𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞

Sometimes, girls just do it better.
Bleach is known for having a wide selection of female characters that are considered some of the best in the shonen demographic, whether based on appearance, personality, or strength. Today, we’ll be giving them the spotlight that they deserve

A lot of people have qualms with some of the major arcs in bleach being “damsel in distress” arcs. E.g Rukia during the soul society arc and Orihime during the arrancar saga.

Asides from this statement being completely wrong, it also robs these women of their contribution to..

The plot and places them in a negative light, despite their crucial involvement in the plot.

It’s no secret in the story of Bleach that “Sacrifice” is a major theme.

The final getsuga tenshō.

Urahara’s exile from Soul Society.

Isshin leaving his post as a captain.

All these events are viewed as heroic send offs for the more prominent characters, but what about the girls ?

Rukia and Inoue both put their lives on the line to ease the burden of our protagonist, and funny enough, the trigger for both their sacrifices, is a familiar face ..

But I digress. As a member of the Great Kuchiki family, Rukia had an eternity of prestige and abundant talent ahead of her, yet she threw it all away for one boy who wanted to save his family.

Inoue was a 15 year old high school girl, but went into the hands of the enemy...

Simply to assure the lives of those she loved, even if it meant hers was to be exchanged in the process.

But this act of sacrifice is not limited to these two. Time and time again, the women in bleach have given up countless things for the greater good.

Masaki Kurosaki, daughter of one of the few remaining pure blood Quincy families in existence, gave up the future of her race, all to save one man, who in her eyes should’ve been the enemy, and did so within a heartbeat. To further this, she did it once again for her little boy

Yoruichi Shihouin, another member of one of the great noble families, also the captain of the 2nd division, in charge of a plethora of sub divisions. It is without question to say that she was one of the most influential figures in Soul society while captain. And she left it all.

All for the sake of a friend.

But if the women in bleach were simply scapegoats, they wouldn’t be regarded as some of the best in this demographic.

They boast a large amount of strength, and Kubo isn’t afraid to show this in every arc either.

Unlike most writers that tend to write strong females in a very insistent “girl power” manner, Kubo dares to break the mould by using the military system implemented in the story, to erase any gender barriers, leaving the women in the series with a strong sense of individuality.

This is most prominently seen in Retsu Unohana Yachiru. While carrying a calm and tender expression for most of the series, it’s noticeable that most characters avoid confrontation with Retsu at ALL costs, as if they sense some immense pressure emanating from that sweet smile...

Well sure enough in the final arc, it’s revealed to us that this doting nurse turns out to be one of the most blood thirsty characters to walk the face of the bleach verse. The first Kenpachi. The one who personifies strength. Kubo does not use her gender as an excuse, rather..

He shows that her character is layered with aspirations, an endless hunger for combat and an unflinching spirit. She too, is not afraid to lay her life down on the line for the greater cause, as she snuffs out her existence to train our local madman Zaraki.

But even in the enemy camp, Kubo shows a great deal of care for constructing his women. Neliel Tu. The former Tres Espada that lost her position due to the jealousy of a man, was a humble and bold warrior that was shockingly compassionate compared to her arrancar companions.

Nel’s sacrifice did not come of her own accord, but instead represents a bigger aspect of the story, and links to another prominent theme in bleach; fear. Nnoitora saw Nel’s position and envied this, while also in spite of her attitude. He directly attacks her place in..

The story, claiming that a woman is not fit to be above him, yet it is quite ironic how despite him sabotaging Nel, her replacement is once again, a woman. It’s as if Kubo is saying the arrancar women represent intimidation. He directly weaponises their femininity..

Contrast to erasing it as he does with the female Shinigami. This is even more evoking considering the strict “law of the jungle” system that abides in Hueco Mundo, yet these girls stand at the top of it all.

The big picture in all this is that despite their appearance..

Or attitude, or involvement in the overarching story, Kubo is not afraid to present the themes that he so fondly uses in this series through the entire spectrum of his cast, ranging from the Sternritter women, to the legendary Kenpachi herself.

And before anybody says it is mere coincidence and this man is not even aware of his open minded view on story-telling, he leaves a note for any of those that doubt his methods in his latest Burn the Witch one-shot.

Unlike the other threads I’ve made, this is more of a “respect thread” to show appreciation for the characters involved in the story and how impactful their actions were. I’m more than willing to hear all of your opinions on the women of bleach.

As always, thanks for reading

Here’s a link to the rest of my threads for any newcomers

https://twitter.com/slayerviole/status/1243135248919072768?s=21 https://twitter.com/SlayerViole/status/1243135248919072768