Kyoraku and Ukitake's bond, explained

Key takeaways

• Shunsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake are the two powerful and intelligent captains of Gotei 13 who share a deep bond.
• Both disagreed with Rukia's execution, confronted Head Captain Yamamoto, and aided Ichigo Kurosaki in the battles.
• Kyoraku and Ukitake are the last remnants of the spirit society's ancient history, known for their close friendship and strength.

Of which Gotei is 13 inches BleachThe two captains have stood the test of time as pillars of the organization. Head Captain Yamamoto's two students who stand above the other Shinigami; Shunsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake. The captains of Squad 1 and 13, respectively, Kyoraku and Ukitake are best friends and two halves of a centuries-old power couple.

They are not only the oldest members of the force, but also two of the most powerful. They were the only Shinigami with Dual Zanpakutou for the entire history of Soul Society until Ichigo Kurosaki obtained his true Zangetsu. Shunsui and Jushiro represent the best of the Gotei 13 Bleach. Let's dive into the strong, centuries-long bond between these powerful Shinigami.

Shunsui and Juushirou, two young students

First Captain graduates

Shunsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake were students in the early stages of Shinigami Shinou Rejutsu Academy. There they trained under the leadership of Shigekuni Zenriyusai Yamamoto. They first met during a training exercise, where Captain Retsu Unohana immediately recognized their potential. After their spar is even, Jushiro asks Shunsui to show him a sweet shop where he is a regular. He brought sweets to his five younger siblings. Since then they have become close friends. One day, Jushiro reveals the secret of his illness to Shunsui, that he is the vessel of the god Mimihagi, a dissociated limb of the spirit king Ednius. There, Shunsui tells his friend that he won't let him die young.

I am proud of you that you are my own sons. I believed that even though the characters were different, it would be better to follow the same path.

Eventually, both graduated with honors and soon became captains of the Gotei 13. Shunsui was assigned to Squad 8, while Jushiro was the captain of Squad 13. Along with Yamamoto and Unohana, they were by far the oldest members of the organization. . Two were particularly powerful, and their friends noted the fact that they had dual Zanpakutou. Shunsui's Keten Kyokotsu and Jushiro's Sogyo no Kotowari are Zanpakutou that manifest as two identical blades. This is considered to be a sign of their extraordinary power. The only other dual-zanpakutou is Ichigo's Zangetsu, with each blade representing its Hollow and Quincy aspects.

Kyoraku and Ukitake, two ruthless captains

Gotei's pillar 13

Once the conflict in the Soul Society arc began, Kyoraku and Ukitake were the few captains who noticed something was wrong. Both of them disagreed on Rukia Kuchiki's death sentence. Not only did they think she was innocent, but she was also a member of Ukitake's team. So he felt personally responsible for her. Besides that, Ichigo Kurosaki, the human Rukia given her powers, reminded Ukitake of someone: Kaine Shiba. As soon as Ukitake saw the boy, he noticed an uncanny resemblance to his late vice-captain and was convinced to help Rukia. He was supported by Kyoraku, who also believed that the death penalty was unjust.

The two go up against their mentor and father figure head Captain Yamamoto. They fought with him, trying to persuade him to stop the execution. Yamamoto said he considered them his sons. This has led the fandom to often refer to the two captains as “brothers” as their bond is one of the strongest in the series. Primera Espada Coyote Stark after the two fight during the fake Karakura Town arc.

Kyoraku and Ukitake often drank together, discussing their thoughts on every conflict they faced together and often on the subject of their new ally, Ichigo. It was Ukitake who gave the boy the official option shinigami badge. Both captains always trusted and cared for Ichigo and his friends, seeing them as true allies and friends of the Soul Society.

Shunsui Kyoraku and Juushirou Ukitake share a deep bond that makes them a powerful couple and the wisest pillar of the Gotei 13. They are also major characters in the events of the series. It is thanks to Ukitake that Ichigo is officially accepted by the Spirit Society. And it is thanks to Kyoraku that Ichigo's human friends have access to the Seireitei if Ichigo is unable to return to the world of the living. The two are the last remaining members of the old side of the Soul Society's history, and in the last episode, only Kyoraku remains.

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  Based on the Battle of Tite Kubo shonen manga, Bleach centers around Ichigo, a high school student who is drawn into the world of Soul Reapers. The original anime ended in 2012, but it was revived in 2022.

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  Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War