Rukia Kuchiki

**Rukia Kuchiki** is the lieutenant of the 13th Division under Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, a member of the independent Team Karakura, and the main deuteragonist of the *Bleach* franchise. She is also the younger sister of Hisana Kuchiki, the adoptive younger sister/sister-in-law of Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, and a friend of Ichigo Kurosaki, as well as his love interest.

## Physical Appearance

Short and petite, Rukia is one of the shortest characters in the *Bleach*series. She has light skin, violet-colored eyes and black cropped hair that hangs around her face with straight lines, with one strand of hair always hanging between her eyes. According to Byakuya, her appearance strongly resembles that of her sister Hisana in the Bleach pre-timeskip.

Rukia wears a short-sleeved variation of the standard *shihakusho* (along with the standard black *hakama*, white *obi*, white *tabi*, and *waraji* sandals). As a lieutenant of the Gotei 13, Rukia wears her Squad's Badge around her uniform's left sleeve. She also wears a pair of fingerless white *tekko*, similar to Byakuya's, which extends above her elbows.

## Personality

Initially born into a lower class, Rukia retains her modesty even as an adopted member of the nobility. Rukia is graceful, "*clean*" and lady-like, yet chooses to talk to ordinary people, unlike her aristocratic brother Byakuya. However, her cool and lone demeanor often forces her to hide her personal troubles even from her friends because she does not wish to burden others. According to Ukitake, Rukia never opens up her heart and has difficulty making friends. However, she is a very straightforward person, often speaking bluntly (though accurately) and never sugarcoating. Her maturity and sense of emotional perception is what allows her to get those around her - namely Ichigo - going again and is shown again and again throughout the Bleach series. Rukia is clueless about the ways of the modern Human World. She is an accomplished actress, being able to act her way through a number of tough situations, such as getting out of trouble with school teachers or convincing the Kurosaki family to let her stay at their house.

Rukia always has trouble finding clothes that fit her, especially when inhabiting a Gigai in the World of the Living, leading to her stealing clothes from Ichigo's sister, Yuzu. She likes to climb to high places. Rukia also likes everything that is rabbit-themed or resembles a rabbit People often have difficulty understanding her drawings, which are typically rabbit-like. Rukia's favorite foods are cucumber, eggs and rice dumplings.

Rukia is extremely brave, perhaps to the point of fearlessness, staying disturbingly calm in almost any situation and willing to accept death if she sees no way out. She's also very selfless and just about always puts the good of her friends before her own, especially Ichigo's. However, this has been criticized by Ichigo as being excessive, believing she spends too much time worrying about him and not enough time worrying about herself. Another flaw she has is her tendency to blame herself for things that aren't really her fault, as noted by Renji, who tells her that she should learn to share her burdens with others instead of hiding her problems from them.

Her attitude towards Ichigo varies: at times she is a bickering adversary, and at other times, she worries about him and dispatches advice like a wise old sage. Despite their quarrels, the two have a deep understanding of each other, often being the only ones able to talk each other out of a funk, which proves their very close bond.

## Abilities

Rukia is a lieutenant/A-class combatant, and one of Ichigo Kurosaki's most trusted allies. Though not typically captain-class, Rukia's mastery of her Zanpakuto, as well as her intermediate level of Kidō and Zanjutsu, and her battle intellect, makes her a tough opponent in battle, even when she fought against captain-class combatants in the *Bleach* series.

**Kidō Expert**: Rukia's greatest strength is her knowledge of the Kidō, amongst her known skills are those for binding, healing, purifying, and destruction. However, as she said herself, while her Kidō skill at the Soul Reaper Academy were the highest of her class, the sheer power of them were just average when she joined Squad Thirteen. Through continuous training she has greatly developed this skill, such as using a level 73 Hadō spell without the incantation and with considerable effect. She switched from Zanjutsu to Kidō without delay upon losing her Zanpakuto. She has shown she is able to use several high-level Kidō in rapid succession without incantations and still have considerable control and power. She can even use low-level spells to great effect and has also shown great skill for using various spells in unique combinations, even using multiple low, mid, and even high-level spells simultaneously. However, she needs to chant the incantations to perform multiple spells at the same time. After a year and a-half of intense training, her skill, strength, and control over Kidō has increased greatly, as well as knowing how to use more advanced Kidō spells like **Hado 85: Zaiten Sōkatsui**, though she needs to perform the incantation to use the technique due to her own Kido control and skill.

**Expert Swordsman Specialist**: Rukia knows the basic levels of Zanjutsu, of which she seemed to have only mastered the rudimentary skills. By her own admission, she has less talent in swordsmanship than Kido. However after much training by her former mentor, Kaien Shiba, her skill drastically improved. She has shown to hold her own in a battle, like defending herself from attacks dealt by the Aaroniero Arruruerie, who possesses the same swordsmanship skills as Kaien Shiba.

**Shunpo Expert**: Renji says that Rukia is also helpful and effective because of her high speed. During her battle against the Adjuchas of the Menos Forest, she skillfully dodged multiple attacks from several enemies.

**Hakuda Combatant**: Rukia was also seen in a Gigai fighting enemies with her physical strength (kicking, punching, etc.). She is also capable of having hand-to-hand combat while in her Soul Reaper state, with augmented strength.

**Keen Intellect**: Repeatedly in missions, Rukia has shown herself to be very intelligent, as seen from her ability to compensate against stronger opponents with combination attacks. During her forced stay in the Human World after losing her powers, Rukia proved herself very resourceful in assisting Ichigo with his new Soul Reaper duties. Rukia is also very knowledgeable, as shown from her high marks in the academy and her knowledge of Soul Society's history.

**Enhanced Strength**: Despite her size, Rukia is actually powerful enough to defeat a superior opponent even larger than her. Even without the aid of her Zanpakutō, she was still a considerable opponent.

**Enhanced Endurance**: Despite her size, Rukia is quite resilient, even when seriously injured. She was able to withstand being impaled by Aaroniero's **Nejibana**, in conjunction with his **Glotoneria**, and finish him off before losing consciousness. She was also able to continue fighting Skyler Cerberus despite her grave injuries and her Zanpakuto powers being melted by Cerberus' magic several times.

**High Spiritual Power**: Being a lieutenant of the Gotei 13, Rukia boasts a high level of spiritual energy and can exert large amounts of Reiatsu when needed. She also has strong reserves, capable of using multiple and high-level Kidō and Zanpakutō techniques without showing fatigue or exhaustion. Her Reiatsu color is white.

### Zanpakutō

**Sode no Shirayuki** (*Sleeved White Snow*): In its sealed form, Sode no Shirayuki is a normal katana with a rectangular tsuba with inward-curved corners as well as curved slits above and below the blade, and a series of curved lines embossed on either side of the blade. It has a reddish-brown hilt and sheath. Sode no Shirayuki is an Ice-type Zanpakutō.

* **Shikai**: Rukia holds her Zanpakutō out in front of her and turns it in a circle counter-clockwise. While she is turning it, the blade, hilt and tsuba turn completely white. The tsuba becomes a hollow snowflake-like circle and a white ribbon forms from the pommel from the end of the handle. **Sode no Shirayuki** is regarded as the most beautiful Zanpakutō in all of the Soul Society. The transformation comes along with a rush of cold air in all directions and can potentially cause a cold fog to descend upon the area.

**Shikai Special Ability**: Sode no Shirayuki has control over ice, much like Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Hyōrinmaru (which is the most powerful ice and snow-type Zanpakutō), but uses it in a different manner. Like Kaname Tōsen's **Suzumushi** and Kisuke Urahara's **Benihime**, Sode no Shirayuki possesses more than one ability in Shikai. Sode no Shirayuki's abilities are labeled as "dances" by Rukia. Besides ice techniques, Sode no Shirayuki's general ability is freezing. Sode no Shirayuki can freeze a target from a distance or used in a different manner, create a path or platform of ice in midair. **Sode no Shirayuki** does not actually spread coldness from its blade; its actual ability is to bring the body temperature of its wielder to a temperature below freezing. As a result, anything its wielder touches freezes, the sword itself merely increasing their reach. Due to this power, Rukia is capable of momentarily "killing" her body by controlling her own Reishi, putting herself in a form of cryostasis. She completely stops all the molecules in her body, preventing any material or substance attempting to affect her from doing so because it cannot enter her body. However, if someone uses an optical attack on her, it will affect her because her nerves are still working. Rukia can lower her body temperature to a point at which the ground below her feet freezes instantly, causing ice quakes, and can even reduce her temperature to absolute zero, though she can only safely maintain this temperature for no more than four seconds. However, when raising the temperature from absolute zero, Rukia has to do so slowly or risk harming her own body.
* **Some no mai, Tsukishiro** (*First Dance, White Moon*): Rukia calls out the name of the dance while holding her Zanpakutō upside down. The blade glows and then she makes a slashing motion when her target is in position. When she does this, a large ice circle forms around her intended target which freezes everything that touches it. The circle not only freezes the ground but everything within the circle's influence including anything above it up in the air, creating an extending pillar of light that then freezes all within in the circle. Shortly after being frozen, the victim then shatters along with the ice. Rukia appears to be able to control the size of the circle at will.
* **Tsugi no mai, Hakuren** (*Second Dance, White Ripple*): Rukia calls out the name of the dance, and punctures the ground once creating a large ice circle similar to the first dance, then she punctures the ground in front of her four times in a semi circle. She takes a battle stance as the ice particles begin to flow up from the protrusions she made in the ground. They build up and then fires toward the target in a massive, powerful pure-white wave of ice from Sode no Shirayuki's blade, in turn encasing the target in a block of ice.
* **San no mai, Shirafune** (*Third Dance, White Sword*): Rukia calls out the name of the dance, which allows her to reforge her Zanpakutō with ice particles if it is broken, piercing through objects in its path. After piercing its target, it continues to freeze any surrounding objects, including the battlefield.
* **Daiyon no mai, Juhaku** (*Fourth Dance, White Tree*): Rukia stabs the ground which creates a trail of ice in the direction of her intended target. The ice then freezes the target from the base up in a continuing freezing process, as it transforms the target into ice.
* **Ice-Rope Connection**: If Rukia can't reach her sword, she can create an ice extension to connect her hand to the sword hilt, which allows her to use Sode no Shirayuki's Shikai abilities at a distance.

## Relationships

### Family

* Hisana Kuchiki (Older Sister, deceased)
* Ginrei Kuchiki (Adoptive Grandfather, status unknown)
* Sojun Kuchiki (Adoptive Paternal Uncle, deceased)
* Unknown Kuchiki Aunt (deceased)
* Byakuya Kuchiki (Brother-in-Law/Adoptive Older Brother)

### Friends/Allies

* Sode no Shirayuki (Zanpakutō Spirit)
* Team Karakura
	+ Ichigo Kurosaki (Best friend and partner-in-combat, also love interest)
	+ Renji Abarai (Childhood best friend and teammate)
	+ Uryu Ishida (Close friend and teammate)
	+ Orihime Inoue (Best friend and teammate, close as sisters)
	+ Yasutora Sado (Close friend)
	+ Karin Kurosaki (Good friend)
	+ Momo Hinamori
* Mod-Souls
	+ Kon
	+ Ririn
	+ Kurodo
	+ Noba
* Kisuke Urahara
* Yoruichi Shihōin
* Yuzu Kurosaki
* Isshin Kurosaki
* Jūshirō Ukitake (Captain)
* Kaien Shiba (Close friend, former lieutenant and mentor, deceased)
* Kiyone Kotetsu (Co-Third Seat)
* Sentarō Kotsubaki (Co-Third Seat)
* Shunsui Kyōraku
* Rangiku Matsumoto
* Tōshirō Hitsugaya
* Shinji Hirako
* Ikkaku Madarame
* Yumichika Ayasegawa
* Yachiru Kusajishi
* Kenpachi Zaraki
* Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto
* Hinata Hyuga (Best friend and maternal counterpart, close as sisters)
* Hanabi Hyuga
* Lucy Heartfilia
* Yukino Agria
* Winry Rockbell

### Enemies/Rivals

* Ryuha Armament Alliance
	+ Shin Uchiha
	+ Sho Uchiha
* Sōsuke Aizen
	+ Gin Ichimaru
	+ Kaname Tōsen
* Hollows
* The Arrancars
* The Espada
	+ Yammy Llargo
	+ Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez
		- Di Roy Rinker
	+ Aaroniero Arruruerie
* Rudbornn Chelute
* The Exequias
* The Bounts
	+ Jin Kariya
	+ Yoshi
	+ Mabashi
* Maki Ichinose
* Xcution
	+ Kugo Ginjo
	+ Riruka Dokugamine (also rival)

## Quotes

* *This is my Zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki! As my parting gift to you, I can at least tell you it's name.*
* (To Hinata Hyuga) "*It doesn't matter if you are born from a noble clan, or that you think that you feel useless for losing, you just have to put faith in yourself and promise to never give up, even if you are against everyone who come at you!*"