Jin Kariya

is the leader of the Bounts.

Appearance
A tall muscular man, Jin Kariya's original name was, but he adopted a Japanese-style name later in his life. He has a scar on his chin caused by a slash from a Hollow when he was young. Kariya had brown hair and brown eyes when he was a young boy. His hair color and eye color changed when he first merged with his Doll. After merging with his Doll, Kariya has short white hair, long upward-curving eyebrows and red eyes.

Personality
When first introduced, Kariya's goal was to acquire massive numbers of living spirits to increase the power of himself and his followers, most notably through the summoning of the Bitto.

This initial plan, however, has been revealed as merely a means to an end. His ultimate goal is not simply to increase his power, but rather to invade and overthrow Soul Society. To accomplish that, Kariya has obtained a device (Jōkaishō) from the Shinigami Research and Development Institute which he claimed would allow him to obliterate Seireitei. However, Ichigo Kurosaki speculated that he was really doing this so he could end his own eternal existence, as well as erase the Bounts from history.

Kariya seems to be very knowledgeable and intelligent as he has a great knowledge about Soul Society. He knew who Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, Rukia Kuchiki and Ichigo Kurosaki were before even meeting them. He was aware of the Four Great Noble Houses of Soul Society and knew of existence of the Jōkaishō in the Shinigami Research Institute in Seireitei. He is also able to speak both German and Japanese.

Kariya is revealed to have no emotional attachment to any of his subordinates, as he mentions that he sees them only as pawns to achieve his own goals. However, in his younger days, he did appear very devoted and caring for his people, as shown from his anger at witnessing other Bounts being slaughtered and when he tearfully cried for the dead Cain.

History
Kariya was first created by an experimental error which occurred in Seireitei. In the cave for the Bounts in the Human World, a young Kariya is shown noticing Ran'Tao and a Bount informed Kariya that Ran'Tao was a Shinigami. Kariya was then seen sitting down and Ran'Tao went up to him. She told him that it's rare for a Bount as young as him to have already awakened his powers and that everyone is expecting a lot of things from him. Kariya is then shown listening to Ran'Tao talk with the older Bounts as she explained that she will try to get them into Soul Society and to grant protection. While Ran'Tao tried to do this, Kariya helped out with making a city in the cave. However, Shinigami later attacked the cave to eliminate the Bounts and Kariya ran away with the other Bounts. Kariya soon found himself hiding alone, but he was soon saved by Ran'Tao. Right before Ran'Tao told him to run away while she dealt with the Shinigami, Ran'Tao gave Kariya his Doll, Messer.

After escaping from the cave, Kariya lived the life of a vagabond with the other Bounts. As he traveled with them, he and the others were often attacked by Hollows due to their reiatsu. In one such incident, Kariya was nearly killed by one of these Hollows, but he soon merged with his Doll and was able to easily fight off Hollows. Ever since then, his attitude completely changed and he became determined to create a paradise for Bounts.

A bit later in Kariya's life, some Bount decided to head into Soul Society by using the help of a Quincy, but Kariya yelled at them because that would mean they would be servants to the Shinigami. He said that if they simply use their powers, they could create their own paradise. However, one Bount pointed out that since they're hated so much, that "paradise" would eventually fall apart and that they must simply return to the place of their origin. After that event, the battle with the Bounts attacking Soul Society began, but the Shinigami easily defeated the Bounts. After the battle, Kariya gave up on those Bounts, but still couldn't forgive the Shinigami for what they had done. This caused Kariya to decide to take all the remaining powerful Bounts with him to destroy Soul Society and in time, he was able to create a sure way of making Dolls.

One day, Kariya had successfully stopped the Bount, Yoshino Sōma, from committing suicide by revealing to her that he was a Bount as well. Kariya then asked her to come live with him which she did. The two got married and Kariya was able to convince Yoshino that they were given eternal life so that they could experience eternal bliss. However, he never truly loved her and she eventually left him when she witnessed him take the soul of a Human being.

At one point in the past, Kariya had come over to the house of fellow Bount Gō Koga, with another Bount named Cain. Kariya attempted to entrust Cain to the care of Koga, but Koga told him he couldn't, explaining that a Bount is meant to train by himself instead of with the help of others and that he could never betray this belief. However, Kariya told him that it was because of this belief that he wanted Cain entrusted in his care, as well as the fact that he had lived for a long time and had immense strength. Koga was eventually convinced into helping out Cain and Kariya had handed Koga a book that explained Doll summoning, a book he wrote himself. Kariya had then left Cain to his care. However, Cain later ended up dead due to summoning his Doll too early. Kariya cried over Cain's grave and Koga had asked him to be forgiven as he was the one to blame. Kariya remarked to himself that Bounts should no longer live alone and he told Koga that from now on they should live together, which Koga agreed to. After that day, Koga became a subordinate to Kariya.

At another point in time, Kariya and Koga saved a Shinigami, Maki Ichinose, from a Hollow in a desert. Kariya had stopped the Hollow from moving by just putting a single finger on the Hollow's head. He then allowed Maki to finish the Hollow off himself. Kariya gave Maki the chance to live with him after that event and the Shinigami accepted. Ever since then, Maki became loyal to Kariya.

Bount arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

Kariya sits inside the Bount Mansion when Ryō Utagawa comes in and brings Yoshino to him. Kariya tells Yoshino that he can't forgive her for always going against him, and he has her locked up. Later, Kariya sends Hō and Ban to attack Ichigo and his friends. Kariya later calls all of the Bounts into a single room and is informed that Hō and Ban were killed. Kariya then tells the other Bounts that he has found a Quincy and that he needs all of their help in capturing him. After the Quincy, Uryū Ishida, is successfully captured, Ryō and Kariya head to where the Quincy is being held.

Kariya talks with Uryū and asks for his help, but Uryū declines, so Kariya has the Quincy locked up in a room so he can think about changing his mind. Later Ichigo and his friends invade the Bount Mansion to save Uryū, and Kariya goes out to greet them. After Kariya and Ichigo talk for a bit, Ryō decides to battle and he requests that Kariya take his crest off to prove that he can definitely defeat Ichigo. Kariya does so, leaving himself defenseless, but after the battle goes on for a while, Ryō takes Kariya's crest and betrays him so he can become leader of the Bounts. However, Ichinose then appears and kills Ryō. He begins fighting Ichigo but Kariya eventually stops him. Kariya then fights Ichigo, but is disappointed by his lack of strength. The mansion is suddenly attacked and as this happens both Uryū and Yoshino are taken out of the mansion. At night Kariya and the other Bounts watch on as their mansion burns down.

After the flames in the mansion burn out, Kariya begins looking for a tool to fix his old clock. The next day, Kariya fixes the clock and soon after Yoshino confronts him. The two begin battling and Kariya informs her that she's an essential part of his plan because she's the only Bount that can reproduce. After battling a bit more, Yoshino eventually combines with her Doll to fight. However, her power still isn't enough and Kariya runs his arm through her chest, killing her. Kariya then transmutes Yoshino's soul into new Dolls, called Bitto, and disappears from the area along with the other Bounts.

Kariya take his subordinates to a cave that they have frequented many times and demonstrates the power of the Bitto by drinking the contents contained within it and gaining much more power. Mabashi is the only Bount to go against this due to the fact that it's forbidden to take the souls of living Humans, but Kariya informs him that he doesn't care about his opinion and forcibly makes him drink the contents from the Bitto. Later, Ugaki informs Kariya that a Shinigami is killing the Bitto, but Kariya simply says that the Shinigami will learn what happens to people who hurt the Bitto. Kariya later orders the Bounts to leave the cave and stop Ichigo and his friends from arriving here. He gives Ugaki command over the Bounts while he stays there and he orders them to bring back the Bitto as well. After they leave, Kariya orders Ichinose to look over Mabashi while he goes to his room. Ichinose later informs Kariya that Mabashi escaped, but Kariya states that this is fine since the only thing that matters is if Mabashi gets stronger.

After the Bounts come back to the hideout and inform Kariya of their failure to defeat the Humans and Shinigami, Kariya tells them that he doesn't care and that they at least got to test out their new-found power. Kariya then states that their enemies are now coming for them, but tells them not to worry. Ugaki then comes out and informs Kariya that Uryū is trying to regain his powers. When Ichigo's friends and several high-ranking officers in the Gotei 13 invade the Bount hideout, Ugaki, who is currently in the middle of a battle, informs Kariya that a Shinigami has appeared before Uryū and he asks what he should do. Kariya simply tells Ugaki that his plans have changed and that he should finish his battle. However, in the middle of Ugaki's battle, Kariya destroys Ugaki's hideout and has his Doll, Gesell, turn on him. Kariya tells Ugaki that he did a fine job and bids the Bount farewell, leaving him to get killed by his own Doll.

A bit later, Ichigo arrives at Kariya's and the other Bounts' location. Kariya and Ichigo begin battling while his subordinates begin to open up the world-connecting gate. After Kariya easily overwhelms Ichigo with his strength, Kariya informs Ichigo that the goal of the Bounts is to invade Soul Society and get revenge against the Shinigami for creating the Bounts. Kariya gives reasoning as to why they're doing this, but Ichigo tells him that what happened to the Bounts doesn't excuse them from their current actions. The two then battle a bit more and Ichigo eventually initiates Bankai against Kariya. The battle is eventually interrupted by Uryū, who now has his powers back through the use of the Quincy Bangle. He then uses his powers to activate the world-connecting gate so he can battle Kariya in Soul Society, and Kariya and the other Bounts leave for Soul Society.

Upon arriving at Soul Society, Kariya and Koga are shown together and they are soon confronted by Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda and his group of Shinigami, as well as Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba. However, Kariya and Koga easily take care of them and continue on through Soul Society. Kariya eventually enters a gambling place in Kusajishi and creates a ruckus in there, forcing Ichinose and Koga to stop him so they don't get quickly discovered by the Shinigami. Kariya then goes up to the leader of the gambling place, Tōba, and tells him that he's going to turn Soul Society upside down and he asks for his help. A bit later, Tōba tells Kariya that he'll gather some followers for him and that no one will go against him. Kariya then leaves to confront someone that is coming for him. Kariya finds Byakuya Kuchiki in the forest and Byakuya informs him that anyone who disturbs Soul Society must be cut down.

Kariya and Byakuya begin battling and Byakuya eventually releases his Zanpakutō against the Bount. After battling more, Kariya informs Byakuya that the power of his Doll is the wind and that because of this he can fight without limit unlike Byakuya. As the battle becomes more fierce, Ichigo appears and joins in as well. As Kariya tries to hold off against two opponents, the creator of the Bounts, Ran'Tao, appears. Kariya begins to get angered at meeting her and declares that he'll kill her after destroying Soul Society. Kariya then tries to escape, but has trouble, so Koga appears and rescues Kariya from his situation. A bit later, Kariya states that his battle with Byakuya will help promote the Bounts' cause.

As the people from Kusajishi cut down trees and begin dragging them somewhere, Kariya tells them that he's impressed with the courage that the people of Kusajishi have and that they will soon destroy Seireitei. Later, Ichinose appears and informs Kariya that several captain-level Shinigami are heading towards them. Ichinose requests that he stays behind and finishes them off and Kariya allows it since things would be much easier if he took care of those Shinigami now. Kariya, his subordinates and the inhabitants of Kusajishi next appear before one of Seireitei's four gates. Once the gate is opened, Kariya quickly betrays and kills the people of Kusajishi, explaining that he only needed them for opening the gates.

Ichigo then appears, but Kariya closes the gate on him before he can get through. Kariya then tells Sawatari to get Mabashi and Yoshi to create a diversion, while Sawatari and Koga crush each division's captain. Kariya himself then goes to get something important from the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. Later, Kariya destroys the entrance to the Shinigami Research Institute, as well as everything inside it. An injured Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi asks Kariya what he's doing and he states that the original Bount crest is supposed to be here. Ichigo and Yasutora Sado suddenly appear and they ask him what he's going to do with that crest, but Kariya doesn't tell them and suddenly disappears from the area and reappears in a different area of the building. Kariya breaks into an open room and begins looking for the crest but Ichigo and Sado appear to confront him again and Ichigo activates his Bankai.

They fight and the destruction from their battle eventually causes a hole to form on the ground. The crest is shown to be in the hole and Kariya heads toward it immediately. Kariya is able to obtain the power of the crest and calls the crest the Jōkaishō. He states that with this, he can destroy all of Soul Society, but decides to let everyone live in fear for a single day. Later in an alley, Koga and Kariya are shown walking together and Koga tries to convince Kariya not to destroy everyone as it's pointless. However, Kariya doesn't listen to him and injures Koga. He then thanks the Bount for everything he has done for him and leaves him on the ground.

Kariya is later confronted by Ran'Tao and she uses a Kidō Gun to fight him. However, Kariya uses his Doll to injure Ran'Tao and defeat her. Kariya then goes to finish off Ran'Tao, but Uryū suddenly appears and saves her. Uryū tells Kariya that he'll be his opponent and he begins fighting with the Bount. Kariya wonders why Uryū is siding with the Shinigami, but Uryū explains to him that he simply wants to put an end to this pointless fighting. After battling a bit more, Ran'Tao appears and stabs Kariya with something, and Uryū reluctantly shoots a Quincy arrow at the two of them. However, Uryū holds back to protect Ran'Tao and Kariya tells Uryū that he lost his greatest chance to defeat him. Kariya then sends a wind blast towards the two of them, but the attack is destroyed by a Getsuga Tenshō from Ichigo.

Ichigo activates his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, and the two begin battling. The two eventually take their battle onto Sōkyoku Hill and Kariya asks him if he knows what this place is, but Ichigo tells him that he knows it far better than he does. Kariya states that this is the perfect place for a final battle and the two of them prepare to fight again. Ichinose suddenly appears and he raises his sword against Kariya. Ichinose insists that Kariya use the power of the Jōkaishō to change the Soul Society for the better rather than pointlessly destroy it, but Kariya gets annoyed and kills the Shinigami. Ichigo is angered that Kariya killed his own subordinate, but Kariya says that he simply thought of him as a pawn. Kariya then decides to get serious and the two of them clash. Kariya later uses the wind from his Doll to create lightning, making his attacks much stronger. After battling for a while, the two get into one final clash with each other. In the end, Kariya loses and turns into dust in the air and dies.

Arrancar arc
Kariya makes a brief reappearance during the anime's rendition of Ichigo's training to control his inner Hollow, manifesting as a mental apparition formed by Ichigo's regret of slaying him. Kariya briefly battles with Ichigo and then tells him that regretting the death of his enemies will only make him weak and that if Ichigo cannot overcome his mental weakness, he will be unable to withstand the ever-stronger foes he must face in the future. Though given derisively, these words aid Ichigo in helping him regain his resolve.

Powers & Abilities
Soul Absorption: Bounts normally try to absorb a Human's soul after a person dies and is trying to pass on. But they are also capable of taking the souls of those who are living and doing so kills the Human.


 * Immortality: By absorbing Human souls, a Bount can live forever. When they absorb Human souls, they gain eternal life.


 * Empowerment: By taking the souls of living Humans, Bounts gain unique abilities.

Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Drawing from his centuries of experience, Kariya has repeatedly shown himself a powerful fighter, easily capable of taking on opponents unarmed, and even able to easily catch and block his opponent's weapons with a single hand. His attacks are shown to be swift and accurate with no wasted effort, giving his opponents little time to find openings for a counterattack.

Great Spiritual Power: Kariya has repeatedly shown to have a great amount of spiritual energy. He used much of his power to contain the Jōkaishō and still fought on equal terms with and even at one point overpowered Ichigo in their last fight. His spiritual power was shown great enough to be equal to that of Ichigo's during the last clash between them. Even before enhancing his power with purified souls through the Bitto, he was able to easily overpower Ichigo, a captain-level fighter, armed with his Shikai.

Keen Intellect: As the leader of the Bounts and a man who has lived for centuries, Kariya has shown himself to be a highly cunning and resourceful man. Kariya has a great talent for planning things out well in advance, as well as easily deceiving friend and foe to aid him in his plans. In battle, Kariya can quickly analyze an opponent's attack patterns, allowing him to predict his opponent's next move.

Enhanced Strength: Kariya has also been shown to have deceptive raw strength. During his first battle against Ichigo, he was able to effortlessly knock Ichigo through a wall with a simple finger flick. He was also able to take Yasutora Sado, a highly enduring man, out of the battle with a single punch.

Enhanced Speed: While not having access to Shunpo or similar techniques, Kariya has repeatedly demonstrated tremendous raw speed, capable of disappearing from unfocused eyes, as well as being able to keep up with the speed and skill of Shunpo masters like Byakuya.

Enhanced Endurance: Even without the use of his ability to absorb spirit particles, Kariya proved to be very tolerant to pain and more serious injuries. In the fight against the Doll of Yoshino Sōma, Goethe, he was directly hit by the Doll's flames, and yet, remained uninjured, having just his coat destroyed and part of his shirt burned while tolerating the high temperature of the fire that was supposed to consume him in that violent attack. In his final bout against Ichigo Kurosaki, unable to absorb spirit particles, he resisted well until the last clash, being a very difficult opponent to the Substitute Shinigami.

Reiatsu Stealth: Like the rest of his kind, Kariya is able to conceal his spiritual pressure, making stealth all the easier.

Spirit Particle Absorption: While not capable of manipulating spiritual energy like the Shinigami or Quincy can, Kariya is able to absorb energy in the atmosphere to heal himself faster, depending on how strong the concentration is and this gradually increase his physical and Doll might. In Soul Society, this gave him the necessary edge to fight on par with Byakuya Kuchiki.

Doll Attunement: Ran'Tao states that since a young age, Kariya was considered unique among the Bounts due to his ability to naturally summon and control his Doll. Kariya also has hidden powers, some of which allow him to deflect attacks and immobilize a target by putting a single finger to their heads.

Doll

 * The first time he was able to use this Doll was when he used a device (the seal used by Bounts called Hankyō Hyuraizā ) given to him from Ran'Tao, the co-creator of the Bounts. It is originally shown that unreleased, Kariya's Doll is a case for playing cards. Released, it takes the form of a pata sword in the shape of the Bount crest with a wind blade.

Wind Manipulation: It is later shown that unlike the other Bounts, Kariya can use the abilities of his Doll without it being called out as an extension of himself, which is what his tattoo (seal) on the left side of his chest and shoulder is for; the Doll's ability is the manipulation of wind.


 * Wind Barrier: Kariya creates wind barriers using the manipulation of his Doll to protect against attacks, but the barriers seem to be penetrable as they were peneterated, after countless attacks from Byakuya's Bankai. The only people shown capable of cutting through his barriers are Ichigo, Byakuya and Uryū Ishida.


 * Windestanz: (German for "Wind Dance"), by chanting "The Great Winds, come before. The great powers, come into me." Kariya can summon tornadoes to attack his opponent.


 * Wind Licht Schneide: ("Wind Light Edge"), Kariya fires off a strong, slim, blast of wind.


 * Lightning Blade: By gathering static electricity in the air, he can change the blade to a condensed lightning blade which can also shoot electricity. Boosted by the infinite amounts of spirit particles, it is powerful enough to contend with Ichigo's Bankai.

Appearance in Other Media
Kariya has a Bleach Beat Collection Second Session album. His Seiyū, Toru Ōkawa performs song entitled "Looking For..." on this album. He shares the album with his fellow filler characters - Ririn, Noba, and Kurōdo.

Trivia

 * Kariya was created by Tite Kubo.

Quotes

 * "This city is beautiful because it is being absorbed by the darkness."
 * (To Ryō Utagawa) "We have lived a long time. We have lived for such a long time that once sharp memory begins to chip and dull. The me of now is finally starting to see the world in color again. Can't I enjoy this a bit more?"
 * (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "I'm sane. It's the world that's crazy."
 * (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "Illusions are seen with the heart, not the eyes. That you made a replica of me inside your soul reveals that you regret defeating me. As soon as the battle ends, you turn your back to the enemy you defeated and the friends you couldn't protect."
 * (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "You can't cut me. At least not with a sword that regrets having defeated me. Let me tell you the truth. The truth behind fighting. Fighting continues forever. After you've defeated one person, someone stronger appears. If you manage to defeat him, then an even stronger person comes along. If you don't have the resolve to endure that eternal struggle, then eventually your confidence will erode. But it doesn't end there! The battle will continue elsewhere, fought by others. It's an endless cycle! And it doesn't end with a person's death. The cycle will continue! As long as people and their souls exist, there will be disputes and those disputes will lead to fights. And those fights will continue without limit, for all eternity."

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