Isshin Kurosaki

, formerly known as, is the former captain of the 10th Division, husband of Masaki Kurosaki, father of Ichigo Kurosaki, Karin Kurosaki, and Yuzu Kurosaki. Isshin is the former head of a branch of the Shiba Clan and the current head of the Kurosaki Family.

Appearance
Isshin is a tall, muscular man with spiky black hair and brown eyes. He has thin facial hair around his mouth and on his cheeks. As a doctor, Isshin usually wears a white lab coat over his otherwise more casual shirt and trousers. He has the appearance of a man in forties, as noted by his daughter, Karin.

As a Shinigami, he wears the standard Shinigami Shihakushō, along with a tattered captain's haori, worn like a sash and fastened over his left shoulder with the Division insignia obscured.

When he was the captain of the 10th Division, Isshin wore the typical Shinigami uniform, with a sleeveless captain's haori. He had noticeably softer facial features, long sideburns, no facial hair, and slightly shorter hair.

Personality
Isshin typically acts in a goofy, energetic, and fun-loving manner. Loud voice, big smile and a wide range of facial expressions are his trademark features. He's prone to attack his son all of a sudden for every reason, from being late for a dinner to simply waking him up. Like he claims, it was all to make Ichigo stronger, which actually paid off. Sometimes Isshin can be the life and the soul of the party such as during the festival in Karakura Town. Initially starting the fun with his daughters he finally took almost all of Ichigo's friends with him.

During his time in Gotei 13 Isshin was a lazy and carefree captain who often tried to make his subordinates do his work for him. For this reason he was on bad terms with Rangiku Matsumoto who was often forced to call him back to order. Isshin was delighted seeing how diligent Tōshirō Hitsugaya was doing all the paperwork and, on the spur of the moment, saw the future of his division in him.

Isshin also has a perverted and lecherous side. He commented on how Rangiku's boobs were shining from sweat and pointed out to Ichigo that his sisters, who were piggybacked by him, weren't wearing underwear. However, when he encountered a naked Masaki, he blushed and demanded her to not act casually while looking like that.

Soul Society arc
During Ichigo's final fight with Byakuya Kuchiki, the Hollow inside him completely awakens and takes over control of Ichigo's body. When that happened Isshin's Reiatsu could no longer suppress the creature and the Reishi string, which was binding Hollow's soul with his Human Shell, finally broke resulting in returning Isshin's Shinigami powers to him.

When Ichigo returns from Soul Society, Isshin attacks him in bed. Ichigo blocks the attack, earning praise from Isshin.

Hueco Mundo arc
When Ichigo leaves for Hueco Mundo with Uryū and Sado, Isshin visits Ryūken Ishida at the Karakura Hospital. When Ryūken, asking how he got in to the training area, calls him Kurosaki, Isshin, noting this is the first time he has called him that, asks why his attitude has changed. Noticing Isshin is wearing his Shinigami uniform, Ryūken asks if his powers have returned. Stating he thinks so, Isshin, wondering if Ryūken is not going to read Uryū's farewell letter, asks him if he let Uryū go. Ryūken states it is none of his business, and it is up to Uryū if he keeps his powers and whether or not he lives. When Isshin says Ryūken is a pretty bad father, Ryūken states he is doing better than him, which Isshin admits is correct. Isshin notices Ryūken still smokes despite being in a hospital, ignoring the "No Smoking" sign right next to him.

The Lost Substitute Shinigami arc
Isshin yells for Yuzu to choose which tie looks better with his suit for her opening ceremony. When she says either one, he reacts comically. Later, he leaves with Yuzu and Karin for school. One day, when he goes to Ichigo's room to wake him up by pouncing on him, Ichigo dodges his pounce, sending him all the way through the window. Bracing himself on the window, Isshin, yelling at his son for letting him go through the window, asks what he would do if he fell and died. When Ichigo states he would just go to Soul Society, Isshin notes Ichigo has finally come to terms with his father's previous occupation. Telling him he would not have died falling from two stories, Ichigo, trying to loosen Isshin's grip on the window, says he is having strange dreams recently because of him, demanding he apologize. When a surprised Isshin asks about his dreams, Ichigo says he has already forgotten about them.

As Ichigo is walking home one night, he spots Isshin meeting up with Urahara. When Isshin seems to notice Ichigo's presence, Urahara wonders what is wrong. When Isshin suggests they move away to have a private discussion elsewhere, Urahara agrees, and they both move away.

Later, at the Urahara Shop, Urahara, finishing with something, says it is the last one, asking if Isshin is sure. When Isshin, saying he is getting annoying, asks how many times Urahara needs to ask that, Urahara states it is a matter of whether or not a parent robs his son of his future, so it is common sense to confirm it several times. When Isshin says he knows and he is sure, Urahara says they will make their final move, and a mysterious figure steps forth. As Urahara states once the Shinigami inserts some of their Reiatsu into the large glowing container, they are done, Isshin, looking away, appears upset. Later, Isshin, who is carrying a glowing, sword-like object, walks through the moonlit streets with Urahara.

After Ichigo loses his Fullbring, he is stabbed through the chest. When he looks behind to see who did it, he, seeing Urahara and Isshin behind him, asks if his dad was in on this betrayal as well. Calling Ichigo an idiot, Isshin, saying he did not stab Ichigo, tells Ichigo to look closely so he will see the form of the sword's wielder, which turns out to be Rukia, who stabbed Ichigo to give him his powers back. Afterwards, Ichigo notices his father's power was used to help restore his own. When Orihime and Sado start to break down from Tsukishima's ability, Urahara and Isshin knock the pair out. Isshin catches Sado, and when Urahara catches Orihime, he complains about Urahara getting a better deal out of this than he did. They bring Orihime and Sado to Urahara's shop, and after Tsukishima is defeated, they become stable. They are left in the care of Tessai Tsukabishi and Isshin. Deciding to return to where the battle is taking place, Urahara, telling Isshin to remain behind, acknowledges Isshin's concern about Ichigo learning the truth, stating Ichigo is bound to learn it eventually.

The Thousand-Year Blood War arc
After Ichigo is kicked out of the Soul King Palace, he ends up back in front of his home. When Isshin comes out to greet him, Ichigo flees. Later, Isshin goes to Ikumi Unagiya's home in his Shinigami form to confront Ichigo, and both leave Ikumi's place. After joking around, Isshin, revealing he was told by Urahara about the events in Soul Society, deduces Ichigo was sent back home by the Royal Guard.

Recalling Ichigo once said he should tell him about his heritage when he is ready, he says now is the time. He reveals Ichigo is not a Shinigami, but neither a normal Human. Telling Ichigo his mother was a Quincy, Isshin begins to recall his time as a captain and when he first met Masaki. Afterwards, Isshin also decided to tell Ichigo the true reason behind Masaki's death.

Isshin recalls how he didn't go save Masaki on the day she died, not only because of his own powerless state, but how he believed that she could handle herself. He then explains the Quincy prophecy to Ichigo. He asks if Uryū Ishida ever talked about his family, and explains what happened to Uryū's mother when Ichigo says he doesn't know about it. He then reveals that all Quincy have Yhwach's blood flowing in them, which shocks Ichigo. After this, Ichigo thanks him. As Ichigo walks away, Isshin asks him how he intends to return to the Soul King Palace and witnesses Mera whisking Ichigo away.

Later, he states he will join Yuzu for lunch after he is finished with a patient.

Much later, Isshin and Ryūken Ishida use an item belonging to Sōken Ishida to create a portal allowing them to go to Wahrwelt. Isshin tells Ryūken that he is grateful for what Sōken did, and Ryūken replies that it is the only time he's been grateful for his father's habits, causing Isshin to say that it is no wonder people call him a bad son. Isshin later accompanies Ryūken as the latter gives his son Uryū an arrowhead made of silver.

Equipment

 * Prong-shaped, rod-like devices about the size of throwing knives attached by long cords to bracelets worn around the wrist, two to a bracelet for a total of four. They are thrown into the Kōryū in the Dangai to stop the flow of the Kōryū. Usually, dozens of Shinigami are required to pour their Reiatsu into the current to fixate it, but high level Shinigami can do this without assistance.

Powers & Abilities
Master Swordsman: Despite being rusty, Isshin still possesses masterful skill in swordsmanship, allowing him to effortlessly slice through Grand Fisher's body and his Zanpakutō with a single swing of his sealed sword. While fighting against Aizen, Isshin used kendō, which he performed very proficiently, breaking concrete into pieces with a single strike and force Aizen to keep his guard up.


 * A single sword attack which cuts an opponent in half from the jaw down the length of the body until the target is bisected.

Kidō Master: Isshin can create charmed objects to act as a defense against hostile forces, such as the Arrancar Grand Fisher. He can erect powerful barriers which can completely erase any traces of Reiatsu.

Expert Healer: Isshin is a skilled healer and doctor, as he noted that during his education in the Shin'ō Academy, medicine was the only lecture he paid attention to. Coupled with Urahara's assistance, Isshin was able to open a private clinic. Isshin can handle anything short of major surgeries.

Shunpo Expert: Isshin is very proficient in the use of Shunpo, keeping fast opponents on their toes with his continuous assaults. He evaded a powerful, point-blank '''Hadō 63. Raikōhō''' fired by Aizen.

Hakuda Expert: As evidenced by his repeated attacks on his son, Isshin is a very skilled fighter even when barehanded.


 * A flying double knee attack performed by Isshin against his son as part of their usual playful fighting.


 * A simple running handstand used to show his physical capability to his daughters while walking up a hill.


 * A headbutt attack with enough force to send an opponent flying backward a considerable distance.


 * A simple finger flick with enough physical force to send an opponent flying a considerable distance away and through multiple physical constructs.

Immense Spiritual Power: As a former captain and head of one of the Five Noble Houses, Isshin possesses a tremendous amount of spiritual energy, but he used to have a greater amount of it before losing his powers. Ichigo and Shinji are able to sense its strong presence from miles away. Kon was stunned by the level of Isshin's power when he watched Isshin kill Grand Fisher with one swing of his sealed Zanpakutō. Using his Reiatsu, he can fixate the Kōryū in the Dangai by himself for up to two thousand hours (roughly three months) before it runs out, something which lower-echelon Shinigami come in by the dozens to do under normal circumstances. Masaki Kurosaki described his Reiatsu as "incredibly powerful".

Enhanced Durability: Even without his Shinigami powers, Isshin can take severe physical punishment (e.g. fighting with Ichigo and being kicked by Karin).

Highly Perceptive Combatant: Despite his goofy personality, Isshin is a very perceptive fighter. He is quite knowledgeable of the abilities that Hollows possess, and knows how to handle them. During his battle against White, Isshin deduced that there was a traitor among the Gotei 13 who was manipulating the creature.

Enhanced Strength: Isshin possesses a great deal of strength, being able to bisect a newly strengthened Grand Fisher with a single slash of his Zanpakutō. He is also strong enough to fight evenly against Sōsuke Aizen, and even send the latter flying through several buildings with just a flick of his finger.

Enhanced Endurance: Isshin possesses incredible levels of endurance being able to continue fighting against White, despite incurring heavy injuries. He also was able to get back on his feet and pursue the Hōgyoku-empowered Aizen through the Dangai, despite having been defeated only a few moments earlier by the latter.

Spiritual Awareness: As a spiritual being, Isshin is spiritually aware. He sensed Grand Fisher from a significant distance.

Zanpakutō
It is carried on a string wrapped around his belt in an iaidō style, and worn with the edge down like a tachi instead of the edge up like a katana. The hilt's pommel has a blue tassel attached at the end.


 * Shikai: Engetsu's release command is . The sword does not change shape upon release, but its blade is sheathed in a flame-like spiritual energy, which engulfs the sword's tassels, creating long, trailing streams.


 * Energy Attack: When wounded, Isshin can take his blood and spit it onto his sword, releasing a large amount of energy from the sword that slams into his opponent. This attack had enough power to blow off White's arm. (Unnamed)


 * During his battle with Aizen in the Fake Karakura Town, Isshin used Getsuga Tenshō by gathering spiritual energy in his Zanpakutō's blade and slashing down his opponent. When used against Aizen, Isshin's blast demolished a large radius of the Fake Karakura Town, left behind a huge crater, and was powerful enough to create a large gash in Aizen's head, prompting Aizen to call it a "splendid strike" and an attack he "fully understood".


 * Bankai: Not revealed. Aizen states it puts a considerable strain on his body, rendering it unusable if he is heavily injured, and Isshin himself has noted heavy injuries prevent him from fixing his Reiatsu properly, which is why he cannot activate it in such a state.

Appearances in Other Media

 * Isshin is playable in Bleach: Brave Souls in multiple different forms.
 * In his first playable form, Isshin is a melee character with the "Heart" attribute and the "Hollow Killer" ability. His unlockable skills are "Adrenaline +10%", "Bombardment", "Bruiser" +20%", "Frenzy", "Long Reach +20%", and "Sprinter +1", while his Soul Trait is "Damage Taken -16%". When Resurrected, Isshin earns an additional Soul Trait: "Paralysis Duration -55%". His special is, where he unleashes a giant, slashing attack comprised of high-density Reiatsu that inflicts immense damage to any enemy it hits.


 * Isshin's second playable form is a melee character with the "Speed" attribute and the "Hollow Killer" ability. His unlockable skills are "Berserker +30%", "Bruiser +50%", "Devastation +40%", "Long Reach +20%", and "Sprinter +1", while his Soul Trait is "Normal Attack Damage +25%". His special is, where he unleashes a savage blast of energy that inflicts immense damage to any enemy it hits.


 * Isshin's third playable form draws from his appearance during the climax of the war in the fake Karakura Town and is a melee character with the "Heart" attribute, as well as the "Arrancar Killer" ability. All of his attacks have a chance of inflicting Burn, and his unlockable skills are "Bruiser +20%", "Debilitator +2 secs.", "Devastation +40%", "Frenzy", "Long Reach +20%", and "Sprinter +1", while his Soul Trait is "Last-Ditch Survival Rate +100%". His special is, where he unleashes a gigantic blast of Reiatsu that inflicts immense damage and Burn.


 * Most notably, Isshin is playable in his past captain attire as promotion for the Thousand-Year Blood War arc tie-in, where he wields his Shikai, Engetsu, which makes its first appearance outside of the manga in the game. In this form, Isshin is a melee strong attack character with the "Speed" attribute and the "Hollow Killer" ability. He comes with both the "Read Hollow Dodges" and "Poison Immunity" Innate Abilities active as a 5 star pull, and all of his attacks have a chance to inflict Burn. His unlockable skills are "Team/Party Speed Attribute Captain Strong Attack Damage +20%", "Berserker +20%", "Bruiser +20%", "Debilitator +2 secs.", "Devastation +40%", "Frenzy", "Havoc +20%", and "Sprinter +1", while his Soul Trait is "Strong Attack Recharge Time -12%". Isshin's special is, where he unleashes a gigantic aerial attack that inflicts immense damage and Burn.


 * Isshin appears in Bleach: Soul Carnival 2 as a support character.
 * Isshin features in the fifth volume of Bleach "B" Station's second season.
 * In the live action film adaptation he is portrayed by Yosuke Eguchi.

Censorship

 * Isshin's dialogue was censored in the official English translation of the manga by Viz. In the original Japanese manga, in a scene where Ichigo is carrying Yuzu while she sleeps, Isshin informs Ichigo with a conspiratory smile that Yuzu is not wearing any panties under her yukata. This causes Ichigo to be furious at Isshin. In the Viz translation, Isshin says this instead: "Enjoy making your brother work like a mule!", with no reference to Yuzu's underwear.
 * Isshin cutting down Grand Fisher was toned down in the anime. In the manga, he sliced Grand Fisher vertically in half, before the latter dissipated. In the anime however, Isshin slices Grand Fisher horizontally across the chest, nearly bifurcating him, before the latter collapsed and dissipated.

Trivia

 * His theme song, as chosen by Tite Kubo, is "Don't Drag Me Down" by Social Distortion.
 * Isshin was voted the 12th most popular character in the first character popularity poll, 16th in the second, 30th in the third, 50th in the fourth, 31st in the fifth (as Isshin Shiba), and 25th in the tenth.
 * Engetsu ranked 27th in the second Zanpakutō poll.
 * In the second best bout poll, Isshin's fight alongside Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin against Sōsuke Aizen ranked 38th, his fight against White ranked 68th, and his fight against Grand Fisher ranked 83rd.
 * Before the series started, Tite Kubo was going to portray Isshin as a mortician, resulting in a character he feels looks better in black.

Quotes

 * (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "Silence! No matter what reason, to he who disrupts this household’s iron harmony, only a punishment of blood can be rendered!"


 * (To Ichigo about Masaki Kurosaki) "Around the time we started dating, she said that my hand is cool when I'm smoking a cigarette. Now that I think about it, that was the only time your mom complimented me on my looks. So every year I smoke on this day only. In front of her."


 * (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "If I were to blame Masaki's death on you, Masaki would get mad at me. It's not anyone's fault that Masaki died. It's just that, the woman I fell in love with was a woman who could die protecting her son. And don't forget, you are the guy the woman that I loved gave her life to protect."


 * (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "Live well, age well, and go bald well. And die after me. And... if you can, die smiling. If I can't, I won't be able to face Masaki. Don't hesitate to act. Sadness is a cool thing to shoulder, but you're still too young."


 * (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "I'll take care of everything at the house! While I'm still around, I won't allow anyone to hurt my family. Ah! What I just said was so cool! That sentence is pretty useful."


 * (To Grand Fisher) "I'm sorry, Mr. Hollow, but Ichigo's not in right now. As a replacement or something, how about playing with me instead?"


 * (To Grand Fisher) "Even if you have no interest in me, I'm still here to kill you, so if you don't treat me as your opponent it would be a problem."


 * (To Grand Fisher) "Let me teach you the basics. All captain class Shinigami control the size of their Zanpakutō, otherwise everyone would be swinging around swords the size of skyscrapers like yours. Remember that you can never judge the strength of an opponent by the size of their sword. You should have at least known that much before you challenged me, kid."


 * (To Kisuke Urahara regarding saving Masaki Kurosaki) "You don't need to make it all so complicated! I've just gotta give up being a Shinigami and protect her for the rest of her life, right?! Of course I'll do it! If I let the girl who saved my life die because of some stupid regrets, I'd have to laugh in my own face!"

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