Shinigami - Kido
Shinigami - Kido is the racial skill tree in VV: Ultimatum that gives Soul Reapers their Kido spells - Hado attack spells and Bakudo binding spells, several of which use incantation quick-time events that decide the spell's strength.
Kido is the Shinigami art of shaping Reiatsu into combat abilities, and this racial tree is where Soul Reapers unlock it. Its defining mechanic is the incantation: certain spells trigger a quick-time event on cast, and how well you perform it determines the spell's effectiveness - a failed incantation typically means fewer hits, longer cast times, lower damage, or a missing projectile, depending on the spell.
The Hado side covers twelve documented offensive spells, from the simple beam Byakurai up to the ultimate Heavenly Culling Sear, which deals extremely high damage in exchange for a slow startup and a very high Reiatsu cost. A strong lightning sub-theme runs through the tree: Tsuzuri Raiden coats your blade in lightning for 4 hits (2 on a failed incantation) and buffs all lightning-based Kido damage while active, feeding directly into spells like Raikoho, Shiten Raiho, and the counter-slash Zangerin.
The Bakudo side is about control: Sai locks an opponent's hands together (though it is ineffective against stronger opponents), Sekienton stuns with red smoke and can launch targets airborne, Horin drags enemies in with a Kido rope that works on ragdolled opponents, Rikujokuro pins them with six beams of light, a motion-detecting Trap Spell covers ground you leave behind, and Hainawa's lightning tendrils steal Reiatsu. One entry, Prism Seal, is listed as locked with no further documentation. The parallel Quincy and Arrancar Kido trees exist on the same racial branch but are not yet documented.
Details
| Tree group | Racial Skill Tree (Soul Reaper) |
| Hado spells documented | 12 |
| Bakudo spells documented | 6 (+1 locked) |
| Signature mechanic | Incantation quick-time events |
Hado spells
Byakurai conjures a blue Kido beam in front of you; at Level 4 it emits an aftershock toward the target for a small percentage of damage. Tsuzuri Raiden (incantation) coats your blade with lightning, raising damage and stun time for 4 hits - a failed incantation cuts that to 2. Its Level 4 upgrade buffs all lightning-based Kido damage while active, and Level 6 restores 12.5% more posture when you parry with it active.
Fushibi stuns an enemy in a net of Kido before it explodes, and at Level 3 it briefly disables the dash/flash step of anyone initially caught. Sokaitsu (incantation) fires a blinding continuous beam; failing the incantation lengthens the cast and lowers the damage. Shiten Raiho conjures a lightning field beneath you. Raikoho is a chargeable lightning projectile that explodes on impact, with rushdown potential off its knockback at Level 3 and a follow-up aftershock at Level 5.
Zangerin performs an AoE slash imbued with lightning - if you are attacked within a short window afterward, it deals massively more damage and creates rushdown options. Level 3 raises its damage while Tsuzuri Raiden is active, and Level 6 adds an electroshock whose stun scales with counter timing: earlier counters stun longer than late ones. Haien (incantation) is a purple energy blast that incinerates on contact (failed incantation lowers damage); its purple flames linger at Level 4 and stop damaging you at Level 6. Geki Rokko fires green lasers from a Kido circle, with Level 2 auto-tracking for targets slightly out of range. Heavenly Culling Sear, the tree's ultimate, smites opponents with heavenly beams - extremely high damage, slow startup, very high Reiatsu cost. Goryutenmetsu (incantation) summons dragons behind you to send one-by-one at your mouse position; a failed incantation summons 1 fewer dragon.
Bakudo spells
Sai locks an opponent's hands together, preventing them from attacking, though it is ineffective against stronger opponents; Level 7 makes it ignore block. Sekienton releases red smoke that stuns and deals minor damage - hitting with the move's edge, or hitting a crumpled opponent, launches them into the air, and Level 6 lets you rushdown after the launch.
Horin is a Kido rope that pulls in a targeted enemy and works on ragdolled opponents; at Level 8 it goes through block. Rikujokuro (incantation) summons 6 beams of light that pierce an opponent and temporarily restrict their movement. The Trap Spell creates a motion-detecting trap - pressing Counter during its startup instead transitions into a dash attack that deals considerably less damage. Hainawa (incantation) sends out lightning tendrils that steal Reiatsu from your opponent. Prism Seal is listed as locked, with no documented effect.
FAQ
What are incantations in VV: Ultimatum?
Quick-time events attached to certain Kido spells. Success casts the full-strength spell; failure applies a documented penalty - Tsuzuri Raiden drops from 4 hits to 2, Sokaitsu casts slower for less damage, Haien loses damage, and Goryutenmetsu summons 1 fewer dragon.
Is there a Kido tree for Quincy and Arrancar too?
Yes - the racial skill tree branch lists Quincy - Kido and Arrancar - Kido alongside this one, but their contents are not yet covered by community documentation.
What is the strongest spell in the tree?
Heavenly Culling Sear is the documented ultimate: heavenly beams with extremely high damage, balanced by a slow startup and a very high Reiatsu cost.