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The manga series and media franchise Bleach contains a large number of characters, all designed by mangaka Tite Kubo. For the animated adaptations of the story, these designs are retooled by Masashi Kudō.

Bleach's main character is Ichigo Kurosaki, a Japanese highschool student with the supernatural ability to see ghosts. At the opening of the series he is given the powers of Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki, and has to take up her duties. These two, a small group of Ichigo's classmates who also obtain spiritual powers early in the story, and a few major antagonists form the core of Bleach's primary cast and are presented below.

The makeup of Bleach's secondary cast has varied substantially during the course of the series. In the first arc of the story, most supporting characters are everyday humans from Ichigo's town. When Rukia is arrested for violation of Soul Reaper law at the beginning of the Soul Society arc, however, the focus shifts to the Soul Reaper characters who make up Soul Society's leadership. Later arcs introduce characters from other factions, such as the Arrancar, an order of hollows who have regained their intellect and wish to take control of the Bleach universe, and the Visored, a group of Soul Reapers with hollow powers who side with neither race. Additional factions not present in the manga plotline are introduced for parts of the Bleach anime and feature films. Significant secondary Bleach cast members can be found on sub-lists linked from this page, where they are sorted by race.

Primary characters

Kisuke Urahara

Kisuke Urahara (浦原 喜助, Urahara Kisuke) Voiced by: Shin-ichiro Miki (Japanese); Michael Lindsay (English)

A mysterious and cheery man characterized by a hat that shadows his eyes and the wooden sandals he wears, Kisuke Urahara runs the Urahara Shop, a candy store that also sells supernatural items to Soul Reapers. Despite his sanguine nature he is one of the most significant figures in the Bleach universe, and bears immense knowledge of the spiritual realms which he uses to mastermind the operations of the protagonists.

Renji Abarai

Renji Abarai (阿散井 恋次, Abarai Renji) Voiced by: Kentarō Itō (Japanese); Wally Wingert (English)

Renji Abarai is an elite Soul Reaper bearing the rank of 6th Division lieutenant, making him second-in-command of a sub-branch of the Soul Reaper armed forces. Although first introduced as a deadly enemy tasked with arresting Rukia, he has conflicting loyalties between his duties and Rukia, with whom he grew up. A rash and driven man, he holds both a deep respect and animosity towards his immediate superior, 6th Division captain Byakuya Kuchiki.

Sōsuke Aizen

Sōsuke Aizen (藍染 惣右介, Aizen Sōsuke) is a Soul Reaper captain introduced at the beginning of the Soul Society arc who holds a minor role until his apparent murder in volume 12. At the end of the Soul Society arc, however, his death is revealed to have been a ploy, and Aizen returns as an exceedingly powerful enemy to both Ichigo and Soul Society. He has since held the role of primary series antagonist, leading an army of hollows and arrancar in a bid to overthrow Soul Society and kill its mysterious king.