Raku

is the spirit of a cat that Yuzu Kurosaki once fed. Raku appears in the anime only.

Appearance
Raku is a cat with short blonde fur, a white underbelly, and long ears and whiskers. Its eyes are bright green, almost emerald in coloring. It has an ability to transform into what seems like a large Chinese lion guardian with a fiery mane and headband.

History
A while back, Yuzu met Raku, who was then a stray cat, out on the street during a rainy day. Yuzu felt sorry for the yellow cat and gave it a biscuit to eat. Growing a sort of attachment to Yuzu, Raku tried to follow her home, but was hit by a passing car. From then on, Raku's spirit haunted the real world, for its attachment to Yuzu continued to bind it to the real world.

Soul Society arc
Raku, in its attempt to follow Yuzu home, was killed by a passing car. It returns sometime later as a spirit of itself with unusually high Reiatsu, attracting Hollows. When the Hollows endanger Yuzu, it transforms into a lion to protect her. Don Kanonji, who organized the Karakura Superheroes in response to the Hollows it was attracting, dubs it the upon first seeing it. He also claims it as the team's "hero mecha" (a common staple in Super Sentai-styled anime), despite it not being mechanical.

After the Hollow is defeated, Raku, having fulfilled its purpose, passes on. Nobody other than Yuzu knows that Raku is actually the "lion jet". Yuzu and her sister Karin Kurosaki compare Raku to their brother, Ichigo Kurosaki.

Powers & Abilities

 * Transformed, Raku exhibits impressive speed, strength, and can surround itself with fire. Its power is close to a ranked Shinigami Officer.