Ran'Tao

is an anime-only character from the Bount Arc. She was the leader of the research team that created the Bount. Out of guilt for creating them, she tried to help the Bount find a peaceful place to live free of persecution. When the order was made to exterminate the Bount, she helped them escape to the human world and later gave Jin a book which explained how to unlock their dolls. The Soul Society sealed off her Shinigami powers as punishment, and she has since lived as an exile on its outskirts, carrying out small experiments to better utilize spiritual energy. She later appears trying to defeat Jin Kariya with a Kidō gun, but she fails. Ran'Tao has stated that she is much older than she looks and has found a way to stay young in appearance, but needs to take very long naps to maintain her image. Her and Yoshino Sōma look exactly the same in physical appearance because Yoshino was created directly from Ran'Tao, and thus, she takes on her image.

Trivia

 * The pronounciation of the kanji of Ran'Tao's name is an approximation of the Chinese name Lándǎo rather than a Japanese name. The true Japanese pronounciation of the kanji 蘭島 would be Ranshima. Along with Soifon, this makes Ran'Tao one of the few known Shinigami with a non-Japanese name.


 * It could be speculated that Ran'Tao's Zanpakutō was a fire type due to Yoshino's doll Goethe being made of fire.

