Tatsuki Arisawa

is a student at the Karakura High School, in the same class as Ichigo Kurosaki, her childhood friend and former karate partner.

Appearance
Tatsuki is a teenager of average height and brown eyes. She is the more boyish friend of Orihime Inoue with contrasting appearances to her best friend. Tatsuki's frame is boyish, with a small chest and a very lean frame compared to Orihime's more curvier figure. Her hair is short and dark, kept spiked out at the sides in tune with her less than feminine appearance. She usually appears in her school uniform or else her karate outfit while still training in school or at the dojo.

Personality
Tatsuki is protective and level headed most of the time, unless someone does something to provoke her. She uses her great strength to beat up anyone who troubles her friends or her. She has a lot of insight on Ichigo's personality. When they were children, Tatsuki regularly saved Ichigo when he was getting beaten up, as well as cheering him up when he was upset. A tomboyish karate practitioner with dreams of becoming a vale tudo champion, and already ranking Japan's second strongest in her age group. Her only obvious feminine trait is how she writes her name: using hiragana: (たつき), though this is because she thinks it looks feminine while she considers the kanji of her name to be un-cute.

Tatsuki is best friends with Orihime Inoue and is constantly protecting her from men looking for a date, as well as Chizuru Honshō, the school lesbian, who often approaches and tries to grab Orihime's breasts. Tatsuki has done this since middle school, when she beat up some bullies who were trying to cut Orihime's hair, and had already done so once before her brother died. After that, Tatsuki promised to protect her from anyone who dared to make her cry, and she and Orihime became best friends.

Like many of Ichigo's friends, Tatsuki is spiritually aware to the point that she can clearly see ghosts, Hollows, Shinigami, and other such supernatural phenomena, though she lacks any unique spiritual powers of her own. She is strong enough to survive spiritual attacks most humans are incapable of dealing with, though this may be due to her karate training. She also has the ability to sense Orihime from almost anywhere, even across dimensions; she is able to sense Orihime when she travels to Soul Society, but remarks that she can't sense her presence after Orihime is taken to Hueco Mundo.

She has shown a very estranged side of her though at some points, mainly showing it to Orihime when they are discussing her affections toward Ichigo. One part, that was cut from the anime was when Tatsuki was actually disappointed in Orihime for not taking advantage of Ichigo when he thought she was hurt. She then went on to teach Orihime on how to take advantage of Ichigo.

The Agent of the Shinigami arc


In the earlier part of the series, Tatsuki is mainly seen alongside Orihime and also protects her from the Hollow Numb Chandelier, but gets injured in the process. When Orihime's powers awaken Tatsuki in turn gets protected by Orihime. Soon after that, Tatsuki begins to see Hollows clearly, but never mentions it to Orihime. Tatsuki made Orihime promise that she will come back alive before Orihime goes to Soul Society.

The Arrancar arc
Later on, during the first invasion of the Arrancar, Tatsuki nearly dies at the hands of Yammy, who uses his special technique called Gonzui to suck up human souls. A timely rescue by Orihime and Chad saves her. Tatsuki also witnesses the battles between Ichigo, Tōshirō Hitsugaya's team and the Arrancar. When Orihime gets taken away to Hueco Mundo, Tatsuki is noticeably upset at her sudden disappearance, punching Ichigo's head through a window and shouting at him for not telling her what he knows. She is later accompanied by Keigo Asano and Mizuiro Kojima to Kisuke Urahara's Shop and sees Ichigo leaving for Hueco Mundo.

The Hueco Mundo arc
Tatsuki joins the Karakura-Raizer team and defeats an Arrancar in charge of a Hollow fortress. She is put to sleep along with the rest of the team and they were sent to Soul Society for their own protection along with the rest of Karakura Town due to the dangerous battle about to take place.

Fake Karakura Town arc
After Tatsuki wakes up in Karakura Town and spots everyone else to be asleep, she finds Keigo crying for someone to be awake, and she punches him in the face because of this. He begins explaining his situation to her but it simply ends up annoying Tatsuki and she punches him in the face again. She tells him to be quiet, and he apologizes since he just got excited all of a sudden, but Tatsuki yells at him to stop making excuses. She then shows him the unconscious bodies of Chizuru Honshō and Michiru Ogawa, and she tells Keigo to pick up Chizuru while she picks up Ogawa and that their going to take them to the school. Tatsuki warns Keigo not to touch Chizuru, but Keigo remarks about her chest and Tatsuki punches him again. Tatsuki tells Keigo that she recently walked around the edge of town, and it felt as if the town had been transported somewhere else since there are only mountains surrounding the area. Keigo wonders if this has to do with Ichigo and Tatsuki remarks that it has to be, but since it's Ichigo he'll do something about it. Soon they are spotted by Sōsuke Aizen and Gin Ichimaru who recognizes Tatsuki from Ulquiorra's report.

As Tatsuki and Keigo disccuss Mizuiro Kojima and the effect that Ichigo had on him, they are stopped by a powerful reiatsu. As they collect themselves, they are casually approached by Aizen and Ichimaru. As Tatsuki asks who he is, Aizen responds that Ichigo will soon come with a new power. So that this power will be closer to perfection, Aizen tells them that he will kill them. Tatsuki commands Keigo to run, citing that there is nothing he can do by staying here. Keigo runs away with Chizuru on his back.

Tatsuki stares helplessly at Aizen, her body unable to move due to the overwhelming force of his reiatsu. As this is happening, someone appears behind her. While overwelmed by Aizen's incredible spiritual energy, Aizen admits to being impressed that Tatsuki is still alive this close to him. Stating that he knows Ichigo will appear soon with much great power, he hopes to push his progess further. Knowing that his abilities shine most when in great need, Aizen decides to kill Tatsuki to assist in that effort.

Power & Abilities
Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Having been trained professionally since a young age in karate, Tatsuki has a high level of skill at it, enough to fight several enemies and also teach Orihime basics to defend herself. Tatsuki is considered the second strongest girl in Japan of her age group. She managed to come second in a tournament with a broken arm.

High Endurance: Tatsuki's resolve to win is proven great enough for her to willingly continue in a national tournament with a broken arm.

High Spiritual Power: Her spiritual power is enough to resist her from Yammy Riyalgo's Gonzui. Even in the presence Hyogyoku-enhanced Aizen, she was able to "maintain her existance" (albiet she was still brought to knees and paralyzed in fear). In the Karakura-Riser omake, it is revealed that her spiritual power manifests itself, through her Raizer suit, in flame-like blasts called Riser Deadly Magnum, which she can shoot out of her fists or incorporate it in her fighting style easily defeating an average Hollow.

Appearance in Other Media
Tatsuki appears in both Bleach: The Blade of Fate and Bleach: Dark Souls as a playable character. She also briefly appears in the game Bleach: The 3rd Phantom. In the game she must be protected from Yammy and Ulquiorra by Chad, Orihime, and Uryū, until Ichigo, Yoruichi, and Urahara arrive.

Trivia

 * During an interview with Kon (manga only) he teased her for having small breasts (when compared to a fan) to which she replied they are actually C cup.


 * Her theme song, as chosen by Tite Kubo, is "Mou Aoi Tori wa Tobanai" by Hal