We fear that which we cannot see.
~ A tribute to Rukia Kuchiki of Bleach.
Hello, visitor, and welcome to Hikaru, Crystal's one-page dedication to Rukia Kuchiki from the anime and manga series BLEACH by Tite Kubo. Rukia is a character that caught my eye right away when I first saw her in the anime with her strength and grace and after watching her and learning more about her character I learned we are a lot alike. Please be warned that this site will likely be full of unmarked spoilers so if you are unfamiliar with the series or just getting started with it please watch your step! If you have any comments or questions regarding Rukia or the site feel free to contact me about them. Aside from that I hope you enjoy your stay!
Hikaru was made in participation with the 2011 anual Amassment One Page, One Month Shrine Marathon because I needed an excuse to make this as I tend to procrastinate and never get anything done. Also, be aware that this site will mainly focus on Rukia as she appears in the manga and only up to the end of the Soul Society arc because I am really far behind in both and don't really care all that much for anything else after that point or the anime really. Because of that there will likely be some gaps but I will do my best to keep those minimal.
Updated July 31, 2011 · Part of ZerudaORG · Listed at Amassment & Emotion
The wheels of fate slowly turn.
~ A little bit of information on who she is.
Gender: Female
Birthday: January 14
Height: 144 cm
Weight: 33 kg
Occupation: Shinigami/Soul Reaper
Zanpaktou: Sode no Shirayuki
Voice: Orikasa Fumiko (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English)
Theme song: Wing-Stock by Ashley MacIsaac
Doesn't like tight clothes.
Likes to climb to high places.
Likes rabbit-related items.
Likes cucumber and shira-tama, but the list could get longer.
Rukia Kuchiki is a Shinigami (Death God) who makes her first appearance in episode 1 of the anime and briefly at the beginning of volume 1 of the manga although, her official appearance isn't until a bit later in chapter 1 when she appears in Ichigo's bedroom, much to his surprise. At first she seems arrogant, uncaring and very serious, but we learn she does have a playful, caring and compassionate side as well. She also places her life below others because of the fact that she constantly feels guilty for what happened to Kaien and that she could not find an alternate way to help him. This guilt-ridden attitude carries on to Ichigo and she often feels that his life would have been better if the two had never met. Because of this she looses her will to live and does not resist at all when it comes time for her execution. Rumor says that she has the skills to be a seated officer but her brother will not allow it because of the dangers involved.
I found Rukia's theme song to be rather interesting after looking it up and though I don't know what thoughts went through the creator's head as to why this song was chosen I thought I would at least share my thoughts on it. Rukia's theme song is Wing-Stock by Ashley MacIsaac which is a rather interesting piece. It is a Celtic song which starts out slow and gradually gets faster. The song reminds me of an evolution or a series of events. Kinda like how Rukia's personality changed from the beginning of the series to later on. Where at the beginning she carries all this blame on herself and thinks of herself as nothing where later on those thoughts change and she begins to rely more on her friends and loose that guilt she'd been carrying (or at least enough that it doesn't control her life near as much). As I said these are all just my personal thoughts and I'm likely way off. If you have yet to hear her theme song (!!) I would suggest you go listen now! It's really a beautiful song. <3
Life was rough then but we were happy.
~ Rukia's life before becoming a Shinigami.
Rukia's life before becoming a Shinigami -- or even a noble for that matter -- was far from even being comfortable as she lived in the Seventy-Eigthth District of South Rukongai, Inzuri, which was the worst of the worst. Grownups were murderers and thieves while the children were like stray dogs. But when Rukia and Renji met that day life seemed to get a little better for them. There was five kids in all and they formed their own little surrogate family with Rukia as their center. Though she often came off as boyish and bossy but despite that her natural elegance would always shine through. In their little family Rukia and Renji were also the only ones to have strong spiritual powers. After ten years had passed their little family of five had then become two. With the passing of their friends they decided to go to the Seireitei to then become Shinigami and escape the hard life of Rukongai in hopes of a better life. Because Rukia and Renji had some talent they were accepted into the Shinigami Academy and soared through the ranks despite being surrounded by aristocrats. Then one day Rukia was approached by members of the Kuchiki family saying that she was to be adopted into the family. With that she would be graduating early and was arranged to join the Gotei 13 right away in which she was accepted into the 13th Division.
Bring peaceful rest to the living dead.
~ About the Shinigami and the Soul Society.
The way of the Shinigami is vast and complex and while I don't entirely understand it all myself I will try my best to explain it to the best of my abilities. Basically, what Shinigami do is work to preserve the balance of souls within the living world and the Soul Society. If the balance is ever tipped the destruction of the universe would happen which would be the end of all life. In order to keep this from happening the Gotei 13 was formed. With the Council of 46 giving out the commands the Gotei 13 work to complete those orders.
The Shinigami work to bring souls to the Soul Society either by performing a konso (soul burial) ritual on a soul or by killing a hollow (malevolent souls that were once human but now monsters who lost their chains of fate). They do this by using a zanpakutou, a weapon that reflects aspects of the Shinigami's personality and soul. By learning the name of their zanpakutou one can unlock powerful transformations of it. The first is known as "shikai" (initial release) which changes the sword's appearance to better facilitate its special abilities. It also serves as a contract between the Shinigami and the zanpakutou showing that only the wielder can use its powers to the fullest. The second transformation is titled "bankai" (final release) and can take years for the wielder to master. Once achieved however the Shinigami can unleash the full potential of their zanpaktou and increase their power tremendously.
Shinigami can also learn to use kidou (way of the demon), a form of magic that can be performed by reciting a specific incantation. Most of the kidou spells seen are used for attacking, defending, and binding but they can also be used for healing or communicating over great distances. Spells are ranked from 1 to 99 which indicates their complexity and power.
Guilty of crime and sentenced to death.
~ Apparently giving away one's powers is a crime.
After disappearing in the living world for two months and knowing that she can't stay for much longer Rukia leaves Ichigo and is found by Byakuya and Renji who were ordered to bring her back to the Soul Society for trial and to kill the human who "stole" her powers. Though she would not tell them it was Ichigo he eventually does come in an attempt to save her. Ichigo is eventually defeated by Byakuya and his was stripped of his powers. If not for Rukia's pleading he would have killed Ichigo. The three of them return to the Soul Society and Ichigo watches helplessly, unable to do anything.
Wanting to save her Ichigo trained under Kisuke Urahara to get his powers back and to learn how to properly use them. When the time came he and his friends entered the Soul Society in hopes of rescuing her. The task was not easy as they were met with resistance from the other Shinigami and thrown into battle after battle until Ichigo, Ganju Shiba and Hanataro Yamada succeed at arriving at the Senzaikyu (the repentace palace) where Rukia was being held. Ganju was then defeated by Byakuya and Yoruichi incapacitated Ichigo as to avoid getting himself killed. She then trains him to master bankai (the second stage release of a zanpakutou) in only a couple days. When word of Rukia's execution goes around that it was moved to tomorrow Yoruichi questions whether Ichigo can master bankai in time. Ichigo assures her that he will and manages to do just that.
The next morning came and Rukia was taken to the execution site where she was to be put to death. Before that could happen however Ichigo appeared and stopped the execution. After Rukia was freed and told to escape with Renji several battles broke out and Ichigo and Byakuya once again engaged in combat. With Ichigo as the victor he promised to stop pursuing Rukia. Soon after however it was discovered that the Council of 46 had been murdered, and not recently judging from how dry the blood was. It was soon learned that all the orders that the Shinigami were receiving were fake and that Sosuke Aizen had faked his own death and that he arranged the whole execution ordeal with Rukia himself.
Revealing his intentions as to why he did what he did it was discovered that Rukia had within her soul an item that Aizen desired and that the only way to get it was to destroy the soul. After learning of an alternate plan if the first failed he recaptured Rukia after easily overpowering both Ichigo and Renji and obtained the Hougyoku (breakdown sphere) without killing her. When news about Aizen's betrayal was spread among the Gotei 13 he became surrounded but remained smug about it. When Yoruichi caught wind of what he had planned she and Soi Fon let go of Aizen and he, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tousen became surrounded in a light called "Negacion" that menos would use to rescue each other. They all watched helplessly as the three of them were taken. All they could do was prepare for when Aizen made his next move.
Her skin was soft and white like snow.
~ Rukia's Zanpakutou, the Sode no Shirayuki.
Sadly we don't get to see Rukia's zanpakutou until chapter 201 in the manga and episode 117
in the anime making its appearance very late. When it does make its appearance however her
zanpakutou is revealed as Sode no Shirayuki (meaning Sleeves of White Snow) which
is claimed to be the most beautiful blade within the Soul Society. Using the word "Dance"
she can summon the shikai form of her sword which is pure white and has a long white ribbon
tail attached to the end of the hilt. Its powers are ice and snow based which goes perfectly
with the color of it. The main ability we see with it is when she uses the command "some no
mai, tsukishiro" (meaning first dance, white moon) where it places a circle on the ground
and freezes everything within that circle, including anything in the sky above making it a
versatile ability. Her zanpakutou has other abilities to but because I am slow and far behind
in both I will not go into details on them.
These bonds that tie us make us strong.
~ Rukia's relationships with other people.
Throughout the series Rukia interacts with many different people. All of which impacting her in one way or the other. However, because of the fact that this is a small site I am only going to list the few I feel are most significant to her character. Otherwise this would get a lot longer than I would like. Not listed in any particular order.
The first person I feel to be of importance to Rukia is Kaien Sheba, the assistant captain of
the Thirteenth Company. He is someone Rukia greatly admired probably because of the fact that
he wouldn't treat her like a noble but rather that of a normal person, something that she wants
people to do. I think from overhearing some of the other members talk and perhaps sensing it
from Rukia as well that it was something she wanted so that's what he did. It could also just
be the fact that he is an all around goofy guy and doesn't seem care about a person's stature.
When she'd feel down he'd cheer her up by saying that he is her friend and that he would never pry
if something was bothering her. As such, she cares a great deal about him. I can only imagine
how she felt on that day when Kaien became possessed by a hollow and was told to flee but instead
came back because she knew she had to save him somehow. When she killed him he was thankful but
she only felt selfish and pathetic in the end because she claims to have done it all for herself.
Next up is Ichigo Kurosaki. Her meeting with Ichigo was accidental, if not a bit careless
on her part, but I'd imagine running into a human who could see spirits was the last thing she'd
expected to find. When his family is attacked by a hollow and Rukia becomes injured trying to fight
it she offers some of her powers to Ichigo who then uses them to defeat the hollow. Because Ichigo
took more than she had intended to give she remained with him in order to regain her powers. During
that time she felt she could completely trust Ichigo but also felt she had twisted his fate and that
that she hurt him terribly because of it. I don't think that was true however as when the Soul Society
came to take her back for committing a crime of giving away her powers Ichigo vowed to rescue her. Not
because of the fact that he cares for her but rather because of the fact that he claimed he still
owed her for helping him save his family and that he felt that he never really paid her back for it.
Because of that he felt like he would be a bad person if he didn't at least try and do something to
help her, even if she did tell Ichigo not to come after her. I think that is just Ichigo's own way
of saying he cares, even if he says he doesn't.
Renji Abarai is next. These two have been friends since long before becoming Shinigami. As
such, they have known each other for the longest amount of time. They met through a random encounter
and have been together since. When they decided to become Soul Reapers they decided to enter the
academy. The flied through the ranks until one day he found Rukia with a couple of nobles. Considering
his opinion on them at the time I can only imagine what thoughts ran through his head when she told
him she was to be adopted into the Kuchiki family. He tried to act happy for her saying that she was
so lucky and such but I think in reality he may have been jealous of her because she finally had a
real family. I think Rukia could see through it and as such left him standing there, alone. I'm sure
he really wanted to run after her but he would tell himself not to and to let her go which I can't
imagine at all to be an easy thing to do. They hadn't spoken for years afterwards but I'm sure he
never stopped thinking about her. It's possible Rukia never stopped thinking about Renji either. I'm
pretty sure if it wasn't for Ichigo wanting to save Rukia and it rubbing off on Renji they would
have never spoken to each other again.
Last, but not least, I cannot forget Orihime Inoue. Reason being is that she is the only human
(besides Ichigo but he doesn't count) that she really interacts with. Although they don't interact
together a lot directly, indirectly their relationship is pretty neat -- especially when Ichigo is
involved. Basically I think of their relationship as a scale. If not balanced it will either tilt
one way or the other. Alone they don't do much but together they balance each other out. Rukia is
an aggressive fighter who may not think twice about cutting down her enemy and Orihime is not an
aggressive person who would rather find an alternate solution to a fight than kill without thinking.
That said, they balance each other out and determine how exactly to deal with a situation. Whether
it be with each other or another member of the team or with just each other they belong together
(and not in a romantic way mind you). It is also shown that they care a great deal about each other.
Orihime helps rescue Rukia from the Soul Society and likewise Rukia helps rescue Orihime when she's
in trouble.
I can never seem to make him proud of me.
~ Rukia's adoptive family and the secrets they hide.
Nothing is known of Rukia's parents and for the majority of her childhood it wasn't something she thought about. At least, I think that to be the case due to how life was where she grew up. For a while her friends were her family but after their passing and Rukia and Renji entering the academy all that changed when she was approached by the heads of the Kuchiki family.
Byakuya Kuchiki is Rukia's adoptive brother and head of the Kuchiki family. As such he
acts very much in an aristocratic manner. He always seems apathetic towards others but in
reality he is deeply conflicted. He strongly believes in upholding the law and that anyone
who breaks it should be punished, even if it goes against his wishes. Because of his position
in one of the great noble families and as a captain in the Gotei 13 he feels he should follow
the rules or else no one will. I'm sure if it weren't for his desire to upload the law he would
have done everything within his power to save Rukia from being executed, even if it meant disobeying
the law himself. I think his battle with Ichigo changed his views on a few things, one being that
he would no longer chase Rukia to kill her and that he would confess to her why he wanted to adopt
her into the family to begin with. Though it does not appear obvious at first glance, Byakuya does
care a great deal about Rukia and even refers to her as his "pride". One example showing this
is when Gin Ichimaru is about to kill her after Aizen removed the Hougyoku from her body Byakuka
appears and takes the hit from the attack in order to protect her.
We never actually get to meet Hisana Kuchiki as she dies 55 years prior to the beginning
of the series. What we do know is that she was Byakuya's wife and that he loved her dearly.
After the ordeal with Aizen, Byakuya confesses to Rukia that she was in fact her sister. When
Hisana and Rukia passed from the living world they were sent to Inzuri in the Rukongai. Because
life was hard and she could not properly care for both of them Hisana abandoned Rukia. Because
of this she could never forgive herself. It is unclear how Byakuya and Hisana met but after
becoming his wife she searched endlessly for Rukia for the next five years. On her deathbed
she begged Byakuya to find her and to protect her. She also asked that he allow Rukia to call
him "brother" and to not say that she was her sister as she felt undeserving of being called it. Byakuya
found Rukia one year later. Because it was against the Kuchiki family law to marry someone from
the Rukongai or even take someone into family not of noble birth he swore upon his family's
grave that he would uphold the law no matter what the cost. When Rukia was condemned he became
conflicted. He didn't know whether to honor the oath to his parents or keep his promise to Hisana.
In the end he thanked Ichigo (for what I'm not exactly sure) and asked Rukia that she forgive him.
There are things we just don't know.
~ Information about the site and such.
As several may already know I've wanted to make a shrine to Rukia for years but I could
never get myself motivated enough to actually do anything with it. I made several layouts
in an attempt to help motivate myself to get started but it never got any farther than that.
What actually did drive me to do some work on this was another shrine I had in the works for
a game that I was totally excited to work on. Somehow that managed to spread to Rukia as well
which is good, haha. This shrine is also a participant in Amassment's anual One
Page, One Month Shrine Marathon because it's fun. <3 This site was finally opened
on July 31, 2011.
Version 1 of Hikaru was made by me using Adobe Photoshop 7.0 and coded using Notepad. The image used in the banner I think was found at Minitokyo while all the others were photocapped by me. Textures used were found at Aethereality.net. Fonts used are called 04b24 and Terminal, the first being from Dafont. Credit goes to Wikipedia for some information used on this site.
The end of all things has not come.
~ Links back to the site and links out.
If you wish to link back here feel free to use one of these codes. Just please remember to not direct-link them. :)
TOP · Hikaru was created by Crystal and is not to be duplicated in any way. Bleach and characters are © Kubo Tite. No copyright infringement intended.