thumb|The teenaged cast of Bleach first arc in their high school uniforms. Left to right: Rukia, Ichigo, Chad (top), Tatsuki (front), Uryū, Orihime, Keigo (background) and Mizuiro.
This is a list of characters for Tite Kubo's manga and anime series Bleach. It takes place in a fictional universe in which the characters are split into various factionalized fictional races. They are subdivisions of humanity, but are distinguished by whether they live on Earth or in one of the afterlives, by possession of thematically contrasting supernatural powers, and by the use of aesthetics drawn from the artistic traditions of different real-life regions.
The main character of the series, Ichigo Kurosaki, has the ability to interact with ghosts. He soon meets Rukia Kuchiki, a female Soul Reaper from the Soul Society whose mission is to deal with hungering lost souls called Hollows. After seeing Rukia grievously wounded by a Hollow in his presence, Ichigo receives the power of exorcism and psychopompy to carry out her Soul Reaper duties as she recovers. As Ichigo guides the recently deceased to the afterlife while contending with Hollows, he clashes and forms alliances with the other supernaturally powered residents of the city, including his friends.
Many individual characters and the series' character design work have been praised, though Bleachs constantly-expanding character roster has been a point of criticism in the press. The size of the cast has been explained by author Kubo as the result of his writing process, in which he first creates new figures, then writes their personalities and character arcs, and finally assembles these interactions into a new plot. The overall response to this technique is mixed, with some reviewers believing the resulting characters are still relatively stereotypical and often get little individual focus, while others have remarked that even secondary characters feel like protagonists of their very own stories.
Creation and conception
Bleach<nowiki>'</nowiki>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. 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 [he] works." When creating characters for the manga, Kubo first designs character appearances and only then decides what their personalities will be, in reflection of what he drew. When brainstorming character designs, he will go out and draw the faces of real people he sees, a hobby of his dating back to childhood. 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.
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<nowiki>'</nowiki>s focus on unique weaponry and battle scenes to Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya, both manga Kubo enjoyed as a boy. Several characteristics from them such as the kidō spells and the zanpakutō swords(katana) are also based on Japanese literature. 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" and that felt appropriate for a species of ghost. The names of several Arrancar are based on famous architects and designers who inspired scenery appearing in Bleach. 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. 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's main protagonist.
Rukia Kuchiki
is a Soul Reaper,(死神, Shinigami, literally 'Death God'), who is assigned hollow extermination duties in Karakura Town. She meets Ichigo for the first time when she breaks into his house, not knowing that he can see her. Their relationship further complicates when Rukia saves Ichigo and transfers her powers to him. Rukia lacks it and cannot return to the Soul Society. She assumes a temporary lifestyle as a regular human, using a gigai (human form) obtained from Kisuke Urahara's shop, and enrolls into Ichigo's high school and takes up residence in his closet, while teaching him how to be a Substitute Soul Reaper in her place. Though initially devoid of spiritual powers, she develops spiritual awareness early in the plot. She later obtains the god-like ability to warp reality through rejecting past phenomena.
Orihime is voiced by Yuki Matsuoka in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Stephanie Sheh in the English dub.
Renji Abarai
, is a Soul Reaper of Squad 6 in the Gotei 13. When he was first introduced he played an antagonistic role as he was sent to the human world to find and bring Rukia back to the Soul Society. He initially dedicates his life to defeating Ichigo, before joining forces with him to rescue Rukia halfway through the Soul Society arc. He has since become a major protagonist and a consistent ally and rival of Kurosaki. His weapon throughout the series is Zabimaru.
Renji is voiced by Kentarō Itō in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Wally Wingert in the English dub.
Uryū Ishida
is a Quincy, a descendant of a line of near-extinct, priest-like, hollow-hunting archers, who were historical enemies of the Soul Reapers. He bears a deep grudge against all Soul Reapers, including Ichigo, and is an early antagonist in the series, along with a double-agent for Yhwach in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. He comes to view Ichigo differently over time, and eventually becomes a valuable ally and a friendly rival. As a Quincy, Uryū possesses the supernatural power to gather invisible "spirit particles" called reishi from the atmosphere. Once gathered, these particles can be shaped into spirit-energy constructs, foremost among them a bow and arrow, and to fuel various magical spells and superhuman abilities.
Uryū is voiced by Noriaki Sugiyama Despite his imposing appearance and fearless attitude he is quite meek and refuses to fight unless it is for the sake of another. 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. He is quite loyal to his friends, especially Ichigo, who is one of his closest friends. He displays little emotion except when something or someone he cares about is in danger.
Chad is voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto and by Alain Mesa in Thousand-Year Blood War.
Antagonists
Hollows
Hollows (, Horō) are the class of spirit that most enemies in the Bleach series they are part of. The Arrancars, Hollows who acquired humanoid form and Soul Reaper powers, become the primary antagonists later in the series under the command of the rogue Soul Reaper Sousuke Aizen and the ten strongest Arrancars known as the Espadas. The 10 Espadas are numbered 0–9, 0 being the strongest and 9 the weakest. But the rating also works with spirit pressure density numbered 1–10, with Espada's 0's power contained with a 10 tattoo.
Sousuke Aizen
is the primary antagonist of the pre-timeskip half of the Bleach series. While introduced as the captain of Squad Five later revealed to have been behind various events prior to the series, Aizen has orchestrated a series of events in the Soul Society to obtain the Hōgyoku for his goal to create an Ōken to kill the Soul King with the aid of the Arrancars and rogue Soul Reapers he recruited. However, revealed to have played an indirect role in Ichigo's conception, Aizen is defeated by him, before being sealed by Kisuke and sentenced to the Muken for twenty millennia.
Aizen is voiced by Show Hayami in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Kyle Hebert in the English dub.
Bounts
The are a group of humans with special abilities. They are the primary antagonistic force during the anime-exclusive Bount and Bount Assault on Soul Society arcs. The Bounts live eternally due to an accident during 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. They each have a unique weapon known as a Doll, a familiar which is its creator's power given physical form. Dolls are mostly self-sufficient creatures when released, although they tend to be used as weapons in various ways such as a large battle axe 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 the Soul Society along with the remaining Bounts to destroy it and themselves. However, with the exception of his friend Gō Koga, Kariya managed to have his forces wiped out by the Soul Reapers prior to himself being killed by Ichigo Kurosaki. 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.
Jin Kariya
is the Leader of the Bounts who planned to destroy the entire Soul Society through the Jōkaishō, the device that created the Bounts. He was originally Eugene Currier, a boy who was befriended by the Soul Society scientist Ran'tao before being forced to leave his home when Soul Reapers are dispatched to kill the Bounts. Jin Kariya's Doll is Messer, having long absorbed it to manipulate wind without releasing it into its true form. While usings Messer's full power, Kariya can move the wind at such speeds in order to generate lightning and move at high speeds similar to a Flash Step. Eventually defeated in the end, Kariya's true agenda is revealed to be the mutually assured destruction of the Soul Reapers and the Bounts.
Jin is voiced by Tōru Ōkawa in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Troy Baker in the English dub.
Gō Koga
is the one that was closest to Jin Kariya, whose Doll is the spider-like Dalk, who is able to manipulate her metallic body to create weaponry or be confronted into a battle axe that Koga uses. In the 1800s, while still going under the name Claude Gaugain, Koga was living in a countryside somewhere in Europe when Kariya brought him Cain to guide in their ways. But it ended with Cain's death which haunts Koga. In the end, after confronting Kariya and nearly getting killed by Hitsugaya, Kouga is the last remaining Bount as his wounds are tended to be Ran'Tao.
Gō is voiced by Tōru Furusawa in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Richard Epcar in the English dub.
Dalk is voiced by Takako Honda in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Karen Strassman in the English dub.
Cain
is a young male Bount that Jin Kariya left in Gō Koga's care many years ago. When he tried to summon his mantis-like doll Waineton, the doll turned on Cain and killed him in front of Gō Koga.
Cain is voiced by Takayaki Fujimoto in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Peter Doyle in the English dub.
Waineton is voiced by Philece Sampler in the English dub.
Hō and Ban
and are twin brothers who appeared when they used their dolls in order to attack Uryū Ishida. Hō and Ban's dolls are Guhl and Günther, bottle caps that manipulate water making its power source nearly unlimited. They can wrap themselves around their opponents in order to drown them or even flood a person's body killing them from the inside out. They are tasked by Kariya to eliminate Uryū while he is recovering in his father's hospital after he's been attacked by Ryō Utagawa. They fight Ichigo, Renji, Rukia and Sado and try to kill them by drowning them from the inside, but they are killed when Ganju uses some firecrackers to destroy their dolls, aging them to death.
In the original Japanese version of the anime, Hō and Ban are both voiced by Daisuke Sakaguchi. In the English dub, Hō and Ban are voiced by Roger Craig Smith and Brian Beacock.
Ryō Utagawa
served under Jin Kariya and had ambitions to overthrow him. Ryō Utagawa's doll is Fried, which takes the form of a golden snake with black stripes and green eyes when unsealed. Its powers allow Ryō to turn whatever Fried touches or sees into a snake. Ryō can also intercept attacks through a barrier called Snake Net. Once the technique is activated, if something is seen as a threat to Ryō through Fried, it will be attacked no matter where the threat runs to by snakes emerging from the ground. When it came to the fight against the Bounts at their mansion, Ryō was killed by Maki Ichinose and his body turns to dust.
Ryō is voiced by Shūsuke Sakino in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Tony Oliver in the English dub.
Fried is voiced by Miho Saiki in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Wendee Lee in the English dub.
Yoshi
is a member of the Bounts. She fought Rukia, Orihime, and Kuroda in an alley until Mabashi ordered her to leave. Later, she invades Soul Society with the other Bounts and nearly kills Rukia in a fight, but is forced to retreat when Byakuya intervenes. She then duels Ishida and dies at his hand when he realises she can't block and attack at the same time and forces her to attack him before piercing her heart with an arrow. Yoshi's doll is Nieder, who takes on the form of a jian and fan combination. In its base form, the fan can fire needle-like projectiles at its target. It can also be used for defense against regular attacks. The jian part of the Doll is used for regular offense. When the fan's size increases, it can protect Yoshi against all attacks, but Yoshi loses all form of offense. When the jian increases in size, its offensive power increases further, as the jian gains a trail of energy swords.
Yoshi is voiced by Yōko Sōmi in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Stephanie Sheh in the English dub.
The jian and fan parts of Nieder are voiced by Taro Yamaguchi and Mariko Kōda in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Joe J. Thomas and Wendee Lee in the English dub.
Mabashi
interrupts Yoshi's battle against Rukia, Orihime and Kuroda. He uses his doll to control Rukia's body and use her to fight the others, but falls back once Orihime uses her powers to force it out of her body. During the Bount Assault on Soul Society, he poisons Soi-Fon and uses his doll to turn her squad against her, but is tricked by her and dies after being hit twice in the same spot by Suzumebachi. Mabashi's doll is Ritz, who has the ability to possess the body of anyone and control them.
Mabashi is voiced by Daisuke Ono in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Keith Silverstein in the English dub.
Ritz is voiced by Asami Sanada in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Sandy Fox in the English dub.
Sawatari
is the oldest of the bunch. Sawatari's doll is Baura, who has a whale-like appearance that Sawatari sits on top of. Baura has a dimension in its stomach where anyone that is swallowed by Baura will die if they stay in him too long. He attacks Rangiku, Sado, Ururu and Noba in Karakura Town and uses Baura to swallow Ururu, who is saved when Rangiku uses Kido to force the doll out of the ground. During the Soul Society invasion, he runs into Mayuri Kurotsuchi and fights him, dying after being poisoned by Ashisogi Jizo.
Sawatari is voiced by Yuzuru Fujimoto in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Joe J. Thomas in the English dub.
Baura is voiced by Takaya Kuroda in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Richard Epcar in the English dub.
Ugaki
is a member of the Bounts. Ugaki's doll is Gesell, which is a huge, eyeless monster. It has the ability to manifest many melee weapons from its limbs. Gesell can see through the eyes that generate light as his master does through his glasses. It is controlled by Ugaki through a deck of cards. Whatever is shown on a card Ugaki plays, appears within the shadow of an object, which is created by the light generated from the eyes. Ugaki fights Ichigo and Renji in a cave until signs of weakness causes him to be killed by his own doll.
Ugaki is voiced by Katsumi Suzuki in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Kirk Thornton in the English dub.
Gesell is voiced by Neil Kaplan in the English dub.
Yoshino Sōma
is Kariya's ex-wife, whose doll is a fire humanoid named Goethe that can regenerate from most attacks and sees his master as mother figure. Fighting against the other Bounts, Yoshino tried to take the soul of a human until she was stopped by Yoruichi. In the end, following Kariya's example, Yoshino absorbs Goethe to increase her power but is still killed with her energy used to create the Bittos.
Yoshino is voiced by Masako Katsuki in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Dorothy Elias-Fahn in the English dub.
Goethe is voiced by Richard Epcar in the English dub.
Xcution
is a secret organization in Naruki City that makes itself known to Ichigo seventeen months after he loses his Soul Reaper powers and serve as the primary antagonistic force in the first arc after the timeskip. The group is made up of humans whose preborn encounter with hollows resulted in them becoming outcasts who possess a power known as , an ability to manipulate the "soul" of an object to bring out its full potential. But a Fullbringer's true power comes from enhancing the soul of an object they are compatible with, such as a prized possession. However, the effects of a Fullbringer's power will cease once the user is dead. Using Tsukishima's Fullbring, Xcution's other members had placed themselves in a fabricated notion that they need a Soul Reaper to become normal humans and train Ichigo to use Fullbring. But once Tsukishima restored their memories, the group reveals their real intention to take Ichigo's Fullbring powers. Though Xcution got Ichigo's Fullbring, they were scattered after Ginjō's death.
Kūgo Ginjō
is the leader of Xcution. In the past, he was the first Substitute Soul Reaper before he went into hiding upon learning that he was not trusted by the Soul Society. Ginjō later established Xcution and becomes its leader while having the Fullbringers exchange energies with him to cement their organization. Soon after, Ginjō has Tsukishima alter his memory to win Ichigo over before having his memories restored to siphon Ichigo's Fullbring. While his Fullbring power is Cross of Scaffold, turning his Saltire pendant into a large Claymore, Ginjō can use his Soul Reaper badge to augment his power. After absorbing Ichigo's Fullbring, Ginjō gains access to Ichigo's abilities. When he is unable to convince Ichigo that they were both wronged by the Soul Society, Ginjō releases his unnamed bankai to counter Ichigo's. However, Ichigo proves to be too strong as he manages to kill Ginjō.
After Ichigo requests permission to bury him in the land of the living out of respect, Ginjō ends up living within the Soul Society alongside Tsukishima and Giriko.
Ginjō is voiced by Hiroki Tōchi in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Travis Willingham in the English dub and by Christopher Swindle in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.
Shūkurō Tsukishima
is the former leader of Xcution and Ginjō's accomplice. His Fullbring power is , 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. If suiting his fancy, Tsukishima can use his power to destroy the minds of his victims by having them suffer mental breakdowns from an overdose of false memories. After Ginjō's surprise attack on Uryū, Tsukishima alters the memories of his fellow Xcution members to win Ichigo over while he places Orihime and Chad under his spell alongside Ichigo's sisters and friends. But once Uryū reveals Ginjō as the true mastermind and Ichigo's Soul Reaper powers are restored, Tsukishima causes Chad and Orihime to have a mental breakdown for his amusement until they are knocked out by Isshin and Urahara. Tsukishima then engages Byakuya in battle before being wounded and left to die. After Ichigo defeats Ginjō in a fight, Tsukishima attempts to kill Ichigo, only for his attack to be taken by Riruka instead. Afterwards while being carried away by Shishigawara, Tsukishima dies from his injuries with everyone under his spell restored to normally.
Following his death, Tsukishima was later seen living within the Soul Society alongside Ginjō and Giriko.
Tsukishima is voiced by Daisuke Ono in the original Japanese version of the anime
Byakuya Kuchiki
is Rukia's older brother. He is a captain of Squad Six, with the purpose of capturing his sister and executing her in Soul Society, but he and his lieutenant Renji Abarai are forced to face the replacement shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki, before taking her away. Byakuya is a representative of Clan Kuchiki and proved to be a fair aristocrat who does not get carried away by emotions, as he did not care about the execution of his own sister, even confronting Renji and Ichigo for trying to save her. But currently they have returned as allies, even though Byakuya is reluctant because of his enmity with Ichigo.
Urahara Shop
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.
Kisuke Urahara
is the owner of the Urahara Shop, whose habit of wearing traditional Japanese wooden sandals and a bucket hat earned him the nickname . Kisuke is usually quite laid-back and has a jovial if not comical attitude, tendencies that tend to drive away customers.
Kisuke is eventually revealed to be actually the former Captain of Squad 12 after being promoted from his 3rd seat in Squad 2. He also founded the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. A century ago, Kisuke caught Sousuke Aizen in the act of converting Hiyori and their fellow Soul Reapers into Hollows. Though Kisuke managed to save them by turning them into Vizards, learning that Aizen was after the he developed, Kisuke is forced to leave the Soul Society when framed for the crime and go into hiding in the World of the Living. Though he attempted to dispose of the Hōgyoku in the gigai he developed for Rukia, Aizen obtained the sphere. Later aiding the Soul Society in their battle against Aizen by creating a Fake Karakura Town, Kisuke engages Aizen in battle and is initially defeated. However, though defeated, Kisuke placed a special kidō seal on Aizen that activated after the Hōgyoku rejected Aizen as its master.
As a former captain, he is also adept in using high-level kidō and uses a sharp tactical style of combat. His zanpakutō is a shikomizue named . 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, and an explosion that combines volatile energy with a net. Kisuke's bankai is , which takes the form of a giant doll-like woman that appears kneeling behind Urahara. According to Urahara, those afflicted having seams appear on them, his bankai has the power to restructure anything it touches and can repair, rip, or optimize a person affected by the bankai. Aizen has commented on Urahara's ability, calling him the only man whose intellect exceeds his own. Kubo has commented on Urahara, saying he is based on Snufkin, whom he thought was cool.
He is voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Michael Lindsay in the English dub until episode 214 where the role was recast to Doug Erholtz starting from episodes 231. He is played by Seiichi Tanabe in the live action movie.
Yoruichi Shihōin
is an old friend of Urahara Shop owner Kisuke Urahara, and so uses it as a place of residence when she is not abroad. 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. As the series progress, it is revealed that Yoruichi is a former captain of the 2nd Division, 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 Vizards 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." While the ability is common for any competent Soul Reaper, her speed movement is almost unmatched, leading her to be called the . Even after a century later, Byakuya Kuchiki is still unable to surpass her speed. Yoruichi is also highly skilled in , which is an advanced 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. 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. Despite the fact that she is no longer the Captain of the Second Division, she does retain and use the uniform she wore at the time, which is unique for its absence of any clothing over the back or shoulders. It is explained that this is due to Yoruichi's mastery of Shunkō, which when utilized, destroys the fabric on the back and shoulders of the one using the technique. To date, only Yoruichi and Suì-Fēng have been shown to actively wear this particular uniform.
Yoruichi is voiced by Satsuki Yukino in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Wendee Lee in the English dub. Her cat form is voiced by Shirō Saitō in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Terrence Stone in the English dub.
Tessai Tsukabishi
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. 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 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.
Tessai is voiced by Kiyoyuki Yanada in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Michael Sorich in the English dub. Though he is more knowledgeable than one might expect given his young appearance, he is still childish, calling Renji Abarai a , 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. 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. 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.
She is voiced by Noriko Shitaya in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Wendee Lee in the English dub. are Soul Reapers who have obtained hollow powers via a process called . While Ichigo's Hollowification was initially stable and naturally occurred because of his lineage, Hollowfication was a method originally used by the Soul Society before the progress was deemed too great a risk as the resulting hybrids would be uncontrollable and eventually self-destruct in the final stages of a disease resulting from the soul's instability: . The group of Soul Reapers who became the Vizards were forcefully converted ages ago by Sousuke Aizen as part of an experiment prior to them forced to flee the Soul Society. Unable to return to their original forms, the Vizards were saved from Soul Suicide by Urahara stabilizing them with a vaccine created from Quincy Heilig Pfeil and Human souls. To gain access to their hollow powers, a Vizard dons a hollow mask that augments their Soul Reaper abilities with access to some of the generic hollow abilities. The Vizards have not shown any sort of hierarchy, seeming to prefer a loose-knit organization. After Aizen's defeat, many of the Vizards are allowed to return to the Soul Society.
Shinji Hirako
is the de facto leader of the Vizards and a friend of Urahara's. He 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. 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. In the past, Shinji was the previous captain of Squad Five, preceding his lieutenant Sousuke Aizen. But Shinji's reasons for making Aizen his right hand were out of distrust from the first time they met and kept an eye on him. But Shinji realized too late that Aizen used his own distrust against him when he was among those afflicted with hollowification. In the storyline, Shinji aids Ichigo in taming his inner hollow, later leading the other Vizards against Aizen's forces. Though Shinji tells Yamamoto that they're only helping as friends of Ichigo's and as enemies of Aizen, he is eventually reinstated as Squad Five captain as he aids in the fight against the Wandenreich.
Shinji's zanpakutō is named . When released by Shinji's command "collapse", 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. After training more thoroughly with his zanpakutō, Shinji is even able to invert the words he says, as well as make those more susceptible to the ability Sakanade very ill. His bankai is called Sakashima Yokoshima Happo Fusagari, which distorts the perception of ally and enemy, causing those within a certain radius of Shinji to attack each other. 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.
Hiyori Sarugaki
is a former lieutenant of Squad Twelve under captains Kirio Hikifune and then Kisuke Urahara, initially declining the latter as she saw the former as a motherly figure. Hiyori is a small, blonde-haired girl with a short temper and violent tendencies that include death threats and physical violence. Hiyori often attacks Shinji Hirako, regardless of his outranking her in their pre-Vizard days, usually by slapping his face with one of her sandals or using him as a human shield when necessary. During the battle with Aizen, Hiyori was mortally wounded by Gin, but was healed by Captain Unohana in the aftermath. Hiyori still resents Soul Society for the treatment she and her fellow Vizards were given, and so she declines to return when offered the opportunity, preferring instead to stay in the Real World.
Her Hollow mask is skeletal in appearance with a large horn on the forehead and diamond-shaped markings over the eyebrows. Her zanpakutō is named and is released with the command "chop cleanly" to become a large cleaver with a jagged edge.
Hiyori is voiced by Reiko Takagi in the original Japanese version of the anime. In the English dub, she is voiced by Mela Lee in earlier episodes and by Laura Bailey later on in the series. 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. Love's zanpakutō is named . 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.
Love is voiced by Tetsu Inada in the original Japanese version of the anime and piercing on his left eyebrow. One of the first to be turned into a Vizard, Kensei's hollow mask takes on the form of what appears to be a hockey mask, with a flat surface, and six slits running down the front. In comparison with his fellow Vizards, Kensei is a much more serious character. He has a short temper and is easily irritated, particularly by Mashiro. After the events of the Fake Karakura Town battle, Kensei is reinstated as a Soul Reaper Captain. However, during the Wandenreich invasion while his wounds are tended to by Isane after his ordeal against Mask De Masculine, Kensei is killed by Gremmy Thoumeaux and brought back as a zombie by Giselle Gewelle, before Mayuri Kurosutchi usurps control over Kensei to have resume defending the Soul Society. Ten years after Yhwach's defeat, he is shown to have returned to normal.
Kensei's zanpakutō is named 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. 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 Vizards 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 and 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, the name of which is still unknown.
Mashiro is voiced by Akemi Kanda in the original Japanese version of the anime After the events at the Fake Karakura Town, Rose returns to the Soul Society and restored to his captain status. But during the Wandenreich invasion, after being saved from Mask De Masculine by Renji and taken to be cared for by Isane, Rose is killed by Gremmy Thoumeaux and then brought back as a zombie by Giselle Gewelle. Later, Mayuri Kurotsuchi takes him over and uses him to defend the Soul Society. Ten years after Yhwach's defeat, he is shown to have returned to normal.
Rose's zanpakutō is named . His shikai transforms the blade into a long, plantlike whip with a flower at its tip. Prefaced as , Kinshara's technique, , causes this tip to discharge an explosion of energy. Kinshara's bankai, , summons several figures called the "Dancers of Death". His bankai allows Rose to use music to create the illusion of physical pain (burning, drowning, etc.) as long as his opponents hear the music. But bankai is useless against opponents who are deaf or who deafen themselves.
Rose is voiced by Shouto Kashii in the original Japanese version of the anime He has been seen with a zanpakutō during Ichigo's training when the young man went berserk, he helped restrain him while also brandishing the blade at him. Later during the battle at Karakura Town, he encased it in his barrier right before confronting a horde of Gillian, however, it is uncertain what its powers are or if it is even a zanpakutō at all. He aids in Suì-Fēng's battle against Barragan and manages to ultimately defeat the Espada at the cost of his forearm.
Hachigan is voiced by Takashi Nagasako in the original Japanese version of the anime However, this act was deemed immoral and Project Spearhead was disbanded with all Mod-Souls seemingly deposed of.
With Kon one of the surviving Mod-Souls, four other Mod-Souls have been introduced in the anime series. Like Kon, three Mod-Souls created by Kisuke typically inhabits a plushie with all of their abilities intact (albeit scaled down to fit their size). But all four anime-exclusive Mod-Souls possess their own personal gigai they can use to avoid attention with complete use of their abilities.
Kon
is the first Mod-Soul to appear in Bleach, designated an model with strong leg strength. By chance, Kon ended up living with Ichigo when he was placed in a container of Gikon that Rukia bought for Ichigo to use. Kon 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". However, from the beginning he displayed a much more serious side to himself, believing that life should not be taken on purpose after he witnessed the destruction of other Mod-Souls. 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. Although Kon makes only sporadic appearances in the Bleach storyline, he frequently hosts and/or stars in omake specials for the series including his talk show Radio Kon Baby, self-proclaiming himself as the series' mascot.
He is voiced by Mitsuaki Madono in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Quinton Flynn in the English dub. While Karin is typically cynical and sarcastic with the ability to see spirits, Yuzu is more soft-spoken, empathetic and emotional. When Ichigo loses his powers after defeating Aizen, beginning her first year of high school with Yuzu, Karin took a more active role in seeing and interacting with ghosts.
Karin is voiced by Rie Kugimiya in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Kate Higgins in the English dub. In the live-action movie, she is played by Miyu Ando.
Yuzu is voiced by Ayumi Sena in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Janice Kawaye in the English dub. In the live-action film, she is played by Kokoro Hirosawa.
In the English dub of the live-action film, both of them are voiced by Janice Kawaye.
Kazui Kurosaki
is the son of Ichigo and Orihime, who possess Shinigami powers. His face closely resembles that of his mother's, having the same shaped eyes and facial curves, while he inherited his father's bright orange hair, though his hair is noticeably smoother than Ichigo's. Kazui is adventurous, regularly making uninvited appearances in Hiyori Sarugaki's home and freely interacting with remnants of Yhwach's Reiatsu.
Masaki Kurosaki
was the wife of Isshin Shiba, and the mother of Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu, as well as the last of the Kurosaki bloodline who was taken in by the Ishida family with the plan that she would marry Ryūken to continue the Quincies' existence as pure-bloods. However, after being infected by the artificial Hollow White, Masaki instead married Isshin after using a method to repress the hollow influence that required Isshin to have his Soul Reaper powers sealed. She was killed by the Hollow Grand Fisher while protecting Ichigo. It is revealed that when Masaki and Ichigo encountered Grand Fisher, Yhwach's Auswählen caused Masaki to lose her Quincy power, rendering her unable to fight against Grand Fisher.
Masaki is voiced by Sayaka Ohara in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Ellyn Stern in the English dub. In the backstory episodes from Thousand-Year Blood War anime dub, Masaki's voice has been provided by Cherami Leigh. Masaki is played by Masami Nagasawa in the live-action film.
Karakura Town inhabitants
The following are inhabitants of Karakura Town:
Keigo Asano
is a classmate and friend of Ichigo Kurosaki. He is an extremely hyperactive character and often uses overly dramatic movements and words to act out his feelings.
Keigo is voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Yuri Lowenthal in the English dub.
Tatsuki is voiced by Junko Noda in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Wendee Lee in the English dub. 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. 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. 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 principles as standard Soul Reaper kidō spells; the one technique he uses can reduce whatever earth it is aimed to sand or quicksand, useful when making holes in walls to escape pursuers. Ganju participates with Ichigo's group in entering Seireitei with the intent to understand what made his late brother never hate Soul Reaper to the very end even after being killed by one. He later confronted his brother's killer, Rukia, and while at first resentful, he eventually forgave her after learning the truth behind Kaien's death from Ukitake. During the Wandenreich's attack on Soul Society, he also participates with Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, and Yoruichi to face Yhwach in the Royal Realm.
He is voiced by Wataru Takagi in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Kyle Hebert in the English dub.
Kasumiōji Clan
The is a high-ranking noble family who are expert sword makers that appear in the Kasumiōji Conspiracy arc. They make use of different assassins that make up their bodyguards. Nobody knew it yet, but some of its members were responsible for the secret production of the Bakkōtō which is a rare weapon that Rukia Kuchiki considered illegal.
Lurichiyo Kasumiōji
is the heir to the Soul Society's Kasumiōji Clan and was a central figure to the Kasumiōji Conspiracy. Her mother died giving birth to her and her father died of an illness. She was targeted by Gyōkaku Kumoi, his assassins, and their silent partner Shūsuke Amagai as part of their plot to dispose of Lurichiyo and obtain leadership over the Kasumiōji Clan by using the Bakkōtō. With the help of Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki, Amagai was defeated with those involved in the plot ending up either killed in action or incarcerated. Afterward, Lurichiyo was engaged to Shū and assumed leadership over the Kasumiōji Clan.
Lurichiyo Kasumiōji is voiced by Reiki Takagi in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Eden Riegel in the English dub.
Ryūsei Kenzaki
is a Shinigami servant of Lurichiyo Kasumiōji. He is also nicknamed by Lurichiyo and asks her spokesperson. Ryūsei wields the Zanpakutō Benishidare which enables him to emit blooming flowers that emit pollen.
Ryūsei Kenzaki is voiced by Hiroki Takahashi in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Roger Craig Smith in the English dub.
Rusaburō Enkōgawa
is a muscular Shinigami bodyguard of Lurichiyo Kasumiōji who is very conscious about his high-pitched voice and mostly uses sign language. He is also nicknamed by Lurichiyo. Rusaburō wields the Zanpakutō Daichimaru that transform into two large fists attached to chains.
Rusaburō Enkōgawa is voiced by Ryōtarō Okiayu in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Neil Kaplan in the English dub.
Shū Kannogi
is a young boy who is the fiancé of Lurichiyo Kasumiōji.
Shū Kannogi is voiced by Tsubasa Yanaga in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Brianne Siddall in the English dub.
Gyōkaku Kumoi
is the elderly steward of the Kasumiōji Clan. He was behind the manufacturing of the Bakkōtō as part of the Kasumiōji Conspiracy who hides his corruption behind a benevolent personality. Because Yamamoto was forbidden from investigating the Kasumiōji Clan's Bakkōtō manufacturing by Central 46, Shin'etsu Kisaragi volunteered to do it for him. He was caught and Kumoi had him used as a test subject for a Bakkōtō that ended with Yamamoto killing him in self-defense. Wanting to take the position as head of the Kasumiōji Clan, Kumoi has sent different assassins after her. After Yamamoto was provided evidence of the Bakkōtō that led to a Gotei 13 invasion on the Kasumiōji Compound, Ichigo, Rukia, and Shū Kannogi demanded the Kumoi surrender Lurichiyo only for Kumoi to be killed by Shusuke Amagai who Kumoi was actually working for.
Gyōkaku Kumoi is voiced by Masaharu Satō in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Kirk Thornton in the English dub.
Hanza Nukui
is the leader of the assassins that work for Gyōkaku Kumoi. He wields the Bakkōtō Saiga which resembles a katana with a mirror on its hilt. During his fight with Ichigo, Hanza was overcome by Saiga causing it and Hanza to explode.
Hanza Nukui is voiced by Yoshikazu Nagano in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Tony Oliver in the English dub.
Jinnai Dōko
is a member of the assassins that work for Gyōkaku Kumoi who possesses square teeth and pink skin. He wields the Bakkōtō Retsurai which resembles a jagged scythe and can enable Jinnai to become jagged upon eating parts of it. During his fight with Rukia, Jinnai got absorbed into Retsurai which was snatched by Nukui's men.
Jinnai Dōko is voiced by Jin Domon in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Spike Spencer in the English dub.
Kuzuryū
is a member of the assassins that work for Gyōkaku Kumoi. He wields the Bakkōtō Shiragiri that resembles a segmented eyeless fish with a katana blade from between the two sides of the dorsal fin which also grants him the ability to use mist-based abilities. After surviving Uryū's attack, Kuzuryū returns to the Kasumiōji Compound to inform Kumoi about the deaths of his fellow assassins. Upon being told by Kumoi that he has no further use of him, Kuzuryū tries to attack him only to be killed by Makoto Kibune.
Kuzuryū is voiced by Hikaru Hanada in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Joe Ochman in the English dub.
Genga
is a member of the assassins that work for Gyōkaku Kumoi. He wields the Bakkōtō Kakuyoku which can slash the air and the ground. He is killed by Chad's Brazo Izquierda del Diablo.
Genga is voiced by Daisuke Matsuoka in the original Japanese version and by Adam Bitterman in the English dub.
Quincy
are a clan of humans who are descended from Yhwach. Spiritually aware because of Yhwach's blood running through them, the Quincies can reshape spiritual particles into various types of bow and arrows, swords or explosives. There are also Quincies that are born once every two centuries with same power as Yhwach himself. At their height, Quincies used their powers to combat the hollows to protect the land of the living with a greater success rate than the Soul Reapers. However, unlike the Soul Reapers who purify Hollows, Quincies completely destroy the soul and thus create an imbalance between the life and death that would threaten to destroy the world. As a last resort to prevent further imbalance, the Soul Reapers exterminated most of the Quincies with only a few traces remains allowed to live. As a result, having great animosity towards Soul Reapers, some Quincies marry into normal human families with their children becoming Impure Quincies while some Quincy families attempt to keep their bloodline pure. It is revealed that he was meant to marry Masaki Kurosaki, a distant relative of his, to preserve the blood purity of the Quincy. However, his engagement fell through when Masaki underwent Hollowfication and Isshin Shiba tied his life with Masaki's in order to save it. Instead of Masaki, he married his family maid, Kanae Katagiri. Nine years before the main story, Kanae was subjected to the Auswählen and eventually died, impacting Ryūken and causing him to detest Quincy. After his wife's death, he performed a long-term autopsy on her body in order to retrieve a special silver cloth created from Auswählen and used it to make an arrow that can stop Yhwach's power.
Ryūken is voiced by Ken Narita in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Michael McConnohie in the English dub.
Sōken Ishida
was 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).
Sōken is voiced by Eiji Maruyama in the original Japanese version of the anime and by David Lodge in the English dub.
Kanae Ishida (nee Katagiri)
was the wife of Ryūken Ishida and the mother of Uryū. She is of a mixed-blood heritage (Gemischt) and originally worked as the maid of the Ishida family. She befriended Ryūken since they were children and eventually developed a crush on him, although she is aware that Ryūken must marry his distant relative, Masaki Kurosaki. After Ryūken's engagement with Masaki fell through, she comforted a weeping Ryūken and eventually married him, giving birth to Uryū. However, nine years before the main story, the Quincy progenitor, Yhwach initiated the Auswählen: the process to absorb the power of impure Quincy, which took the powers of both Kanae and Masaki. Kanae, who was already weak at the time, eventually died three months later.
Kanae is voiced by Mamiko Noto in the original Japanese anime.
Zanpakutō Spirits
The are the main weapons of Soul Reapers, conceived and invented by Ōetsu Nimaiya of Squad Zero. When first created, a nameless zanpakutō is initially known as an and is given to low-class Soul Reapers. Over time, from imprinting the owner's soul into it, the asauchi eventually transforms into the Soul Reaper's personal zanpakutō. As a consequence, having been a formless entity prior, the spiritual embodiment of a zanpakutō gains a unique appearance. While each one's appearance is reflection of the owner's spirit pressure, zanpakutō spirits have an additional form during the bankai state of a zanpakutō. Though they would test their owners' worth in using them, zanpakutō spirits exist to protect their wielder and would eventually cease to be if the Soul Reaper who owns them dies or uses a technique that would render the user powerless. There are few exceptions to the rule such as in the case of the Ise Clan's zanpakutō Shinken Hakkyōken, which can be passed down the generations as a family heirloom. During the Zanpakutō Rebellion and Beast Swords arc, the zanpakutō spirits were given a true presence by the power of the unique zanpakutō Muramasa. However, by the end of the Beast Swords arc, weeks after his death, Muramasa's power waned and the zanpakutō spirits return to their original states.
Zangetsu
, also simply called "Old Man Zangetsu" by Ichigo, is the manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy powers, who appears as a tall man with ragged black hair, facial hair, and sunglasses. This appearance is supposed to represent Yhwach, the first Quincy, 1,000 years before the start of the series when he fought Yamamoto. Pretending to be Ichigo's actual Zanpakutō, Old Man Zangetsu aided Ichigo in achieving his potential as a Soul Reaper. However, while attempting to tame his Inner Hollow, Ichigo hears his opponent introducing himself as Zangetsu.
The reason for this is revealed when , a younger and more powerful version of Zangetsu that Ichigo encounters while in his bankai state, reveals that he and Ichigo's Hollow are both halves of the same being that represents Ichigo's overall power. After he and Ichigo's Hollow assumed their true form, Tensa Zangetsu battles Ichigo to test his resolve in using the Final Getsuga Tenshō. Though Ichigo passed his test, Tensa Zangetsu reveals the consequences of the attack before bidding his owner farewell. Ichigo would learn that the Zangetsu he knew was actually the personification of his powers as a Quincy, therefore resembling a younger Yhwach. Confronted by Ichigo about this, confirming what the youth learned about him, Zangetsu reveals he had kept Ichigo's full power as a Soul Reaper in check because he initially didn't want Ichigo to become Soul Reaper out of concern for his safety. As they fought together, however, Zangetsu's determination waver and he finally decide to unlock the youth's full potential in light of Yhwach's return. After True Zangetsu is reforged, his essence resides in the smallest of the split blades in his True Shikai state.
Zangetsu is voiced by Takayuki Sugō in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Richard Epcar in the English dub.
Tensa Zangetsu is voiced by Showtaro Morikubo in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Keith Silverstein in the English version.
Hollow Ichigo
Hollow Ichigo is the True Zangetsu and the manifestation of Ichigo's True Zanpakuto. He was born from the result of Ichigo's mother being infected by trace remains of the Hollow White that passed on to Ichigo and fused with Ichigo's latent Soul Reaper powers, which manifested when Ichigo awakened as a Soul Reaper. In appearance both normally and when in bankai state, Hollow Ichigo is identical to his host save for his white eyes (golden in anime), opposite colour scheme and permanent grin. Prior to his full awakening, Hollow Ichigo manifested himself as a Hollow Mask that continuously appeared and shielded Ichigo from what would have been a fatal attack. After Ichigo is aware of his existence, he is eventually able to fully manifest himself by possessing Ichigo's body during his fights. Whenever possessing Ichigo's body, a Hollow Mask resembling a white skull with red markings would form on Ichigo's face as Ichigo slowly undergoes Hollowfication. Though a bloodthirsty berserker who would taunt and take any chance to take over Ichigo's body, Hollow Ichigo's nature as a true zanpakutō compels him to intervene during some of Ichigo's fights to protect his wielder by the means of Hollowfication. After his identity is fully revealed, it is explained that everything that Hollow Ichigo did was actually for the sake of making Ichigo stronger and properly utilize his power. After Ichigo's True Zanpakuto is reforged, Hollow Ichigo's essence resides in the largest aspect of the split true shikai state of his true zanpakutō.
Hollow Ichigo is voiced by Masakazu Morita in the original Japanese version of the anime and by Johnny Yong Bosch in the English dub.
Zabimaru
is the Zanpakutō owned by Renji Abarai. It appears as a Nue, first seen in the Soul Society arc when Renji was recovering from his first fight with Ichigo. In the anime exclusive Zanpakutō Rebellion arc, Zabimaru's form changes to that of a green monkey-fur woman and a young boy with a snake tail. Though the two are normally connected by a chain, with the child assuming their zanpakutō form for his older counterpart to wield, the two halves of Zabimaru act independent of each other when needed to.
In the original Japanese version of the anime, the original form of Zabimaru is voiced by Tōru Furusawa, Saru by Mitsuki Saiga, and Hebi by Asami Sanada. In the English dub, while Vic Mignogna in English dub voiced Zabimaru's original form, Saru is voiced by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn while Hebi is voiced by Michelle Ruff in English dub.
Hyōrinmaru
is the Zanpakutō owned by Tōshirō Hitsugaya, appearing as a dragon made of ice. Hyōrinmaru already tried to communicate with Hitsugaya before he became a Soul Reaper. During the anime-exclusive Zanpakutō Rebellion arc, Hyōrinmaru assumes the form of a tall young man with long-flowing green hair and dragon limbs. In the second film, "The Diamond Dust Rebellion", it was revealed that Hitsugaya's friend Sōjirō Kusaka also possessed Hyōrinmaru. Though the two saw it as a sign of their friendship, the Central 46 members deemed such an event unacceptable with Kusaka seemingly put to death, after he failed a test he and a reluctant Histugaya were put through over which of them can be recognized as the sole owner of Hyōrinmaru. But when Kusaka returns, having been brought back to life by the item, he uses the power of to transform into a parody of Hyōrinmaru, before Ichigo forces Kusaka back to his Soul Reaper state so Hitsugaya can settle things with his friend.
Hyōrinmaru is voiced by Daisuke Matsuoka in the original Japanese version of the second film, by Kenji Hamada in the Japanese version of the anime, and by Travis Willingham in the respectful English dubs.
Katen Kyōkotsu
is a pair of Zanpakutō owned by Shunsui Kyōraku. Shunsui's Zanpakutō, named simply , manifests as a tall, well-endowed violet-haired woman with an eyepatch, whom Shunsui affectionately calls . Katen physically appears when Shunsui unleashes his bankai, Shunsui, having explained that she only lets him use her full power when she is in the right mood due to her moody nature. When asked by his sister-in-law to conceal Shinken Hakkyōken, Shunsei has Katen create an offshoot of herself to hold the cursed Zanpakutō in her body. This offshoot assumes the form of a silent, young kunoichi that sees battle as a game, named and nicknamed by Shunsui as . While both Katen and Kyōkotsu make their initial debut in anime-exclusive Zanpakutō Rebellion arc, they appear in the final arc of the manga: Katen appearing when Shunsui uses his bankai to fight Lille Barro, with Kyōkotsu appearing when Shunsui decides to give Nanao her family's Zanpakutō as a last resort to defeat Lille.
Katen is voiced in Japanese by Ayumi Fujimura in the original Japanese version of the first anime and Ami Koshimizu in Thousand-Year Blood War. In the English dub, she is voiced by Erin Fitzgerald in the original aime and by Cherami Leigh in Thousand-Year Blood War.
Mimihagi
is a fallen god that is a vassal of the Soul King, specifically its animate right arm, appearing as a humanoid in the shape of an arm with one eye on his hand-like head, similar to Pernida Parnkgjas. Mimihagi has long been forgotten by most in the Soul Society yet is revered in the outer areas of Eastern Rukongai for his ability to prolong a person's life by taking the afflicted portion of their body from them and giving the person the means to live through the ability to compensate for the irreversible side-effects. Such an example is Jūshirō Ukitake, whose lungs Mimihagi removed at his parents' behest. During the second invasion of the Wandenreich, Jūshirō activated Kamikake to offer his body to Mimihagi to revive the Soul King. Mimihagi accepts Jūshirō's sacrifice, but is stopped from reviving the Soul King by Yhwach and is absorbed by the Quincy.
Merchandise
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. Other merchandise based on them include action-figures, plush, and key-chains. Characters are also featured on Bleach trading cards that have different abilities depending on the character appearing in the cards. In Japan, there have been released soundtracks in which the voice actors from the anime perform songs related to their characters. Most characters are also featured in video games from the series, with most of them being fighting games.
Reception
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. 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 likable to the fans. They also praised Tite Kubo's artwork to give them good clothes and the anime staff for improving them. 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 seriously when one of the main Arrancar is named Grimmjow Jeagerjacquez. 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.
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. In another review, comicbookbin said that Bleachs characters tended to avoid the most obvious courses of action, giving the series an element of unpredictability. 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. 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. 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.