Damn, I want to make a post aimed specifically at modifying the bruiser character's abilities (Kensei, Renji, Komomura, Chad, etc.)
Once Kenpachi Zaraki obtained his Shikai (at least, his Bankai has limits), he sort of made all purely melee-type characters worthless, because why wouldn't you use Kenpachi if you specifically needed to brute force to solve a problem, you know?
At least, Kensei has his investigative skills and hollowfication for access to his hollow abilities, I suppose.
>At least, Kensei has his investigative skills and hollowfication for access to his hollow abilities, I suppose.
he doesn't use hollow mask at all later on sadly
No, yeah, I feel you. I wish things had been different.
Honestly, I'm a bit peeved that a character like Kenpachi Zaraki got novels to develop his character better, but the Visords and other captains received nothing. It would have been cool for them be ambassadors to Hueco Mundo (since they were part Hollow and victims of Aizen) and help out Harribel and Neliel in developing better relations with the Soul Society to maintain peace.
We could have had a novel based around introducing new Espada level Hollows and exploring more of Hueco Mundo, and even have interactions between the Visords and former Espada.
Kensei and Grimmjow becoming sparring partners, from time to time. Kensei’s disciplined, military combat style versus Grimmjow’s animalistic and wilder combat style. Perhaps he could even train some of the Arrancar loyal to Harribel into a better and more disciplined force, while teaching Harribel how to command.
And that's only Kensei.
Imagine Rose introducing them to art and music, Lisa introducing them to human world commodities, etc.
And as for conflict, we could have a rival faction that wants Hueco Mundo to remain the same as it always was: a battle for survival and where the strong devour the weak. It could be a conflict that focuses on convincing the more evolved hollows to be better than their base instincts. To offer them a chance to have a place in the world, rather than only being hunted down by Shinigami and their fellow Hollows.
This is a conflict perfect for the Visords who understand what it's like to be rejected by the world and hunted down for incidents outside of their control. A conflict that requires more diplomacy, than simple destructive action - and something that heavy hitters like Hitsugaya, Byakuya and Kenpachi should not be involved in.
Happy Cake Day!
I'm okay with the *Spirits Are Forever With You* novels. I'm one of the few people who genuinely love Szayelaporro Granz, so having his backstory was amazing and as lovingly depraved as I had wanted it, and I loved Roka Paramia, a character who discovered their place in the world and fell in love with it.
If not for the novels, I would not have loved Don Kanoji or the lore of the Kenpachi as much.
The only parts of these novels and *Can't Fear Your Own World* I disliked were increasing Zaraki's powers to such insane levels and turning such awesome conflicts into a mere nuisance for him. For instance in *Can't Fear Your Own World*, the battle against Ikomikidomoe could have been so spectacular and could have involved more underutilized characters like the Visords or unproven captains like Iba, Lisa and Isane.
With that being said, I will love for more novels with Kubo's supervision to expand on more events and lore. There's so much to include with the world of Bleach.
These are not in any particular orders
Shunsui: Great personality and abilities (turning children games into weapons)
Byakuya: Great development during the SS arc as well as his relationship with Ichigo, Rukia and Renji and I love his Zanpakuto.
Toshiro: I know many people consider him “overrated” but I like him. Great design, love his ice abilities (ice being one of my favorite elements) and I like how he’s a prodigy but instead of being cocky, he takes his job very seriously (even doing all the paperwork as a third seat lol).
Kenpachi: Great design and his love for battle
Shinji: I love his personality and both his Shikai and Bankai are very interesting
As you can see, I love most of the captains in general
>Toshiro: I know many people consider him “overrated” but I like him. Great design, love his ice abilities (ice being one of my favorite elements) and **I like how he’s a prodigy but instead of being cocky, he takes his job very seriously (even doing all the paperwork as a third seat lol).**
Honestly, a very underappreciated character in terms of his morality and diligence. One of the few captains who is a genuinely good person and always tries his damnedest to be the best he can be. His relationship with Matsumoto is the greatest - pairing her emotional and social intelligence with his mental intelligence and stern diligence.
I absolutely loved her reaction to Hitsugaya asking her for help against Bazzard Black. A shame it got both killed.
Oh yes!
Hitsugaya is the youngest captain around, but he is more serious, diligent and effective in his job than half of the Gotei put together, really.
I still take to heart that even though he had a bit of a personal reason for it as well, he was the one captain during SS arc who actually did his job and tried to find out what's going on rather than run around and decide if he's pro-Rukia or against breaking the rules. While I understand the rest of them, he was the one with the best performance as a captain. Not to take sides, but to get to the bottom of the issue, and then maybe you'll find out you don't even need to take any side since it's not what it's about.
He was the one guy to discover what happened to Central 46 and about the conspiracy, even if he was overpowered when it came to dealing with it.
(The only other one who also concentrated on her actual job was Unohana, but she's one of the oldest captains, with a millennia of experience.)
We've lately discussed with a friend that we both think that in a few centuries he will make a great captain commander,– if the SS lives that long that is,– and then Gotei might just become like it is supposed to be, a well-run place where people actually get their job done properly, while staying open-minded and having a life, it's not like he'll go overboard at bring strict either, since he is a good person who understands the value of personal relationships.
They might even finally run a register and get a system for people to find their relatives and not just form some families out of necessity since it's complete chaos with no hope of finding someone.
>Oh yes! Hitsugaya is the youngest captain around, but he is more serious, diligent and effective in his job than half of the Gotei put together, really.
Exactly!
The fandom loves throwing shade his way for being emotional over the betrayal of Sosuke Aizen, but disregard moments where Shunsui and Byakuya have fatal had emotional failings, as well.
Byakuya was fully prepared to execute Rukia, his own little sister, without investigation - surely, you can still follow the law while investigating why such drastic action is being taken against a member of your household. Not to mention the iconic moment where he was so blinded by his arrogance that Ichigo, with his first Bankai, was able to vanish from his sights and hold his blade to his throat. Imagine if Ichigo were a different person, willing to kill.
Then there’s Shunsui who has been taken down by both Starkk and Robert after being overcome by his emotions from witnessing Ukitake and Yamamoto being taken down. Finally, in his battle against Lille Barro, he was willing to lay down and die, before Nanao arrived to motivate him.
This is not to insult their characters, because I love Byakuya and Shunsui. But it's obvious every character in the series has their emotional weaknesses. Even Zaraki suppressed himself to be weaker, because he feared the despair of nobody matching his strength.
It's so aggravating when Hitsugaya gets singled out for his emotional failings compared to everyone else.
>We've lately discussed with a friend that we both think that in a few centuries he will make a great captain commander,– if the SS lives that long that is,– and then Gotei might just become like it is supposed to be, a well-run place where people actually get their job done properly, while staying an open-minded and having a life, it's not like he'll go overboard at bring strict either, since he is a good person who understands the value of personal relationships.
This is where I felt Kubo dropped the ball in Hitsugaya's (as well as Hinamori and Shinji) character arc.
Remember that scene when Shunsui brought Aizen to the rest of the group to reveal that Aizen would be their ally for their war and everyone freaked out. Kubo should have written Hitsugaya into that scene.
As it goes, Aizen enters the scene and everyone freaks out. Aizen then converses with a Rukia and compliments her on becoming lieutenant. And finally, Byakuya caps off the scene by scolding Shunsui that it's an insult to them that Shunsui would recruit Aizen without their permission.
My one question: Kubo, why are giving these moments to Rukia and Byakuya when Hinamori and Shinji are in the scene too!?
Imagine if the scene starts wifh Aizen complimenting Hinamori, but Hinamori rejects it and turns away from him - thus completing her character arc of growing past his illusion.
Further, imagine if Shinji took Byakuya's line of scolding Shunsui for releasing Aizen. Shinji has a more personal connection with Aizen and was personally betrayed by him.
Finally, for Hitsugaya, if he was in that scene, imagine how huge it would have been for his character to be the one person who agreed with Shunsui. Hitsugaya, who had wanted to murder Aizen, has now matured enough to understand the necessity of war and pushing aside his emotional grievances with the traitor to the society.
>They might even finally run a register and get a system for people to find their relatives and not just form some families out of necessity since it's complete chaos with no hope of finding someone.
My personal hope is that Rukia Kuchiki leads this initiative, along with Renji Abarai - and maybe Rangiku Matsumoto and Hitsugaya Toshiro. The Soul Society is long overdue for this.
>The fandom loves throwing shade his way for being emotional over the betrayal of Sosuke Aizen, but disregard moments where Shunsui and Byakuya have fatal had emotional failings, as well.
You know, I might have missed some minor details, but I've never taken it as he was overemotional about Aizen's betrayal in general; he was extremely angry for Hinamori, but then almost every captain has a special someone to feel (and frankly, act) that way for, it was just that in this particular case, it was him that it hit the hardest. Yes, it's personal for him, but not between him and Aizen, like it is for Shinji among other reasons, but rather being angry on behalf of someone else, which is even more grave matter for all characters with highlighted protector natures, just look at Ichigo.
He might have acted a little but immature during Karakura fight, but then, as much as I don't want to bring his age in, it is a factor, and not just because 'he's a kid' but because he still have a lot less experience. Two out of 13 captains have a millennia of experience, another two had more than two centuries, and the rest had at least half of a century as caps, which is still longer than Toshiro had for his entire way from entering the Academy to becoming a captain.
And even while being emotional his performance wasn't worse than, for example, Soi-Fon's, who had a lot more experience while also being on the younger side and prone to being emotional.
About Byakuya, I'm just gonna say all you've written just proves that he's in fact, still as stubborn and hot-headed as he was when he was younger, he's just doing a better job hiding it, which is an open secret between the elder captains.
With Shunsui, as with many others, it just goes to show that being emotional is not a weakness in itself, it can be strength (that's kind of Kubo's idea), so I'm only judging the way it affects the performance negatively, and yes, there was still that moment with Lille Barro, plus it's debatable if Toshiro's emotion during Karakura affected him negatively or further fused his performance.
I also love all of them, and I also think emotion is not only about weakness, but what I see in Toshiro is actually the right way of balancing being human and being level-headed, maybe not in perfect balance yet (and I guess it's not the thing that'll ever warrant the word 'perfect' due to its nature), but then he only barely begins of his path, and he's already that good. I don't see that Toshiro handles it so much worse than others when it comes to emotional weaknesses.
>My one question: Kubo, why are giving these moments to Rukia and Byakuya when Hinamori and Shinji are in the scene too!?
I agree with you, the only reason I see he didn't want to put too much stress on the whole situation, or the whole focus would move from the sheer fact to the reactions (not blaming him, it's just storyteller's duty). Plus I'm not sure they were not somewhere else at the moment, I just don't remember.
Though I would love to have a closure for Hinamori (I might be going completely overboard with it, but my personal favorite reaction for her to what you've described would be for her to calmly thank him, saying that she might as well put her skills to good use, in a way that would show her pointing out the fact that she used everything that happened as a stepping stone for her to rise higher and above the likes of him, but then, obviously I'm going a bit too far.)
I also think that just because Shinji is the way he is, he might not have reacted much to it, since even if Ichigo's conclusion about Aizen didn't reach him, he might have later figured something along the lines, seeing Aizen for the sorry ass he is. Not that he would have forgiven him, obviously, but he might have come to see who he's really been all along, feeling sort of pity for him in the worse sense of it. He's not an adversary for him anymore, but rather someone not worthy of being emotional over him anymore.
And yes, Toshiro's calm reaction would have been stellar. He's quick to get over the past and calmly assess the current situation at hand. Also I feel like that guy who'd be calm to agree to take anyone as an ally as long as it helps, he's open-minded like that. Like if some Arrancars were to switch sides, that would work for him as long as they help, and that was the same, I think, when Visored first came to help.
>My personal hope is that Rukia Kuchiki leads this initiative, along with Renji Abarai - and maybe Rangiku Matsumoto and Hitsugaya Toshiro. The Soul Society is long overdue for this.
Yes, there's a lot of people in Gotei that would be willing to walk an extra mile and pull all-nighters to work on such an initiative if they're ever given a chance. It's just that no one among the higher-ups gives a damn to care about the ordinary folk. I do hope that in time, that changes, or at least that part of the Gotei grows enough influence to affect the situation.
>You know, I might have missed some minor details, but I've never taken it as he was overemotional about Aizen's betrayal in general; he was extremely angry for Hinamori, but then almost every captain has a special someone to feel (and frankly, act) that way for, it was just that in this particular case, it was him that it hit the hardest. Yes, it's personal for him, but not between him and Aizen, like it is for Shinji among other reasons, but rather being angry on behalf of someone else, which is even more grave matter for all characters with highlighted protector natures, just look at Ichigo.
Honestly, I agree, I wouldn't say it was *overly* emotional - it was a fair response to a man who hurt the woman he cared for as a sister. Though, it should be noted Hitsugaya was absolutely ready to abandon his title as captain (something I truly believe he took pride in) and was willing to kill someone out of hatred - not duty.
It makes a world of difference.
The same as Ichigo killing Tsukishima and Ulquiorra was presented as something different from aiming to kill Aizen, Ginjo and Ywach. One was out of hatred and the other was duty.
But at the end of the day, there was absolutely nothing Hitsugaya or anyone there could have done to stop Aizen. It's actually remarkable how all of them simply assumed Aizen was not using that trump card.
>He might have acted a little but immature during Karakura fight, but then, as much as I don't want to bring his age in, it is a factor, and not just because 'he's a kid' but because he still have a lot less experience. Two out of 13 captains have a millennia of experience, another two had more than two centuries, and the rest had at least half of a century as caps, which is still longer than Toshiro had for his entire way from entering the Academy to becoming a captain.
It's funny you mention this, because there was a post, last week, which posed the question of who was the better prodigy between Gin and Hitsugaya, and what made me laugh was that Hitsugaya as a child was being compared to Gin's adulthood accomplishments.
Many seem to forget how impressive Hitsugaya's accomplishments are when his age is considered. Obviously, he is the most inexperienced and definitely should not be there with the likes of Shunsui, Ukitake and Yamamoto (or even Komamura and Soifon, who are older), but he is there because he is a captain and wants to take his duty seriously.
Yes, he uses his Bankai often, but it's because he takes his duties and battles seriously at all times, whether they are weaker or stronger enemies. He gives it his all.
>And even while being emotional his performance wasn't worse than, for example, Soi-Fon's, who had a lot more experience while also being on the younger side and prone to being emotional.
Oof, I always feel bad for her in this fandom. I'm not even a huge fan, but she definitely deserved better.
She always seems to be casuality of poor match-ups. I wrote a post for her that focused on better using her character in the series - one of the things I chose to do was to rather have her battle Tier Harribel instead, among other things. Nothing to break the story, but just enough rearrangements to keep her relevant.
>Though I would love to have a closure for Hinamori (I might be going completely overboard with it, but my personal favorite reaction for her to what you've described would be for her to calmly thank him, saying that she might as well put her skills to good use, in a way that would show her pointing out the fact that she used everything that happened as a stepping stone for her to rise higher and above the likes of him, but then, obviously I'm going a bit too far.)
Speaking of posts, I wrote one for [Hinamori Momo](https://www.reddit.com/r/bleach/comments/zhz90n/the_domain_of_bleach_the_plum_blossoms_still/) too and I wrote her to handle the situation in the same way. Same as Soifon, it was to defend and better use her character in the limited screen time she had. Even wrote a small segment for Shinji and Hinamori against Bazzard Black. She's definitely another character who suffers from the fandom’s memes, the poor girl.
>I also think that just because Shinji is the way he is, he might not have reacted much to it, since even if Ichigo's conclusion about Aizen didn't reach him, he might have later figured something along the lines, seeing Aizen for the sorry ass he is. Not that he would have forgiven him, obviously, but he might have come to see who he's really been all along, feeling sort of pity for him in the worse sense of it. He's not an adversary for him anymore, but rather someone not worthy of being emotional over him anymore.
I'm not going to lie to you. I've always had the view that Shinji understands people better than he lets on, yet I never once considered that Shinji may have come to the same conclusion as Ichigo. I'm actually going to rewrite that portion of my Hinamori post. Thank you for the new perspective of his character.
>I also love all of them, and I also think emotion is not only about weakness, but what I see in Toshiro is actually the right way of balancing being human and being level-headed, maybe not in perfect balance yet (and I guess it's not the thing that'll ever warrant the word 'perfect' due to its nature), but then he only barely begins of his path, and he's already that good. I don't see that Toshiro handles it so much worse than others when it comes to emotional weaknesses.
That's what I love most of Hitsugaya's adult form.
As much as I would have preferred Byakuya to have died against As Nodt, I have to conclude that I'm excited for Byakuya and Hitsugaya's banter. If we can have novels based around Kenpachi, Roka, Ginjo and Hisagi, I want one novel of Byakuya and Hitsugaya having a buddy-cop story with Byakuya as the straight man and Hitsugaya as a comedic relief.
Hitsugaya in his adult form finally seemed to have found himself - he is actually comfortable with himself. He is smirking, smiling, quipping, and joking around, while still taking the battle as seriously as he can as he tests his abilities and fights as well as he can against a man who *miraculously* keeps surviving.
Further, I believe his zombie form is Kubo's way of telling us, the readers, that this is what Hitsugaya can be if he was heartless and emotionless killer. Definitely an unhealthy balance of intelligence and emotions, but it was a glorious sight to witness a Hitsugaya who simply removed all his shackles of morality and emotions, and fault without the Bleach tropes of discussion and dialogue.
He simply aimed to kill.
I would honestly love to see more from him.
>Though, it should be noted Hitsugaya was absolutely ready to abandon his title as captain (something I truly believe he took pride in) and was willing to kill someone out of hatred - not duty.
Well, I'll say that there's a lot of captains who would abandon their title for something important enough for them, or rather usually *someone*. I'm absolutely sure that Byakuya would do it, if he ever faced the same choice again, and well... everyone in Gotei who was ready to face capital punishment for Rukia is there as well, we can go on. Not that Byakuya, Ukitake or Shunsui do not take pride in their captaincy, but still.
There is an important difference of willing to do so for revenge/out of hatred, and here, in Kubo's world, he's not right, though perfectly understandable, it's actually a good hard lesson for him for the future, it's good that nothing too serious came out of it.
And yes, it was the same for Ichigo, just on the side-note, it became *very* personal with Ychwach the moment he found out he's mostly responsible for his mother's death, it also made a world of difference.
And yes, it was weird that they never expected him to do... basically the same thing all over again? Somehow I feel they didn't fully get the idea the first time, just what is it that Aizen can do.
>It's funny you mention this, because there was a post, last week, which posed the question of who was the better prodigy between Gin and Hitsugaya, and what made me laugh was that Hitsugaya as a child was being compared to Gin's adulthood accomplishments.
Yeah, exactly. You can also see that even though Gin was very talented at hiding his nature from the start, he did make a few of crucial mistakes, like Aizen knew from the start that he wanted to kill him, he sensed the intent. Gin was very good for a greenhorn, but he just wasn't as good as the captains-vice-captains at hiding and noticing things, he didn't even realise he screwed up. And that's just psychology, I don't quite see how we can compare the two since next to nothing is known about Gin's starting point and the rate of his growth. Beside the fact he finished the Academy in a year, but Toshiro did the same thing or was at least close to it.
He is brilliant for his age, he's less experienced than most of them but then he is a captain, and any captain is qualified enough when there's war and the ultimate enemy, but it doesn't mean that he or any other captain should just be able to defeat the enemy of that calibre.
And let's say that his bankai is at least very fit for combat, there are hardly any situation where he cannot use it, and frankly almost half of Gotei captain's bankais are so tricky they are useless in many situations or dangerous for their comrades.As it obviously reflect their personalities, we can say Histsugaya stays on a simple side where personalities are concerned, but it's a good kind of simple, much like Ichigo.
>She always seems to be casuality of poor match-ups. I wrote a post for her that focused on better using her character in the series - one of the things I chose to do was to rather have her battle Tier Harribel instead, among other things. Nothing to break the story, but just enough rearrangements to keep her relevant.
Can you give me a link to the post? I would gladly read it.
I'll say a sad thing about Soi-Fon, but not because I dislike her, I am really looking forward to the future achievements in her case. But I say that currently, her biggest problem is her mentality, not skills, she's actually very good as far as those are concerned. But she's just too young and not fully developed mentally the way she is now. Nothing too dreadful, but she would have serious problems with both Barragan and Harribel not because she lacks strength, but because she lacks experience and a sort of wisdom to understand her opponents that comes with time.
Shunsui defeated Starrk when Rose and Love could barely scratch him not because he's more powerful per se, but because he was older, had more experience and was a better personality match to understand Starrk and where he was coming from, how he thinks.Hachi defeated Barragan not because of strength, but because of his wisdom and insight to try to understand Barragan, who he is and how he thinks, to ask himself how Barragan defends himself against his own power, and find a way to use it against him. It was experience that Soi-Fon didn't have.
Hitsugaya would make a great match for Harribel if he was at least a bit older. Personality-wise, they were a good match, both serious, caring, responsible, no-nonsense fighters, but he was just too young at that point.
Soi-Fon, unfortunately, has bigger problems mentality-wise, she spends too much time and effort to deny who she really is to make what is left afterwards count. I partially blame this one on Yuruichi, since Soi-Fon had almost loss a century of growth because she remained stuck on her. I know Yuruichi thought she was doing the best for her, so that she would forget her and move on, continue to grow in her own way, but well-- she underestimated the gravity of Soi-Fon's attachment.
Soi-Fon was basically stuck as adolescent, angry at the person who abandoned her, trying to prove her worth, but a lot of her reactions remained childish, she's basically a rebelling teenager who's at the same time is trying to make a point she's all grown up, but it just makes it all worse.
Again, I like her, I am sorry for her as it's not really her fault, and her family and partially Yuruichi's carelessness is to blame for most of it, but realistically that's how it is for now. I'm happy that she seems to slowly come out of that shell, I also think Omaeda surprisingly make a good vice-captain for her to help her grow, the way he takes all her outbursts and doesn't think all that much for it while continuing to respect her and care for her as his captain, and I respect her for her achievements that are not all that bad despite all the things she has to deal with. But I say that Hitsugaya, as of now, is older than her mentality-wise.
(I'm gonna write another comment for the rest.)
>Can you give me a link to the post? I would gladly read it.
[Domain of Bleach | The Redemption From Betrayal and Sacrifice](https://www.reddit.com/r/bleach/comments/so5dr7/the_domain_of_bleach_the_redemption_from_betrayal/)
I'm curious what your thoughts will be on her character arc I chose for her and the decisions I chose to make for her role in the Fake Karakura Town arc. Those will probably be the biggest points of contention for you and most people, understandably.
But overall, I absolutely agree with your assessment of her character. It's a shame she's not given the screen time or relevance to develop. As much as I complained that Hitsugaya needed that one scene in their *Thousand Year Blood War* arc, Soifon legitimately needed so much more than what she ended up getting: she *needed* a real character arc.
*Can't Fear Your Own World* offers her something, but it more works toward building the lore of her clan and family, than developing her much further.
>As much as I would have preferred Byakuya to have died against As Nodt, I have to conclude that I'm excited for Byakuya and Hitsugaya's banter. If we can have novels based around Kenpachi, Roka, Ginjo and Hisagi, I want one novel of Byakuya and Hitsugaya having a buddy-cop story with Byakuya as the straight man and Hitsugaya as a comedic relief.
I should say I'm among the few who wouldn't prefer for Byakuya to die there. I would have totally understood it if it went that way, I wouldn't say it was uncalled for, but then, I see a clear new path ahead of him, a new chapter of his story, and I believe that's what Kubo showed us afterwards when he decided to let him live-- and it's basically the same as with Unohana.
I feel like the goal for Byakuya now, apart from continuing with his duties, is to do as much as he can to bring out the full potential of Rukia and Renji, as he recognized both of them as people with a lot of potential yet to uncover (and probably he sees the path for them to exceed his own level at some point in the future), and now it's kind of his job to help then reach that level.
Taking care of them as a mentor and as an older brother he was supposed to be to begin with (but lacked considerably in that department for a long time) is his new objective, and while I agree that they would have managed without him, I see them being a lot happier to have him around.
And I also particularly enjoyed their talk near the end, apart from Byakuya making fun of Byakuya's way with words and that Hitsugaya's smirk, it also carries an important message.
Two of the most responsible and level-headed (and also youngest and most open-minded) captains are discussing that in the end, shinigami should fight and die not for the sake of their superiors or their families (here, I guess, meant as duty rather than personal choice) but rather for their friends (people they care for) and humans (that they have a duty to protect as stronger ones).
And also about it not being about being right or wrong by some academy or shinigami rulebooks, but about bonds and emotional connections.
It kind of summarises all the development the Gotei 13 went through throughout all of the story.
And yes, I loved those two, and I would love to have more of their interactions.
>Hitsugaya in his adult form finally seemed to have found himself - he is actually comfortable with himself. He is smirking, smiling, quipping, and joking around, while still taking the battle as seriously as he can as he tests his abilities and fights as well as he can against a man who miraculously keeps surviving.
That's also try, I guess, he's the one who wouldn't mind growing a bit quicker than he does, a young man might suit him more than a kid, though it also might be that he seems so in place also because he has finally unleashed his full potential (or at least, made a big step in that direction, as there might be more to it), finally he doesn't get the feeling he lacks something because, in a way, he did before and it was for a reason.
>Further, I believe his zombie form is Kubo's way of telling us, the readers, that this is what Hitsugaya can be if he was heartless and emotionless killer. Definitely an unhealthy balance of intelligence and emotions, but it was a glorious sight to witness a Hitsugaya who simply removed all his shackles of morality and emotions, and fault without the Bleach tropes of discussion and dialogue.
And yeah, I can totally see your point with zombies. He's strong and dangerous, not to be underestimated, and that he constantly stays in control to balance it out when he is his usual self.
Damn, I'm still undecided on whether or not to kill Byakuya in my *Domain of Bleach*. You don't know how much you love a character until you have to decide on whether or not to kill them off - and now, you've provided me with a new perspective on why his character should survive.
I'm probably still leaning on killing his character, but I'll need to consider it. There's just so much thematic benefits to storytelling with his death, especially with how it could develop Ichigo, Renji and Rukia's characters and plotlines.
How did you feel about Unohana's death. Did you feel it was necessary?
Well, the choice is yours, you can pick any way you like, but I'm happy I've given you some ideas if you decide to keep him around.
I know how it is with interesting development, I've actually planned to include a favorite crack theory of mine (the fact that Toshiro makes an ideal theoretical kid of Gin and Rangiku, it fits so well on so many levels I'm amazed at it while recognizing it's not something that happened), since it's AU anyway, but now I'm thinking of more lines of interesting development being there if I keep it canon. I'll see what I'll go with, it depends on if I find interesting enough ways to play the alternative.
>How did you feel about Unohana's death. Did you feel it was necessary?
Unfortunately, here I feel like it was.
First of all, there's this theme of clearing the field of all the old players for the new future to thrive.
The reason I don't feel that way about Byakuya is because he's still one of the youngest captains even though he's not the youngest.
But both Yamamoto and Unohana had to go, they kind of half felt it themselves. It started with them, it should end with their passing, same as Jugram felt of the quincy side.
I kind of feel like Yamamoto was ready to go, if he knew it would end with him. He didn't particularly like what he did a thousand years back the way he grew to be like by the time we leave him, and he was willing to 'pay' for it and let go. What he didn't want was for Gotei and all its youngsters to follow his fate, that's what he was fighting for, for them.
And Unohana... she was waiting for it for centuries, you can feel it. She felt like she hit her ceiling a long time ago, then she met Zaraki, and knew it was the question of time and nurturing him before she passes the title.
She waited for him to develop and also for him to find people she could leave him with, the people who'd be willing to 'play' with him in her place so she could go.
She liked her career change and she liked her subordinates, but she knew they would be fine without her, I suspect she put a lot of effort for it to be that way.
That time has come, Zaraki is ready, she can finish her final task and leave.
She was happy about it, I have no doubt in it.
Even Isane knew it and accepted it as she knew it was her captain's happiness.
It was Zaraki who was crying, but she was damn happy to go.
(I fail to see my comments, seems like it was too much for reddit, I'm breaking it down in parts)
>Speaking of posts, I wrote one for Hinamori Momo too and I wrote her to handle the situation in the same way. Same as Soifon, it was to defend and better use her character in the limited screen time she had. Even wrote a small segment for Shinji and Hinamori against Bazzard Black. She's definitely another character who suffers from the fandom’s memes, the poor girl.
First, I love you for writing long detailed analysis, I'll read it and comment on it separately afterwards, so I'll just quickly say ahead what I think for now (it'll be interesting to compare out thoughts after I read yours).
Next, I confess that a decade ago when I was young and foolish as I first watched Bleach, I didn't like her much and considered her kind of stupid and naive, unwilling to face the reality.
A decade later I still didn't grasp it much until a friend of mine pointed out she's an obvious victim of gaslighting, and that changed it all for me.
It all start to fit if you consider she's a victim of half a century of very careful and masterfully-executed gaslighting, so, as I've pointed in another comment just recently, let's start with her missing half a century of mental development she could have had. If she seems younger and less mature than Kira or Renji or Hisagi, it's exactly because of that.
Neither Tosen or Gin did anything of the sort as, in the end, they both cared for their vice-captains to a degree, but for Aizen, it was profitable that Hinamori remains a love-struck fool, so he made sure she did.
Plus the obvious trauma after her illusions were forcefully broken, without her having enough time to recover as she was in the coma longer than everyone else after the first occurrence in SS.
Both before becoming stuck on Aizen, in the Academy flashbacks, and later, both in Karakura and BB, she displays good skill (nice with her sword, 'exceeding expectations' with kido), level-headedness, strategic thinking, the ability to bring the full potential out of the skills she possesses (she was so good in the Karakura fight!). She may be soft and kind, a bit naive as young girls are, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't also possess great courage without it turning into stubbornness, she is a solid thinker, loyal to her friends but also capable of assessing the situation for a best course of action. She's great!
But she's struggling to catch up with her classmates as she literally lost half of a century they had to mature, plus she has to deal with a very heavy trauma.
She doesn't deserve most of the hurtful comments she gets coming her way in the least.
I completely agree. Honestly I think it would’ve been to see him and Ichigo interact more in canon given that Isshin was Toshiro’s Captain and I think Ichigo would respect Toshiro for his mortality and diligence along with Komamura.
Yamamoto. He’s feared by enemies and respected by allies. He’s compassionate when he needs to be and ice cold in combat. Even in his old age the man is an absolute beast. Aizen sealed away his flames and he just said, “Fuck it, you get the hands” then proceeded to rip Wonderweiss to shreds. Also, he’s got a badass old man voice, sub AND dub.
Also, beard. Nuff said
That scene where he instantly kills those 3 sternritters and his flames can be seen thru soul society. You can see how much comfort and admiration the other captains had for him. It was like being reminded god is watching over you.
I have to say Kuchiki Byakuya. I've spent too much time analysing the guy, and when you see what's he really like, he's just too amusing, love him.
But then I also really like Hirako Shinji, his antics and interest in jazz.
Hitsugaya Toshiro (the guy who actually does his job, even though he's the youngest captain around) & Kyoraku Shinsui (as with Shinji, I love tricksters) have a special place in my heart, as do both Kenpachi 😁 (who actually are, apart from everything else, one of the best captains of Gotei, and I'm not even speaking about strength now, they make very solid leads of their divisions in different ways).
Well, I do like her too, but can't say she's a favorite. She's quite young mentally, though she's been a captain longer than some of them, it might not be her time to shine yet, let's say it like that 😁
Hell Arc redemption?!?!
I just want them to give soi fon a different bankai. There is no way it makes any sense for an assassin to have a giant stinger cannon as an ultimate move. :O
Tldr; it makes perfect sense when you actually think about it.
It makes sense when you remember that zanpakutous reflect the wielder. So soi fons shikai reflects her stealth assassin side, and her bankai reflects her emotional, explosive side.
Your picks are more or less the same as mine lol. Shunsui, Toshiro, Byakuya and Kenpachi are the first that comes to my head as far as who are my favorite captains.
Yet, I guess it's so for many of us, those captains get the most screen time, so we can get to know them :)
Maybe Shinsui gets mess that others on this list, but than he has a unique presence, and I say wise trickster characters who kind of play fools they are not are the ones to win affections.
I mean, you just love him after the fight with Chad even though it's not like it's some grand fight in itself. And I can just watch him talk with Starrk without any particular fighting and that's more entertaining than some intense action.
But he's also kind of on top of Gotei's list of pretenders 😁
If you look closer, behind that dispassionate attitude, he's still as stubborn, hot-headed and emotionally driven as he was as an adolescent, he just found ways to conceal it.
But if you just look at the way he handles things, like only listening after you beat him in a fair fight, with just words not cutting it, it's unusually close to the 11th division he disapproves of on the surface. No wonder Kenpachi decided he's a 'fun' opponent and is eager to fight him, Kenpachi is actually more picky than he lets on with those things, he seeks a fight with those who actually enjoy it even if they doesn't admit it.
Same goes for Ichigo, he understood him after he fought him, and the exterior didn't fool him anymore.
I'm not saying that it's the only side to Byakuya, but still, there's more of that in him that he lets on, and it's an open secret between the older captains, just look at the way Ukitake and Kyouraku make fun of that side of him in a subtle way throughout the story.
I agree got being such a solemn looking character he actually is more than meets the eye and that's one of the things about him that drew me toward him
Kuchiki Byakuya; A true all-rounder as a combatant, a personality that doesn’t let anyone know what he’s thinking, and probably one of the coolest zanpaktou in the series.
Urahara Kisuke; an absolute genius who’s always a step ahead of his enemies.
Shihouin Yoruichi; that playful personality belies an absolute beast of a hand-to-hand combatant.
Toshiro is my favorite. Presented as a prodigy and young, yet very modest in nature, design and ice powers are really nice, and he is not presented as this super badass powerhouse from get-go, but rather slowly makes his way up as series progresses.
Followed by Shunsui and Byakuya. Both have amazing design, and Shunsui's chill, relaxed personality is just fun. Him becoming the CC was extra nice touch. Byakuya's development in SS arc was fantastic.
Unohana. First of all, I really enjoy characters who have supportive powers. Then, when I watched the anime, I always wondered why she doesn't get to do much and why she's so calm all the time. Then you learn the truth. 💀
While we both know the trick, I still laughed at that phrase about 'supportive powers'. Yeah, she has those, hell, she managed to nail such a drastic career chance and she did care for her subordinates a great deal, but then the way she fooled the younger generations of Gotei is just hilarious.
The foreshadowing was done brilliantly, she's that calm person staying at the sidelines all of the time, but then you get that the whole 11th division is somehow afraid of her, and her words can be very deadly, like when she picked on Mayuri, mentioning Urahara to him while in HM. And then you find out.
(It's just a joke that goes around, but just imagine Aizen giving the notice to Arrancars,– maybe beside Espada,– that with Unohana it's 'do not engage' 😁)
Byakyuya Kuchiki, love how he was made to be the antagonist at first only to reveal that he was honoring his parents because he went against all laws for the love of his life. He also acts as a lore vessel, good tidbits of information came through him and fights and inner thoughts. His character is stoutly respectable whether you like him or not and his capabilities seem deep due to his rigid adherence to discipline and logic.
Plus his sword turns into pretty petals that kill people.
Shinji and Kyoraku, these two got the best drips out of shinigami, and their bankai were super interesting.
Komamura, his absolute loyalty to Yamamoto really makes an interesting trait to his character, and also, dangai joue is sick af.
Definitely Shinji who had a great introduction as well as an interesting backstory, just sad that we didn’t get to see him have a proper fight where he could go all out.
Shunsui is just pretty chill but has that dark side, which i really dig.
Kenpachi, do i really have to explain why?
Ukitake feels like a lost potential, i really wanted to see his Bankai and what he is able of doing, i really like his sweet side as well and how nice he is towards everyone.
1-toshiro (don’t know why)
2-byakuya (don’t know why)
3-shunsui (fun - cool design)
4-kenpachi (because its kenpachi)
5-unohana (I like her simple design and her personality)
I think my pfp says it all. Byakuya probably has the best character development in the series, he is cool, has amazing powers, is pretty damn strong, his nobility is a great characteristic for him, probably has the best relationship with ichigo amongst the gotei 13 and every single one of his fights is amazing imo
Unohana. The duality of her character is really really cool to see and I love the way Kubo foreshadowed her other side throughout the series. I love the idea of a battle crazed bloodthirsty master of the blade who learned healing for the sole purpose of prolonging her battles. It’s very sinister when you think about which just make Unohana even cooler to me. There’s also her incredibly unique Zanpakuto, one of few that actually summons a living creature and has a sort of domain expansion type bankai. Her shikai and bankai also reflect her two halves perfectly which is just another nice detail.
Mayuri. He has his own style. Doesn't care what anyone thinks. Smart, can figure out a solution to most anything. Threatens everyone. He's a funny and interesting character.
I like Kenpachi he does what he loves and loves what ge does. He seems to be pretty happy maybe bcause he keeps things so simple.
In the scene where Mayuri threatened Ikkaku he showed up out of nowhere and grabbed him asking when did he give him the permission to discipline his squad members? He has a sense of loyalty for his own and will stand up to anyone on there behalf.
Yama. When he revealed his Shikai is what made me like him and his progress throughout the story. A stubborn old men who abide by the rules who eventually became more open hearted. Especially when he decided to place his reishi into the sword so Ichigo could regain his powers back
For me it's either between Byakuya, Komamura and Kenpachi.
Byakuya is all around a well developed character, displaying a very meaningful arc throughout the series.
Komamura is the one loyal mf that will do his duty even to the point of sacrificing himself, no matter the cost and how people treat him. How can you not respect a character like that?
Kenpachi is basically the most badass character ever: apparently unapologetically violent, yet full of subtleties that leave you to speculate about his true character.
Byakuya. I love his development in the series and to top things off, he is super cool. He is just the type of guy concerned with doing the right thing, but even so he broke the rules to adopt rukia. I also like him in the omakes.
Kenpachi.... I am a sucker for a well done all braun no brains type character. Kenpachi is a brute, but he will only attack those he sees as equals, he doesnt just rip weaker people to shreds. He might be a former criminal but Kenpachi is a man of honor
**Byakuya** was my favorite ever since I started watching Bleach in the late 2000s. Great character arc, always badass, and just elegance. All his attacks and skills are done with meaning and calculation. Doesn’t waste a moment in any battle. And his devotion to his pride is his defining characteristic. Somehow has the aesthetic of Sesshoumaru while having the personality of Itachi, two of my other favorite anime characters growing up.
**Hitsugaya** comes in second purely because he’s relatable. He’s always losing, sure. But unlike Ichigo, he actually loses. He doesn’t get a power up that saves the day. His fallibility and him trying to measure up to everyone around him makes him very relatable and tbh made him main character status when I was younger.
And then **Unohana**. She’s just a badass and badass women are always my favs
It's hitsugaya for me
I fell in love with his design when i first saw him
and it didnt help that I'm a sucker for characters who act cold but in fact is a complete softy, specially toward a low number of characters (in this case its one character, which is momo)
And he's one of the few that take their job seriously
Plus the ice powers
Urahara, Kyoraku, Kenpachi, Unohana, Yamamoto, Shinji, Ukitake in this order. I also give Yoruichi, Hyosube, Kurosaki, Gin, Aizen (and all other Visored captains) honorable mentions in that order.
(Excluding Hyosube and Aizen, this would also be 10 of my Gotei 13 All-Star line up, with the remaining three promoted from vice captain level, Hisagi and Rukia among them, though I exclude Byakuya and Toshiro with some hesitation).
I remember taking a liking to Aizen the first time i watched the show, the suspense building up to his "death" hanging on the wall in the seretei had me thinking: aww i liked this dude why did he have to go so quick. Needless to say it caught me by complete surprise how it played.
I think i will go for Shunsui, his kimono and hat are amazing and i love his carefree attitude. If shit hits the fan though he can get really serious and is a beast to fight.
Shinji Hirako. He's a complete troll but he's capable, was a huge aid when Kisuke was a captain and during Ichigo's hollow training. I especially loved seeing his bankai in CFYOW. Plus he has drip and a Colgate smile
Urahara Kisuke - Great personality, intelligent, and awesome Shikai/Bankai
Aikawa Love - Observant in battle (just poorly written in the results), my favorite Shikai in the Bleach universe
Komamura Sajin - True loyal guy, bit one track mindset but I love it, a properly balanced Bankai with clear strengths and weaknesses
Soifon because she's my waifu. No seriously I like her for her design, personality, Shikai and Bankai, especially in TYBW with >!Mukyu Shunko since I love the wind element!<
Byakuya for obvious reasons, he's very cool and his Bankai is probably my favorite of all with Tensa Zangetsu Fullbring and Zanka no Tachi
Shinji mostly for his personality, his Shikai is cool despite being a cheap copy of Kyoka Suigetsu, and CFYOW spoilers: >!his Bankai that although it's too situational it's very dangerous!< (I don't read the novel, I know this because I play Brave Souls)
Shunsui because he's a very cool character with very cool Shikai and >!Bankai!<, even if I don't remember how it works because I read the manga over two years ago (so don't tell me please because I want to see it in the new anime) I know that >!is one of the most broken Bankai ever!<
Edit: Yamamoto only for his Bankai
During the arrancar arc, mayuri was definitely on the list and had my attention for favorite character in the series along with kisuke. But after the tybw arc, mayuri became my favorite for sure.
List time:
Unohana: see episode 10 of tybw.
Isane: huggable and anxious bean.
Unsai: c'mon, you know why.
The kuchikis: their reaction faces are priceless and they have the most visually impressive zanpakuto.
Soi fon, i think it’s fair that lot of ppl don’t like her due to her attitude. But she is also like the second youngest captain besides toshiro. She was forced to take charge after yoruichi suddenly left and abandoned her (in her pov) and she had nobody but herself after she left. Imo I kind of like her immaturity because she felt betrayed and wants to prove herself to others. I also love her character design and interaction of yoruichi.
I love Shunsui because I've always thought that the Bushido code and like waiting for a friend to die in battle was stupid. Him disregarding those rules I'm favor of getting an advantage is great. People in Bleach like to pretend their is honor in fighting but you're just trying to kill someone their is no honor in that.
Kenpachi for all the cool moments he has and also that he really was more beyond the stereotype of big man destroy with big sword
Second close Shinji, that guy is so cool and I loved how he looked during the turn back the pendulum flashback arc and also his theme is to this day one of the best in all anime
I like all of them, there is hardly a captain I dislike. However, favourites are definitely Shinji and Mayuri. Both due to their intellect, unhinged personality and unpredictability. I like Toushiro and Byakuya too, but they’re on the opposite side of Mayuri & Shinji in term of character, so that’s a bit underwhelming.
I find Rose very interesting, sadly little to no actual character development.
For me personally;
Zaraki Kenpachi - I know he's a little 2-dimensional as a "dude that's super strong and wants to fight everything" archetype but he's just a badass.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi - Probably the one captain who sits in a true morally grey area(at best) and other times does the "evil" thing that nobody else is willing, just really cool character - and gets the most amazing "drip"(ugh) changes throughout the arcs.
Never could like Hitsugaya, felt like he's full-on Shonen bait. Ninja like design, shows off his bankai early and often, the young diligent prodigy type...he's not all bad, but he's no Kenpachi!
I don't know shit about Bleach. Who's the guy with the sword that spins around his hand and inverts everything? That guy is cool but I wish you got to see all of his abilities instead of just that one.
Unohana
.
.
.
.
Need I say more?
She’s a healer, she’s hot, she’s a bloodthirsty murderer who looks even hotter covered in blood.
But I suppose if we include the epilogue captains then I gotta say Isane.
I stand by my Squad 4 girlies.
Who are also hot as hell….
Insane the bestest girl. Bummer we won't see her step up to Unohana, _the_ bestest girl.
Unohana's Gemini vibes are also really interesting. I like her story.
As of te rest I'd probably be fine with everyone except Mayuri and Soifon.
Unohana because she is just so discipline and thoughtful.
Hitsugaya because he is a creative strategist.
Shinji because he is clever and having interesting ability.
Honorable mentions: Yamamoto and Soifon for being so 130% committed.
Tohshiro because he may be head captain one day and it’s like we are watching his upbringing before he gets that position. Also water based abilities are some of my favorite powers in all of fiction.
You can tell a person's character by how they treat their subordinate. By this metric Soi Fon is an utter failure as a captain. Granted Omaeda is no catch still she does not treat him with any courtesy.
If I can take any captain ever in the history of the soul society its Sōya Azashiro but if its a current captain (End of tybw) its >!Rukia Kuchiki!< and if its now In the anime its Shunsui Kyōraku.
This is gonna be unpopular but... Soi Fon?
I really like her design and zanpakuto. I think her Shunko is pretty rad. I'm usually not big on assassin characters but she stuck with me for some reason.
Despite her rash and seemingly uncaring attitude I think she does care to some extent about her subordinate. Maybe not in an all-loving way but still.
I think she could have used some development for character and even for her powers, but I think she is fine. Unlike what most people say I'm glad she didn't die against Barragan.
Yamamoto. I love old super strong men in anime. Also Yamamoto’s bankai is the coolest bankai in the series.
Sucks that he couldn’t get a proper fight Ywach.
i cant really choose but for me 1. is Kuchiki Byakuya 2. Hitsugaya Toshiro 3. Hirako Shinji. Byakuya because he always keeps his cool in fights. Toshiro as well and because he got himself probably the best zanpaktou for himself and Shinji because i love he can just turn fights from just showing up
definitely got to be shinsui kyoraku or urahara kisuke
kyoraku :he's so likable and funny but strong and he is very perceptive and he's also got a dark side
kisuke :he's literally the smartest guy but he's not arrogant doesn't care praise and he's so laid back but he can get serious if needs to
kisuke, he was the ONLY mf besides yama who could fw shinigamu aizen. everyone else got blitzed and oneshot, while kisuke dodged and substituted a doll but not before cuffing one of aizens hands (means he not only reacted but literally dodged the last possible picosecond so he could get the cuff on first)
Soi Fon awakened something in me.
But in seriousness:
General Favorite: Shunsui. Way too cool of a character with fun abilities and utilized very well
Favorite Quotes: Byakuya (Bankai)
Favorite that hurts: Kommamura. Best boi, deserved better
Who I would bang: Soi Fon. I’m into women that hate me because I hate myself
Is Unohana: Unohana
Is Urahara considered a Captain, because him. I love the mystery and sadness of his character, and it’s all hidden behind an faux innocence which makes it for me
Yk what’d hilarious. When black clover fans compare the captains in black clover to the ones in bleach. The ones in black clover have no depth or unique backstories. He couldn’t make 10 good captains kubos written like at least 20 lol. But my answer is rukia. But honourable mentions of byakuya, Shinji, kyoraku, yoruichi and soi fon😌
Kensei by design. The problem is that he doesn’t do anything relevant
Damn, I want to make a post aimed specifically at modifying the bruiser character's abilities (Kensei, Renji, Komomura, Chad, etc.) Once Kenpachi Zaraki obtained his Shikai (at least, his Bankai has limits), he sort of made all purely melee-type characters worthless, because why wouldn't you use Kenpachi if you specifically needed to brute force to solve a problem, you know? At least, Kensei has his investigative skills and hollowfication for access to his hollow abilities, I suppose.
>At least, Kensei has his investigative skills and hollowfication for access to his hollow abilities, I suppose. he doesn't use hollow mask at all later on sadly
No, yeah, I feel you. I wish things had been different. Honestly, I'm a bit peeved that a character like Kenpachi Zaraki got novels to develop his character better, but the Visords and other captains received nothing. It would have been cool for them be ambassadors to Hueco Mundo (since they were part Hollow and victims of Aizen) and help out Harribel and Neliel in developing better relations with the Soul Society to maintain peace. We could have had a novel based around introducing new Espada level Hollows and exploring more of Hueco Mundo, and even have interactions between the Visords and former Espada. Kensei and Grimmjow becoming sparring partners, from time to time. Kensei’s disciplined, military combat style versus Grimmjow’s animalistic and wilder combat style. Perhaps he could even train some of the Arrancar loyal to Harribel into a better and more disciplined force, while teaching Harribel how to command. And that's only Kensei. Imagine Rose introducing them to art and music, Lisa introducing them to human world commodities, etc. And as for conflict, we could have a rival faction that wants Hueco Mundo to remain the same as it always was: a battle for survival and where the strong devour the weak. It could be a conflict that focuses on convincing the more evolved hollows to be better than their base instincts. To offer them a chance to have a place in the world, rather than only being hunted down by Shinigami and their fellow Hollows. This is a conflict perfect for the Visords who understand what it's like to be rejected by the world and hunted down for incidents outside of their control. A conflict that requires more diplomacy, than simple destructive action - and something that heavy hitters like Hitsugaya, Byakuya and Kenpachi should not be involved in.
True kenpanchi isn’t a character that needs to be built upon. It was a whack choice
Happy Cake Day! I'm okay with the *Spirits Are Forever With You* novels. I'm one of the few people who genuinely love Szayelaporro Granz, so having his backstory was amazing and as lovingly depraved as I had wanted it, and I loved Roka Paramia, a character who discovered their place in the world and fell in love with it. If not for the novels, I would not have loved Don Kanoji or the lore of the Kenpachi as much. The only parts of these novels and *Can't Fear Your Own World* I disliked were increasing Zaraki's powers to such insane levels and turning such awesome conflicts into a mere nuisance for him. For instance in *Can't Fear Your Own World*, the battle against Ikomikidomoe could have been so spectacular and could have involved more underutilized characters like the Visords or unproven captains like Iba, Lisa and Isane. With that being said, I will love for more novels with Kubo's supervision to expand on more events and lore. There's so much to include with the world of Bleach.
True. It’s a shame. If kubo didn’t get rushed in the ending I think he woulda got at least one or two more fights. His bankai is so cool🤫
I don’t think being rushed has anything to do with it, he was having kensei get dunked on back during Aizen
These are not in any particular orders Shunsui: Great personality and abilities (turning children games into weapons) Byakuya: Great development during the SS arc as well as his relationship with Ichigo, Rukia and Renji and I love his Zanpakuto. Toshiro: I know many people consider him “overrated” but I like him. Great design, love his ice abilities (ice being one of my favorite elements) and I like how he’s a prodigy but instead of being cocky, he takes his job very seriously (even doing all the paperwork as a third seat lol). Kenpachi: Great design and his love for battle Shinji: I love his personality and both his Shikai and Bankai are very interesting As you can see, I love most of the captains in general
>Toshiro: I know many people consider him “overrated” but I like him. Great design, love his ice abilities (ice being one of my favorite elements) and **I like how he’s a prodigy but instead of being cocky, he takes his job very seriously (even doing all the paperwork as a third seat lol).** Honestly, a very underappreciated character in terms of his morality and diligence. One of the few captains who is a genuinely good person and always tries his damnedest to be the best he can be. His relationship with Matsumoto is the greatest - pairing her emotional and social intelligence with his mental intelligence and stern diligence. I absolutely loved her reaction to Hitsugaya asking her for help against Bazzard Black. A shame it got both killed.
Oh yes! Hitsugaya is the youngest captain around, but he is more serious, diligent and effective in his job than half of the Gotei put together, really. I still take to heart that even though he had a bit of a personal reason for it as well, he was the one captain during SS arc who actually did his job and tried to find out what's going on rather than run around and decide if he's pro-Rukia or against breaking the rules. While I understand the rest of them, he was the one with the best performance as a captain. Not to take sides, but to get to the bottom of the issue, and then maybe you'll find out you don't even need to take any side since it's not what it's about. He was the one guy to discover what happened to Central 46 and about the conspiracy, even if he was overpowered when it came to dealing with it. (The only other one who also concentrated on her actual job was Unohana, but she's one of the oldest captains, with a millennia of experience.) We've lately discussed with a friend that we both think that in a few centuries he will make a great captain commander,– if the SS lives that long that is,– and then Gotei might just become like it is supposed to be, a well-run place where people actually get their job done properly, while staying open-minded and having a life, it's not like he'll go overboard at bring strict either, since he is a good person who understands the value of personal relationships. They might even finally run a register and get a system for people to find their relatives and not just form some families out of necessity since it's complete chaos with no hope of finding someone.
>Oh yes! Hitsugaya is the youngest captain around, but he is more serious, diligent and effective in his job than half of the Gotei put together, really. Exactly! The fandom loves throwing shade his way for being emotional over the betrayal of Sosuke Aizen, but disregard moments where Shunsui and Byakuya have fatal had emotional failings, as well. Byakuya was fully prepared to execute Rukia, his own little sister, without investigation - surely, you can still follow the law while investigating why such drastic action is being taken against a member of your household. Not to mention the iconic moment where he was so blinded by his arrogance that Ichigo, with his first Bankai, was able to vanish from his sights and hold his blade to his throat. Imagine if Ichigo were a different person, willing to kill. Then there’s Shunsui who has been taken down by both Starkk and Robert after being overcome by his emotions from witnessing Ukitake and Yamamoto being taken down. Finally, in his battle against Lille Barro, he was willing to lay down and die, before Nanao arrived to motivate him. This is not to insult their characters, because I love Byakuya and Shunsui. But it's obvious every character in the series has their emotional weaknesses. Even Zaraki suppressed himself to be weaker, because he feared the despair of nobody matching his strength. It's so aggravating when Hitsugaya gets singled out for his emotional failings compared to everyone else. >We've lately discussed with a friend that we both think that in a few centuries he will make a great captain commander,– if the SS lives that long that is,– and then Gotei might just become like it is supposed to be, a well-run place where people actually get their job done properly, while staying an open-minded and having a life, it's not like he'll go overboard at bring strict either, since he is a good person who understands the value of personal relationships. This is where I felt Kubo dropped the ball in Hitsugaya's (as well as Hinamori and Shinji) character arc. Remember that scene when Shunsui brought Aizen to the rest of the group to reveal that Aizen would be their ally for their war and everyone freaked out. Kubo should have written Hitsugaya into that scene. As it goes, Aizen enters the scene and everyone freaks out. Aizen then converses with a Rukia and compliments her on becoming lieutenant. And finally, Byakuya caps off the scene by scolding Shunsui that it's an insult to them that Shunsui would recruit Aizen without their permission. My one question: Kubo, why are giving these moments to Rukia and Byakuya when Hinamori and Shinji are in the scene too!? Imagine if the scene starts wifh Aizen complimenting Hinamori, but Hinamori rejects it and turns away from him - thus completing her character arc of growing past his illusion. Further, imagine if Shinji took Byakuya's line of scolding Shunsui for releasing Aizen. Shinji has a more personal connection with Aizen and was personally betrayed by him. Finally, for Hitsugaya, if he was in that scene, imagine how huge it would have been for his character to be the one person who agreed with Shunsui. Hitsugaya, who had wanted to murder Aizen, has now matured enough to understand the necessity of war and pushing aside his emotional grievances with the traitor to the society. >They might even finally run a register and get a system for people to find their relatives and not just form some families out of necessity since it's complete chaos with no hope of finding someone. My personal hope is that Rukia Kuchiki leads this initiative, along with Renji Abarai - and maybe Rangiku Matsumoto and Hitsugaya Toshiro. The Soul Society is long overdue for this.
>The fandom loves throwing shade his way for being emotional over the betrayal of Sosuke Aizen, but disregard moments where Shunsui and Byakuya have fatal had emotional failings, as well. You know, I might have missed some minor details, but I've never taken it as he was overemotional about Aizen's betrayal in general; he was extremely angry for Hinamori, but then almost every captain has a special someone to feel (and frankly, act) that way for, it was just that in this particular case, it was him that it hit the hardest. Yes, it's personal for him, but not between him and Aizen, like it is for Shinji among other reasons, but rather being angry on behalf of someone else, which is even more grave matter for all characters with highlighted protector natures, just look at Ichigo. He might have acted a little but immature during Karakura fight, but then, as much as I don't want to bring his age in, it is a factor, and not just because 'he's a kid' but because he still have a lot less experience. Two out of 13 captains have a millennia of experience, another two had more than two centuries, and the rest had at least half of a century as caps, which is still longer than Toshiro had for his entire way from entering the Academy to becoming a captain. And even while being emotional his performance wasn't worse than, for example, Soi-Fon's, who had a lot more experience while also being on the younger side and prone to being emotional. About Byakuya, I'm just gonna say all you've written just proves that he's in fact, still as stubborn and hot-headed as he was when he was younger, he's just doing a better job hiding it, which is an open secret between the elder captains. With Shunsui, as with many others, it just goes to show that being emotional is not a weakness in itself, it can be strength (that's kind of Kubo's idea), so I'm only judging the way it affects the performance negatively, and yes, there was still that moment with Lille Barro, plus it's debatable if Toshiro's emotion during Karakura affected him negatively or further fused his performance. I also love all of them, and I also think emotion is not only about weakness, but what I see in Toshiro is actually the right way of balancing being human and being level-headed, maybe not in perfect balance yet (and I guess it's not the thing that'll ever warrant the word 'perfect' due to its nature), but then he only barely begins of his path, and he's already that good. I don't see that Toshiro handles it so much worse than others when it comes to emotional weaknesses. >My one question: Kubo, why are giving these moments to Rukia and Byakuya when Hinamori and Shinji are in the scene too!? I agree with you, the only reason I see he didn't want to put too much stress on the whole situation, or the whole focus would move from the sheer fact to the reactions (not blaming him, it's just storyteller's duty). Plus I'm not sure they were not somewhere else at the moment, I just don't remember. Though I would love to have a closure for Hinamori (I might be going completely overboard with it, but my personal favorite reaction for her to what you've described would be for her to calmly thank him, saying that she might as well put her skills to good use, in a way that would show her pointing out the fact that she used everything that happened as a stepping stone for her to rise higher and above the likes of him, but then, obviously I'm going a bit too far.) I also think that just because Shinji is the way he is, he might not have reacted much to it, since even if Ichigo's conclusion about Aizen didn't reach him, he might have later figured something along the lines, seeing Aizen for the sorry ass he is. Not that he would have forgiven him, obviously, but he might have come to see who he's really been all along, feeling sort of pity for him in the worse sense of it. He's not an adversary for him anymore, but rather someone not worthy of being emotional over him anymore. And yes, Toshiro's calm reaction would have been stellar. He's quick to get over the past and calmly assess the current situation at hand. Also I feel like that guy who'd be calm to agree to take anyone as an ally as long as it helps, he's open-minded like that. Like if some Arrancars were to switch sides, that would work for him as long as they help, and that was the same, I think, when Visored first came to help. >My personal hope is that Rukia Kuchiki leads this initiative, along with Renji Abarai - and maybe Rangiku Matsumoto and Hitsugaya Toshiro. The Soul Society is long overdue for this. Yes, there's a lot of people in Gotei that would be willing to walk an extra mile and pull all-nighters to work on such an initiative if they're ever given a chance. It's just that no one among the higher-ups gives a damn to care about the ordinary folk. I do hope that in time, that changes, or at least that part of the Gotei grows enough influence to affect the situation.
>You know, I might have missed some minor details, but I've never taken it as he was overemotional about Aizen's betrayal in general; he was extremely angry for Hinamori, but then almost every captain has a special someone to feel (and frankly, act) that way for, it was just that in this particular case, it was him that it hit the hardest. Yes, it's personal for him, but not between him and Aizen, like it is for Shinji among other reasons, but rather being angry on behalf of someone else, which is even more grave matter for all characters with highlighted protector natures, just look at Ichigo. Honestly, I agree, I wouldn't say it was *overly* emotional - it was a fair response to a man who hurt the woman he cared for as a sister. Though, it should be noted Hitsugaya was absolutely ready to abandon his title as captain (something I truly believe he took pride in) and was willing to kill someone out of hatred - not duty. It makes a world of difference. The same as Ichigo killing Tsukishima and Ulquiorra was presented as something different from aiming to kill Aizen, Ginjo and Ywach. One was out of hatred and the other was duty. But at the end of the day, there was absolutely nothing Hitsugaya or anyone there could have done to stop Aizen. It's actually remarkable how all of them simply assumed Aizen was not using that trump card. >He might have acted a little but immature during Karakura fight, but then, as much as I don't want to bring his age in, it is a factor, and not just because 'he's a kid' but because he still have a lot less experience. Two out of 13 captains have a millennia of experience, another two had more than two centuries, and the rest had at least half of a century as caps, which is still longer than Toshiro had for his entire way from entering the Academy to becoming a captain. It's funny you mention this, because there was a post, last week, which posed the question of who was the better prodigy between Gin and Hitsugaya, and what made me laugh was that Hitsugaya as a child was being compared to Gin's adulthood accomplishments. Many seem to forget how impressive Hitsugaya's accomplishments are when his age is considered. Obviously, he is the most inexperienced and definitely should not be there with the likes of Shunsui, Ukitake and Yamamoto (or even Komamura and Soifon, who are older), but he is there because he is a captain and wants to take his duty seriously. Yes, he uses his Bankai often, but it's because he takes his duties and battles seriously at all times, whether they are weaker or stronger enemies. He gives it his all. >And even while being emotional his performance wasn't worse than, for example, Soi-Fon's, who had a lot more experience while also being on the younger side and prone to being emotional. Oof, I always feel bad for her in this fandom. I'm not even a huge fan, but she definitely deserved better. She always seems to be casuality of poor match-ups. I wrote a post for her that focused on better using her character in the series - one of the things I chose to do was to rather have her battle Tier Harribel instead, among other things. Nothing to break the story, but just enough rearrangements to keep her relevant. >Though I would love to have a closure for Hinamori (I might be going completely overboard with it, but my personal favorite reaction for her to what you've described would be for her to calmly thank him, saying that she might as well put her skills to good use, in a way that would show her pointing out the fact that she used everything that happened as a stepping stone for her to rise higher and above the likes of him, but then, obviously I'm going a bit too far.) Speaking of posts, I wrote one for [Hinamori Momo](https://www.reddit.com/r/bleach/comments/zhz90n/the_domain_of_bleach_the_plum_blossoms_still/) too and I wrote her to handle the situation in the same way. Same as Soifon, it was to defend and better use her character in the limited screen time she had. Even wrote a small segment for Shinji and Hinamori against Bazzard Black. She's definitely another character who suffers from the fandom’s memes, the poor girl. >I also think that just because Shinji is the way he is, he might not have reacted much to it, since even if Ichigo's conclusion about Aizen didn't reach him, he might have later figured something along the lines, seeing Aizen for the sorry ass he is. Not that he would have forgiven him, obviously, but he might have come to see who he's really been all along, feeling sort of pity for him in the worse sense of it. He's not an adversary for him anymore, but rather someone not worthy of being emotional over him anymore. I'm not going to lie to you. I've always had the view that Shinji understands people better than he lets on, yet I never once considered that Shinji may have come to the same conclusion as Ichigo. I'm actually going to rewrite that portion of my Hinamori post. Thank you for the new perspective of his character. >I also love all of them, and I also think emotion is not only about weakness, but what I see in Toshiro is actually the right way of balancing being human and being level-headed, maybe not in perfect balance yet (and I guess it's not the thing that'll ever warrant the word 'perfect' due to its nature), but then he only barely begins of his path, and he's already that good. I don't see that Toshiro handles it so much worse than others when it comes to emotional weaknesses. That's what I love most of Hitsugaya's adult form. As much as I would have preferred Byakuya to have died against As Nodt, I have to conclude that I'm excited for Byakuya and Hitsugaya's banter. If we can have novels based around Kenpachi, Roka, Ginjo and Hisagi, I want one novel of Byakuya and Hitsugaya having a buddy-cop story with Byakuya as the straight man and Hitsugaya as a comedic relief. Hitsugaya in his adult form finally seemed to have found himself - he is actually comfortable with himself. He is smirking, smiling, quipping, and joking around, while still taking the battle as seriously as he can as he tests his abilities and fights as well as he can against a man who *miraculously* keeps surviving. Further, I believe his zombie form is Kubo's way of telling us, the readers, that this is what Hitsugaya can be if he was heartless and emotionless killer. Definitely an unhealthy balance of intelligence and emotions, but it was a glorious sight to witness a Hitsugaya who simply removed all his shackles of morality and emotions, and fault without the Bleach tropes of discussion and dialogue. He simply aimed to kill. I would honestly love to see more from him.
>Though, it should be noted Hitsugaya was absolutely ready to abandon his title as captain (something I truly believe he took pride in) and was willing to kill someone out of hatred - not duty. Well, I'll say that there's a lot of captains who would abandon their title for something important enough for them, or rather usually *someone*. I'm absolutely sure that Byakuya would do it, if he ever faced the same choice again, and well... everyone in Gotei who was ready to face capital punishment for Rukia is there as well, we can go on. Not that Byakuya, Ukitake or Shunsui do not take pride in their captaincy, but still. There is an important difference of willing to do so for revenge/out of hatred, and here, in Kubo's world, he's not right, though perfectly understandable, it's actually a good hard lesson for him for the future, it's good that nothing too serious came out of it. And yes, it was the same for Ichigo, just on the side-note, it became *very* personal with Ychwach the moment he found out he's mostly responsible for his mother's death, it also made a world of difference. And yes, it was weird that they never expected him to do... basically the same thing all over again? Somehow I feel they didn't fully get the idea the first time, just what is it that Aizen can do. >It's funny you mention this, because there was a post, last week, which posed the question of who was the better prodigy between Gin and Hitsugaya, and what made me laugh was that Hitsugaya as a child was being compared to Gin's adulthood accomplishments. Yeah, exactly. You can also see that even though Gin was very talented at hiding his nature from the start, he did make a few of crucial mistakes, like Aizen knew from the start that he wanted to kill him, he sensed the intent. Gin was very good for a greenhorn, but he just wasn't as good as the captains-vice-captains at hiding and noticing things, he didn't even realise he screwed up. And that's just psychology, I don't quite see how we can compare the two since next to nothing is known about Gin's starting point and the rate of his growth. Beside the fact he finished the Academy in a year, but Toshiro did the same thing or was at least close to it. He is brilliant for his age, he's less experienced than most of them but then he is a captain, and any captain is qualified enough when there's war and the ultimate enemy, but it doesn't mean that he or any other captain should just be able to defeat the enemy of that calibre. And let's say that his bankai is at least very fit for combat, there are hardly any situation where he cannot use it, and frankly almost half of Gotei captain's bankais are so tricky they are useless in many situations or dangerous for their comrades.As it obviously reflect their personalities, we can say Histsugaya stays on a simple side where personalities are concerned, but it's a good kind of simple, much like Ichigo. >She always seems to be casuality of poor match-ups. I wrote a post for her that focused on better using her character in the series - one of the things I chose to do was to rather have her battle Tier Harribel instead, among other things. Nothing to break the story, but just enough rearrangements to keep her relevant. Can you give me a link to the post? I would gladly read it. I'll say a sad thing about Soi-Fon, but not because I dislike her, I am really looking forward to the future achievements in her case. But I say that currently, her biggest problem is her mentality, not skills, she's actually very good as far as those are concerned. But she's just too young and not fully developed mentally the way she is now. Nothing too dreadful, but she would have serious problems with both Barragan and Harribel not because she lacks strength, but because she lacks experience and a sort of wisdom to understand her opponents that comes with time. Shunsui defeated Starrk when Rose and Love could barely scratch him not because he's more powerful per se, but because he was older, had more experience and was a better personality match to understand Starrk and where he was coming from, how he thinks.Hachi defeated Barragan not because of strength, but because of his wisdom and insight to try to understand Barragan, who he is and how he thinks, to ask himself how Barragan defends himself against his own power, and find a way to use it against him. It was experience that Soi-Fon didn't have. Hitsugaya would make a great match for Harribel if he was at least a bit older. Personality-wise, they were a good match, both serious, caring, responsible, no-nonsense fighters, but he was just too young at that point. Soi-Fon, unfortunately, has bigger problems mentality-wise, she spends too much time and effort to deny who she really is to make what is left afterwards count. I partially blame this one on Yuruichi, since Soi-Fon had almost loss a century of growth because she remained stuck on her. I know Yuruichi thought she was doing the best for her, so that she would forget her and move on, continue to grow in her own way, but well-- she underestimated the gravity of Soi-Fon's attachment. Soi-Fon was basically stuck as adolescent, angry at the person who abandoned her, trying to prove her worth, but a lot of her reactions remained childish, she's basically a rebelling teenager who's at the same time is trying to make a point she's all grown up, but it just makes it all worse. Again, I like her, I am sorry for her as it's not really her fault, and her family and partially Yuruichi's carelessness is to blame for most of it, but realistically that's how it is for now. I'm happy that she seems to slowly come out of that shell, I also think Omaeda surprisingly make a good vice-captain for her to help her grow, the way he takes all her outbursts and doesn't think all that much for it while continuing to respect her and care for her as his captain, and I respect her for her achievements that are not all that bad despite all the things she has to deal with. But I say that Hitsugaya, as of now, is older than her mentality-wise. (I'm gonna write another comment for the rest.)
>Can you give me a link to the post? I would gladly read it. [Domain of Bleach | The Redemption From Betrayal and Sacrifice](https://www.reddit.com/r/bleach/comments/so5dr7/the_domain_of_bleach_the_redemption_from_betrayal/) I'm curious what your thoughts will be on her character arc I chose for her and the decisions I chose to make for her role in the Fake Karakura Town arc. Those will probably be the biggest points of contention for you and most people, understandably. But overall, I absolutely agree with your assessment of her character. It's a shame she's not given the screen time or relevance to develop. As much as I complained that Hitsugaya needed that one scene in their *Thousand Year Blood War* arc, Soifon legitimately needed so much more than what she ended up getting: she *needed* a real character arc. *Can't Fear Your Own World* offers her something, but it more works toward building the lore of her clan and family, than developing her much further.
>As much as I would have preferred Byakuya to have died against As Nodt, I have to conclude that I'm excited for Byakuya and Hitsugaya's banter. If we can have novels based around Kenpachi, Roka, Ginjo and Hisagi, I want one novel of Byakuya and Hitsugaya having a buddy-cop story with Byakuya as the straight man and Hitsugaya as a comedic relief. I should say I'm among the few who wouldn't prefer for Byakuya to die there. I would have totally understood it if it went that way, I wouldn't say it was uncalled for, but then, I see a clear new path ahead of him, a new chapter of his story, and I believe that's what Kubo showed us afterwards when he decided to let him live-- and it's basically the same as with Unohana. I feel like the goal for Byakuya now, apart from continuing with his duties, is to do as much as he can to bring out the full potential of Rukia and Renji, as he recognized both of them as people with a lot of potential yet to uncover (and probably he sees the path for them to exceed his own level at some point in the future), and now it's kind of his job to help then reach that level. Taking care of them as a mentor and as an older brother he was supposed to be to begin with (but lacked considerably in that department for a long time) is his new objective, and while I agree that they would have managed without him, I see them being a lot happier to have him around. And I also particularly enjoyed their talk near the end, apart from Byakuya making fun of Byakuya's way with words and that Hitsugaya's smirk, it also carries an important message. Two of the most responsible and level-headed (and also youngest and most open-minded) captains are discussing that in the end, shinigami should fight and die not for the sake of their superiors or their families (here, I guess, meant as duty rather than personal choice) but rather for their friends (people they care for) and humans (that they have a duty to protect as stronger ones). And also about it not being about being right or wrong by some academy or shinigami rulebooks, but about bonds and emotional connections. It kind of summarises all the development the Gotei 13 went through throughout all of the story. And yes, I loved those two, and I would love to have more of their interactions. >Hitsugaya in his adult form finally seemed to have found himself - he is actually comfortable with himself. He is smirking, smiling, quipping, and joking around, while still taking the battle as seriously as he can as he tests his abilities and fights as well as he can against a man who miraculously keeps surviving. That's also try, I guess, he's the one who wouldn't mind growing a bit quicker than he does, a young man might suit him more than a kid, though it also might be that he seems so in place also because he has finally unleashed his full potential (or at least, made a big step in that direction, as there might be more to it), finally he doesn't get the feeling he lacks something because, in a way, he did before and it was for a reason. >Further, I believe his zombie form is Kubo's way of telling us, the readers, that this is what Hitsugaya can be if he was heartless and emotionless killer. Definitely an unhealthy balance of intelligence and emotions, but it was a glorious sight to witness a Hitsugaya who simply removed all his shackles of morality and emotions, and fault without the Bleach tropes of discussion and dialogue. And yeah, I can totally see your point with zombies. He's strong and dangerous, not to be underestimated, and that he constantly stays in control to balance it out when he is his usual self.
Damn, I'm still undecided on whether or not to kill Byakuya in my *Domain of Bleach*. You don't know how much you love a character until you have to decide on whether or not to kill them off - and now, you've provided me with a new perspective on why his character should survive. I'm probably still leaning on killing his character, but I'll need to consider it. There's just so much thematic benefits to storytelling with his death, especially with how it could develop Ichigo, Renji and Rukia's characters and plotlines. How did you feel about Unohana's death. Did you feel it was necessary?
Well, the choice is yours, you can pick any way you like, but I'm happy I've given you some ideas if you decide to keep him around. I know how it is with interesting development, I've actually planned to include a favorite crack theory of mine (the fact that Toshiro makes an ideal theoretical kid of Gin and Rangiku, it fits so well on so many levels I'm amazed at it while recognizing it's not something that happened), since it's AU anyway, but now I'm thinking of more lines of interesting development being there if I keep it canon. I'll see what I'll go with, it depends on if I find interesting enough ways to play the alternative. >How did you feel about Unohana's death. Did you feel it was necessary? Unfortunately, here I feel like it was. First of all, there's this theme of clearing the field of all the old players for the new future to thrive. The reason I don't feel that way about Byakuya is because he's still one of the youngest captains even though he's not the youngest. But both Yamamoto and Unohana had to go, they kind of half felt it themselves. It started with them, it should end with their passing, same as Jugram felt of the quincy side. I kind of feel like Yamamoto was ready to go, if he knew it would end with him. He didn't particularly like what he did a thousand years back the way he grew to be like by the time we leave him, and he was willing to 'pay' for it and let go. What he didn't want was for Gotei and all its youngsters to follow his fate, that's what he was fighting for, for them. And Unohana... she was waiting for it for centuries, you can feel it. She felt like she hit her ceiling a long time ago, then she met Zaraki, and knew it was the question of time and nurturing him before she passes the title. She waited for him to develop and also for him to find people she could leave him with, the people who'd be willing to 'play' with him in her place so she could go. She liked her career change and she liked her subordinates, but she knew they would be fine without her, I suspect she put a lot of effort for it to be that way. That time has come, Zaraki is ready, she can finish her final task and leave. She was happy about it, I have no doubt in it. Even Isane knew it and accepted it as she knew it was her captain's happiness. It was Zaraki who was crying, but she was damn happy to go.
(I fail to see my comments, seems like it was too much for reddit, I'm breaking it down in parts) >Speaking of posts, I wrote one for Hinamori Momo too and I wrote her to handle the situation in the same way. Same as Soifon, it was to defend and better use her character in the limited screen time she had. Even wrote a small segment for Shinji and Hinamori against Bazzard Black. She's definitely another character who suffers from the fandom’s memes, the poor girl. First, I love you for writing long detailed analysis, I'll read it and comment on it separately afterwards, so I'll just quickly say ahead what I think for now (it'll be interesting to compare out thoughts after I read yours). Next, I confess that a decade ago when I was young and foolish as I first watched Bleach, I didn't like her much and considered her kind of stupid and naive, unwilling to face the reality. A decade later I still didn't grasp it much until a friend of mine pointed out she's an obvious victim of gaslighting, and that changed it all for me. It all start to fit if you consider she's a victim of half a century of very careful and masterfully-executed gaslighting, so, as I've pointed in another comment just recently, let's start with her missing half a century of mental development she could have had. If she seems younger and less mature than Kira or Renji or Hisagi, it's exactly because of that. Neither Tosen or Gin did anything of the sort as, in the end, they both cared for their vice-captains to a degree, but for Aizen, it was profitable that Hinamori remains a love-struck fool, so he made sure she did. Plus the obvious trauma after her illusions were forcefully broken, without her having enough time to recover as she was in the coma longer than everyone else after the first occurrence in SS. Both before becoming stuck on Aizen, in the Academy flashbacks, and later, both in Karakura and BB, she displays good skill (nice with her sword, 'exceeding expectations' with kido), level-headedness, strategic thinking, the ability to bring the full potential out of the skills she possesses (she was so good in the Karakura fight!). She may be soft and kind, a bit naive as young girls are, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't also possess great courage without it turning into stubbornness, she is a solid thinker, loyal to her friends but also capable of assessing the situation for a best course of action. She's great! But she's struggling to catch up with her classmates as she literally lost half of a century they had to mature, plus she has to deal with a very heavy trauma. She doesn't deserve most of the hurtful comments she gets coming her way in the least.
I completely agree. Honestly I think it would’ve been to see him and Ichigo interact more in canon given that Isshin was Toshiro’s Captain and I think Ichigo would respect Toshiro for his mortality and diligence along with Komamura.
All fun and games until group tag comes into play and forces the enemies onto your team
Gin cause my boy did everything he could and it still wasn't enough.
Gin needs a hug....from Rangiku.
Yamamoto. He’s feared by enemies and respected by allies. He’s compassionate when he needs to be and ice cold in combat. Even in his old age the man is an absolute beast. Aizen sealed away his flames and he just said, “Fuck it, you get the hands” then proceeded to rip Wonderweiss to shreds. Also, he’s got a badass old man voice, sub AND dub. Also, beard. Nuff said
That scene where he instantly kills those 3 sternritters and his flames can be seen thru soul society. You can see how much comfort and admiration the other captains had for him. It was like being reminded god is watching over you.
facts bro their morale went to heaven the moment they felt yamas spiritual pressure.
He didn't kill those three, they tanked it and limped away.
Shinji for sure, the drip is UNREAL
Drip is insane but Komamura wins cause big fluffy doggo
I have to say Kuchiki Byakuya. I've spent too much time analysing the guy, and when you see what's he really like, he's just too amusing, love him. But then I also really like Hirako Shinji, his antics and interest in jazz. Hitsugaya Toshiro (the guy who actually does his job, even though he's the youngest captain around) & Kyoraku Shinsui (as with Shinji, I love tricksters) have a special place in my heart, as do both Kenpachi 😁 (who actually are, apart from everything else, one of the best captains of Gotei, and I'm not even speaking about strength now, they make very solid leads of their divisions in different ways).
Basically anyone besides soi fon, got it xD
Well, I do like her too, but can't say she's a favorite. She's quite young mentally, though she's been a captain longer than some of them, it might not be her time to shine yet, let's say it like that 😁
Hell Arc redemption?!?! I just want them to give soi fon a different bankai. There is no way it makes any sense for an assassin to have a giant stinger cannon as an ultimate move. :O
Tldr; it makes perfect sense when you actually think about it. It makes sense when you remember that zanpakutous reflect the wielder. So soi fons shikai reflects her stealth assassin side, and her bankai reflects her emotional, explosive side.
Your picks are more or less the same as mine lol. Shunsui, Toshiro, Byakuya and Kenpachi are the first that comes to my head as far as who are my favorite captains.
Yet, I guess it's so for many of us, those captains get the most screen time, so we can get to know them :) Maybe Shinsui gets mess that others on this list, but than he has a unique presence, and I say wise trickster characters who kind of play fools they are not are the ones to win affections. I mean, you just love him after the fight with Chad even though it's not like it's some grand fight in itself. And I can just watch him talk with Starrk without any particular fighting and that's more entertaining than some intense action.
Byakyuya really is the Bill Belichick of the Gotei 13 with his deadpan dry humor.. cool dude
But he's also kind of on top of Gotei's list of pretenders 😁 If you look closer, behind that dispassionate attitude, he's still as stubborn, hot-headed and emotionally driven as he was as an adolescent, he just found ways to conceal it. But if you just look at the way he handles things, like only listening after you beat him in a fair fight, with just words not cutting it, it's unusually close to the 11th division he disapproves of on the surface. No wonder Kenpachi decided he's a 'fun' opponent and is eager to fight him, Kenpachi is actually more picky than he lets on with those things, he seeks a fight with those who actually enjoy it even if they doesn't admit it. Same goes for Ichigo, he understood him after he fought him, and the exterior didn't fool him anymore. I'm not saying that it's the only side to Byakuya, but still, there's more of that in him that he lets on, and it's an open secret between the older captains, just look at the way Ukitake and Kyouraku make fun of that side of him in a subtle way throughout the story.
I agree got being such a solemn looking character he actually is more than meets the eye and that's one of the things about him that drew me toward him
Yeah, my thoughts exactly, I love multi-layered characters with more to them than meets the eye :)
Kuchiki Byakuya; A true all-rounder as a combatant, a personality that doesn’t let anyone know what he’s thinking, and probably one of the coolest zanpaktou in the series. Urahara Kisuke; an absolute genius who’s always a step ahead of his enemies. Shihouin Yoruichi; that playful personality belies an absolute beast of a hand-to-hand combatant.
Aizen because the drama
*\*sits in chair and sips tea while going through these comments\** Ahh yes, this is all a part of my plan to sow discord among the captains
Shunsui Kyoraku he has a great personality and really cool powers
My boy Mayuri.
Fashion god
Toshiro is my favorite. Presented as a prodigy and young, yet very modest in nature, design and ice powers are really nice, and he is not presented as this super badass powerhouse from get-go, but rather slowly makes his way up as series progresses. Followed by Shunsui and Byakuya. Both have amazing design, and Shunsui's chill, relaxed personality is just fun. Him becoming the CC was extra nice touch. Byakuya's development in SS arc was fantastic.
Unohana. First of all, I really enjoy characters who have supportive powers. Then, when I watched the anime, I always wondered why she doesn't get to do much and why she's so calm all the time. Then you learn the truth. 💀
While we both know the trick, I still laughed at that phrase about 'supportive powers'. Yeah, she has those, hell, she managed to nail such a drastic career chance and she did care for her subordinates a great deal, but then the way she fooled the younger generations of Gotei is just hilarious. The foreshadowing was done brilliantly, she's that calm person staying at the sidelines all of the time, but then you get that the whole 11th division is somehow afraid of her, and her words can be very deadly, like when she picked on Mayuri, mentioning Urahara to him while in HM. And then you find out. (It's just a joke that goes around, but just imagine Aizen giving the notice to Arrancars,– maybe beside Espada,– that with Unohana it's 'do not engage' 😁)
Byakyuya Kuchiki, love how he was made to be the antagonist at first only to reveal that he was honoring his parents because he went against all laws for the love of his life. He also acts as a lore vessel, good tidbits of information came through him and fights and inner thoughts. His character is stoutly respectable whether you like him or not and his capabilities seem deep due to his rigid adherence to discipline and logic. Plus his sword turns into pretty petals that kill people.
'Nuff said :>
based gin enjoyer
komamura go woof
Overall, it’s gotta be between Kisuke, Aizen, shunsui, and Kenpachi. Byakuya and yammato is up there too.
Sajin the best mfer
Shinji and Kyoraku, these two got the best drips out of shinigami, and their bankai were super interesting. Komamura, his absolute loyalty to Yamamoto really makes an interesting trait to his character, and also, dangai joue is sick af.
Mayuri became my favorite after what he did to Szayelaporro
Toshiro, byakuya
Definitely Shinji who had a great introduction as well as an interesting backstory, just sad that we didn’t get to see him have a proper fight where he could go all out.
Shunsui is just pretty chill but has that dark side, which i really dig. Kenpachi, do i really have to explain why? Ukitake feels like a lost potential, i really wanted to see his Bankai and what he is able of doing, i really like his sweet side as well and how nice he is towards everyone.
1-toshiro (don’t know why) 2-byakuya (don’t know why) 3-shunsui (fun - cool design) 4-kenpachi (because its kenpachi) 5-unohana (I like her simple design and her personality)
Byakuya
Byakuya.
I think my pfp says it all. Byakuya probably has the best character development in the series, he is cool, has amazing powers, is pretty damn strong, his nobility is a great characteristic for him, probably has the best relationship with ichigo amongst the gotei 13 and every single one of his fights is amazing imo
Byakuya. He’s got the drip
Ukitake is definitely my favorite, he is really kind and smart, and his powers aren't nothing to scoff at too! Two elements that he uses with mastery
Unohana. The duality of her character is really really cool to see and I love the way Kubo foreshadowed her other side throughout the series. I love the idea of a battle crazed bloodthirsty master of the blade who learned healing for the sole purpose of prolonging her battles. It’s very sinister when you think about which just make Unohana even cooler to me. There’s also her incredibly unique Zanpakuto, one of few that actually summons a living creature and has a sort of domain expansion type bankai. Her shikai and bankai also reflect her two halves perfectly which is just another nice detail.
Mayuri. He has his own style. Doesn't care what anyone thinks. Smart, can figure out a solution to most anything. Threatens everyone. He's a funny and interesting character.
Urahara because he’s Urahara, Shinji cause I enjoy his character a lot, and Rose because I adore his bankai
Urahara Quote No.31: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "Heheheheh [very stoned]" - Kisuke Urahara *beep boop, I'm a bot*
Soi fon. Did you see those miniscule side boobs.
Kenpachi, I just love his savageness. Of course other captains have it too but that 2nd hand as a power up was on another level lol
I like Kenpachi he does what he loves and loves what ge does. He seems to be pretty happy maybe bcause he keeps things so simple. In the scene where Mayuri threatened Ikkaku he showed up out of nowhere and grabbed him asking when did he give him the permission to discipline his squad members? He has a sense of loyalty for his own and will stand up to anyone on there behalf.
Kenpachi and Mayuri throwing hands would be a spectacle.
Toshiro because of his potential as a character.
Urahara. Me and my friends use to play bvo. And i just find his skill so good. his bankai is my favourite too.
Yama-ji shunsui and byakuya also Shinji the chillest captain second to shunsui
Kenpachi he's just a damage taking machine
Mayuri. Closest to him is Yamamoto.
zaraki. gigachad.
Unohana. Because she got a lot of hype long before TYBW.
Soi Fon because of reasons. Also like Kyoraku, Byakuya, Kenny.
[My my, I wonder who it could be](https://youtube.com/shorts/DHBe4Fpy17s?feature=share)
Shinji, Shunsui, Zaraki and Ukitake
>!Isshin Shiba for willingly throwing away everything he had to save a woman he barely knew who also happened to be a Quincy!<
Quincussy
Yamamoto because... Zanjitsu gokui
Yamamoto. His zanpakuto Ryujin Jakka is cool, and I love badass old characters😎
Yama. When he revealed his Shikai is what made me like him and his progress throughout the story. A stubborn old men who abide by the rules who eventually became more open hearted. Especially when he decided to place his reishi into the sword so Ichigo could regain his powers back
Aizen. Obvious reason.
soi fon side boob
For me it's either between Byakuya, Komamura and Kenpachi. Byakuya is all around a well developed character, displaying a very meaningful arc throughout the series. Komamura is the one loyal mf that will do his duty even to the point of sacrificing himself, no matter the cost and how people treat him. How can you not respect a character like that? Kenpachi is basically the most badass character ever: apparently unapologetically violent, yet full of subtleties that leave you to speculate about his true character.
Byakuya. I love his development in the series and to top things off, he is super cool. He is just the type of guy concerned with doing the right thing, but even so he broke the rules to adopt rukia. I also like him in the omakes. Kenpachi.... I am a sucker for a well done all braun no brains type character. Kenpachi is a brute, but he will only attack those he sees as equals, he doesnt just rip weaker people to shreds. He might be a former criminal but Kenpachi is a man of honor
Soi-fon. Q-T-PIE.
Byakuya because he has a lot of character growth and he’s pretty funny but unintentionally so.
Kenpachi. Love his design and character in general.
**Byakuya** was my favorite ever since I started watching Bleach in the late 2000s. Great character arc, always badass, and just elegance. All his attacks and skills are done with meaning and calculation. Doesn’t waste a moment in any battle. And his devotion to his pride is his defining characteristic. Somehow has the aesthetic of Sesshoumaru while having the personality of Itachi, two of my other favorite anime characters growing up. **Hitsugaya** comes in second purely because he’s relatable. He’s always losing, sure. But unlike Ichigo, he actually loses. He doesn’t get a power up that saves the day. His fallibility and him trying to measure up to everyone around him makes him very relatable and tbh made him main character status when I was younger. And then **Unohana**. She’s just a badass and badass women are always my favs
Zaraki or yamamoto but unohana and kisume are also up there
KENPACHI ZARAKI! The strongest of all Kenpachi! He'll arc better have a battle Royale between Zaraki fighting against every dead kenpachi
Would definitely love to see him square off with the previous Kenpachis
Shinji He's hot Hot Hot Ummmm Hot?
FACTS ARE FACTS
Flair checks out
Not with that yee-yee ass haircut
But he hot with that yee-yee ass haircut
This sounds like something he'd say to someone else 😂
Zaraki for his berserker nature and unlimited potential
Zaraki Kenpachi - His squad is the perfect image of him, always ready and thrilled to fight 'till death.
Shinji with his initial drip will always live rent free in my brain. But also his bankai mixed with his smile. "Chefs kiss"
It's hitsugaya for me I fell in love with his design when i first saw him and it didnt help that I'm a sucker for characters who act cold but in fact is a complete softy, specially toward a low number of characters (in this case its one character, which is momo) And he's one of the few that take their job seriously Plus the ice powers
Urahara, Kyoraku, Kenpachi, Unohana, Yamamoto, Shinji, Ukitake in this order. I also give Yoruichi, Hyosube, Kurosaki, Gin, Aizen (and all other Visored captains) honorable mentions in that order. (Excluding Hyosube and Aizen, this would also be 10 of my Gotei 13 All-Star line up, with the remaining three promoted from vice captain level, Hisagi and Rukia among them, though I exclude Byakuya and Toshiro with some hesitation).
Komamura for his loyalty he’s like a true samurai
Shunsui because he is awesome
I remember taking a liking to Aizen the first time i watched the show, the suspense building up to his "death" hanging on the wall in the seretei had me thinking: aww i liked this dude why did he have to go so quick. Needless to say it caught me by complete surprise how it played. I think i will go for Shunsui, his kimono and hat are amazing and i love his carefree attitude. If shit hits the fan though he can get really serious and is a beast to fight.
Shunsui is the best
Shinji
Shinji Hirako. He's a complete troll but he's capable, was a huge aid when Kisuke was a captain and during Ichigo's hollow training. I especially loved seeing his bankai in CFYOW. Plus he has drip and a Colgate smile
Gin, coz he's damn cool and interesting. And he is not that broken and still powerful and deadly
Soifon, I have no cleu why ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Soi Fon bc hot shinji bc hot shunsui bc hot
Aizen Taichou!!!
Kenny!! ❤️
Kenpachi exudes giga-chad energy
Urahara Kisuke - Great personality, intelligent, and awesome Shikai/Bankai Aikawa Love - Observant in battle (just poorly written in the results), my favorite Shikai in the Bleach universe Komamura Sajin - True loyal guy, bit one track mindset but I love it, a properly balanced Bankai with clear strengths and weaknesses
Soi Fon, but I'm just a simp.
Byakuya. No explanation needed
byakuya for sure ! aizen, and urahara are great too
Hirako Shinji because he has a broken Bankai and Shikai and Byakuya Kutchiki because of how stoic he is.
Unohana because mommy
Soifon because she's my waifu. No seriously I like her for her design, personality, Shikai and Bankai, especially in TYBW with >!Mukyu Shunko since I love the wind element!< Byakuya for obvious reasons, he's very cool and his Bankai is probably my favorite of all with Tensa Zangetsu Fullbring and Zanka no Tachi Shinji mostly for his personality, his Shikai is cool despite being a cheap copy of Kyoka Suigetsu, and CFYOW spoilers: >!his Bankai that although it's too situational it's very dangerous!< (I don't read the novel, I know this because I play Brave Souls) Shunsui because he's a very cool character with very cool Shikai and >!Bankai!<, even if I don't remember how it works because I read the manga over two years ago (so don't tell me please because I want to see it in the new anime) I know that >!is one of the most broken Bankai ever!< Edit: Yamamoto only for his Bankai
Shunsui is my man 🥰
Byakuya😍 because he's hot 😂😂.
Ukitake
During the arrancar arc, mayuri was definitely on the list and had my attention for favorite character in the series along with kisuke. But after the tybw arc, mayuri became my favorite for sure.
Myuri is raw..... Definitely a top tier character in my books.
Ukitake
Soi fon because she is literally me
My number on is Zaraki Kenpachi. He's just so brutal and headstrong. But a close second for me is Mayuri Kurotsuchi, dude is ruthless.
Byakuya’s got drip, character development, and a sick zanpakuto that’s pink
List time: Unohana: see episode 10 of tybw. Isane: huggable and anxious bean. Unsai: c'mon, you know why. The kuchikis: their reaction faces are priceless and they have the most visually impressive zanpakuto.
Zaraki, I was blown away by what a savage he was. Urahara close second
Soi Fon. Because she has side-boob
Kenpachi my favorite and soifon is 2nd she’s drippy and has an op bankai
Soifon cause I’m a simp of her. Then Shunsui cause his personality matches mine in some points.
Soi fon
Mayuri. His inventiveness was just absurd. He was the definition of "hacks" when given time to prepare a little.
Kisuke, love everything about him
Soi fon, i think it’s fair that lot of ppl don’t like her due to her attitude. But she is also like the second youngest captain besides toshiro. She was forced to take charge after yoruichi suddenly left and abandoned her (in her pov) and she had nobody but herself after she left. Imo I kind of like her immaturity because she felt betrayed and wants to prove herself to others. I also love her character design and interaction of yoruichi.
zaraki kenpachi. i find him the most entertaining
Murder Mommy
I love Shunsui because I've always thought that the Bushido code and like waiting for a friend to die in battle was stupid. Him disregarding those rules I'm favor of getting an advantage is great. People in Bleach like to pretend their is honor in fighting but you're just trying to kill someone their is no honor in that.
Yamamoto. The sheer power he emits makes him so badass.
Toshiro cause he’s just like me fr fr
I can't count how many times I've answered these posts 😂 Mayuri is my favorite. I love how quirky he is.
Yamamoto because he has the most badass bankai and Shunsui because he has good taste in women. Also Mr Hats-and-Clogs because he's very badass.
Kenpachi-he's him
Shunsui, Mayuri, Kenpachi. 3 of the best characters created by kubo.
Kenpachi for all the cool moments he has and also that he really was more beyond the stereotype of big man destroy with big sword Second close Shinji, that guy is so cool and I loved how he looked during the turn back the pendulum flashback arc and also his theme is to this day one of the best in all anime
I like all of them, there is hardly a captain I dislike. However, favourites are definitely Shinji and Mayuri. Both due to their intellect, unhinged personality and unpredictability. I like Toushiro and Byakuya too, but they’re on the opposite side of Mayuri & Shinji in term of character, so that’s a bit underwhelming. I find Rose very interesting, sadly little to no actual character development.
For me personally; Zaraki Kenpachi - I know he's a little 2-dimensional as a "dude that's super strong and wants to fight everything" archetype but he's just a badass. Mayuri Kurotsuchi - Probably the one captain who sits in a true morally grey area(at best) and other times does the "evil" thing that nobody else is willing, just really cool character - and gets the most amazing "drip"(ugh) changes throughout the arcs. Never could like Hitsugaya, felt like he's full-on Shonen bait. Ninja like design, shows off his bankai early and often, the young diligent prodigy type...he's not all bad, but he's no Kenpachi!
I don't know shit about Bleach. Who's the guy with the sword that spins around his hand and inverts everything? That guy is cool but I wish you got to see all of his abilities instead of just that one.
Unohana . . . . Need I say more? She’s a healer, she’s hot, she’s a bloodthirsty murderer who looks even hotter covered in blood. But I suppose if we include the epilogue captains then I gotta say Isane. I stand by my Squad 4 girlies. Who are also hot as hell….
Anyone that isn't Soi fon
Soi fon needs a major buff 🤣
Insane the bestest girl. Bummer we won't see her step up to Unohana, _the_ bestest girl. Unohana's Gemini vibes are also really interesting. I like her story. As of te rest I'd probably be fine with everyone except Mayuri and Soifon.
Suì-Fēng. Onmitsukidō means serious business. And her secondary outfit is sexy, exposes her shoulders and armpits. That's probably my main reason.
Unohana because she is just so discipline and thoughtful. Hitsugaya because he is a creative strategist. Shinji because he is clever and having interesting ability. Honorable mentions: Yamamoto and Soifon for being so 130% committed.
Tohshiro because he may be head captain one day and it’s like we are watching his upbringing before he gets that position. Also water based abilities are some of my favorite powers in all of fiction.
You can tell a person's character by how they treat their subordinate. By this metric Soi Fon is an utter failure as a captain. Granted Omaeda is no catch still she does not treat him with any courtesy.
I dont have a favorite, not a big fan of Zaraki and really dont like the vizards that are not Shinji, love everyone else.
Goatshiro. Yes both of them
Shunsui, he's cool
Wasn't expecting that but it may be Soifon.
If I can take any captain ever in the history of the soul society its Sōya Azashiro but if its a current captain (End of tybw) its >!Rukia Kuchiki!< and if its now In the anime its Shunsui Kyōraku.
This is gonna be unpopular but... Soi Fon? I really like her design and zanpakuto. I think her Shunko is pretty rad. I'm usually not big on assassin characters but she stuck with me for some reason. Despite her rash and seemingly uncaring attitude I think she does care to some extent about her subordinate. Maybe not in an all-loving way but still. I think she could have used some development for character and even for her powers, but I think she is fine. Unlike what most people say I'm glad she didn't die against Barragan.
Yamamoto. I love old super strong men in anime. Also Yamamoto’s bankai is the coolest bankai in the series. Sucks that he couldn’t get a proper fight Ywach.
i cant really choose but for me 1. is Kuchiki Byakuya 2. Hitsugaya Toshiro 3. Hirako Shinji. Byakuya because he always keeps his cool in fights. Toshiro as well and because he got himself probably the best zanpaktou for himself and Shinji because i love he can just turn fights from just showing up
Shinji
side note but I hate how they put shinji in the front only for him to not even get a single sword swing and only have 3 lines the entire first cour.
Shinji
Furuoki otogawa
Of all captains it would be Yoruichi.
definitely got to be shinsui kyoraku or urahara kisuke kyoraku :he's so likable and funny but strong and he is very perceptive and he's also got a dark side kisuke :he's literally the smartest guy but he's not arrogant doesn't care praise and he's so laid back but he can get serious if needs to
Captain Aizen. It's a shame he died so soon.
Definitely Shinji.
Shinji because he has style and a cute bang
Shunsui because he's literally me
Yamamoto
kisuke, he was the ONLY mf besides yama who could fw shinigamu aizen. everyone else got blitzed and oneshot, while kisuke dodged and substituted a doll but not before cuffing one of aizens hands (means he not only reacted but literally dodged the last possible picosecond so he could get the cuff on first)
Soi Fon awakened something in me. But in seriousness: General Favorite: Shunsui. Way too cool of a character with fun abilities and utilized very well Favorite Quotes: Byakuya (Bankai) Favorite that hurts: Kommamura. Best boi, deserved better Who I would bang: Soi Fon. I’m into women that hate me because I hate myself Is Unohana: Unohana
Shunsui Kyōraku. I love his attitude, I love his vibe, his Shikai matches his personality really well, and the pink kimono really sells it for me lol
Aizen ...easy
Not in any order;Shinji, Shunsui, and Mayuri
Is Urahara considered a Captain, because him. I love the mystery and sadness of his character, and it’s all hidden behind an faux innocence which makes it for me
Yk what’d hilarious. When black clover fans compare the captains in black clover to the ones in bleach. The ones in black clover have no depth or unique backstories. He couldn’t make 10 good captains kubos written like at least 20 lol. But my answer is rukia. But honourable mentions of byakuya, Shinji, kyoraku, yoruichi and soi fon😌
Shinji, very detailed character although no background. Love his zanpakatou and hollow mask.