Tōshirō Hitsugaya

"Frozen passion." - Tite Kubo

is the Captain of the 10th Division in the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Rangiku Matsumoto.

Appearance
Captain Hitsugaya is short, has turquoise eyes and short, spiked, white hair, which tends to draw attention in the Human World. He wears a standard sleeveless captain's haori with a green sash around his shoulders, held together by a round star-like clip. The sash holds his Zanpakutō's sheath in place on his back and is tied to it at either end. He sometimes walks around in his tabi. He is relatively young by Shinigami standards and has the appearance of a child. In the Human world, he wears a black, short-sleeved, golf shirt and gray pants. He also wore the uniform of Karakura High School.

A year and a half after Aizen's defeat, shortly after Ichigo regains his Shinigami powers, Hitsugaya appears sporting a hairstyle similar to that before he became a Shinigami, and a long turquoise scarf. His green sash is also changed to a thin chain, but it still retains the star-like clip.

Personality
Hitsugaya is generally mature and serious, in contrast to his free-spirited lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto. Despite their personality differences, he and Rangiku seem very close. Tōshirō is shown to be easily annoyed by others goofing off or drawing unneeded attention to themselves, as shown when he leads a team of Shinigami into Ichigo Kurosaki's school.

Hitsugaya hates anything that he deems childish as well as being described as something close to a child, such as an elementary school child, a further contrast to his appearance. This is shown more in the omake chapters of Bleach, such as the short comics in VJump and the sand castle contest chapter released along with Chapter 238. He is also mistaken for a kid in several of the omake chapters, much to his annoyance. During the ending credits of the Sealed Sword Frenzy, he is in the human world and dressed in a young boy's school uniform, and Hinamori has to pull him out of hiding. He is overly protective of Momo Hinamori, due to the fact that they were old childhood friends. Hitsugaya dislikes summer and warm weather in general.

It is also known that Tōshirō's favorite foods are watermelon and amanattō. He does not like dried persimmons, a difference between him and his lieutenant. Back in his childhood in West Rukongai, he was so skilled with spinning tops that he became the local undefeated champion. He works very hard, but his motive seems to be that if he finishes quickly, he can return to his afternoon nap. He believes in the saying "children who sleep well, grow well," and hopes to grow quickly, a wish shared by his subordinates. Naturally, they do not voice this fact in front of him, for even regularly practicing this adage for so long, he didn't really grow in height.

Hitsugaya is usually joked about by many of the other Shinigami in Soul Society as well as by his enemies. Despite these jokes, or perhaps because of them, Hitsugaya has developed a cold attitude toward most people; he tolerates these jokes and goes on with his duties. Although he has shown anger towards jokes, he doesn't take action against whomever insulted him unless they are his enemies, but has never overreacted because of them. The only thing he can't tolerate is not being addressed as "Captain Hitsugaya," or an inappropriate use of his name, as he worked very hard for the title so he gets angry when not addressed as such. Coincidentally, though, he does not address any other officer with their title, only their last names. The only people that actually call him by his given name are Ichigo, who is constantly reminded to address him properly, and Hinamori, who is the only person allowed to get away with it. Hinamori tends to call him "Hitsugaya-kun" and both she and Ukitake occasionally use "Shirō-chan" (シロちゃん) — a nickname meaning "Whitey" (Snowy in the English manga) in reference to his hair — in both cases without any repercussion. In addition, Karin and her friends call him by his first name and they are never given any rebukes for it. In the Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book sketches (omakes found at the end of episodes of Bleach), Jūshirō Ukitake comically gives Hitsugaya candy and other food because "Jūshirō" and "Tōshirō" sound similar and because they both have white hair, making them both "Shirō-chan."

During his duel with Gin Ichimaru, Ichimaru remarks that Hitsugaya is the embodiment of a heavenly guardian that would be reincarnated every few centuries.

History
Hitsugaya comes from the province of Junrinan in the 1st District of West Rukongai. There, he lived with his grandmother and Momo Hinamori. As a young child, Hitsugaya was a bit of a brat who likes to eat watermelons and poke fun at Hinamori. She calls him "Shiro-chan" (Little Shiro in the English dub) and he retorts by calling her "Bed-wetter Momo." The two are close friends and Hitsugaya, despite being younger and much shorter than his friend, always feels that he needs to protect her.

Even at a young untrained age, Hitsugaya could hear the calling of his Zanpakutō spirit, Hyōrinmaru. Despite this he never told anyone and couldn't accurately determine what was happening other than to assume it was an ever recurring dream.

When Hinamori left to become a Shinigami, he portrayed himself as happy to see her go, though it was more of an act than his true feelings. Her next door friends were scared of him, even though he had never done anything to them. His grandmother, "Granny", and Hinamori were the only ones in the district that weren't afraid of him. His personality was supposedly "cold as ice" or at least thought to be, and he often wondered if it was due to his appearance or attitude. When Momo had been in the Shinigami Academy for 5 years, he began to notice how he hadn't grown an inch. He noticed that Hinamori's hair grew longer and she visited less often, seemingly having a goal in her life now. He also noticed that "Granny" was getting skinnier.

While out at the market one day a shopkeeper, whom he was buying items from, was treating him disdainfully. He then meets Rangiku Matsumoto, who yells at the shop keeper for being rude to Hitsugaya and reproached him for his poor customer skills. When Hitsugaya turns around, he is knocked down by bumping into Rangiku's bosom. She then yells at him for "lying there and crying about it and not standing up like a man", although it was she who had knocked him down in the first place. He then shakes her off and runs away.

Later that night, he has a vivid dream of a gigantic, icy blue, serpentine dragon with large wings and an echoing voice. This dream is markedly different from the previous ones, where he had only experienced sensations but nothing substantial to what the meaning might be. This time, however, the reason behind the dreams not only materializes, but tries to tell him its name. Hitsugaya cannot hear him, however, as his voice is muffled by strong winds. He then wakes up in a cold sweat. Upon waking up, he sees Rangiku and is surprised to see her in his home. She immediately tells him to stop leaking his reiatsu everywhere and to get some sleep. She further explains that his grandmother looks pretty cold, which causes Hitsugaya to notice for the first time that the room is exceedingly cold and affecting his grandmother. Rangiku then tells him he should become a Shinigami, stating that kids with power as strong as his need to learn how to bring their power under control. She explains that if he stays the way he is, his power will end up killing his grandmother. At first, Hitsugaya isn't sure what she is talking about but she calmly places her hand on his chest and asks him if he hears a voice calling out to him. She explains to him that once he has found that voice, he'll understand how to control his power. She then notes that for that to happen he must become a Shinigami.

Soon after, he tells his grandmother of his intentions of becoming a Shinigami. Much to Hitsugaya's surprise, she is happy for him. She tells him that she had always felt that he holds everything in because he didn't want to leave her, but doing so was only hurting him and in turn seeing him that way, hurt her. Hitsugaya then leaves to follow his own path with his grandmother's blessing.

With Hitsugaya's natural talent, he quickly entered the Shinigami Academy and graduated early despite his age. Hinamori continued to call him "Shirō-chan" out of habit and felt she needed to protect him. Because of a promise she had made, she only began to call him "Hitsugaya-kun" after he had achieved his Zanpakutō's Shikai and was recognized as a Shinigami. Highly capable and knowledgeable, he quickly became the youngest of the captains within the Gotei 13 in the entire history of Soul Society.

He is also a friend of Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, the West Gate Keeper, who taught him the "city rules."

Soul Society arc
Hitsugaya first appears during the captain's emergency meeting called by captain-commander Yamamoto. However, he states that as usual old men are engaging in their pointless arguments in response to the constant bickering between his fellow captains.

Hitsugaya's sharp sense of intuition and keen sense of observation leads him to suspect 3rd Division captain, Gin Ichimaru, of foul play as the circumstances surrounding the coming execution of Rukia Kuchiki become more complicated. He warns Hinamori of these suspicions, which inspires her to attack Gin following Sōsuke Aizen's apparent murder, leading him to lock both her and Izuru Kira in prison. After they are taken away, Hitsugaya asks Gin whether he was planning on killing Hinamori. Gin calmly denies it, but Hitsugaya threatens to kill Gin if even one drop of Hinamori's blood should be shed on his account.

After Gin releases Kira from his cell, Hitsugaya becomes suspicious and confronts both the lieutenant and captain together. He is interrupted by Hinamori, who now thinks that Hitsugaya murdered Aizen and subsequently tries to kill him. She grips her sword so tightly that her hands bleed. Hitsugaya acts upon his earlier threat and attacks Gin, releasing his Zanpakutō and warning Kira to get out of the way (he suggests at least a twelve-kilometer gap). During their fight, Hitsugaya successfully freezes Gin's left arm, causing him to open his eyes and drop his smile for the first time. Upon being trapped by Hitsugaya, he attempts to kill Hinamori as a distraction, but his attack is blocked by Rangiku Matsumoto, who threatens to fight him if he doesn't stop; Gin relents and disappears without saying a word.

Seeing how destructive Rukia's execution is becoming and now firmly believing that Gin is the one behind it, Hitsugaya begins to wonder about what recent actions are fabricated and what are true. Eventually he and Matsumoto are interrupted by a Jigokuchō, which relays a message detailing how Rukia's execution has once again been moved up to the next day. Hitsugaya resolves to stop the execution and disrupt Ichimaru's plan by appealing directly to the Central 46.

Upon arriving at the Central Underground Assembly Hall Hitsugaya and Matsumoto discover all 46 members are dead. Hitsugaya surmises they had been dead for at least 2 days, but he is concerned about the exact time, as Soul Society had been under martial law and their Headquarters had been locked down since Renji's defeat. Further, the 13 seals of protection was still active and there was no signs of intrusion. Hitsugaya then realizes that the only possible scenario is that they were killed before they were sealed in and that all the recent orders that had been given were fake. He then realizes that such a plot would be far to elaborate for Gin to carry out by himself. He then is interrupted by Kira and he and Matsumoto give chase. When he asks Kira if he was behind the Central 46's death, Kira tells him no and that he arrived just after he did. He also informs Hitsugaya that instead of chasing him, he should be protecting Hinamori. He then goes on to explain that she escaped the 10th Division Barracks, explaining that Hinamori excels at Kidō and that breaking his barrier from the inside would be easy for her. Realizing that Hinamori has been following him and Matsumoto the entire time, he turns back and orders Matsumoto to handle Kira.

Hitsugaya returns back to the Central 46 Chambers in time to see Aizen alive and well. Extremely confused at this point, he is surprised to find Gin and Aizen together and referring to the forces of Soul Society as the enemy. Hitsugaya discovers Hinamori injured and asks Aizen when he and Gin became comrades, to which Aizen explains that they have always been comrades. Ever since he had been a captain, the only one he ever thought of as his subordinate was Gin. Hitsugaya then states that he has been deceiving everyone from the start. Aizen then explains his reasoning behind the deception, detailing that he was being compassionate and states that he would teach Hitsugaya that admiration is the furthest thing from understanding. Hitsugaya resolves to kill Aizen for his treachery and releases his Bankai. He then stabs Aizen only to realize it was an illusion from Aizen's Shikai allowing him to land a critical blow to Hitsugaya.

After the ordeal 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana shows up and confronts Aizen who gets away. Unohana takes it upon herself to personally initiate emergency surgery on Hitsugaya and Hinamori. They are found to be in stable condition with lieutenant Kotetsu handling their post-procedural treatments after Aizen's escape from Soul Society.

Hitsugaya is later seen fully recovered and watching over a still injured and unconscious Hinamori.

Bount arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

Arrancar arc
Hitsugaya later leads a group of Shinigami assigned to defend Karakura Town against the Arrancar threat, by dressing up as students at Ichigo's school. It is at this time the Hitsugaya explains to Ichigo the danger that the Arrancar represent to Soul Society. When the group of Arrancar led by Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez attack, Hitsugaya is placed in battle against Shawlong Kūfang. Shawlong easily fends him off, even using Daiguren Hyōrinmaru. The two continue to battle with Hitsugaya's attacks still proving to have little affect on the Arrancar. After some more time Shawlong begins to surmise about Hitsugaya's Bankai. He concludes it wouldn't be right to finish off a Captain when he is weak and that to finish of Hitsugaya while he is in Bankai is far better. He then proceeds to release his true hollow form. He then seriously wounds Hitsugaya.

Shawlong then uses his sharp claws to cut through one of Hitsugaya's Ice wings. He explains the truth of Arrancar's and the Espada to Hitsugaya. Soul Society finally approves the release of their power limit allowing Hitsugaya to fight at full strength. Shawlong questions what the limit release is. To which it is explained that it is a precaution put on Captains and lieutenants when they enter into the real world. Now they can fight at their full power. Hitsugaya then proceeds to use his Ryūsenka technique. Shawlong calls for a retreat of his group, only to be caught by Hitsugaya and frozen to his core. Though heavily injured, he wins after being allowed to remove his power limit with one blow. However, right after Kūfang's defeat Hitsugaya collapses due to his critical injuries combined with exhaustion.

Hitsugaya is seen sometime later speaking through a video monitor with Yamamoto who is debriefing Hitsugaya on Aizen’s plan concerning the King's Key, and the Head-Captain allows Momo to talk. Hitsugaya is somewhat surprised to see her up and asks her if she should be walking around. Momo tries to persuade him that she is better, though still doesn't look it. Momo apologizes for not believing Hitsugaya and attacking him. Hitsugaya tells her not to worry about as it didn't bother him. He also tells her to get back to bed so she can get rid of those bags under her eyes. Momo thanks Hitsugaya for accepting her apology until he tells her even if she isn't one she looks like a little kid, and if she doesn't sleep more she will not ever grow. Momo yells at him, telling him he isn't one who should talk about growing.

Hitsugaya then reminds her that she is to call him 'Captain Hitsugaya'. As Momo realizes the situation, she asks Hitsugaya if he is going to fight Captain Aizen. To which Hitsugaya says yes, she then asks if he is going to kill Captain Aizen, and then begs him to save Aizen. She explains that what Captain Aizen is doing is bad, but she bets he has a good reason. Expressing her belief that Gin or someone else is forcing him to engage in his actions. She is quickly knocked out by Yamamoto, to whom he hands over her care to his lieutenant, Chōjirō Sasakibe. Yamamoto apologizes to Hitsugaya, saying he was just respecting her wishes allowing her to speak but it was perhaps too soon. Hitsugaya is left angered at the state Aizen has left Hinamori in.

Sometime after being debriefed, Karakura Town is attacked for a second time by the Arrancar. Hitsugaya first pits himself against the 10th Espada Yammy Llargo. Tōshirō's Shikai freezes the Espada, but only for a moment. Yammy comments that the cold attack felt "refreshing." At this point, Tōshirō realizes even his Shikai at 100 percent is not enough for the Espada. Their fight is cut short by the new 6th Espada, Luppi Antenor who insists on fighting all present at once. He then proceeds to release his true hollow form. But realizing the increase in power the Espada will have, Hitsugaya tries to attack before he is able releasing his Bankai. Though initially unable to defend against Luppi's attacks, being knocked to the ground in a single hit, Hitsugaya comes back with his Bankai renewed and explains its ability. Luppi's inattentiveness gives him ample time to build up a finishing move, using his Sennen Hyōrō technique - just in time to save his subordinates. Luppi escapes death due to Negación, having only been incapacitated by the ice, and promises to kill Hitsugaya in turn.

Upon learning that Orihime has followed the Arrancar back to Hueco Mundo, Hitsugaya and his team return to Soul Society to help in the preparation for the war against Aizen.

The New Captain Shūsuke Amagai arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

Fake Karakura Town arc
When Aizen along with his top three Espada attack the fake Karakura Town, Hitsugaya along with his lieutenant and the rest of the of the Gotei 13 Captains currently not in Hueco Mundo are seen awaiting for Aizen's arrival. After the defeat of four of Baraggan Louisenbairn's Fracción, everything turns into an all out war between the remaining Shinigami and the remaining Arrancar. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto ends up facing Tier Harribel and her Fracción. While being surrounded Matsumoto offers her captain to take on all three Fracción, so that Hitsugaya can fight Harribel alone and undisturbed. After Hinamori arrived, Hitsugaya has flashback of when she asked him to help Aizen while Harribel asked why his Reiatsu became disordered. He answered her that he doesn’t know even though he was wondering why Hinamori was here.

Hitsugaya's match against Harribel seemed to have taken a new turn when the latter sensed her Fraccions' defeat. Harribel forces Hitsugaya back with sheer power from her blade swing and unzips her jacket, revealing her rank as the #3 Espada which is tattooed on her right breast. Hitsugaya is shocked to find out that Harribel is only #3 despite her strength. When Harribel taunts Hitsugaya that she has yet to fully demonstrate her strength, Hitsugaya quickly uses Bankai in an attempt to match her very sudden and large increase in power. Harribel rushes him and begins her attack as they come together and lock blades.

During this encounter Harribel knocks Tōshirō to the ground as she mocks him, questioning "whether this is the full strength of a captain". She then promises to end the battle and proceeds to release her Zanpakutō. After releasing, Tōshirō comments to himself that her appearance change hasn't changed as much as he predicted, but underestimating her would be a fatal mistake. However, Harribel proves to be in a different league then the young captain slicing the right side of his body from his shoulder before he even realizes it. Believing that Hitsugaya has been defeated, Harribel turns her attention to General Yamamoto, though before she can take any action toward him, she is attacked by an unseen assailant. Harribel dodges out of the way only to see that it is an unharmed Hitsugaya, she just as quickly countered his attacks. Noticeably confused as she had seen him cut down, she turns and sees that she has only struck down a ice clone. Hitsugaya claims that it was a one time technique that he was waiting to use for later in the battle but Harribel's considerable increase in power and speed as of her release was unexpected. He then comments to her not to underestimate a captain's strength.

As their fight ensues, he tells her that he can use any water around him, telling Harribel that she will never reach him. Hitsugaya then attacks Harribel. She reciprocates the situation by melting his ice and stating the iron law of battle. She finally attacks him with his melted ice. Their exchange of attacks continues and Hitsugaya tells her another law of battle. To which Harribel releases a Cero blast at him, which Hitsugaya comments on it being weak. He concludes that the reason her Cero was so weak, as both of them are waiting for the battlefield to become filled with condensation, from this he states that when that happens Harribel will use the opportunity to finish him off with one blow. Hitsugaya grows tired of waiting and states that he has never tried a particular ability in Bankai mode before, to which Harribel asks what he is talking about. Hitsugaya then explains that he doesn't have to wait for water, as Hyōrinmaru is the most powerful ice-based Zanpakutō, and all water is his weapon and all heaven is under his command.

He then reveals his never before seen power: Hyōten Hyakkasō. Hitsugaya then asks her name, to which she replies; Tier Harribel. Hitsugaya then states his name and rank before attacking again. As the sky darkens, snow begins to fall from the sky. Harribel attempts to melt the snow with her Hirviendo ability, but the moment her sword touches the snow, ice flowers begin to bloom on her body. Hitsugaya then calmly states that once all one hundred flowers have bloomed, she will die. He then states that she won't be able to avenge her underlings after all.

Seeing the huge creature emerge from the Garganta with Wonderweiss, Hitsugaya looks on at the events taking place. Wonderweiss lets out a huge wail that cracks the ice pillar Harribel is trapped in. Hitsugaya looks surprised as the ice pillar begins to fall apart from around her, and once free, she gazes at him. Hitsugaya is alerted to Aizen's presence when the giant Hollow creature blows out the fire prison that he, Gin and Tōsen were trapped in. When the Visored arrive, Hitsugaya is bewildered as to who they are. Hitsugaya is later seen shocked at the large amount of Gillian-class Menos pouring forth from the giant Hollow creature's mouth. After the Visored reveal their mask and easily defeat the numerous Gillians, Hitsugaya comments on how powerful they are. While he was contemplating Komamura's declaration that he intends to fight along side the Visored, Harribel attempts to attack him while his back is turned. Sensing this, Hitsugaya's hand goes to his Zanpakutō. However, the Visored Lisa Yadōmaru and Hiyori Sarugaki intervene and deflect the blow before Hitsugaya has a chance to unsheathe his sword.

Following this, he comments on how there doesn't seem to be time to worry about whether the Visored are friends or foes, essentially agreeing to fight alongside them. Hitsugaya asks Hiyori if he can ask her a question, to which she retorts he needs to keep it short and that she won't tell him any more about them. Hitsugaya says it's fine and that he wishes only to ask them for a favor. He asks if Hiyori and Lisa can take on the Espada as he wants to go and fight Aizen. Hiyori yells as him, asking him if he is crazy as the Visored have come here to kill Aizen as well and that Hitsugaya was already having trouble when they arrived, so what makes him think he can take Aizen. Hitsugaya realizes that he was acting irrationally and that he panicked. Hiyori yells at him some more until he apologizes, and she then berates him further and questions his status as a Captain. When she calls him "shorty," Hitsugaya grabs Hiyori and screams at her, telling her she is shorter than him. They continue to fight until they are distracted by Lisa rushing off to fight Tier Harribel. He, Hiyori, and Lisa attack Harribel with their Shikai which create a huge explosion. However, the battle is cut short by the intervention of Aizen who cuts down the Tres Espada. Hitsugaya watches in shock as his opponent is killed by Aizen who, afterwards, challenges the Gotei 13 and the Visored to battle.

Hitsugaya is next seen with the several unoccupied Captains and Visored planning to protect Ichigo Kurosaki from Aizen and his Shikai. Tōshirō is the first to attack Aizen, claiming that if nobody attacked, then the battle would not start. He dismisses Aizen's taunt about him being reckless, saying that causing opponents to miss their opportunities to attack is one of Aizen's specialities. Hitsugaya compliments Aizen for not using his Shikai to evade the initial attack. As Captain Kyōraku attacks Aizen's flank, Sōsuke compliments Tōshirō for being wise enough not to attack him alone. Hitsugaya asks him about what he previously stated about swords devoid of hatred being like eagles without wings, and tells him that placing responsibility alone in their blades is what it means to be a captain. Captains do not swing their swords out of hatred, and tells Aizen that he does not have what it takes to be a captain. Aizen retorts that it is amusing to hear such words from him, as due to what happened to Hinamori, he bears more hatred than any of the captains. As Shunsui attacks Aizen again, Hitsugaya activates his Bankai and admits that his blade is filled with anger. He tells Aizen that he came to Karakura Town to kill him. . After his admittance of his hate-filled blade, Hitsugaya declares his motive: "I don't care if I lose my position as a captain, as long as I can kill you". He warns Aizen to prepare himself and proceeds to attack him, but to no avail. After his failed attempt, Komamura and Love step in and attack Aizen simultaneously. Komamura apologizes to Hitsugaya for their intervention, but Hitsugaya tells him he had no intention of fighting Aizen one-on-one.

As Suì-Fēng goes to attack Aizen, Hitsugaya encases Sōsuke's arm and Zanpakutō in ice, much to his surprise. After Aizen is attacked by Suì-Fēng and Shunsui. Hitsugaya tells Aizen it is over and rushes at him. Aizen notes to himself that Hitsugaya is so young, as he sees his chance and takes it without planning ahead. That is his biggest failing. Just then he notices off to the side that Shinji is standing to the side holding up his Sakanade's Shikai and smiling. Aizen then realizes too late that he is already affected by Shinji's perception reversal Shikai, making Hitsugaya not actually attack from the front but the back, allowing the young captain to stab Aizen through the chest from behind.

When Ichigo shouts at the Shinigami, questioning what they are doing, Tōshirō realizes that it was not Aizen that he has just stabbed. Shocked at the sight of Hinamori impaled on his blade, he cradles her for a moment. After he hears her ask "Shiro-chan...Why?" he lets out a yell of rage before he lunges at Aizen. As Shunsui tells him to wait, Aizen takes complete advantage of Hitsugaya's blinding rage, cutting through Hitsugaya's Bankai and injuring him and the surrounding captains. Hitsugaya loses his left arm and most of his left leg from the attack and begins falling down into the town below. As this is happening Aizen tells him and the other defeated Shinigami that he won't kill them and that they will watch the outcome of this battle.

10 days later after Aizen is captured and Hitsugaya is fully healed, he begins regularly training in a secluded cave, ashamed at his inability to protect Hinamori despite her surviving. Hitsugaya resolves to get stronger and attain much finer control over Hyorinmaru.

Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

Beast Swords arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

Gotei 13 Invading Army arc (anime only)
Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material.

The Lost Substitute Shinigami arc
When Ichigo regains his powers after being stabbed by Rukia with the blade specially designed by Urahara, Kūgo Ginjō mocks the situation and states that as he had stolen all of Ichigo's powers, there was no way that Rukia could accomplish this alone. However, Renji calls out to him then and reveals the presence of himself and other Shinigami, including Hitsugaya, who are observing the situation from the side. Renji explains that everyone of them had given some of their reiatsu to the sword before Rukia had stabbed Ichigo, thus allowing him to regain more of his powers.

After Ichigo learns of how Yamamoto ordered that the Gotei 13 captains and lieutenants to help restore his powers, Hitsugaya says that Yamamoto would not have done that in the past, but Ichigo changed that. He says the power Ichigo received are the result of the way he changed Soul Society by fighting and that he should accept these new powers proudly. Hitsugaya then explains there were to two reasons why Yamamoto decided to give Ichigo's powers back; the first was to help Ichigo who had saved the Gotei 13, and the second reason was to stop Kūgo Ginjō. He says that long before Ichigo appeared, Kūgo Ginjō was the first Substitute Shinigami, revealing that he gave up the position and disappeared. When Ichigo asks how Kūgo could be the first Substitute Shinigami, Hitsugaya reminds Ichigo of when Ukitake gave him his badge. He says the Substitute Shinigami law was created solely because of Kūgo. Captain Kuchiki interrupts him and Hitsugaya says that he'll leave the details for later and they need to focus on Kūgo.

After Ikkaku apparently stabs Yukio in the back, Hitsugaya parries Yukio's counterattack on Ikkaku. He tells Ikkaku to keep his guard up. Yukio says that Hitsugaya is good and if he wants bonus points for that to which he says no thanks. As Yukio separates everyone into chat rooms, Hitsugaya is paired with Yukio himself. Hitsugaya quickly finds himself trapped in Yukio's video game realm and is attacked by several digital missiles. While he handles them with ease, he voices how annoyed he is to fight someone so "tiresome".

He ultimately reaches Yukio, who congratulates him for arriving unscathed. Yukio explains his Fullbring's power to Hitsugaya, bragging how it makes him god of this space. He then creates giant monsters, setting them to relentlessly pursue and attack Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya begins dodging them with relative ease, only for Yukio to mock him saying that as a captain he must have had a loving, elite family. Hitsugaya surmises from Yukio’s attitude that he was probably abandoned as child and questions him about it. As Yukio furiously explains how he left his parents and caused his father to kill himself, Hitsugaya sneaks up on Yukio and freezes his legs and controllers. Hitsugaya reminds him that he had set the monsters to attack him relentlessly, as they surround Hitsugaya, who is standing next to Yukio, he tells him that it'd be best if he deactivated them.

Hitsugaya destroys the monsters before they touch Yukio. While Yukio was surprised that Hitsugaya saved him, Hitsugaya tells him that he didn't show him mercy; he simply saved him because there was no guarantee the dimension would disappear if Yukio died. He proceeds to freeze Yukio's body save for his right arm and head, telling him that in exchange for disabling his Fullbring within 5 minutes, he will spare his life. Subsequently, Yukio shuts down the chatrooms, and Hitsugaya meets with other Shinigami, taking a trapped Yukio with him. Upon seeing Byakuya with an unconscious Rukia, Yukio tells him that he doesn't know what happened to her opponent, and that he only knows her basic powers. Hitsugaya then demands of him to turn off the last pocket dimension, but Yukio answers him by saying he is unable to do it. Along with the other captains, he looks on as Ichigo breaks apart the last remaining pocket dimension with his Bankai.

As Hitsugaya and the others turn to leave, Byakuya reminds Rukia that they were only tasked with observing Ichigo and his decision. Hitsugaya tells her that the captains knew that if a new Substitute Shinigami ever appeared, Kūgo would take an interest in them and that they had agreed to use that Substitute to lure out Kūgo and get rid of them both. But when they encountered Ichigo, Soul Society changed and they restored his powers and went to watch over him instead. He reminds Rukia of her reaction to being told to observe Ichigo and acknowledges that she was correct. Hitsugaya states that he is glad Ichigo is the one that followed Kūgo. When Ichigo subsequently goes to Soul Society to seek the return of Kūgo's body, Hitsugaya is informed of his arrival and is among the captains present to hear Ichigo's request.

Powers & Abilities


Child Genius: Perhaps the most astonishing trait of Hitsugaya is his brains and natural talent. He is the most gifted prodigy the Soul Society has had since Gin Ichimaru, as shown from him entering the Shinigami Academy on his first try despite his young age, graduating from the academy in a single year with the highest written and performance scores in each of his classes, joining the Gotei 13 shortly afterwards, and then becoming the youngest Shinigami to ever reach the rank of captain. He has been called many things due to this. Renji and Iba have called him a child genius and Ichimaru has called him the embodiment of the "heavenly white angel that blesses Soul Society once a century". In terms of intellect, Hitsugaya has shown to be equally impressive. He was even the first to suspect Ichimaru of treason and saw that there was more to Rukia's execution than what was being said. Shunsui, one of the strongest Shinigami in history, states that because of his genius, within 100 years, Hitsugaya could surpass him.

Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Hitsugaya is masterful at swordsmanship, capable of utilizing his size to effectively counter and outmaneuver his opponent. His skill in swordsmanship is evident in the fact that he is the youngest Shinigami captain, he is thereby one of the youngest Shinigami to achieve Bankai. His skills in swordsmanship are great enough that he rarely uses even his Shikai in battle, of which he has shown great proficiency with. Instead he relies on Hyōrinmaru's sealed form, only using its Shikai or Bankai when things get tough.

Immense Spiritual Power: Tōshirō's spiritual power has the same effect as his Zanpakutō as it is an elemental representative of Ice. His Spiritual Pressure is said to be very large and "cold". Even before he became a Shinigami, his spiritual pressure was immense and uncontrollable, not unlike Ichigo, and caused people around him to freeze, namely his grandmother who lived with him at the time. This cold spiritual power of his reflects his attitude as well. He is also the youngest Shinigami to ever achieve their Bankai. He even had visions of Hyōrinmaru's spirit before he attained it or entered the Shinigami academy. He is able to hide his presence well, on several occasions he manages to surprise Hinamori and Matsumoto with his sudden appearances, which leads them to complain about "sneaking up" upon them.

Enhanced Durability: Despite his young and lean appearance, Tōshirō has shown himself to be a resilient fighter. He survived the attacks of Shawlong Kūfang while at 20 percent of his actual strength.

Expert Strategist & Tactician: Despite his age, Hitsugaya has repeatedly shown great instincts and intuition in battle. He is generally aware of everything in his presence and also able to see through most deceptions. For example, he discerned that Gin Ichimaru was more than he seemed, although he was not yet sharp enough to realize it was all part of Aizen's plot. He is also keen analyst, able to deduce the basic mechanics behind an opponent's attacks, quickly figuring out its strength and weakness to better counter it. As a Captain, he is a capable leader. He is given missions from General Yamamoto to lead teams into the human world many times to deal with large threats. For example, Hitsugaya led the team sent by Soul Society which reinforced Ichigo's group against the Arrancar. In battle, he has shown great instincts against incoming danger as shown from his reaction to Harribel's initial attack after releasing.

Shunpo Expert: Hitsugaya is highly proficient in Shunpo. Repeatedly in battle, he has shown himself able to block and dodge dangerous attacks.

Kidō Expert: Hitsugaya is highly proficient in Kidō and is capable of performing high-level Kidō spells without the incantation. For example, during his battle with Hyōrinmaru, he used a level 63 binding spell without the incantation

Hakuda Combatant: Hitsugaya was able to knock out a grief-fueled Hinamori in a single blow while in mid-air. However, he is seen more using his Zanpakutō so his expertise in this field remains to be seen.

Zanpakutō
Hyōrinmaru redirects here. For the manifested spirit that appears in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales and Beast Swords arcs see Hyōrinmaru (spirit)

When sealed, Hyōrinmaru looks like a normal katana with the exception of the guard, which is in the shape of a four-pointed bronze-colored star. Its hilt is light blue and sheath dark blue. The sheath completely dissolves when he draws his sword. The sword is somewhat longer than most Zanpakutō, at about 1.4 meters long, making it taller than Hitsugaya, preventing him from wearing it at the hip. Instead he carries it on his back by his green sash over his right shoulder. Hitsugaya is one of four people that carry a Zanpakutō on their back, the others being Ichigo Kurosaki, Love Aikawa, and Hiyori Sarugaki.

Hyōrinmaru is the strongest of all ice-element Zanpakutō in Soul Society. As such, Hitsugaya doesn't need water to be present in order for him to use its abilities. Hitsugaya's control over Hyōrinmaru's power has been shown great enough to use any of its Bankai attacks (with less control) with Shikai


 * Shikai: Hyōrinmaru's release command is . In its Shikai, Hyōrinmaru extends slightly in length, and gains a crescent-shaped blade attached to its hilt by a long metal chain, which can extend greatly if necessary by force of will. The chain itself can be used as an attack or to entangle a target.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Hyōrinmaru allows Hitsugaya to control water and ice. His slashes create an immense amount of spiritual power which overflows from the tip of the blade, creating a flow of ice shaped like a Chinese dragon. The dragon flies towards opponents and instantly freezes anything it touches. Hyōrinmaru can create multiple ice dragons to attack an opponent from various angles. Hitsugaya can also direct his slashes towards the ground and form a wave of ice which rushes over his opponents, overwhelming and freezing them. The chain-blade also freezes anything Hitsugaya traps with it. The power it expels is so overwhelming that in Soul Society (where Hitsugaya is not placed under a limiter), its mere release affects the weather within the immediate vicinity, creating a thunderstorm or a blizzard.


 * One of Hyōrinmaru's basic powers, as well as its strongest. It allows him to control the weather in the immediate vicinity, or more specifically, control the water in the surrounding atmosphere. The ability is usable in both Shikai and Bankai modes. However, Hitsugaya states that this aspect of his powers is not fully mature and that he doesn't like to use it in Bankai mode, as he is unsure of whether or not he could control it and keep it from killing everyone in the vicinity.


 * Bankai: : causes ice to flow from Hyōrinmaru onto Hitsugaya, starting at his right arm which ice forms onto in the shape of a dragon's head around his sword hand, encasing the sword up to the hilt; which also changes from the shape of a four-pointed star to that of eight-pointed star. The ice continues forming up over his shoulders with two large wings sprouting from his back and a long tail. The ice forms down his left arm encasing his hand which ends in a claw. Hitsugaya's feet are encased in ice in a similar manner to his left hand which as they to end in claws. These new ice limbs are movable and can be used as an extension of himself to aid in battle. During some appearances of his Bankai, three flowers of ice form floating behind him, each consisting of four purple petals shaped like diamonds. These petals melt away petal by petal as Hitsugaya's battle progresses, leading Shawlong Kūfang to speculate that Hitsugaya's Bankai will fade when all twelve petals disappear, assuming that the captain's Bankai was incomplete due to his young age. During his fight with Luppi, these petals were noticeably absent; however, during his fight with Tier Harribel, they were present once more and they also appeared once again with his fight with Aizen.


 * Bankai Special Ability: Hyōrinmaru's Bankai has several additional techniques.


 * Bankai Regeneration: During his battle with Luppi Antenor, Hitsugaya's Bankai was damaged. However, it regenerated, and Hitsugaya stated that as long as there is water in the air his Bankai can be revived indefinitely.


 * Upon activating his Bankai, Tōshirō is able to create and shape a large amount of ice into his exact likeness. It is very life-like as it can appear to bleed. He stated that he can usually only trick an opponent once with it, so he usually saves it for towards the end of a battle.


 * Shield of Ice Wings: Hitsugaya is capable of wrapping his wings around himself like a sphere protecting him from any attacks.


 * When Hitsugaya stabs his opponents, a huge burst of ice erupts from the point of contact between Hyōrinmaru and the opponents, encasing and freezing them. Hitsugaya can then proceed to shatter the ice and his opponent with it.


 * Hitsugaya creates many ice pillars which encircle him and his enemy. At his command (when he turns his sword 90 degrees counter-clockwise), these pillars then move towards the enemy, enveloping and crushing it. Though this technique is very powerful, Hitsugaya infers that it takes a considerable amount of time to prepare, and therefore the distraction of his enemy is crucial in successfully completing this attack.


 * This ability is an extension of Hyorinmaru's Tensō Jūrin power. However, because Hitsugaya dislikes using Tensō Jūrin while his Bankai is active, he rarely uses it. The ability opens up a huge hole in the clouds through which a large amount of snow falls down on to his opponent. As the snow comes into contact with the opponent, ice flowers sprout all over their body, instantly trapping them in a pillar of ice. Hitsugaya claimed that when the last of the 100 petals falls, the life of the one who touched it will be over.


 * Hitsugaya can transform water into ice and then swing his Zanpakutō in an arc which fires an array of ice daggers at his target.




 * With this technique, Hitsugaya swings his sword in a linear direction and creates overflowing ice from his blade in the form of a crescent.


 * This ability allows Hitsugaya to control his Hyouryū Senbi technique and send it up into the air.

Appearances in Other Media
Hitsugaya appears in the second Bleach movie, Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion, as one of the two main characters. When the "King's Seal," an ancient artifact, is stolen, Hitsugaya goes out in search of the thieves. After crossing paths with and fighting them, he goes missing, leading Seireitei to suspect him of treachery. As Ichigo Kurosaki and others go out in search of Hitsugaya, Hitsugaya himself stumbles across a dark secret concerning a long-dead Shinigami....

Hitsugaya has been a playable character in every Bleach-related video game released so far, the only exception being Bleach: Heat the Soul. Often, he is playable in several different forms, such as his Shikai and Bankai and even in a Gigai. In Bleach: Heat the Soul 4, Hitsugaya is also playable in his school uniform. In Bleach: Soul Resurrección, only his Bankai is playable.

He is one of only three Bleach characters to appear in two Bleach Beat Collection albums, the others being Rukia Kuchiki and Ichigo Kurosaki. The first one was a compilation album with Momo Hinamori and his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto where he sang This Light I See. The second one was also a compilation album, this time with the protagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki where he sang Bleach the Limitation.

Trivia

 * He was voted the most popular character in Bleach in the January 26, 2008 Shōnen Jump character poll (in previous ones he placed 6th and 2nd).


 * His Zanpakutō Hyōrinmaru won the most popular Zanpakutō poll, while his Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, came 16th.
 * In the Bleach best bout poll Hitsugaya's fight with Ichimaru came in fifth place.


 * Hitsugaya wrote a hugely popular serial titled Beautiful Crystal for the Seireitei Communication in which he featured items such as carvings and chairs sculpted from ice. However, the column is currently in hiatus but is scheduled to resume in due course.


 * The Shinigami Women's Association published a Photo Collection showcasing Hitsugaya called Winter Lion which was sold out and is now being reprinted.


 * Tōshirō's theme song, as chosen by Tite Kubo, is "Girl's Not Grey" by A.F.I.

Quotes

 * "There we go again, old men and their stupid arguments. What a pain."


 * (To Gin Ichimaru) "If you make Hinamori shed even one drop of blood... I'll kill you."


 * (To Momo Hinamori) "Hinamori! How many times do I have to tell you? It's not "Hitsugaya-kun". It's "Captain Hitsugaya"."


 * (To Luppi Antenor) "You're being too lenient with an opponent you've only hit once. Haven't you ever heard of following through?"


 * (To Tier Harribel) "I didn't think the speed and range of your attacks would suddenly jump up so much after you released. Good thing I took precautions, though I didn't want to use that deception so early on since I can only use it once. Do not misjudge a Shinigami's power."


 * (To Tier Harribel) "As a thank you for your lecture, I'll teach you something. The time you implement your greatest technique is the time of greatest crisis. This too is an inviolable law of battle."


 * (To Sōsuke Aizen) "Swinging your blade out of a sense of duty is what a captain does. Swinging your blade out of hate is nothing more than base violence. Captains don't refer to that as fighting."


 * (To Sōsuke Aizen) "You're exactly right, Aizen. My blade is full of hate. I didn't come here to fight you. I came here to violently hack you to pieces."


 * (To Sōsuke Aizen) "I don't care if this fight costs me my position as a captain if it means being able to kill you."

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