ayasegawa yumichikaYumichika is the narcissist friend of Ikkaku Madarame. Yumichika is a powerful combatant and wanted to become the 3rd Seat, since he thought the kanji for the number three was the most beautiful, though Ikkaku took it, so Yumichika took the 5th Seat, as he thought that the kanji for 5 resembled 3. He has colorful feathers on his eyelashes and eyebrow, and shiny skin and hair, giving him a rather womanly appearance.
Personality
Yumichika judges everyone and everything by beauty, and is also incredibly vain. However, he is at times shown to be caring and helpful to others. He is extremely loyal to his friend Ikkaku even going as far as to abandon his post at a pillar in the fake Karakura town to try and save Ikkaku from being killed. He cares deeply about what Ikkaku thinks and hides the true nature of his zanpakutō from him for fear of being hated. He, along with Renji Abarai, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Rangiku Matsumoto and Tetsuzaemon Iba are the only people who have seen Ikkaku's Bankai, although Keigo Asano also might have seen it. Whenever he uses an Artificial soul to leave his Gigai, his personality changes to a rather violent and irritable one.
History
Yumichika was a friend of Ikkaku Madarame from a long time ago, before Zaraki was a captain. During their past the two went throughout the Rukongai together looking for fights, and one day Ikkaku lost to Kenpachi Zaraki. After a speech given to them by him about living to kill the one who failed to kill them, and later after hearing news of Kenpachi becoming a captain, the two joined the 11th Division to serve under him. They proved themselves to Zaraki and became seated officers.
Synopsis
Soul Society arc
Yumichika, alongside Ikkaku, finds Ichigo Kurosaki and Ganju Shiba shortly after they arrive in Seireitei, and Yumichika fights off Ganju. Ganju spends most of the time running away and playing unsuccessful tricks, though he manages to defeat Yumichika with an explosive. He later fights 9th Division lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi, when he tries to stop Kenpachi from helping Ichigo's friends, and wins by releasing his Zanpakutō.
Bount arc
When the Bounts begin attacking living humans, Tōshirō Hitsugaya puts together a team of Shinigami consisting of Yumichika, Shūhei Hisagi, Rangiku Matsumoto, and Izuru Kira. Yumichika questions Hitsugaya as to why he was elected for the assignment. Hitsugaya explains that Kenpachi told him that Yumichika was the only one "with nothing better to do". Initially, Yumichika is the only one working on his own when the team arrives in Karakura Town, while the other Shinigami sent are assisting Ichigo and his friends who are dealing with the Bounts. Yumichika eventually manages to find the Bounts' main hideout, but decides to wait for the rest of his team.
When the rest of the team Hitsugaya organized arrives, Yumichika decides to go ahead on his own, but he (along with the rest of the group) is defeated by Ugaki's Doll. He is later found by Ichigo and Renji Abarai, who arrive later. They decide to carry Yumichika along, but they are all confronted by by Ugaki and his Doll in its full form. Renji decides to fight on his own, insisting that both Ichigo and Yumichika stay out of the battle. Ichigo shows numerous protests even during the battle, but Yumichika reveals to him that Renji used to belong to the 11th Division; and most members of the 11th Division fight to the death on their own, Renji being no exception (even after he was transferred). After Renji defeats the Doll, he can no longer continue. Yumichika urges Ichigo to continue on, telling him that he would look after Renji, so he wouldn't have to worry about him.
Yumichika also heads 11th Division matters along with Ikkaku, while Kenpachi and Yachiru are unable to.
Arrancar arc
Yumichika is later assigned to Tōshirō Hitsugaya's team to fight off the Arrancar. During the second first attack let by Grimmjow he prevents Keigo Asano from interfering with Ikkaku's battle with Edrad Liones. When Luppi leads the third invaition he battles and losses to Luppi.
Fake Karakura Town arc
When Aizen and the top three Espada invade the fake Karakura Town, he along with Ikkaku, Shūhei and Izuru Kira are left to protect the pillars that hold the real Karakura Town in Soul Society. Barragan Luisenbarn sends his Fracción to do battle at each point, with Yumichika getting paired with Charlotte Cuuhlhourne. Though initially their somewhat similar personalities causes an argument in a comedic fashion, the fight quickly turns serious, with Yumichika getting overpowered by Cuuhlhourne's attacks. He provokes the Arrancar to release his sword by slicing part of his hair after getting called his rival, greatly annoying himself. After Cuuhlhourne uses his ability, Rosa Blanca, to conceal the fighters, Yumichika in turn activates his sword's true form, Ruri'iro Kujaku, and drains his Spiritual Energy.
He later is surprised along with the other Shinigami present that Ikkaku lost his fight and becomes erratic and proceeds to come to his friends aid. Hisagi tries to calm him, but Yumichika does not listen to him, causing Kira to knock him out, stating that his manners are not appropriate when addressing his superiors and that he needs to calm himself.
Powers & Abilities
Despite being a 5th seated officer, it has been shown that Yumichika is capable of fighting on par with lieutenant-level Shinigami, especially when he uses the full power of his zanpakutō.
Spiritual Power
Swordsmanship
Zanpakutō
Ruri'iro Kujaku (瑠璃色孔雀, Azure Peacock), "Nickname" Fuji Kujaku (藤孔雀, Wisteria Peacock). According to Yumichika, the Zanpakutō's favorite color is azure, and its least favorite is wisteria purple. Hence, when he calls his sword Fuji Kujaku instead of its true name, it sulks and won’t achieve its true power. It is only when he calls it by its true name that its potential is achieved. Although Yumichika does not admit it to his 11th Division comrades for fear of being hated, especially by Ikkaku, since 11th Division Zanpakutō are generally used for direct attack, he has a Kidō-type zanpakuto.
- Shikai: The Shikai command for Fuji Kujaku is "bloom" (咲け sake, "bloom for me" in the English adaptations). As Fuji Kujaku, it takes the form of a sickle-shaped blade, or falx, distinguished from the khopesh by the cutting edge being located on the inside. A hinge at the hilt allows it to split into four identical blades.[2]
- Shikai Special Ability: By using the command "Split and Deviate" (裂き狂え, sakikurue)[3], Ruri'iro Kujaku flares up and takes the appearance of many peacock feather like vines.[4], after which it drains the opponent's spiritual power, allowing him to beat even lieutenant-level fighters with apparent ease (It should be noted that the command Sakikurue (Split and Deviate) is the true release command for Yumichika's Zanpakutō). The peacock feathers become vines that ensnare an opponent then flowers grow out of the the vines, these flowers grow as they steal an opponent's spiritual power. Any Spiritual Energy an opponent uses will just go straight into them. When the flowers bloom the collected Spiritual Energy is turned against the opponent. By chewing the petals he can heal his wounds.
- Bankai: Not Yet Achieved. It is also assumed he is trying to learn his Bankai, though Ruri'iro Kujaku is just as narcissistic as Yumichika himself, leading Yumichika to comically yell at his sword while trying to break it against a boulder, it also doesn't help that Yumichika does not often refer to him by is real name.
Trivia
- Ruri'iro Kujaku was revealed for the first time when Yumichika battles Charlotte Cuuhlhourne. However, its true nature was in fact hinted at as early as the Soul Society arc (which is where he was first introduced), shown when he defeats Hisagi easily without even a wound and an enraged Hisagi commenting that Yumichika's Zanpakutō has drained all of his spiritual power.
- Powerful as it is, Yumichika only makes use of his Zanpakutō's Kidō properties when no other member of the 11th Division is around, lest they witness the true nature of his Zanpakutō and ridicule him .
