Byakuya Kuchiki

Byakuya Kuchiki is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo. He is the captain of the 6th Division in the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Renji Abarai. He ranked 6th in the 2006 popularity poll with a total number of votes adding up to be 3,752.

Byakuya wears the standard captain uniform along with a white headpiece called a kenseikan (symbolizing his noble rank as the head of the Kuchiki family) and a white scarf made by the master weaver, Tsujishirō Kuroemon III. The scarf is made from silver-white windflower light silk (ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu) and is a family heirloom handed down through the generations to the head of the Kuchiki family.

Little is known about Byakuya’s early history, except that he often played tag with Yoruichi Shihouin using flash steps, though he never was able to beat her, a score that upholds to the current time of the series.

While it is not clear, 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.

Byakuya’s bankai, named Senbonzakura Kageyoshi (Vibrant Display of the Thousand Cherry Blossoms), is essentially a much larger version of Senbonzakura’s shikai. To activate it, Byakuya drops his sword. The sword passes through the ground and two rows of giant blades rise up from the ground behind Byakuya. These then scatter into a million tiny blades. The number of blades is great enough that Byakuya can use them for defense as well as offense.

Byakuya’s bankai has two extra forms, achieved by arranging the blades in different patterns. They are activated by saying the name of the technique followed by the name of his bankai. The first is “scene of a massacre” (senkei, Viz: “annihilate”), which unites the scattered petals into complete swords that form four rows around Byakuya and his opponent. While Byakuya can control these swords as he does his regular blades, he usually attacks with just one in hand. After immobilizing an opponent, he can call in the other blades to hit them while they’re trapped. He can also use all the blades at once for one immensely powerful strike. The second form is “final scene” (shūkei, Viz: “last sight”), which condenses every tiny blade into a single sword to drastically increase its cutting power. The blade appears bright white, earning it the name “white imperial sword” (白帝剣, hakuteiken, Viz: “white emperor sword”). Byakuya also grows pure white wings and a halo-like circle in the back, both made of spiritual power. In the anime, dragon-like beings sprout out of Senbonzakura to create the wings. It is unknown whether these wings are merely a cosmetic effect or if they can be used to fly.