Bleach Characters - Blog Posts
Hello and Happy Valentine's Day to you all! To celebrate, here are some very classy and not at all cheap or cheesy, Bleach Valentines Day Cards brought to you by the Gotei 13 Captains! (Or at least, their Bleach Gree Cards, plus my terrible photoshop skills, anyway... š )
Give them to your friends! š„°
Give them to your enemies! š
Give them to your boss! š„ø
Ā (This is all a joke, please don't do those last two! š )
Anyway feel free to use them/give them away to your friends and loved ones, and again Happy Valentine's Day! āŗļø
(Special thanks to Bleach Gree Cards for adding all these cards to their blog, thereby preserving them when the website went down!)
Update: The Karakura Kids now have cards as well!!!
Gifts Exchanged, One Sternritter to Another
Authorās Notes: Merry Christmas guys, I wrote up this little Bleach Christmas one-shot last year and thought it would be fitting to post it this time of the year. While watching the TYBW anime, many Quincy characters had quirks and traits I was invested and wanted to explore in a non-battle setting, thus a Christmas gift exchange!
Ao3 link - The fic is also on Ao3 and has a list of references from TYBW that I enjoyed adding to the story!
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Bambietta Basterbine peeked through the window of the ice-covered Quincy-building in apprehension. "Is he gone?" She asked hopefully to Askin Nakk Le Vaar who was looking through his binoculars nonchalantly without a care in the world.
"Seems so, Bambi-chan."
"Good, that damn Grandmaster ruined my hopes of getting a bonus last year for the New Year. This year, this Christmas party we're doing will make up for it!" Bambietta huffed sourly.
"What were you even going to spend the bonus on?" Askin's mouth contorted into a lazy smirk, his stylized eyebrows raised in a mildly curious manner.
"Hmph, I haven't really thought of what to buy, but that bonus would still have been nice considering how all we do is training or fighting with each other in the Wandenreich."
Sitting on a chair with the other Femritter, Giselle giggled loudly while wearing a red-white Christmas hat instead of her Sternritter cap. "Bambi-chan can be so dumb sometimes hehe."
That earned the annoyance of the self-proclaimed leader of the Femritter as she started firing back insults at the Zombie Sternritter.
Askin took a sip of his cafe au lait, wondering why he even went along with this semi-entertaining idea in the first place. It had been a breather from the repetitive training and fighting with the other colorful personalties of his fellow Sternritter, yet considering how the Wandenreich Quincy's only goal was to fight for his Majesty and completely decimate the Soul Society....this Christmas party was just unfit for their lot.
A tap on Askin's shoulder shook him out of his desolate thoughts. A giant mouth was in front of him, looking hungry. "Liltotto-chan, that appetite of yours never ceases to amuse me." chuckled the easy-going Quincy sardonically. He handed over a cup of his cafe au lait to Sternritter G, watching the short blond Quincy consume the steamed liquid.
"Their bickering was making me hungry....anyways, the gift exchange is about to start. I'm heading for Gremmy's cell, you guys can waste your time with this holiday idiocy." Liltotto said apathetically.
"What a shame, you didn't put your name in the gift exchange name bowl? Your friends will be so disappointed." Askin remarked, despite inwardly agreeing with her on the pointlessness of it all.
Besides that, mentioning that monster Gremmy filled Askin with a fatal sensation, more effective than whatever mental horrors As Nodt could conceive.Ā "Still, it's none of my business concerning Liltotto and what she sees in Gremmy to ever spend time with him willingly."
Then, Bazz-B walked in as he held a white-green box in his hands softly, before seeing what was going on. "Oi, oi, oi! What's with this ugly red-green shit all over Silbern? Even the Soldat are wearing this crap!" He shouted, looking bewildered and annoyed with the sudden change to the Wandenreich's bland look.
"They're doing a Christmas party, rooster head. Exchanging gifts and other human customs." snarked Liltotto as she left the room before Bazz-B could shoot a fire blast at her.
"Jugo really signed off on this crap? Also, are you mocking my awesome mohawk, bitch?!"
Meninas wrapped up her gift before answering. "He doesn't know about what we're doing. There's some sort of Quincy ritual involving his Majesty so his successor left with him."
"Hmph, bastard always follows his Majesty..."
A gloved hand gripped Bazz-B's shoulder with a tight grip, earning the fiery-mannered Quincy's ire before seeing who gripped his shoulder.
"An irritating, garden-variety gnat like you should learn a valuable lesson from his Majesty's successor." Sternritter X, known as Lille Barro calmly stated heavily, accompanied by his overwhelming Reiatsu that effectively made Bazz-B back down and leave the room with his green-white box.
"Quite the harsh words to say to our inferiors, eh Barro? Your commitment to his Majesty is endless even towards these little children like them!" guffawed Sternritter M, known as Gerald Valkyrie boisterously, the volume of the massive Schutzstaffel member's voice made the nearby Sternritter wince in annoyance.
Their hooded comrade of the Schutzstaffel, Sternritter C, named Pernida Parnkgjas made a sound of incoherence.
"Agreed, Pernida. We only have a year left until his Majesty is back to full strength. Getting these Sternritter prepared for their duties towards his Majesty's dream is what's expected of us." nodded Barro stoically.
While those three were secluded from the other Sternritter, Bambietta pinched her forehead in frustration and checked with Meninas, Candice, and Askin to make sure things went smoothly. In the background, Giselle kept trying to convince Mask De Masculine's #1 fan, James, to be part of her zombie entourage.
"PePe is still incapacitated by your death-dealing, Nakk Le Vaar?"
Askin yawned as he nodded, it was a simple increasing the lethal amount of oxygen in Sternritter L's respiratory system to the point of being unable to move.
"Driscoll and Quilge are still entangled in a super-long fight ordered by his Majesty?"
Candice rolled her eyes at how serious Bambietta was taking this whole thing, yet still gave the confirmation that she tricked the two Sternritter into a fight outside of the Wandenreich buildings. It was easy to arrange, involving Quilge's stringent, orderly demeanor and Driscoll's bloodthirsty, violent personality.
"Sternritter Q and Sternritter R...I don't bother to know their names but they're taken care of?"
Meninas didn't remember their names either, although it was grating to everyone's ears whenever Sternritter Q started questioning everything, leading to her knocking him out for their semi-sane peace of mind. She had also challenged Sternritter R to an arm-wrestling contest, knocking him out too after she won before he could pull off a mind-scrambling roar.
"Good, most of the problematic idiots and weirdos can't ruin this party now." sighed Bambietta in relief.
"Talk about a lack of self-awareness. Still, I preferably don't want to be on the receiving end of her explosions."Ā To call Bambietta out on her compulsive behavior of killing numerous soldiers she slept with, was begging for retribution, Askin always had a fatal feeling from her despite how intriguing he found her compared to the other Sternritter.
For the gift exchange, most of them placed their names randomly in a Reishi bowl and had gotten a partner to get a gift for.
"Gigi, you're one of the most irritating Quincy I ever met, considering how much you mock me and Candi. Always whining to us about how you don't have enough zombies, therefore I got you these so you can shut up for once." stated Bambietta as Giselle unwrapped a bag full of dead corpses of guys Bambietta slept with.
"Awww, Bambi-chan!! You do care about me, only you could give me a perfect gift! I'll put off turning you into a zombie for later!"
The violet-haired Sternritter blinked in confusion at Giselle's foreboding words, only to be enraged at her subordinate suddenly leaving the party to go 'play' with her new playtoys. "Wait, you're supposed to give me a gift as well, Gigi! You didn't bother to get me one?!"
Next, it was Meninas and Candice's turn to exchange gifts that were normal this time, to the relief of the two Sternritter ladies.
".....What is this exactly?" Candice held a device that had a cord, while reading the packaging.
"You get up before everyone to do your hair and get mad when it gets ruined. I decided to get you this hair styling tool from the human world. You can power it with your electricity....I think" Meninas explained simply.
"Thanks Meni, this is gonna save me a lot of grief and time! I also got you something from the human world! Your ridiculous Volstandig gave me the inspiration for your gift." Candice's words piqued the pink-haired Sternritter as she took out a dumb-bell set weighing hundreds of pounds.
Near the two, BG9 observed them through his sensors, being confused about the usefulness of the gifts given. "Quite senseless....how would these items given benefit them in combat, Sternritter P's calculated physical strength from her last fight greatly exceeds the combined weight in that dumb-bell set."
Cang Du stoically handed a martial arts book to the android Quincy. "Don't waste your time trying to understand them. Here. This book has detailed breakdowns of the various marital arts that would likely be used by that Squad 2 shinigami captain, her Bankai won't be her only asset."
"Sternritter I, this information will prove very useful to me in the coming battle. It'll absolutely be utilized to the fullest extent. In return, I procured this skin ointment for you to assist with your uncomfortableness with your Schrift's effect-"
A Reishi claw was placed near BG9's throat to make it clear about stoping that sentence. "I told you not to mention it near the other Sternritter. They'll doubt my combat ability against the Shinigami." Cang Du reminded while he grabbed the ointment, desiring to hide the unsettling sensation of cold iron whenever he used his Schrift to coat his body in iron.
The pairs of Sternritter exchanging gifts with one another, whether they were of utility, enjoyment, or indicative of what could pass off as camaraderie. To the experienced eyes of Sternritter N, known as Robert Accutrone, it was the frivolous use of the precious time they had left before Yhwach deem the majority of them fuel for the AuswƤhlen.
"Aren't they having a joyous time?" spoke Askin who noticed Robert's grim demeanor beneath his usual stoic composure.
"Hmph, the fact that this is being done instead of training or anything productive is quite defiant of his Majesty's wishes." Robert's words contradicted the gift picnic basket that was given to Askin.
"Yet you still decided to get me this picnic basket as a gift. Our upcoming invasion of the Soul Society will provide an ample opportunity for me to make use of it."
Robert clicked his tongue in disapproval, showing how he currently felt, even if it looked like Askin's words had caused that reaction.Ā "Geez, this spectacled old man is tough and fun-hating as he looks. Too bad he isn't easy to set off or distract with jokes like the others are...."Askin then cut to what was bothering Robert.
"I say you do care about us in some less-than enthusiastic way, old man. Especially the newbies who recently joined. Most of them won't be chosen, but at least they served his Majesty well considering how devoted you are to the guy."
A long silence followed with no signs of Robert change his mind or discussing the matter further
Askin gave up on trying to continue the conversation, finding it tedious and simply handed Robert a bottle of glasses cleaning fluid. A good marksman needed a clear vision in order to get they wanted after all.
*In Gremmy's cell under the Wandenreich*
"I'm hungry....Bambi and the others kept pestering me to help out with their Christmas party setup that I only got to have some of Nakk Le Vaar's drink before I came down here."
Sternritter V's tranquil voice rang out throughout his heavily confined and fortified cell. "You're always hungry just as I always imagine you to be whenever you come here."
Liltotto wondered if Gremmy was being honest about his claims in accordance to what he imagines. Yhwach's Reika Garasu cell (Soul-Made Glass) had incantations to limit the effect of Gremmy's power, also depriving Gremmy of any freedom for an unknown amount of years.
"How about you imagine some more cookies and a Popsicle for me? You're the Strongest Quincy, aren't you?"
The treats appeared on command in Liltotto's hands to her satisfaction, making sure to share some with Gremmy. Even if these creations of Gremmyās restrained imagination would stop existing after some time, the two Quincy still found them to be a respite from the bleakness of their world in the shadows of the Soul Society.
"You said the other Sternritter were doing a gift exchange with each other.....I can't really imagine what you would give me if I was freed and took part in it. It would just be a product of my own will, not yours." Gremmy said with a tone of pride yet it sounded like it wasn't something he could truly enjoy.
Liltotto shrugged, not giving any notions that she could fathom a gift for the Sternritter who commanded Imagination like it was a toy.
"Still....what we're doing right now....that you decided to spend time with me and continue to do so.....it makes me feel something I have a hard time....imagining."
The two blond child-like Quincy continued chatting like this until Liltotto brought up the plans for their invasion of the Soul Society.
"I don't know how shinigami taste like but it'll probably be gross either way with how much fighting and the zombies that Giselle will gain from that..."
"Perhaps, your favorite foods can make it more bearable for you when you're at the Soul Society?" To the diminutive girl's surprise, Gremmy created a whole variety of snacks and treats ranging from burgers, cookies, popcorn, cookies, and bread. āThese will last a lot longer than the previous ones I imagined.ā
"Are your powers getting stronger or....the cell you're in...the security measures on it must be getting weak." Liltotto then deduced "Thus, allowing your power of imagination to last longer with it's creations, even when you're locked up.....well you won't be locked up anymore once the invasion plan starts being executed."
"I see....you don't plan on telling his Majesty . I'm glad I imagined....someone like you for someone like me to know."
*As the gift exchange neared it's end*
"You missed out on a lot of stuff, Lil." scowled Bambietta as she saw Liltotto return to the main room.
"Huh, the room isn't wrecked or completely destroyed. Guess you and the others really pulled it off....who grew new brain cells for this? I already know it wouldn't be you."
Bambietta grunted in frustration, having enough of the disrespect by her own subordinates and going to her room to drag some unfortunate Quincy soldier to a sensual, but fatal end.
In the middle of the room, Liltotto saw Sternritter W, known as Nianzol Weizol licking a tub of ice cream with his two tongues. Next to him was Sternritter U, known as NaNaNa Najahkoop who was playing around some new bracelets on his wrists.
"Huh....that ice cream looks good, if I ignore the saliva and drool all over it...."
Her thoughts were interrupted by Mask De Masculine's exuberant shouts of zealous urging towards As Nodt to accept his gift. "Why won't you take a superstar's present?! How will you be a hero against the villainous shinigami without it?" Mask's little helper, James, also cheered on Mask in this pointless endeavor.
"I don't require anything, especially a purposeless luchador mask from a thoughtless oaf. Go read the copy of his Majesty's Daten I sent you unless you prefer to be introduced to yourĀ true fearĀ as a present." As Nodt's raspy voice sent chills down everyone's spines, refusal to change his spiked mask for one of Mask's.
All of these clashes of personalities made Liltotto sigh as she helped take down the Christmas decorations of the room by eating them even with the taste of them. "Whatever the Wandenreich is with these morons and freaks, it's unsuited for this."
"Agreed. Probably, the most mundane gift exchange of all was the Lloyd brothers giving each other the same book. Still....even his Majesty's Royal Guard were participating in this. The big Nordic one was fulfilling our desires randomly while the mute, hooded figure had compressed any stains into nothing on the huge rifle belonging to his Majesty's most ardent devotee." Askin narrated this to no end which made Liltotto narrow her bright yellow eyes at what Askin was getting at.
"Why are you telling me all of this? A recap of what transpired here isn't what I'm interested in." This made the eccentric Sternritter shake his head in disappointment.
"Out of all of the Bambis, you're the smartest one, Liltotto but then again, intelligence often brings about a bland streak of realism in one's demeanor. Quite pessimistic." Liltotto scoffed at that as she ate a popsicle.
She brought up how he wasn't one to talk with how wary he was with most of the Sternritter and accepted his current position of where they stood. What Askin said next made her current emotions come to a halt.
"The world that his Majesty Yhwach wants to make is supposed to be a better world than what we currently have. I'm interested to see what he'll create. " Askin alluded to their ultimate goal before chasing his tone to a more curious inflection. "Whatever happened here today....perhaps a miracle or rare desire for these guys to act like comrades outside of fighting for his Majesty. Usually, I feel it's fatal to do these things considering what we signed up for, why go through the heartbreak? Is it so valuable they did this outside what his Majesty wishes for?"
".....and now he walks away after saying that treasonous crap....what a misfit in this group. First, he goes along with what Bambi wants cowardly and then says that?....Today's events don't change anything at all or our goals."Ā Liltotto shook off the seeds of what Askin implied, making plans for training with the other Bambis.
*In Bazz-B's quarters*
Squinting his green eyes at the white-light green box that he found this morning in his room, Bazz-B scowled deeply, feeling mixed emotions that he tried to push away.Ā "Jugo...you...of all the Sternritter...after all this time that I kept goading and taunting you."
He decided to get it over with and opened the gift from Jugram.
It was a pair of black armbands with skull and crossbones designs on them.
*"The Great Bazz needs the final touch to show all of the other Quincies whose the Ultimate Quincy! I need something that shows how dangerous and subtlely awesome I am!" exclaimed a young Bazz-B as he put on his helmet and gloves while he and Jugram were hunting near Bazz's village 1000 years ago.*
*"Maybe.....I could find an accessory that you like....would it really make that happy, Bazz?" A young Jugram unsurely asked as he wrapped up the rabbit they hunted.Ā Bazz-B's cheeks had a tint of red at hearing that.*
*"I-I don't need it that badly! It's just those stupid grown-ups are blind to my prodigious awesomeness, sometimes what we have on the outside is what matters usually....Jugo, just focus on what you have to do alright?"Ā *
Bazz-B grabbed the black armbands with the imposing design, and wore them around his biceps.Ā "You bastard...damnit....you still remember that crap...you won't fight me no matter what but instead you do this?ā
BLEACH /Ā ē¾¤éē±å °
I was debating whether to reblog a post related this week's Bleach episode but I couldn't stop laughing at this xD
From Bleachlistsā āIf the captains and lieutenants swapped bodiesā¦ā list. :3
I also put Bleachlistsā URL in the watermark as a precaution from art thievesĀ (People who crop shit from artworks are art thieves o u o) because hey, I donāt want other people taking credit for her brilliant ideas, too.
And yeah, I added a bit of OOC-ness for the humor *cough*pimp daddy yama*cough* XD
My top 5 Bleach women and why I love them: Part 3
If you haven't seen Part 1 and 2 of this, here's the link.
1/5. Rukia Kuchiki ~ Squad 13 captan and Number One
I donāt think I have to explain this but Iāll touch over what themes I love, some of itās duality and how it all helps encompass her character as one of Kuboās best.
Upbringing and Human NatureĀ ~ Throughout the first arc, we get glimpses into how Rukia was raised and what kind of warrior culture the Soul Society had. Despite her life in the Rukon District and being treated horribly in the Kuchiki Clan, Rukia maintains that Soul Society is better than the human world, that letting an inexperienced Ichigo fight Grand Fisher on his own was considered right by her captainās standards. However, thereās cracks in these beliefs even from the moment she met Ichigo and began making friends in the human world. Itās especially more painful when she didnāt see Renji for 40 years, and knew she would have to return to Soul Society, that her brief stay with humans was where she felt she belonged, where she didnāt feel empty in the heart.
Self-Worth and Finding the HeartĀ ~ Saving someone usually means the rescuee wants to be saved right? Not in Rukiaās case, her self-loathing over her execution is visible throughout the SS arc. Itās tragic, she was forced to kill Kaien to stop Aizenās Hollow experiment from continuing to use his body, that she besmirched the Kuchiki name by giving Ichigo her powers, the guy who looks alike to Kaien. Renji and her split up decades ago due to the divide between them, and compounding all of that corroded her self-esteem to the point of her accepting her execution. However, she finds what connects her to those important people and how they care for her, the heart. Therefore, deciding to stay in Soul Society and reclaiming her self-worth.
Renji declares he wonāt leave her in the face of Aizen.
Byakuya Kuchiki protects her to fulfill his promise to Rukiaās sister.
Kaienās relatives forgive her for being the one to end Kaienās suffering.
If it can be said that the heart is unchanging, then that is strength. - Bleach Vol. 54 poem
A Soldierās Heart and Itās DualityĀ ~ At the crux of Rukiaās character is her bonds and how she got there through becoming a Shinigami. Kaien was her mentor who taught her to fight and the theme of āThe Heartā. To not die alone, to have meaningful connections is where Rukia ensures she makes sure to support her friends through her manner. I think itās really poignant that the way she tries to sway Ichigo out of his doubts and fears of his inner Hollowā¦that it doesnāt work because Ichigo hasnāt been in the shinigami life as long as she had. Ichigoās issues are far more embedded due to how heās been changed by themā¦.while Kaienās heart which Rukia metaphorically holds in her, hasnāt changed at all.
Emulating Kaienās mannerisms because Kaienās heart carriedĀ strength, Rukiaās way contrasts with Orihimeās nature, which ends up helping out Ichigo even for a moment in the Hueco Mundo arc. However, the soldierās heart is what allows Rukia to continue fighting against Aaroniero the 9th Espada, because she finds strength in it to want to save Orihime, protect her loved ones, and move past the obstacle, because she cares about the reawakened connections she has.
The top three art pieces are made by @srkbom108 on Twitter. Black and White background art is done by @Mak_ai_ on Twitter. The last two art pieces are by @rakusakugk on Twitter.
Thanks for reading, if you want to see my full-length post of all three 3 parts, then here's the Quora link for it!
My top 5 Bleach women and why I love them: Part 2
If you haven't seen Part 1 of this, here's the link. https://www.tumblr.com/takibikaen/725767150684520448/my-top-5-bleach-women-and-why-i-love-them-part-1?source=share
2/5. Orihime Inoue ~ The Princess
Why?
Sheās ridiculously quirky and really wholesome, which really added a layer of emotion to the series as the character who could be empathic with so many individuals. Her struggles and belief she builds within herself in her friends and Ichigo is beautiful to see through the show. Sheās a human teenager who wasnāt built for fighting like her friends but she still tries her best to help out and genuinely has a good heart void of killing intent.
The Orihime/Riruka interaction is even wholesome when you find out Orihime calls Riruka multiple times after TYBW lmao
Showing compassion in front of those who wronged you or are against you is hard to do. For Orihime, itās her nature to be kind and non-aggressive even to those who hurt her. Itās a sentiment that one would usually discard especially in a lot of shows. However, I see Orihime being this way as reaching out to them because she knows theyāre hurting on the inside like Sora and Riruka, or that they need to load power over her like Loly.
Throughout those experiences, sheās been able to keep her compassionate nature even in the face of all this. Obviously, I could keep on harping on how this makes her stand out from multiple other characters, but Iāll try not to. Her Fullbring powers are to reject phenomenon and I see her nature as an symbol of that, where outside events donāt get to her even in dark times, that she keeps true to herself no mater what.
WeĀ As one: are not intertwined. As two: do not share the same form. Of the third: we simply don't have eyes. Of the fourth: we have no hope in that direction. At the fifth therein lies the heart. - Bleach Vol. 27
Ichigoās conflict in the Arcancar Arc was centered around protecting his friends to the point that he wouldnāt trust them to fight with him or confide with them. Orihime also goes through something like this, which that she goes to Hueco Mundo without telling them, so Ulquiorra wouldnāt hurt them. However in her heart, she was glad Ichigo and others came for her and even had a moment where Ichigoās mysterious Hollowifaction scared her. The very thing Ichigo strived work towards to protect her and those they loved.
I especially look towards her pacifist nature being clear when Grimmjow demands she heals Ichigo so Grimmjow can kill him at full power in a new fight. Complete opposite of Unohana learning healing Kido to extend her fights, right? Thatās why it ends beautifully when Orihime realizes Ichigoās Hollow power shouldn't get in the way of her trust in him to end the fight. She comes forth to listen to her heart and gets past the idea of no hope, the Hollow eyes she stared into, Ichigoās masked form, and believes in those she cares about. She doesnāt despair.
To finish it off, her growth in the Fullbring arc is good to see pay off especially where she has faith in Ichigo to make it through, that sheāll heal him even if it gives him the opportunity to get hurt again. Plus, she even develops her Fullbring ability to the point where she can defend and reactively attack at the same time, thus keeping true to her nature while fighting back. Orihime is genuinely a character who I love from her quirky & kind nature but to also how human she is in dealing with things outside of her control, and her internal growth towards her friends.
Pink background art belongs to @rakusakugk on Twitter. High School Orihime art belongs to @srkbom108 on Twitter, and the black-white background art belongs to @Mak_ai_ on Twitter. Absolutely talented artists.
Sorry, but Tumblr only allows 30 photos per post so there's a Part 3 of this mini-series.
Check me out on Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kirun-Uzumaki
My top 5 Bleach women and why I love them: Part 1
(Some of this based on what makes them awesome, or how they're written. Also, this is Part 1 of the entire post, so it'll only show the first 3 characters, due to Tumblr's limit on how many links/media I can use.)
5/5. Ikumi Unagiya \~ Owner of Unagiya Shop
Why?
Itās an unique choice since she doesnāt get that much screen time compared to the others but I really think sheās got a fun personalty and somewhat of a good adult character in a shonen manga that doesnāt have many adults thatāll be there for the MC on an emotional level.
In the Fullbringer arc, sheās one of the only adults in Ichigoās life who tries to be there for him even with her unawareness of shinigami and hollows. Ikumi still reminds him that he is a kid and he should be able to rely on her, and I think itās really profound that she says this but Ichigo hasnāt ever really believed in that for most of his life.
Another underrated moment is her getting Ginjo to stop subtly upsetting Ichigo and made him leave her shop. Ginjo wasnāt even a villain at this point but Ikumi still knew the questions he was saying about Ichigoās dad and his family were screwing with Ichigoās mind. Maybe Iām giving her too much credit for being a reliable adult for a shonen manga, however it still puts her in my list.
Even in the TYBW arc, sheās still there to be a form of stability to Ichigo who goes through hell before visiting her. Her personality between a dependable, intuitive adult and a stubborn woman who kidnaps teenage employees in broad daylight is what stands out to me as a character.
4/5. Tier Harribel \~ Tres Espada
Why?
Her whole look with the jacket and the hollow mask is honestly pretty cool to see in the series and her serious, calm personality is nice to see among the Espada. Plus her motif as the āEspada of Sacrificeā adds a whole new layer of her concern for her Fraccion, like Nel who was the former 3rd. Her sword release is also dope, āTiburonā.
In the Arcancar arc, she only gets one main fight (which she got done dirty on) and then gets betrayed by Aizen, but at least I have to appreciate the moments throughout the arc that build her character.
Again, itās really rare here to see an Arcancar care about their own considering the whole process of Hollows devouring each other from Menos Grande - Adgjunchas - Vasto Lordes. Plus, having the balls to go up to Head-Captain Yamamoto and say youāll avenge your subordinates is pretty insane.
There is no world without sacrifice. Are you unaware? We are in a sea of blood, ashes floating in hell crying the name of a fading world. - Bleach Vol. 42
The series could have used her more outside of the Arcancar arc but in TYBW arc, she was the ruler of Hueco Mundo and saved Nel & friends from Yhwach. However, they forgot about her for the rest of the TYBW arc which Iām hoping the anime will fix, maybe adding a scene. In the timeskip, sheās adjusted to the role of it all and looks OP af, I personally love this look on her.
Appearance-wise, itās obvious how stunning how she is honestly.
I used to think āHarribelā was her first name but Tier is actually her first name.
https://twitter.com/jessjessdrawsĀ - Artist who drew the Harribel sketch on bottom right panel.
3/5. Unohana Retsu \~ Squad 4 Captain and First Kenpachi
Why?
Almost every Bleach fan loves Unohana but besides the obvious mommy vibe she gives, I really appreciate the dual traits she's had. I really love how sheās a healing captain whose committed to the Gotei 13, and how itās revealed later that she was one of the original Gotei 13 and the First Kenpachi. The way she holds herself from the beginning of her debut to her death, she always been caring to those she healed and worked with but held a intimidating demeanor around her.
Battle is everything - Bleach Vol. 59
Kuboās character design is something that took me a while to realize thereās certain symbolism in it. Unohanaās mainstream design is much more meaningful when you find out the core of her character and how she started. The braid she puts her hair in resembles chains that Unohana put on herself to hide away her past of immense bloodlust as the First Kenpachi like the scar on her chest.
At the core of her character, fighting is everything to her considering the environment sheās grown in. The Soul Society and Yamamoto has harnessed her strength and killing prowess for the sake of protecting their interests. One of the themes of Bleach is the āThe Heartā where many characters and groups have revolved around the belief of what the heart means to them. Unohanaās role in TYBW shows how her heart is centered around fighting and how her sin is the foundation of her persona as the kindhearted, healing Captain of Squad 4.
I always heard criticism about how Unohana got centered around Kenpachi and got killed for Kenpachiās development, but I point to the overall themes of the story and how shinigami like Unohana who had to fight harshly to survive in the Rukon district. They often centered or associated themselves around another person who brings a feeling, emotion or sensation within them, that drives them to do actions in a story.
Learning healing kido to extend a fight for who knows how long is a pretty unique concept for the whole medical character trope. Itās so riveting to me that even through healing others, Unohana was helping the other shinigami live on for another fight which is something Kenpachi advocated to Ikkaku, besides doing her job. In her final battle, she was doing that not for Kenpachi but for the sake of the Soul Societyās survival. Thus, her heart and purpose might be with Kenpachi now, but she found meaning outside of her original role for centuries, and briefly enjoyed peace from being a fighter of bloodlust until the Wandenreich arrived.
@Mak_ai_ on Twitter is the artist who made the Unohana art with grey-black backgrounds and @srkbom108 on Twitter made the Unohana art that has red backgrounds to it. Check them out!
Bottom left art by @joranz1204 on Twitter and bottom right art by @Mak_ai_ on Twitter
Made by @rakusakugk on Twitter. Sorry about the whole art dump in this answer but I couldnāt help it lol, thereās just so much good Unohana art on the Internet, also I own none of the fan art here.
Hope you enjoyed it so far! Here's Part 2 of the post!
My top 5 Bleach women and why I love them: Part 2
Also, talking about her themes
Check me out on Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kirun-Uzumaki
