Kidō (鬼道, "demon way" or "spirit way"; sometimes translated as Demon Arts; Viz "Soul Reaper's powers"; "Spells") is a form of Shinigami combat that is based on advanced spells that are produced with strong Reiryoku and fall into two categories: Hadō for direct attacks, and Bakudō for battle support.^[1] It is one of the techniques in the Zankensoki, the group of Shinigami primary combat skills. Kidō spells are triggered by an incantation. Experienced users can trigger them without an incantation, though the effectiveness of the spell will be diminished.^[2]

The Kidō Corps is a branch of Soul Society's military which excels in the mastery of Kidō.

Kidō Mechanics

Each spell is graded on a scale from 1 to 99, the latter being the most powerful and the most difficult to perform. The scale is a measure of difficulty. To use Kidō, a Shinigami must recite the specific incantation for the spell, which is often long and requires a few seconds to speak.

The power of a spell relies on the power of the user, as even a low-level spell can be utterly devastating when utilized by a high-class Shinigami.

Kidō can also be used for practical purposes as well. Renji Abarai has demonstrated that a kidō spell can be used to light a dark hallway if the spell is tweaked in the right way, with less power.^[3]

Kidō Classification

There are three main types of Kidō: binding spells, destruction spells, and healing spells.

• Bakudō (縛道, lit. "Way of Binding"): Supplementary spells that can immobilize an enemy or have an effect besides a direct strike. They may seem subtle, but these spells can give their users a tactical advantage when used properly.^[4] These are a broad category of defensive spells which block/repel attacks or freezes enemies in place. This class of spells include Kidō Barriers & Seals.

• Barriers: Focused spiritual energy formed into a solid form of energy. This energy can take on many shapes or colors as determined by the user. Barriers are protective in nature and can be as simple as barrier only protecting one direction or encompass all sides of an area. Barriers also use for containment while some barriers can be used offensively. Barriers are also capable of masking spiritual pressure and can make one spiritually and physically invisible. A strength of a barrier is dependent upon the power of the user. Weak barriers are easily breakable while strong ones can last for centuries. Barriers created by noble blood are said to be unbreakable by those of lesser status. Certain barriers can be placed beforehand and activated later, while others require certain artifacts and time to activate.

• Seals: Are somewhat similar to barriers, but are far more powerful and require far more preparation to create. Seals are only possible to use by those of sufficient spiritual power being that are meant to hold the most powerful and/or dangerous artifacts or beings. Seals are commonly hard to break.

• Hadō (破道, lit. "Way of Destruction"): Offensive spells that inflict direct damage to the enemy. Their effectiveness differs depending on the user. It is said that the effectiveness of the higher-ranked spells are beyond imagination.^[5]

• Healing spells: These spells do not have known names, numbers, or incantations to cast, and simply heal the target. As the user holds his/her hands above the patient's wounds, his/her palms glow with green spiritual energy to facilitate healing. When one heals with regular healing kidō, they perform Reiatsu restoration first. By doing so, one can attempt to recover the physical body using the patients restored reiatsu and the healers external reiatsu. Therefore restoring the reiatsu when the physical body is in a fully healed state is no trouble at all.^[6]

Forbidden Kidō

A form of classification for Kidō spells that are considered illegal by the Soul Society. The use of such spells will commonly result in some form of lengthy imprisonment or worse. The Kidō spells that fall under this class are those that involve the manipulation of space and time^[7] and Kidō that sacrifices the self.^[8]

Incantation Classes

• Eishōhaki (詠唱破棄, "Incantation Abandonment")^[9]: a class of Kidō Incantation where the Kidō practitioner forgoes using a spoken incantation at all. While it decreases the time needed to release the Kidō, it drastically weakens the spell.^[10] While anyone well versed in Kidō can use this technique, it is most effective when done by a skilled practitioner, otherwise the spell could utterly fail (i.e.: the spell explodes in the user's face). The most skilled experts are capable of using this technique to amazing effect.

• Nijū Eishō (二重詠唱, "Twofold Incantation"): a class of Kidō Incantation where the Kidō practitioner mixes the incantations of two entirely separate Kidō spells together to save time and confuse ones' opponent at the same time.^[9]

• Kōjutsu Eishō (後述詠唱, "Spoken-After Incantation")^[9]: a class of Kidō Incantation where the incantation is recited after initiating the spell in order to power it up. So far, only Hachigen Ushōda has been seen using this technique, in order to reinforce the nature of his Ryūbi no Jōmon during his fight against Baraggan Louisenbairn.^[11]

Kidō is commonly seen used in instances of surprise attacks, rather than all-out assaults, being most effective when one's opponent doesn't see it coming. Kidō is also usable with just the spell name and no incantation or spell number.^[12]

Kidō Spells

Bakudō (縛道, "Way of Binding")
A broad category of Defensive, Communication, Binding, Tracking and Sealing spells.

Sai	Hainawa	Seki
Geki	Hōrin	Sekienton
[[File:|200px]] Kyokkō	Shitotsu Sansen	Tsuriboshi
Enkōsen	Kakushitsuijaku	Rikujōkōrō
Hyapporankan	Sajō Sabaku	Tozanshō
Gochūtekkan	Tenteikūra	Kuyō Shibari
Dankū	Kin	Bankin
Hakufuku	Inemuri	Tanma Otoshi
Noren Mekuri	Shibireyubi

Hadō (破道, "Way of Destruction")
A category of Offensive spells.

Shō	Byakurai	Tsuzuri Raiden
Fushibi	Shakkahō	Ōkasen
Sōkatsui	Haien	Tenran
Raikōhō	Sōren Sōkatsui	Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō
Kurohitsugi	Senjū Kōten Taihō	Ittō Kasō
Kongōbaku	Gaki Rekkō	Hyōga Seiran
Jūgeki Byakurai (Kaizō Kidō)

Types of powerful protective Bakudō Spell that either seals or acts as a barrier.

Kyōmon	Hachigyō Sōgai	Ryubi no Jōmon
Koko no Jōmon	Kikai no Jōmon	Hoyoku no Jōmon
Shiji no Saimon	Shisō Kekkai	Millon Escudo
El Escudo	Roppō Fūjin	Standing Ovation
Goyōgai	Hako Okuri	Fūsatsu Kakei
Kyūjūrokkei Kakafūmetsu	Unnamed Barrier	Unnamed Barrier
Unnamed Barrier	Unnamed Barrier	Unnamed Barrier
Unnamed Pyramid Barrier	Unnamed Barrier

Spells that haven't been categorized in any specific type of Kidō.
Spell #	Spell Name	Spell Information	Spell Picture

Unknown	Keikaigi (繫界儀, "World-Tying Rite")	A technique created by Kisuke Urahara to open a Garganta to Hueco Mundo.[13]
Unknown	Jikanteishi (時間停止, Temporal Stasis)	A forbidden spell[14] used by Tessai along with Spatial Displacement. It is a spell that halts time in a specific area.[15]
Unknown	Kūkanten'i (空間転位, Spatial Displacement)	A forbidden spell[14] used by Tessai with Temporal Stasis to teleport a specified portion of space from one point to another, transporting even other active Kidō spells.[15]
Unknown	Sentan Hakuja (千反白蛇, "Thousand-Coil White Snake")[16]	A spell that teleports a group of people from one place to another.[17]
Unknown	Unnamed Spell	Shūsuke Amagai uses this technique by throwing special sheets of paper into an area and creates a green orb of bright light around himself that teleports himself and anyone he touches to a desired location. Reiatsu is completely masked during teleportation.[18]

Trivia

• In the English dub of the anime, "Kidō" was originally mispronounced as if it was spelled "Kaidō."

References

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