Kūgo Ginjō

Overview

Image Gallery

Kūgo Ginjō
Race	Human (Fullbringer)
Birthday	November 15
Gender	Male
Height	187 cm (6'1½")
Weight	90 kg (198 lbs.)
Blood Type	AB
Professional Status
Affiliation	Xcution
Previous Affiliation	Soul Society
Occupation	Branch Head of the Japanese Branch of Xcution
Previous Occupation	Substitute Shinigami
Personal Status
Relatives	N/A
Primary Skill
Fullbring	Cross of Scaffold
First Appearance
Voices

Kūgo Ginjō (銀城 空吾, Ginjō Kūgo) was the leader of the of the Japanese Branch of Xcution.

Appearance

Kūgo is a tall and lean-built man with fair skin, brown eyes, and shoulder-length dark hair that he keeps combed back, down to the nape of his neck. After being released from Tsukishima's Fullbring, Kūgo lets his hair become messy with strands hanging over his face. He wears dark trousers and a light sleeveless shirt, over which he wears a dark jacket that has a fur-covered collar. He also wears a thin chain necklace that has an X-shaped pendant attached to it. After his fight with Tsukishima, he obtained a small vertical scar above his left eyebrow.

Personality

Kūgo is a calm and cool-headed individual. He is quite manipulative, shown when he attempted to hire Ikumi Unagiya to do a background check on Isshin Kurosaki, intentionally doing so in front of Ichigo in order to get his attention. According to a member of his group, he is a charming individual that apparently talked them into following him. He claims that he carries ramen around with him because he likes it. He is very cautious and caring for his friends, as he warns them in the presence of a great danger, fights together with them and is ready to even sacrifice himself in order to save a comrade. He also appears to be very concerned about innocent people and, in order to not involve them, he only picks the empty buildings if the battle were to occur. Sometimes he can play a bad guy for the sake of someone else's good but he sucks at acting and cannot give an original performance and makes a 'cliched villain' out of himself.

When not under the influence of Tsukishima's Fullbring, Kūgo is shown to be very malicious and sadistic, delighting at Ichigo's emotional and physical pain. He also becomes very arrogant, bragging about his accomplishments and underestimating his opponents, and ruthless, planning to kill a blindly loyal subordinate just because the one has more potential than he knows and may cause a danger in the future. He becomes excited very easily, showing a psychotic smile whenever he is excited, and enjoys taking risks, like leaving Ishida out of Tsukishima's victims to give Ichigo a chance of figuring out what was going on.

History

Some time ago, Kūgo became the first Substitute Shinigami and in recognition of that was given a Substitute Shinigami badge by Captain Jūshirō Ukitake. How he gained Shinigami powers is unknown but according to captain Suì-Fēng he murdered many Shinigami in order to steal their power. During his time as a Substitute Shinigami he met the second Substitute Shinigami, Tom's father, Eddard Keen and the two became friends. At some point Eddard discovered that their badges was a surveillance device used by Soul Society to observe them and limit their power. After that discovery, Kūgo and Eddard thought they had been betrayed and disappeared without a trace.

Kūgo first meets Tsukishima.

After leaving the Soul Society , he met a young Shūkurō Tsukishima. After discovering that Tsukishima was alone like him, Kūgo cheered him up and told him that from that day on, Tsukishima would come with him. From then on, Kūgo taught Tsukishima how to use his powers and how to fight. Some time later, he was approached by Tom Keen who knew Kūgo from his father, he offered him a place within his organization, Xcution to get revenge on the Soul Society. Kūgo told Tom everything he knew of Soul Society and he joined Xcution. Tom ordered him to set up a Branch of Xcution in Japan and to gather other Fullbringers to join him. Kūgo and Tsukishima met the other Fullbringers and joined with them. The Fullbringers made a pact with the Substitute Shinigami to share each others' powers and a small promise not meant to be broken. Kūgo lied to Tsukishima and the others, he used them to further his own plans and didn't inform them that Xcution was a world-wide organization and that he was not it's true leader. Yukio knew of this but Kūgo had Tsukishima alter his memories.

Seventeen months after Aizen's defeat, Kūgo targeted Ichigo Kurosaki. He along with the rest of Xcution would fall under the influence of Tsukishima's Fullbring, to make Tsukishima look like the sole villain, as part of their plan to steal Ichigo Kurosaki's Fullbring to strengthen their own. His plan in the end failed and he was killed by Ichigo and his body was taken to the Soul Society, afterwards Ichigo buried him in the Human World.

Equipment

Kūgo holding his badge.

Substitute Shinigami Badge (代行証 死神代行, Daikōshō Shinigami Daikō): Being a former Substitute Shinigami, Kūgo has his own badge. He can fuse it with his "Cross of Scaffold" to give his Fullbring sword a new form. It is unknown if his badge has the same powers as Ichigo Kurosaki's own Substitute Shinigami badge. Similar to Ichigo's, its purpose is to observe and restrict the owner. It is at once a surveillance device for Soul Society and a device to absorb, analyze and control the user's reiatsu. It is also a device for communicating with Soul Society. Kūgo seems to have disabled the surveillance function by unknown means, as Soul Society couldn't locate him for a long time until he came in contact with Ichigo. As Ichigo defeats Kūgo, the latter's badge is broken into two.

Powers & Abilities

Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Kūgo is a competent swordsman, being able to hold his own against the likes of Tsukishima and Ichigo Kurosaki, having defeated the latter twice, albeit without his Shinigami powers. He was also able to take on the combined might of Jackie, Riruka, Giriko and Shishigawara with his sword.

Kūgo's Enhanced Speed.

Enhanced Speed: Due to his mastery of Fullbring, he 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 concrete or air. Kūgo has shown to be quite fast, able to dodge successive attacks from Jackie, Riruka, and Giriko, all while they were using their Fullbring abilities. He is also able to get between a point blank attack by Tsukishima on Ichigo from a considerable distance, taking the attack himself in the process. He is also capable of dodging Ichigo's incredibly fast and powerful sword swinging after the latter regains his Shinigami powers.

Enhanced Endurance: Kūgo has shown a large amount of endurance, being able to take the full brunt of the explosion caused by Ichigo's Fullbring completing and still being able to stand afterwards.

Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Kūgo is able to fight barehanded, using swift movements to land blows on his opponents before they can even react.

Spiritual Awareness: He has enough spiritual power for Ichigo to see his form "bathed in reiatsu". Kūgo himself is able to see and sense spiritual beings, such as Shinigami and Hollows, at a significant distance or tell in what direction they are in. He was also able to sense Tsukishima's reiatsu drastically decreasing and tell how much time he has to live.

Fullbring

Cross of Scaffold

Cross of Scaffold (クロス·オブ·スキャッフォルド, Kurosu obu Sukyafforudo): Using Fullbring, Kūgo is able to transform the Saltire pendant on his necklace into a large Claymore. The blade is a long, very wide, double-edged form of a longsword. The crossguard consists of a small red gem at the center and two straight ornate arms ending in simplistic version of a fleur-de-lis. The sword's handle runs through its guard, continuing on through a gold hollow space at the base of its blade. The handle is almost the same length of the blade itself. This part of the handle allows Kūgo to attack opponents at closer ranges.

Cross of Scaffold's energy blade.

• Energy Blade: By gripping the handle near the base of his broadsword's blade and swinging the Cross of Scaffold around, Kūgo can generate large amounts of light green reiryoku which sheathes itself over the blade. When he swings the sword at his desired target the energy produces a massive explosion upon impact.

Kūgo in Armor with Enhanced Cross of Scaffold.

Enhanced Cross of Scaffold: Kūgo places his Substitute Shinigami Badge onto his sword, merging it with his sword. In this form the Claymore is very similar to its original form, but with significant visual differences. The center portion of the crossguard has a small decorative skull with an 'X' over it, where the small red stone originally was. The handle in the hollow part of the blade resembles a spinal column, while the hollow portion takes on a dark black metallic look.

• Fullbring Absorption: Upon impaling a target on his blade, Kūgo is capable of absorbing another Fullbringers ability into his Cross of Scaffold. The actual act liquifies the Fullbring and draws it into the sword. By the effect of the ability through what would be normally a physical injury leaves no actual wound.

• Ability Replication: Upon absorption of one's Fullbring, he also incorporates their own reiatsu into the attack, making it virtually identical to the original user. This allows Kūgo the ability to use any technique that was incorporated within the Fullbring.

• Partial-Control of Invaders Must Die: As a result of exchanging powers among all of the Fullbringers as a sign of loyalty, Kūgo is able to stop Yukio from deactivating his Fullbring without his explicit orders, whilst he is in Yukio's Fullbring range.

• Fullbring Armour: Kūgo's is able to further activate a Clad-type Fullbring, covering his body in armor plates and skeletal looking bones. His chest is covered in a bone-like lattice resembling a ribcage, further extending downward to bony plates that cover his abs. His hands are covered in gloves with the top appearing as though they were hand bones. He gains shoulder pads in the form of bony plates and bony plate shin guards that extend to his bony knee-pad plates, which extend up to his mid thigh. He also gains a belt with a large X-shaped buckle. The armor is durable enough to protect Kūgo from the direct hit of a Getsuga Tenshō from Ichigo's Shikai without any signs of injury.

Kūgo's Getsuga Tenshō

• Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝, Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer): Kūgo is able to use Getsuga Tenshō, releasing a blast of highly condensed light purple spiritual power through his sword in the shape of a crescent moon. His Getsuga Tenshō is as powerful as Ichigo's own blast in Shikai. He is also shown using this ability whilst in Bankai.

• Fullbring Transference: Kūgo is capable of transferring portions of the Fullbring he has absorbed to other Fullbringers. He utilizes this by cutting those he chooses to transfer the power to.

• Enhanced Spiritual Power: After gaining part of one's reiatsu, Kūgo's own spiritual power increases greatly. His energy-based attacks become stronger and he is able to fight Ichigo in his Shinigami form. After being revived, Kūgo was able to presure Ichigo, forceing Ichigo into his Bankai.

• Enhanced Energy Blast: By gathering spiritual energy in his blade, Kūgo is able to unleash a powerful green blast, which then fires at the target. When used against Uryū, his blast was able to damage several buildings in the virtual Karakura Town.

Bankai

Kūgo's Bankai

In his Bankai form, Kūgo's skeletal armour extends around his form more tightly. The fur on his jacket turns red and becomes enlarged. His facial features change as well upon activating his Bankai. His hair and eyebrows turn white, and his eyes turn white with red sclera. A red cross-shaped marking also appears on his face. The guard and the hilt of his sword gain a more skeletal appearance, with the a rigid bone-like plate bordering between the hollow portion of his sword and the blade. From his back extends four "branches" of energy, giving the shape of an "X" from behind him.

After his resurrection Kūgo's Bankai power increases dramatically, being able to fight and defeat Ichigo's own Bankai and even subdue Jūshirō Ukitake.

Kūgo's Energy Beam

• Vast Spiritual Power: Upon activating his Bankai, Kūgo's spiritual power increases immensely, making him capable of fighting on par with other Bankai-level opponents. After his resurrection Kugo's is able to fight and defeat other Bankai-level opponents as well as subdue captian-level shinigami.

• Enhanced Getsuga Tenshō: His sword retains the use of Getsuga Tenshō and can be used in the same manners, but can be used in an enhanced form. When used in Bankai, these potent blasts are black with a purple outline. His Getsuga Tenshō is as powerful as Ichigo's own blast in Bankai.

• Energy Beam: Kūgo can charge spiritual energy through his blade and fire it in the form of a beam.

Trivia

• Kūgo's theme song, as chosen by Tite Kubo, is "Last Man Standing" by Bon Jovi.
• While in the color page of chapter 449 Kūgo has blue eyes, in the cover of volume 50 he appears to have brown eyes.

Quotes

• (To Riruka Dokugamine) "All throughout history... Be it royals or samurai or whatever... This world has always been ruled by minorities! You're not the ones in the wrong. It's this world that's become too lenient towards idiots. It's time we changed all that. This time, we're gonna be the ones at the top of the food chain."
• "Time will try to constantly try to catch up with you. And with a roar, it will overcome you. Do not look ahead. Hope only lies within the unforeseeable current that will close in from behind."
• "Why? I will crush the Shinigami who betrayed me! You were supposed to tell me that that was wrong. Won't you... even give me that? Why? Those eyes... are the eyes of someone who is trying to understand me! To stand where I stand... and stay by me shoulder to shoulder! Will you- after all of that... still deny everything that I am!? Ichigo?"
• "Ichigo, if the order we arrived was reversed... I wonder, would our positions be reversed as well? Would you... be like me? Say, Ichigo... if we were reversed... If we were... would we..."
• (Upon revival) "Gaaaahhhhhhhhhhh ICHIGOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! I swear I'll destroy your precious Soul Society!!"

Titles

Preceded by None

Branch Head of Japan 1999 - 2001 A.D.

Succeeded by Kenzo Yoshizawa