Gorō Kurosawa

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**Gorō Kurosawa** (黒沢 五郎, *Kurosawa Gorō*) is the 31st head of the Kurosawa Family, one of the four great noble clans in Soul Society. He is also the captain of the 4th Division of the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Himari Ichibangase. He previously served as a member of the Kidō Corps.

## Appearance

Gorō Kurosawa is a harsh-looking man with shoulder length black hair that spills over one of his brown eyes. He also sports a tuft of dark facial hair on his chin. He frequently appears grave and serious, a demeanor which matches his equally harsh personality, earning him a reputation that has inspired fear, uneasiness, and even anger among his fellow Shinigami. He wears a modified *shihakushō*. His features a purple *kosode* and *hakama*, rather than the standard black, along with an army green *haori* emblazoned with the insignia of the 4th Division. This attire is supposedly the standard uniform worn by the leader of Gorō's noble house.

## Personality

Gorō Kurosawa is a stately man with an elegant, and sometimes poetic, manner of speaking and a sharp mind. A member of Soul Society's nobility, Gorō is keenly aware of the afterlife's politics and has connections in both the Central 46 and within other noble houses, particularly the Kuchiki Family, with whom he is good friends. Despite appearances that he is an egalitarian, Gorō is a voraciously ambitious man with a tactician's mind, allowing him to maneuver himself into favorable positions or manipulate a situation to his desires.

Gorō is fiercely loyal to his family and acts only in the interest of bettering his family image and position with in Soul Society. He lacks the honor espoused by some nobles, believing the nobility to be guilty of grave sins, and is willing to commit similar sins in the name of protection Soul Society and his family. This trait has also made him ruthless, willing to carve out potentially problematic family members when they refuse to fall in line. Much of this stems from the behavior of his older brother, the previous clan head, who was a drunkard and, Gorō believed, besmirched the family name.

As a Captain of the Gotei 13, Gorō is a meticulous tactician and a shrewd diplomat, willing to put aside old grudges for the better of the organization. For example, he believes in settling the differences between the 4th Division and the 11th Division, and sought to end the civil war within the latter for the better of Soul Society. He also takes his job seriously, devoting himself to the health and betterment of his charges, particularly the people of the Rukongai. This is largely because he believes both will improve the status and public opinion of the Kurosawa Family.

Despite all this, Gorō is known to be unnerving and frightening and weaponizes this reputation to better his position among his fellow Shinigami. He is an equally opportunity offender, lashing out at all who offend him, and is unafraid of speaking his mind to others, even his superiors.

## History

Gorō Kurosawa was born as the fifth child of the Kurosawa Family. When he was still young, he attended the Shinō Spiritual Arts Academy and visited the Material World with his older sister, the heir to the family, as part of a class on Hollows. His sister was killed during the visit.

Gorō joined the Kidō Corps after graduation and when it became apparent that his talent for Kidō outstripped his other siblings. He spent centuries with the Corps, honing his skills as a Shinigami. At some point, he achieved both **Shikai** and **Bankai**. By that time, most of his other siblings had perished, the victims of assassinations by rival families, looking to usurp their own, or their own stupidity.

He left the Kidō Corps to assume his role as the 31st head of the Kurosawa Family after the death of his last brother and immediately made a name for himself by obliterating a lesser noble family whose heir was suspected to be behind the death of his brother. He then set about the work of restoring his family's name and honor.

Shortly after the Vanishings saw the disappearance of Captain Isane Kotetsu, the Central 46 appointed Gorō her replacement due to his mastery of Kidō and possession of **Bankai**, which allowed him to pass a rudimentary and hastily held "Captain Proficiency Test" (隊首, *Taishu*).

## Story

### Captain-Commander Promotion Arc

Gorō attended a meeting of the captains of the Gotei 13 with the goal of selecting the organization's new Captain-Commander.

## Powers & Abilities

**Immense Spiritual Power**: Gorō has access to a vast quantity of spiritual energy, having spent centuries with Kidō as his only source of combat. As a result, he can exert tremendous **Reiatsu** that can be felt from immense distances. In order to use Gedōmaru, a Kurosawa Family member requires twice the amount of **Reiryoku** as a typical Captain, hinting at Gorō's incredible power level. Prior to becoming the "Kenpachi," Kenpachi Ōyama noted that Gorō was feared throughout Soul Society like only his predecessor, Yachiru Unohana, was feared. Like most nobles, his **Reiatsu** is white.

**Kidō Master**: Gorō has centuries of experience using Kidō as a former member of the Kidō Corps. Not only is he able to cast spells in quick succession, without incantation, but they also retain most of their power in the process. Gorō can use Kidō into the 90s without incantation, and is so adequate with his spellcraft that he can modify or create entirely new Kidō on his own. He can also use the rare art of **Kōjutsu Eishō**, reciting an incantation after casting high-level spell in order to boost its power, which allowed him to produce a **Danku** powerful enough to block the combined **Cero** of several Menos Grande. It was his Kidō mastery that put him up for consideration to be captain of the 4th Division.

* **Kidō Creation**: As Kidō is Gorō's primary method of combat, he has created a number of offensive and defensive spells to diversify his arsenal. He modified **Hadō #88. Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō**, an act that turned the spell green and increased its movement speed dramatically. He also created spells like **Mafutsu no Kagami**, which allowed him to create multiple barriers capable of weakening and slowing down powerful attacks, if not stopping them outright.
* **Kaidō** (回道, *Turn Way*): As Captain of the 4th Division, Gorō is the most proficient healer in Soul Society. Though he claims to be a poorer healer than Retsu Unohana, his skills clearly outstrip his predecessor and her pupil Isane Kotetsu. He is the primary **Kaidō** instructor of new division members, in addition to teaching the art at the Shinō Spiritual Arts Academy.

**Master Healer**: As Soul Society's foremost medical expert, Gorō is intimately familiar with the art of medicine, having studied the subject at the Shinō Spiritual Arts Academy. He is an knowledgable about the biology of various types of Souls and is also an infectious disease expert.

**Expert Swordsmanship**: As a captain of the Gotei 13, Gorō is a formidable opponent when his blade is drawn. However, he lacks the advanced skills of some of the other captains due both to his reliance on Kidō and because of the negative repercussions of his Zanpakutō.

**Shunpo Practicioner**: Gorō is proficient enough in **Shunpo** to be regarded as average among the captains.

**Keen Intellect**: As one of the older captains of the Gotei 13, Gorō is among the most experienced of the freshmen generation of captains that were appointed after the Vanishings. He is a skilled tactician, a shrewd politician, and has an advanced knowledge about Soul Society's inner-workings due to his connections to the nobility. Moreover, in battle, he can put his intellect to use even more, quickly analyzing his opponents and determining an appropriate strategy.

### Zanpakutō

**Gedōmaru** redirects here. For the manifested spirit, see Gedōmaru.

**Gedōmaru** (外道丸, *Tirthika Circle*): Gedōmaru is the hereditary Zanpakutō of the Kurosawa Family. Gorō's true Zanpakutō is unknown. Gedōmaru is an ordinary *katana* with an unusual grip. The hilt is black and features a series of red eyes. The guard has three such eyes around a pinwheel design.

In the Kurosawa Family, Gedōmaru is presented to each child until it chooses one. It will then bond with that scion of the clan for life. Because of this, non-clan leaders can technically wield Gedōmaru, though most who come to possess it will become the clan head.

* **Shikai**: Gedōmaru is released with the idiom "**Wake from death and return to life**" (起死回生, *Kishi kaisei*). Upon release, the numerous eyes on Gedōmaru's hilt and guard bleed, dying the blade crimson. The eyes then close, turning the hilt jet black, while the guard turns completely bronze.

***Shikai Special Ability***: Gedōmaru is the strongest curse-type Zanpakutō in Soul Society. Anyone who steps into the range of the Zanpakutō's **Reiatsu** is subject to the curses it produces, including Gorō. Furthermore, Gedōmaru's curses are all active from the moment the **Shikai** is released, without their names needing to be called out. Because of this, Gorō dislikes releasing his sword in the presence of others. As Soul Society's strongest curse-type Zanpakutō, having been born of a yōkai's power rather than the standard Zanpakutō forging process, Gedōmaru's curses are immune to the curse-breaking techniques of other Zanpakutō, as well as those conjured by Kidō or other lesser means.
* **Ushi Mairi** (丑参り; Literally meaning "Visiting the Ox"): This curse turns both combatants into living voodoo dolls representing one another. When a combatant is attacked, their body is unharmed and the damage they would have taken is reflected on the assailant. For example, if Gorō's limb were to be burned, he would be undamaged, but his attacker would have their corresponding limb burned instead, and vice versa. This curse this technique represents is the "ushi no toki mairi" (丑の時参り; Literally meaning "ox-hour shrine-visit").
* **Bindzume no Konchū** (瓶詰めの昆虫; Literally meaning "Vexed Insect"): This curse turns both combatants' spilt blood into a poison. Any limb upon which a fresh wound or the owner's spilt blood exists is rendered inoperable, unable to move. Moreover, the cursed blood or injury cannot simply be healed with Kidō, as Gedōmaru is beyond ordinary Kidō. Instead, the only antidote to Gedōmaru's poison is the bloodlike liquid coating its blade, which must be ingested orally in order to take effect. The curse this technique represents is "kodoku" (蠱毒; Literally meaning "curse poison").
* **Kanōshō** (化膿傷; Literally meaning "Festering Wound"): This curse prevents combatants from healing any wounds they received since Gedōmaru's **Shikai** was released. Instead, the curse causes the wounds to fester, growing more inflamed, painful, and infectious as the battle drags on until either the combatants die of their wounds or Gedōmaru is resealed. The curse this technique represents is "ichijama" (生邪魔; Literally meaning "living evil spirit").
* **Onryō** (怨霊; Literally meaning "Wrathful Spirit"): This curse is Gedōmaru's only technique that does not affect the body, instead targeting combatants' Souls. It causes combatants' **Reiryoku** to continuously leak out of them from any wounds sustained after Gedōmaru's **Shikai** was released. The more wounds a combatant has, and the more severe they are, the more spirit energy escapes their body until they are entirely drained of their reserves. Gorō explains that Gedōmaru itself eats the escaping **Reiryoku** as a sort of food, payment for allowing its wielder to use its powers. The curse this technique represents is the "onryō" (怨霊).

* **Bankai**: **Shamon Gedōmaru** (沙門外道丸, *Śramaṇa Tirthika Circle*): Gorō stabs the **Shikai** into the ground, activating the **Bankai**, which causes the bloodlike liquid on Gedōmaru's blade to erupt from the cut in the ground into a towering wall of shadows that stretches for miles in either direction and further miles into the air. Gorō does not like using **Bankai** in a place where too many could get caught within its effects, and so considers the technique his last resort.

***Bankai Special Ability***: The expansive darkness created by Gorō's **Bankai** causes those trapped inside it to lose their sense of sight and their ability to sense **Reiatsu**. Gorō refers to this space as **Arbuda** (頞部陀, *Budha*; Literally meaning "Blister Naraka"). According to Gorō, it is a "cursed space" and everything within is bound by Shamon Gedōmaru's power. The space within the dark veil is also noted to be exceedingly cold. The one holding Shamon Gedōmaru is exempt from the **Bankai's** abilities, though the **Shikai** still applies to them. Gorō has also stated that it is the **Arbuda**, not the sword, that is the true **Bankai**. In **Bankai**, all of Shamon Gedōmaru's **Shikai** abilities remain active.
* **Saishiki: Mushinron** (最式無神論; Literally meaning "First Formula: Those Without Faith"): Gorō describes this curse as representing amoralism, and that it neither "punishes evil, nor rewards good." It also represents the teachings of "non-doing." While within the range of Shamon Gedōmaru, all released Zanpakutō lose their abilities and unreleased Zanpakutō become unable to release. Furthermore, abilities that rely on spiritual energy like Kidō and Hohō lose their function, restricting all within to simple melee fighting on the ground.
* **Nishiki: Shukumerion** (二式宿命論; Literally meaning "Second Formula: Niyativāda"): Gorō describes this curse as representing fatalism, and that it reminds all within the **Bankai** that they are "powerless, that suffering is inevitable." It turns the power of all who are caught inside the **Bankai** against them, crushing them under the weight of their own power. The stronger the individual, the heavier the darkness around them, until they are pushed flat against the earth.

* **Sanshiki: Junseiha** (三式順世派; Literally meaning "Third Formula: Charvaka"): Gorō describes this curse as representing anti-materialism, teaching "with death, all is annihilated." It calls forth the cursed Souls of all who have died within Shamon Gedōmaru's **Arbuda**. As Gedōmaru was once a yōkai, the Souls of those it had killed have also become monstrous yōkai-like creatures, whose only ambition are to kill and add to their ranks. They are restricted to the bounds of Gorō's **Bankai** and plague those trapped within. The creatures are blind and are attracted to sound and light produced by those trying to illuminate the dark.
* **Shishiki: Midaregami** (四式乱れ髪; Literally meaning "Fourth Formula: Unraveling Hair"): Gorō describes this curse as representing eternalism, the idea that worldly things cannot exist together with the Soul and the spiritual. While under the effects of Shamon Gedōmaru, the bonds between spirit particles begin to loosen and eventually unravel, causing spiritual beings within to break down and become one with the darkness. Normally, this process is so slow those affected by the **Bankai** hardly notice it. However, receiving injuries from the Zanpakutō's other abilities can accelerate the process, becoming more dangerous the more injuries that are inflicted. This technique usually leaves the area affected by Gorō's **Bankai** dead and withered, like a desert, once the sword is returned to its sealed state.
* **Goshiki: Kamiokuri** (五式神送り; Literally meaning "Fifth Formula: Exorcism Ritual"): Gorō describes this curse as representing the cleansing ways of Jainism, teaching that "true cleansing comes from the avoidance of all evil." It seeks out the hidden evils in a target's heart and brings them to the surface, exposing them to the darkness around them. In most people caught within the **Bankai**, the curse magnifies their worse traits the longer they remain inside the darkness. However, it has a special effect on those who have Hollow Souls sleeping within them, forcibly drawing those Hollows to the surface and giving them control over the body.
* **Kyūshiki: Fushinkō** (究式不信仰; Literally meaning "Final Formula: Ajñana"): Gorō describes the final curse as representing doubt or unbelief, otherwise known as agnosticism, a suspension of judgement. It clouds the minds of all trapped within the **Bankai**, making it difficult for them to pull their thoughts together into a cohesive plan. The harder one tries to fight the fog, the more muddy their mind becomes, until simple actions like walking or holding their sword takes every bit of their mental facilities.

* **Mephisto Shamon Gedōmaru** (メフィスト·沙門外道丸, *Mefisuto: Shamon Gedōmaru*; Literally meaning "Mephisto Śramaṇa Tirthika Circle"): The ultimate secret technique of the Kurosawa Family, born when one uses Gedōmaru's original yōkai name. Gorō refers to it as a *deal with the Devil* and a technique not to be preformed lightly, for the longer one remains in **Mephisto Shamon Gedōmaru**, the more of one's Soul the demon is able to consume. In this form, Gorō completely merges with Gedōmaru, taking on a more demonic guise. His skin takes on a purple hue and his incisors lengthen until they resemble a vampire's teeth. The blade of Gedōmaru also splits into two flaming, double-sided weapons: a blade of black flames, representing Gedōmaru, and a blade of crimson flames, representing Gorō.
	+ **Namae no Noroi** (名前の呪い, *Name Curse*): Using the black blade, Gedōmaru unleashes a curse born of its resentment at losing its real name to the Shinigami. Similar to the powers of **Ichimonji**, this technique curses the name of anything cut with Gedōmaru's black blade. Afterwards, using the name of the cursed target will result in damage to the target. On inanimate objects or Zanpakutō, this can initially cause the target to crack and wither. Continued use of the name will eventually cause the object to break completely. On people, the technique is much more gruesome. Use of the name of the target will initially cause painful bruises and welts to appear on the body, then bleeding, eventually rupturing bones and organs with repeated use.
	+ **Cursed Flames**: The dark flames consuming Gedōmaru's black blade are cursed and can be launched from the blade in a crescent wave. According to Gorō, the cursed flames cannot be put out until they have fully consumed whatever target they land upon. Therefore, he must be careful, as the flames can just as easily burn him to death as they can his intended target.

## Weaknesses

### Zanpakutō

**Curses (Shikai)**: Gorō is subject to the rules of the curses produced by his Zanpakutō in **Shikai.** The rules of those Shikai curses also carry over to his **Bankai.**

**Range**: In both **Shikai** and **Bankai**, Gedōmaru's abilities have a finite range: that being within its immediate **Reiatsu** (or the black field in the case of **Bankai**). While this range is significant, it is possible for opponents to escape the range and thus the effects of his curses.

**Holding the Zanpakutō (Bankai)**: Shamon Gedōmaru offers protection from its abilities to whomever holds the Zanpakutō. Theoretically, wresting the Zanpakutō fro Gorō can extend these protections to his enemies.

**Clan Curse**: Gedōmaru curses the siblings of its master, killing them off until only the master remains, allowing them to head the Kurosawa Family.

**Mephisto Shamon Gedōmaru (Bankai)**: The longer Gorō remains in the state provided by **Mephisto Shamon Gedōmaru**, the more the yōkai within his Zanpakutō is able to devour his Soul. His current limit is five minutes (five posting rounds) before he returns to his normal state, else his Soul will wither and he will die.

**Curse Flames (Bankai)**: Shamon Gedōmaru's cursed flames can be just as deadly to Gorō as they are his enemies.

## Trivia

* "Gorō" (五郎) is a Japanese name traditionally given to the fifth son in a family.

## References

1. ↑ Twelve Tone Rendezvous (Da Capo)
2. ↑ *Healing Through Violence*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *The Trial of Leaders*