< Bleach

Bleach/Tropes A-G


Tropes used in Bleach include:
  • Aborted Arc: A major complaint by the fans.
    • There were evidently insinuations that Orihime was modified by Aizen, which was never explored.
    • A huge chunk of characters and plot points are left unresolved at the end of the Arrancar saga. Either they will be expanded at a later point, or never brought up again. At best, we'll see what happened to them in the next characters' databook.
    • The backstory of Ginjo and Tsukishima.
  • Action Girl: A major reason of the Periphery Demographic - the majority of females are rather Badass.
  • Adaptation Distillation: The musicals, which cut out most of the side characters and even some of the main characters (such as Ishida). They have a great cast, great music, great acting and lot of humour, especially during the bonus songs.
  • Adaptation Dye Job: Happens a lot with hair colours: Matsumoto (blonde -> reddish-blonde), Nelliel (light green -> blue with green tint), Gin (white -> purple tint), Orihime (brown -> orange), Starrk (black -> brown). Harribel's skin tone was lightened between the manga and the anime. Yumichika's feathers are multi-coloured in the manga, but solid yellow and solid red in the anime.
    • Possibly an attempt at a Justified Trope: Anime!Ishida Ryuuken's hair is very dark brown when he first appears in one of Uryuu's flashbacks, which surprised some fans, since it had looked light-colored in the corresponding manga scene. The first time he appears in person in the anime, his hair is completely silver/white as in the manga and it looks for a moment like the animators are just going to pretend it was always that way...and then the scene cuts to a flashback to the flashback, and it's dark again. Given that the flashback may have been up to a decade earlier, it's at least somewhat plausible Ryuuken could have gone totally gray in that time (especially given all the dangerous shit Uryuu's done since then).
    • Adaptation Contact Lenses: Gin's eyes change color throughout different media, possibly because it took a long time for Kubo to reveal what colour they actually were. The anime chose to give him red eyes and some of the video games gave him yellow eyes. Kubo eventually revealed his eyes were blue and the anime changed Gin's eye colour accordingly.
  • Adaptation Expansion: Can be found in the form of Kurodo, Lirin, and Noba, three recurring characters exclusive to the anime. They showed up as minor antagonists in a filler story, but since Defeat Means Friendship, they've stuck around as comedy relief and occasionally useful allies. They also have a tendency to dance around during the end credits.
    • "Karakurizer", a Sentai parody, was originally three or four between-chapter illustrations. The anime, bless its tarnished soul, expanded this into two very, very funny episodes.[1]
    • The pre-shinigami backstory of Ikkaku has only a couple of panels in the manga. It gets an entire filler episode in the anime.
    • The rather short fights in Winter War arc (you know, the ones people have been complaining about) are lengthened in the anime.
    • In Grimmjow and Ichigo's first Curb Stomp Battle, Ichigo gets his face beaten in for a lot longer than in the manga. In the manga, it lasts about two or three panels; in the anime, it lasts about ten minutes. Ten looooooooong minutes.
    • One of the worst is the monster Allon slapping his chest wound for almost a minute. For no reason at all.
  • Adapted Out: The Bleach: Musical for the stage removed several characters, including important ones, like Uyruu Ishida and Orihime Inoue, both of whom will be insanely vital in later arcs.
  • A Day in the Limelight: Chapter 480 shows what happens when an unseated Shinigami with no real distinction gets caught up in enemies more suited to Ichigo's level. The results are NOT pretty.
  • Alertness Blink: Used a few times.
  • All Love Is Unrequited: Most of the love in this series is either one-sided, or unclear whether there are any romantic feelings in the first place.
  • All Just a Dream: Episode 287, it is even said that it is just a dream during the episode!
    • It happens again in the monster episode (episode 304), only this time it's Komamura's dream, not Isane's. And once again, Ichigo mentions that it's got to be a dream.
  • Any Torment You Can Walk Away From: Ishida brings hollow bait to a dispute where a tape measure would suffice. No one brings it up again after they're done solving the problems he created, except in the anime-only New Captain Amagai arc. Aizen gives it a passing mention in chapter 397, and that's probably the last we'll ever hear of it.
    • Mayuri set up the situation that wiped out nearly every remaining Quincy (including Ishida's grandfather) and then experimented on them in the afterlife until they died again. He also rigged Shinigami from his own division to be unwitting suicide bombs. No one, not even Ishida, brings this up at any point after the Soul Society arc.
  • Alluring Anglerfish: Grand Fisher has a special lure.
  • Ambiguously Brown: Gosuke Kiganjo, Kaname Tosen, Abirama Redder, Zommari Rureaux, Tier Harribel and Yoruichi Shihoin.
  • Angels Pose: Rukia, Orihime and Rangiku strike it at the end of the 10th anime opening.
  • Animal Motifs / Animal Stereotypes: Several characters in the show. First, you have Gin Ichimaru, aka 'Fox Face' and compared to, well, a fox. Then you have Yoruichi Shihouin who is likened to a black cat; hell, who am I kidding? Yoruichi can turn into a black cat. Next up is Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, who is likened to a panther. After all, his sword is named Pantera and then there is the matter of his released form, in which his appearance becomes decidedly more feline not to mention the fact that he actually was a panther-like Adjuchas-class Menos before becoming an Arrancar. Starrk (wolves, fitting with the whole lone wolf thing), Komamura (he is a dog, for christ's sake), and Hallibel (shark) all qualify. Gin is also a pretty snake-like individual. Then there's Neliel, whose adult form's skull has goat horns on it. Not to mention her release form, [dead link] which is literally part-goat. Her Zanpakuto, also, is named Gamuza; which appears to mean Chamois, a type of goat, in Spanish. In short, every single one of the Espada.
  • Animated Actors: Some of the Omake have the characters as these.
  • Anime Hair: Rukia. Hitsugaya. Most of the non-Arrancar haircuts are actually fairly reasonable for an anime, though.
  • Apathy Killed the Cat: Many characters over the course of the series, usually played for laughs; Ichigo is a frequent participant.
  • The Archer: Old-school Quincies.
  • An Arm and a Leg: Several people, including major characters, have lost their limbs in the midst of their battles—on some occasions, their limbs have been reattached successfully.
    • Byakuya Kuchiki severed the tendons in his left arm and leg during his battle with Zommari.
  • Arc Villain: Most of the Filler Villains.
  • Art Evolution: Basically Kubo re-polishing his style; the real differences are in the eyes. Somereference!
  • Art Shift: In the Stinger of Episode 350, for no apparent reason.
  • Artificial Riverbank: All of Karakura Town is built around a big river with suck banks. Said river is good for watching fireworks, doing exercise, and being devoured by The Heartless.
  • Artistic Age
  • Ascended Meme: From one of the previews in the Zanpakuto Tales filler arc. "Isn't Kenpachi's Zanpakuto going to materialize?" "Of course not. If his Zanpakuto materialized, Soul Society would be destroyed and the show would be over." "Oh, so the studio stepped in."
    • Also, the "Leek Spin Girl" meme has appeared as an official card in the Bleach CCG. Orihime - Leek Spin.
  • Ascended Extra: Tite Kubo's love of minor characters is well-known and oft-expressed, so it's not surprising that this happens a lot. Many of the captains and lieutenants from the 13 Squads are good examples.
  • Asskicking Equals Authority: The Gotei 13.
  • Asskicking Pose: Parodied/Subverted with Tatsufusa, 8th Division 3rd seat, and his Zanpakuto-flailing.
  • As You Know: Used often in the anime. An egregious one happens in the Invading Army arc, when a random Shinigami says "Ichigo Kurosaki, who has been imprisoned for being in the Dangai, has escaped!" to Ukitake and Kyoraku, who already knew why Ichigo was imprisoned.
  • Author Appeal: There's a reason why some fans call him Titty Kubo. He also likes to dress up his characters in different outfits on the splash pages.
    • He's also got a thing for drawing closeups of people's teeth.
  • Awesome but Impractical: There are a number of impractically huge weapons in the series, such as Renji's flail, Baraggan's axe, Nnoitra's sickle and Ikkaku's Bankai...thing. Currently in first place is Soifon's cruise missile Bankai—it looks kind of cool, but she absolutely hates it because it is so impractical for her preferred combat style, being huge, heavy, noisy, flashy, unhideable, and using too much power for her to do it again too many times.
    • Not to mention that her Shikai is absurdly broken anyway. Because what does a speedster need? A weapon that can kill anything by hitting the same spot twice!
  • Awesomeness By Analysis: Kisuke Urahara, Uryu Ishida, Izuru Kira, Szayelaporro Granz and Mayuri Kurotsuchi (though the last two do most of their analysis in advance).
  • An Axe to Grind: Jidanbou (before Ichigo destroyed his weapons) and Baraggan, both normally and released.
  • Badass: Who in this manga isn't? Even most of the minor characters will get a brief moment to shine.
  • Badass Long Robe
  • Bad Cop, Incompetent Cop
  • Bandage Babe: Fairly common in Bleach as it allows for shinigami, including female shinigami, to be stripped down at the chest without revealing anything. In Chapter 422, both Renji and Rukia are this at the same time.
  • Barbie Doll Anatomy: Although Bleach makes liberal use of Scenery Censor to hide the worst, it's quite clear that this trope is at work as well, especially whenever Yoruichi is stripped down.
  • Bare Your Midriff: Harribel, Nelliel, Mila-Rose, Lilynette, Loly and Charlotte Cuulhorne.
  • Barefoot Poverty: Becomes a plot point during the final arc - the denizens of Soul Society's worst districts are disappearing en masse, leaving only footprints, including some shoe prints. It's revealed that people who live within Districts 50-80 are so poverty-stricken, none have been known to wear shoes for 550 years. This clues in Lieutenant Kira to the fact that the conclusion villagers killed each other is wrong and that entire villages are being slaughtered by shinigami. Thanks to Kira's revelation, it's discovered that, because a huge number of hollows were annihilated by Quincies, Mayuri's men comitted mass murder to avoid a pan-dimensional disaster that could destroy entire worlds: killing spirit-dwelling villagers counter-balanced the destroyed hollows in a case of Balancing Death's Books.
  • Barely-There Swimwear: In the Beach Episode based on the manga omakes, the women are shopping for swimwear and Isane is mourning the fact all the cute costumes are for shorter women. Her sister Kiyone finds her a swimsuit that she can wear, the catch being that it's entirely too revealing and skimpy for Isane to even contemplate wearing it. Her captain, Unohana intervenes and takes Kiyone's side, further shocking Isane. Then she reveals the swimming costume she's going to wear... and even Kiyone's jaw hits the floor. Only Isane's and Unohana's swimwear are commented on in-universe so only they fit this trope.
  • Battle Aura: Spiritual force is initially depicted as wind, but later in the series develops into auras. Certain high-power characters can even incapacitate weaker opponents simply by releasing their auras.
  • Beach Episode: Episode 228, and the omake of Volume 26, which also includes Orihime licking off the juices left from the Naughty Tentacles of some artificially created watermelon monsters created by the 12th division.
  • The Beautiful Elite: Thanks to Art Evolution, nearly the entire cast is very attractive, but instead of limiting them to just effeminate boys and pretty girls, we have muscular and handsome men (Shunsui, Isshin, Ichigo, Hisagi, Grimmjow, Renji), voluptuous women (Orihime, Rangiku, Harribel), gorgeous Bishonen and attractive women (Byakuya, Noba, Ulquiorra, Szayel, Ishida, Ggio, Yoruichi, Neliel, Rukia), Sajin Komamura, Yachiru, and lovely faces for the rest, which just about covers all the different tastes.
  • Become Your Weapon: Trope Maker - the Arrancar all merge with their Zanpakuto when they want to go One-Winged Angel.
  • Berserk Button: Several, listed here.
  • Between My Legs: Ichigo, Rukia and Yuzu had this shot.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Retsu Unohana, Shunsui Kyoraku, Sosuke Aizen, Jushiro Ukitake, Coyote Starrk...
  • Beyond the Impossible: For the in-universe we have Aizen who seeks to break the physical rules separating Shinigami from Hollow. he gives this big long speech at the end of the Soul Society arc about how hard these rules are. Now for the meta:
    • While most people associate this with Aizen, it is worth noting that everything since Chapter 238 has supposedly happened in one day. Almost 200 chapters covering one day. Four arcs (not counting filler), in one day.
    • Also, the chapter numbers. Bleach was already unique for having fractional and negative numbered chapters, but now it has a Chapter i, as in the imaginary number i.
  • BFG: Soifon's Bankai.
    • Also, in the anime filler Sword Fiend arc, Hanatarou's materialized Zanpakuto, Hisagomaru, unfolds a BFG from the hidden compartment in his chest after absorbing enough pain energy.
    • Adding to Hisagomaru's situation is that he, a one or two foot tall Bic-logo looking robot uses a BFG the size of a bus.
    • No mention of Ururu's missile launcher? It's three times as big as she is!
  • BFS: Do you have to ask?
    • Special prize goes to Gin's sword. In shikai form, Shinsou can extend to 100 times its normal length. In bankai, the damn thing is long enough to reach the outskirts of Karakura Town (which is a pretty big place) from roughly the center of the city.
    • And then there's the building-size spear Sokyoku that's used as an execution device.
    • Ginjou can turn his necklace into one of these.
  • Big Bad: Barring filler and movie villains, that would be Sosuke Aizen, though he's been regulated to Disc One Final Boss status following his defeat.
    • Big Bad Duumvirate: In the Lost Agent arc, Shukuro Tsukishima and Kugo Ginjo, natch.
    • The newest Big Bad is the leader of the Vandenreich, a Quincy with a mustache, Badass Cape and serious Bad Boss tendencies.
  • Big Bra to Fill: The stage adaptation.
  • Big Breasts, Big Deal: Several examples.
    • Type I: Isane, during the anime adaptation of the Beach Episode.
    • Type III. Most of the buxom babes fall under this category.
    • Type IV. Rangiku and Yoruichi will switch between Type III and Type IV as it suits them.
    • Type V. Orihime.
  • Big Damn Heroes: This manga thrives on this trope with multiple examples that just keep on coming.
  • Big Eater: Yoruichi in the anime episode #114, after fighting the Arrancar Yammy Riyalgo.
    • Yachiru, to the point of being a Running Gag.
    • Yammy too, although his is sometimes a bit more sini- Wait a sec, why do all their names start with Y?
  • Big Good: One could say the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Genryusai Yamamoto, the most powerful Shinigami for over 2000 years, although he never provides direct support to the main cast - just his own pack of protagonists - and even then, only rarely.
    • It's all up for individual interpretation, as some people say it's Shinji Hirako, the unofficial leader of the Vizards, who's far more of a direct threat to Aizen. Others look to Kisuke Urahara, the only character that can match Aizen mentally, acting as a Guile Hero Trickster Mentor to Ichigo's gang. And even then, a few would point at Isshin Kurosaki, a former captain and Ichigo's father, the only one that actually managed to personally exhaust Aizen in a fight without releasing his zanpakuto, as well as the only all-star top-tier fighter (sans Ichigo himself) left standing after the Fake Karakura arc ends.
  • Big No: Multiple examples.
  • Bird Run
  • Bishonen: There are plenty of examples in this story, including (but not limited to): Uryuu, Ryuuken, Aizen, Byakuya, Ukitake, Kira, Yumichika, Luppi, Szayelaporro, Tensa Zangetsu, Tsukishima, Yukio.
  • Bishonen Line: Hollows of Menos class and higher shrink down and get less monstrous-looking as they get stronger; the ultimate hollow class Vasto Lorde are basically humans with masks. Also, Aizen unlocks the power of hollows by removing their mask...and the change in power is shown by them becoming more human-like.
    • The Espada's releases are an example of this as one goes up by number until you reach the top 3. Yammy, Aaroniero, Szayel, and Zommari (10th through 7th respectively) are outright monstrous, but they get progressively smaller and arguably less scary. 6th through 3rd Espadas Grimmjow, Nnoitra, Ulquiorra, and Harribel (whose release gives her a much more Stripperific outfit and changes her sword into a BFS, but that's it.) are animal based. Number 2 Baraggan defies the pattern by becoming a skeleton with a flaming fur coat, and 1st Espada Starrk gets it back on track with an eyepatch and a change of clothes. And a pair of really cool guns...only for the pattern to once again be defied by Yammy, as he's Espada #0 as well.
    • Ichigo's sword. It started out as a positively enormous katana-thing that grew as his power did. However, it was all volume, no density. When he underwent Training from Hell and learned to release his shikai, it settled into a single shape: like a giant, black cleaver. His Bankai form further reduces in size to a black daito (Japanese long sword that is slightly larger than a katana). It also concentrates his power and increases his speed immensely. This is reflected in the way his sword's spirit looks. Zangetsu is a Cool Old Guy. Tensa Zangetsu is a Bishonen.
    • YMMV on this, but pretty much the whole cast, with obvious exceptions. It may double as Art Evolution, but can be this if one takes into account the changes in the characters themselves as time goes on, and the fact that usually, these changes align with the shift in the art.
      • This is mostly prevalent in Ichigo, though the trope is played straight with his appearance during his final battle with Aizen, complete with Expository Hairstyle Change.
  • Bittersweet Ending: The end of the Arrancar arc. Ichigo has defeated the Big Bad and all his friends are safe, but he's sacrificed his powers and that means he'll never be able to see one of his friends again.
    • The end of the Zanpakutou arc and also the end of the Beast Swords mini-arc extension.
  • Bizarrchitecture: Kuukaku Shiba's house moves. A lot.
    • The layout (or at least the corridors) of Las Noches (or at least Szayel's section) can apparently be magically changed from a control room. It wasn't even mentioned that Las Noches is the size of a small country?
    • Las Noches has nothing on the Seireitei, which is labyrinthine for the sake of confusing invaders.
  • Black and Gray Morality: Despite being guardians of the afterlife and major protagonists in their own right, the Shinigami/Soul Reapers are far from saints, and as likable as they can be, a number of the Captains can be just as ruthless, arrogant, manipulative, psychotic, homicidal and/or morally-ambiguous as the antagonists are. At best, they are guilty of negligence in not making the lives of their charges easier (we're lookin' at you Unohana.). One of the few things that helps their hero cred is that their everlasting adversaries are the cannibalistic Hollows and that the former Big Bad (a Shinigami himself) was a MASSIVE prick. They also merrily employ a certain Jerkass-bordering-on-Complete Monster who is guilty of partial genocide, a fact they gleefully ignore.
    • Evil Versus Evil: The Arrancars are definitely a problem, but the Shinigami aren't much better.
  • Black Eyes of Crazy: The Hollows.
  • Blood From the Mouth: To excess. Getting stabbed in the shoulder really shouldn't make you cough up blood.
  • Blood Knight: Kenpachi Zaraki, Ikkaku Madarame, Nnoitra Gilga, Ichigo Kurosaki, Abirama Redder, Hollow Ichigo, Kazeshini and Yumichika Ayasegawa.
  • Blue Blood: There is definitely an aristocracy in this story. In fact, the majority of Gotei 13 shinigami are at least minor nobility, with an increasing content of commoners. Some of the most prominant characters are as high-born as it's possible to get without being part of the Royal Realm.
  • Book Ends: Nearly all the major arcs end with Ichigo and Rukia parting ways.
  • Bowdlerize: Many, many examples. See trope page for full list.
  • Brain Bleach: Renji and Uryuu's reaction says it all. From Mayuri's point-of-view it's actually an example of Fridge Brilliance - she's a Sexy Secretary and he's a Mad Scientist, and the concept of sexual healing does exist, so why not?
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: Happens from time to time, mostly in the previews. In the story itself it's usually Kon who does it.
    • Reference the above Brain Bleach video. Uryu complains to Mayuri that his healing of Nemu was too inappropriate to air on TV.
    • Also, in the manga chapter 425, we have the second panel on this page. It's enough to make anyone read it twice, then roll around on the floor for a little while.
  • Break the Cutie: Hinamori Momo, to a T. Orihime also undergoes the process in the Hueco Mundo arc.
      • Orihime's better now. I don't even think she remembers Ulquiorra.
    • Hitsugaya in chapter 392/episode 293, all the way.
    • Rukia in flashbacks involving Kaien and when fighting Aaroniero.
  • Brilliant but Lazy: Kenpachi, Kyouraku, Rangiku and Ikkaku are all good examples of talented warriors who would rather nap or drink than actually do their jobs. Kenpachi, Kyouraku and Ikkaku's laziness even stems to their fighting styles. Kenpachi fights in a lazy style to make the fun last as long as possible. Kyouraku is a dandy who hates fighting and prefers mind games. Ikkaku's reached the only position in the military he cares about - Kenpachi's highest ranking subordinate (excluding Yachiru) - which means he has to fight in a way that keeps him there, which means hiding the fact he's much too talented for that rank.
  • Broken Pedestal: Aizen, Tousen...
  • Brought Down to Normal: It doesn't stick, of course...
    • Happens to Ichigo at the end of the Substitute Shinigami arc, when Byakuya stabs Ruka's powers out of Ichigo, while mocking the fact that even if he survived, he would be no different than an average human. Urahara treats his wounds and helps him awaken his own power.
    • Happens to Ishida after using a Dangerous Forbidden Technique during the Soul Society arc. His father busts out a special technique to restores his powers.
    • Happens to Ichigo again at the end of the Deicide arc after he uses a Dangerous Forbidden Technique against Aizen. This technique was also responsible for his dad's loss of power sometime before the series started; his dad eventually gets his power back.
    • Happens to Ichigo again in the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc, when his freshly-acquired Fullbring power is stolen. The Gotei 13 immediately show up and restore his shinigami powers.
  • Butterfly of Death and Rebirth: Jigoku-cho, aka hell butterflies, naturally.
  • Butt Monkey: Tetsuzaemon Iba (as president of the Soul Reaper Men's association), and don't even get started on Hanataro "world's most bullied kid" Yamada. Lately, Uryu tends to become this when Mayuri is around.
    • If you thought, "Are you forgetting Kon, how the hell do you forget Kon?", then that's because everyone forgets Kon. That's why he's pissed all the time.
    • Keigo is the poster child for butt monkey.
    • Marechiyo Ōmaeda. Okay, he got a brief moment to shine and then became a butt monkey twice as hard. Particularly buttmonkey'd in the anime omakes and filler stories.
    • Tatsuki, judging by her encounters with spiritual beings.
  • Buxom Is Better: Keigo and Kon have this attitude, although Kon is willing to make an exception for Rukia.
  • By the Eyes of the Blind
  • By the Power of Greyskull: Bankai that include transformations like Ichigo count as the word is necessary to activate the change. Arrancar Resurreccion count too as they always transform.
  • Call Back: 'Death & Strawberry', the first chapter of the entire manga, has Ichigo receiving Shinigami powers from Rukia. Cue, 459 chapters later, Rukia doing the same thing to restore Ichigo's powers. Appropriately enough, the chapter was titled 'Death & Strawberry 2'.
    • Another example is when Ichigo unveils his second bankai. and his pose is exactly the same as the first time.
  • Calling Your Attacks: Most magical effects require this, at one point it's explicitly stated by Ichigo's Zanpakuto that knowing and saying his special attack's name will make it much more powerful. Mashiro also does this in Gratuitous English no less.
    • Activation of advanced Zanpakuto forms, Orihime's abilities. The full incantations for Kido are often this.

Rukia:: Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado 31, Shakkaho!

Cuulhorne: 'Beautiful Charlotte Cuulhorne's final, holy, wonderful, pretty, super-magnum sexy, sexy, glamorous... cero!'
Yumichika: 'That's just a normal cero!'

  • Catgirl: Multiple examples
  • Anime: Multiple examples
  • Cats Are Superior: Yoruichi, upon first appearance, falls under this trope.
  • Cat Stereotype: Yoruichi transforms into a black cat (magic!)
  • The Cavalry: Isshin in Chapter 397, Urahara in Chapter 401, Yoruichi in 403. Rukia, Isshin and Urahara in 459, followed by Kenpachi, Ikkaku, Byakuya, Hitsugaya and Renji in 460.
  • Ceiling Cling: Or more like Air Cling. Shinji pulls one on Ichigo and his gang right before his introduction.
  • Censor Steam: Yoruichi, Mayuri and Rangiku all have scenes involving this device.
  • Cerebus Syndrome: A more subtle than usual example, particularly since death and ghosts have been prevalent throughout the series, but the series has gotten steadily (albeit slightly) Darker and Edgier. The most notable shift is at the beginning of the first real arc when Rukia is kidnapped. The show's openings are the most easily noticed shift, just compare the happy-go-lucky fun of season one to the head-thrashing season three - and this trend steadily continues over the next 12+ seasons.
  • Chainsaw Good: Uryuu, the last person you'd expect to use one.
  • Character-Magnetic Team
  • Characterization Marches On: Mayuri, Mayuri, Mayuri. So cartoonishly evil in his first appearance he was labeled a Complete Monster by many, but in every subsequent appearance, filler included, he's merely been a Cloudcuckoolander Jerkass. This has made him rather polarizing, as some people hate him and want him to die based on his initial characterization, preferably by Ishida's hand, while his fans think he's Crazy Awesome, mostly based on his current characterization. Some go so far as to say he's the only good comic relief in the series.
    • Kon was introduced as a threatening character that was then revealed to be a Technical Pacifist (even putting himself in danger to protect some ants). However, once he was made Ichigo's 'substitute' 'soul candy' he was relegated to status of Joke Character.
  • Chekhov's Gun: More often than it's given credit for. The most notable case is Ichigo's Hollow mask in the Soul Society arc.
    • Even moreso with his hollow form's mention of "truly controlling my power".
    • "Reversing things is a talent of mine." Oh yes it is, Shinji.
    • Chapter 27 briefly mentions that Keigo actually lives outside of Karakura and he resides in a place called Naruki City, flash forward roughly 400 chapters and Naruki City becomes the main setting for the Lost Substitute Shinigami Arc.
    • Ichigo's character bio at the end of Volume 1 briefly mentions that one of his favourite foods is chocolate, setting up the "You like chocolate? That's cute" joke 48 volumes later.
    • Chapter 56, the culmination of the very first appearance of Renji and Byakuya in the storyline sees Byakuya comment on how Ichigo resembles "him" and that he fully understands the kind of situation where a strong resemblence to someone would evoke the desire to protect. Not only does this set up the revelation of Kaien 77 chapters later but also the revelation of Hisana 123 chapters later. The cover page of this chapter, initially viewed as a dead or unconscious Rukia with unusually shaggy hair, with hindsight better fits the appearance of Hisana who is revealed to have had a much shaggier version of Rukia's hairstyle.
  • Chekhov's Gunman: Very early in the story Isshin was in an argument with someone from Karakura General Hospital and threatened to call their director. It seemed at the time like an idle threat, but then it turns out said director is none other than Ryuken Ishida, who shares a semi-antagonistic relationship with Isshin that is fairly familiar.
    • Iceringer and D-Roy, believe it or not. Their first appearance is after Grand Fisher is beaten by Ichigo, with the former healing him and the latter yelling at him for failing.
  • Cherry Blossoms: Subverted—Kyouraku Shunsui likes the aesthetic, so he has his lieutenant dump them out of a basket from overhead. Played straight with both releases of Byakuya's Zanpakuto, made up of little blades that look like cherry petals.
  • The Chessmaster: The entirety of the series from The Pendulum Arc (100 years before the main storyline) to the end of the Arrancar Arc is essentially Urahara and Aizen trying to outmaneuver the other.
  • Chest Burster: Szayel does this to resurrect himself.
  • Childhood Friends: There are quite a few of these of varying importance. Tatsuki and Ichigo? Basically used to tell us a little more about Ichigo. Gin and Rangiku? The basis of Ichimaru Gin's 'partnership' with Aizen.
  • Chivalrous Pervert: Shunsui Kyoraku.
  • Christmas Cake: Although she's never directly called "Christmas Cake" in the anime, Rangiku's age is a very sore point for her, with one filler episode going so far as to even create a male version for the sole purpose of having one kid press two berserk buttons by referring to Rangiku as "oba-san" and Yumichika as "o-san" in the same conversation. The anime later takes Rangiku's age references even further by making it such a big issue in the Zanpakutou Arc that it's actually one of the reasons why Rangiku's zanpakutou is angry with her. It's worth noting that the manga itself never has an issue with Rangiku's age and it's entirely an anime invention. This is especially jarring because Rangiku isn't the oldest woman in the story but she's the only female the anime has decided to do this to.
  • Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Happened to so many important characters, it's not even funny. Some characters got Chucked Mid-Arc. Justified after the Time Skip since Ichigo lost all of his powers, including the power to see apparitions, and so would reasonably lose contact with many of his super powered friends. Though this doesn't explain what happened to Kon.
  • Chunky Updraft: Occasionally.
  • City of Adventure: Karakura Town is really a spiritual nexus, where all the weird powers are, where all the baddies show up, and where Aizen plans to erase in order to create a Cosmic Keystone.
  • Clark Kenting: Aizen, of course. It's not a disguise but the resemblance to Clark Kent is uncanny—thereby earning him a Fan Nickname of his own.
    • There's also the fact that he actually looks different just by removing his glasses and running his hand through his hair.
  • Clingy MacGuffin: Even the Hougyoku's creator couldn't destroy that darn orb! Also, Ichigo's Hollow mask earlier on.
  • Clipped-Wing Angel: Tousen's Resurrección form. He gains sight, but loses the amazing battle reflexes he had while blind.
  • Clothing Damage: Happens all the time to male characters, especially Ichigo who eventually reveals that his spiritual pressure is connected to his shikakushou, so the amount of shikakushou he has remaining is a reflection of how much spiritual pressure he has left. Averted for most female characters except for two: Yoruichi and Soi Fon have a special move that causes Clothing Damage in the process of activating it.
  • Close-Call Haircut: Happens in several fights throughout the manga. See trope page for detail.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Orihime. Mayuri as well, after his first incarnation.
  • Combat Pragmatist: Several characters.
    • Ganju knows he's not strong enough to defeat Yumichika, so uses every dirty trick in the book hoping that Yumichika will drop his guard because it's so obvious they're not equals in battle. It's his only chance and it works.
    • Gin has the philosophy of striking like a snake in battle. His signature style involves ambush tactics as a result and he even throws dust into Hitsugaya's eyes when they fight.
    • Kyouraku lives by this philosophy. He even lectures his allies to remember that when people go into war both sides are evil so there's no point in trying to be honorable about it.
    • Iba tries to teach Ikkaku that he should be more this way when Ikkaku throws a fight to protect his ideals.
    • Ulquiorra and Ginjou both understand what it means to fight an archer. They immediately go for Uryuu's bow-hand and injure it beyond use.
    • Ginjou, while training Ichigo, slashes his eyes to force him to fight blind. He also deliberately invites Orihime onto the battlefield because he understands that if Ichigo has someone to protect, he'll be more determined in his fighting.
  • Comm Links: How shinigami stay in contact with Seireitei even when they're in the human world. Two types have been seen so far: a single-ear radio-headset style, kept in the uniform and not worn on the ear, as used by Rangiku and Yumichika, and phone style, as used by Rukia.
  • Combat Sadomasochist: Kenpachi is pretty much the avatar of this one too.
  • Comedic Sociopathy: Mayuri's antics are meant to be this, but about half the fans find them to be too horrific to count.
  • Conflict Ball: Head Captain Yamamoto has been accused of doing this by some fans. It's been debated if that's really the case in the series. The movies on the other hand are a different story.
  • Conspiracy Redemption: Played with in that the Soul Society was being manipulated by the Big Bad. They thought they were doing the right thing (even if they didn't like it) and that Ichigo was this terrible invader person.
  • Converse with the Unconscious: Rukia does this a little bit with Ichigo, but Orihime definitely takes the cake with her confession. Even so, he's still Oblivious to Love.
  • Cool Sword: One of the central facets of the series.
  • Cool Versus Awesome: The premise behind the Invasion Arc is this with the shinigami captains and vice-captains fighting their own doubles.
  • Cordon Bleugh Chef: Orihime puts together weird ingredients that prevent people from wanting to try her food. Her food is actually well-cooked and very tasty, but almost no-one knows that because they're too scared to try her recipes. The sole exception is fellow Cloudcuckoolander Rangiku.
  • Costume Porn: Kubo has expressed interest in becoming a fashion designer. You'd think the series was his portfolio or something.
  • Cover-Blowing Superpower: Ikkaku and Yumichika are two examples.
  • Crap Saccharine World: Rukia's drawings. She explains hollows and pluses to Ichigo by making drawings where the good souls are happy bunnies and the bad souls are angry bunnies. But Aizen as a crafty-looking bear with glasses and the number 5 on his chest takes the cake.
  • Crapsack World: When you die you end up as a peasant in a medieval Japanese slum, ruled by a bunch of Soul Reapers who are generally more interested in getting into fights with each other than doing their jobs. And this is the Good Place. Eventually, you die again, and your spiritual body crumbles and becomes part of the reishi that makes up Soul Society, while your actual soul gets reincarnated back on Earth, in an endless cycle. The only known breaks in this cycle occur if you've committed serious sins in life, in which case you go to Hell after you've died, or if your lingering soul corrupts into a hollow - in which case you can be saved by a zanpakutou, but if you're shot by a Quincy arrow instead, your soul is destroyed forever.
  • Crash Into Hello: It's how Hitsugaya and Rangiku first meet.
  • Crazy Prepared: Mayuri, Urahara and Aizen in chapter 388. Not much a surprise for the latter though, given his characterization.
  • Creator Thumbprint: Kubo's a big music geek and has given every character a theme song from a surprisingly large variety of styles and nationalities.
    • If a chapter title isn't an out-and-out song reference, chances are it's probably A Good Name for a Rock Band. Make of that what you will.
  • Creepy Child: Gin Ichimaru in the Turn Back the Pendulum arc, and Yukio in the recent Fullbring arc.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Orihime, Isshin, Nel, Pesche, Dondochakka and Wonderweiss all take their turns at this trope. See page for detail.
  • Cruel to Be Kind: Matsumoto believes this is one of Gin's most endearing attributes. After he vanished during the final battle leaving no keepsake for her, she realizes that having one would have held her back. By denying her a keepsake, Gin force Matsumoto to move forward.
  • Cue the Sun: Orihime is used as a sun symbol throughout the manga. When Ulquiorra announces "the sun has already set" it's accompanied by a panel of a bowed Orihime standing before her healing shield which is in the perfect image of a setting sun. Later on, Orihime again has this symbolism when she finally begins cheering on Ichigo in his fight inducing a power-up for him. When Aizen re-kidnaps her, he tells her she should smile more to let the sun shine on and it happens again after Ichigo defeats Aizen and Urahara seals him away.
  • Curb Stomp Battle: Most of the fights are this. A few extend into How Much More Can He Take?, but this is standard. See trope page for examples.
  • Cursed with Awesome: The Xcution group hate using their powers because they are similar to a Hollow's.
  • Cute Bruiser: Yachiru, who's capable of lifting Kenpachi (her Captain, himself a very large man) without any problems at all.
    • And to a greater extent, Ururu, when she's not sweeping up the shop.
  • Cute Little Fangs: Hiyori Sarugaki and Haineko both have them.
  • Damsel in Distress: Rukia in the Soul Society Arc, Orihime in the Hueco Mundo Arc, Ishida in the Bount Arc, and Rurichiyo in the latter part of the Amagai Arc.
    • Harribel in The Thousand-Year Blood War
  • Dangerous Forbidden Technique: Zangetsu's Final Getsuga. It completely removes Ichigo's shinigami powers which is the reason Tensa Zangetsu gives (and Isshin implies) for why it's a forbidden technique.
  • Dangerously-Short Skirt: It's almost like Author Appeal - a good portion of Action Girls have worn a knee-high micro skirt at some point.
  • Darker and Edgier: Considering Sasakibe is dead, expect things to get really unpleasant henceforth.
  • Dark Is Not Evil: The shinigami are technically the good guys and they wear black. The hollows are technically the bad guys and they wear white, and Ichigo and his inner hollow follow this theme as well. When Aizen, Gin and Tousen are revealed as bad guys they change from wearing black to white. However, because Japanese and American symbolism on the colors black and white are reversed, 'Bleach' is probably an example of playing to the stereotype (i.e., if it was a western comic, the bad guys would be in black and the good guys would be in white).
    • That said, there's always Uryuu. Quincy uniforms are white but Uryuu is one of the good guys. On the other hand, 200 years ago, the Quincies were massacred by the shinigami because they were destroying the balance of worlds - so, 200 years ago at least, Quincies were technically the bad guys.
    • Nel, her underlings, possibly the demoted Arrancar and Starrk, and Ichigo using Hollow powers.
  • Dark-Skinned Blond: Harribel.
  • Darkest Hour: Several times it has seemed like all hope is lost and there is no way the situation can turn out good for Ichigo and friends, however chapter 458 beats everything before it as all of Ichigo's friends, his sisters, his boss, and the Fullbringers have all been epically mind screwed by Tsukishima with Chad and Orihime protecting him from Ichigo's wrath. Then Ginjo, his only ally, gets hit too. Then Uryu shows up and is actually on his side, but apparently Ginjo was evil and only made good by getting hit by Tsukishima once before. Cue him somehow taking out Ichigo and Uryu with no effort, then taking Ichigo's Substitute Shinigami Badge and stabbing him in the chest. The text at the end wasn't kidding when it said "Zero Hope!".
  • Dead All Along: Kaien Shiba, the vice commander of Rukia's squad and her initial crush.
  • Deadly Hug: Aizen to Momo.
  • Dead Man Writing: Aizen's letter to Momo Hinamori in the Soul Society arc.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Ishida
  • Dead to Begin With: A lot of the characters are post-death spirits. They can still die, however, since the story is influenced by the Buddhist wheel of samsara theme.
  • Death by Adaptation: Harribel due to the anime being cancelled without her revealed as alive.
  • Death by Irony: Szayel, who is killed because Mayuri used the same spy tactics on him that Szayel used to effortlessly destroy Renji. Tousen, who gains sight and is then killed by an attack he would have sensed coming if he hadn't been relying on his eyes.
    • The second on happens to be related to a bit of Truth in Television, as if you miss an early development point, or just spend enough time working around a specific body part, your brain actually doesn't really know how to handle it. To be more specific, depth perception, shape distinguishing, handling colors, being able to see horizontal and vertical lines, working the retina, and of course processing all this information are some things Tousen's brain actually never learned how to do, meaning that sight actually was a huge disadvantage and distraction to him.
    • Also, Ulquiorra. What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart Anyway ? Enough to kick his ass, if we believe Vasto Lorde Ichigo.
  • Death Equals Redemption: Tousen. He spent much of his adult life plotting revenge on Soul Society as a result of the death of his friend. One of his deepest fears was to die a shinigami, the thing he hated most. As a result, he hollowfied to escape being a shinigami. At the end, when defeated and dying after his battle with Komamura and Hisagi, he returns to the shinigami form he had once despised, finally understanding the value of the friendships he had forged amongst the shinigami. He has just enough time to make his apologies to Komamura and Hisagi absolutely clear before Aizen kills him. Of course, he was dying anyway, but Aizen just wanted to prove a point.
  • Death Glare: Unohana pulls one whenever she has to repeat herself, often without changing facial expression or tone.
  • Death of a Thousand Cuts: Both Senbonzakura and Haineko function like this when in shikai. Senbonzakura's weakest bankai forms usually use this method as well.
  • Decompressed Comic: shifted into a milder form of this midway through the Hueco Mundo arc, slowing down and stretching many fights. Most fans disapprove.
  • Defeat Means Friendship: Several Soul Reapers after they fought Ichigo, and several Arrancars during the fighting in Hueco Mundo.
  • Deliberate Injury Gambit: Kenpachi naturally decides this is the best tactic against Tousen's bankai, which cuts him off from all the senses except touch. Hey, if he gets stabbed, he knows where the person wielding the sword is, right? This tactic is also an example of Fridge Brilliance since he actually contemplates the advice his three subordinates might offer him. He imagines Yumichika telling him to give up beautifully. At first disgusted by his own imagination, he suddenly realises it's inspired him to come up with his plan. Why? Because a Blood Knight would think quitting fighting just to tank a sword solely to defeat the opponent is indeed "giving up beautifully"..
  • Delinquents: Ichigo looks like a punk because of his orange hair, so people pick fights with him all the time.
    • A filler episode has Karin Kurosaki's friends think of Toshiro Hitsugaya as one mainly because of his hair.
  • Dem Bones: Barragan turns into a skeleton dressed in a crown and robes upon releasing his zanpakuto. This is to symbolize his power over old age and decay, which lets him rot other people into skeletons. The dead kind.
  • Demonic Invaders: Hollows, Arrancar
  • Demoted to Extra: Rukia, Orihime, Chad, Ishida, and Renji. Yes, everyone in Ichigo's Five-Man Band.
    • Ichigo himself.
      • Ichigo suffered more of Out of Focus in favor of the Gotei 13. His own importance has remained intact as opposed to the other main characters.
      • Except during Anime Filler. ESPECIALLY the Beast Sword Arc, considering it's Renji, not him, that kill the final Sword beast.
  • De-Power / Brought Down to Normal: Ichigo "Power Incontinence defined" Kurosaki appears to have completely lost his shinigami powers after using them up to defeat Aizen - he can't even see Rukia. No telling what this means for his powered-up friends.
  • Desert Skull: Neliel Tu Odelshvanck has part of such a skull attached to the top of her head. She lives roaming around the desert that is Hueco Mundo.
  • Deus Ex Machina: The series has so many examples it's hard to list, but a couple notorious examples:
  • Devour the Dragon: Szayel has apparently specifically designed minions which he can devour to heal himself. In the manga, he actually eats the minion, but in the anime he turns it into a purple orb then eats it.
  • Diabolus Ex Machina: Many examples, but a couple are of particular note.
    • Episode 278 has Wonderweiss coming out of nowhere unfreezing Halibel from her icy death, putting out the flames that are keeping Aizen out of combat, and stabbing Ukitake making it so he is unable to fight.
    • The final fight with Aizen. It's revealed that the Hougyoku has left him immortal so he can't be killed. Instead he's imprisoned, which means he has the potential to return.
  • Diagnosis From Dr. Badass: Yumichika can tell, in the middle of a fight, that a single punch has broken his arm in three different places. He keeps fighting regardless.
  • Did Not Do the Research: Some readers criticize Kubo for his limited grasp of the Gratuitous Spanish he uses.
  • Difficulty Spike: The Nakama easily take care of the Shinigami they fight in the Soul Society arc, and manage to avoid capture easily enough. Then they come across the Captains of the Gotei 13, and the Nakama fall in short order, leaving only Ichigo left.
  • Dirty Old Man: Kyoraku with Nanao, and arguably Lisa as well.
  • Disability Superpower: Tousen
  • Disappears Into Light: How Bount die.
  • Discard and Draw: Happens with both Uryu and Ichigo after they lose their powers the first time (Uryu after his fight with Mayuri and Ichigo after his first encounter with Byakuya).
    • Happened for Ichigo again. After his fight with Aizen, Ichigo lost his Shinigami powers and has moved on to something called Fullbring.
    • Yet again, Ichigo lost his powers. Not even 7 pages later, Rukia stabs him with a Zanpakutō, giving him back his shinigami powers. You can just see the look of fear on Ginjō & Tsukishima's faces when it happens.
  • Dissonant Serenity: Mizuiro in Chapter 413. Seriously, even though he was explicitly told that contact with Aizen would be lethal, he was still throwing stuff at him with a completely unconcerned look on his face.
    • Tsukishima personifies this trope. He's screwed up Ichigo's friends and family and not only has he made them happy about it, but his polite, gentle manner actually creates the impression Ichigo is being completely unreasonable to be horrified by it!
  • Distracted by My Own Sexy: Yumichika in Episode 321.
  • Ditzy Genius: Orihime is a straight-A student and third best in a 300-pupil year group. She also has black-belt karate skills (bizarrely downgraded to yellow belt in the anime) and is one of the two most gifted members of the Handicraft Club (alongside Uryuu Ishida who is joint-first best student in the year group and himself capable of Ditzy Genius behaviour). Despite her genuine intelligence, she's also a Cloudcuckoolander with a very active imagination resulting in her having sometimes bizarre reactions to mundane events.
  • Diving Save: Multiple examples.
  • Does This Remind You of Anything?: Yumichika has a "secret power" he very carefully hides out from everyone for fear that, if it got known, he would have to leave or even be expelled from the squad. It can be read as "not having a manly enough shikai". It's so important to him that he's willing to die sooner than have it revealed. Replace "power" with "sexual orientation" and it's easy to see how some of the fanbase interpret his hidden personality. Given that Japanese and American straight/gay stereotypes are often reversed, some of the fanbase regard this as an example of Unfortunate Implications or Values Dissonance instead.
    • During the Soul Society arc, Ichigo's description is "having a sword as big as he is tall" and more experienced Shinigami make much noise about how he's got a ton of power but terrible control; Renji achieves Bankai with a big-flashy Snake, but since he can't control it very well either he gets curbstomped; Gin's Shikai is revealed to be being able to extend his zanpakutou instantly, and at will...there's a reason the Fan Nickname for zanpakutou is "Soul Penis".
    • Not to mention the 69 tatoo on Shuhei Hisagi's face (and as seen in the Turn Back the Pendulum arc, former Ninth Division captain Kensei Muguruma's chest).
  • Doomed Appointment: Aizen Sousuke
  • Don't Fear the Reaper: This trope is in force for the most part. The shinigami are just like humans: they can be friendly, moody, supportive, scary, hostile depending on situation or individual personality type. However, shinigami aren't enemies of humanity even if their focus on the big picture can make them seem aloof at times. Their role is to guide the dead to Soul Society, cleanse hollows of post-death sin so they too can be guided to Soul Society and also to maintain the balance of souls across different worlds. In other words, shinigami are portrayed the same way humans are portrayed: as individuals with their own personalities, worries, fears, foibles, strengths and weaknesses.
  • Don't Look Back: While Division 3 is fleeing a Restrictive Current in the Precipice World, Lieutenant Izuru Kira tells his men "Don't look back". He doesn't want them to be distracted by the pursuing threat.
  • Dope Slap: Rukia and Renji to Ichigo, and Kaien Shiba to Rukia.
  • Double Standard: Played with in the 14th volume of the manga: Uryuu Ishida and Orihime Inoue acquire two Soul Reaper uniforms to disguise themselves with. To Uryuu's alarm, Orihime suddenly begins changing while they're in the same room. He quickly tells her to stop, to which she replies, "You're right. A boy and a girl shouldn't change in the same room together." She then seems to have constructed a personal change room for Uryu, telling him to go ahead. He asks himself while changing, "Isn't it... supposed to be the other way around?"
  • Double Weapon: Hisagi's shikai is a kusarigama. Usually a kusarigama is a chain with a blade at one end and a counterbalancing weight at the other. Hisagi's, however, has a blade at either end.
  • Dramatically Missing the Point: A guy mistakes a warning, and goes for revenge against the wrong people.
  • Dramatic Pause: The anime fight between Charlotte and Yumichika is full of music and dialogue until the moment Charlotte appears to win. He clarifies to Yumichika what his final attack is doing, and suddenly.... silence. Even the music stops. Cue Glowing Eyes of Doom and Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner as Yumichika proceeds to curb stomp Charlotte.
    • Done to powerful effect in the anime with Hitsugaya when he realizes he's stabbed Hinamori instead of Aizen. Everything stops: characters, fighting, dialogue, music. Everything. Then the screen itself blacks out. And then Hitsugaya explodes.
  • Dramatic Slip: In the very first episode, the ghost of a small girl trips while she and Ichigo are being chased by a hollow.
  • Drag Queen: Charlotte Cuuhlhourne
  • Drama-Preserving Handicap: During the first half of the Bount arc, Ichigo is having trouble activating his bankai in the real world. Note that this is not only contradictory to the manga, but also of the OAV that took place around the same period.
  • Dramatic Chase Opening: The first Hollow pursuing the little ghost girl that Ichigo cared for.
  • The Dreaded: A comedy example. Strangely enough, it's the warm-hearted Captain Unohana that has this effect on pretty much the entire Soul Reaper army. We've never seen exactly why this is so, so it remains a bit of a Running Gag.
  • Dripping Disturbance: At the beginning of the Bount arc, this happens to Orihime before an impostor disguised as her brother shows up and kidnaps her; the rest of the cast also notice it when they search her empty house.
  • Dr. Jerk: Ryuken Ishida. His relationship with his son is so bad that the latter refers to him by his given name, even by Western standards showing the cold nature of their conflict.
  • Dropped a Bridge on Him: Yammy. He gets a few last words but the vast majority of his fight occurs off-screen.
  • Drop the Hammer: Love's shikai. Actually a kanabo, which is more of a spiked club.
  • Drowning My Sorrows (Kira, Hisagi and Matsumoto do that after the Soul Society arc)
  • Dude, He's Like, In A Coma!: Orihime to Ichigo.
  • Dying as Yourself
  • Easter Egg: In the Menos forest, Nel uses her status as an arrancar to try and escape. In the dub, one of the adjucas leaders tells her "All that gets you is a free cup of tea at Las Noches". This aired over a month before the infamous "Tea with Aizen" scene did.
    • Speaking of tea, the "On the Next..." segment at the very end of the Zanpakuto Tales filler arc involves Ulquiorra refusing to return to the battle with Ichigo before he's had his tea.
  • Easy Road to Hell * Literally going to Hell seems to be pretty rare, but since your other options for afterlives are a desert where monsters hunt you until you become one of them and a depressing slum where you will live poverty while ruled over by unquestionable overlords (unless said overlords recruit you, in which case you will serve as a soldier until the aforementioned monsters manage to brutally kill you), going figuratively to Hell (that is, being sent to an awful and inescapable afterlife is, to the best of our knowledge, a complete certainty.
  • Eccentric Mentor: Urahara the self-described "mere honest, handsome, perverted businessman". However, don't let his sanguine disposition, odd dress-sense or shameless self-promotion fool you; beneath it all lurks the soul of a true badass. A former Shinigami Captain and founder of the Soul Society Research Institute, Kisuke became a legend in the Seireitei after mastering Bankai — a powerful attack which usually takes decades of study to learn — in only three days (this record was later beaten by his protégé, Ichigo). The catalyst and driving force behind the plot, it is widely believed by fans that the entire series is merely one grand game of Gambit Roulette played between him and Aizen.
  • The Electric Slide: All of the Soul Reapers pull this off at one time or another.
  • Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors: What Hitsugaya's fight with Harribel eventually devolves into.
  • Eldritch Abomination:
    • Aaroniero Arruruerie's normal and Resurrección forms.
    • Aizen's transformations have become more and more surreal; by Chapter 419, he's fully become one of these.
    • Both of Seigen's Hollow forms.
  • Embarrassing Nickname: Several characters have been the victim of this thanks to Yachiru's habit of nicknaming everyone. That said, 'Shirou-chan' and 'Bedwetter Momo' have nothing at all to do with Yachiru and are nicknames Hitsugaya and Hinamori came up with each other while children living with their grandmother. Hitsugaya has mercifully left Hinamori's nickname in the past. Unfortunately for him, Hinamori can't break the habit of using his.
  • Empathic Weapon: The zanpakuto with which Soul Reapers fight.
  • Empty Piles of Clothing: During the Turn Back the Pendulum arc.
  • Enemy Without
  • Energy Absorption: Nel's cero ability. Yumichika and Ukitake both have shikai that do this in different ways and with different consequences.
  • Energy Bow: Quincies use these.
  • Enforced Method Acting: In filler episode 298, Ichigo is filming a movie directed by Abarai Renji, with special effects provided by Kuchiki Byakuya. Said special effects include Byakuya attacking Ichigo with his Bankai. Ouch.
  • Epigraph: Each tankubon opens with a small panel depicting a single character and a short poem seemingly in that character's voice. Kubo Tite's emokid poetry is surprisingly good.
  • Episode Title Card: In a variation, the cards feature only episode numbers.
  • Equivalent Exchange: Aizen wanted to give Wonderweiss the ability to nullify the powers of Yamamoto's zanpakuto. He succeeded, but in return, Wonderweiss had to lose his ability to speak, his intelligence, and his sanity. Aizen being Aizen, the 'exchange' apparently did not include Wonderweiss's ability to feel fear.
  • Establishing Character Moment: Kyoraku and Nanao's deserve special mention. She finds him sleeping and tells him that intruders have broken into the Seireitei, to which he lazily responds "What do you want me to do about it?". The reason it stands out is because Starrk and Lilinette have the exact same exchange during the Hueco Mundo arc.
  • Eternal Prohibition: When Chad tells a shinigami captain that has little reason to regularly visit the human world that he's refusing the offer of a drink on the grounds that he's a minor, he's understood immediately.
  • Evasive Fight Thread Episode: The fights between Yamamoto, Ukitake and Kyoraku and the one between Kenpachi and Komamura either never get past opening remarks or simply aren't shown. Komamura ends his fight early specifically in response to sensing the other one happening.
    • Kenpachi and Byakuya has been danced around in both the anime and manga briefly.
      • The Yamamoto/Ukitake/Kyoraku fight is rectified in the anime, where Yamamoto ends up fighting Reigei of the other two during the Gotei 13 Invading Army arc. It ends up being a pretty good fight.
  • Every Girl Is Cuter With Hair Decs: Shino wears... a lilypad on her head
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Technically on the good guys side by virtue of being a Gotei 13, but his pursuit of knowledge in the name of science doesn't simply cross the Moral Event Horizon, it's set up shop well out of sight of it. And yet, when he fights Szayel Aporro Granz, we learn that even he believes there's a right way and a wrong way to go about being a scientist (not that that has anything to do with morality, of course- he just doesn't think scientists should strive for perfection).
    • While Grimmjow is willing to kill his own allies in order to recover his rank, if he feels he is in debt, he will go out of his way to repay it - displayed when he rescues Orihime, who had healed his arm, from two Arrancar girls who had been torturing her.
    • Not to mention Ulquiorra. He may be a member of the Espada, but calls Nnoitra "disgusting" when the latter toys with the idea of raping Orihime.
  • Everything Fades: As a spirit, when you die, your body and clothing convert into reishi and you disappear. People vanishing while leaving their clothing is considered suspicious.
  • Every Japanese Sword Is a Katana: Somewhat averted. There are plenty of katana running around, but there's also other kinds. Ichigo's shikai is... something... and his bankai is a Daito.
    • Gin, for example, has a dagger that isn't a dagger if you consider the physics of it. It's expands and contracts at will.
    • Very intelligently averted with Kyoraku in the Zanpaktou Tales filler arc. Kyoraku refers to the two swords of his daisho as a tachi and a wakazashi. Tachi were what the Japanese used as longswords before katanas were invented, and Kyoraku has probably had his Zanpaktou since long before then.
    • Ginjou's necklace can turn into a Big Ass Broadsword
    • While Tsukishima's sword is a Katana, It's also a bookmark.
  • Evil All Along Aizen
    • Ginjo, too.
  • Evilly Affable: Gin; Tsukishima's so affable he'll make you believe you're best friends or beloved relatives, in the case of Ichigo's friends and sisters.
  • Evil Old Folks: Sawatari from the Bount Filler arc.
  • Excalibur in the Rust: Kenpachi's zanpakuto.
  • Excited Episode Title: Most of them.
  • Executive Meddling: The entire Arrancar Arc.
    • To an extent, also the very first arc.
    • We can safely say the Soul Society Arc was the only one the author could do exactly how he imagined it.
  • Explaining Your Power to the Enemy: Happens very often.
  • Exposition Diagram: Many, such as Rukia's drawings of rabbits and how Nel explains ranks among the Espada.
  • Expository Hairstyle Change: Aizen, of course. Also many different characters have different hairstyles in the present than they do in flashbacks.
  • Expy: Tite Kubo seems to have recycled a number of character designs from Zombie Powder, most notably Aizen and Grimmjow.
  • Eyepatch of Power: Kenpachi, whose eyepatch is a self-handicap that absorbs his power. Nnoitra has one, too...But that may be a public service, given what his covers.
  • Eye Scream: Ulquiorra has the ability to rip out his own eyes. They grow back, though.
    • In chapter 450, Ichigo got both of his eyes slashed by Ginjo
  • Eyes Always Shut: Gin is the freakin' poster-boy for this trope.
    • You get so used to his eyes being shut that just him opening them (like when he gets surprised attack by Ichigo and when he released his Bankai) qualifies as an Oh Crap moment
  • Eyes of Gold: Yoruichi's eyes reflect she can turn into a cat. Komamura's eyes also reflect he has a unique nature as well.
  • Face of a Thug: Ichigo's hair in naturally blondish-red. This is very rare in Japan; most people have to bleach their hair to do so and are considered Delinquents. People always picked fights with him over this.
  • The Faceless / The Blank: Tosen's hollow mask, since he doesn't need eyeholes.
    • But apparently a Nightmare Fuel mouth hole was absolutely essential, as he rips one into existence a few pages later.
  • Faceless Goons: The Exequias
  • Facial Markings: Several Soul Reapers, nearly all of the Arrancar, and the Vizard's hollow masks.
  • Failed a Spot Check: During the Bount Arc, Vice-captains Hisagi, Kira, Rangiku and Fifth-Seat Yumichika are sent after the Bount. Outside the hide-away caves, the vice-captains catch Yumichika admiring himself in his mirror and chastise him for dropping his guard. However, the anime shows the audience that Yumichika had both noticed the vice-captains approaching him via his mirror and that he's the only one who realised the Bount had already detected the group's arrival. Once inside the caves, the group examine many strangely designed pillars but Yumichika keeps looking off in a completely different direction to the others. Whey they're suddenly attacked from behind, Yumichika saves them all by blocking the strike. He then chastises them for having been so unobservant they'd never noticed the danger he'd been aware of all along.
    • In the manga, when Hitsugaya's Advance Guard split up to find different locations to sleep in, the only one who notices the unusual hollow reiatsu that heralds the arrival of Grimmjow's group is Yumichika. He tries to warn Ikkaku who tells him to ignore it, but he still thinks the situation is far too strange. When Grimmjow's assault begins, a panel is shown of all the shinigami reactions, and the only one not surprised is Yumichika.
  • Fake Ultimate Hero: Don Kanonji. He's nowhere near as effective as he'd like to be - even after he stops creating the problems he thought he was fighting.
  • Faking the Dead: Aizen Sousuke, obviously.
  • Family Theme Naming: Kubo's very fond of this.
    • Ichigo and his siblings all named after fruit. (Ichigo=strawberry; Karin=quince; Yuzu=citron).
    • The Shiba siblings are all named after birds: Kaien=sea swallow; Kuukaku= sky crane; Ganju=rock eagle.
    • The Kuchiki clan have colour associations connected to their names. Ginrei (silver), Soujun (green/blue), Byakuya (white).
    • The Ishida clan have themes relating to their quincy heritage: Souken (bow clan), Ryuuken (Dragon bow). Uryuu (dragon rain) may not look like his name follows the family theme, but it actually describes his signature bow attack, a rain of 1200 arrows.
    • The named Inoue members have celestial themes. Orihime (a celestial weaver maiden) and Sora (the sky itself).
    • The Kotetsu sisters (Isane and Kiyone) have sound-themed names.
  • Fan Disservice: There are semi-naked muscular hunks flexing their muscles... and then there's Charlotte Cuulhorne. Note the very twisted use of Female Gaze.
  • Fanfic: Many and varied, though of special mention is Uninvited Guests, which is probably one of the funniest you could find for this series.
  • Fan Service: This manga is full of it - affecting both female characters and male characters alike. Kubo does seem to be working his way through TV Tropes to see how many different kinds of fanservice he can insert.
  • Fashionable Asymmetry: A lot of shinigami accessorise their uniforms according to this trope. The king of this trope is Yumichika (both before and after the time-skip), but also included are (before the time-skip) Byakuya, Chojiro, Isane, Renji (in bankai), Nanao. After the time skip: Rukia, Ikkaku, Shinji, Uryuu.
    • Uryuu's Quincy Final Form. Justified in that the Quincy are depicted as monk-archers based largely upon eastern martial-artists who specialize in the bow and who often leave one side of their bodies completely bare to avoid getting clothing tangled in their bowstrings.
  • Fastball Special: Chad and Rukia do this against Shrieker, the first Hollow Chad ever fights. Later during the Soul Society arc Ichigo does it to throw Rukia to safety.
  • Fate Worse Than Death: Ichigo experiences this when he sacrifices his powers to defeat Aizen. The fullbring arc reveals that living without his powers is effectively a fate worse than death for Ichigo.
    • Two words "Superhuman Drug". To defeat Sayzel, Mayuri uses a drug that heightens the senses to god like levels, however, the body is unable to catch up to the new senses, and what only takes a second, it feels like "a hundred years".

Mayuri: Take the pain, savor it, Farewell, Enjoy the next 100 years.

  • Female Gaze: Kubo seems as willing to play with male characters in a manner female readers/characters will find sexy as he is to play with female characters in a manner male readers/characters will find sexy. For example. (See trope page for more examples.)
  • The Fighting Narcissist: Yumichika Ayasegawa, one of the very rare heroic examples because he may be a subversion. He certainly insists on presenting himself as such a person, but the reality is more complicated: his fight with Charlotte Cuuhlhourne reveals he's actually sacrificing his real self for the sake of his division's philosophy due to his belief that Undying Loyalty is much more important than his own desires. Charlotte is used to lampshade this by genuinely being what Yumichika is pretending to be... but looks-wise, he's a mix of The Brute and Magical Girl. When they fight, Hilarity Ensues followed by Mood Whiplash to reveal the truth about Yumichika.
    • In the anime-only Invasion arc, the anime decides to play this trope straight for Yumichika by changing his Hidden Depths to something that's even more narcissistic than his public image. The first time Yumichika meets his clone, he's struck by the terrible dilemma of not being able to fight - because he can't bring himself to attack 'such a beautiful me'. On the other hand, his clone has no such qualms about the fight because he thinks the real Yumichika would look even more beautiful covered in blood... which is taking narcissism to the point of both sadism and masochism.
  • Fighting Series
  • Filler Villain: The Bount, Captain Amagai, and Muramasa.
  • Final Boss Preview: Basically, any time Ichigo jobs against someone he later beats, it's this. Byakuya was the first one, then Grimmjow, then Ulquiorra, then finally Aizen.
  • First-Name Basis: Uryu gets quite upset when Ganju, whom he doesn't know well or like, calls him by his first name. A young Soifon is initially hesitant to call Yoruichi by name, but later settles for "Yoruichi-sama" ("Lady Yoruichi" in the dub and "Ms. Yoruichi" in the English manga). Ukitake calls everybody by this, including people he's only known briefly, like Ichigo. Hitsugaya hates when people call him by his first name. At the end of the Soul Society arc, a wounded Byakuya asks Renji pathetically "Is Ichigo going to keep calling me by my first name?".
    • Uryuu addresses his own father only by his given name, which is a strong indication of how poor their relationship is, even to a western audience.
  • First Time Feeling: Gets Tousen killed. He's blind, so his new Hollow Resurrecion form grants him sight, he's so overwhelmed by it that he doesn't notice his opponent attacking from behind until it's too late.
  • Five-Bad Band: Aizen and his Karakura invasion force forms this:
  • Five-Man Band:
    • The Hero: Ichigo Kurosaki, junior-turned-senior high school student and Shinigami/Hollow hybrid (Visored).
    • The Lancer: Rukia Kuchiki, unseated member of the 13th Division.
    • The Smart Guy: Uryu Ishida, junior-turned-senior high school student and second-to-last surviving Quincy.
    • The Big Guy: Yasutora "Chad" Sado, junior-turned-senior high school student and partly Hollow/Human hybrid.
    • The Chick: Orihime Inoue, junior-turned-senior high school student.
      • Sixth Ranger: Renji Abarai, fourth known lieutenant of the 6th Division. True to sixth rangers, he's not often with the five and is much cooler.
    • There was also a band during the Soul Society arc, while Rukia was imprisoned and Renji was still an enemy:
  • Flaming Sword: Ryuujin Jakka.
  • Flaw Exploitation: Savvy villains abound.
  • Flipping the Bird: in 398, after Aizen blocks Isshin's sword swing, Isshin flicks him off then uses the sheer force behind that bird to knock Aizen through several buildings.
  • Flipping the Table
    • Lampshaded in the first chapter, where the table has a note posted on it saying 'Use for sight gags only'.
  • Floating Advice Reminder: Kenpachi, consulting imaginary squad members while fighting Tousen (and as it happens, it's Yumichika's advice he actually takes).

Yachiru: Try swinging wildly!
Kenpachi: I've been doing that.
Ikkaku: Maybe it's like this? Try using your inner eye.
Kenpachi: If I could do that, he'd be dog meat by now.
Yumichika: If it were me, I'd give up. Elegantly.
Kenpachi: Die.

  • Flower Motifs: Each of the 13 divisions gets a flower insignia which corresponds to the division's values or attitude. It is displayed with a division number on the lieutenant badge. Several zanpakutou also have flower themes running through them. See trope page for more detail.
  • Foe-Tossing Charge: In anime episode 14, Ichigo does this to a group of hollows while going to Uryu's aid.
  • Foot Focus: The series offers barefoot closeups of Rukia (when she's about to be executed in #54), Orihime (#116), and Ikkaku (in #119). There are some characters who are always barefoot, such as Kukaku Shiba, Ashido Kano, Nel and the Great Desert Brothers, and Dark Rukia in the third movie, Fade to Black. It comes to a head in the eighth opening sequence, which starts with the Nakama throwing off their shoes and running barefoot on the beach.
  • For Science!: Mayuri and Szayel's excuse for almost everything they do. That said, the pair do have a major disagreement on where the limit of this excuse should end. Szayel uses this excuse to explain why scientists should pursue perfection and Mayuri uses this excuse to explain why scientists should not pursue perfection.
  • The Force Is Strong with This One
  • Foreshadowing: When Shinji's first introduced to the manga, he's seen in the background hanging upside down in the air while drinking a bottle of water as if he was the right side up. When he introduces himself to Ichigo's class, he writes his name backwards and admits he's very good at doing that. More than 200 chapters later, we learn this his zanpakutou's power is the ability to flip the perception of its targets so all directions are reversed.
    • Ishida's internal monologue in chapter 347.
    • Captain Kyouraku said just before his curb stomp battle with Chad something along the lines of "It's all just fun and games," and well over two hundred chapters later his special technique turned out to be essentially WEAPONIZING CHILDREN'S GAMES.
    • At the beginning of the manga, one of Ichigo's earliest cases is protecting Orihime from her hollowfied big brother. He reveals his belief that the reason a big brother is born first is to protect the younger siblings that follow. This foreshadows his climactic battle with Byakuya and the debate they have during that fight over why Byakuya isn't protecting his sister.
    • Remember when Ginjo during his training with Ichigo in the current arc he said he makes "One hell of a villain"? Well......
    • In Episode 5 of the anime back in 2004, a Hollow is shown being taken to Hell instead of Soul Society. Now, in 2011, what is the latest movie about? Hell.
    • After being subdued, Ichigo's Inner Hollow warns Ichigo that if he slips up he'll take over again. One Cero Oscuras to the chest courtesy of Ulquiorra later, guess who shows up to the party?
  • Four Is Death: Espada #4, Ulquiorra has come the closest of anyone to killing Ichigo( technically he DID kill the guy, but Plotkai saved him). Additionally, his general appearance is pretty morbid, especially after using Resurrección. He is also the only Arrancar to have mastered his 2nd-level Resurrección.
    • The Fourth squad are the healers. As a military unit, they're also expected to fight when necessary, so they're trained to both heal and kill thus giving them - on a symbolic level - the most control over life and death of any squad in the Gotei 13. They're also treated poorly by the entire Gotei 13 and reduced to doing menial and public hygiene work as a result. The 11th division in particular treat them badly.
    • In the 11th division, there is a captain, a vice-captain, a third seat and a fifth seat. Yumichika wanted the third seat, but upon realizing Ikkaku wanted it he was content to let Ikkaku take it instead. He settled for fifth seat because the kanji is almost as pretty as the kanji for three, but he utterly refuses to take the fourth seat because he hates the number and thinks the kanji is ugly. As a result, the fourth seat stays empty.
    • In Chapter 444, it initially looks like Ichigo's finally mastering his new power but it's actually where everything begins to go horribly wrong (and he doesn't even realize the full extent of it until several chapters later). He finally comes face-to-face with the arc's apparent Big Bad in a confrontation that has set off a terrible chain of events that has culminated in him feeling like he's the Only Sane Man left in a World Gone Mad.
  • The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You: Up until now, the audience/readers have never been able to see through Aizen's illusions (which, as of chapter 391-392, seems to include his mental monologue as well), even when they are supposedly viewing the unfolding scenes/events from an "omniscient narrator" perspective; yes, that's right, his Complete Hypnosis apparently transcends the fourth wall.
  • Freudian Excuse: Of the three traitor captains, only Kaname Tosen has anything approaching an excuse for what he's done: his best friend/crush married a shinigami, who killed her in a fit of rage. To honor her memory, Tosen took up her sword and has been secretly hating shinigami ever since. Of course, it's a bit hard to remember this literally hundreds of chapters later.
    • Turns out Gin has one, too. EVERYTHING he has done has been in order to get revenge for what happened to Rangiku.
    • It's debatable whether the fact Ichigo hasn't ever really permanently died is because she didn't WANT him to.
  • Fun with Foreign Languages: In the anime's Japanese dub at least, the Shinigami tend to have Japanese names and use Japanese for the names of their techniques and Soul Society's architecture and clothing is very like that from Feudal Japan. The Hollow's techniques use Gratuitous Spanish and the Arrancar tend to have names that are inspired by Spanish artists. The Quincy use Gratuitous German for most of their techniques, though the Quincys we've seen that have been named were all Japanese and thus have Japanese names.
  • Funbag Airbag: Hitsugaya and Rangiku's first meeting involves this happening.
  • Functional Magic: Rule Magic variety, called kidou (lit. "the demon way"), Quincies have their own variation of this that uses German spell-calls.
  • Fundoshi: Pesche wears one of these.
  • Furo Scene: Rangiku at Orihime's house, complete with Censor Steam.
  • Fusion Dance: Tensa Zangetsu and Ichigo's inner Hollow in the latest chapter.
  • Gag Boobs: Happens a lot in this manga. See trope page for some examples.
  • Gag Dub: "Peachy Bleachy") Or the long-running fan-favorite "Hueco Mundo Cup"
  • Gainaxing: See trope page for examples.
  • Gambit Roulette: Any of Aizen Sousuke's masterful schemes. The Soul Society arc was one elaborate plan to extract the Hougyoku from Rukia's soul, involving killing and impersonating Central 46, using Ichigo and friends as a distraction, faking his death, and throwing the Seireitei into civil war. If things don't go quite as planned, the plans change; Brute-forcing a quick fix is an option, too.
    • It's now been revealed that he knew that Ichigo was the son of a captain level shinigami from the start, and that basically the entire series was Aizen carefully modulating the Sorting Algorithm of Evil to ensure Ichigo is ready for whatever Aizen needs him for. You didn't read wrong; every fight Ichigo's been in from the start, including the one where he became a Soul Reaper in the first place, was all according to Aizen's master plan.
    • Urahara also deserves mention. It has been revealed that his plans are almost as complicated as Aizen's. They are not quite as unbelievable since you see him making sure it all works properly. But still, the fact that his plan was what ultimately defeated Aizen makes him quite a master of these.

Aizen: "URAHARA KISUKE!!!"

  • Gender Misdirection: the heroes talk about the rumored Kuukaku Shiba as a guy until they discover, err, proof of the contrary.
  • Gentle Giant: Chad. Right up until he needs to protect someone.
  • Genius Ditz: Mashiro.
  • Geo Effects: Hollows and Arrancar are much more powerful when fighting in Hueco Mundo because there is a much higher concentration of spirit energy in the air than in the real world.
  • Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!: Shino pulls a comical one on Ryūnosuke Kyuki due to his lack of faith in his abilities to take on the job as Karakura Town's Shinigami protector. Pity he was right.
  • Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter: Captain Kurotsuchi to Uryu and Renji in anime episode #200.
  • Getting Crap Past the Radar: Actually parodied to a degree on a few occasions, as in whenever a character (which is pretty much always Uryu) says something is "something we can't even show on TV!" Specific examples are Mayuri's method of "healing" Nemu insisting that Uryu and Renji were stupid for not understanding and merely thinking naughty thoughts, and Pesche's method of drawing his Zanpakuto. With the latter, his buddy Dondochakka actually pops up on the front of the screen and warns children "not to imitate him." Furthermore in the Captain Amagai arc, when thinking of a "princess who makes Ichigo silly," Orihime describes a dominatrix.
    • In a particular scanlation of chapter 309, Kenpachi says this after seeing Nnoitra release:

It's been quite a while... Your reiatsu is making me hard...

    • When Uryu Ishida adjusts his glasses, his middle finger is positioned as if he's flipping off the audience.
  • Giant Enemy Crab: The hollow summoned by the kemari game in anime episode #205.
  • Giant Mook: The Gillians. Fura is a Giant Mook turned Up to Eleven.
  • Giant Poofy Sleeves: Orihime's Hueco Mundo costume and Cirucci Sanderwicci's.
  • Giving Them the Strip: Happens in the fight between Captain Kuchiki and Espada #7 Zommari Rureaux in episode 196. Rureaux grabs Captain Kuchiki, who Flash Steps away leaving Rureaux holding his captain's cloak.
  • Giving Up the Ghost: Kon gives his up quite frequently, usually after receiving abuse from Rukia or Ichigo. He usually deserves it though.
  • Girlish Pigtails: Hiyori and Ururu, who both happen to be able to kick your ass. Also the current arc's token tsundere, Riruka.
  • Glass Cannon: Soifon's bankai, Ikkaku's zanpakutou, Komamura's bankai. These aren't inherently frail shinigami, but they sacrifice defense for offensive power and rely heavily on tanking anything that might happen to them during such times. If they can't tank it, they're in trouble.
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom: There are plenty of examples throughout the manga of this (See Page for detailed examples).
  • A God Am I: Aizen's motivation. Additionally, Baraggan refers to himself as the "god of Hueco Mundo".
  • Godzilla Threshold: A usage of this is clearly pointed out in the first movie. A group of exiles are preparing to crash a smaller dimension into the Soul Society, destroying both it and Earth. To prevent this, Yamamoto orders the whole thing blown up. However, Ichigo has gone into the dimension to save his new friend and hopefully stop the villain's plan in the process. Rukia barges into a captain's meeting and begs Yamamoto to send in back up. Yamamoto points out that while Ichigo is powerful, they only have an hour to fix things, and they have no guarantee that a squad of Soul Reapers can get in and get out before the dimension hits. Though when most of the captains and lieutenants go anyway, he waits until the last minute before giving the order to fire.
  • Going Commando: Harribel
  • Gondor Calls for Aid: Aizen of all people relies on this trope. At the end of the Soul Society arc, he's set up a situation whereby he can call on the Negaccion power of Menos Grande to escape from Soul Society. Later on, he calls in this same being (Fuura) to destroy Yamamoto's fiery cage which is cutting him off from the fake Karakura Town battle.
  • Gone Horribly Wrong: The Bount came into existence from an accident during an experiment into eternal life.
  • Gonk: Tite Kubo has a particular talent for creating some truly ridiculous looking characters.
  • Good Colors, Evil Colors: Goes with the typical Japanese color scheme for good and evil, with the shinigami good guys wearing black uniforms with white trimmings and the Arrancar army (including the treacherous shinigami) wearing white uniforms with black trimmings. This shinigami-versus-hollow color scheme extends to Ichigo's inner world where he retains his black shinigami uniform and his inner hollow is an inverted (white) version of himself, akin to the Arrancar color scheme.
  • Good Hair, Evil Hair: Aizen slicks his hair back when he discards his Clark Kent disguise.
    • Mullets are a sign of great evil in Bleach. Just look at Grimmjow's released form and Ichigo's über-hollow form.
    • And now, Aizen's new form... Thing. Really the only apparent differences are his eyes and white trash hair-style.
  • Good Is Not Nice: Mayuri is a Mad Scientist who captures people for experimentation and turns his own men into living bombs. Kenpachi is a battle nut who got his captain seat by killing his predecessor.
    • Mayuri only for a very liberal definition of good (i.e. "He kills bad guys.")
    • Basically the whole Soul Reaper organization; while about half are actually pretty decent individuals, most have very little qualms about performing very questionably ethical or even downright ruthless acts if it benefits their self-imposed goals. And afterwards they're surprised their "end justifies the means" mentality spawned someone like Aizen.
    • Arguably the only truly good Shinigami Captains are Shunsui Kyoraku, Jushiro Ukitake, Sajin Komamura, and Retsu Unohana.
  • Good-Looking Privates: Many of the featured Shinigami.
  • Good Thing You Can Heal: The more powerful a character is, the better their ability to heal is. As a result, captains, vice-captains, Vizards and other powerful characters can survive wounds that would kill weaker characters. Even when they need extra help in healing, they heal fast.
    • A mock-arrancar displays an instant regeneration ability. Uryuu can't fight it but his father defeats it in two shots.
    • Ichigo's ability develops throughout the story as he becomes more and more powerful. It's related to the increasing strength of his hollow powers.
    • Ulquiorra tells Ichigo that he sacrificed power for extra regenerative abilities and as a result has the best regeneration capability of any Espada. It does not make him unkillable, however.
  • Graceful Loser: There have been a couple of examples in this manga.
    • Kenpachi to Ichigo: in his own rough way, his "What are you apologizing for? You won, idiot." is really very gentle... and fuzzy by Kenpachi's standards.
    • Byakuya to Ichigo: Ichigo told Byakuya he was going to defeat him and then drag him to Rukia to apologise and insisted Byakuya tell him why he was refusing to protect his own sister. At the end of the fight, Ichigo had no idea he had won. Byakuya simply started talking - he gave Ichigo an insight into his heart, offered him victory and, a few chapters later, he does indeed apologise to Rukia and then fully explains the reason why he didn't protect her, ending his speech with a direct thank you to Ichigo.
    • Edorad to Ikkaku, who had absolutely no interest in playing by Ikkaku's etiquette rules and learning the identity of his opponent. At the end of the fight, he nevertheless expresses his gratitude to Ikkaku for his insistence in revealing his identity so that he can indeed die knowing who had killed him.
    • Charlotte to Yumichika. The pair spent the entire fight insulting each other as if this world wasn't big enough to survive the existence of two of them... but at the end of the fight, Charlotte's dying act is offer a genuine and deep respect for Yumichika's strength and (in particular) resolve.
  • Gratuitous English: Don Kanonji and his catch phrase "Spirits are always with you!" and "Smells like Bad Spirits!" Also, Renji's "Red Pineapple" shirt.
    • Szayel Aporro Granz's character songs, Pink and Science Show, both feature several lines of English dialog. The song Pink even features more English lyrics then Japanese.
    • The writing on the American DVDs.
    • Dordonii says "IT'S SHOWTIME!" when he powers up in the games.
    • All Fullbring's with exception of Chad's have gratuitous English names, all of which are song references.
    • Charlotte Cuuhlhorne's attack names (although they may just count as gratuitous full stop).

Charlotte: "Beautiful Charlotte Cuuhlhourne's Final Holy Wonderful Pretty Super Magnum Sexy Sexy Glamorous Cero."

  • Gratuitous German: The Bount arc and Ishida's attacks and weapons later on. The Quincies in general.
  • Gratuitous Spanish: Spanish names for Hollow-related things. They're not incredibly bad, but they leave much to be desired. Special prize goes to Dordonii who uses actual Spanish words when he talks(calling Ichigo Niño(boy) and Nel bebé(baby)).
  • Green Lantern Ring: The Hogyouku's power isn't to create Arrancars and Vizards, it's to fulfill the deepest desire of the hearts around it. It created the Vizards because that's what Urahara wanted. It created Arrancar because the Hollows wanted to be Arrancar. It also gave Orihime and Chad their powers because they cursed their powerlessness from the bottom of their hearts.
    • Though with a limit -- the wish has to be within the target's potential.
  • Grievous Harm with a Body: Chapter 351 -- Uber-Hollow Ichigo rips Ulquiorra's arm off and throws it at him.
    • In a manga-only sequence, Grimmjow rips Loly's leg off and beats her over the head with it.
  • The Grim Reaper: Theme of the whole series.
  • Groin Attack: Multiple examples
  • "Growing Muscles" Sequence: Ggio Vega and Poww both do this when they unleash their full power. Later on, fullbring forces a yakuza trapped inside a weaponised plushie to go through one of these.
  1. ↑ 214 and 215, FYI
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