Ganju Shiba

is an outrageous figure from Soul Society. He is a member of the noble Shiba Family, and one of the two only remaining members.

Appearance
He wears a vest, scarf, bandana, and pair of goggles. He is often found with his gang, who all ride large boars. Ganju's boar is named Bonnie (affectionately referred to as Bonnie-chan) and is tattooed with kanji lettering on the side which roughly translates to "four-wheeled drive". At one point it is implied that Bonnie was accidentally cooked into a stew by Retsu Unohana during a friendly cookout including her, Ganju, and a few others from the 4th Division. However, Bonnie is shown alive and well later.

Personality
Ganju possesses a deep hatred for Shinigami, a hot temper, and a strong ego. Though he always acts tough, he has shown that he also has a softer side, easily being cowed by his older sister Kūkaku, (although he does show the ability to stand up to her) and later develops an understanding to Ichigo Kurosaki with a relationship similar to what Ichigo has with Renji Abarai. The fact that he is not particularly attractive is a running joke, and rather than deny this fact, he tends to talk around the subject, especially when Yumichika Ayasegawa makes note of it.

History
Not much is known about Ganju's history, except that he was very loyal to his elder brother, Kaien. One night, during a mission in hunting a Hollow, Kaien was killed, but not by the Hollow. Rukia Kuchiki brought Kaien's body back to the Shiba household and admitted to being Kaien's killer, which would eventually spawn Ganju's hatred towards the Shinigami.

Sometime after this incident, the Shiba Clan fell from nobility and Ganju eventually started his own gang in the Rukongai; however, he was still living with his older sister Kūkaku and has assisted her on some occasions.

Soul Society arc
Because of his brother, Kaien Shiba's, death at the hands of Rukia Kuchiki when he was still young, Ganju holds a grudge against all Shinigami. This grudge is slow to dissipate even after he learns the truth of the incident. It is implied that after Kaien and his wife Miyako's death, the Shiba clan lost its status as one of the Noble Clans (which include the Kuchiki and Shihōin clans). There now remain only four Noble Clans, as the Shiba had been the fifth. Upon Ganju's introduction, he and Kūkaku are the only remaining members of the clan.

Bount arc
Ganju appears in a brief scene, apparently falling from the sky in front of Hanatarō Yamada, who was working in a super-market. After the impact with the ground (in which Ganju saved himself using the Stone Wave) he and Hanatarō run away in order not to be arrested. He revealed that he was sent by Kūkaku to help Ichigo, but he get a job in the same shop as Hanatarō Yamada instead.

One of the episodes omake sketches, reveals that the owner of the shop have a crush on Ganju.

Later he helps Ichigo and the others when they were back in Soul Society to stop the Bount assault. He has several underlings that act as his gang. They have been seen with him the first time Ganju meets Ichigo. Also a second time during the Bount arc. His underlings include Nehero Isino, Taichi Misemoto, Adatomo Saionzi, and Sanji Sezushita.

Powers & Abilities
Swordsmanship: Though Ganju is not a member of the Shinigami forces, he is part of the Shiba clan and can fight on a level above that of an average Shinigami, but lower than that of the higher ranking seated officers. Ganju's sword skills are limited, so he relies primarily on his arsenal of fireworks, agility, and earth magic.

Fireworks Manipulation: Like his big sister, Ganju has a knowledge of creating and using fireworks, allowing him to use them in combat when needed. Enhanced Endurance: During the few fights Ganju was a part of he has demonstrated impressive resilience. Even after several solid hits from Ichigo or slices from Yachiru, he is able to continue fighting effectively. Furthermore, during their confrontation with Zaraki, Ganju was able to retain consciousness (albeit brought down to his knees) by the powerful captain.

High Spiritual Pressure: Being of the Shiba family, Ganju possesses high spiritual pressure, enough to be acknowledged even by someone as Byakuya Kuchiki. Earth Magic: Ganju's earth magic doesn't seem to operate on the same principal as standard Shinigami Kidō. The one technique he uses is:


 * , does not need an incantation to work and is unnumbered. The spell can reduce whatever it is aimed at to sand or quicksand. He can even perform it with his feet. This ability proved to be useful to make holes through the walls when running away from Yumichika.

Zanpakutō
He has a Zanpakutō which resembles a meat cleaver or a Chinese dao, though he never demonstrates the ability to use its initial release.


 * Shikai: Not Yet Revealed


 * Bankai: Not Yet Achieved