Byakuya Kuchiki

"Principle lodged in the eyes." - Tite Kubo

is the Captain of the Sixth Division in the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Renji Abarai. He descends from one of the four great noble families of Soul Society, and as such he is the embodiment of pride and discipline, intending to be a role model for all Shinigami. Due to an oath he took, he strongly supports the punishment of his adopted sister, Rukia Kuchiki, after she is abducted and sentenced to death for giving her powers to Ichigo Kurosaki, thus he becomes the fiercest opponent of the latter, when he comes to Rukia's rescue. After being defeated by Ichigo and learning the truth behind Rukia's planned execution, he becomes slightly more lenient and even more protective towards his sister and her Ryoka friends. Later, just like the other Captains, he is involved in the war between the Arrancar and Shinigami. He ranked 7th in the most recent popularity poll with 4,010 votes, edging out Orihime Inoue by 35 votes. Senbonzakura, Byakuya's zanpakutō, was voted the 5th most popular zanpakutō in a recent Bleach Poll.

Appearance
Byakuya wears the standard Captain uniform along with a white headpiece called a kenseikan (symbolizing his nobility as the head of the Kuchiki family) and a white scarf made by the master weaver, Tsujishirō Kuroemon III. The scarf is made from the silver-white, windflower light silk (ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu) and is a family heirloom that is handed down from generation to generation and is given to each Kuchiki family head. Ten large houses can be built for the cost of just one of these scarves. He also wears white gloves that cover only the back of his hands.

Personality
Byakuya Kuchiki is the 28th head of the noble Kuchiki clan, one of the four great noble families in Soul Society. As such, Byakuya acts in an aristocratic manner — he seems always serene and apathetic towards other people, even when he is actually deeply conflicted. He is also extremely calm, even in battle, and is very seldom surprised by even the most drastic of actions. Ironically, when he was younger, he was quick to anger and very hotheaded, as noted by his grandfather, much like his lieutenant, Renji Abarai, and Ichigo Kurosaki. Due in part to his status in Soul Society, he generally acts indifferent, bordering on arrogance, to most situations that he is faced with as seen from how he rarely views his opponent worth his time. Despite this trait, Byakuya is a very perceptive man and is fully aware of the limits of his abilities and usually anything he states in comparison to an opponent is justified.

Byakuya strongly believes in law and order. As the head of one of the great noble families and as a Captain in the Gotei 13, he always works hard for a peaceful society. He feels that if someone in his position does not follow the rules as a good example, then no one will follow them. He believes that to maintain the order, all law-breakers must be punished, even if that goes against his own wishes. In spite of his icy and regal manner, Byakuya cares for and protects those important to him.

Byakuya is popular among the female Shinigami of Soul Society, and was voted number one in the "Captain we desire to release a photo book for" poll taken by the Shinigami Women's Association. He likes Japanese Cherry Blossoms, night time walks, spicy food, and bananas, but he does not like sweets. Similar to Sōsuke Aizen, he excels in calligraphy. He apparently is very fond of Calligraphy being the representative or possibly President of the Calligraphy Society.

As astonishing as it may seem, Byakuya seems to have a comedic side, as he not only attends the Lieutenant's meeting when Renji's absent, but also attends the meetings of the Shinigami Women's Association when Rukia's absent. As he puts it, "part of a Captain's responsibilities is to make sure the Lieutenant's responsibilities are taken care of," to which Renji asks why he goes to Rukia's meetings, which is only responded by a smile similar to that of Gin Ichimaru's. He once jokingly remarks that he uses Senbonzakura to cut his hair. In one of the omake chapters, Byakuya claims that life in general is not supposed to be entertaining, and even makes up an idea for a game that is not really meant to be amusing.

Byakuya comically shares Rukia's poor artistic talent. During a sand-sculpture contest he creates the "Seaweed Ambassador," which despite its crude form, Rukia adores and believes Byakuya surpasses her in creativity. The Seaweed Ambassador has made several appearances in other omake chapters.

Having descended from noble stock, Byakuya is easily offended if his name is not used properly. As such, he seems to view Ichigo Kurosaki in disdain for always referring to him as such, though he never said anything to him to change that. Ichigo seems to be the only one to refer to Byakuya very informally (even his wife referred to him as "Byakuya-sama") so far with the exception of Yachiru, who refers to Byakuya by the nicknames "Bya-kun" or "Byakushi," but it is possible that Byakuya lets it slide, given that Yachiru is a child. He once calls Ichigo to his mansion in order to have a talk with the young Substitute Shinigami, but they were interrupted by Yachiru's appearance, who asked Ichigo to follow her elsewhere. After Ichigo's disappearance, it is revealed that Byakuya wanted Ichigo to refer to him properly, and to stop calling him by only his first name. When Byakuya talks with Ichigo, he calls him by his full name, Ichigo Kurosaki. In some golden cups, he sees his house had been altered by some tunnels, which are revealed to be Yachiru Kusajishi's handiwork. In one of the most recent, he discovered that Yachiru, Nemu Kurotsuchi, Rangiku Matsumoto, Nanao Ise, Isane and Kiyone Kotetsu, Soifon, and Yoruichi were having a tea party in his house, without his knowledge (his face is not shown when he sees the room's interior). Later, when he tries to border up the secret door, Yachiru reveals another to Byakuya's intense surprise, and his face is shown with dismay.

History
Little is known about Byakuya's early history, except that 110 years ago before the current time he was a young boy, rash and hotheaded and somewhat similar to Ichigo in personality. He would spend countless hours training, in preparation of taking over the leadership of the Kuchiki family and the 6th Division from his grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki.

He used to be teased, usually it seems to his annoyance, but still regularly played tag with the older Yoruichi Shihōin using Flash Steps, though he never was able to beat her, a score that upholds to the current time.

Around 55 years before the current time, Byakuya married Hisana, who was then a commoner from Rukongai; therefore, he broke the rules by accepting her into the noble Kuchiki family. Shortly before her death, Hisana asked Byakuya to find and adopt her biological sister, Rukia, whom she had abandoned as a baby. She also made him promise that he would not tell Rukia about her real family, for she believed that by abandoning Rukia when she was younger, she was not worthy to be called her sister.

One year later, Rukia entered the Shinigami Academy. Shortly after, Byakuya found her and immediately adopted her into the Kuchiki clan. By adopting her, Byakuya respected his late wife's final wish, but had broken the rules of his clan again. He later swore upon his parents' graves that he would never break the rules again, no matter what. As a result, he, though entirely apathetic on the surface, is actually deeply conflicted with the matter of Rukia's execution: should he intervene, it would require breaking the promise to his parents and the rules again, but should he do nothing, he would fail to fulfill the last promise he made to his dying wife to protect Rukia as his own sister.

It is implied that Byakuya Kuchiki became Captain of the 6th division less than 50 years before the main Bleach storyline (shortly before Rukia had entered the Gotei 13). Gin Ichimaru became Captain of the 3rd Division at the same time, and Gin would commonly start pointless conversations with Byakuya during times they crossed paths.

Agent of the Shinigami Arc
Byakuya first appears on a mission with his lieutenant, Renji Abarai, to capture Rukia Kuchiki and kill Ichigo Kurosaki, though in the latter they only manage to remove Rukia's Shinigami powers from him.

Soul Society Arc
Byakuya later interrupts Ganju Shiba and Hanatarō Yamada's attempt to rescue Rukia and, later on, Renji's attempt. When Ichigo succeeds in rescuing Rukia, he and Byakuya have an extended battle, where both use their Bankai, though Ichigo's inexperience with his version and Byakuya switching to a more powerful form leaves Ichigo at a disadvantage, though the temporary emergence of Ichigo's inner Hollow evens the odds once more.

Following Ichigo's inner Hollow's forced submission, both channel all their remaining power into one final attack, resulting in Byakuya's sword breaking and Byakuya forfeiting the match. Later, when Sōsuke Aizen orders Gin Ichimaru to kill Rukia, Byakuya pulls her out of the attack and takes it instead. While being treated for his massive injuries, Byakuya, breaking his promise to Hisana, tells Rukia about why she was adopted, apologizing to Rukia and thanking Ichigo.

Bount's Arc
When the Bounts' threat to harm Soul Society becomes serious, Byakuya uses the Kuchiki Clan's records to gain information on the Bount for General Yamamoto. Byakuya, following aiding Rukia in her battle with Yoshi, attempts to seek out the Bount leader Jin Kariya, where the two have a battle interrupted by Ichigo and, later on, Ran'tao, and later watches Ichigo's battle with Kariya with full confidence in Ichigo.

Arrancar Arc
Byakuya later reappears to retrieve Tōshirō Hitsugaya's team on General Yamamoto's order, and secretly allows Rukia and Renji to return to the human world to assist in Orihime's rescue, stating that he was only ordered to bring them back to Soul Society and that what they chose to do afterwards was none of his concern.

Hueco Mundo Arc
Byakuya later appears in the Hueco Mundo arc to save Rukia from the 7th Espada, Zommari Leroux. He clearly shows anger at Zommari's statement about preparing to kill Rukia. The two begin their battle and Byakuya, reluctantly using a technique learned from Yoruichi Shihōin, manages to evade Zommari, who claims to be the fastest Espada. Zommari states that Byakuya's pride and arrogance will be the reason for Byakuya's defeat, while Byakuya retorts that simply the difference in their power will result in Zommari's loss. Zommari maintains that, as captain and Espada, the two are equal, but Byakuya denies that any Arrancar could be equal to him. To crush his arrogance, Zommari releases his Zanpakutō. Using its power, Zommari takes control of Byakuya's left arm and leg, causing Byakuya to promptly sever the tendons in each to prevent their movement. Zommari implies that he will next take control of Rukia's unconscious form and, enraged, Byakuya shields her with his body. Hanatarō Yamada follows Byakuya to the battlefield, but Byakuya orders Hanatarō back, warning him that in his rage, Byakuya's fighting may swallow up Hanatarō. Zommari succeeds in taking control of Rukia's head, thus taking control of her entire body, and after having her slash Hanatarō across the chest, warns Byakuya to drop his sword or Rukia will slit her own throat. Restraining Rukia with Binding Spell #61, Six Rods Prison of Light, Byakuya activates his Bankai and crushes Zommari with the form Gōkei. Zommari survives this encounter by retreating into the lower half of his Zanpakutō's released state and angrily shouts at Byakuya that Shinigami are arrogant, taking an unnatural authority to proclaim Hollows as evil. Byakuya, impassive, states that he was not fighting Zommari because Byakuya is a Shinigami, but because Zommari attacked Byakuya's pride and kills Zommari with a slash from the shoulder down. Byakuya then instructs Isane Kotetsu to come out of her hiding place and take care of Rukia and Hanatarō. Rukia Kuchiki wakes up while being healed and is shocked to see his haori missing and him being injured, but Byakuya merely brushes off her concern and tells her to rest as there is a much bigger fight forthcoming.

Powers & Abilities
Byakuya, as the 6th Division's Shinigami Captain, has advanced skills in all forms of Shinigami combat. Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Byakuya is masterful at swordsmanship, capable of flawless precision and lethal attacks without much effort.

Flash Step Master: Byakuya is probably best known for his usage of Flash steps. Although having been taught by but never beating "Goddess of Flash" Yoruichi Shihōin, he is still easily one of the most proficient users of this skill in all of Soul Society. One of Byakuya's favorite technique as described by Renji is, a flash step combined with a spin to quickly move behind the enemy, followed by a strike aimed to destroying the Saketsu chain and the Hakusui soul sleep with a single thrust. Another technique taught to him by Yoruichi called which allows Byakuya to move at great speed leaving an afterimage behind, though Byakuya states to Zommari that he prefers not to use it because Yoruichi Shihōin taught it to him.

Kidō Master: Byakuya has displayed his knowledge of high level Kidō spells, able to cast several in quick succession without the incantation and with almost no effort and still possessing formidable power. He has been shown to use spells up to level 81 and possess advanced knowledge of kido application and consistency. He can use low-level spells with devastating effect as well as a counter to attacks, He even uses a low-level lightning spell to burn a hole right through Ichigo's shoulder.

Master Tactician: Byakuya is a highly perceptive fighter, being able to almost immediately determine an opponent's attack patterns and weaknesses. He is also crafty tactician as demonstrated from how effectively he uses his Kidō to confuse his opponents. He can discern the motives and abilities of his opponents and effectively use his knowledge to end the battle in his favor.

Enhanced Durability: While not having the most imposing appearance compared to other Shinigami captains like Kenpachi Zaraki, Byakuya has shown to be a very resilient fighter. During his fight against Ichigo, despite gaining several major injuries, Byakuya was able to continue fighting effectively and even ignore them to the point he seemed unfazed by them. At the end of fight, he was still able to perform an impressive Flash Step to leave. During his fight with the 7th Espada, Byakuya's durability proved great enough for him to willing damage himself to save himself from this enemy's possession attack and continue to fight as if unaffected.

Expert Hand-to-hand Combatant: Having been trained by Yoruichi, Byakuya possesses great proficiency in this skill, although it is rarely seen.

Immense Spiritual Energy: He is capable of exerting vast Spiritual Pressure, which, in league with his already admirable combat skills and finesse, makes him one of the most formidable captains.

Zanpakutō

 * A regular katana with a square hand guard and light blue handle.


 * Shikai: It is triggered by the command.


 * Shikai Special Ability: In its Shikai, Senbonzakura's blade separates into a thousand slender tiny blade fragments, which then fly away from the hilt, leaving only the sword's handle in Byakuya's hand. The release can be negated before it completes, such as when Yoruichi Shihōin wrapped the blade in cloth during Byakuya's short battle with Ichigo. However, if the release completes itself, then Senbozakura is rendered near-unstoppable as a result. While the blades are supposedly too small to see normally, they reflect light in such a way as to appear as cherry blossom petals. By swinging Senbonzakura's hilt Byakuya can control the blade fragments at will, allowing him to shred opponents at a distance and break through almost any defense.


 * Bankai: : is essentially a much larger version of Senbonzakura's Shikai. To activate it, Byakuya needs to drop his sword straight down. The sword phases into the ground, as though it were a pool of water. Energy ripples expand out, turning the surrounding area dark, and within seconds two rows of giant blades rise up from the ground. These giant blades then explode, and scatter into a near-infinite number of tiny blades. The number of blades is great enough that Byakuya can use them for defense as well as offense at the same time. He commonly forms them into large masses, designed to obliterate opponents instantaneously. Byakuya's defensive use allows him to cover himself entirely in these tiny blades, and form a body shield. Unlike his Shikai, his Bankai is entirely mentally controlled. As it moves through the air like torrents of waves, it gives the appearance of cherry blossoms flowing swiftly along the wind. While Byakuya can control the blades with his mind alone, using his hands allows him to do so more effectively, making the blades move almost twice as fast. Like with his Shikai, its attack is triggered with the phrase Scatter.


 * Bankai Special Ability: Byakuya's Bankai has several forms, achieved by arranging the blades in different patterns. Each form presents a different advantage, such as increasing offense at the expense of defense. This makes Senbonzakura Kageyoshi one of the most versatile Bankai in the series. These techniques are activated by saying the name of the technique, followed by the name of his Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.


 * The true form of Senbonzakura is seemingly created by his blood, which glows and turns into spiritual energy mixing with the tiny blades of his Bankai. This unites the scattered petals into complete glowing swords, numbering in the thousands, that form four rows. These rows float just above the other, and circle around Byakuya and his opponent in a continuously moving, column-like array. It abandons defense in favor of a concentrated offense. Though visually menacing, this form is not meant for attack from all sides; rather, it is to concentrate his power into fewer blades, thus increasing his attack power. While Byakuya can mentally control these swords as he does his regular blades, he commonly calls them to his hands for actual melee combat. When in his hand they lose their glow, and take the form of his sealed zanpakuto. While they seem solid in this state, the swords can just as easily dissipate back into the multitude of tiny blades that they are made of. It seems to take fewer blows from a Senkei blade to gravely injure an opponent than the multiple cuts needed from the unfocused Bankai. The Senkei also cages himself with his enemy, allowing neither combatant to move very far from each other, though the area is still large enough for maneuverability. The most effective use of the Senkei form is that it allows for use of all the swords at the same attack level, making it highly versatile as a way to effectively defeat an enemy unaware of the danger of the situation. It is extremely rare for him to use this ability, doing so only when he has sworn to cut down the opponent with his very own hands. Ichigo was the second being to ever witness the ability. In Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion, it was also seen that Senkai can be used as a powerful shield, blocking several Cero blasts from Menos-class Hollows at once.


 * This form increases the number of tiny blades immensely. It creates a spherical formation of over 100 million tiny blade fragments, which swirl around the opponent like a cloud. It then flies into them from every possible angle, leaving no blind spots and no possibility to escape. It was strong enough to completely obliterate a very large building from the inside out, and the resulting shockwave generated by the attack is so powerful that Byakuya himself has to Flash Step away (Byakuya is normally immune to the cutting effects of his own Bankai, evident by the fact that he could wield the swords generated by its Senkei formation with bare hands without cutting himself).


 * This condenses each and every single one of his blades into a single, potent sword, drastically increasing its cutting power. The spiritual energy and pressure of this form released is immense. The blade appears bright white and its aura takes the form of a bird, earning it the name . Pure white wings form on Byakuya's back, as well a halo-like circle, made of concentrated spiritual energy. It is unknown whether these wings are merely an aesthetic effect or if they can be used to fly. The blade in this form is dangerous enough to cause aggravated injuries in one single blow. Whether or not this form allows only one single attack or more is as yet unknown.

Relationships
Byakuya Kuchiki was the chief antagonist during Ichigo's half of the Soul Society arc. Following Aizen's emergence into Hueco Mundo, Byakuya is now viewed as a supporting deuteragonist in the series, occasionally assisting the Ryoka whenever necessary. While not as prominent as Kenpachi Zaraki or Toshiro Hitsugaya, Byakuya has encountered a number of characters in the series, though not nearly as much as Ichigo.

Rukia Kuchiki
Byakuya originally struggled with his feelings for Rukia and his duty as a captain when she was arrested. After his defeat at the the hands of Ichigo, Byakuya reconciled, and began to treat Rukia like a sibling. In many situations, those who threaten or even fight Rukia are destined to die if Byakuya is in the area. In his battle with Zommari Leroux, he did not initially use his Shikai, but in his quiet fury immediately released his Bankai. His rage at Zommari for even implyng a threat to Rukia causes him to use his Gokei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi formation, a technique so devastating Byakuya himself had to remove himself from the area to not be affected by the attack. After the battle, Zommari says the killing of Hollow by Shinigami is unjust. Byakuya replied he hadn't killed him as a Shinigami; the reason was "because [Zommari] pointed such a dull blade at [his] pride," a reference to Rukia as his honor. Even though his emotions are so deep, Byakuya continues to treat her as coldly as he does to others.

Ichigo Kurosaki
Byakuya is highly disdainful of Ichigo; he views him as a naughty and rude child who needs a good lesson in manners. On one occasion, he summoned Ichigo to his estate merely to remind him to refer to him in a more formal manner. However, Byakuya does respect his power and fighting spirit, and the fierce will to protect all that is dear to him. He also thinks along the same lines as Ichigo, as when Byakuya was around the same age, he acted in the same manner. It is often implied that Byakuya wishes to take the same actions that Ichigo does, but his sense of duty prevents him from doing so.

Renji Abarai
Byakuya's relationship with Renji on the surface seems only to be a working relationship, however, it it much more that that. For most of his life, Renji had been training for one purpose and one purpose only: to surpass his captain. In the Hueco Mundo Arc, Byakuya and Kenpachi are ordered to bring Hitsugaya's vanguard Shinigami team, including Rukia and Renji, back to Soul Society. Despite his threats to use force if necessary to bring them back, he later shows his heart is not in this order by giving them cloaks for the desert of Hueco Mundo, and bends the rules by saying he was merely required to bring them back, not to make sure they stayed. In part this is a show of his support for Ichigo, which he masks by saying "I would be sorry for the state of Hueco Mundo if that idiot was left to his own devices." Byakuya shows his respect for Renji's rising power and iron will, similar to Ichigo's. During the battle that Byakuya initiates to stop Renji from rescuing Rukia, he continually says that Renji's power is inferior to his, comparing their situation to the "fable of the monkey and the moon," a reference to the baboon-like spirit of Renji's sword, and says "Your fangs will never reach me. For all eternity." However, he rescinds this opinion at the end, when Renji's stubborn last attack ends in Zabimaru shattering on contact with Byakuya. Byakuya responds by removing his scarf (The Kuchiki head family heirloom, made of 'ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu' silk,) and draping over his Lieutenant's fallen body, saying, "Impressive. Your fangs have certainly reached me." With this, he acknowledges the bond they have and his respect, and leaves.

Quotes

 * "Scatter, Senbonzakura."


 * "Bankai, Scatter Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."


 * "That filthy brat will never survive Hueco Mundo if he is left to his own devices."


 * "How slow. Even when you're falling down."


 * "I have discarded my left arm, discarded my left leg. And yet even so... I have not nearly lowered myself to your level."


 * "I've rescinded your right to live because you aspired to cut my pride with such a dull blade."


 * "Since when did I say I was fighting you as a shinigami? I fought you on my own accord because you stepped on my pride."


 * "Shall I teach you the difference between you and I? It’s experience. Like the fable of the monkey and the moon. However close he thinks he is to capturing the moon, it’s still just a reflection on the water. When he tries to capture the moon, all he does is sink like a fool."(to Renji)


 * "You aren't able to make even one of my knee touch the floor."(to Renji)


 * "Impressive. Your fang actually reached me."(to Renji)


 * "Do you enjoy trampling on my pride?"

Trivia

 * Byakuya is one of the few Captains (the others being Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, Kenpachi Zaraki, Jūshirō Ukitake, and Tōshirō Hitsugaya) who interact with Ichigo in the Manga and Anime.


 * Despite having beautiful hand writing, Byakuya has horrible drawing skills like Rukia. It is possible that Hisana taught him.


 * Byakuya is the highest numbered manga-canon squad Captain to have revealed their Bankai.


 * Senbonzakura is the only currently known zanpakutō with a Bankai that has a release phrase.


 * There is a possibility that Byakuya knows of Yoruichi Shihōin's cat transformation because in the Turn Back The Pendulum Mini-Series he called her a Were-Cat when she arrived, just before she stole his hair ribbon.


 * His zanpakutō Senbonzakura was voted the 5th most popular zanpakutō in a recent Bleach Poll.


 * In the anime, Jin Kariya notes Byakuya as "the most famous captain" in the Gotei 13.


 * Byakuya is the second captain that Ichigo Kurosaki has faced in Sereitei and this first captain he "fought" in the real world.


 * Byakuya is also the first to see Ichigo's Bankai, and the beginning signs of his Vizard powers and Inner Hollow, all in that order and within minutes of each other.


 * He is the first shinigami shown able to activate Bankai with his zanpakuto in its sealed state.