Summary
The universe ofBleachis governed by plenty of fairly strict rules and laws, not only in the world of the living where regular humans reside, but also inthe Soul Societytoo, where the Soul Reapers must abide by their traditions and societal norms. Throughout the series though, there have been a handful of characters who have willingly ignored these rules to bring about a greater good, and although this doesn’t always end well for them, sometimes, it turns out to be the right thing when all is said and done.
These characters are classed as being"Chaotic good", in the sense that while they might seem irrational and even a little dangerous at first, they’re ultimately acting this way because they have good intentions. In a series likeBleach, where people are always being hard done by through “Lawful” means, it has meant that quite a few characters have popped up that fit this descrption, with these individuals listed below being the main culprits.
7Shunsui Kyoraku
Shunsui Usually Tries To Stay Out Of Trouble, But He Isn’t Against Disobeying A Few Rules If The Situation Calls For It
Shunsui is well known for beingthe most casual and laidback Captainin theSoul Societywho often tries to steer clear of getting into any trouble to avoid being scolded by Yamamoto. With that being said though, he’s not against bending the rules if he feels that it’s the right thing to do, as is shown when he destroys the Sokyoku before it can execute Rukia for her crime of sharing her powers with Ichigo.
The Sokyoku isn’t just any old guillotine though, it’s an incredibly important part of the Soul Society’s culture which had been around for hundreds of years, so it’s fair to say that the decision to remove it was not taken lightly by Shunsui. He was even willing to face the wrath of Yamamoto himself as punishment for his actions, proving that although he may be pretty carefree a lot of the time, Shunsui is still willing to go against even his own master if he feels that what he’s doing is just.
6Hanataro Yamada
When Hanataro first shows up near the beginning of the Soul Society arc, he’s essentially forced to become Ichigo and Ganju’s tour guide after they abduct him. Rather than resisting though and returning to hisSquad 4 teammates, Hanataro eventually explains that he doesn’t agree with the execution of Rukia, and is therefore prepared to risk his reputation and status within his squad if it means that Rukia can escape with her life intact.
Although he’s shown to be very anxious about facing the repercussions of his actions, Hanataro never thinks about betraying Ichigo, and even goes as far as to heal him numerous times to help him bring even more chaos to the Soul Society. Even when Byakuya, who at that point was portrayed as the strongest of the captains, shows up to confront Hanataro, he manages to stand against the captain in order to protect Rukia, despite knowing that a single slash could cost him his life.
5Yoruichi Shihoin
Despite Being Banished From The Soul Society, Yoruichi Still Manages To Sneak Back In And Cause A Little Trouble
Although Yoruichi was once the captain of the Second Division, after committing numerous crimes andaiding the Vizords in their escape, she was eventually forced to flee, leaving her dearest friend Soi Fon behind in the process. However, because she possesses the ability to transform into a cat, and is good friends with Kisuke, she’s been able to move back and forth between the human world and the Soul Society in order to keep an eye on what’s going on.
This becomes very useful when Ichigo and the gang encounter her, as she gives them plenty of information on how to infiltrate the Soul Society, and advises them on what they’ll be up against once they enter. Despite being banned from ever entering the Soul Society, Yoruichi comes to realize that what Ichigo and his friends are doing is truly the right thing, and so decides to lend them a hand, even if she knows it won’t end well for her if she’s caught.
4Toshiro Hitsugaya
Hitsugaya Will Willingly Take Matters Into His Own Hands If He Feels That Those Above Him Are Acting Incompetently
He may be considered a prodigy by his peers due to his immense strength and Zanpakuto expertise, but since Hitsugaya is still young, he loyally follows the teachings of Yamamoto and his mentors in order to stay on the straight and narrow. When he’s pushed far enough though, Hitsugaya has been shown to take matters into his own hands on numerous occasions. For example, after suspecting that Gin has been pushing Rukia’s execution forward, Hitsugaya decides to pay a visit to the Central 46 so that he can plead with them to stop the execution altogether.
His temper can also get the better of him at times, such as when he threatens to kill Gin in cold blood if he harms Momo in any way, or when he lashes out at Aizen duringthe Fake Karakura Town arc. Although he very rarely breaks the rules of his masters, Hitsugaya has proven that he’s still capable of doing so if he feels that those above him aren’t doing enough to enact justice.
3Renji Abarai
Ichigo’s Heroic Efforts To Save Rukia Encourages Renji To Stand Up For What He Believes In
In Renji’s first few appearances, he comes across as a pretty straightforward Lieutenant who simply follows every order given to him by hisCaptain, Byakuya. However, during his incredibly intense bout with Ichigo, Renji soon came to realize that although he was comfortable following the rules of the Soul Society, underneath it all, he couldn’t bare the fact that his close friend Rukia was being killed for such a seemingly inconsequential reason.
As a result, Renji goes on his own personal crusade, even willing to fight his own captain with his newly acquired Bankai in an attempt to make a difference. Although he unfortunately doesn’t get very far, being completely overwhelmed by Byakuya’s attacks, he does still provide support for Ichigo who was the one that helped him open his eyes to how cruel and vindictive the Soul Society could really be.
2Kisuke Urahara
Kisuke Is Constantly Breaking Laws And Rules Throughout The Series, But He Does It Out Of Good Intentions
Urahara is one ofthe most mysterious charactersin all ofBleach, and at first, this almost makes him seem like some sort of villain who’s just waiting for his opportunity to strike. Very soon though, it becomes clear that even though he’s an outcast who’s been banished from the Soul Society, he’s far from a bad guy, as is shown when he trains Ichigo and grants him access to the Soul Society through the Garganta. Although his presence isn’t exactly welcomed by members of the Soul Society due to his past crimes, they still begrudgingly accept him at times because of how much of an asset he can be thanks to his enormous power and intelligence.
Even in the world of the living, Kisuke could be considered to be somewhat of a rebellious character since he portrays himself as a simple candy store owner, but in reality, is actually a shady G-Guy dealer who has quite a questionable stock of items to serve his customers. Kisuke willingly strengthened Ichigo up to enter the Soul Society knowing full well how much chaos he would cause, but at the same time, he did this because he knew what was happening to Rukia was far from fair.
1Ichigo Kurosaki
Ichigo’s Determination To Protect Those Around Him Often Means That He Must Rebel Against Unfair Systems And Structures
Ichigo is the sort of protagonist who will do whatever he wants, regardless of rules or traditions, so long as his gut feeling tells him it’s the right thing to do, and this is showcased plenty of times throughout the story. Rather than accepting Rukia’s imprisonment as being confined by law, Ichigo rebels against the system, and completely disregards all of the Soul Society’s traditions, just to save the life of a single person, and to change the system for the better. Later in the story, when he is told by the Vizords that his Hollow Powers are far from stable, Ichigo still decides to use them over and over again to protect Orihime,something that actually ends up eventually consuming him.
After the tragic passing of his mother, the only thing Ichigo cares about is protecting those around him, and although this often gets him into a lot of trouble, it also tends to have a positive effects on those around him too, such as with Byakuya, who became much more individualist after seeing Ichigo’s heroic efforts. Ichigo isn’t going against the rules for the sake of it, it’s just he’s the type of guy who won’t be held back by any societal structures or expectations if he feels that they are unfair in how they treat people.
Bleach
Based on Tite Kubo’s battle shonen manga, Bleach centers around Ichigo, a high school student who is dragged into the world of Soul Reapers. The original anime ended in 2012, but it was revived in 2022.
