Uryū Ishida

Uryū Ishida is one of the main characters of the Bleach franchise. He is a student at Karakura High School, where he is a classmate and friend of Ichigo Kurosaki. He is originally believed to be the last of the Quincy until it was revealed that a group of them escaped from the Human World into the Seireitei, forming an empire called the Wandenreich which Uryū becomes a part of.
He is voiced by Noriaki Sugiyama in the Japanese version of the anime and by Derek Stephen Prince in the English version, and he was portrayed by Ryo Yoshizawa in the 2018 live-action film, the former who portrayed Ryusei Sakuta/Kamen Rider Meteor in Kamen Rider Fourze.
==Background==
Uryū Ishida is a Quincy, part of an ancient order of mortal demon hunters who oppose and undermine the work of the actual Spirit World's protectors, Soul Reapers. Due to the fact that Quincy use a spiritual technique that iradicates souls instead of redeeming them, the Quincy and Soul Reapers came to blows when the Quincy refused to stop killing Hollows, corrupted human souls turned to monsters. As a result of this, the Soul Reapers declared war on the Quincy and began to systematically kill them to prevent innocent souls from being permanently destroyed. Uryū's grandfather was able to strike up a peace accord with the Soul Society promising that though he would continue to practice Quincy traditions, he would not use his techniques to slay Hollows, thus earning him, his son and grandson mercy from the otherwise order-wide kill order. Uryū's grandfather taught Uryū about both Quincy tradition and history and discouraged his grandson from using his powers on an soul, even corrupted ones like the Hollows.
One day, Uryū found his grandfather killed. The Soul Reapers who reported said a Hollow had killed him, but Uryū recognized blade wounds and knew that his grandfather had in-fact been struck down. As of that moment, Uryū decided to disregard his promise not to use his powers, believing Soul Reapers to be both corrupt and liars. During his time coming into his powers as a newly created Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki would meet Uryū and come to blows with him several times, with Uryū claiming to be a rival and enemy who intended to kill Hollows before Ichigo could. Inquiring about him, Ichigo would eventually find out about Uryū's story. Ichigo's guide, Rukia Kuchiki, would tell Ichigo that while it is possible the Soul Reapers involved had their own agenda, such actions would not be officially sanctioned and the Head Captain would never break such an accord. Ichigo and Rukia's sympathy with Uryū along with their teaming up to stop a Hollow invasion would eventually earn a shaky alliance with Uryūl.
==Soul Society Arc==
Eventually Rukia would be brought in to the Soul Society on charges of treason. Rukia agreed to go quietly so that Ichigo would not be killed as an accomplice and went to face punishment for allowing a normal human to acquire her powers as a Soul Reaper. When Rukia got back, she was locked up and sentenced to summary execution without a formal hearing. Though Rukia felt guilty for having let her superiors down nearly everyone else in the Soul Society took issue with the decision. However, due to a stringent honor system that prevented them from acting against the council at Central 46, the execution was still set to take place.
When word got back to Ichigo by Kisuke Urahara, an exiled but still very well informed Soul Reaper, of what Rukia was facing, he insisted on going straight into the heart of the Soul Society to get her back before she was destroyed. Ichigo's friends Orihime Inoue and Yasutora "Chad" Sado were eager to help save Rukia as well and did not want Ichigo to go alone. Uryū also wished to join, partially because he did not trust Soul Reapers to tend to their own affairs, partially because he believed he would openly expose Soul Society corruption but also because, despite his pretenses, he considered Rukia and Ichigo his friends. Once the arrived in the Soul Society, Ichigo and his friends ending up confronting all the Soul Reapers willing to follow official orders who considered the intruders to be accomplishes to Rukia, and thus enemies of the Soul Society.
Uryū's main fight during the Soul Society arc was with Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the head of the Squad 12, the Gotei 13's research division. Mayuri was kept on hand for his brilliance but was considered amoral, petty and sadistic, viewing his research as the be all end all. During the fight with Mayuri, Uryū pronounced his hatred for Soul Reapers and the root of his distrust, to which Mayuri casually admitted to being the one who put out a kill order on Uryu's grandfather, bribed the agents sent to kill him and brought his soul in for experimentation. Apparently, Mayuri had been too intrigued by the exact nature of the Quincy's unique spiritual energy and wished to research the last known one in existence before he passed on naturally and was given a proper afterlife, lost in the system. Once captured, Mayuri tormented Uryū's grandfather through several painful experiments until he could no longer take it and passed on. Mayuri Kurotsuchi's sole regret from the whole ordeal was that he had barely learned anything before Mr. Ishida's soul collapsed in on itself. Hearing of the depravity Captain Kurotsuchi had resorted too, Uryū became enraged and revealed his full powers to Mayuri. Mayuri Kurotsuchi was not scared, but in-fact overjoyed to see another Quincy alive and well delivered right into his hands to be a replacement guinea-pig. Though the battle was intense Uryū eventually defeated Mayuri, though Mayuri was able to reform form through a single cell, and became airborne and floated away to heal and reconstitute himself.
==Character Development==
After the battle with Captain Kurosuchi, Uryū came to believe that Ichigo and Rukia were completely free of any part in the death of his Grandfather. However, he never did trust the Gotei 13, seeing Mayuri and Rukia's execution as prime examples of corruption in the Soul Society. After the conclusion of the Soul Society Arc and saving Rukia, Uryū became an open friend and supporter of Ichigo, though he would frequently snipe and criticize him in any failing he saw as situations arose. Though Uryū dislikes Soul Reapers, he is still willing to work with them if he is convinced there are decent sized threats such as mass Hollow attacks. His association with Ichigo and Rukia is seen as a sign of weakness of character by Uryū's father, who is also a Quincy, but unlike Uryū and his grandfather, never viewed the Soul Society as worth agreeing with, instead seeing it as just more trouble than it was worth to continue slaying Hollows if it meant making enemies of the Soul Reapers.
==Skills and Abilities==
In addition to being physically well trained and nimble, Uryū's training as a Quincy encouraged marksmanship and adaptive combat styles. The Quincy signature weapon is a bow and arrow composed entirely of Reishi (essentially ectoplasm meets holy energy). He also has two blades he carries composed of Reishi as well. Uryū knows several rituals commonly seen as holy to the Quincy and uses them to collapse others' spiritual power in on themselves. Though he seems to ignore the subject, the truth is all of Uryū's attacks do not simply send souls to the afterlife when killed, but actually wipes them out on a spiritual level, destroying them and preventing both reincarnation or even proper afterlives. This is particularly gruesome when considered that more than a few Hollows are innocent souls twisted and enslaved by other Hollows.
==Trivia==
*When empowered by Yhwach's blood, Uryu gained the power to switch his condition/fortune with someone else, saving himself from any injuries or death.
*Uryū was born on November 6, 1985, making him a Scorpius on the year of the Ox.
==External Links==
*
*
*
==Navigation==
pl:Uryū Ishida
Category:Male
Category:Bleach Heroes
Category:Anime Heroes
Category:Manga Heroes
Category:Live Action Heroes
Category:Movie Heroes
Category:TV Show Heroes
Category:Science Fantasy Heroes
Category:Dark Fantasy Heroes
Category:Divine Gate Heroes
Category:Rebellion Heroes
Category:Anti-Heroes
Category:Honorable
Category:Protectors
Category:Genius
Category:Neutral Good
Category:Last of Kind
Category:Teenagers
Category:Rivals
Category:Strong-Willed
Category:Vigilantes
Category:Archenemy
Category:Aristocrats
Category:Harbingers
Category:One-Man Army
Category:Elementals
Category:Strategists
Category:Rescuers
Category:Traitor
Category:Monarchs
Category:Nurturers
Category:Merciful
Category:Servant of a Villain
Category:Pawn of the Villain
Category:Determinators
Category:Protectors of Innocence
Category:Antagonists
Category:Reality-Warpers
Category:Loyal
Category:Martyr
Category:Redeemed Villains
Category:Doctors and Scientists
Category:Fallen
Category:Dreaded
Category:Tragic
Category:Good Vs. Good
Category:Related to Villain
Category:Secret Agents
Category:Feminists
Category:Scapegoat
Category:Nemesis
Category:Vengeful
Category:Fighters
Category:Martial Artists
Category:Military
Category:Sophisticated
Category:Legacy
Category:Successors
Category:Lethal
Category:Magic
Category:Successful
Category:Monster Slayers
Category:Deal Makers
Category:Honest
Category:Right-Hand
Category:Truth-Seekers
Category:Dimension Travelers
Category:Supporters
Category:Victims
Category:Wise
Category:Master Orator
Category:Localized Protection
Category:Voice of Reason
Category:Exorcists