Matsuri Kudō

is a character from the video game Bleach: The 3rd Phantom. She was a Shinigami of the Fifth Division during the events of the game.

Appearance
Matsuri has light blonde hair kept in a ponytail on the top of her head. Her bangs are messy and long, leaving a good portion of them in the middle of her face. She wears the standard Shinigami uniform with a headband that has a flower attached to it. Her eyes are bright blue.

Personality
Matsuri is a hard-working individual who takes her duties seriously. She frequently scolds Fujimaru when he doesn't take his work seriously. Despite this, she also cares a lot about Fujimaru and gets along with him very well. She also respects Seigen Suzunami, as he is both Matsuri and Fujimaru's guardian, as well as their captain. She also cares a lot about Seigen's sister, Konoka Suzunami, viewing her as a mother figure.

History
Matsuri and Fujimaru were once in danger of being killed by a hollow, but were saved by the 5th Division Captain, Seigen Suzunami. Later, he adopted them into his noble family. After six years in the Shinō Academy, they joined the 5th Division of the Gotei 13, under Seigen who is their captain. They act on several missions until Arturo Plateado invades the Soul Society. During the final confrontation with Arturo, Matsuri and Fujimaru assisted the captains in fending him off.

Bleach: The 3rd Phantom
She and her brother, Fujimaru, fight Arturo Plateado and win, but are suspended in time. They appear in present-day Karakura Town, where they meet Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends. Soon, they would become allies, as Matsuri realizes Seigen is still alive. They find him and try to take him back to the Soul Society, but this proves to be futile, as he has teamed up with Aizen and become a Hollow. He attacks the Soul Society and she leads an attack force to Hueco Mundo to stop Aizen. She is stopped by her father, who she is forced to kill in an in-between dimension. After the fight, she returns to the Human World and attends Ichigo's school.

Powers & Abilities
Expert Swordsmanship Specialist: Matsuri has shown to be a skilled swordswoman, using her Shikai effectively in battle.

Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Though Matsuri is only shown fighting with a sword, she has gained a lot of knowledge on hand-to-hand combat, particularly during one of Yoruichi Shihōin's training sessions on Hakuda.

Kidō Practitioner: Matsuri has shown to have some skill in Kidō as she is able to learn Shunkō, and had knowledge of both Hadō and Bakudō.


 * An advanced technique that combines hand-to-hand combat and Kidō, although Matsuri uses this to amplify the power of her swordsmanship. What is known of it so far is that it can allow her to instantly neutralize an opponent's movement.

Flash Steps: Matsuri has shown that she is able to use Flash Steps, at least on par with Lieutenant-level Shinigami.

High Spiritual Power: Matsuri has high spiritual power, as she, along with her brother Fujimaru, was able to release her Shikai shortly after joining the 5th Division upon graduating from the Shinigami Academy.

Zanpakutō
Matsuri's Zanpakutō,, has a rounded-off rectangular guard and a unique rod-like red hilt.


 * Shikai: Its release command is . Its shikai resembles a Guandao, as it has a long, pole-like, handle and a double-edged blade. It also contains a small ax-like blade on the top, just above the hilt.


 * Shikai Special Ability:


 * Matsuri twirls Kotōmaru over her head and compresses spiritual energy within the blade. Afterwards, she swings it, and the area it is swung in is engulfed in a blue pillar of energy.


 * Bankai: has a dragon head on her left shoulder and a cape on her waist to foot. On her right shoulder is a piece of gray fur. The blade itself also seems to be composed of a bright pink energy.


 * Bankai Special Ability: Matsuri's Bankai greatly increases the attack power of her Zanpakutō, as well as her defensive strength.


 * The blade of energy becomes much larger and she uses it to slash all enemies within range of this attack.

Trivia

 * Even though her name can be changed before starting the game, during Chapter 21, in the Event Reunion, Fujimaru will still call her Matsuri at the end of the dialogue.
 * In the Zanpakutō Popularity Poll, her Zanpakutō Kotōmaru ranked 52nd, tying with Aaroniero Arruruerie's Glotonería and Ryūsei Kenzaki's Benishidare.