Taiyohime Shinoda

"True strength is defeating an opponent without fighting" - Taiyohime Shinoda
Taiyohime Kuriyue Shinoda no Choujo (篠田 長女 苦理故 太陽姫, Shinōda no Chōjo Kuriyue Taiyōhime) known politically as "Shinōda no Chōjō" (篠田の長女, lit. "First Daughter of the Shinoda Clan") or through reputation simply as "Taiyōin" (太陽院, Sun Empress) is the former first Head and current Matriarch of the Shinoda Clan. Born less than a century after the first Quincy Bloodwar to Marielle Schrödinger and Sojiro Hoshin, Taiyohime is possibly the first - hybrid in existence. Due to her mixed lineage, her parents sheltered her away fearing for her safety, cutting her off from the rest of , and spending the majority of time training so she can become strong enough to protect herself. Being a child who possessed the strength of both of her parent races, Taiyohime's potential was boundless. The combination of her prodigious talents, innate potential, and driving motivation has birthed, even by Quincy standards, one of the most powerful manipulators the spiritual world has ever known. 
Taiyohime is, without question, the most influential member of the Shinoda clan. Considered by many within the family to be the heart and soul of the clan, Taiyohime has been shaping the clan's history since its founding. After having her life saved by Kotsuzui Shinoda, she created the Muken-Ryu, a hand-to-hand combat style that is practiced by almost every member of the clan today. She personally inducted Nikolai Rasputin into the clan despite reservations from the clan founders, an action she would regret later in her life. Additionally, she would become Saitou Shinoda's godmother mentoring him and teaching him the value of family and life. He would carry on her teachings centuries later by defying Nobunaga Shinoda and abandoning the clan to protect his sister. In the final arc of Matsunami Gaiden, she becomes Matsunami Shinoda's master, helping her master her rebooted and teaching her the Reishi bending ways of the Shinoda clan.
As an individual, Taiyohime never stopped growing. During the Clan Wars era, she wandered Soul Society acting as the Shinoda clan's diplomat. Throughout her travels, she has met individuals from every walk of life and has carried with her fragments of all that she has learned from every encounter. It is the summation of her knowledge and experiences that make Taiyohime such a powerful force of change to the spiritual world. Everywhere she went, she planted seeds of change by 'changing the destiny' of every individual she encountered. Time has shaped her into a figure of immense knowledge and sagely wisdom, earning her the moniker "Little Buddha" (仏小, Butsuko). 
==Appearance==
Taiyohime is a striking woman that betrays her age when it comes to appearance. While many souls that grow as old as she are able to slow their aging, she has all but stopped the process. A biological gift from both her bloodlines, Taiyohime has achieved what can essentially be called biological immortality. Her almost legendary mastery of Reishi Manipulation has allowed her to manipulate her body at the cellular level. This has locked her appearance in time, blessing Taiyohime with the youthful looks of a girl no older than nine.
Ever since she unlocked the secret to deathlessness, Taiyohime’s features has remained pristine and unchanged for centuries. Despite having lived and worked underneath the sun for centuries, her skin has not darkened at all. Her complexion is the same milky pale color it was at her birth. It is thus soft at the touch, something surprising given that most find that they cannot cut her. The few wounds she has suffered in her life have also all healed perfectly. Scars do not bubble to the surface when a wound closes, nor do birthmarks, burn injuries, nor any other dangers pose a permanent threat to her complexion.
Constantly manipulating the Reishi that comprises her being and replacing her aging cells, Taiyohime has never experienced puberty. Her face is still round with baby fat, her body straight and underdeveloped, and her height clocking in at three foot and eight inches. This unintimidating appearance has caused more than one soul to underestimate the former clan head, and on her travels she has found that most of the people in the Rukongai, unable to sense spiritual pressure, treat her like the child she appears to be. Though once upon a time this bothered her, she has since grown used to it.
Taiyohime’s face is one that shows the maturity she has attained after centuries of life. It is perfectly asymetrical and carries a beauty with it that few can match. Framed by rolling locks of silver--yet another trait gained from her immortality--it is not too sharp nor too soft, with a small nose, full lips, and the solemn green eyes of her mother. These eyes, always half-lidded as if tired or relaxed, are unique amongst the Shinoda. Taiyohime’s immense spiritual power has blessed this emerald stare so that they shine brightly, even if no other light is available. This striking feature has only grown more vibrant over the years, captivating those that have met Taiyohime by chance and leaving a lasting impression on those that grew to know her.
As an ascetic, Taiyohime’s dress is nowhere near as extravagant as it once was. At the base is her Shihakushō (死覇装, lit. "Garment of Dead Souls"). This particular outfit holds a significant meaning for her. While most simply see “Shinigami” when they see her, the white Shitagi (下着, lit. "Under Clothing") and Kosode (小袖, lit. "Small Sleeve") reminds Taiyohime of her Quincy heritage. Because of this she has come to hold the Shihakushō in high regard, and washes, stitches, and otherwise cleans it daily during her travels.
Around her uniform, Taiyohime wears a garment unique to the Shinoda, the Haori of Reishi Supression. This haori, normally a deep crimson lined in gold, features bellowing sleeves and reaches down to Taiyohime’s ankles. On the back rest the octagon-shaped crest of the house, normally hidden by the large beige cloak Taiyohime wears over her outfit. It wraps around the girl protectively, and the hood allows her to hide her face should conspicuousness be desired. Lastly, Taiyohime wears a pair of black, leather clothes, durable enough to have survived the hundreds of years she has been traveling the .
==Personality==
Born from parents who wanted nothing but peace, Taiyohime’s heart is one of gold. Her entire life has been one of kindness to those who needed it, and forgiveness to those that have sinned. Many compare her to the sun she was named after; people seem to gravitate towards Taiyohime regardless of age, gender, race, or background. Like the stars and planets, they revolve around her, pulled in and pushed away without a say in the matter. Though unintentional, Taiyohime has come to realize this, and she uses it to better the lives of those who cross paths with her. In Taiyohime’s mind, it is her solemn duty to use the abilities she was blessed with to help those she encounters.
Naturally, Taiyohime is a very bubbly girl. As a child she was energetic and active, playing with others, exploring the mountains, and getting into more trouble than she had a right too. While some initially perceive her as ditzy or simple-minded, Taiyohime is also incredibly smart. She watches the world around her with an excited and open mind, breathing in the wonders it has to offer and moving on gleefully when satisfied. Despite her age, she is still much the same. Taiyohime never outgrew her curiosity, nor her enjoyment of jokes, pranks, and adventure. It is part of the reason why she continues to travel the Soul Society centuries after passing on leadership of her clan.
This kind heart has gotten Taiyohime into trouble before. As one who has become close with hundreds of other souls, the former clan head knows what it means to be personally hurt very well. More than seven centuries of life has taken her to the highest mountains, deepest oceans, and furthest stretches of the Rukongai. She has lent her soul out time and time again, given the clothes off her back for others, and made countless sacrifices for the common man. No matter how much pain she must endure as a result, when Taiyohime she’s the smiles she brings and watches as those she touches pay their love forward, it gives her the greatest sense of satisfaction. Even for the sinful and rotten, such as Kaiser, the man Strahd advised her to avoid and who is capable of great atrocities, was taken in by Taiyohime and even allowed to become the Second Clan Head.
But despite her giving and merciful nature, Taiyohime is no fool. Her defense mechanisms have evolved not to defend herself from personal injury, but to ensure that she can go on to help more people. She will not shut down when faced with adversity or rejection, but she has learned that one cannot force a horse to drink and never to press the matter. As such, she does not dwell on disasters that occur beyond her control. But this maturity did not come to her for free. Taiyohime’s kind heart, carrying a compassion unmatched, is watered by the belief that even the most evil can redeem themselves. Because she let Kaiser go at the conclusion of Matsunami Gaiden, he was able to come back and become one of the greatest threats the spiritual world has ever seen; a failure that the Shinoda as a whole paid the price for. It is only through meditation and knowing that tomorrow is always a fresh day that Taiyohime is able to accept the many stumbles she has suffered on her path.
When Taiyohime feels that she, her loved ones, or anything she has created is threatened, she grows somber and quiet. Long ago did she learn the pain of killing others, of knowing that she had just ended someone’s path to greatness with her own hands. And long ago she also came to realize that sometimes, execution was the only answer. Thus it is with a heavy heart that Taiyohime draws her blade. She often avoids combat when she can, preferably seeking to talk out her problems or to find other solutions. Even after winning, it is rare that Taiyohime will take a life. She may cripple someone spiritually, or even remove a limb, but it is only when pushed to the absolute brink of desperation will Taiyohime break her code and carve out her foe’s heart.
The maturity to look to the future, stay one’s blade, and to forgive even the most heinous has resulted in Taiyohime becoming an incredibly wise woman. While many do not expect it, the pearls of wisdom that come from the little girl’s mouth are polished by centuries of experience. Not unlike the mythical Buddha or the famed Confucius, her advice has guided the hearts of many towards leading a better life and improving oneself drastically. In Taiyohime’s eyes, her words are the seeds needed to turn the ripe field of the universe into the beautiful forest of enlightenment. No matter who a person may be, Taiyohime disregards it and sows these seeds into them with her words and actions. In places she has passed through, nicknames have been given to her by the locales who don’t know her name. Among the numerous titles, the most famous of these monikers is "Little Buddha".
==History==
==Equipment==
*Issaikyō (一切経, lit. "Complete Buddhist Scriptures"): Taiyohime carries with her scrolls containing the words of Siddhārtha Gautama and the various tenets of Buddhism. Given to her by Kotsuzui Shinoda during her tutelage of Baguazhang, Taiyohime has since applied its teachings to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of man and the world around her.
*Haori of Reishi Supression (霊子抑制の羽織, Reishi Hakusei no Haori): Woven from the same material as the Quincy’s , the iconic symbol of the Shinoda Clan is a creation of its founder: Strahd von Zarovich. Red in color, this add-on is usually worn over the standard Shihakushō. This heirloom however is more than a just a clan relic, it is a training tool. The haori operates by repelling reishi, acting as an instrument used to suppress the wearer’s manipulation of Reishi. Those who wear it will find that they themselves are suppressed, more specifically the reishi that comprises their being, which acts as a spiritual weight to hold them down. Once a Shinoda member reaches the rank of Master, they are given the Reishi Hakusei no Haori to prepare them for the next stretch of their clan training. By anchoring their soul down and suppressing their ability to bend Reishi while training, users who take off the haori will find a noticeably significant increase in their power in battle and an even greater ease and proficiency in their ability to command Reishi.
*Shinoda Clan Medallion: Crafted by Marielle Schrodinger, the medallion carries the crest of the Shinoda clan. Due to the clan being founded by former members of the Sternritter, the appearance of the Shinoda Clan medallion is reminiscent of the of the Wandenreich. Metallic in colour and consisting of a steel chain attached to a silver pendant about the size of a person’s palm, the medallion is visual representation of a member’s mastery over the clan’s Uragetsu Kaiho technique. Generally worn by members of master-rank and above, the medallion is also an indicator of a person’s power since Shinoda Clan rank is measured by a person’s mastery of Reishi Manipulation.
*The Art of War: Written by legendary military strategist Sun Tzu, The Art of War is an ancient Chinese war text emphasizing military tactics and responding appropriately to the flow of war. It is not enough to simply plan a strategy in a controlled environment, one must be quick to act in the heat of battle, a stage of constantly changing conditions. To Taiyohime, being a leader means that there will come a time when words will not be enough to avoid conflict and that war is inevitable. Without ever needing to get the Shinoda Clan involved, Taiyohime has manipulated the flow of entire wars in her favor. During her travels for diplomacy at the time of the Clan Wars era, she would lend aid by leading doomed armies to decisive victory. By helping smaller clans win battles against the much larger Kusanagi Clan, she helped changed the outcome of the war. Such acts of heroism helped her form strong lasting alliances with the Shinoda Clan.
==Powers & Abilities==
===Zanpakutō===
Komorebi (木漏れ日, lit. "Sunlight Filtering Through the Trees") is the name of Taiyohime's Zanpakutō. Komorebi is an absolutely gorgeous Zanpakutō, forged from the heat of Taiyohime’s soul. Her passions manifested along the Hamon (刃文, lit. "Etching along the Blade's Edge") of the katana. The wave patterns are jagged and curved, much like flames themselves, and glint gold underneath the sun. An almost mystical aura wraps the steel, and as such when any light hits it, the blade seems to shine. Whenever Taiyohime feels strong emotions, the brightness intensifies.
Komorebi's guard is themed like the rest of the Zanpakutō. It is forged out of ruby, forming a disk with eight spokes of white diamonds, shaped to match that of a sun’s own rays. Much like the blade itself, they burn brightly when Taiyohime is excited. Komorebi’s guard is wrapped rayskin, with two sunburst Menuki (目貫, lit. "Sword Hilt Ornament") to cover the pegs. It is in turn wrapped in ruby-red silk, soft to the hand and hot to those that are not Taiyohime. Capping Komorebi’s hilt is another white diamond.
While an extravagant sword by all means, Taiyohime understands that she cannot carry such a weapon around openly during her travels. Thus she has it sealed with Kidō in the form of an umbrella. The folds are red, much like her haori, and it is kept open almost perpetually to shade her from the sun above, or the weather when it gets rough.
====Inner World====
The world of Komorebi is one that most would not expect. It is a world of darkness, where no light exists. When Taiyohime first entered this realm, she found herself lost. It was not until she learned that the world was dark because she was the light could she see, and thus she serves as the sun for her inner world. When she enters now, she illuminates a magnificent forest that stretches as far as the eye can see. She sits atop a massive pillar of diamond that amplifies the light she produces and scatters it across the world even further.
Komorebi herself is a unique spirit. She is the light that eminates from Taiyohime, and is quite literally the sunlight that filters through the trees. Komorebi is a very wise spirit, and those close to Taiyohime believe her to be the reincarnation of some ancient being from years past. She has guided Taiyohime throughout her life, speaking to her with emotions and images instead of words or riddles. The two have become so close that they can have entire conversations in just moments of interacting with one another.
Hundreds of years ago when Taiyohime confronted her Zanpakutō for the first time to attain Bankai, her trial was like nothing she could have ever expected. Komorebi materalized in the world and took the light from Taiyohime’s own. Lost in a world of darkness, she was tasked with casting away the shadows. Stumbling through the forests, Taiyohime created fire, used Kidō, and even tried to summon her Shikai, but none of them returned light to the world. As a last resort, Taiyohime fell into deep meditation. When she realized why the land was shrouded in darkness, the light of her soul illuminated her surroundings, and when she opened her eyes, light returned to the world. 
When Taiyohime enters into Bankai, Komorebi changes. Everything in the inner world radiates brightly, and thus Komorebi becomes the light of all things. Though Taiyohime rarely sees her Zanpakutō’s spirit in this form, seeing it once has forever changed the former Shinoda Head’s view of her powers.
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It is rare that Taiyohime is forced to draw her Zanpakutou. Having traveled the world for so long, things such as battles or conflicts have become almost foreign to her. Those that remember Taiyohime’s Shikai remember it as an incomplete shadow of what it is now. Centuries of perfecting the relationship between Shinigami and Zanpakutō has allowed her to call-forth the blade without the need of reciting its release command, however, she has been known to still do it in order to pay respects to Komorebi. The release command of Taiyohime's Zanpakutō is "Guide all of Creation" (嚮導 万象, Kyōdō Banshō).
Spinning her Zanpakutō around her wrist, Taiyohime’s spiritual pressure begins to increase. The blade burns gold and enlongates, changing shape until Taiyohime catches it to end the transformation. Gone is the katana; replacing it is an elegant scythe of pure gold. The length of the staff proper is six and a half feet, gilded along the length and strong enough to smash bones and boulders alike. The butt of the scythe is impossible to make out; here it burns the brightest, and only a chain of gilded links can be seen falling from it. The head of the scythe suffers naught from this problem. A sunburst rests at the top, etched with the Kanji for “Hope.” Extending from it is the wicked blade of Komorebi, gilded like the rest of the Zanpakutō, with a fin attached to the top. So bright is Komorebi that underneath the light of the sun it represents, it is impossible to stare directly at the blade; doing so harms the eyes of those foolish enough to do so. This is a testament to the incredible power both Komorebi and her wielder possess.
:Shikai Special Ability: Komorebi is a light-based Zanpakutō; it was theorized by her parents and tutors that it had the potential to become the most powerful light-based Zanpakutō to ever exist. It has since reached that potential. What makes Komorebi special is that it not only controls the light that it produces, but that it can control the light of all the cosmos. Be it the sun, stars, moon, fire, or any other source, Komorebi has instant dominion over the illumination that Taiyohime perceives. From there she can manipulate it freely, though without her techniques, this ability is useful for little more than playing tricks on opponents.
:*Manjitsu: Genwaku Shōgeki (満日 眩惑衝撃, lit. "Full Sun: Blinding Crash"): Manjitsu: Genwaku Shougeki is the primary offensive ability of Komorebi. Spinning the scythe in the air in front of her, Komorebi creates a complete circle of golden light. This light is suddenly filled in and becomes a blast of epic proportions. Anything caught within the beam is horribly burned, their eyes blinded, and their internal fluids boiled. Essentially, anything caught in the Genwaku Shougeki is more than likely dead after suffering a single blow from it. As a result, Taiyohime has since taken to not using her Shikai’s primary weapon. Her uninterest in murdering others means that the Genwaku Shougeki is only used in extreme situations, when force is the only answer. Given it’s nature as light, it also flows over and through most defenses, making it nigh unblockable.
:*Hanjitsu: Afure Hikari (半日 溢れ光, lit. "Half Sun: Overflowing Light"): Hanjitsu: Afure Hikari is a weakened version of it’s parent technique, the Genwaku Shōgeki. Performed by merely swinging the scythe, Komorebi releases a thin blade of light from the fin on top of the actual blade. This blade travels extremely quickly, and upon impact, turns into an explosion of overflowing light. Anything caught within the blast is blinded and burned, but not nearly as badly as from the Genwaku Shōgeki. Given Taiyohime’s Reiatsu, she is capable of taking out low-tier captains with a single strike from Afure Hikari. The kinetic force of the blast is capable of repelling attacks, allowing it to serve as a form of defense. Likewise, manipulating the length and width of the Afure Hikari allows for numerous possibilities. By striking the ground Taiyohime could create a wall of impassable light, or by moving it around her could create a ring that no one could enter. As such, Afure Hikari is her goto Shikai technique due to its versatility.
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Amaterasu no Junkō (天照の純煌, lit. "The Pure Light of Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun"): Not once in the last several hundred years has Taiyohime been forced to enter into Bankai for battle. Though she has done so to train, she has reached the point in her journey that doing so on every enemy she finds is beyond reckless. It is mastered in every sense of the word, having become worthy of the name “final release”--and Taiyohime, knowing this, has vowed only to use Bankai when there is either no other option, or to serve a greater good.
Taking Komorebi, Taiyohime will spin the scythe around her multiple times. This completely shrouds her in the golden light of her Zanpakutō. Her spiritual pressure increases tenfold before grabbing her Zanpakutō muttering the word “Bankai.” The explosion that follows is similar to that of a volcano. It crushes the world around her, turning trees to splinters and the ground to blackened dust. The heat itself is enough to create massive storm clouds in the sky above her, towering miles into the air. The light produced by this explosion never fades. Instead, it is absorbed into Taiyohime’s body and then slowly dims to revealed the princess in her full splendour.
Gone are Taiyohime’s robes. Replacing them is a flowing kimono of silver, outlined in crimson. On both shoulders is the kanji for sun, and a green sash binds it to her waist. Affixed to this sash is a small mirror, lined in gold. This same golden lining wraps around the sash and forms two loops in the back. This raiment is the protection Taiyohime needs against the raw power of her Bankai. Floating behind her is a massive golden ring, modeled to match the flames of the sun. It is the core of Taiyohime’s Bankai, along with the six floating tomoe that surround Taiyohime. They constantly radiate light and heat, as if they were miniature stars themselves. The final piece of Taiyohime’s Bankai is the staff she wields. It has replaced the scythe from before, turning the blade and sun into literal silver flames. Much like the staves of traditional buddhist monks, it is lined in golden rings. Whenever they move they make no sound save when Taiyohime commands it. At the bottom of this staff, which is the guiding force of Taiyohime’s Bankai, is another golden sunburst.
:Transcendent Spiritual Power: Those that see Taiyohime’s Bankai are instantly perplexed by the fact that they simply can no longer feel her power. It has transcended the bounds of logic and reasoning, and thus can no longer be sensed by anyone who has not reached Taiyohime’s level of power--one reserved for those that can no longer claim a single species as their own. This Reiatsu manifests as a light that most cannot perceive; when Taiyohime smiles, it brightens the room, and when she speaks her words are hot. These feelings are are just that--feelings, the shadows of Taiyohime’s spiritual pressure that falls over others.
:Bankai Special Ability: What seperates Taiyohime’s Bankai from her Shikai is not the amount of light she controls; her absolute dominion can not grow any further. What makes Amaterasu no Junkō so terrifyingly powerful is the fact that it allows Taiyohime to bring out the latent spiritual power in the souls of light around her. While in her Shikai state she could create devastating blasts by adding her Reiatsu to light, now she is capable of ramping that up far beyond the normal ten-fold limit of Bankai. This is the reason her Zanpakutō is considered the strongest light-based Zanpakutō to have ever existed; if Taiyohime’s already incredible Reiatsu does not make her strong enough, she is now aided by the power of the entire universe to lay waste to her enemies.
:*Kōsoku (光速, lit. "Speed of Light"): By channeling the light her Bankai produces through her robes, Taiyohime is capable of breaching the speed of physics. She hits the speed of light effortlessly, essentially reaching the realms of sight-to-sight transportation. Unfortunately, while in this form she cannot harm anyone, as she is literally light itself. However, by channeling the light into her in a method similiar to a Quincy’s Blut or Shinigami's Reiryoku, she can drastically augment her strength. At the max potential, a swing of her arm could break mountains, and her legs can cause tremors.
:*Hanaakari (花明かり, lit. "Brilliance of Cherry Blossoms that Light the Evening"): Hanaakari is the first facet of Taiyohime’s powers that manifests in Bankai, and is the reason her Zanpakutō can be considered the greatest of all light Zanpakutō in the Soul Society. The ring behind her, as well as the tomoe, produce falling blossoms of light around Taiyohime. These blossoms absorb light as they move through the world, leaving black trails, and can fall for miles around Taiyohime if she allows her Reiatsu to rage. Anything that touches these petals is immolated by a burst of light so strong it burns souls down to the bone. Only Captain Commander-class foes can survive these blossoms, but even then getting hit by more than a handful can prove fatal. What makes the Hanaakari even more dangerous is the idea that should they touch one another, they create a chain reaction. Taiyohime, by commanding her Bankai to ring, can ignite this chain reaction around her, essentially turning the world into a massive inferno of white flames that reduces all to ashes.
:*Netsutekishi (熱的死, lit. "Heat Death of the Universe"): An impossibly powerful technique, and one Taiyohime has resolved never to use in the Soul Society or on Earth, the Netsutekishi has the capability of wiping out dozens of cities, changing the environment, and scarring the planet irresponsibly. It begins simply enough--Taiyohime states the name of the technique before waving her staff. The flame at the top suddenly goes wild and erratic, absorbing all the light for dozens of miles around Taiyohime. Everything is dark in this void, save for Taiyohime herself, whose silver robes burn bright. Those trapped in this void slowly lose all heat as well. Their molecules cease to move, creating an absolute zero hell, rendering all to dust. This continues until everything around Taiyohime is dead or until she ends her Bankai.
:*Kamikagyaki (神輝き, lit. "God’s Radiance"): The mirror of Taiyohime’s Bankai serves as part of the crux of her powers. Throughout the release, it constantly absorbs light, though it only reflects the outside world. Should one look directly into this mirror, they find their minds absorbed into the world of light it contains. They will see all of creation, from the beginning to the end of time, while remaining still in the process. Within moments the sheer amount of information proves fatal; their brains, overloaded, shut down, and their eyes are rendered inert. Seconds later they die as their organs fail, and are soon immolated by the light of Taiyohime’s Bankai. Only the strongest of foes can break their gaze away from the mirror in order to fight Taiyohime properly.
==Battles & Events==
==Quotes==
==Trivia==
*Taiyohime shares the same English Voice-Actor as Ruby Rose from the web-series 
*Taiyohime shares the same Seiyū as Mavis Vermilion from 
Category:Characters
Category:Female
Category:Shinigami
Category:Quincy
Category:Hybrid
Category:Shinoda Clan