Jūshirō Ukitake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bleach character | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Jūshirō Ukitake | |
| Occupation | Shinigami captain of the 13th Division |
| Birthday | December 21 |
| Height | 187 cm (6' 1⅝") |
| Weight | 72 kg (158.7 lbs) |
| Zanpakutō | Sōgyo no Kotowari |
| Theme song | "Back to the Innocence" by Jonathan Cain |
| Seiyū | Hideo Ishikawa |
| Voice actor | Liam O'Brien |
Jūshirō Ukitake (浮竹 十四郎 Ukitake Jūshirō?) is a character in the manga and anime series Bleach. He is the captain of the 13th Division of the Gotei 13. His lieutenant was Kaien Shiba, but the position is now covered by the co-3rd Seats Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu due to Kaien's death.
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[edit] Character outline
Jūshirō is a sickly looking man with long white hair. In volume 18 of the manga, it is revealed that the illness he suffers from is tuberculosis and his hair turned white three days after his illness surfaced.[1] He likes to eat a lot even though his body is weak, a classic symptom of tuberculosis. Jūshirō's favorite food is umeboshi-chazuke. He doesn't have any food that he dislikes.
Before the demise of Kaien Shiba, Jūshirō often left the daily operations of the 13th Division to Kaien because of his illness; this responsibility is now taken care of by his two current 3rd Seat officers, Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarō Kotsubaki. To Jūshirō's chagrin, the two constantly compete over which is the better assistant. Jūshirō is the only captain who currently has no lieutenant.
Jūshirō is respected by many, especially by his subordinates, for his honesty, loyalty, and personal sense of justice. The extent of his honor and respect is such that Yoruichi Shihouin leaves Rukia Kuchiki, Hanatarō Yamada, and Ganju Shiba behind when she rescues Ichigo Kurosaki from Byakuya Kuchiki, knowing that Jūshirō would not let any harm come to the three. Like Kaien, Jūshirō does not give up when he believes something is wrong and will break the rules if he must. He has been close friends with 8th division captain Shunsui Kyōraku since his youth. The two frequently work together.
In various Bleach omake chapters, Jūshirō is fond of giving people, especially Tōshirō Hitsugaya, strange or unwanted gifts for no apparent reason. In one sketch, Jūshirō gives Hitsugaya a comically oversized stocking full of candy and other such treats because "Jūshirō" and "Tōshirō" sound similar and they both have white hair, making them both shirō (シロちゃん, a nickname meaning "whitey," in reference to their hair). In a V-Jump sketch, Hitsugaya is given a life size figurine of himself in a fighting pose by Jūshirō as a birthday present.
It is implied that, since he has achieved the rank of captain, Jūshirō must be a powerful fighter. He is considered to be the one of strongest captains beside Yamamoto, Kyōraku, and Aizen. However, he is limited by his illness to fighting only for short periods of time, excessive action triggers fits of bloody coughing (another classic symptom of tuberculosis). The true extent of his abilities has not been seen in the series, however, he and Kyōraku both held there own against General Yamamoto for a prolonged period, and Yamamoto states that Jūshirō and Shunsui, both of whom he trained himself, possess "greater powers on the battlefield than any younger generation, or old."
[edit] History
Jūshirō is the eldest son from the low-class aristocrat Ukitake family. He has five brothers and two sisters, who he essentially supports by himself. Up to 2000 years prior to the current storyline, he, along with Shunsui Kyōraku, was one of the first graduates of Captain Yamamoto's academy. Furthermore, he was personally trained by Yamamoto. It is implied that he and Kyōraku are the oldest captains amongst the Gotei 13, with the exception of Yamamoto himself.
[edit] Sōgyo no Kotowari
Jūshirō's zanpakutō is Sōgyo no Kotowari (双魚の理 or 双魚理, lit. Truth of Pisces). It is one of only two zanpakutō in Soul Society that exists as a pair, the other being Shunsui Kyōraku's Katen Kyōkotsu. Unlike Shunsui's zanpakutō, however, Sōgyo no Kotowari only splits into two swords when released, while Shunsui's zanpakutō constantly exists as a pair. Its initial release command is "every wave be my shield, every thunder become my blade" (波悉く我が盾となれ雷悉く我が刃となれ nami kotogotoku waga tate to nare, ikazuchi kotogotoku waga yaiba to nare?).[2]
In its initial release, Sōgyo no Kotowari splits into two thin blades resembling fishing javelins. It somewhat resembles Momo Hinamori's Tobiume in appearance, but the jitte-like prongs on Sōgyo no Kotowari consist only of a reversed blade on each sword. The two swords are connected by a cord, which is lined with several small charms.
While Sōgyo no Kotowari's abilities go unseen in the series, they are depicted in a number of Bleach video games. In Bleach GC: Tasogare Ni Mamieru Shinigami, Sōgyo no Kotowari uses lightning and thunder-based abilities. In Bleach DS: Souten ni Kakeru Unmei, its special attacks involve water, light beams, and lightning orbs. In Bleach: Heat the Soul 3 and Bleach Wii: Hakujin Kirameku Rondo, Sōgyo no Kotowari uses similar combinations of water and electricity.
