Quincy

Overview

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Quincy
Kanji	滅却師 (クインシー)
Rōmaji	Kuinshī
English	Monk of Destruction
Additional Information
Primary Power	Spirit Weapon
Notable Members	Uryū Ishida, Ryūken Ishida, Masaki Kurosaki, Ichigo Kurosaki, the Wandenreich

The Quincy (滅却師 (クインシー), Kuinshī; Japanese for "Monk of Destruction") are a race of spiritual beings (notably Humans) that inherited their spiritual powers from Yhwach; having the ability to detect the existence of Hollows and other Souls. Most of the Quincy were exterminated by the Shinigami over 200 years ago in order to prevent the collapse of the worlds due to the Quincy over-hunting and destroying all Hollows they encountered. Quincy are the polar opposite of Shinigami.

Overview

Quincy are spiritually aware Humans able to absorb and manipulate Reishi into spiritual weapons.

• Reishi Manipulation: A Quincy uses the Reishi in the atmosphere, and combines it with his/her Reiryoku to create weapons. They fight using a power from outside. They have an easier time collecting this energy in environments with higher concentrations of Reishi such as in Soul Society or Hueco Mundo. To a sufficiently powerful Quincy, there is no difference between Reishi and Reiryoku as a source of power. The ability to manipulate such energy allows for a variety of abilities offensive, defensive and supportive.

• Spirit Weapon: The weapon that Quincy create by gathering the Reishi in the air. The only limit to a Quincy's ability to create and fire arrows is their own stamina and ability to absorb ambient Reishi.

• Enhanced Physical Capabilities: Like Shinigami, Quincy are far more physically capable than regular Humans. For example, given the right environment, they can live much longer lifespans. Two such Quincy, Bazz-B and Jugram Haschwalth, have been a part of the Wandenreich for 1,000 years due to accumulating their power within the "shadows" of Seireitei before the Wandenreich once again declared war on the Shinigami. Bazz-B is also particularly strong and durable, being able to casually crush skulls and survive a combined Shikai assault almost completely unharmed.

• Spiritual Awareness: As a spiritual being, the Quincy can sense Hollows and other spiritual beings at a significant distance, and tell in what direction they are in. Quincy have an acute perception of Reiatsu.

Gemischt and Echt Quincy

At some point within their history, the Quincy began to distinguish themselves based upon an individual's ancestry and adopted the practice of true-breeding. Those who were descended from a long line of only Quincy, and so were thought to have a pure heritage, came to be known as Echt (純血統 (エヒト), Ehito; German for "Real", Japanese for "Pure-Blooded"; Viz "Pure Bloods") Quincy, while all others were instead referred to as Gemischt (混血統 (ゲミシュト), Gemishuto; German for "Mixed", Japanese for "Mixed-Blooded"; Viz "Mixed Breeds"). In order to preserve their pure lineage, many families conducted arranged marriages between their own children and only those belonging to other pure families.

Power-Sharing Quincy

Yhwach is a special Quincy who empowers other people and can take that power back.

Among the Quincy, several exist possessing the ability to impart fragments of their souls onto others and share power around them. They can accumulate power by taking it back after their recipients have grown it. These Quincy are extremely rare, said to be born once every few decades. Quincy with this power also have a handicap being unable to naturally absorb Reishi from their surroundings at birth, though they can eventually learn Reshi manipulation with enough experience and growth given. Their inability to create Spirit Weapons naturally is often misinterpreted as them being failures and, historically, they are killed because of it. After Yhwach was born, it took 200 years for another one to be born. The only known Quincy of this type are Yhwach and Jugram Haschwalth, whom Yhwach considers to be his "other half".

Appearance

An example of traditional Quincy garb.

The final point of contrast between the Quincy and Shinigami is their respective choice of uniform. While the Shinigami wear traditional, black, flowing hakama, the Quincy wear white, form-fitting, high-collared tunics. These bear some resemblance both to Mandarin Chinese dress and to cassocks of Catholic priests. This gives the Quincy a distinctly "foreign" or "Western" style compared to the Shinigami. One peculiar recurring motif of Quincy is that of a cross, which appears frequently on their uniforms and artifacts. The cross is not the same shape among all Quincy (e.g. Uryū uses a Celtic cross, while Ryūken uses a pentacle). There is also a six-pointed cross that appears on the back of Uryū's Quincy tunic.

A diagram of the Quincy Zeichen.

• Quincy Zeichen (滅却印 (クインシー・ツァイヒェン), Kuinshī Tsaihyen; German for "Mark", Japanese for "Destruction Mark"; Viz "Symbol"): A five-pointed cross which appears in various aspects of Quincy powers and culture. One must outline a Quincy Zeichen on the ground with Seele Schneider in order to perform Sprenger. The Wandenreich uses a variation of the Quincy Zeichen as their insignia, which is perforated across their clothing and equipment. Additionally, many Quincy: Vollständig halos are a star-like variation of the Quincy Zeichen.

History

Origins

A historical depiction of the Quincy.

The Quincy were scattered all over the world at one time. They were a clan dedicated to fighting Hollows.

It is unknown when the Quincy first came into being. Isshin Kurosaki claims that Yhwach began the Quincy and his blood flows in every Quincy. However, according to the Quincy themselves, there were Quincy before Yhwach, including one every few decades who struggle to absorb Reishi. Yhwach himself believes this, and after realizing that such Quincy cannot absorb Reishi because they have the same power-sharing ability as he does, he searched for another one for 200 years. The left arm and heart of the Soul King - Yhwach's father - identify as Quincy, and the left arm asserts that it has always been a Quincy.

Fall of the Quincy

Since the origin of the Quincy, many years passed within Soul Society trying to appeal to the Quincy that the handling of Hollows should be left to the Shinigami. The Quincy refused to accept the situation. As time went on, the number of Quincy increased and the cycle of souls became more unstable, forcing the Shinigami to reluctantly wipe out the Quincy in order to maintain the balance of the world.

Failed Reconciliation

The Quincy line was closely monitored over the decades, as their numbers continued to dwindle. Later the Quincy advanced the idea that since they were already among the living and still more numerous at the time, they could act as "first responders" to Hollow attacks: protecting Humans until the less-numerous Shinigami could send a representative to finish the Hollow off. Embittered by the recent war, the Shinigami refused to participate, opting instead to allocate their limited resources to reacting to the most dangerous Hollows and current Hollow attacks. This caused great enmity towards Shinigami. Uryū Ishida's grandfather, Sōken Ishida, was the last advocate of this plan, but was slain by a group of Hollows before the Shinigami could arrive.

Quincy Legend: History Realized

Within Quincy legend, there is a song known as the Kaiser Gesang (聖帝頌歌 (カイザー・ゲザング), Kaizā Gezangu; German for "Emperor Song", Japanese for "Praise-Song of the Sacred Emperor"; Viz "King's Hymn") which speaks of a sealed king. According to the song, the seal would be broken and the king would regain his heart after 900 years. 90 years after, his intellect would return. And 9 years afterwards, his power would return. To regain his powers, the king would have to steal the powers of impure Quincy. This legend was proven true when Yhwach stole Masaki Kurosaki's and Kanae Katagiri's powers. However, according to Yhwach, there is an additional part of this song: 9 days after he regains his power, the emperor will regain the world.

Collapse of the Worlds

Imbalance of souls leads to the collapse of the worlds.

Shinigami govern the souls between the Human World and Soul Society, which maintains a balance that if not kept would result in the mutual destruction of both worlds. All souls, including Hollows, are subject to the Shinigami governance of maintaining the balance. Quincy completely extinguish Hollows; thus, the souls that come to the Human World do not return to Soul Society and therefore the souls would increase only on the side of the Human World. As a result, the Human World becomes heavy in souls, causing Soul Society to spill over into it, mixing life and death together. According to Rukia Kuchiki, the end result would be chaos and the end of the world.

However, the Three Worlds, including Hueco Mundo, are meant to be one; life and death are meant to be one. Artificially split from the Primordial Sea, they are kept separate by Adnyeus, the Soul King. Adnyeus' son Yhwach and the Quincy cannot tolerate this. Yhwach's goal is to restore the original order, one free from the "fear of death", by combining the worlds. The worlds can alternatively be collapsed by killing the Soul King. After absorbing the Soul King, Yhwach obtains the power to merge the worlds himself.

Intolerance Towards Hollows

While they are trained to confront Hollows in order to defeat them just as Shinigami do, the biggest difference between the Quincy and Shinigami, since ancient times, is whether or not to kill Hollows. The Shinigami purify Hollows with their Zanpakutō and send them to Soul Society, while the Quincy killed the Hollows. The idea can be seen as comparing justice and vengeance: "Hollows devour souls of Humans, so why must it be that those who harm and kill friends and relatives get sent peacefully to Soul Society?"

Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi surmises Quincy are not hostile to Hollows because of a difference in ideology, because Hollow have no ideology, and theorizes there is only one reason for them to maintain such a grudge for so long: the Quincy fear the Hollows who endanger their lives. This view is corroborated by Kisuke Urahara, who reveals that Quincy have no "anti-bodies" to defend from Hollows; Hollows are poisonous to Quincy. If a Quincy is infected by a Hollow, not only does their Reiryoku weaken, but their soul itself is destroyed, and they die; they cannot even undergo Hollowfication like a Shinigami. This is why Quincy must eradicate Hollows.

Quincy Combat

• Archery: It is the most used form of combat among the Quincy. Since they're still human, maintaining a distance from highly dangerous Hollows as well as launching numerous attacks on multiple opponents gives them a great advantage offensively and defensively.

• Gintō (銀筒, Silver Tubes): A capsule-shaped tool used by Quincy to store their Reiryoku. It is an antiquated tool, but the use of it allows Quincy to perform certain techniques.

• Hirenkyaku (飛 (ひ)廉 (れん)脚 (きゃく), Pure Flying Step; Viz "Flying Bamboo-Blind Slide"): An advanced Quincy moving technique. It allows for high- speed movements by riding on the flow of Reishi created below the user's feet.

• Blut (血装 (ブルート), Burūto; German for "Blood", Japanese for "Blood Guise"; Viz "Blood Dress"): A Quincy ability that gives a practitioner inhuman defensive and offensive capability. By making Reishi flow into their blood vessels, Quincy increase their attack and defense power drastically. Though Blut is significantly dangerous, it has one big flaw; the two forms of Blut for attack and defense work using two different Reishi systems, so they cannot be used at the same time. An Echt Quincy inherits it from birth while a Gemischt Quincy must train to attain it.

• Shadow (影, Kage): A Quincy ability that allows them to teleport themselves and/or others using shadows.

Rare Quincy Techniques

To go with their bow, the Quincy have a number of rare special techniques to give them an edge in combat:

• Ransōtengai (乱装天傀 (らんそうてんがい), Heavenly Wild Puppet Suit; Viz "Disheveled Paradise Puppet"): A high-level technique that allows the user to control their body parts using strings of Reiryoku controlled by their brain, forming lines or strings out of Reishi. By using this technique, the user can control their body as one would a puppet, allowing them to move freely despite paralysis, broken limbs, or any other force that would impede normal movement. It was originally created to allow elderly Quincy to fight effectively, and is rare enough that Mayuri had never encountered a Quincy (out of the 2661 that he examined or studied) who could use it before Uryū. Mayuri stated it as "the most powerful technique for the Quincy," but he did not know of the Quincy: Letzt Stil, which means as far as Mayuri knew it was the strongest.

• Quincy: Letzt Stil (滅却師最終形態 (クインシー・レツトシュティール), Kuinshī Retsutoshutīru; German for "Quincy: Last Style", Japanese for "Monk of Destruction: Final Form"; Viz: "Letz Stile"): The last resort for a Quincy reached after removing the Sanrei Glove. It gives the user a tremendous amount of power, but at the price of loss of their powers upon its completion.

• Quincy: Vollständig (滅却師完聖体 (クインシー・フォルシュテンディッヒ), Kuinshī Forushutendihhi; German for "Quincy: Complete", Japanese for "Monk of Destruction: Complete Holy Form"; Viz "Quincy: Holy Form"): A part of Quincy evolution and the answer to the drawbacks of the outdated Quincy: Letzt Stil. It is the easiest ability to understand because a practitioner's appearance and power change drastically.

• Kirchenlied: Sankt Zwinger (聖唱 (キルヒエンリート)「聖域礼賛 (ザンクト・ツヴィンガー)」, Kiruhienrīto: Zankuto Tsuvingā; German for "Church Hymn: Saint Ward", Japanese for "Holy Chant: Sanctuary Veneration"): A powerful Quincy spell that creates an area of Reishi shaped with countless Quincy crosses protruding from the ground: Though its effects remain unseen, Royd Lloyd described it as "the spell of maximum protection among the Quincy techniques of offense and defense" and stated the "light of the lord" will "strike dead" anything which comes within its limits.

• Qual Kreis (苦悶の環 (クヴァール・クライス), Kuvāru Kuraisu; German for "Torment Circle", Japanese for "Circle of Anguish"): A Quincy spell that summons a series of Reishi pillars around the target that form into large Heilig Bogen that proceed to fire equally large Heilig Pfeil at the target from all sides.

Training

Quincy training is referred to as Seiren (聖練, Sacred/Holy Training). Additionally, there is a location they can train at known as Fünft Feld (第５練場 (フュンフト・フェルト), Fyunfuto Feruto; German for "Fifth Field", Japanese for "Fifth Training Field"), which is where Sōken Ishida was training at the time of the White incident.

Weaknesses

• Hollows: Hollows are poisonous to Quincy as the latter have no spiritual antibody against their powers; leading to their souls' decay and ultimately death.
• Reliance on Reishi: A Quincy's strength is directly impacted by how much Reishi is in the environment.
• Quincy: Letzt Stil: A Quincy's powers are lost if Quincy: Letzt Stil is used.
• Auswählen: Quincy are susceptible to Auswählen, which robs them of their powers and/or their lives.

Quincy items

The Quincy possess numerous artifacts and equipment which help them in different ways.

Uryū's Quincy Cross.

• Quincy Cross (滅却十字 (クインシー・クロス), Kuinshī Kurosu; Japanese for "Destruction Cross"): A cross in the shape of the Quincy symbol that only those who have inherited Quincy abilities and techniques are allowed to possess. Standard equipment for any Quincy, the Quincy Cross acts as the focus for a Quincy bow, known as a Heilig Bogen. The cross need not necessarily be in a cross shape, as Ryūken's cross is a pentacle. Uryū's first Quincy Cross took the shape of a cross, but his recent one also takes the shape of a pentacle. The Wandenreich can give a Quincy Cross to individuals who are not Quincy, including even Arrancar; those individuals gain the ability to perform Quincy abilities such as the Shadow technique and even the ability to form a Spirit Weapon.

The Sanrei Glove in its storage box.

• Sanrei Glove: This is a powerful Quincy artifact that can increase a Quincy's power exponentially, but requires a dangerous and exhausting type of resistance training by wearing it for a week while constantly firing spiritual arrows to master. The glove works by scattering the Reishi in the surrounding area, making it much harder to form a working bow.

• Gintō: Gintō are small liquid-filled capsules that store Reiryoku, and are used by the Quincy for spell casting in the same way that Shinigami use Kidō. Like Kidō, they are activated by calling out various commands.

Uryū uses a Seele Schneider as an arrow.

• Seele Schneider: The Seele Schneider is a thin sword that can be fired similarly to an arrow. It's much longer than a standard arrow and functions something like a chainsaw: the Reishi of its blade vibrate at ultra-high frequencies, loosening the molecular bonds between any spirit matter it cuts so that the Quincy user may easily absorb the freed spirit particles. Uryū also stated that using it increased his spiritual power. The Seele Schneiders Uryū uses are stolen from a secret storage room under Karakura hospital.

• Quincy Bangle (装身具, Sōshingu; lit. "Body-Dressing Element"): The Quincy Bangle is an artifact designed to mimic a Quincy's natural powers. It works by drawing in Reishi from the environment, much like a Quincy does regularly. It can only be used properly by those who are already adept at forming and directing Reishi.

• Hollow Bait: This item is a small, coin-shaped disk that attracts Hollows when crushed. When used by Uryū, the bait, in combination with Ichigo's powerful Reiatsu, was able to draw a Gillian-class Menos out of Hueco Mundo.

• Soul-made Silver (霊化銀, Reika Gin): Soul-synthesized silver was used by Ryūken Ishida to construct the hidden chamber in which Uryū trains.

• Soul-made Glass (霊化硝子, Reika Garasu): Like soul-synthesized silver, soul-synthesized glass was used to construct the hidden chamber in the Karakura Hospital.

• Reishi Heisō (霊子兵装, Spirit Particle War-Garb; Viz "Spirit Armor"): Armor which Ryūken temporarily wore when preparing to save Masaki. While the full set has not been seen, it includes a large bow and a staff hung across the wearer's back with a chain.

Trivia

• Tite Kubo has used a German motif on most of the Quincy's items and abilities throughout the series.

• Hirenkyaku has a Japanese style name; however, Mayuri Kurotsuchi suggests that "Hirenkyaku" is only what Sōken and Uryū Ishida call it, and other Quincy use a different name. Likewise, the Ishidas use the term "Sanrei Glove", while the Wandenreich uses the term "Leiden Hant".
• Schrifts are in English, despite the word "Schrift" being German.
• Roman numerals are sometimes seen in Quincy techniques.
• Kubo has also included a prominent Christian motif with multiple aspects of the Quincy: Uryū's original Quincy Cross is a traditional Christian cross, Yhwach's name is derived from the Tetragrammaton, and Äs Nödt read a German Bible prior to being approached by Yhwach.

Yhwach's eyes when using The Almighty.

• According to Yhwach, "all-seeing eyes" are proof of a "true Quincy", which Yhwach obtains after awakening The Almighty. As they swap powers, Jugram Haschwalth obtains them from Yhwach while the latter is asleep. Their eyes each gain additional pupils and irises, with the total number starting at two and then evolving to three.
• Senjumaru Shutara disparagingly refers to Quincy as a race "forsaken by the Soul King".

Klub Outside Trivia

• According to Q&A #575 by Tite Kubo on his fansite "Klub Outside", Uryū being "special" for a Quincy is due to two factors: his immunity to Auswählen and his resistance to erosion by Hollow Reiatsu, the latter citing his battles with Szayelaporro Granz and Ulquiorra Cifer as proof.

See also

• List of Quincy
• Fullbringer
• High-Spec Human