Uryū Ishida

is a classmate and companion of Ichigo Kurosaki and is introduced as the last Quincy. As such he first steps up as a rival upon learning that Ichigo became a Shinigami. Later events, however, make him join forces with Ichigo against common enemies, and he eventually becomes one of Ichigo's best and most reliable friends. He participates in the rescue of Rukia Kuchiki from her prison in Soul Society, and later helps Ichigo in an attempt to free Orihime Inoue from Hueco Mundo. In both cases he proves to be a valuable ally, as he is a quite adept and strong combatant, as well as extremely intelligent, which comes in handy in the various difficult situations that Ichigo and his other friends are presented with. Uryū was ranked the 5th most popular character of Bleach in the latest Shōnen Jump Poll.

Appearance
Uryū Ishida is a black raven-haired, bespectacled teenager of average height. In school, Uryū wears the school uniform along with a tie, while outside he dons white Quincy clothes with blue stripes representing the Quincy cross and a mantle.

Personality
Uryū is generally shy and quiet, but tries harder to act cool when other people are around. For example, during the Soul Society arc he wears a mantle that serves no purpose other than to make him look cooler, despite the fact that it hinders his movement. He even keeps a spare to that effect. In addition, he also has a tendency to say things with characteristic drama.

Uryū operates on a moral ethic known as the "Pride of the Quincy" and has a strong sense of justice. He has also shown to be very chivalrous, stating that he enacts justice on men who abuse or treat women badly. He demonstrates this at multiple points throughout the series, such as when he tried to defend Rukia Kuchiki from Renji Abarai when he and Byakuya Kuchiki came to the real world to take her, or when he defends Orihime Inoue at multiple points throughout the Soul Society arc. Uryū also has a tendency to not use lethal force in battle, especially if he can win without doing so. Instead, he will simply incapacitate his opponent.

Uryū does not hold his father, Ryūken Ishida, in high respect; he calls his father by his given name which is considered very rude in Japanese society. Despite this, in the anime, Uryū seems mildly offended when Rukia commented that Ishida's hospital (his father being the present director) is falling apart and Renji replies tactlessly that the hospital is only for show. In the anime-only Bount arc, his mother was shown briefly in a flashback, though her face wasn't shown. Uryū seemed very close to her, and mentions that she seemed to be laughing yet crying at the same time, the same look he saw in the Bount Yoshino Sōma. His mother's status is unknown, but she is believed to be deceased as Uryū referred to her in past tense. She has never been mentioned in the manga.

Uryū has low blood pressure and hates procrastination. The other things he hates are quite odd: buttons (despite being an expert in sewing) and the word "haphazard." His favorite food is homemade mackerel miso stew. The television program he likes is Don Kanonji's "Bura-Rei." The shadow that jumped out of the crowd at Kanonji's first appearance was in fact Uryū. Like his grandfather, Sōken Ishida, Uryū is left-handed, and he is also a great archer, capable of insane feats of archery.

History
Being only fifteen years old, Uryū doesn't have the same rich history as some of the other characters, especially the long-living Shinigami; however, several details about his past are revealed in the series.

As a child, Uryū mostly interacted and trained with his grandfather, Sōken Ishida. His father, Ryūken Ishida, was less than enthusiastic about being a Quincy, claiming that it was not a profitable occupation. They don't appear to be on very good terms as a result, given Uryū's casual use of his father's given name. Sōken understands Ryūken's reasoning, since being a Quincy is more about justice than material rewards and Ryūken has a family to support. Sōken told Uryū that he would someday understand his father's motives, but thus far this isn't the case.

At a fairly young age, Uryū's grandfather was killed by Hollows right in front of him while he wasn't able to do a thing to protect him. This is one of the reasons why he hates the Shinigami, who did not come to rescue Sōken in time. It is later revealed that the current captain of the 12th Division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, was behind the delay so that Sōken's soul could be collected for study.

Agent of the Shinigami Arc
After Ichigo Kurosaki gains the powers of a Shinigami, Uryū introduces himself as the last Quincy and confronts Ichigo in an attempt to prove that Quincy are superior. Using some special bait, Uryū attracts a swarm of Hollows to Karakura Town so that he and Ichigo can compete to see who can kill the most Hollows in one day. This bait, however, also attracts a Menos Grande, an enemy that forces Uryū and Ichigo to band together. They drive the Menos off, but its brief time in Karakura Town attracts the attention of Soul Society. Two Shinigami are dispatched to capture Rukia Kuchiki. Uryū confronts the two in an attempt to stop them, but is badly injured because of his interference. After they return to Soul Society with Rukia, Uryū realizes that he is not as strong as he thought he was.

Soul Society arc
Wanting to go and save Rukia, Uryū trains to better equip himself for the next time he needs to battle a Shinigami. In a week's time he is able to master the Sanrei Glove, allowing him to join Ichigo and the rest of a rescue team in going to Soul Society. Their group is split up soon after their arrival, forcing Uryū to sneak around Soul Society with Orihime Inoue to avoid detection.

Despite their efforts, the two are found by Jirōbō Ikkanzaka of the 7th Division. After a short battle, Uryū dispatches him fairly easily. Orihime then gets the idea to steal a pair of Shinigami uniforms to blend in. When two possible candidates from the 12th Division show up, Uryū merely watches as Orihime takes them down single-handedly. However, when they come face to face with the captain of 12th Division; Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who quickly takes a special interest in Orihime's abilities, Uryū forces another Shinigami, Makizō Aramaki of the 11th Division, to carry her away from harms way, and battles Mayuri himself in order to buy her time.

Initially, Uryū is little match for the captain-level Mayuri, who, in addition to being able to regenerate his limbs and use his body parts as weapons, can paralyze his opponents with the Shikai of his Zanpakutō. He even uses his own lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, to disable Uryū long enough to land a hit. Mayuri's callous disregard for his own lieutenant, as well as kicking her for asking for medical assistance, angers Uryū. Mayuri reveals that he created Nemu and mocks his sympathy as part of the meaningless "Quincy pride" they speak about until their last breath. He recalls the last Quincy he researched who kept on calling out the name of his student and shows Uryū a photograph, which depicts none other than his own grandfather. Driven by anger, Uryū vows to defeat Mayuri at any cost, Uryū uses "Ransōtengai" to move his paralyzed body and removes his Sanrei glove, invoking the "Quincy Final Form", greatly increasing his Quincy powers at the cost of losing them shortly thereafter. Though more than powerful enough to defeat Mayuri in this form, Uryū is ultimately unsuccessful. After Mayuri uses his Bankai to poison Uryū, earning an arrow through the chest in return, he escapes by reducing himself to a liquid state.

After Mayuri is gone, Uryū realizes that he is going to die until Nemu calls out for Uryū. She tells him that behind her Lieutenant insignia there is an antidote hidden. Kneeling down next her, Uryū finds it and asks if she wants to drink first, to which Nemu says that she is made in the same way as Mayuri and is unaffected by the poison. Uryū then questions her intentions, but as she explains that he is already dying and that it is in gratitude for not shooting her creator and father in the head, which would have been fatal and she even offers to take some herself to prove it. Uryū says that he intended to kill him, claiming that he missed and takes the antidote.

Leaving Nemu, he finds his way up the stairs to the Shrine of Penitence and feeling pain, Uryū realizes that he has truly lost his Quincy powers as his grandfather had warned him would happen.

He is then confronted by Kaname Tōsen, who uses his Shikai to render Uryū unconscious. Uryū is placed in a holding cell and healed by the 4th Division, where he finds himself with Ganju Shiba and Chad. After a short argument with Ganju, Uryū decides it would be best to wait for either Ichigo or Orihime to free them. They are, however, freed by Kenpachi Zaraki and reunited with Orihime. Kenpachi's lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, leads the group to the execution stands, where they wait as Ichigo and Byakuya fight. After Byakuya is defeated, the group tends to Ichigo. They later learn of the elaborate conspiracy surrounding Rukia's execution, masterminded by Sōsuke Aizen.

After Aizen escapes to Hueco Mundo, Uryū, Chad, Ichigo, and Orihime depart for the living world during which Uryū sews clothes for Chad, Orihime and Rukia. When Uryū departs for his house, he reminds Ichigo that they are still enemies.

Bount arc
With his Quincy powers gone, Uryū is of little use during the initial stages of the Bount invasion. He accompanies Ichigo and the others from battle to battle, but is unable to make any major contributions. During the arc, he is rescued and befriended by the Bount Yoshino Sōma, who rebelled against the other Bounts. According to Uryū, Yoshino reminded him of his mother and developed a close relationship with the former despite the brief amount of time they had together. Uryū falls into a depression after Yoshino is sacrificed and becomes the Bitto, but finally snaps out of it after Nemu pays him a visit to give him the Quincy Bangle. Needing access to his former abilities in order to help his friends, Uryū strikes a deal with Mayuri; if Uryū lets the Bount into Soul Society, Mayuri will briefly restore his Quincy powers. Uryū complies, giving the Bount access to the Soul Society, and receives a Quincy artifact for his troubles: The Quincy Bangle. Though inexperienced with it, Uryū is able to use the artifact to kill Yoshi, reaching his and the artifact's limit by doing so. He later assists Ran'Tao in her battle with Jin Kariya, gaining the upper hand on Jin for a moment. However, Ran'Tao's life is put at risk, and through saving her, the Quincy Bangle is destroyed. Once Kariya and the remaining Bount are defeated, Uryū returns home.

Arrancar arc
Back in Karakura Town, Uryū is attacked by two incomplete Arrancar. He attempts to use some Quincy equipment to defeat the two, but is ultimately unsuccessful. It is not until the arrival of his father, Ryūken Ishida, that the Arrancar are vanquished. Disappointed by Uryū's weakness, Ryūken offers to restore his Quincy powers on the condition that Uryū never associate with Shinigami again. Uryū agrees and trains with his father in Karakura Hospital's secret training ground whilst Arrancar continue to attack Karakura Town. After the third Arrancar invasion ends, Uryū regains his powers, ending his training.

Hueco Mundo arc
After learning that Orihime had been captured by the Arrancar, Uryū joins Ichigo and the others organize a rescue team to save her. Because Soul Society has abandoned Orihime, Ichigo is technically not acting as a Shinigami, giving Uryū a loophole with which to accompany them. After they arrive in Hueco Mundo and their group splits up, Uryū is joined by Pesche Guatiche. Though Pesche continues to annoy Uryū, he proves invaluable in defeating Cirucci Thunderwitch. As they continue on their way they meet Renji Abarai as he is about to be killed by the eighth Espada, Szayel Aporro Granz. Uryū intervenes and is briefly able to drive Szayel off with Renji's help, but Szayel soon returns. Eventually they are defeated by the Espada's Voodoo doll technique, and after Pesche and Dondochakka's combination attack fail the four are left at Szayel Aporro's mercy.

Just as their last hope of winning fades, Mayuri arrives to save them. He reveals that during their time at Soul Society, he planted bacteria upon Uryū's person to monitor his action, much to Uryū's chagrin. With the release of Mayuri's Bankai, it appears that the battle with Szayel has drawn to a close.

Fake Karakura Town arc
While Ichigo Kurosaki and Ulquiorra Cifer are fighting, Yammy Rialgo suddenly appears. After dealing with Menoly and Loly, he makes his way towards Orihime, but Uryū arrives and knocks him down with one of his arrows; though, he notes that the arrow didn't pierce him. When Yammy tries to retaliate, a landmine Uryū uses (which was developed by Mayuri, specifically designed for Arrancar) explodes and heavily injures him. However, Yammy is not dead yet, and is barely hanging on to the crumbling floor. Uryū tells him it's too bad the Espada ran into him, as he could have fought a little longer. He then says "Mala Suerte" (bad luck) as he shoots an arrow into Yammy, making him fall through every floor of Las Noches since Uryū broke all the pillars on the way up. Uryū then takes over protecting Orihime as Ichigo continues to finish his fight with Ulquiorra. Also, in the graphic novel edition, it is revealed that Uryū saved Loly by shooting her onto the side of the tower. Shortly after Ulquiorra attacks Ichigo with his Cero Oscuras, releasing an unbelievable amount of reiatsu, Orihime begins to worry even more. She asks Uryū to take her above Las Noches' dome, to which Uryū reluctantly agrees. Oddly enough, he thinks to himself that, "It was easy enough to guess what she would ask. I couldn't say no. But, I would immediately regret agreeing." This seems to imply that he is thinking back on his decision. He then takes Orihime up to the top of the dome using the same method of Hirenkyaku as he did while passing through the Garganta. He comments that the reiatsu above the dome (Ulquiorra's) is so strong it doesn't feel like normal reiatsu at all, as if there's an ocean in the sky. They arrive just in time to see Ulquiorra send an Instantaneous Cero Oscuras through Ichigo's chest, seemingly killing him. In order to buy Orihime time to heal Ichigo, Uryū faces off against Ulquiorra and fires a thousand arrows. They have no effect, to which Ulquiorra remarks how he thought Uryū was the calmest of all Ichigo's friends. Uryū states that he is fighting him because he is calm. During his fight with the Espada he suffers great injuries, including the loss of his left hand. However, Uryū had already applied anesthesia and stopped the bleeding from his injury. Telling Orihime to focus on Ichigo, Uryū draws out a Seele Schneider and continues to fight. Ulquiorra shoots him with a variation of Cero to knock him out, and Orihime panics. What they both fail to notice is that the seemingly dead Ichigo is moving, and his hair is extending into a mane.

During their battle, Uryū, Orihime, and Ulquiorra notice Ichigo has risen and appears in a new form. Ulquiorra turns his attention towards Ichigo and begins to fight him. However, because of Ichigo's new state, as well as his supposed inability to communicate, they wonder about Ichigo's condition. Ichigo then proceeds to blast a close range Cero at Ulquiorra. He survives, albeit losing one of his wings, right arm and both legs. Ichigo then goes to finish him off, when Uryū stops him saying that there is no need to carve up his corpse, since he's already won. Hollow Ichigo then stabs him in the abdomen with Zangetsu, revealing that he will attack and was willing to attack even his friends in this state. He then prepares a Cero to attack Uryū. Ulquiorra then appears slightly regenerated and cuts off one of Ichigo's horns. A large explosion occurs over Ichigo's head, saving Uryū and restoring him to his normal state. Ichigo appears to have been unaware of inflicting injury on his friend.

Powers & Abilities
Having undergone formal training and possessing prior experience in combat, Uryū is one of the strongest protagonists in the series, with his victories roughly paralleling Ichigo's throughout the story. As a Quincy, Uryū's main weapon is a bow, but he is also able to use many Quincy techniques and items to augment his abilities, including some high-level techniques such as Ransōtengai, which are rare enough that even Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who had studied over 2000 Quincy, had never seen them in person. Uryū's trademark finishing move involves shooting spiritual arrows at his opponents through their chain link and soul sleep, depriving them of their powers and allowing him to win a bloodless victory.

Reiryoku Absorption: Uryū primarily absorbs spiritual energy from the atmosphere, and have an easier time collecting this energy in environments with higher concentrations of spiritual particles, such as Soul Society or Hueco Mundo. To a sufficiently powerful Quincy, there is no difference between spiritual particles and spiritual energy as a source of power.

Reiryoku Manipulation: He can manipulate spiritual energy for offensive purposes. Uryū most commonly reshapes spiritual particles into various types of bow and arrows, but can also concentrate spiritual energy into the form of swords (Seele Schneiders) or Silver Tubes.

High Spiritual Power: Uryū has displayed a great amount of spiritual energy. He has obviously mastered the Quincy ability of Reiryoku absorption, taking in spirit particles and spirit energy alike; This on top of his own energy reserves lends him plenty of strength in combat. When his father restored his powers, Uryū's spiritual force proves so great that it took them a week or so to finish, and his father still required to draw out a stronger arrow (as opposed to shooting him single-handedly) to restore his powers and exhaust him completely.

Quincy Bow & Spirit Arrows:
 * Quantity of Arrows- As the series continues, Uryū can fire higher amounts of spiritual arrows. His current limit of consecutive arrows is 1,200.
 * Enhanced Bows- As the series continues, Uryū's bow changes its appearance a total of three times, each after an increase in power. He's even gained a new Quincy Cross, in the form of a Pentacle.
 * Licht Regen - A large amount of reiryoku is gathered at Uryū's left shoulder, much like when he used the Quincy Final Form. Here he fires a volley of 1,000 arrows, just under his limit, at a single target.

Swordsmanship Experience: During his fight with Cirucci Thunderwitch, Uryū uses Seele Schneider as a sword expertly. Even though it is really an arrow, and his main prowess lies in archery and Quincy techniques, it is clear that Uryū has some ability with the sword. It is probable that he learned this skill during his training with his grandfather Ishida Sōken.

Excellent Intellect & Athleticism: Aside from his Quincy powers, Uryū is well-trained in both mind and body, having substantial athletic abilities and a genius intellect. He uses his intelligence to find weak points in his opponents, even overcoming disadvantages he has through thinking on his feet. Due to keeping his physical prowess at its peak, Uryū can easily hold out against all but the most resilient opponents during a battle.

Multilingual: He also possesses some knowledge of Spanish, as he understands the Spanish terms used by the Arrancar. Uryū told Yammy upon his defeat,"Mala Suerte," which means tough luck, before the latter fell through Las Noches.

Gintō Expert: He is able to use the spiritual energy stored in the silver tubes to create similar effects to Kidō; Uryū can even use his own energy rather than the energy stored in s a silver tube. Gintō was his primary weapon of choice, albeit only, against an incomplete Arrancar during the Arrancar Arc. He was only able to injure it before his father saved him, but this feat alone was great as he could not use any of his Quincy abilities at the time.

Seele Schneider Expert: Uryū is highly capable of using the soul cutting sword with great proficiency, and was able to defeat Cirucci Thunderwich easily after its use, despite the lack of practice beforehand (Uryū had just recently stolen the weapons from his father's storage room.)

Ransōtengai (乱装天傀; lit. Japanese, "Heavenly Wild Puppet Suit", Viz translation, "Disheveled Paradise Puppet") A high level technique known to be quite rare to ever be encountered. Uryū is well versed in the use of this ability, which was not possessed by a good majority of the former living Quincy.

Hirenkyaku Expert (飛廉脚; lit. "Flying Screen Step/God Step", Viz translation, "Flying Bamboo-Blind Leg") Uryū is highly skilled in the use of the technique. Even keeping up with Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who complimented his skill, stating it was a skill that was hard to master, especially at such a young age. Uryū has recently shown a new variation of the technique, which creates a platform of reishi under the user's feet. Originally used while traveling to Hueco Mundo, he has found use for it outside of the Garganta, and can carry others with him on the platform.


 * Sanrei Glove Master (Former): In order to match more powerful opponents he would face in Soul Society, Uryū trained using his grandfather's gift: The Sanrei Glove. Upon completing the necessary week of endurance training wearing the glove, his power was drastically increased. He now manifested a different bow, and increased all of his attributes, easily overpowering mid to low-tier Shinigami. The glove dissipated upon removal, presumably becoming spirit particles.


 * Quincy Final Form (Former): Uryū was shown using this transformation once at the cost of his powers. It greatly enhanced his power to the point where he easily overwhelmed Mayuri Kurotsuchi, nearly killing him before his escape. Currently he cannot use this technique ever again.


 * Quincy Bangle Master (Former): During the Bount Arc, Uryū received this Quincy artifact from Nemu in order to regain his former powers. After a battle where Uryū was pushed to his limit, he figured out how to use this accessory without the risk of it self-destructing. He was able to master its use in a very short amount of time, surprising and impressing Ran'Tao. The artifact was destroyed in his fight against Jin Kariya.

Bows
Lone Sparrow (Former) - When first introduced, Uryū used this bow that looks like a bow made from blue energy. Its size is dependent on the amount of energy flowing through it. With this bow, Uryū is able to kill most Hollows in a single strike.

Lone Sparrow "Final Form" (Former) - As preparation for his travel to Soul Society, Uryū later masters the Sanrei Glove, greatly increasing his abilities. In this state, Uryū's bow is solid and covered in an intricate pattern. It is attached to his glove by a series of thin struts. This new bow allows Uryū to fire several shots simultaneously. By removing the glove, Uryū attains the Quincy Final Form. The Quincy final form gives him a vast increase in power, enough to defeat a captain class Shinigami with Bankai in only one shot. All the extra energy collects on his right shoulder, much like how a quiver is worn. As a result of removing the glove, however, the Quincy Final Form uses too much power for Uryū's body to handle, causing his body to block his Quincy powers completely after it wears off.

Lone Sparrow on a Silver Cliff (Current) - After Uryū regains his powers with the aid of his father, he uses this new Quincy cross, this one resembling a pentacle, and a variant of his original bow. This bow was first used during his battle with the Arrancar Iceringer, and several of its special abilities were later shown in his fight against Cirucci Thunderwitch. Unlike his original bow, this bow is shaped like a spiderweb. Using this bow, Uryū demonstrates the ability to fire up to 1,200 shots consecutively, ricochet individual shots against the walls inside Las Noches to enable him to shoot around corners and make the direction of his attacks unpredictable, and to change the direction of his shots while in flight. Uryū has also been shown using it as a temporary shield to block. Uryū also acquires new battle accessories, one of which is a new Quincy arrow called the that can double as an energy sword in melee combat.

Relationships
Uryū Ishida is a protagonist of Bleach and has encountered several characters throughout the series, though not nearly as much as Ichigo. The most prominent of these relationships are listed below:

Ichigo Kurosaki
Uryū initially had an intense hatred for the Soul Society, especially Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, due to the fact that they were responsible not only for his grandfather's death, but for the decline of his entire species, and directed his anger towards Ichigo despite being entirely innocent on that matter. Ichigo, likewise, viewed him with contempt and disdain for endangering his friends lives by "calling forth" an army of hollows to his school. However, after his defeat, Uryū and Ichigo now consider themselves friends, despite Uryū's usually cold demeanor and Ichigo's short-tempered persona.

Orihime Inoue
At first, Uryū and Orihime didn't know each other very well, even when both being in the school's Handicrafts Club. During the Soul Society arc, the two got to know each other after being forcefully separated from the rest of their group when attempting to rescue Rukia. In the Arrancar arc, when Uryu learned that Orihime was taken to Hueco Mundo, he was willing to go rescue her by himself. Uryū has shown that he seems to have an understanding of Orihime's feelings towards Ichigo like when he was fighting Byakuya and Ulquiorra. It also seems as though Uryū has a soft spot for her.

Trivia

 * Uryū ranked 5th in the most recent Shōnen Jump poll, following Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez with a 277 votes difference.


 * He is often considered to be Mayuri Kurotsuchi's nemesis due to their conflicting views on life and the fact that Mayuri tortured and killed Uryū's grandfather, Sōken Ishida. However, it is hinted that he gets along well with Mayuri's daughter, Nemu Kurotsuchi.


 * His Silver Tubes technique is one of his strongest moves. Yet he only used it twice: against Szayel Aporro Granz and Ryū Kuzu. However, both of them survived.


 * His theme song, as chosen by Tite Kubo, is "Idioteque" by Radiohead


 * His first name can be translated as "Rain Dragon", in contrast with the first name of Chad that can be translated as "Calm Tiger".


 * Uryū is the first person to defeat a Shinigami using Bankai, which was Mayuri's Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō.
 * Although he still considers Shinigami his enemies, he mentioned in one filler episode that he holds great respect for Retsu Unohana.

Quotes

 * "Did I give you permission to stop them?"


 * (Lying about coming to save Rukia) "Just passing by. No big deal.... Well, if you must know, I felt a sudden urge to go to Sunflower Seams, that 24-hour dressmaking shop. There's a branch near here. That's where I was headed at this late hour. I certainly didn't bring this bag with me just so I would have an excuse for suddenly leaving the house because I sensed the spirit energy of a Shinigami, all right?"


 * "By the pride of the Quincy, I will kill you!"


 * (Thinking during the fight between Ichigo and Byakuya)"She knows that if she tries to help, she'll just be in the way. Plus, even if she is able to help Kurosaki wouldn't want her to. She knows all of this, but she is still clenching her whole body, as if trying to stop it from taking action. Inoue is waiting, praying that you will be safe, believing you will return. Don't lose Kurosaki. If you lose, I will never forgive you!"


 * "Ah, Kurosaki, I see you've finally realized the importance of a cape."


 * "I thought you looked down on the Quincies. You should've already given up your Quincy powers."


 * (To Ulquiorra Cifer) "I am calm. That's why I can fight you!"