Gonryōmaru (Zanpakutō Spirit)

In the flesh, Gonryōmaru resembles a man whose eyes are solid black, his long, dark hair parted into two bangs that frame his face, a white band tied about his forehead. He wears a loose, baggy-sleeved white robe under a dark blue vest, the two joined across the chest by rows of large tan beads that loop over his shoulders down to a pair of gray discs, each trailing small white beads and a yellow lightning-bolt shape. Gray gloves and boots reach his elbows and knees, a shrine-shaped case rides on his back, and he fights with a long white pike.

Under Muramasa's control he turns combative, hounding Rukia Kuchiki through their brief clash, yet he still praises foes who impress him and will answer their questions. His break from Chōjirō grew out of resentment over his master keeping such a low profile in the First Division, and he bristles whenever someone fails to recognize whose spirit he is. He leans on his friend Tenken, who tends to talk him down, often boasting about and speaking on behalf of the two of them while rarely thinking his schemes through. Freed of the brainwashing, he drops the chatter and simply fights to win.

As the spirit of a captain-grade Shinigami's blade, Gonryōmaru holds considerable Reiryoku, standing alongside Tenken against captains like Suì-Fēng and an eyepatched Kenpachi Zaraki. He is tough enough to walk off heavy blows unmarked and quick enough to catch a Shunpo expert like Rukia off guard. His signature is command over purple lightning, which he uses to fence opponents in, fire bolts from his pike, or charge his strikes; a hatch on the case at his back bursts open to release storm clouds that magnify his power and rain lightning down at his call. Across the Zanpakutō Rebellion and the later Beast Swords campaign he traded blows with the likes of Suì-Fēng and Kenpachi before helping bring down the final Tōjū, Kirikaze, then returned for good to his sword.