nova

Nova (之芭, Nova) More commonly known as Nova. In his gigai, he appears as a handsome young man in a fur coat with a shield on his back and a zippered mask, with a slim build, red hair, and aqua eyes. His attire makes him look somewhat like a ninja. He inhabits an anthropomorphic turtle plushie in grey dress trousers and a white ruffled shirt with a red bow tie when out of his gigai, which Chad purchased specifically for him. He's very quiet, rarely speaking more than a few words (Usually only responding to a question by saying "no problem") and also rather shy with women, zipping up his hood when he wishes to show emotion while in his gigai, or pulling his head into his shirt while in his stuffed animal form. One example of this is when Rukia Kuchiki picks Nova up in his stuffed animal form and holds him close to her face, he is seen to blush at the close contact and lowers his head into his shirt, or when he works together with Rangiku Matsumoto while fighting one of the Bount having to change out of his gigai because they had to touch. He is partnered with Yasutora Sado, who is equally quiet. The two seem to get along well, since they are similarly industrious, silent and willing to fade into the background.

Nova's plushie body

Compared to his far louder and more verbal teammates, Nova is very uncomplaining and easy to get along with. He doesn't annoy anyone else in the cast, and several humans and shinigami seem to be fond of him. He is also the most likely to get things done without comment; in one episode Renji spits coffee all over the table, and Nova cleans it up and then sugars Renji's coffee without a word.

Nova has the power to teleport himself and others to any location he's been to. He can also use his spiritual sense to teleport to the location of those with spiritual powers. Additionally, he can create wormholes to redirect ranged attacks, both physical and energy based, back at the enemy. He can also absorb fire. When he is in his plushie, his teleportation range is limited to about two meters. Despite being unusually shy, he is somewhat analytical and adept at strategic combat.

isshin kurosaki

Character outline

In the beginning of the series, Isshin is portrayed as a silly, fight-loving father who is "extremely over-energetic" and takes a keen interest in what his children are doing, but does it either offensively or with an all-too-happy tone, which elicits comical reactions from his kids, usually in the form of a kick. Because his kids choose to keep to themselves, he doesn't know what they are doing. Mainly Ichigo, but since he's a boy, Ichigo doesn't need to be watched over as much as his twin daughters. Isshin also seems to enjoy making fun of Ichigo and has a tendency to talk to the large memorial poster of his late wife Masaki, which he has pinned up in their kitchen, whenever he feels particularly emotional. Isshin is a big fan of Don Kanonji's TV show.

Despite his outrageous guise, however, Isshin can be serious and grim at times. On the date of Masaki's death, Isshin smokes a single cigarette in front of her grave, since she thought it made him look cool (she said it when they were dating). He reflects that it was the first and maybe the last time she ever complimented his appearance. He also told Ichigo that he shouldn't blame himself for his mother's death because she gave her life to protect him. In addition, during his confrontation with the arrancar Grand Fisher and the subsequent chat with Kisuke Urahara, he remains completely serious (aside from a short argument between him and Kon about his parenting, and another, albeit short, between him and Urahara after the latter likens him to his son).

Isshin appears to be an associate of Kisuke Urahara and possesses knowledge of Sōsuke Aizen's alliance with the Menos. He mentions in his conversation with Urahara that he encountered arrancar about ten years before the main storyline, though they were nowhere near as complete as Fisher. He also reveals to Kon that he has been aware of Ichigo's shinigami activities and Kon's substitutions since Grand Fisher's first attack. He also notes that he has never called Kon "Ichigo" while Kon is in Ichigo's body and that the traveling charm he gave Ichigo before he went to rescue Rukia was actually for Kon (it's a protection talisman). This shows the sensitivity and propriety that he possesses of his role as Ichigo's father, which is rarely portrayed in the series.

Isshin also shares a relationship with Ryūken Ishida not unlike that of their sons. When Ryūken discovers his son is missing, Isshin pays him a visit and the two chat about their respective styles of parenting. It is then revealed that Ryūken was aware of Isshin's status, and he comments on Isshin's powers. The Bleach Official Animation Book VIBEs states that the two have some prior history together, and that they have been acquaintances for quite some time. It can also be noted they both are doctors, Isshin runs a clinic while Ryūken runs a hospital. It was hinted in volume 1 that the two cooperate on a professional level. After a major car accident, Isshin is overheard on the phone arguing with a hospital employee who is refusing to transfer the overload of patients. He says that the employee should tell his boss that Kurosaki needs a favor and then beds will open right up, then slams the phone down.

History

Little is known about Isshin's history, except that he was once a captain-level shinigami, though his division is currently unknown. Twenty years before the main storyline, he ceased being a shinigami, although it is unclear whether he officially quit his duties at that time or on an earlier date. His current shinigami uniform retains a captain's robe, but it has no visible division insignia and is worn like a sash over his left shoulder. After leaving the shinigami, Isshin lost most of his powers, and has only recently regained them. It is implied that he was more powerful and is still recovering. However, he was still powerful enough at this point to slay Grand Fisher, in his released arrancar form, with a single strike of his sealed zanpakutō.

He married Masaki Kurosaki and they had three children: Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu. Masaki later died at the hands of Grand Fisher, who was a simple hollow at the time, six years before the main storyline. Isshin was unable to prevent Masaki's death and blamed himself for it; later in the series however, he eventually kills Grand Fisher, both protecting Kon (inhabiting Ichigo's body) from attack and finally avenging his wife's death.

Synopsis

Isshin as a shinigami

Isshin plays the role character since early in the story, often attacking Ichigo or annoying his daughters. In the first episode it appears that he has no clue whats going on in Ichigo's life since he didn't know that more and more souls had been talking to Ichigo, something that Ichigo had told his sisters. Secretly, however, he has had complete knowledge of Ichigo's shinigami activities. He also knows about Kon, who takes Ichigo's place when he's gone, and never once has called Kon "Ichigo" while he's in his son's body.

Isshin gives Ichigo a talisman, claiming it's a good luck charm originally given to him by Masaki, when really it was to protect Ichigo's body while Kon is in it. Isshin also has a brief fight with Grand Fisher, where he kills the arrancar with a single cut from his sword, thereby avenging his wife's death. When Grand Fisher says that the size of a sword shows the amount of power someone may have, Isshin states that while its true, captain-level shinigami know to compress it, otherwise all captains of the Soul Society would be swinging around swords the size of skyscrapers. Urahara then appears, and they talk about the Vizards' interest in Ichigo and Sōsuke Aizen. When Ichigo leaves for Hueco Mundo, Isshin visits Ryūken at the hospital, commenting on what a horrible father Ryūken is and also accepting the fact that he himself is a horrible father. He was able to get into the underground training spot even though Ryūken mostly hid it. His old friend is genuinely surprised that Isshin has regained his powers, while Isshin notices that Ryūken still smokes despite being in a hospital.

Powers & Abilities

When Isshin first appears in his shinigami uniform, he implies that he has abilities on-par to that of a Captain-level shinigami, This is further implied by the fact that he has a captain's haori strapped to his left shoulder as a type of strap. It is unknown what the extent of Isshin's shinigami powers is (Zanjutsu, Kidō, Hakuda, and Hohō). However, he was quick enough to bifurcate Grand Fisher before he realized it.

Zanpakutō

The name of Isshin's zanpakutō has not yet been revealed. Isshin has only used it once as an example of how every captain-level shinigami must compress the sizes of their zanpakutō, as they would otherwise be swinging swords the size of skyscrapers, when he spoke to Grand Fisher. It is also worn with the edge down like a tachi, instead of the edge up like a katana. The end of the hilt has a tassel similar to Ichigo's original zanpakutō.

URAHARA KISUKE

Biography:
CHARACTER HISTORY -
Kisuke's history as a Shinigami is still very much a mystery, though it is known that he was once Captain of the Twelvth Division and founder of the Research and Development Intitution, holding that place before Mayuri Kurotsuchi. While working in that division, and even before then, Urahara was constantly innovating the Shinigami World, credited with the creation of Gikongan (Soul Candy) and Gigai (False Bodies). He created many other valuable tools for the Shinigami world, but are not as mainsteam as those two successes.

He pioneered a method which allowed him to reach Bankai in only three days of training; a process that he tested on himself under the watchful eye of his childhood companion, Yoruichi Shihouin. In addition to that, he was also responsible for devising the training that allowed Ichigo to obtain Shinigami powers after their loss at the hands of Byakuya Kuchiki. His greatest acheivement is seen as being the Hogyoku, or the Orb of Distortion, used to disolve the barrier between Shinigami and Hollow, which played a pivotal role in the creation of the Arrancar.

His aquaintences range from unusual to mysterious, and all seem to know him from his past as a Shinigami. Tessai Tsukabishi, known as the apron wearing man who works at Urahara's store, is known to possess high level Kido, which had led to implications that he had once been Kisuke's Lieutenant in the Gotei 13. Yoruichi Shihouin has been described as Kisuke's oldest friend, and perhaps dates all the way back to early childhood, as they have been seen as friends in their teenage years during the anime. Finally, Kisuke is seen to have casual conversation with Isshin Kurosaki, who was at that time revealed to have been a Shinigami. It is also implied that Urahara had given him a Gigai that was draining his Reiatsu to make Isshin an ordinary human, in much the same manner that he had intended to do with Rukia.

As of late, he was seen supervising training for Yasutora Sado, by pitting him against Renji Abarai, promising to answer all Renji's questions if he were to battle with Chad for the allotted time. His latest move was to come to the aid of Toshiro Hitsugaya and his companions, and began battle against the Arranacar Espada number Ten, Yami.

PERSONALITY -
Kisuke can easily be considered a free spirited lover of life. Constantly seen as sleepish and overly humorous, he disguises his true wisdom from those he doesn't wish to see it. Of all the characters in Bleach, he is the most vibrant, easily capable of being happy, overly dramatic, somber, and shameful, gicven what the situation applies for. Urahara is considered an expert Game Theorist, capable of analyzing a person and knowing exactly how to press their buttons in order to acheive the results necessary for the desired ends. Among all else, he also carries himself with a bit of guilt, for having to shoulder Ichigo, a man he has such faith in, to do what he cannot. ABILITIES -
Urahara's true strengths lie in his inventions, which are famous throughout Soul Society and used on a daily basis by Shinigami everywhere. Though he has proven to be a valuable ally, he has only one ever entered into combat himself, in the process of training Ichigo, and is in the beginning stages of a battle with the Arrancar, thus his powers are still somewhat unknown.

His Zanpakutou is Benihime (Crimson Princess) and has been described by Urahara as "not nice" as well as being a famale Zanpakutou, released by the phrase "Okiro" (awake). It's abilities lie in the manipulation of blood, and it believed to possess multiple abilities, though the only known two are a blood mist shield, and the power to fire energy blasts with the verbal command Nake (Sing). In it's unsealed form, it appears as a cane; one of only two known Zanpakutou to alter it's shape to something other than a sword in that form.

While his Bankai is currently unknown, it is known that he does possess one, as he completed a three day training exercise in order to obtain it. Additionally, as a former Captain of the Gotei 13, he would have to meet the prerequisite of obtaining Bankai, a rule exempted only in the case of Kenpachi Zaraki. According to Urahara, in his conversation with Renji, his Bankai is not a type that could have helped Yasutora Sado in his training, which seems to imply that it is not a combat type. This was Kisuke's reason for asking Renji to be Sado's training partner.

NAME -
His given name, Urahara, is translated to mean "opposite" which may represent the views he has about the spirit world. The opposing opinions he had may have been what led him to leave Soul Society in the first place, as well as leading to the creation of the Hogyoku. His first name can be broken down and translated to "skill" and "assistance", an implication of his knowledge and how it has benefited Ichigo and his companions in their battles against the Hollow and other foes.