Shihouin Yoruichi, the former Tenshi
Heisou Ban of the Shihouin family
and also the former Guundanchou
(Head of the Military) in
Onmitsukidou. Yoruichi has many
positive characteristics. She's
intelligent, humorous, knows much
about Soul Society inside and out,
and has accomplished so much in
her life. And for a noble, oddly, she
certainly doesn't act like a one,
considering her childish, witty self
(unlike the uptight Kuchiki Byakuya),
and she doesn't like being stated as
a noble. Like when Soi Fon formally
greeted her as "Ruling Commander",
Yoruichi insisted that she be called
"Yoruichi-san" instead.
Other than that, she can also
transform herself into a black cat.
When she does, her voice becomes
so deep that she's often mistaken
for a male (which she seems to
employ as part of her disguise). She
is good friends with Urahara Kisuke.
And being the former Guundanchou,
Soi Fon served as her former
personal escort.
Yoruichi is also best known in Soul
Society as "Shunshin", Yoruichi or
"Goddess of Flash", Yoruichi for her
mastery in the art of shunpo or flash
step. Even though other shinigami
are capable of shunpo since it's a
basic shiningami skill, she exceeds
the limits of shunpo of most
shinigami. She also created a unique
technique that combines hakuda
(hand-to-hand military combat) with
kidou (demon arts) called Shunkou
(flash release), although she still
hasn't mastered this technique yet.
It is still undetermined whether
Yoruichi owns a zanpakutou or only
uses her hakuda and kidou skills for
battle, but in certain manga panels
she was seen armed with a wakizashi
or a kodachi.
Soi
Fon
is
also
an
important
aspect
in
Yoruichi's
life.
As Guundanchou, Soi Fon had to
serve Yoruichi under family
purposes, but also under loyalty.
Yoruichi told her once that she was
like a sister to her, and they
developed a close bond. When
Yoruichi left Soul Society to aid
Urahara Kisuke in his exile, Soi Fon
replaced her and officially became
the Guundanchou and the
Commander of the Special Forces
(Omnitsukidou). It's been said that
Yoruichi left behind Soi Fon for her
protection.
Even though she has left Soul
Society for over a century, Yoruichi
was still known as a legend. A
woman with the fighting skills of a
prodigy. She knows when she can
win a fight and she knows when to
run away from a fight. Yoruichi has
taken younger ones like Soi Fon,
Orihime, Chad, and Ichigo under her
wing and trained them to become
stronger fighters with Kisuke's help.
Even if she has committed a crime
worth of exile and lost her title as
Guundanchou and other ranks, she is
still feared and respected by the
shinigami as "Shunshin", Yoruichi.
Even at this time, no one has yet
taken her title as "Shunshin" away
from her.