Jūshirō Ukitake

Lore & Background

As a boy Jūshirō had a lung disease that doctors could not cure and that turned his hair white at three. His parents brought him to a Rukongai shrine of the hand-shaped deity Mimihagi, which kept him alive by taking his lungs. The illness still flares up, and he coughs blood when he fights too long or gets too worked up, so he hands much of his captain's work to his subordinates. Soul Reapers respect him for his honesty, loyalty and sense of justice. He and Shunsui Kyōraku trained under Yamamoto a thousand years before the story and are among the oldest captains.

In the final arc the Soul King is killed, and Jūshirō gives his body over to Mimihagi through the Kamikake ritual so that it can stand in for the King and hold Soul Society together. Yhwach swallows Mimihagi and breaks the ritual, and Jūshirō collapses and dies. Rukia Kuchiki later succeeds him as captain of Squad Thirteen.

Did You Know?

• Sōgyo no Kotowari is one of only three zanpakutō in Soul Society that come as a pair of blades.
• Jūshirō made the badge that marks Ichigo as a Substitute Soul Reaper.

Sōgyo no Kotowari

Released, the sword splits into two thin blades shaped like fishing javelins, joined by a chain hung with tags. The left blade soaks up spiritual-energy attacks and the right blade fires them back at full force, and the tags let him make the returned attack faster and stronger. Some early video games wrongly gave it water and lightning powers.

Inspiration

Kubo modelled him on Okita of the Shinsengumi, a sickly swordsman said to be the best in the group, which is why Jūshirō is shown as popular with women and fond of children.