Reiatsu

Biodata

Nature and Use

Reiatsu is the expression of a spiritual body’s Reiryoku. Greater Reiryoku produces stronger Reiatsu, but a higher Reiatsu reading alone does not guarantee superior combat ability: techniques, skill, and opposing abilities also matter 36 52 60.

• Offense: Rei infused his Asauchi with spiritual pressure to strengthen it, and later formed a lethal Sword Aura from his Reiatsu 5 10.
• Defense: Reiatsu can cover the body and make attacks difficult to penetrate. Rei used his to suppress an enemy’s invasive ability, though only partially 35 40 115.
• Pressure: Powerful Reiatsu can intimidate, immobilize, or crush weaker beings. Prolonged exposure to a much stronger person’s Reiatsu can damage a soul and cause death 27 89 91.
• Sensing: Fighters can detect and follow Reiatsu, sometimes over great distances. Zaraki found Rei by sensing him, and Kisaragi Shingetsu tracked the pressure released during their fight from more than ten ri away 27 29.
• Release and endurance: Maintaining a Zanpakuto’s released state requires sufficient Reiatsu. Blood Drink’s healing and attack boosts did not let Rei maintain Shikai indefinitely when his Reiatsu neared its limit 10 11.

Control and Growth

Reiatsu is mainly emitted through pressure points at the wrists of the spiritual body. Rei learned to lower his output by suppressing those points and later developed wrist Kidō that sealed away half his Reiatsu 30 51. Sealing his output did not reduce the physical strength he had already developed through his Reiryoku 72.

Rei’s Zanpakuto and other abilities changed his Reiatsu in several ways:

• Blood Drink’s original Shikai: Releasing it increased his Reiatsu; filling its blood grooves doubled the strengthened pressure again. Using his own blood during his fight with Zaraki produced a further increase 10 28.
• Hollowfication: After Blood Drink evolved and lost its original Reiatsu burst, Hollowfication could still raise Rei’s output 59.
• Bankai: Blood Blade: Peerless pushed Rei beyond a threshold his full Shikai had reached, but the resulting pressure placed a severe burden on his body 56.
• Soul fusion: After Rei’s Soul Reaper and Hollow souls fused, his Reiatsu settled into a lighter, stronger state 109.

Other fighters also alter their output. Zaraki unconsciously lowered his Reiatsu after going without a worthy opponent, then raised it as he fought Rei. Yammy’s Reiatsu grew with his anger, while Cang Du used Sklaverei to absorb Reishi and raise his pressure 27 56 128.

Measurement and Classification

Rei created a Reiatsu-measuring device using an enhanced form of Water Spirit, a material used by Shin’ō Spiritual Arts Academy to test Reiryoku. The translucent vessel drew in a small amount of released Reiatsu; its scale ran from 0.1 to 6 in increments of 0.1 71.

Rei used Third Seat Kensei Muguruma as the benchmark for 1 Mugu, equivalent to a standard captain’s Reiatsu. Measurements exposed Soul Reapers who had concealed their strength 71.

Rei defined these classifications himself and distinguished them from actual combat strength 60 71.

Dimensions

• First Dimension: Rei described pressure above ten units as having undergone a qualitative change. He initially reached it with Bankai and later reached it with Shikai alone 71 108.
• Second Dimension: Reiatsu can be materialized at will. After fusing with the Hōgyoku, Rei’s Shikai Reiatsu was described as approximately 25 units, or the middle stage of this dimension; his clothes were made from his Reiatsu 181.

Notable Effects

• Rei’s first Shikai release produced a burst of red Reiatsu that drove back approaching Hollows; his subsequent Sword Aura killed more than a dozen 10.
• The clashing Reiatsu of Rei and Yammy knocked Abirama from the sky. Yammy’s own pressure killed Kukkapuro during the fight 56.
• Rei and his homologous body broke through one of three barriers erected to contain their Bankai Reiatsu and cracked another 109.
• Grimmjow released enough Reiatsu to damage space before Ulquiorra stopped him 232.