Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-7136323-20130414003028

Ok, I have a few basic questions about the Shinigami, or Soul Reapers. If anyone could please answer these, I will let you know that I am truly grateful! I have been speeding through the anime and manga of Bleach, and have only The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc to go! Even though I have truly come to understand Bleach, there are many of my questions which need to be answered!! If all who answer these questions could state the question number they are answering before putting the answer, it would relly help keep these answers organized!!! Thank You! Basic Questions:

• Question #1- Are the Shinigami dead? ..... I know this question sounds weird, but if I may, in my opinion, the shinigami are not living beings. I believe that the shinigami are spiritual beings. After humans die they go to rukongai, where they have the choice to become Shinigami, which pretty much makes them dead (?). Also, an example of this is when Jushiro-taichou states that most humans loose their memories ofter they die. This particualr quote refers to Senna when Ichigo remarks that Senna, the memory rosary, still has her memories after dying.

• Question #2- I know Shinigami can die, but it just doesn't make sense!?!?!?! ..... The Shinigami are humans who have passed away. (Pertaining to Question #1) How can they die if they are already dead?

• Question #3- Shinigami age? ...... I know the age much, much slower than the humans. (you can look at my post on Visoreds don't age?, on the General Discussion Board!) But, if anybody was aware of information about the soul reapers, then could you possibly answer the following? How old would a young Shinigami, like Toshiro Hitsugaya, be? How old would a middle-aged Shinigami, like Hisagi Shuuhei be? How old would a slightly older Shinigami (slightly older meaning 29-40), like Byakuya Kuchiki be? How old would a shinigami like Shunsui Kyoraku, Unohana Restu, or Ukitake Jushiro, be? How old would a super-old guy like Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto or Yhwach be? (I'm guessing about 1,000 yrs. or so???)

• Question #4- Ichigo's zanpakutō .... Ok,ok, I have heard, millions of times in Bleach that Shinigami are born with their zanpakutō, and they die with them. If Ichigo was not born a soul reaper, then how did he get a zanpakutō???

• Question #4- (referring to the beginning few arcs of Bleach) Byakuya Kuchiki vs. Ichigo Kurosaki's zanpakutō .... This has been getting on my nerves for a while, but Ichigo's zanpakutō was said to have been incredibly large because he had lots of "Reiatsu" (霊圧, Spiritual Pressure). But, Byakuya Kuchiki was known to have an enormous amount of reiatsu because he was decended from a noble family. Byakuya doesn't seem to even flinch when Ichigo releases his reiatsu. So, just saying, Byakuya has lots of spiritual pressure, but, why doesn't he have an enormous zanpakuto, like Ichigo does (not though I want him to...)?

• Question #5- Can someone please give a list of the deceased Shinigami, or other human/hollows/ beings? (only the important ones)

• Question #6- Could someone also reply on this discussion board?:

http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:71748

• Question #7 (*new*) This question is unanswered... Ok, is Ichigo considered a soul reaper? On this page: http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Ichigo_Kurosaki, Ichigo's race is written only as "Quincy" and "Human." Is this just an error, though I doubt it, or am I missing out on something? Masaki is a quincy, so his page says "part quincy", because Isshin is a soul reaper, shouldn't he be considered "part shinigami?" Thank You! (trust me, i'll be adding more questions soon!)  