Jack Alford Universe: A Guide To The Mysterious Universe Around You

Soul Reapers (shinigami)

Shinigami (死神, death god(s); Viz "Soul Reaper(s)") are guardians of the souls who are going through the circle of transmigration. In ancient times, they were known as Balancers (調整者 (バランサー), Baransā). They purify Hollows who do evil in the World of the Living and ensure the safe crossing of souls - the Pluses who have lost their way after death - by giving them a soul burial. Shinigami are the opposite of the Quincy.

Shinigami are unearthly beings living in a world ruled by a different logic than the World of the Living. They possess high Reiryoku and a body of Reishi. They are invisible to those without spiritual powers.

When souls with exceptional spiritual energy train their bodies, they reach the level of Shinigami. The most talented of them become affiliated with various organizations like the Gotei 13 and the Onmitsukidō. The majority of potential Shinigami are born among the residents of the Seireitei, but in some rare cases are born in the Rukongai.

Shinigami receive salaries, like workers in the Human World and also earn bounties for defeating Hollows.

All Shinigami have vents at their wrists which release their Reiatsu. If they are blocked off, the Shinigami in question would be incinerated by their own Reiatsu from the inside out. If a Shinigami's Saketsu (鎖結, Chain Binding) and Hakusui (魄睡, Soul Sleep) are pierced, their spiritual powers are sealed up and they most likely can never regain their lost powers again.

Shinigami have a number of supernatural abilities:

Longevity: Shinigami do not visibly age at the same rate as Humans and tend to maintain a youthful appearance for centuries. Shinigami can live for much longer than Humans, with some Shinigami, such as Retsu Unohana, being over 1,000 years old[13] and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto being at least 2,100 years old.
Enhanced Durability: While Shinigami can be injured and killed like regular Humans, it takes considerably greater injuries to kill a Shinigami than it would to kill Humans. Decapitation is the only guaranteed method of killing a Shinigami.
Reiryoku: Shinigami naturally possess high levels of Spiritual Power, which varies greatly in magnitude with the strength of a Shinigami. The more power a Shinigami has, the sharper their movements will be. A consequence of having Spiritual Power is that unlike powerless spirits, Shinigami need to eat.
Reiatsu: The Reiatsu of a Shinigami will continue to ceaselessly flow, for as long as the heart is still beating. If the heart beats then it is an impossibility for the Reiatsu to cease. Due to this reasoning the prisoners that are kept imprisoned in the "Muken" cannot die as there is no executioner in Soul Society with the power to stop their heart.
Zanpakutō: A Shinigami weapon, its shape is typically similar to a Japanese katana. Low ranking officers are issued an Asauchi sword, but high-ranking officers arm themselves with unique swords generated from their own souls. A Zanpakutō is a physical manifestation of this force concentrated into a blade. All Shinigami have a Zanpakutō, but not all of them carry one with them. Its shape differs depending on its owner.
Exiled Shinigami

There are some Shinigami who exist in exile, namely Yoruichi Shihōin, Tessai Tsukabishi, and Kisuke Urahara. They will work with the Shinigami at times, but still remain in exile.

Appearance

Most Shinigami appear like average Humans. There are, however, a few Shinigami who are less Human-like in appearance. For example, there are much greater variations in body-sizes between Shinigami than between Humans, with small childlike Shinigami such as the 109 cm tall Yachiru Kusajishi and giant Shinigami such as Sajin Komamura, who is 288 cm tall. Variations do not just occur in size but in overall appearance, too, the most notable example being Captain Komamura, who is an anthropomorphic wolf.

Shihakushō (死覇装, Garment of Dead Souls): The black kimono worn by Shinigami. It is customary to wear a white undergarment underneath. Some wear bright colored scarves with it or shorten the sleeves. They commonly carry their Zanpakutō, which is in most cases tied to their obi sash.

Duties

World of the Living

Konsō (魂葬, Soul Burial): the process by which a Shinigami sends wandering Pluses in the Human World to Soul Society if they are good in life or Hell if their life was full of evil acts (such as murders, theft, etc.). Konsō is performed by using the hilt of the Shinigami's Zanpakutō, tapping the soul on their forehead and transporting them to the afterlife.
Hollow Cleansing: When a Shinigami slays a Hollow with their Zanpakutō, they cleanse their sins. Once this takes place, a Hollow will return to its former state as a Plus and is led into Soul Society. This is called sublimation. Souls that live in Soul Society are reborn again into the Human World. Not all Hollows are sent to the Soul Society. Since Zanpakutō are only capable of cleansing sins committed after becoming a Hollow, Hollows that committed serious crimes when they were still Human are sent to Hell when they are slain.
Soul Governance: Shinigami are responsible for governing the flow of spirits between the Human World and Soul Society. This is commonly carried out by balancing the total number of souls by moving and managing them in the Human world. All of the soul-related jobs are under their authority.
Training

Shinōreijutsuin (真央霊術院, Spiritual Arts Academy): An educational organization with a 2,000-year-old history, founded by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. It was once called the Shinigami Academy. It changed to Spiritual Arts Academy when it developed into an institute for the next generation of the Kidō Corps and Onmitsukidō as well the Gotei 13. In the Rukongai, it is still referred to as the Shinigami Academy. The Shinigami Academy is one of two groups that is not under the jurisdiction of the Central 46 Chambers.

Combat

Zankensoki (「斬」「拳」「走」「鬼」, Cut-Fist-Run-Spirit): Basic Shinigami fighting techniques. Zan refers to sword fighting techniques. Ken refers to unarmed fighting techniques. So refers to moving techniques. Ki refers to Kidō.

Zanjutsu: Sword fighting techniques for the Zanpakutō. The most basic fighting technique.
Hakuda: An unarmed fighting technique that makes use of one's own body in a fight.
Hohō: The name for all high-speed fighting movements based on the art of Shunpo.
Kidō: Advanced spells that require strong spiritual power: Hadō and Bakudō.
Mission Aids

To aid in their missions, particularly when said missions involve more than simply dispatching a Hollow, Shinigami have a number of unique items to assist them in their duties.

Gigai: The temporary bodies that Shinigami use in the World of the Living. They were created by the Shinigami Research and Development Institute.
Jigokuchō: The butterflies that Shinigami use to lead them to the World of the Living. They are also used as messengers in Soul Society.
Spiritual Limiter: All Shinigami captains and lieutenants have their spiritual energy reduced by about 80% when they enter the Human World by use of a spiritual limit, represented by a seal called the Gentei Reīn (限定霊印, Soul-Limiting Symbol), which resembles the symbol unique to their Division, in order not to cause unnecessarily high damage while there. In extreme cases, where their full power is needed, they can request a limit release. The command to release the seal is Gentei Kaijo (限定解除, Limiter Release).
Denreishinki: A vital tool for any Shinigami stationed in the Real World, this variation on a cell phone functions both as a regular phone and as a communication line with the Soul Society. It receives information about the time and exact location of a Hollow's emergence via GPS. A Shinigami's kills are also recorded in the phone and can be used as currency (according to the bounty placed on each Hollow).
Zajiku (座軸, Set Axis): Similar in function to a Denreishinki, this scroll-like object lists a Shinigami's targets and instructions for their mission.
Gokon Tekkō: A glove which has a skull symbol on it, which can be used to force the soul out of a body. Kisuke Urahara also has a skull symbol on the end of his cane, which can be used in the same manner.