Sōgyo no Kotowari (Zanpakutō spirit)

This article is about the manifested spirit of Jūshirō Ukitake's Zanpakutō. For his Zanpakutō and its abilities, see Sōgyo no Kotowari.

is the manifested spirit of Jūshirō Ukitake's Zanpakutō that is seen during the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc.

Character Outline
The spirit of Sōgyo no Kotowari takes the form of two young, playful, identical twin boys with large, light green-colored eyes with their short hair pulled back into ponytails. They wear identical light blue robes over kimonos, triangular-shaped hats, light beige hakama and blue shoes; their clothing resembles that of traditional Japanese Shinto priests. In their first appearance, both boys are seen laughing and playing, reflecting their child-like appearance. They seem to frequently join hands, reminiscent of how they appear in their released Zanpakutō form, in which they are bound together by a red rope. As they have not yet shown any resentment or dislike of their former master, their reasons for leaving Ukitake are currently unknown.

Synopsis
They first appear when several Zanpakutō spirits are in a cave waiting for Muramasa's return. They are later seen in Soul Society along with Minazuki and Katen Kyōkotsu as they approach the main office of the 1st Division. They are then confronted by Chōjirō Sasakibe and apparently take Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto as their hostage. They are last seen along with the rest of the Zanpakutō spirits appearing before the Shinigami that have gathered at the Sōkyoku Hill. According to Muramasa, their power, and the powers of Katen Kyōkotsu and Minazuki, were needed to seal Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto away.

Sōgyo no Kotowari is later seen with Minazuki and Katen Kyōkotsu, using their energies to keep Yamamoto sealed in a pyramid-shaped barrier. When a Shinigami rescue party enters the cave, Sōgyo no Kotowari note the party's presence and go to meet their owner. They playfully tackle Jūshirō Ukitake upon seeing him, asking him to play a game. Releasing him, they decide on a new game, settling on "Fetch the Fan." They produce a large folding scroll, out of which comes two elaborate fans made of energy. The fans begin to spin rapidly and dart toward Ukitake.

Powers & Abilities
Immense Spiritual Power: As one of the three Zanpakuto spirits used to seal away Captain-Commander Yamamoto, Sogyo no Kotowari possesses significantly high levels of spiritual energy.