Characters (2)

Modified Souls

Modified souls are artificial souls created by Soul Society researchers some time ago. They have enhanced speed and strength when compared to normal humans, and often special abilities which set them apart from each other. However, the modified souls were considered an unethical experiment and most of them were destroyed. Urahara saved at least one of them, Kon (コン, Kon?).

In the anime's Bount arc, three more modified souls are introduced. Created by Kisuke Urahara, they are designed to track and combat the Bount, as well as help train Ichigo and his companions, although at first they're seen as a threat while doing so. They originally live in gigai created by Urahara, and have the ability to sense the spiritual presence of the Bount. However, early in the Bount arc, Kisuke asks the trio to primarily remain in plush doll bodies like Kon to remain inconspicuous.

As modsouls the three possess special abilities, but their abilities involve altering reality rather than physical enhancements. They change from plush animal to human gigais frequently when they need to fight, because their powers are in a very limited state when in their plushie bodies.

The following modsouls only appear in the anime. The story following the return to the manga plot has been slightly altered to accommodate their presence without changing the overall course of events. During an Arrancar Invasion, their gigai's are severely damaged. They comment at the end of one episode that they wanted to accompany Ichigo and the others to Hueco Mundo, but couldn't. Ririn and Kuroud then mention that they will obtain new, "sexy" gigai's much to Noba's disdain.[5]

* Ririn (りりん, Ririn?) Voiced by: Yumi Kakazu

Ririn, while in her gigai form, is a small girl with short blonde hair wearing a pink, fur-trimmed coat, a purple bird-shaped cape, and red boots. When not in her gigai', she inhabits an anthropomorphic bird plushie. Her special ability is the creation of illusions. She acts as the leader of the trio, and has a fondness for games. She is partnered with Ichigo Kurosaki. At first she disliked Ichigo due to their conflicting personalities, but now she has grown to be very fond of him, even becoming at times extremely jealous of Rukia Kuchiki's close relationship with Ichigo. She can be petty and arrogant at times, but she shows real concern for her friends. She has stepped into harm's way more than a few times to help save Ichigo, Rukia, Kon, and others. She often looks down on Kon as inferior, which causes frequent arguments between the two.

* Kuroud (蔵人, Kurōdo?) Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita

Also known as Claude or Cloud, Kuroud is a bespectacled man with a mustache and two-tone hair color (black to the right, yellow to the left). He wears a gray top hat, multi-colored suit and tie, as well as dark brown boots, giving him an appearance similar to a circus manager. His plushie body is a rabbit-esque purse. He is partnered with Orihime Inoue. He has the ability to shapeshift, and can replicate the abilities of others when he does so (although he can't replicate the power levels of said abilities). He is somewhat cowardly and is terrified of snakes. His longwindedness and actions often provide comic relief. He is also somewhat perverted, like Kon, or at the very least is thankful for the opportunity to be held by attractive women (being a purse helps in this regard). Rukia seems to like him because he resembles Chappy the Rabbit in his stuffed animal form.

* Noba (之芭, Noba?) Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita

More commonly known as Nova, Noba is a young man in a fur coat with a shield on his back and a zippered mask, with a slim build, red hair, and aqua eyes. In his gigai, he appears somewhat like a ninja. He inhabits an anthropomorphic turtle plushie in grey dress trousers and a white ruffled shirt with a red bow tie when out of his gigai. He's very quiet, rarely speaking more than a few words and also rather shy, zipping up his hood when he wishes to show emotion while in his gigai, or pulling his head into his shirt while in his stuffed animal form. One example of this is when Rukia Kuchiki picks Noba up in his stuffed animal form and holds him close to her face, he is seen to blush at the close contact and lowers his head into his shirt. He is partnered with Yasutora Sado, who is equally quiet. Noba has the power to teleport himself and others to most any location he's been to. He can also use his spiritual sense to teleport to the location of those with spiritual powers. Additionally, he can create wormholes to redirect ranged attacks, both physical and energy based, back at the enemy. He can also absorb fire. When he is in his plushie, his teleportation range is limited to about one meter. Despite being unusually shy, he is somewhat analytical and adept at strategic combat.