Izuru Kira

is the Lieutenant of the 3rd Division in the Gotei 13.

History
Izuru Kira was born to a family of lesser nobility, his parents having been dead since he was young. While in the shinigami academy, Izuru befriended Momo Hinamori, Renji Abarai, and Shūhei Hisagi, and they are often seen spending time together. After graduation, Izuru, along with Renji and Momo, was sent to the 5th Division, where he stayed until Gin Ichimaru became captain of the 3rd Division.

Soul Society Arc
Izuru is first seen attempting to find Renji, who leaves a lieutenant meeting to fight Ichigo Kurosaki. During Sōsuke Aizen's plot against Soul Society, Izuru plays a role as a significant, yet clueless, puppet. His loyalty and dedication to following orders are used against him by Gin. Later on, Izuru battles and loses to 10th Division lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, his weight-affecting Zanpakutō rendered useless by her zanpakutō's ability to dissolve into ash.

Bount Arc
During the Bount Affair, Izuru rescues Ichigo from the Bount Gō Koga, and later helps Ichigo fight his way into the Bount hideout. He is left to guard the entrance to the Seireitei following the successful infiltration by the Bount.

Captain Shūsuke Amagai Arc
In the anime only story arc, the Third Division gains a new captain, Shūsuke Amagai. Izuru is unsure of this new captain but is quickly enthralled by him when he defeats the cleaner in the severing dimension single-handedly while being drunk from a earlier welcoming party. Izuru then watches new training exercises the new captain creates. He is then paired with the new 3rd Seat Makoto Kibune to stop runaway Hollows from the old Hollow execution days. They stumble upon a 4th Division member cornered by the Hollows. They manage to force the Hollows back but the member is injured and passes out. Kibune releases his zanpakutō and mows down everything in his path including the 4th Division member. Izuru stops the blade, but Kibune rants on about how the weak should just die. All three are eventually rescued but the member is not expected to live due to the sheer injuries he sustained. Izuru talks to his captain and he tells him to watch Kibune carefully, but must not to be seen. Izuru then spots Kibune at the Kasumiōji mansion and enters the compound. He also find the kidnapped princess and when he sees her, he tries to free her but also finds assassins. Izuru manages to take them down but could not stop them from taking the princess. Izuru searches for her but finds Kibune instead. Kibune releases his zanpakutō and faces off against Izuru. Izuru manages to gain a small upper hand as he gets Kibune's zanpakutō heavier but Kibune makes his blade move even though it is very heavy, revealing it is a bakkōtō that is making it move. Kibune nearly defeats Izuru, but Izuru manages to break Kibune's bakkōtō. Kibune tries to increase his powers with the bakkōtō once more but dies in the process. Izuru then faints from his injuries and is sent to the 4th Division for treatment. He reappears at Amagai's suicide asking for his captain to reconsider. He then grieves for his lost captain.

Fake Karakura Town Arc
When Aizen along with his three top Espada attack fake Karakura Town, he along with Yumichika Ayasegawa, Shūhei Hisagi, and Ikkaku Madarame are left to protect the four pillars that keep the real Karakura Town in Soul Society. He begins a battle with one of Barragan's Fracción, Avirama Redder.

Avarima originally had the upper hand in battle due to his flying ability and being able to fight at a distance while Izuru's attacks only work on close combat. He was eventually defeated however and was beheaded by Kira. He then comes to the aid of Ikkaku but is told to stand down and return to his post.

Personality
Izuru is a gloomy and introspective person, not easily given to socializing with others. He generally appears weak and diffident, leading many to believe he lacks ability as a leader. As an officer, he does not tend to inspire confidence or boost morale the way other lieutenants do. However, in combat he shows ruthless determination. Kira has shown himself remorseless with this, beheading opponents who were pleading for mercy.

His personality flaws are also assets: his introspection coupled with his tendency to worry makes him indecisive, but it also makes him sensitive to unusual behavior. His loyalty to his comrades inspires him to great efforts in their defense, as seen when Momo Hinamori attacks Gin Ichimaru and again in the anime when Makoto Kibune's attacks endanger other members of the 3rd Division.

Izuru is loyal to both his friends and his duties, perhaps to a fault. Despite the close friendship he shares with Momo Hinamori, Izuru shows that his loyalty knows no boundaries when he defends his captain while she is in a grief-induced rage from her own captain's apparent death. Despite this, he calls himself a 'monster' afterwards for raising his sword against her.

During his fight with Avirama Redder, it is revealed that Izuru considers the essence of war to be despair, as exemplified by the symbol of his division, the marigold. He also hates to fight unless prompted or given orders.

It is known that he likes to write haiku, and he was also awarded for one of his pieces by Seireitei Communication, which is as follows:

"The persimmon tree bears fruit. Aaah, the persimmon tree bears fruit again this year."

His dislike for dried persimmon (a huge difference between him and his former captain) sheds some light on the background of the poem. He likes agar-agar instead. He also writes a serial novel titled "I Want to Apologize to You". It runs in Seireitei Communication and every new chapter begins with a haiku piece. He is on good terms with fellow author Shūhei Hisagi, and in their free time, they participate on gatherings of haiku-lovers. Izuru also gives a special lecture of poetry on the Shinigami Academy. It is also known that he is skilled in playing cat's cradle.

Powers and Abilities
Expert Swordsmanship Specialist

Kidō Practitioner: he had talent for Kidō even back at the Shinigami Academy, and he is often seen applying Kidō spells during fights.

Flash Steps

Zanpakutō
''':


 * Shikai: Its Shikai command is . When activated, the blade loses its curve and gains a square shaped head which looks like a hook. The blade itself becomes far stronger and strikes with more force.


 * Shikai Special Ability: In this form, Wabisuke doubles the weight of whatever it strikes. The ability affects both inanimate objects and living beings. Everything hit with Wabisuke doubles in weight, and the effect is cumulative. For example, the first strike on an opponents sword (whether hit or blocking) doubles the weight. Then, a second strike doubles it again. The potential of this is limitless, but with a small number of strikes to an opponents blade usually renders them unable to move.


 * An opponent wielding a 10lb sword. Kira with a single strike (slow and aimed to be blocked) strikes the blade which is raised i defence, the sword doubles to 20lb weight. Kira than strikes twice more with his agility and speed, as he is a great swordsman. The weight doubles to 40ln then 80lb. The opponent is now very slow, holding a sword that weighs 80b, so to be sure Kira strikes again, doubling it to 160lb, then again to 320lb. By this point, most opponents cannot lift their swords and are brought to their knees by the weight of their weapon.


 * This is perhaps a poetic effect of Kira's weapon. Its style looks like he is making his opponents bow their heads in apology for a past decision as it brings his opponents to their knees before him. The effect is not limited to weapons, he could do the same by merely striking someone with the flat of the blade twice, doubling the weight of their body, then doubling it again. The secondary reason for Kira's swords style was shown in this manner.  By striking an opponent four times and making their body sixteen times as heavy, he forces them to fall and either lie or kneel, hardly able to move.  The hook end of his blade then shows its gruesome function: it is a beheading blade able to take off a fallen opponents head by holding the razored hook beneath his opponents necks and lifting.


 * Bankai: Not Yet Achieved