Hyōrinmaru (Zanpakutō spirit)

This article is about the manifested spirit of Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Zanpakutō. For his Zanpakutō and its abilities, see Hyōrinmaru.

is the manifested spirit of Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Zanpakutō.

Appearance
Hyōrinmaru's spirit takes the form of a gigantic, ice blue, serpentine ice dragon with large wings and an echoing voice. When Hitsugaya's soul was partially Hollowfied by a Shin'eiyaku pill, Hyōrinmaru's appearance changed drastically to that of an enormous Western ice dragon with large wings, thick legs, a dark and muscular stomach, an arching neck with spiked plates running down the back, and a rugged face with teeth overlapping his mouth.

Hyōrinmaru's physical manifestation takes the form of a tall man with an icy blue, X-shaped mark extending across his face, gray eyes, and long, teal-green hair which reaches his lower back. He wears a dark blue chestplate underneath a pale blue kimono, which is connected by two bronze, star-like clips joined by a pale green rope; the kimono also has a dark blue horizontal stripe on either sleeve, has white edges, and is bound at Hyōrinmaru's waist by a long piece of pale green cloth, which acts as a prehensile tail and is tipped with ice. He has a scarf-shaped piece of ice on his shoulders which extends around the back of his neck, and his arms and legs are completely covered in ice.

Personality
While under the influence of Muramasa's brainwashing, Hyōrinmaru is a very stoic man; when Haineko pretended she was the victim of Tobiume's assaults and attempted to gain his sympathy, Hyōrinmaru simply watched impassively before walking away. He initially did not know his own name or who his master was, and thus sought out Ichigo Kurosaki against Muramasa's orders because Ichigo's power made Hyōrinmaru believe he may have been his master. Hyōrinmaru holds his own power in high regard; he refuses to believe Tōshirō Hitsugaya is his master because he does not believe a boy could wield his power, and believes his master must be the most powerful Shinigami in all of Soul Society. Because of his memory loss, Hyōrinmaru's true goal is to find his master and a place where he belongs, and is thus only working Muramasa for the time being.

After Hitsugaya frees him from Muramasa's brainwashing by causing him to regain his memories, Hyōrinmaru acknowledges Hitsugaya as his master, gently carrying him to the ground while smiling after their battle. While Hitsugaya is recovering from their battle, Hyōrinmaru stays at his bedside at all times, and prevents Hitsugaya from straining or further injuring himself while reassuring him of the strength of his friends. He is very loyal to Hitsugaya, following his lead and orders in the battle against Ryūjin Jakka and later in the battle against the Hollow Tōjū. Hyōrinmaru is very formal with Hitsugaya, addressing him as "master" and asking him if it would be alright to lend Hitsugaya his power. He is polite and subservient to those who are close to Hitsugaya; when Rangiku Matsumoto asked him to make her some tea, Hyōrinmaru complied without hesitation. He has a habit of looking at the moon at night; Suzumebachi notes this stems from sentimentality. He has a humorous side; when Isane Kotetsu removed the ice sculptures which he had created from Hitsugaya's room, Hyōrinmaru froze the entire room solid in response.

History
Hyōrinmaru frequently appeared in Tōshirō Hitsugaya's dreams when the latter was a child, and attempted to tell him his name each time, though Hitsugaya could not hear him say it. Eventually, Hitsugaya gained the resolve necessary to master Hyōrinmaru and told him his name.

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

Muramasa brings Hyōrinmaru to the cave of the Zanpakutō spirits after releasing him from Tōshirō Hitsugaya, where they are welcomed by Haineko and Tobiume. Later, he appears in his spirit form before Hitsugaya, who notices something is wrong and asks Hyōrinmaru what is wrong, only for Hyōrinmaru to vanish. Later, Hyōrinmaru and the rest of the Zanpakutō spirits appear before the Shinigami who have gathered at Sōkyoku Hill, where he appears next to Hitsugaya before joining the rest of the Zanpakutō spirits. Afterward, Hyōrinmaru protects Muramasa from Ikkaku Madarame's subsequent attack.

Later, Hyōrinmaru is in the cave after Ichigo and Muramasa's fight. When he reveals himself, Haineko, who had been arguing with Tobiume, attempts to gain his sympathy by calling him "darling" and pretending to be the victim of Tobiume's attacks, though Hyōrinmaru does not react.

Later, Hyōrinmaru appears while Ichigo Kurosaki is looking for Byakuya Kuchiki and reveals Muramasa told him to stay away from Ichigo. When Hyōrinmaru seals him within an ice pillar, Ichigo breaks out by activating his Bankai, surprising Hyōrinmaru, who asks him what his Zanpakutō's name is. When Ichigo declines to answer, Hyōrinmaru realizes Ichigo is not his former master and says he has no more business with him before preparing to walk away. When Ichigo asks him if he knows who his former master is, Hyōrinmaru states he does not know this or his own name and uses Sennen Hyōrō on Ichigo before preparing to walk away, only for Hitsugaya to appearing and tell Hyōrinmaru his name before revealing he is Hyōrinmaru's owner.

Refusing to believe a child could be his master, Hyōrinmaru decides to prove it by defeating Hitsugaya. As he overpowers Hitsugaya, Hyōrinmaru reveals his only desire is to find the place where he truly belongs, which causes Hitsugaya to wish to get his partner back more than ever, as he can relate to such loneliness from his childhood. When Hitsugaya unleashes his Zanpakutō's power, he causes Hyōrinmaru's memories to return and convinces Hyōrinmaru they truly belong together, prompting Hyōrinmaru to return to Hitsugaya.

Saddened by the pain which he caused his partner, Hyōrinmaru brings Hitsugaya back to the 4th Division headquarters to recover, during which he keeps a watchful eye on him. When Hitsugaya awakens and attempts to rejoin the fight, Hyōrinmaru convinces him to let his wounds heal and trust in his allies' strength, just as Hitsugaya had convinced Hyōrinmaru to have faith in his strength. When Hitsugaya recovers from his injuries, he and Hyōrinmaru aid the Shinigami trapped by Ryūjin Jakka by using their Bankai to freeze the flames, allowing Ichigo to escape to the Human World. Afterward, Hyōrinmaru prepares to take down Ryūjin Jakka alongside Hitsugaya and the other captains.

Later, Hyōrinmaru and Hitsugaya arrive alongside the other Shinigami and restored Zanpakutō spirits in the Human World to defend it from the Gillians produced by the unstable Muramasa. Though they take down dozens of Gillians, it eventually becomes clear the number of Gillians will not decrease while the enormous Garganta which Muramasa produced is still open. Upon realizing this, Hyōrinmaru and the others pool their Reiatsu in order to close the Garganta. Upon Muramasa's defeat at the hands of Ichigo, Hyōrinmaru returns to Hitsugaya's sword.

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

Hyōrinmaru joins Hitsugaya in the Human World to deal with the appearance of the Tōjū. They encounter Ichigo fighting a Tōjū who, having been absorbed by a Hollow, has transformed into a more dangerous creature. Together with Hitsugaya, Hyōrinmaru defeats the Tōjū as it fires a Cero at Ichigo. During Haineko's brief relationship with Narunosuke, Hyōrinmaru discusses the recent thefts of various items from the 10th Division barracks. Later, Hyōrinmaru joins his fellow Zanpakutō spirits in battling the final Tōjū, Kirikaze. During the climax of the battle, Hyōrinmaru gives his remaining Reiryoku to Renji Abarai so he can defeat Kirikaze. When Renji finally defeats Kirikaze with Hikotsu Taihō, Hyōrinmaru permanently returns to his sword as the power enabling the Zanpakutō spirits to temporarily maintain their materialized form is finally depleted.

Thousand-Year Blood War arc
After losing his Bankai to Cang Du's Medallion, Hitsugaya does not feel anything within his Zanpakutō and attempts to communicate with Hyōrinmaru, who does not answer. Later, when Hitsugaya regains his Bankai, he wonders if Cang Du is serious about Bankai not having minds of their own, prompting Hyōrinmaru to confirm this as Hitsugaya welcomes him back.

Powers and Abilities
Immense Spiritual Power: As the Zanpakutō spirit of a powerful captain of the Gotei 13, Hyōrinmaru possesses a large amount of Reiryoku. During their fight, Hyōrinmaru initially overpowered Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and claimed his master must be the most powerful Shinigami in all of Soul Society in order to wield his immense power. His Reiatsu is white.

Swordsman: Hyōrinmaru is a skilled swordsman, clashing with and repelling Hitsugaya, a master swordsman, twice during their battle.

Enhanced Speed: Hyōrinmaru possesses considerable speed. He appeared in front of Ikkaku Madarame and blocked his attack almost instantaneously when the latter attacked Muramasa. He caught Hitsugaya off-guard several times during their fight.

Ice Generation: Hyōrinmaru can generate and manipulate ice for a variety of purposes. He can create large ice dragons and spears to attack his opponents from afar. He can fire icicles at high speeds from his hands and generate an ice dragon on his tail for long-range attacks and midair combat. During his fight with Hitsugaya, Hyōrinmaru effortlessly froze and shattered a '''Bakudō #63. Sajō Sabaku and Hadō #31. Shakkahō''' from Hitsugaya. He can create detailed sculptures out of ice and instantaneously freeze a room solid.

Zanpakutō
Hyōrinmaru can manifest the sealed form of his sword form to aid him in battle. It is a katana with a long blade and a bronze, star-shaped tsuba.


 * Shikai: Its release command is.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Upon release, a Chinese dragon composed of ice hurtles toward Hyōrinmaru's target, encasing them in ice. Hyōrinmaru can create large ice dragons, which encircle an opponent before encasing them in a pillar of ice, and unleash a torrent of ice from his sword in order to target a specific part of an opponent's body.


 * Hyōrinmaru creates several ice pillars around his target. After rotating around Hyōrinmaru's target for a few minutes, the pillars close in and merge, encasing the target in a pillar of ice. The pillars themselves are extremely resistant to damage.


 * Storm Summoning: Hyōrinmaru can summon storms by creating a column of icy wind, which extends into the sky above him, causing storm clouds to gather overhead. This causes powerful, icy winds to blow through the area and lightning to crackle overhead, and allows Hyōrinmaru to use his abilities more effectively. (Unnamed)


 * Bankai: : Hyōrinmaru surrounds himself with icy wind before transforming into a large, icy blue, serpentine ice dragon with large wings.


 * Bankai Special Ability: In this form, Hyōrinmaru gains several abilities.


 * Flight: Daiguren Hyōrinmaru can use his wings for flight.


 * Freezing Scream: Daiguren Hyōrinmaru can freeze and shatter nearby objects by screaming. This technique is effective even against the powerful flames of Ryūjin Jakka. (Unnamed)


 * Ice Beam: Daiguren Hyōrinmaru can fire a powerful beam of ice from his mouth. This attack is strong enough to temporarily freeze the flames of Ryūjin Jakka, the most powerful fire-type Zanpakutō in all of Soul Society. (Unnamed)

Appearances in Other Media

 * Hyōrinmaru appears in the fourth volume of Bleach Breathless Collection, where his seiyu, Kenji Hamada, performs the track "Place" as Hyōrinmaru. There is also a Talk Session on the album, which is shared with Hitsugaya.
 * Hyōrinmaru also appears in second volume of the fifth season of Bleach "B" Station.

Quotes

 * (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "I do not know who my master is, and I do not know my name."


 * (To Tōshirō Hitsugaya) "Don't make me laugh. A mere boy could never be the master of such great power."


 * (To Tōshirō Hitsugaya) "Muramasa has no say in my actions."


 * (To Tōshirō Hitsugaya) "I have chosen to continue working for Muramasa at this time, but my real goal is to find my true master."


 * (To Tōshirō Hitsugaya) "Because of my enormous power, the one who uses me must be the most powerful Shinigami of all. That is why, logically, it could not be a child like you."


 * (When asked what he truly wants) "It would be a place to call my own. It would be home. I feel I'm searching for a home."


 * (To Tōshirō Hitsugaya) "Have faith. Your friends are strong. They will not go down so easily. You showed me that strength when you reclaimed me, master."


 * (To Tōshirō Hitsugaya) "Excuse me, Master Hitsugaya. We are facing the most powerful fire-type Zanpakutō - a very worthy opponent. Will it be okay for me to lend you my power?"

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Hyōrinmaru (espíritu)