User:Suigetsu/Soifon

Soifon (砕蜂, ) is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo. She is the leader of the special forces (隠密機動) and the captain of the 2nd Division in the Gotei 13. Her lieutenant is Marechiyo Ōmaeda. She placed 16th in the 3rd popularity poll, trailing Uryu Ishida with nearly 120 votes and surpassing Rangiku Matsumoto by more than 250 votes.

Character outline
Soifon is staunchly loyal, firm, and unbending in her beliefs. She is a hard worker and takes a strong moral stand — she particularly believes in following orders. She is generally reserved and not arrogant like her lieutenant. She will not hesitate in the slightest to strike down even her subordinates if they stand in her way. Despite her stoic exterior, she has been prone to insecurity over her abilities, and becomes emotional in moments of great personal difficulty, especially over her former superior, Yoruichi Shihoin.

In her childhood, she served as a bodyguard of Yoruichi Shihōin, with whom she developed a close relationship, eventually even becoming Yoruichi's protégé. After Yoruichi left Soul Society, Soi Fon was crushed and angered at Yoruichi's betrayal. In retaliation she trained to surpass her mentor, having replaced Yoruichi as the captain of the 2nd Division by the start of the series. Following her battle against Yoruichi in Soul Society in which she is defeated, she tearfully asks why Yoruichi did not take her with her. While Yoruichi's answer is not heard, Soi Fon seems to have forgiven her. The two's relationship has become somewhat of a running gag: Soi Fon consistently displays an obsessive, almost romantic, interest in Yoruichi. She likes anything resembling a black cat (a form Yoruichi can assume at will), often suggests that spending time with Yoruichi is the definition of fun, and displays jealousy should Yoruichi be in someone else's company. IGN has commented that Soi Fon and Yoruichi share one of the more interesting histories in the series, though feels more could have been done to flesh it out.

Synopsis
Soifon is first seen during a captain's meeting discussing the ryoka threat. Later, she is seen with her lieutenant, Marechiyo Ōmaeda, discussing the infiltration of Soul Society and the commotion it has created. After the failed execution of Rukia Kuchiki, she attempts to kill Kiyone Kotetsu for helping Jushiro Ukitake and Shunsui Kyōraku to destroy the Sōkyoku. She is stopped by Yoruichi and the two do battle. Though Soifon appears to gain an upper hand halfway through the fight, it is revealed that Yoruichi has simply been holding back. She manages to easily overpower Soifon with shunkō but chooses not to harm her. After losing, Soifon breaks down and asks Yoruichi why she didn't take her along when she left Soul Society. Yoruichi's response (if any) is left unheard, although in the anime, Yoruichi thinks to herself that Soifon has become strong since her departure after being asked the question. After learning of Sōsuke Aizen's conspiracy, she and Yoruichi assist in subduing him, but he manages to escape via a negacion.

Abilities
As leader of the special forces (隠密機動), Soifon is a master of stealth-based techniques and hand-to-hand combat. Her expertise extends to a technique called flash release (瞬閧), which combines hand-to-hand combat and kidō. It concentrates high-pressure kidō energy around the body, allowing it to be fired at opponents.

Suzumebachi
Soifon's zanpakutō is Suzumebachi (雀蜂, lit. Hornet). In its sealed form, it resembles a wakizashi with a yellow hilt reminiscent of a Chinese dao. Unlike most shinigami, she wears it horizontally on her lower back. Its shikai is triggered by the command "sting all enemies to death" (尽敵螫殺).

In its shikai, Suzumebachi shrinks into a stinger that is worn on the middle finger of Soifon's right hand. When Soifon stabs someone with Suzumebachi, a butterfly symbol called a hornet's crest (蜂紋華) spreads from the point of contact, its abdomen acting as the center. If Soifon stabs the same location again, her opponent dies, regardless of how powerful they may be. Originally, Soifon could only maintain the crests for half an hour. Since then, she has improved to the point that the crests can never be removed unless she wills it.