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 on the pyramid-shaped barrier surrounding Yamamoto. 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. Ukitake quickly identifies them as his Zanpakutō; not satisfied, the two move on to a different 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. After chasing them more, Ukitake promised Sōgyo no Kotowari that he would play whatever they wanted if they would just stop running with the fans and give them to him. They stop and make him pinky swear, but then trick him and use the ends of the fan to fire out lightning bolts at him which he dodges. It is then Ukitake realizes that Sōgyo no Kotowari was just stalling for time and is able to escape past them.

When Muramasa finally gains control of Ryūjin Jakka, he reveals that the entire Zanpakutō rebellion was staged to to get to the mighty fire-based Zanpakutō. This angered Sōgyo no Kotowari, prompting them to attack Muramasa, only to be incinerated by Ryūjin Jakka's power, and let go of each other signifying their death.

Powers & Abilities
Immense Spiritual Power: As one of oldest of Zanpakutō spirits, Sogyo no Kotowari possesses significantly high levels of spiritual energy.

Enhanced Speed: During their "fight" against Ukitake, Sōgyo no Kotowari demonstrated considerable speed, enough to force a Flash Step Master of Ukikate's caliber into a game of tag.

Spinning Fans: By withdrawing a scroll-like object, Sōgyo no Kotowari can summon a set of fans with a fish design and saw-like teeth at the edges, each hovering above the scroll until directed at a location by the two. These fans can spin rapidly, able to catch Jūshirō Ukitake off guard with their speed. While closed, they can also use the fans to shoot out lightning bolts.

Trivia

 * Interestingly Sogyo No Kotowari acts the same way Katen Kyōkotsu describes his Zanpakuto in the Manga.