The Bleach anime and manga series features an extensive cast of characters created by Tite Kubo. The series takes place in a fictional universe in which the characters are divided into various factions and fictional races with distinct themes. All these races are human beings, that in the moment they died, they were able or not to rest in peace. Souls who manage to rest go to a place called Soul Society where they live for a long time until resurrecting in a new body or they instead can become Soul Reapers, who take care of souls.
The series features a teenager named Ichigo Kurosaki who is inadvertently given Soul Reaper powers by a Soul Reaper named Rukia Kuchiki in a moment of desperation during a battle. As he assumes the duties of a Soul Reaper in her stead, Ichigo has to fight against giant creatures called hollows which are the souls of people who are not able to rest in peace after death. Over the course of the first season, some of his friends discover their own powers which are somehow awakened because of proximity to Ichigo.
The Soul Society has rigid feudal laws that Rukia breached when she gave her powers to a human. Ichigo's first great adventure involves infiltrating Soul Society with his friends, seeking to rescue Rukia from a sentence of death at the hands of her fellow Soul Reapers. Many mysteries are uncovered in the process of that rescue and several pivotal characters are introduced, including the rebel Sōsuke Aizen, a Soul Reaper captain who departs at the end of that story arc with great powers and the implication of much mayhem to come.
When creating the series, the author Kubo focused on the large number of new character designs and deals with making them participate in the plot. He also decides their personalities after designing them so that all characters can be unique. The characters have received praise and criticism by reviewers from anime, manga and other media. While some reviewers considered some of the characters to initially be "relatively stereotypical" of manga characters, most reviewers have remarked how each character is distinct.
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Bleach's creative process is focused around character design. When writing plotlines or having difficulties generating new material, Tite Kubo begins by thinking of new characters, often en masse, and rereading previous volumes of Bleach.[1] Kubo has said that he likes creating characters with outward appearances that do not match their true nature, an element that can be found in many Bleach characters, as he is "attracted to people with that seeming contradiction", and finds an "urge to draw people like that when I work."[2] When creating characters for the manga, Kubo first attempts to create the design and later decides what a character's personality will be, according to what he drew. Kubo considers every character to be unique and wants each of them to be developed along the series.[3] When asked about potentially-romantic relationships between certain characters, Kubo states that he "doesn't want to turn the series into a love story", since he thinks there are more exciting aspects of their personalities to draw out.[4]
Bleach was first conceived from Kubo's desire to draw a shinigami in a kimono, which formed the basis for the design of the Soul Reapers.[5] Several characteristics from them such as the kidō spells and the zanpakutō swords are also based on Japanese literature.[2] Rukia Kuchiki was the first character Kubo designed, but he did not see her as a lead character, so he created Ichigo Kurosaki to be the series protagonist.[6] Other characters from the series also use different languages to describe their terminology; the powers from the Quincy are taken from German, while hollows and arrancar instead use Spanish terms; for the latter, Kubo believed that the language sounded "bewitching" and "mellow". Additionally, the names of several arrancar are based on famous architects and designers.[2]
Kubo has cited influences for elements of Bleach ranging from other manga series to music, foreign language, architecture, and film. He attributes his interest in drawing the supernatural and monsters to Shigeru Mizuki's Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro and Bleach's focus on interesting weaponry and battle scenes to Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya, both manga Kubo enjoyed as a boy.[5] Kubo has also commented that, when making characters designs, one of his inspirations is by looking at people's faces, a trait Kubo used to do when he was a child.[2] One of his biggest problems in drawing the manga is the fact he has to make a chapter of 19 pages on a weekly basis. Although he is helped by three assistants, he has to do all the important illustrations and characters by himself.[7] In the making of battle scenes, Kubo's main inspiration is rock music. While listening to the music, he imagines the fights with that music and then he tries to find the best angle to make it.[8] He then tries to draw very realistic injuries in order to make the readers feel the pain the characters are feeling.[1] Kubo mentions that he's sometimes bored whilst illustrating them, and tends to add in a few jokes to make it more humorous.[8]
Ichigo Kurosaki (黒崎 一護 Kurosaki Ichigo) is the primary protagonist of Bleach and main hero. An orange-haired high school student, Ichigo becomes a "substitute Shinigami (Soul Reaper)" after unintentionally absorbing most of Rukia Kuchiki's powers.[9] His cynical nature at first makes him ill-disposed towards the duty, but, with the passage of time, he accepts and welcomes the strength his Soul Reaper powers give him.[10] When creating the manga series, Kubo commented that Rukia Kuchiki, the first character he created, did not seem like a lead character, so he created Ichigo to be the series protagonist.[6] In the Japanese series, he is voiced by Masakazu Morita while in the English adaptation he is voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch.[11][12]
Rukia Kuchiki (朽木 ルキア Kuchiki Rukia) is a Soul Reaper who is assigned hollow extermination duties in Ichigo's hometown (Karakura Town) and is the main heroine (though her role is downplayed later on). Though her physical appearance is that of a teenage girl, in reality she is ten times older than Ichigo. At the opening of the story, Rukia is forced to transfer her powers to Ichigo and assume a temporary lifestyle as a regular human.[9] She registers at the local high school and takes up residence in Ichigo's closet, while teaching him how to be a substitute Soul Reaper in her place.[10] She is shown many times kicking Ichigo in the face and using similar, slightly comical tactics to "wake him up." Orihime stated once that Rukia seemed to be the only one that is able to cheer Ichigo up, as she seems to have a lot of faith in him. Rukia was the first character of the series created by Kubo, her design being the one he decided to use for all the other Soul Reapers.[5] She is voiced by Fumiko Orikasa in Japanese and by Michelle Ruff in English.[11][12]
Orihime Inoue (井上 織姫 Inoue Orihime) is a long-time classmate of Ichigo Kurosaki who gains a crush on him later on in the series, linked to him by mutual friend Tatsuki Arisawa. She is effectively an orphan, as when she was 3, her older brother Sora left their abusive parents' home with Orihime and raised her on his own . Later on, when Orihime was in middle school, he died in an accident.[13] Though initially devoid of spiritual powers, she develops spiritual awareness early in the plot and later obtains the God-like ability to warp reality through rejecting past phenomena.[14] She is voiced by Yuki Matsuoka in the Japanese series and by Stephanie Sheh in the English dub.[15][16]
Yasutora Sado (茶渡 泰虎 Sado Yasutora), better known as Chad (チャド Chado), is one of Ichigo's friends at school. He is a biracial Japanese/Mexican student who towers over his classmates at 7 feet 2 inches.[17] Despite his imposing appearance he is quite meek, and refuses to fight unless it is for the sake of another. Chad does not have awareness of ghosts at first, but this changes when he attempts to protect Ichigo's sister, Karin,and her friends from a hollow. He discovers a unique ability that strengthens and armors his right arm, enabling him to fight hollows. Eventually as his power develops, Chad learns that he is a Fullbringer and joins Xcution to help Ichigo regain his Soul Reaper powers. Hiroki Yasumoto voices him in the Japanese series, while Jamieson Price plays him in the English adaptation.[15][16]
Uryū Ishida (石田 雨竜 Ishida Uryū) is a Quincy, descendant of a line of priest-like hollow-hunting archers who were historical enemies of the Soul Reapers.[n 1] He bears a deep grudge against all Soul Reapers, including Ichigo, and is an early antagonist in the series.[18] He comes to view Ichigo differently over time, and eventually becomes a valuable ally and a friendly rival.[19] He is voiced by Noriaki Sugiyama in Japanese and Derek Stephen Prince in English.
Renji Abarai (阿散井 恋次 Abarai Renji) is Rukia's childhood friend and the current Lieutenant of the 6th Division, serving under Byakuya Kuchiki. His visual distinction are a series of black tribal tattoos that cover most of his face and body, given to him by his zanpakuto, Zabimaru, as he became stronger. Hot-headed and stubborn, he is driven by his desire to protect his friends and to surpass Byakuya Kuchiki. Initially an enemy, he becomes a good friend of Ichigo's and one of his rivals. He is voiced by Kentaro Ito in Japanese and by Wally Wingert in English.
The Bounts[20] (バウント bounto) are a group of humans with special abilities. They are the main antagonists during the series' anime-exclusive Bount and Bount Assault on Soul Society arcs. The Bounts live eternally (caused by an accident) due to a scientific experiment earlier in the Soul Society, where they were created, and began to eat the souls of human beings to gain more power; according to Kisuke Urahara, they have historically been known as vampires. Like Soul Reapers, they each have a unique weapon known as a doll, a familiar equivalent to the Soul Reaper zanpakutō. Like a zanpakutō, a doll is its creator's power given physical form. However, instead of taking the form of actual weapons like zanpakutō do, dolls are mostly self-sufficient creatures when released, although they tend to be used as weapons in various ways such as a large battleaxe or a snake, as a sword and whip. Their leader Kariya, motivated by the destruction of himself and all connected to him, plans to invade Soul Society along with the remaining Bounts to destroy it and themselves. However, with the exception of his friend Gō Koga (古賀剛 Koga Gō), Kariya managed to have his forces wiped out by the Soul Reapers prior to himself being killed by Ichigo Kurosaki. A use of the German language is an apparent theme among the Bount given that several of their dolls have names based on German words. IGN criticized the Bounts as being "lame bad guys," noting that the bittō (the Bounts’ mosquito-like creatures that collect souls) in particular were like "something straight out of a bad sci-fi movie," but admitted the Bounts were "decent plot devices" to develop the other characters.[21]
The leader of the Bounts, Jin Kariya (狩矢 神 Kariya Jin) planned to destroy the entire Soul Society through the Jōkaishō that created the Bounts. He was originally Eugene Currier, a boy who was befriended by the Soul Society scientist Rantao before being forced to leave his home when Soul Reapers are dispatched to kill the Bounts. He eventually fused his Doll Messer into him, increasing his power and seeing the Bounts' existence as meaningless. Centuries later, Kariya gathers all the remaining strong Bounts to serve as pawns in his plan to destroy not only the Soul Society but themselves as well. Kidnapping Uryū Ishida, Kariya intended to use his Quincy powers to create a special gate which will allow him and the rest of the Bounts to enter the Soul Society. He then kills the turncoat Bount Yoshino Sōma and uses her soul to create the Bitto to collect and distill human souls so the Bounts can increase their powers upon consumption.
Upon entering the Soul Society, Kariya tricks the residents of Kusajishi, the 79th district of Rukongai, to aid him in his cause before having them killed upon outliving their usefulness. While having the other Bounts fight the Soul Reapers, Kariya finds the Jōkaishō and activates it. After leaving his comrade Koga for dead, Kariya is confronted by Rantao and overwhelms her before Uryū appears. After killing up his Soul Reaper aide Maki, Kariya battles Ichigo one-on-one in a powerful and climatic sword fight. Before turning into dust upon being defeated, Kariya mentions his one regret not to see if Ichigo, a being of two worlds like himself, will choose to take the same path as he did. Kariya is voiced by Tōru Ōkawa in Japanese and Troy Baker in English.
Hollows are the class of spirit that most enemies in Bleach are a part of.[9] They are formerly human spirits that were not sent to Soul Society in due time after death. This makes them lose their sense of being and gives them a craving for human souls. Their main characteristic is a white mask completely covering their face and a hole near their heart. Each hollow's mask has a design unique to that individual.[22] Arrancar, a stronger form of hollow that have acquired humanoid form and some of the powers of Soul Reapers, become the primary antagonists later in the series. Besides having a human body, their masks are partially broken to reveal part of their face. Their holes are no longer restricted to being near their heart, and can be located anywhere on their body, including their head.[23]
The humans featured in Bleach are residents of a modern Japan. Most are unable to interact with spirits in any way. In rare cases a human is born with the ability to speak and interact with spirits, with the degree of interaction growing with time. Many of the humans introduced in the series have only become spiritually aware through their interaction with series' protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki (other than Uryu Ishida, Sado Yastruda, Orihime Inoue, and Don Kanonji), and, by extension, his friends and former classmates at Karakura High School.[24]
Keigo Asano (浅野 啓吾 Asano Keigo) is a classmate of Ichigo Kurosaki. He is an extremely hyperactive character and often uses overly dramatic movements and words to act out his feelings. As such, he is primarily comedic foil, acting as an antithesis to his usually calm friend Mizuiro Kōjima. Keigo appears to be a shallow character at first glance, with a passion for slacking off. Indeed, he takes great pride in not making it to the honors roster in his class and labels those who do so "traitors" (including Ichigo and Chad).[25] Like many of Ichigo's friends, Keigo is spiritually aware, though he dismisses many of the peculiar things he sees as shootings for a TV show. He has yet to display any unique abilities, save blocking one of Rangiku Matsumoto's attacks. His parents are referred to at least once as authority figures in his home but never seen; however, his older sister, Mizuho does appear.[26] In the Japanese version he is voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi, while in the English adaptation Yuri Lowenthal is his voice actor.[15][16]
Mizuiro Kojima (小島 水色 Kojima Mizuiro) is a classmate of Ichigo Kurosaki. He has a boyish face and gentle manner of speaking, with a marked fondness for older women. He is shown to be spiritually aware, but has yet to display any unique abilities. In an omake chapter of Bleach, Mizuiro is revealed to have had very few friends prior to entering junior high school. He then has a change of fortunes and has since found a niche of people to hang out with, most commonly Keigo Asano.[27] Jun Fukuyama voices him in the Japanese series, while in the English version he is voiced by Tom Fahn.[15][16]
Tatsuki Arisawa (有沢 立木 Arisawa Tatsuki) is a good friend of Ichigo Kurosaki and the best friend of Orihime Inoue. She has known both since she was young, sparring with Ichigo in their karate classes and defending Orihime whenever people picked on or bothered her.[28][29] Tatsuki is very tomboyish, displaying few feminine traits and even ranking as the second strongest student in her age group in all of Japan, despite having a broken arm during the tournament. Apart from being spiritually aware, Tatsuki can sense Orihime from almost anywhere, even across dimensions; she is able to sense Orihime when she travels to Soul Society, but remarks that she can not sense her presence after Orihime is taken to Hueco Mundo. Despite her aggressive manner, she worries about Ichigo when she sees him fighting the Espada Grimmjow. [30] She is voiced by Junko Noda in the Japanese version and Wendee Lee in the English dub.[15][16]
The main character from the series, Ichigo Kurosaki, lives along with his family who owns and work in a medical clinic in Karakura Town.
Isshin Kurosaki (黒崎 一心 Kurosaki Isshin) is the father of the Kurosaki family. He is initially portrayed as a silly, fight-loving father who takes a keen interest in what his children are doing. He shows them affection either offensively or with an all-too-happy tone, which elicits comical reactions from his kids, usually in the form of a kick.[9] Later in the series he reveals himself as a former captain-level Soul Reaper, regaining his powers after twenty years so that he can avenge his wife's death by killing Grand Fisher. He seems to be aware of activities in the spiritual community, such as Sōsuke Aizen's actions and that Ichigo has become a Soul Reaper.[31] He later appears in Karukura Town to aid Ichigo in the battle against Aizen. Isshin, like Ichigo, has the zanpakutō technique Getsuga Tensho, but his zanpakutō is named Engetsu (剡月, Scathing Moon). Isshin was planned to be a Soul Reaper from when Kubo created chapter one of Bleach, but his position in Soul Society came later, as the concept of Soul Reaper officers was invented much later.[4] Isshin is known to be as powerful as a captain (if not more so), as he was able to overpower Aizen in combat, even going as far as to knock him aside with the force generated by flicking his finger against his own arm. He is voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa in the Japanese dub and Patrick Seitz in the English dub.
Ichigo's fraternal twin sisters are Karin Kurosaki (黒崎 カリン Kurosaki Karin) and Yuzu Kurosaki (黒崎 ゆず Kurosaki Yuzu).[32] Both born on May 6, Karin is typically cynical and sarcastic, and is significantly more assertive and aggressive than Yuzu. Like Ichigo, Karin is spiritually aware, though she initially chooses to ignore the spirits she sees.[33] She is aware of Ichigo's Soul Reaper powers, and tells him of this, but Ichigo tries to act as if he does not know what she is talking about before leaving his body in her care when the Arrancar attack.[34] She is voiced by Rie Kugimiya in the Japanese dub and Kate Higgins in the English dub. Yuzu is more soft-spoken, empathetic, and emotional in comparison to her sister. She takes care of the housework, such as cooking meals and tidying up the living space, on a daily basis.[33] She has a deep affection for Kon (whom she does not know is alive), calling him "Bostov".[35] Yuzu has a weak level of spiritual awareness, only being able to see faint outlines of spirits. Unlike Karin, she also openly displays her sisterly love to Ichigo, often crying for him when he is away from home and worrying about him when their father performs a rather comical attack on him. [36] She is voiced by Tomoe Sakuragawa in the Japanese dub and Janice Kawaye in the English dub.
Modified souls (改造魂魄 kaizō konpaku), or Mod-Souls for short, are artificial souls created by Soul Society researchers some time before the start of Bleach's storyline. They were created to reanimate the dead bodies of humans to act as a formidable fighting force, but this was found unethical and they were ordered to be destroyed. Four modified souls have been introduced in the series thus far, each having been saved from destruction. All have enhanced speed and strength when compared to normal humans, and often special abilities which set them apart from each other.[37] Each typically inhabits a plushie with all of their abilities intact (albeit scaled down to fit their size). The three introduced in the anime's Bount arc also possess a personal gigai (義骸), a synthetic human body, that they can use to avoid attention and otherwise regain complete use of their abilities.
Kon (コン) is the first modsoul to appear in Bleach. He primarily serves as a comedic foil in the series, receiving little respect and much disdain from other characters. He is not completely undeserving of this treatment as he is highly perverted in nature; he is drawn to girls with big breasts (and displays attraction towards Rukia despite her lack thereof, but more because he believes she saved his life) and, when inhabiting another's body, spends his time trying to look up skirts since "it will not be [his] reputation that gets sullied".[38] However, from the beginning he displayed a much more serious side to himself, believing that a life should not be taken on purpose after he witnessed the destruction of other mod souls.[39] Kon's area of expertise are his legs, and thus he can run faster and jump higher than any human, even in his plush form. He typically inhabits a lion plushie that he is very fond of, referring to it as his "sexy body". Kon also inhabits Ichigo Kurosaki's body whenever he is away, playing the part of Ichigo so that his family does not miss him.[40] Although Kon makes only sporadic appearances in the Bleach storyline, he frequently hosts and/or stars in omake specials for the series, self-proclaiming himself the series' mascot. He is voiced by Mitsuaki Madono in the Japanese series and by Quinton Flynn in the English version.[41][42]
Kurōdo (蔵人) is a somewhat cowardly modsoul. He has the ability to shapeshift, and can replicate the abilities of others when he does so (although he can not replicate the potency of said abilities). His plushie body is a rabbit-esque purse. Kurōdo's gigai is of a bespectacled man with a mustache and two-tone hair color (black to the right, blond to the left). He wears a gray top hat, multi-colored suit and tie, as well as dark brown boots. He is often told he talks too much. Nobuo Tobita voices him in the Japanese series and Michael McConnohie in the English dub.
Noba (之芭) is very quiet, rarely speaking more than a few words. He is fairly shy, hiding his face when he wishes to show no emotion. Despite this, he is somewhat analytical and adept at strategic combat. Noba has the power to teleport himself and others to almost any location he has been to, using inter-dimensional portals. The dimension inside the portals appears to be red. He can also create wormholes to redirect ranged attacks, both physical and energy based, back at the enemy. Noba's plushie body is an anthropomorphic turtle in gray dress trousers and a white ruffled shirt with a red bow tie. He retreats into his shell when embarrassed or feeling shy. His gigai is of a young slim built, red haired man with aqua eyes wearing a ninja-esque outfit: a fur coat with a shield on his back and a zippered mask. Tomokazu Sugita is his Japanese voice actor and Roger Craig Smith his English voice actor.
Lirin (りりん Ririn) acts as the leader of the modsouls introduced in the Bount arc. At times she is petty and arrogant, resulting in her initial dislike of Ichigo Kurosaki. She can sense Bount reishi, along with their dolls. Other times she shows real concern for others, eventually developing a fondness for Ichigo where in she will put herself in harm's way to protect him. She often looks down on Kon as inferior, which causes frequent arguments between the two. Her special ability is the creation of illusions. Lirin's plushie body is an anthropomorphic bird that wears a blue coat, red bow, and blue boots. She does not like the plushie at all, and claims that she cannot change to another. Lirin's gigai is a small girl with short blonde hair wearing a pink, fur-trimmed coat, a purple bird-shaped cape, and red boots. She, Kurōdo, and Noba all live at Urahara's shop while not in action. She is voiced by Yumi Kakazu in the Japanese version and by Julie Ann Taylor in the English dub.
Nozomi Kujō (九条 望実 Kujō Nozomi) is a Mod Soul who has escaped from Soul Society and is wanted by Kagerōza Inaba. She is actually the result of Project Spearhead, the experiment that created the first Mod-Soul in the image of its overseer Ōko Yushima. However, the Mod Soul splintered into two: One half becoming Nozomi who embodies Yushima's restraint and other being Inaba who bares their creator's grudge on the Soul Society. Ending up in Karakura Town while envading the Reigai, Mod-Soul based clones of Soul Reapers created by Inaba, Nozomi is found by Kon and befriends Ichigo and his friends as they protect her. In the process, she manages to open up and show off her exuberant personality while manifesting her own Zanpakutō Arazome Shigure (退紅時雨 Faded Scarlet Late Autumn Shower) which can absorb spirit pressure in its released state. Eventually, Nozomi is captured and Inaba proceeds to use his lab equipment to asborb her and assume the intended form of a Reigai in Yushima's image. However, Nozomi's conscious is able to endure and fights Yushima as he battles her friends. Though she managed to separate from him, Nozomu dies from the internal wounds she inflicted on Yushima while she was still a part of him. She is voiced by Hisako Kanemoto
Quincy (滅却師(クインシー) Kuinshī) are a clan of humans who, over many centuries, became spiritually aware. In doing so they devised their own brand of spiritual powers; they most commonly reshape spiritual particles into various types of bow and arrows, but can also concentrate spiritual energy into the form of swords or explosives. At their height, Quincies used their powers to combat the hollows, protecting the inhabitants of the human world with a success rate greater than that of the Soul Reapers. Unlike the Soul Reapers, who purify the souls of hollows allowing them to rest in peace, Quincy destroyed the hollow, soul and all. This created an imbalance between the worlds of the living and the dead, threatening to destroy the universe. To prevent this, the Soul Reapers almost exterminated the Quincy, leaving only two Quincy to survive into the current Bleach storyline and creating a great animosity between the two groups.[18] Tite Kubo created the Quincy as rivals to the Soul Reapers, resulting in long-range weapons as a counter to the standard Soul Reaper zanpakuto and white clothing as an antithesis to the black Soul Reaper uniform. Their name stems from their symbol, a five-pointed star, and the prefix "quin," meaning "five," as well as Kubo's liking for the phrase "Quincy archer."[4]
The only two surviving Quincies are Ryūken Ishida (石田 竜弦 Ishida Ryūken, romanized as "Ryūgen" in Bleach Official Character Book SOULs and other Japanese sources) and his son Uryū Ishida. Ryūken is portrayed as a bitter and cold Quincy who detests his own people, believing them to be wasting their time training their abilities. However, he is soon discovered to be extremely powerful (as he needed just one shot to destroy a Menos when defending his son; it hints that he may rival or exceed the power of a captain) and possess many of the lost or stolen artifacts of the Quincies (some of the new weapons that Ishida currently uses are "borrowed" from his father). Ryūken, like his son, has ties with the shinigami (he is shown to have been acquainted/friends with Isshin Kurosaki)[43] Another known Quincy is Sōken Ishida (石田 宗弦 Ishida Sōken), the father of Ryūken and the grandfather of Uryū. He trained Uryū in Quincy abilities throughout his childhood, becoming his mentor in the process. Sōken tried to make amends with Soul Reapers by advocating a new system of response to hollow attacks. His proposal was never accepted, and he was eventually killed in a hollow attack due to his old age (with Mayuri Kurotsuchi being responsible for not sending Soul Reapers to save him).[44][45]
Soul Reapers are the protectors of souls, granting them access to Soul Society and keeping them safe from hollows. Many of the protagonists introduced in the series are Soul Reapers, either in profession, origin, or abilities. Each Soul Reaper possesses a zanpakutō, a sword that doubles as both a weapon and a physical manifestation of the owner's soul. Each zanpakutō has its own personality, which is at times at odds with its owner's.[9] Though Soul Reapers make up the bulk of the characters from Soul Society that have been introduced in the series, a far greater number of souls occupy its outskirts.[46]
Kūkaku Shiba (志波 空鶴 Shiba Kūkaku) is an ill-tempered fireworks expert and the somewhat authoritative older sister of Ganju. She lives with her family in flamboyant, ridiculously themed houses (which she changes in design and location regularly) on the outskirts of Soul Society. She is missing her right arm, which in the anime is replaced with a prosthetic.[46] Kūkaku is the head of the Shiba family, which fell from the status of nobility after her brother, Kaien, died. Because they knew only that Kaien was killed by a Soul Reaper, both Kūkaku and Ganju are distrustful of Soul Reapers when first introduced. After Kaien's killer, Rukia Kuchiki, explains how he died and apologizes, the Shibas make amends.[47] Kūkaku seems to have some kind of relationship with the Urahara Shop, knowing Yoruichi Shihōin and claiming to have worked with Kisuke Urahara in the past. She can perform high level kidō spells, and carries a kodachi tied around the remaining portion of her right arm.[46] She is voiced by Akiko Hiramatsu and Cindy Robinson in the Japanese and English versions, respectively.
Ganju Shiba (志波 岩鷲 Shiba Ganju) is Kūkaku's younger brother. He is the leader of a gang, who all ride large boars. Incidentally, Ganju's boar, Bonnie-chan, met her end in a nabe which Ganju himself was invited to by 4th squad captain Unohana. Ganju possesses a hot temper and a strong ego, though has shown a softer side, easily being cowed by his older sister, Kūkaku.[46][48] He and his sister initially hate Soul Reapers due to the death of their brother, Kaien, though after his interactions with Ichigo Kurosaki he overcomes this.[49] Ganju is not particularly attractive, something that has become a running joke in the series. He has a dagger which resembles a meat cleaver or a Chinese Dadao, though his skills are limited and he instead relies on his arsenal of fireworks and his earth magic. Ganju's earth magic does not seem to operate on the same principals as standard Soul Reaper kidō spells; the one technique he uses can reduce whatever earth it is aimed at to sand or quicksand, useful when making holes in walls to escape pursuers.[50] He is voiced by Wataru Takagi in the Japanese version and by Kyle Hebert in the English dub.
The Urahara Shop (浦原商店 Urahara Shōten) is a convenience store that predominantly deals in snacks and small household goods. It also caters to a more select crowd of spiritually aware beings, providing them with merchandise it has acquired from Soul Society. Three of its regulars (owner Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihōin, and Tessai Tsukabishi) are former high-ranking Soul Reapers that are now fugitives of Soul Society.[51]
Kisuke Urahara (浦原 喜助 Urahara Kisuke) is the owner of the Urahara Shop. He wears traditional Japanese wooden sandals and a bucket hat, which has earned him the nickname "Mr. Hat-and-Clogs" (ゲタ帽子 geta-bōshi). Urahara is usually quite laid-back and has a jovial if not comical attitude, tendencies that tend to drive away customers.[51] He will similarly leave his store unattended for long periods of time while he trains series protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends in the store's cave-like basement.[52] Despite his odd work ethic and personality, Urahara can be very serious when the situation calls for it. When first introduced Urahara is largely shrouded in mystery, being knowledgeable of all spiritual-related subjects and a guide for Ichigo that works in the background. As the series progresses it is revealed he was the captain of the 12th Division, before which he was a 3rd seat in the 2nd Division, under Yoruichi, a century before the start of the series. He caught Sōsuke Aizen in the act of converting his fellow Soul Reapers into visoreds. Before he had time to save them and turn them back into Soul Reapers, Aizen framed him for the crimes and Urahara fled to the real world.
Urahara is a keen analyst, highly intellectual, with an uncanny ability to discern an opponent's weaknesses and attack patterns with ease, a quality he passes on to Ichigo during their training together. As a former captain, he is also adept in using high-level Kidō and uses a sharp tactical style of combat. He is also an avid inventor, and while still a Soul Reaper, he had created a number of items that went against Soul Society's norms. Most prominent of these is the Hōgyoku (崩玉, lit. "breakdown sphere"), a device which was previously thought to be able to mix Soul Reapers with hollows, but has been revealed by Aizen to have the power to make real what is in the hearts of those around it. Fearing the potential power it could give someone, Urahara tried and failed to destroy it, allowing it to fall into Aizen's possession midway through the series.[53] Urahara's zanpakutō is a shikomizue named Benihime (紅姫, "Crimson Princess" or "Bloody Princess" in some translations). In this form it has three known special abilities: it can create a polygonal "blood mist shield" capable of blocking most attacks, a crimson-colored energy blast which is similar to a cero,[54] and an explosion that combines volatile energy with a net. Benihime's bankai has yet to be revealed, but Urahara, when asked to use his bankai to help train Sado, states that his bankai is not fit for such a purpose.[55] Aizen has commented on Urahara's ability, calling him the only man whose intellect exceeds his own.[56] He aids the Soul Society in their battle against Aizen by creating a Fake Karakura Town in which to fight while the true town and its inhabitants are temporarily evacuated to the Soul Society. He then engages Aizen in battle, is initially defeated, but returns to the fray in time to witness Aizen being sealed by his newly-developed kidō after the Hōgyoku rejects Aizen as its master. Shinichiro Miki voices him in the Japanese version and Michael Lindsay in the English dub.[41][42]
Kubo has commented on Urahara, saying he is based on Snufkin, whom he thought was cool.[57]
Yoruichi Shihōin (四楓院 夜一 Shihōin Yoruichi) is not an employee at the Urahara Shop in any official capacity. She is an old friend of owner Kisuke Urahara and so uses it as a place of residence when she is not abroad.[19] She is slim and has a dark brown skin tone with deep violet hair. She can also transform into a black cat and back at will (much to Ichigo Kurosaki's displeasure as she would tease him whenever she appeared naked before him after transforming). Her cat form gives her a deep voice, which leads many characters to initially believe she is a male and thus call her "Mr. Yoruichi". Yoruichi is very easy-going and she insists that Soi Fon avoid formalities when speaking to her.[58][59] She tends to avoid combat and will not engage her enemies unless her allies will lose without her intervention. When first introduced, she helps Ichigo and his friends infiltrate Soul Society.[60] As the series progress, it is revealed that Yoruichi is a former captain of the 2nd Division, was head of the noble Shihōin clan, and was the Commander in Chief of the Secret Mobile Corps. Therefore, she is highly knowledgeable in Soul Society's history due to her background as a leader of one of the four highest ranking noble families. According to a citation from Kisuke Urahara when he explained to Hiyori Sarugaki, any squad captain in the Gotei 13 who has had the Secret Mobile Corps under his or her control (usually 2nd Squad) will be a formidable military force in Soul Society. As Yoruichi was the leader of the Secret Mobile Corps and also a squad captain herself during the pendulum period and also a leader of a high ranking noble house, it has made her position in the Soul Society as one of the most intimidating and respected. A century before the start of the series she abandoned all of her military and noble house positions by helping Urahara, Tessai Tsukabishi, and the visoreds escape to the human world. Series creator Tite Kubo identifies Yoruichi as one of his two favorite female characters in the series (along with Rangiku Matsumoto), citing that he "has a lot of fun drawing her and creating stories with her."[4]
Yoruichi has lived up to her former position as a captain and Commander in Chief of the Secret Mobile Corps due to her prowess throughout the series including when she immobilized Espada Yammy Riyalgo bare-handed. While she is very skilled in all Soul Reaper tactical combat, Yoruichi has always been presented in the series as extremely powerful in hand-to-hand combat and the use of flash steps (瞬歩 shunpo), a high-speed movement ability.[61] While the ability is common for any competent Soul Reaper, her speed movement is almost unmatched, leading her to be called the Goddess of Flash (瞬神 shunshin, English Anime: "Flash Master"). Even after the pendulum a century later, Byakuya Kuchiki is still unable to surpass her speed. Yoruichi is also highly skilled in "Flash Cry" (瞬閧 shunkō), which is an advanced combat technique that combines hand-to-hand combat and kidō abilities. The use of shunko allows the user to fight bare-handed against any opponent's weapons without being injured.[62] She has never been seen wielding a zanpakutō in the current or gaiden storyline, though is shown carrying a kodachi-like blade during flashbacks; she has also been shown using gauntlets and sabatons during her latest fight against Aizen, though these have been destroyed since then.[63] She is voiced by Satsuki Yukino in the Japanese anime and Wendee Lee in the English dub, while in her cat form Shirō Saitō voices her in Japanese and Terrence Stone in English.
Tessai Tsukabishi (握菱 鉄裁 Tsukabishi Tessai) is Urahara's personal assistant in both business and other matters. He is a large, muscular man with a thick mustache who is always seen wearing an apron. He is shown to have great physical strength, made apparent by his ability to smash a hollow's head to pieces with a single, open-palmed thrust.[64] During the Turn Back the Pendulum miniseries, it is revealed that he was the captain of the Kidō Corps in Soul Society. As a result, Tessai is extremely skilled in kidō, demonstrated by his ability to use a level 99 binding spell while skipping its incantation. He has not been shown to carry a zanpakutō, but he did carry a shakujo during his time in Soul Society. For using forbidden kidō spells (Stopping Time) in aiding Kisuke Urahara in his attempts to help the visoreds, Tessai was sentenced to imprisonment by the Central 46 and was forced to flee to the human world.[65] Kiyoyuki Yanada is his seiyu and Michael Sorich his English voice actor.[41][42]
Jinta Hanakari (花刈 ジン太 Hanakari Jinta) is a small, red-haired boy who is supposed to do manual labor for the shop, such as cleaning. Instead he usually slacks off and forces Ururu to do all the work.[51] Though he frequently bullies her, he does care for Ururu as he recovers her body after she is injured by an arrancar.[66] Though he is more knowledgeable than one might expect given his young appearance, he is still childish, calling Renji Abarai a "moocher" (居候 isōrō),and he enjoyed teasing, spitting and drooling on Ichigo when his Chain of Fate was severed and Ichigo was becoming a hollow in an incapacitated state.[67] Jinta seems to have a crush on Yuzu Kurosaki, calling her "The Goddess" and regarding anything she gives to him as sacred. His primary weapon is an oversized iron rod, similar to a Tetsubo, which he can use to attack.[64] He is voiced by Takako Honda in the Japanese version and by Cindy Robinson in the English dub.,
Ururu Tsumugiya (紬屋 雨 Tsumugiya Ururu) is a meek, black-haired girl with pigtails and purplish-blue eyes who mostly does manual labor for the shop.[51] She is 3 (three) years older than Jinta. She uses a multi-barreled shoulder cannon as her weapon, which can turn into a rocket launcher to deal with powerful opponents.[64] Ururu's meek attitude is somewhat at odds with her fighting ability, which is undefined, but quite high (Urahara vaguely mentions that her fighting ability is at an "anti-Soul Reaper" level). Her punches and kicks have a lethal amount of force and far surpass what is capable of most characters.[68] She seems to respond robotically when injured or when hollows are nearby. During such times, Ururu seems to take on a rather simplistic view of right and wrong; she considers those that cause harm (relative to her) as enemies, and believes that enemies must be eliminated.[69] She is voiced by Noriko Shitaya in the Japanese version and by Wendee Lee in the English version.[41][42]
The Visored (仮面の軍勢（ヴァイザード） Vaizādo, lit. "Masked Army"; "Vizard" in Japanese media and first English release[70]) are Soul Reapers who have obtained hollow powers.[71] The associated process is referred to as "Hollowification" (虚化 horō-ka), excluding Ichigo, Sōsuke Aizen created the Visored by this method.[53][72] To gain access to their hollow powers, a Visored dons a hollow mask. This allows them to augment their Soul Reaper abilities with hollow powers, as well as giving them access to some of the generic hollow abilities. The Visored have not shown any sort of hierarchy, seeming to prefer a loose-knit organization.[71]
Love Aikawa (愛川 羅武(ラブ) Aikawa Rabu) is the former captain of the 7th Division.[73] He is a tall man with a spiked afro (shaped like a normal round afro during his days as a Soul Reaper), and wears sporting sunglasses and a jogging suit. He seems to be very laid back, usually reading Weekly Shōnen Jump or some of Lisa's erotic manga in his spare time. Love's hollow mask is designed after a traditional Japanese Oni mask. Love is later shown to be quite physically strong, being able to rip a Menos Grande in half with his bare hands.[74] Love's zanpakutō is named Tengumaru (天狗丸, lit. tengu). His shikai transforms it into a large kanabō reminiscent of a black cactus, twice the size of Love. Tengumaru has the ability to project fire from its tip. He is voiced by Tetsu Inada in Japanese[75] and Travis Willingham in English.
Shinji Hirako (平子 真子 Hirako Shinji) is the former captain of the 5th Division, preceding his lieutenant Sōsuke Aizen. He distrusted Aizen from the day they met, and thus made him lieutenant so he could keep an eye on him. Because Shinji never socialized with Aizen, however, he was easily deceived by Aizen's actions, culminating to his conversion into a hollow. He has also grown an unknown relation with Ichigo: when asked by Captain Yamamoto which side he was, Shinji answered by saying he was on neither the Gotei 13 nor Aizen's side, but on Ichigo's. Shinji's character is somewhat comical, adding a bit of levity to situations that are otherwise serious. He seems to like annoying his associate, Hiyori Sarugaki, which usually earns him a slap from one of her sandals.[76] He also appears to have a history of referring to cute girls he meets as his 'first love', complete with a deadpan look on his face despite the obvious lie.[77] An early design of Shinji can be seen in the first chapter's cover art, making it clear he was planned well before his introduction.[78]
Shinji's zanpakutō is named Sakanade (逆撫, lit. Counter Stroke). When released, five holes line the blade's length, and a large ring forms at the bottom of the hilt. The blade releases a scent that inverts and reverses the enemy's visual perception. Shinji claims that it is impossible to comprehend the attack directions, as the more experienced one is, the more one relies on instinct to fight, causing one to inevitably fall prey to Sakanade. Shinji is quite skilled with his hollow powers, using a single cero blast to easily overwhelm Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. His Hollow mask resembles a pharaoh's mask.[71] He is voiced by Masaya Onosaka in the Japanese version and Roger Craig Smith in the English version.[75]
Mashiro Kuna (久南 白 Kuna Mashiro) is the former lieutenant of the 9th Division under Kensei. She is a somewhat carefree-crazy girl who is prone to throwing fits for the smallest of things, such as Orihime befriending Hachi or when Kensei insisted on following his subordinates into battle.[79] Her overall style of dress is reminiscent of the costumes worn by the tokusatsu superheroes of late 1970s Japanese television, particularly those of the Kamen Rider Series. Even her attacks are announced like a Tokusatsu superhero. She often calls Ichigo Berry-tan (or "Berry Boy" in the English manga, and "Carrot Top" in the anime), a pun on Ichigo's name ("ichigo" in japanese also means "strawberry"). Unlike the other Visoreds and Ichigo who have to undergo a type of training to control their hollows, Mashiro was able to maintain her hollow mask for fifteen hours on her first attempt to control her hollow. Mashiro's hollow power gives her exceptional physical strength as she easily decapitated several Menos Grande and the giant hollow which was brought by Wonderweiss Margera subsequently engaged in battle with him. However, in the mid-battle with Wonderweiss Margera her mask shatters well before her time limit was up causing Kensei to intervene. Her mask resembles a grasshopper's head, another reference to Kamen Rider. Mashiro loves to engage in battle by combining her physical strength and hollow power rather than using her zanpakutō which the name is still remaining unknown. She is voiced by Akemi Kanda in the Japanese anime[75] and by Laura Bailey in the English anime.
Kensei Muguruma (六車 拳西 Muguruma Kensei) is the former captain of the 9th Division. He has a tattoo of the number 69 on his stomach, which was the inspiration for the one Shūhei Hisagi has on his cheek after saving him when he was younger,[80] and piercing on his left eyebrow. In comparison with his fellow Visoreds, Kensei is a much more serious character. He has a short temper and is easily irritated, particularly by Mashiro.
Kensei's zanpakutō is named Tachikaze (断地風, lit. earth-severing wind) and is released with the command "Blow". His shikai shrinks it down into the form of a survival/combat knife. While in this form, Kensei demonstrates the ability to charge and fire spiritual energy from the blade. Tachikaze can also manipulate wind, as demonstrated when Kensei uses several wind blades to slice up a hollow, killing it instantly.[79] His hollow mask resembles an ice hockey mask, with several rectangular slits. Kensei's bankai is named Tekken Tachikaze (鐡拳・断地風, lit. Iron Fist Earth-Severing Wind). The combat knife transforms into two bladed, bronze knuckle-like weapons known as tiger claws in each hand that are connected by a long fabric-like material that wraps around and up his arms like bandages and form a small arc above his head. Its abilities are unknown. He is voiced by Tomokazu Sugita in the Japanese version of the anime, and Dave Mallow in the English version. He was also raised as a small infant, bearing the name Tyushika Hikoshi relating to a previous generation of powerful shinigami. [75]
Rōjūrō Otoribashi (鳳橋 楼十郎 Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō), commonly referred to as Rose (ローズ Rōzu), is the former captain of the 3rd Division. He became captain approximately one year before Kisuke Urahara. He is an effeminate man with long, wavy, blond hair and a frilly shirt. He seems to be interested in music, as he speaks to Love about an artist's new single and has been seen playing or tuning a guitar on several occasions. Rose appears to be one of the calmer and perhaps wiser ones amongst the group, though he becomes irritated whenever Love spoils a manga's story for him.[81] Rose's mask resembles a bird's beak that protrudes out from his face. Rose's zanpakutō is named Kinshara (金沙羅, lit. gold shala). His shikai transforms the blade into a long, plantlike whip with a flower at its tip. Prefaced as Kinshara Eleventh Sonata (金沙羅奏曲第十一番 Kinshara Sōkyoku Daijūichiban), Kinshara's technique, Izayoi Bara (十六夜薔薇, lit. "Sixteen Day-Old Moon Rose"), causes this tip to discharge an explosion of energy. He is voiced by Shouto Kashii in Japanese[75] and Christopher Corey Smith in English.
Hiyori Sarugaki (猿柿 ひよ里 Sarugaki Hiyori) is a former lieutenant of the 12th Division under captains Kirio Hikifune and then Kisuke Urahara. She viewed Hikifune as a mother figure, and thus initially refused to accept Urahara as her replacement. Hiyori is a small, blonde-haired girl with a short temper and violent tendencies.[82] Hiyori often attacks Shinji Hirako, usually by slapping his face with one of her sandals or using him as a human shield when necessary. This behavior dates back to her time as a Lieutenant, despite the fact that Shinji outranked her then.[81] Hiyori took the longest to defeat her hollow out of all the Visoreds.[83] Her mask is skeletal in appearance with a large horn on the forehead and diamond-shaped markings over the eyebrows. Her zanpakuto is named Kubikiri Orochi (馘大蛇, lit. "beheading serpent") and is released with the command "chop cleanly". It takes the form of a large cleaver with a jagged edge. She is voiced by Reiko Takagi in the Japanese version and Lara Cody in the English dub. Later in the series she is voiced by Laura Bailey in the flashback arc.[75]
Hachigen Ushōda (有昭田 鉢玄 Ushōda Hachigen), commonly referred to as Hachi (ハッチ Hatchi), is the physically largest Visored. He was formerly the Vice Kidō Captain (副鬼道長 Fuku Kidōchō) of the Kidō Corps under Tessai Tsukabishi. He specializes in binding spells, and as such is always tasked with making barriers for the Visoreds' use. He is skilled enough to use bakudō up to 99 without reciting their incantations. By his own admission, his powers are very similar to those of Orihime Inoue's. Despite his unusual size, Hachi is actually very kind and gentle, and seems to enjoy Orihime's company. His mask resembles a Native American tribe mask.[84] He has been seen with a zanpakuto encased in his barrier right before confronting a horde of Gillian however it is uncertain what its powers are or if it is even a zanpakuto at all. He aids in Soi Fon's battle against Barragan and while losing an arm, he ultimately defeats him. He is voiced by Takashi Nagasako in Japanese[75] and Joe Ochman in English.
Lisa Yadōmaru (矢胴丸 リサ Yadōmaru Risa, romanized as Risa Yadōmaru in the Japanese media) was the former lieutenant of the 8th Division under Captain Shunsui Kyōraku. She is a girl with glasses and long, braided, dark hair, who dresses in a seifuku, as opposed to the more Western-style uniforms worn by the female students of Karakura High School. She seems easily irritated and apparently likes to read erotic manga. In the English translations, it has been edited to "swimsuit magazines". She is also very curious, and would spy on the captain's meetings during her time in Soul Society. When she was a lieutenant for Gotei 13, she read to Nanao Ise, later her successor as lieutenant, every month.[72] Her mask resembles a knight's helmet, with a cross shape opening on it. Her zanpakutō is called Haguro Tonbo (鉄漿蜻蛉, lit. "iron dragonfly"). In its shikai form, it becomes a large guan dao or monk's spade with a fanned blade and large orb on the opposite end. She is voiced by Kanako Hatori in the original Japanese version and by Tara Platt in the English Dub.[75]
Xcution (エクスキューション Ekusukyūshon) is a secret organization in Naruki City that makes itself known to Ichigo 17 months after he loses his Soul Reaper powers. The members of the group under Kugo Ginjo, currently composed of polite bartender Giriko Kutsuzawa (沓澤ギリコ Kutsuzawa Giriko), vain, cuteness-obsessed Riruka Dokugamine (毒ヶ峰 リルカ Dokugamine Riruka), quiet video game enthusiast Yukio (雪緒), and tough Jackie Tristan (ジャッキー・トリスタン Jākī Torisutan), are humans known as "Fullbringers", who manipulate the "soul" of matter for a variety of effects, such as using a drink's soul to have it help them drink it or converting an object into another form. This power, Fullbring (完現術（フルブリング） Furuburingu, lit. "Final Manifestation Art"), manifests in one whose mother was attacked by a Hollow prior to the user being born; thus Xcution members are closer to Hollows in terms of power. The only way for Fullbringers to become normal humans is by transferring Fullbring into a human with Soul Reaper powers. As that method was used by former members already, the current Xcution members offer to restore Ichigo's powers if he will take in their powers in return. Their actual goal was revealed to be stealing Ichigo's Fullbring, with all of them under the effect of Shūkurō Tsukishima's "Book of the End" Fullbring to lower suspicion. Once the plan suceeds, to an extent, Ginjō soon divides Ichigo's power among his followers and the renewed Fullbringers start to fight the Soul Reapers. During the battles, Giriko was slain by Kenpachi Zaraki, Jackie sacrificed her Fullbring to save Renji Abarai from Yukio's abilities but survived, Yukio is captured by Toshiro Hitsugaya but is let go and Riruka mysteriously disappears during her fight with Rukia Kuchiki, but reappears from Rukia's chest to take a fatal attack from Tsukishima, but survives as well.
Kugo Ginjo (銀城 空吾 Ginjō Kūgo) is the leader of Xcution, his Fullbring power being Cross of Scaffold that turns his Saltire pendant into a large Claymore. In the past, he was the first substitute Soul Reaper before he gave up the position and disappeared, joining Xcution and later becoming its leader. Meeting Ichigo and befriending him, Ginjo talks him into meeting Xcution and then tricks him into thinking they could restore his powers if he can make them normal humans. As a result, Ginjo gets Ichigo to master his Fullbring abilities before finally making his move to take his Fullbring and Spirit Pressure. When Ichigo managed to become a Soul Reaper again, Kugo uses the energy he stole to assume a new form before giving bits of it to his comrades prior to going up against both Ichigo and Uryū. After attempting to convince Ichigo to go after Ukitake instead of him during a brief relieve from their fight, Ginjou sees that he is left with no choice and releases his Bankai to counter Ichigo's. However, Ichigo proves to be too strong, as he manages to cut down Ginjou, thus leaving him for dead. Ginjou is voiced by Hiroki Tōchi.
Shūkurō Tsukishima (月島 秀九郎 Tsukishima Shūkurō) is the former leader of Xcution and Ginjo's accomplice. His Fullbring power is Book of the End, a bookmark that transforms into a katana with two abilities: cutting through anything and inserting/removing false memories of whatever it cuts, living or not. Using his Fullbring as part of Ginjo's plan, Tsukishima rewrote his allies' memories under the notion that he discovered the means for Fullbringers to become normal people but dedicated himself to hinder Xcution's attempt to find Soul Reapers to aid them. The fabrication was also to explain the Substitute Soul Reaper Badge on his person. However as Ginjou explains, the abilities of Book of the End last only as long as Tsukishima lives.
During Ginjo's surprise attack on Uryū, Tsukishima alters Orihime's memories to have her kill Ichigo before Yukio's interference forces Tsukishima to flee. Following the completion of Ichigo's Fullbring, Tsukishima confronts Ichigo at the Kurosaki household, where he reveals that he had altered the memories of Yuzu, Karin, Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, Ikumi, and all members of Xcution besides Kūgo to make himself appear to be a relative of the Kurosaki family. When an enraged Ichigo confronts Tsukishima at his mansion, succeeding in cutting Tsukishima's arm off, it is revealed that Chad is also under his influence as he and Orihime attack him. But once Uryū reveals Ginjo as the true mastermind and Ichigo's Soul Reaper powers are restored, Tsukishima causes Chad and Orihime to have a mental breakdown until they are rescued by Isshin and Urahara. Tsukishima then engages Byakuya in battle and is wounded and left to die. After Ichigo defeats Ginjo in a fight Tsukishima trys to fatally wound Ichigo, only for his attack to be taken by Riruka instead. It is implied that he died from his injuries when Orihime seems to have forgotten all about him. Tsukishima is voiced by Daisuke Ono.
Muramasa (村正) is the main villain of the anime's Zanpakutō Rebellion arc. He is the Zanpakutō of Kōga Kuchiki, the arrogant former 3rd Seat of the 6th Division before being set up as a traitor as the others feared Murasama's power to take control of other Zanpakutō. However, after going on a paranoia-induced rampage, Kōga is sealed after losing his connection to Muramasa. However, Muramasa eventually resurfaces and sets up a Zanpakutō Rebellion as a means to get control over Ryūjin Jakka so he can break Kōga's seal. However, after entering Ichigo and meeting his inner Hollow, Muramasa attempts to become as powerful by absorbing Hollows before using Ichigo to unknowingly break the seal Yamamoto placed on himself to get Ryūjin Jakka. Though he succeeds in freeing Kōga, Muramasa is stabbed by the Soul Reaper under the assumption he abandoned him the day he was sealed before completely breaking their bond and then falling to Byakuya. Now masterless, a distraught Muramasa transforms into a Hollow-like being. After a final battle with Ichigo, with his intentions for Soul Reapers and Zanpakutō to communicate on equal terms revealed, Muramasa apologizes for the chaos he caused and glad to find a Soul Reaper who actually connected to him before fading. He is voiced by Yuichi Nakamura in the Japanese version and Jamieson Price in the English version.
Several types of merchandise have been produced based on the likeness of the Bleach characters. Apparels from them include replicas of the zanpakutō, hollow masks as well as Soul Reapers clothes for cosplays.[85][86][87] Other merchandise based on them include action-figures, plush, and key-chains.[88][89][90] Characters are also featured on Bleach trading cards that have different abilities depending on the character appearing in the cards.[91] In Japan, there have been released soundtracks in which the voice actors from the anime perform songs related to their characters.[92] Most characters are also featured in video games from the series, with most of them being fighting games.[93]
The characters from the series have received praise and criticism from several reviewers. Anime News Network noted them to be relatively stereotypical but with traits that make them look "special" noting the interactions they have as well as the large and variable cast of side characters.[94] They were also praised for having energetic attitudes and distinctive ways of fighting. While they commented on Ichigo on being "almost a typical anti-hero", they mention that he is just a common person with a tragic past making him likeable to the fans.[95] They also praised Tite Kubo's artwork to give them good clothes and the anime staff for improving them.[94] Mania Entertainment agreed with praising the artwork of the manga and noted that the "characters have personalities and oddities all described in those designs". They have also praised the development of the characters remarking how Renji, before being defeated by Ichigo, he asks him to save Rukia, while during his first appearances he was more violent and was meant to arrest her.[96] IGN agreed and mentioned that the large number of plot happening within each character make the series more than "example of shonen fighting manga". However, the reviewer commented that it is hard to take the series serious when one of the arrancar is called Grimmjow Jeager-Jacques in the manga.[97] Wizard Universe also praised Ichigo as the best hero of 2007 commenting that the only reason why he is not like every "shonen character" is that he only wants to save his friends, not because he tries to act as a hero.[98]
IGN also added that while some fights were dragged for many chapters, they are easy to enjoy due to the abilities of the characters and the artwork from Kubo.[99] In another review, comicbookbin said that Bleach's characters tended to avoid the most obvious courses of action, giving the series an element of unpredictability .[100] Tite Kubo has been praised by comicbookbin.com for creating a "dense multi-layered narrative housing a mob of characters". They remarked how each character from the series had two subplots making the reader hard to remember although that made them more complex.[101] In a review from the volume 20, they noted how Kubo turned the fights into "martial arts and epic fantasy serial" comparing them with fights from famous movies like The Matrix and praised how well drawn they are.[102] Anime News Network also added that the English voice acting of the characters is as good as the Japanese one, considering each of them very original.[103]
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