Ryō Utagawa

is a Bount that served as Jin Kariya's right hand man before attempting to overthrow him as leader.

Appearance
Utagawa has short brown hair, which fans up at the ends, and a large goatee. He seems to dress rather formally, wearing a white button-up shirt, a tie, and a light vest. His golden pocket watch he carries on his vest transforms into his doll, a snake that he wears around his neck.

Personality
In the Human World, he consumed a large amount of living souls. During his battle with Yoshino Sōma, it was revealed that, to him, all humans are food. When battling, he seems analytical and not the least taken by his enemy's abilities. He was the most power-hungry of the Bounts, and wanted to overthrow Kariya for his seat of power.

Bount arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material. Appearing early, Ryō meets Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado, who had run into a dead Human, who's body was unexpectedly turned to dust, but leaves before they have a chance to fight. Upon Kariya's orders, he captures Yoshino Sōma and her doll, even threatening to kill her. After Yoshino attempts to resummon her doll, Utagawa brings her back to the mansion. He proceeds to attack the living, only to be interrupted by Uryū Ishida and his friends. He summons more snakes, and continues to attack them. All of the snakes get destroyed. Deeming him to be the weakest, he attacks Uryū, but is stopped by the escaped Yoshino. Ryō continues to generate countless snakes to attack Ichigo Kurosaki, but Ururu Tsumugiya, sporting her cannon, overpowers his defense. Lieutenant Renji Abarai, Tessai Tsukabishi, and Jinta Hanakari show up and he is forced to retreat.

Gō Koga is then sent to pick up Yoshino and Uryū. Once Yoshino was in the mansion, he injures her, and locks her up in a dark storage room. This leads Ichigo and the rest of his friends to Kariya's mansion. Ichigo and Rukia manage to make it to the main room, while the others are being chased by Ugaki's doll, Gesell. Being the first to step forward, Ryō opts to fight Ichigo. He then summons his doll, Fried. Ichigo then looks around the room, and claims that it is 7 against 1. Utagawa explains that as a rule, none of the other Bounts can interfere, as he further explains that all the Bounts are independent. As part of his tactics to get a hold of Kariya's power, he asks Kariya to remove his crest and put it on the floor. If they do, Ichigo can attack Kariya, who is now "defenseless" and has no way of defending himself.

Ryō releases Fried and attacks Ichigo, and immobilizes him by wrapping snakes around his legs. He turns Fried's tail into a sword, and attempts to stab Ichigo. Ichigo blocks his attack with his sword. He then jumps away from Ichigo, and attacks him again, but this time using Fried as a whip. Ichigo then uses Shunpo to get around Utagawa's defense, cutting him on his shoulder. Utagawa jumps back, in pain, and gets insulted by his doll, by being called weak, and unworthy of her power. Utagawa then tells his doll that he understands, and if all the preparations were ready. He activates his special technique, Snake Net, which he used to counteract Ichigo's Flash Steps.

Wherever Ichigo went, he was attacked by snakes coming from the ground. After many escapes from the attack, he was again caught by snakes, and hit by Fried's snake net. The snakes repeatedly stab him, and threw him onto a wall, damaging it and making rocks fall on Ichigo. He then heads for Kariya's crest, coming close to getting it. It was then, that Ichigo rose up from the rocks and rubble, wrapped around in his Reiatsu. Ichigo then explains that he can protect himself from attacks by utilizing a stronger Reiatsu than the attack itself. He then attacks Ichigo with snake net, and Fried herself. Ichigo then used a Getsuga Tensho to destroy the attack, blowing Utagawa through a wall.

It was then that he steals Kariya's "crest", by quietly ordering his snake to attack Ichigo, and grab the crest. He orders all the other Bounts to bow before him, as he has Kariya's power. He attacks Kariya, but the attack gets deflected. That is where Kariya explains to Utagawa that he has merged with his doll. Maki Ichinose shows up, and calls out his Shikai. After releasing his Zanpakutō, Maki swiftly injures Ryō and stabs him. Utagawa's body falls down one of the cracks made by Ichigo's Getsuga Tensho, as he turns to dust.

Powers & Abilities
Expert Whip Handler: Fried, is mostly used as a whip. Utagawa, can capture people by using Fried, meaning that he is very skillful in whip handling

Doll
is Ryō Utagawa's doll. When sealed, it takes the form of a small, gold pocket watch that Ryō keeps on his person. To unseal his doll Utagawa swings the chain portion of the pocket watch, to which it lengthens and widens taking the form of a golden snake with black stripes and green eyes. Fried is commonly seen wrapped around Utagawa's shoulders. She is highly malleable and can be used as a sword, shield, and whip. When using her powers Fried's eyes glow red.


 * Snake Animation: Her powers allow her to turn whatever she touches or sees into a snake through her imagination. These snakes are usually formed from the shape of lines from any material or object (such as pipes, ropes and cracks on roads) into snakes. The amount of snakes created are limitless and are entirely controlled by Utagawa through Fried. These familiar snakes are commonly used to ensnare, attack and defend, if they are cut or otherwise destroyed they return to their base materials. It's also notable that these snakes are silver with the same black stripes as Fried.


 * Snake Net: Fried has the ability to create seals all around an area that Utagawa is standing in. The ability is considered Fried's absolute barrier. These symbols disappear and reappear wherever his enemy steps causing massive pillars of snakes to appear like a spike from the ground, stabbing and biting the enemy. The Snake Net also acts as a sensory net allowing Fried or the snakes produced by the Snake Net to react and counterattack at a moment's notice to any perceived threat to Utagawa.

Quotes

 * (About Ichigo) "You're noisy, aren't you? Food isn't supposed to talk."


 * (To Ichigo's questions)"No comment. No comment. I have no comment for that as well. Well then, may I ask some questions now? Between Shinigami souls and Human souls, which is more delicious?"