Who is Tsukabishi Tessai?

[Monz]

Ok randomly today I just started watching some of the first Bleach episodes and it dawned on me. When Ichigo is trying to get his Shinigami powers back, and he is put into the shattered shaft he is bound by Tessai. For those of you wondering who Tessai is, he is the big guy that wears the apron and helps Urahara at his shop. Anyways when he binds Ichigo he uses kido and a very high level kido at that. He uses a level 99 binding spell and he skips the incantation. This is the highest level kido shown so far in Bleach. Just to give and example the kido that Aizen used on Komamura was a level 90, and he skipped the incantation and Gin gave him praise for it, calling him scary that he was able to do that. So Tessai's kido was even higher then that. Not something easy to do, so judging by that and the fact that when he is talking to Rukia he tells her that the word Quincy brings back memories. Which means he may have taken part in the Quincy war which happened over 200 years ago. I am guessing he use to be a shinigami, maybe even a Captain or Lieutenant. Anybody else have any thoughts on this?

[Shadoblak]

If you remember after Ishida used the Hollow Bait, he was also killing Hollows with his bare hands.....I'm guessing he was in that Kidou squad if he was in SS
Or maybe he was a human, and Quincy brought back memories of Ryuuken :p

[Monz]

Yeah but if he was a human how would he be able to use kido?

[Shadoblak]

Ganju can use kido right?
I mean...There's really nothing special about being a shinigami...When a soul has spirit power they train to use it, part of that training is kido....so it's not a stretch to assume a human with spirit power can learn it

At any rate I know he's not a human.......I'm just playing devil's advocate :p

[laurie b.]

Tessai has always intrigued me, but he's like so many of Kubo's characters... a tantalizing shadowy mystique, but NO BACKSTORY!

My pet theory a long time ago was that he was Urahara's vice captain, but obviously that's very wrong now.

So I demand a Tessai backstory. heheh. :yell

Also, I happen to love one of the omakes (or was it a Radio Kon?) in which Kon inspects the Urahara Shoten and accidentally bursts upon Tessai wearing nothing but his apron :rawr

[Shdo]

assuming the kido he did is hard then he is a very skilled top of the line shinigami, if not, then he is just urahara bitch.

[Rain]

laurie b.- that was a radio kon interview :D

and we know tessai isn't a normal human, he's at least 200+ years old

and he can use level 99 kido, which even if it fails (like when Aizen used it) that doesn't make it easy

I don't think he was a shinigami, probably an officer in squad 0 (even though all of them are probably shinigami:p)

[igniz]

lol every character without background is put in division 0 by the fans, the King pays his guards so bad they all resigned :D

Maybe he was simply in the 12th division, people ought to do some progress in 108 years.

[Rain]

igniz- i put him in squad 0 because i didn't want him in the gotei 13;)

he could have been under yoruichi when she was the leader of the omitsu force, that would be cool:D

[igniz]

could be too, I guess Kubo would show him at some point in the current flashbacks.

[EX|pada #0]

I think he was the leader of Kidoushuu when Urahara was a captain. But it's strange anyway, since the Gotei 13 has nothing to do with the Kidoushuu :headscratch

So, how did they met each other? >.>

[Monz]

assuming the kido he did is hard then he is a very skilled top of the line shinigami, if not, then he is just urahara bitch.

Of course it was hard, it is the highest level kido done so far in bleach :p

[Shdo]

but its a binding kido so we dont know if its harder then what spells. perhapes a 99 binding isnt as hard as 60+ destruction kido. for example the first spell is binding.

[Shadoblak]

According to Byakuya, Binding spell 81 can stop Destructive spells up to 89....So if anything they might be stronger...

[Shdo]

or maybe its depending on the spell itself, the 5 pillar of iron binding had more effect on ichigo then the 99 spell.
for example some spells are good against outside attack while another against a inside attack, the strength of the kido dosnt really defined by its number but by its purpose and 99 isnt neccesery stronger then 90 or 80. the point is that we dont know so we cant really assume anything by plain numbers.

[Shadoblak]

Gin was surprised that Aizen could skip the incantation for a spell in the 90s....Why would Destructive spells be given power or difficulty classifications by number and not Binding spells...We can say with a good deal of confidence that Spells of a higher number are more difficult and/or destructive than spells of a lower number

[ch1mera]

I made a post about this before, but we know that Tessai can use a #99 binding spell (the most difficult of them) and he skipped it´s incantation.. Even Aizen couldn't do a level 90 without it messing up a bit.
It’s interesting to note that in Japanese he calls Urahara Taichou, which translates to “Captain”, but also “Boss”.:p

For me, he is the Leader of Kidou Shuu..

[Shdo]

keep in mind that the spell he used on ichigo (#99) was really weak and couldnt stop ichigo at all, as i see it binding spells are weaker and more easy to use then destructive, why? since i dont know kido i cant really tell but i guess they use more power, energy or whatever.

[tari101190]

kidou just seems to be manipulating your reiatsu to release it in different forms depending on the incantaion etc...

it doesn't seem to have anything about being a shinigami.

arrancar should even be able to do it.

It’s interesting to note that in Japanese he calls Urahara Taichou, which translates to “Captain”, but also “Boss”.actualy, no he doesn't...he calls him Tenchou, which means shop manager.

and aizen hasn't mastered all 4 types of shinigmi combat, so it's possible there are better are atleast kidou than him. he's just got higher than captain class reaistu and has only nearly masterd zanjustsu, kidou, hohou and hakuda.

and i hope tessai doesn't have a zanpakutou...

perhaps he was in the kidoushuu, but that's weird. just say he's a human soul who is a master at kidou. that would be enough for me.

and wow, when did it say he name was Tsukabishi, i was looking for his last name b4, i thought they never said it.

and i think a kidou's number represents how hard it is to cast, not neccassarily just how powerful it is.

[Monz]

keep in mind that the spell he used on ichigo (#99) was really weak and couldnt stop ichigo at all, as i see it binding spells are weaker and more easy to use then destructive, why? since i dont know kido i cant really tell but i guess they use more power, energy or whatever.

Well the spell had two parts. When Ichigo started transforming he started the second part of the spell and Jinta said that if he did that it would kill Ichigo and he said he didnt' have any choice.

[Shadoblak]

keep in mind that the spell he used on ichigo (#99) was really weak and couldnt stop ichigo at all, as i see it binding spells are weaker and more easy to use then destructive, why? since i dont know kido i cant really tell but i guess they use more power, energy or whatever.

Ichigo was experiencing a power spike...His hollow power once again was pouring out......Also recall that Tessai hesitated at Urahara's request...As such Ichigo broke binding from the first half of the incantation....By the time Tessai used the final binding, Ichigo was free and freaky.....So, the main character is about to die, his power is spiking, he already broke part of the spell, and the last part was cast in haste....We did not see the full powers of Binding spell number 99......And again, I wonder how you see that since Binding spell 81 can stop Destructive spells up to 89.....

[Monz]

Yeah I think I agree with you, a good defense always beats a good offense. I would have to say I think the binding spells are stronger then destructive spells.

[Shdo]

as i said each spell have its own attreibutes, for example the one that hitsugaya used on hinamori, its a protective spell that is good to defend on the the target from outside threats but weak from the inside, so if you can brake it from the inside with a weaker spell does that mean that the lower spell is stronger? not really.

[vaizado]

It's pretty obvious he's a shinigami. What I wonder more is what Jinta and Ururu are.

[Shdo]

i think those two are mod souls. ururu genocidal mode was pretty much mechanic and reminded me of Kon when he fought that hollow in the first episode, like they are compeled to attack the hollow.

[tari101190]

i think tessai, jinta and ururu are modified souls.

arfticial souls with speical abititles when inside a human body/gigai.

kon gains super strong legs.

ururu has all around super strength and different combat modes...

tessai is a 100% master at kidou.

jinta seems to be pretty normal, otherwise he has super strength in arms i guess.

[H!Mandy]

*reads title* Who is Tsukabishi Tessai?

I don't know...!
:headscratch
oh wait, isn't it that guy that works for Urahara..? *clicks thread*
:facepalm

I've even thought about that before, someone mentioned it...but it's not that important for me.

you've made a point comparing Aizen's kidou, so yeah, he is strong, but I don't have a clue about his past

about kidou: the higher the numbers, the harder the incantation :uhuh
can't really measure power, but yeah, the numbers aren't random ;D

...Kon inspects the Urahara Shoten and accidentally bursts upon Tessai wearing nothing but his apron :rawr

this scarred me for life X_X what's wrong with Urahara? :lmao

lol every character without background is put in division 0 by the fans, the King pays his guards so bad they all resigned :D

lol, of course we do! xD

[Shadoblak]

as i said each spell have its own attreibutes, for example the one that hitsugaya used on hinamori, its a protective spell that is good to defend on the the target from outside threats but weak from the inside, so if you can brake it from the inside with a weaker spell does that mean that the lower spell is stronger? not really.

You're not even making a real point here :lmao
It's a barrier, of course the person you use it on is weaker so they'd need to escape in an emergency that's a failsafe....It doesn't change the fact that the spell blocks destructive spells and other attacks with a force corresponding to it's number..

[vaizado]

If Jinta and Ururu are mod souls, how come Urahara doesnt destroy them? He was pretty determine to destroy Kon when he went after it because he was a mod soul.

I think they're more like Nemu, who were created by Urahara himself.

[Monz]

So you think they were made from Urahara's own body?

[Shdo]

i dont think he really wanted to destroy kon, more likely he wanted ichigo to protect kon or something. as we know, saying something in bleach dosnt mean its true.

[ch1mera]

since Nemu was created by Mayuri, I think there is a possibility that Urahara might have created Ururu and Jinta, too. Personally, I think this is possible. I mean, look at them: if I were a shop owner, I would't want these two children working for me. :p

[EX|pada #0]

He wanted to destroy Kon because he was marked as "low quality product", or something like that.

And yes, since Urahara is a master with gigais, I think the thoery of Tessai, Ururu and Jinta being modsouls is a good one.

[BioBomber]

Yeah, the modsoul story sounds quite feasible. The question then remains, exactly how old are they? Did Urahara create them after he went to the real world and opened his shop? Or was Tessai at least already around, perhaps as some kind of live-in kidou powerhouse?

[Tomodachi69]

Ichigo was experiencing a power spike...His hollow power once again was pouring out......Also recall that Tessai hesitated at Urahara's request...As such Ichigo broke binding from the first half of the incantation....By the time Tessai used the final binding, Ichigo was free and freaky.....So, the main character is about to die, his power is spiking, he already broke part of the spell, and the last part was cast in haste....We did not see the full powers of Binding spell number 99......And again, I wonder how you see that since Binding spell 81 can stop Destructive spells up to 89.....

So, the main character is about to die,
the main character

'Nuff said? :p

Well, I suppose it's reasonable to assume that during Ichigo's transformation, his reiats was all over the place and that, possibly, he was strong enough at that moment to render that spell useless.

Also, I very much support the 'Urahara shoten crew are modsouls' theory, especially after Urahara went to recruit Mayuri.

[Gol D. Roger]

Eh, I can't say I'll ever really ascribe to the theory that Tessai's a mod-soul until it's actually confirmed by KT.

I'd much rather see him end up as someone Urahara knew from Soul Society. My best guesses would be a member of the Kidō Corps, or another denizen of the Maggot's Nest.

[Fortunate]

I'm leaning more toward Tessai being a Shinigami over him being a mod-soul.

[Gol D. Roger]

I'm leaning more toward Tessai being a Shinigami over him being a mod-soul.

Hey, I never actually thought about it before, but now I'm wondering... Do you think members of the Kidō Corps are shinigami?

I read on Wiki that they're supposed to have been recruited from the Shinigami Academy, and that information supposedly comes from Character Book SOULs. However, information from Wikipedia, which is in turn based on a one-page entry in a book that's never been entirely translated into English, is, well... Barely reliable, at best, I suppose.

Though even if that information is true, it doesn't give a definitive answer as to whether the Kidō Corps are shinigami or not.

So yeah, sort of off-topic, but again, I'd like to believe that Tessai was a member of the Kidō Corps, given his ability to cast high-level Bakudō without an incantation. Due to the lack of information, though, it wouldn't necessarily rule out him being a shinigami.

[Aizen Sousuke]

I wonder if it is possibly more difficult to perform Way of Destruction spells (Hadou) than Way of Binding spells (Bakudou)? It seems, generally (not to bring down Tessai), that higher binding spells are used, while destruction spells seem to be generally lower. I don't know if this a choice of preference, or it's easier to master binding as opposed to destruction.

[Shdo]

I wonder if it is possibly more difficult to perform Way of Destruction spells (Hadou) than Way of Binding spells (Bakudou)? It seems, generally (not to bring down Tessai), that higher binding spells are used, while destruction spells seem to be generally lower. I don't know if this a choice of preference, or it's easier to master binding as opposed to destruction.

the first spell is a binding and even renji was able to use it so...

[Budo]

I think he's a hollow.

Who turned human.

And mastered Bakudou.

Killed the King (Bakudou #101 'Five farts on the horizon')

And got hired by Voldemort.

:)

[Gol D. Roger]

I think he's a hollow.

Who turned human.

And mastered Bakudou.

Killed the King (Bakudou #101 'Five farts on the horizon')

And got hired by Voldemort.

:)

Crap, I think Budo just won the internets. :noes

[CeriaHalcyon]

I think he's a hollow.

Who turned human.

And mastered Bakudou.

Killed the King (Bakudou #101 'Five farts on the horizon')

And got hired by Voldemort.

:)

At this point you might be right, now that we've learned he wasnt Urahara's vc.

[Velius]

IMO, he's a shinigami. It's the simplest explanation, so probably the correct one. Probably not directly linked to the Gotei 13, like Yoruichi, probably left SS with Urahara. I was really hoping he would appear in the giaden, it still could happen...

[laurie b.]

I think he's a former Shinigami, and not a mod soul. While it's not impossible -- and he can change his mind any time he wants, because he's the mangaka -- KT hasn't actually shown a mod soul who can do kidou, so there's no precedent yet to say he's a mod soul.

Even the mod souls in the anime fillers didn't do kidou, right? Their powers were more like vaizard or hollow-based.

[BioBomber]

I suppose Tessai would be wearing a gigai, so that might go some way to explaining why he has no visible zanpakuto, either that or he keeps it in storage. But I doubt the latter, I don't think a shinigami could endure that, considering it's a part of their soul. Either that or he's lost it somehow.

[Pollux]

In short, I think he was a shinigami (yet a very strong one), nothing more, nothing less.
I posted the following paragraph in the chapter -106 discussion but since we are in the general section, I put spoiler tags.
I thought Tessai was a member of the Kido Corps but after reading this chapter I began to wonder if he could have been a former prison guard err... "jailer". I mean, he seems very good in hand to hand fighting and according to Urahara, being a jailer requires to be able "to master the prisoners with one's bare hands". Moreover, Tessai is very skilled at binding arts. It could be useful for restraining people such as - let's say - prisoners.

[BioBomber]

You make an excellent point, Pollux. It does indeed explain why he'd be good at binding arts, he'd need to know a lot of nonlethal means of subduing inmates.

[Lunar]

Yes,mark my words that we will see him in the Gaiden Arc.If not,at least Kubo,prepare a special battle where he flashback at the past ^^ I can't wait to learn more about him plus Ururu & Jinta which they are under Urahara's team.Urahara not someone lame :D

[Monz]

I think he may be Darth Vader, and pretty soon he is going to tell Urahara he is his father.

[Lunar]

I don't know about that :rofl

[Monz]

Yeah, but you never know! Tessai is a mysterious character.

[laurie b.]

I just wanted to give this thread a bump, because with the spoiler pics of latest chapter, well. It's fun re-reading all the crack theories now disproven. :nuts

Yey for Tessai! I'm excited to a HQ version of his old uniform.

[Fortunate]

He's the Wizard of Oz! :zomg

[Meriko]

Spoiler Alert!

In the most current chapter of the Manga, it is revealed that Ashoda Hachigen is the lieutenant of the kido corps...and Tsukabishi Tessai is the Captain. this explains his use of the high level binding Kido used earlier, and his association with Urahara. Also, it gives us the origin of another Vaizard: Hachi.

We still don't know the origin of the kids at the shop, though. :)

[Monz]

Lol it seems our predictions were right after all. xD

[Magiciann178]

Attention, big (major) spoilers to whoever doesnt read the manga:

Tsukabishi Tessai is the former Commander of the Kido Corps(:eek:), around 100 years before the main story line. If u look up for "Turn back the Pendulum" you'll see the whole story (before the main story line and the actual story line with a total new look... The fact Tessai can do all those #99 kido spells (both bakudo and hado) it's simply because he was the most skilled shinigami in the whole SS back then. His lieutenant, Hachigen Ushōda is now part of the Vizards (actually, all the vizards were former captains/lieutenants of SS!). Sorry if many of you knew this already, but since I didn't see any clear info, I thought i'd write it up :p

Im kinda sad I didn't get to see Kurosaki Ishin... I wonder exactly when did that asshole became a Captain...