The Bounts are a group of Humans that live by consuming Human souls (Pluses), as well as Shinigami and Quincy souls which potentially increases their abilities.
Bounts are living beings similar to the Quincy, the difference being they have a special component that is encompassed by a Human soul. Bounts have the unique ability to absorb Human souls, making them their own. It is as a result of this ability that Bounts at various times in Human history were labeled "vampires". As the accidental creations of a Shinigami scientist, they were once affiliated with Soul Society. Currently, the Bounts in general are only a small tribe of beings from what they once were. Due to their circumstance, they are neither affiliated with Soul Society nor the living world, they are pariahs, accepted in neither dimension.
The natural abilities they possess due to their unique creation differentiate them from normal Humans and even Quincy. These abilities include:
- Soul Absorption: Bounts normally try to absorb the Human's soul after the person dies and is trying to pass on. But they are also capable of taking the souls of those who are living, to do so kills the Human.
- Immortality: By absorbing Human souls, a Bount can live forever. When they absorb Human souls, they gain eternal life.
- Empowerment: By taking the souls of living Humans, Bounts gain unique abilities.
The Bounts' inability to age is a product of how they survive: consuming Human, Shinigami, Hollows, and Quincy souls which potentially increases their abilities. This also seems to make them infertile.
Bount Seals: These seals are called Hankyō Hyuraizā.
Zeige Dich, Noin Raven meaning Pursue the Plan, Noin Raven.
Zeige Dich!, German for Show yourself, is used by all the Bounts. It is similar to a Shikai command; the difference is that all Bounts have the same release command. A Shikai has only one dominant command, while a doll has many commands.
Space Manipulation: The Bounts are able to manipulate space after they have sucked a number of souls. The following Spacial Commands are:
Andere Welt anschliessende Port, tauch' dich sofort auf!, incorrect German meaning The portal which connects to another world, appear now!. This opens a Senkaimon.
Mache sogleich das Tor fuer unsere Bounto auf!, German phrase meaning Open at once the gate for our Bounts. This allows the Bount's souls to pass through the Senkaimon. In order for the portal to open faster, it needs a Quincy arrow to be shot through the portal.
Dolls:Bounts, being created as variations on a Shinigami soul, have similar powers to Shinigami. The foremost of these powers is the Bount doll,a familiar equivalent to a Shinigami's Zanpakutō. Like a Zanpakutō, a doll is its creator's power given physical form. Also like a Zanpakutō, a doll's personality is much like its creator's, though the dolls seem to have more personality variation than the Zanpakutō spirits.
The main difference between a doll and a Zanpakutō is how they operate. Unlike a Zanpakutō, whose personality is generally dormant except when the Shinigami wishes to speak to them, a doll's personality is always dominant. Dolls are self-sufficient when released, though they can easily be resealed. The Bounts' ability to control their doll is largely based on their individual power and relationship with the doll. Moreover, if either the doll or its Bount partner sustains severe damage in a battle, the Bount may lose control over his doll, depending on the amount of damage dealt. If a doll is injured, it will simply return itself to its sealed state. However, should its master be injured, the doll may go berserk and kill its master. A doll may also kill a Bount who is not powerful enough to contain it. Bounts with a genuine bond with their dolls can transgress this (but only if their interaction goes well beyond that of between master and slave), however, as shown by Yoshino's doll's loyalty towards his master to the point where he refused to leave her side to fulfill her final wish: for her to be merged with him.
Like a Zanpakutō, dolls are generally sealed into an object and released as necessary. Gō Koga's doll, for example, is sealed into a metal sphere, but his hidden doll is merged with him by his special abilities. The object varies greatly from person to person and is often an expression of the doll's abilities. In order to call upon a Bount's doll, the phrase "Zeige Dich" is said.