Kidō

is one of the four basic Shinigami combat forms, at least according to Sōsuke Aizen.

Kidō is the technique that Shinigami use to focus their Spiritual Energy into magic spells of various powers. These spells serve a wide variety of uses such as healing, defense, or combat.

The Kidō Corps is a branch of Soul Society's military which excels in the mastery of Kidō.

Kidō Mechanics
Each spell is graded on a scale from 1 to 99, the latter being the most powerful and the most difficult to perform. The scale is a measure of difficulty, as there can be multiple spells which share the same level. To use Kidō, a Shinigami must recite the specific incantation for the spell, which is often long and requires a few seconds to speak.

This weakness can be negated by Shinigami capable of using Eishohaki, a technique that releases Kidō without a spirit chant. While it decreases the time needed to release the Kidō, it drastically weakens the spell While anyone well versed in Kidō can use this technique, it is most effective when done by a skilled practitioner, otherwise the spell could utterly fail. The most skilled experts are capable of using this technique to amazing effect.

The power of a spell relies on the power of the user, as even a low-level spell can be utterly devastating when utilized by a high-class Shinigami.

Kidō Types
There are three main types of Kidō: binding spells, destruction spells, and healing spells.


 * Bakudō (Binding spells): are a broad category of defensive spells which block or repel attacks or freezes enemies in place.


 * Hadō (Destructive spells): refer to offensive spells which harm an enemy or cause damage to things.


 * Healing spells: do not have known names, numbers, or incantations to cast, and simply heal the target. As the user holds his hands above the patients wounds, his/her palms glow with green spiritual energy to facilitate healing. For the mechanics of healing, the patient's Reiatsu is replenished first. Then the body's Reiatsu works with the healer's Reiatsu to heal the patient's body.

Kidō Combat
Though Kidō is commonly used by Shinigami in combat, it has several weaknesses that make it difficult to use for that purpose. All of the spells have fairly long incantations and require concentration; because of this, the person using the Kidō leaves themself open to attack during the duration of the incantation. In addition, if an opponent is familiar with Kidō, there is the possibility of them identifying the spell by its incantation before it can even be used. However, highly skilled Kidō users can use various techniques to counter these weaknesses, such as Eishohaki and "Double Incantation", which involves mixing the incantations of two or more Kidō spells together to save time and confuse ones opponent. A rarer use of Kidō is mixing various spells (such as Bakudō and Hadō together) for unique effects, which is the mark of skilled user. Kidō is commonly seen used in instances of surprise attacks rather then all out assaults, being most effective when one's opponent doesn't see it coming. Kidō is also usable with just the spell name and no incantation or spell number.

Uncategorized Spells
These spells are either not explicitly stated to be in one category or the other or have no known number.

Non-Spells

 * An advanced technique that combines hand-to-hand combat and Kidō energy to explosively increase a Shinigami's offensive capabilities. A high-pressured Kidō surges throughout the user's body, enhancing their arms and legs for battle. The Kidō itself can also be controlled and fired at opponents from the body. Shunkō first appeared being used by Captain Soifon in her fight against her old master, Yoruichi Shihōin. Soifon states she invented the technique of combining Kidō and Hakuda so recently that she had no experience with it in battle, let alone enough time to give it a name. Yoruichi, however, reveals Shunkō is the technique's name, and that she invented and learned the ability long before Soifon. The keisen uniform has no back or sleeves because the fabric will rip apart when the user's back and arms are filled with Kidō. Though Yoruichi's Shunkō is perfected, unlike Soifon's version, she still has difficulties controlling it.


 * This technique is an ability Yoruichi used during Shunkō, which nullifies an opponent's Kidō by hitting it with a Kidō of perfectly opposite speed and energy. The ability can even neutralize an opponent's movements. (Somewhat erroneously named Hanki Sōsai in the Viz translation, as sōsai (相殺) means "mutual cancellation", referring to the ability's effect.)


 * — In Bleach: Memories of Nobody, the Kidō Cannon is a high-intensity energy weapon powered by Kidō. It consists of a crystalline focus point attached to the top of a massive pole, with several smaller crystal structures circling up towards the main one. It is powered by hundreds of Shinigami working in concert, creating an energy blast capable of obliterating a small dimension. The blast forms into several animal shapes which roar just before contact. The power of the blast is such that, in addition to destroying its target, it also causes a small amount of damage to both the Human world and Soul Society. Despite its power, it is not a reusable weapon, as it burns into a pile of scrap after being fired.


 * Kidō Gun- This weapon was developed by the Bount creator, Ran'Tao. It is similar to the Kidō Cannon; however, unlike the Kidō Cannon, which can only be fired once, this weapon holds more resemblance in functionality to a shotgun. It fires concentrated spheres of spiritual energy that can be quite harmful, as it was capable of severely injuring Jin Kariya. It is unknown as to where the Kidō Gun's energy source is derived from.

Trivia

 * In the english dub of the anime, "Kidō" was orginally mispronounced as if it was spelled "Kaidō."