worked spectacularly.
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August 10, 2021 at 12:00AM
