Rukia Kuchiki

**Rukia Kuchiki** is the lieutenant of Squad Thirteen under Captain Jushiro Ukitake, and the main deuteragonist of the *Bleach* franchise. She is the younger sister of Hisana Kuchiki, the adoptive younger sister/sister-in-law of Byakuya Kuchiki, and a friend of Ichigo Kurosaki.

## Statistics

* **Name**: Rukia Kuchiki
* **Origin**: Bleach
* **Gender**: Female
* **Age**: 150+ (Biologically 18)
* **Birthday**: January 14
* **Classification**: Shinigami, Squad Thirteen Lieutenant, Kuchiki Clan Noblewoman
* **Blood Type**: A
* **Height**: 144 cm (4'8.5")
* **Weight**: 33 kg (73 lbs)
* **Skin Color**: Light
* **Eye Color**: Purple
* **Hair Color**: Black
* **Relatives**: Hisana Kuchiki (Older sister), Byakuya Kuchiki (Adoptive older brother/brother-in-law)
* **Alignment**: Good
* **Status**: Active
* **Class**: **A-Class**
* **Powers and Abilities**: Zanjutsu Expert, Shunpo Expert, Kido Expert, Hakuda Combatant, Haki (Observation), Enhanced Strength, Keen Intellect, High Spiritual Power
* **Standard Equipment**: Sode no Shirayuki (Shikai)
* **Weaknesses**: When raising the temperature from absolute zero, Rukia has to do so slowly or risk harming her own body
* **Notable Attacks/Techniques**: Some no mai, Tsukishiro, Tsugi no mai, Hakuren, San no mai, Shirafune, Bakudo #4: Hainawa, Hado #4: Byakurai, Hado #33: Sokatsui, Hado #73: Soren Sokatsui, Bakudo #61: Rikujokoro
* **Voice Actor**: Fumiko Orikasa

### Power Stats

* **Attack Potency**:
* **Speed**:
* **Lifting Strength**:
* **Striking Strength**:
* **Durability**:
* **Stamina**:
* **Range**:
* **Intelligence**:
* **Key**:

## Appearance

Short and petite, Rukia has light skin, purple eyes and black cropped hair that hangs around her face, with one strand of hair always hanging between her eyes. According to Byakuya, her appearance strongly resembles that of her sister Hisana. Rukia wears a short-sleeved version of the standard *shihakusho*, along with the standard black *hakama*, a white *obi*, white *tabi*, and *waraji* sandals; as a lieutenant of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, Rukia wears her Squad 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. She is graceful, "*clean*" and lady-like, yet chooses to talk to ordinary people, unlike her aristocratic and apathetic brother. However, her cool, serious 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 in their time together. 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 Human World, 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.

## Main Skills and Equipment

**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 sheathe.

* **Shikai**: Rukia holds her Zanpakuto 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 Zanpakuto in all of 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 is an ice-type Zanpakuto. Sode no Shirayuki possesses multiple techniques, 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 Zanpakuto 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.
* **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.

**Kido Expert**: Rukia's greatest strength is her knowledge of Kido. Among her known skills are those for binding, healing, and destruction. However, as she herself stated, while her Kido skill at the Shin'ō Academy was the highest of her class, the sheer power of her Kido was just average when she joined Squad Thirteen. Through continuous training, she has greatly developed this skill, able to use Hado #73 without incantation to considerable effect. She switched from Zanjutsu to Kido without delay upon losing her Zanpakuto. She can use high-level Kido in rapid succession without incantations and still retain considerable control and power. She has great skill in using various spells in unique combination, even using multiple spells at the same time. However, she requires incantations when using high-level spells simultaneously.

* **Bakudo #4: Hainawa** (*Crawling Rope*): Binds enemies with a Reishi rope to stop their movement. Generating a crackling yellow energy rope within his/her hand(s), the practitioner throws it toward the opponent. The energy winds around the opponent's arms and body, immobilizing them.
* **Hado #4: Byakurai** (*Pale Lightning*): The practitioner gathers high-density spiritual energy, which they discharge from both hands. Alternatively, the practitioner points at the intended target with their index finger and generates a concentrated bolt of lighting to use against the target.
* **Hado #33: Sokatsui** (*Blue Fire, Crash Down*): Blue flames discharge from the palm. The practitioner aims the palm of their hand at their target and generates a torrent of blue energy before firing it at their target. The energy moves like a direct blast or a large wave of energy, depending on the amount of power which is placed into it. Depending on the user's proficiency with the technique, it can damage an opponent's Bankai. Kuchiki Clan members are well versed in this Hado.
	+ **Hado #73: Soren Sokatsui** (*Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down*): An advanced form of Hado #33. Sokatsui, it has twice the effectiveness. Generating blue energy with his/her index and middle fingers, the practitioner makes a pushing motion with both of his/her palms to push the gathered energy toward the target in a concentrated blast. It is essentially a doubled version of Sokatsui because the user fires two bursts of blue energy with much greater potency than the single shot variety.
* **Bakudo #61: Rikujokoro** (*Six Rods Prison of Light*): Summons six thin, wide beams of light that slam into a target's midsection, holding them in place. The target is then unable to move any part of their body including the parts that were not struck by the beams.

**Zanjutsu Expert**: 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 can hold her own in a battle, most notably defending herself from attacks from the 9th Espada, who possessed the expert swordsmanship skill of Kaien Shiba.

**Shunpo Expert**: Renji says Rukia is 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**: While in a Gigai, she fought enemies with her hands and feet (kicking, punching, etc.). She is capable of hand-to-hand combat while in her Shinigami state, possessing augmented strength. During the Bount Invasion, she countered the swift and accurate attacks of Yoshi.

**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 Zanpakuto, she was still a considerable opponent in battle.

**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 finished him off before losing consciousness.

**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. Her Reiatsu is white.

## Relationships

* Kaien Shiba
* Hisana Kuchiki
* Byakuya Kuchiki
* Jushiro Ukitake
* Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu
* Renji Abarai
* Ichigo Kurosaki
* Kon
* Orihime Inoue
* Uryu Ishida
* Yasutora Sado
* Kisuke Urahara
* Yoruichi Shihoin
* Ganju and Kukaku Shiba
* Aaroniero Arruruerie
* Gin Ichimaru
* Sosuke Aizen
* Riruka Dokugamine