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“ | You give me too much credit. These days, I'm just a plain old candy-store owner. | „ |
~ Kisuke Urahara |
Kisuke Urahara is a major character in the Bleach franchise. He is the former captain of the 12th Division, as well as the founder and 1st President of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute until he was discharged from a false accusation by Sosuke Aizen.
He currently lives in the Human World after being exiled, where he owns a small convenience store, "Urahara Shop", which doubles in selling Shinigami items. The shop is maintained by Urahara himself, as well as his employees Tessai Tsukabishi, Jinta Hanakari, and Ururu Tsumugiya. He is also a longtime friend of Yoruichi Shihōin and a mentor of Ichigo Kurosaki.
He is voiced by Shin'ichirō Miki in the Japanese version of the anime, while in the English version, he is voiced by the late Michael Lindsay from episodes 4-214 and Doug Erholtz from episode 231 onwards.
Quick Answers
What role did Kisuke Urahara play in the Shinigami Research and Development Institute?
Why was Kisuke Urahara exiled to the Human World in Bleach?
What is the significance of Kisuke Urahara's 'Urahara Shop'?
How is Kisuke Urahara connected to Sosuke Aizen in Bleach?
What is the meaning behind Kisuke Urahara's 'hat and clogs' look?
Appearance[]
Kisuke is a tall, lean-built man with light skin and gray eyes. Normally referred to as an old man, he often wears a baggy black jacket with white diamond patterns at the bottom, a green shirt, and a baggy pair of pants. His most notable accessories are his traditional wooden sandals, striped fisherman's hat, and cane. It is apparent that he has no use of the cane as an aide to walk, but we soon find out it is in fact his zanpakuto disguised as a walking cane.
Personality[]
Though usually a laid-back, optimistic, jovial, pleasant and eccentric man, Urahara shows a deceptively cunning and serious side when the situation warrants it. He commonly uses idle conversation and outward concern to distract his opponents. Despite his care-free attitude, he always speaks politely, but is sometimes sarcastic. Yoruichi Shihōin notes he tends to go over the top with whatever he becomes passionate about. He has described himself as a "mere honest, handsome, perverted businessman."
Kisuke is also a pragmatic combatant, believing that using any means necessary in a life-and-death battle is essential in victory and survival, such as forming an alliance with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez beforehand to defeat Askin Nakk Le Vaar via a sneak attack from behind.
As a former captain of 12th squad, Kisuke was shown to be an intelligent scientist when he created Gigais and Gikons. He developed a new Kido that would seal away Aizen. He revealed to Aizen that the Hogyoku no longer acknowledge the ex-captain of the 5th squad as its master.
Background[]
After Rukia Kuchiki transfers her Shinigami powers to Ichigo. Urahara later then gives Rukia a gigai, which later is revealed to be a special gigai that would slowly drain her Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) and turn her into a human. Though this never happens, but it came pretty close. Rukia later buys an artificial soul to take Ichigo's place when he turns into a Shinigami, to make his life easier for the time being.
Later in the series Rukia goes to Urahara for information about the Quincy race. He reveals how the Quincy were hunted to almost extinction due to fear from the Shinigami.
Soul Society Arc[]
Once Ichigo and his friends returned from the Soul Society, Urahara gathered the group on a flying piece of paper and flew them home. He revealed his involvement in the placing of the Hogyoku within Ruki'a soul, and said he didn't tell them because it would change their minds on saving her. Later he apologized for his actions after recieving a elbow to the face by Ichigo, he promises to apologize to Rukia.
Arrancar Arc[]
Urahara and Yoruichi save Ichigo from Yammy. Yoruichi and Urahara Brawl the Espada's Yammy and Ulquiorra before the latter retreat. Sometime later Chad asks to be trained. Urahara later has Renji train him since his Bankai is not fit for training. When Orihime arrives, he shares the details of the coming battle and asks her to refrain from being in the battle due to her lack of means of attack destroyed by Yammy yet Chad disagreed. During another Arrancar incursion, Urahara saves Rangiku Matsumoto from being Impaled by Luppi Atenor. He later on Brawls with Yammy but later on, Ulquiorra captures Orihime while she was in the Dangai, allowing Yammy to Escape back to Hueco Mundo.
Abilities[]

Kisuke displays his combat prowess while training Ichigo.
Kisuke was briefly the captain of the 12th Division within the Gotei 13. This is a testament to his skills, intelligence, leadership potential, and powers.
His powers and abilities include:
Master Swordsman: Urahara is an extremely skilled swordsman, possessing powerful strikes with equally impressive speed behind them. He can perform attacks with perfect precision and stop them in an instant. He is highly proficient in combining it with his other skills and instantly switching between any of them and rarely relies on more than Shikai, as seen against Yammy, the 10th Arrancar. His usual methods in battle are striking from various angles to confuse and catch his opponents off guard for sneak attacks. He kept Ichigo constantly pressured during their training despite Ichigo's much larger blade. He achieved Bankai within a short time through a process he devised, relying on sheer skill against the blade's spirit.
- Shitonegaeshi (褥返し, Cushion Return): A pinning technique which subdues an opponent and immobilizes them on the ground using coercion alone, with Urahara suspending the tip of his cane just millimeters from their face after he has struck them down.
- Hōzuri (頬摺, Cheek Stroke): A simple but precise slash technique which is meant only to lightly graze and cause superficial wounds.
Hakuda Master: As a former commander of the Detention Unit of the Onmitsukidō, Urahara was not allowed to use weapons in the Nest of Maggots, so he became highly proficient in unarmed combat. His skills are great enough to force Yoruichi at her peak to fight seriously during their regular sparring sessions. During his days as a Shinigami, even when only a third seat officer, he effortlessly took down several Shinigami deserters unarmed, and emerged unscathed afterwards.
Shunpo Master: As a former Onmitsukidō unit commander, Urahara has exceptional skill in Shunpo and is well-versed in its various techniques. He is so fast, an opponent does not notice when he replaces himself with a portable Gigai for misdirection; this is further demonstrated when he uses this tactic effectively against Aizen. Even at the peak of Yoruichi's performance, the greatest Shunpo master in history, Urahara could always keep up with her speed.
Kidō Master: Urahara is a master in all forms of Kidō. He can break barriers of the spiritually superior noble clans, a feat which even captains cannot achieve.He can silently, and without warning, use low and mid-level Kidō to great effect. He can rapidly use a single high-level Kidō repeatedly, or multiple ones in quick succession, by name alone, without incantation or calling the type and level, while retaining considerable power and control. He can use level 99 Kidō, but has more difficulty with Kidō above level 88 without incantation. He can use multiple Kidō in conjunction for various combination and diversion tactics, and have them remain undetected until sprung in sync in a chain reaction. Aizen admitted that if not for the Hōgyoku, Urahara's prowess would have surely defeated him.
- Kaidō (回道, Turn Way): He is highly proficient in healing Kidō, having repeatedly healed Ichigo and his friends when battle-worn.
- Kidō Creation: As the former head of the SRDI, Urahara has immense knowledge and understanding of the flow, application, and consistency of spiritual energy.From this, Urahara can create his own unique high-level Kidō, each designed for a very specific or versatile nature. Some of these said spells draw influence from other techniques.
- Keikaigi (繫界儀, World-Tying Rite): This technique connects the space tying two worlds together to produce a Garganta. The opening is generated between two large wooden posts jutting out from two large rock formations. He is later able to open the portal silently and whenever he chooses.
Immense Spiritual Power: As a former captain of the 12th Division, Urahara possesses tremendous amounts of spiritual energy. Ulquiorra Cifer, the 4th Espada, viewed Kisuke highly dangerous and opted to avoid fighting him.His energy is intense enough to make opponents with high levels of energy sweat in fear. When releasing his spiritual pressure, it can create a shockwave strong enough to affect a considerable area and launch back weaker individuals. He has demonstrated tremendous reserves of energy, launching multiple high-level Kidō and Shikai attacks in a single battle without tiring.His Reiatsu is red.
- Masterful Reiatsu Control: As former high-ranking member of the Onmitsukidō, Kisuke is adapt at fine-control of his spiritual energy, never wasting more energy than necessary for his various stunts. He is quite skilled in hiding his reiatsu, able to remain unnoticed by both allies and enemies.
Genius Intellect: Urahara is the most intelligent being both within and outside of Soul Society. Much of his intellect is seen in scientific inventions, deduction of situations, and combat tactics. Aizen acknowledges that Urahara's intelligence surpasses his own immense intellect. Even after a century of exile, the SRDI still holds great respect for his talents. He is very insightful of other people, able to see through a person's demeanor and determine what they are thinking. Also able to read well into the situation, he can seemingly predict anything well in advance. After Orihime revealed her powers to Ulquiorra, Urahara correctly deduced Aizen would try to capture Orihime to use her against Soul Society, and had already prepared to send Ichigo to Hueco Mundo before he could ask. Kisuke is a highly capable teacher. In only five days of unorthodox training, he conditioned Ichigo into an experienced fighter on par with lieutenant-level Shinigami. His knowledge has given him an innate understanding of the abilities of others and what happens when independent variables are entered into an equation. It was for this reason why Kisuke was named one of the 5 Special War Powers by the Wandenreich.

Kisuke creates a Gigai as a decoy.
- Master Scientist & Inventor: As the founder and former head of the SRDI, Urahara is a talented inventor and scientist, having created a number of devices and techniques to aid him in battle or otherwise. His intellect in this field is evident, having created the most amazing things in Soul Society's history. Having inventing and creating before becoming a seated officer, he can finish projects in very short amounts of time. He modified a simple plushy doll into a two-way monitor to speak between dimensions, greatly intriguing Kurotsuchi. Urahara figured out how to restore Ichigo's Shinigami powers seventeen months after losing them.He can even determine the true mechanics behind a new advanced power and how to disrupt it, like the Quincy ability to steal a Bankai. He is a highly adept chemist, having recreated the unique healing properties of both the "White Bone Pond" and "Blood Hell Pond" in his own hot spring. Urahara has highly capable medical skills, regularly healing Ichigo and his friends when battle-worn. He also has a very detailed understanding of the Hollowfication process and has determined how to stabilize a victim of it, as seen with the Visored.
- Master Strategist & Tactician: Despite his aloof nature, Urahara is a very insightful and cunning man. He possesses great intuition, quickly becoming aware of any incoming danger and reacting to it in time. Urahara has an undeniable talent for thinking things through well in advance, making decisive and accurate decisions quickly in battle, and seemingly perceiving any situation at hand. He is a crafty tactician, easily deceiving both allies and enemies. In battle, he regularly uses cunning and deception to catch his opponents off-guard. He is a very analytical man, quickly seeing through an opponent's power and attack patterns to ultimately make them useless against him. He easily outmaneuvered and tricked Aizen repeatedly in his fight with him. Urahara stated that he goes into situations expecting many possible scenarios just so he is never caught by surprise and making it possible for him to be ready for any that might occur.
Enhanced Strength: As a former member of the Onmitsukidō, he received considerable physical conditioning. During his time as commander of the Detention Unit, he effortlessly stopped a punch from a giant man with a single hand. He stopped a kick from the immensely strong Ururu, blocking most of the impact which would have otherwise killed Ichigo. During his training with Ichigo, his strikes possessed enough power to create large craters and launch the younger fighter several meters through solid rock.
Enhanced Speed: Kisuke has demonstrated tremendous speed and reflexes in battle. Even when caught by surprise from an enemy's attack, he can react in time to skillfully dodge or counter the assault. Offensively, he can keep up a quick and rapid assault which forces most opponents on the defense, as he leaves no openings in his attacks.
Enhanced Agility: While normally laid-back, Kisuke is an immensely agile fighter. In battle, he can effectively use the battlefield to his advantage, flipping and jumping from wall to wall to keep his opponents unsure of his attack patterns. Offensively, his agility grants him great balance and dexterity in battle, attacking his opponent from various angles with great accuracy and force.
Enhanced Durability: While not the most imposing in appearance, Kisuke has received considerable physical training from his days in the Onmitsukidō, and is well-conditioned for battle. He can take large amounts of punishment. His durability caused Hiyori to be more careful about how she would hit him if she did not want to hurt herself instead.
Enhanced Endurance: During his time as a captain, he would regularly be assaulted by his then-lieutenant Hiyori Sarugaki. Each time, he would take the assaults indifferently, if not laugh about it, with little to no adverse effect on himself. Against Askin's "The Deathdealing", despite showing great exhaustion from the Quincy's poisonous power, Kisuke was still able to move about with considerable agility, surprising Askin.
Master Assassin: As a former high-ranking member of the Onmitsukidō, Kisuke possesses considerable mastery in the art of stealth combat. He has repeatedly shown impressive skill in staying hidden and unseen while maneuvering towards his target. He can completely hide his presence, remaining undetected until he intentionally reveals himself. During his battle against Yammy, he repeatedly caught his opponent completely off guard and effectively took advantage of it. Even the perceptive and intuitive Aizen was caught by surprise.He was also able to launch a successful sneak attack on the Quincy Quilge, sensing when he wasn't using his Blut Vene for defense.
Zanpukto[]
Kisuke's blade is Benihime, the Red Princess. A blade described by Urahara as "not nice", it is one of the few known Zanpakutō with a female spirit owned by a male. When sealed, Benihime is a beige-colored shikomizue (a blade hidden inside a cane) with a curved handle and silver base. As the blade resides in a cane, the cane's handle is still the hilt and the shaft is the sheath, allowing it to still operate like other Zanpakutō. The shaft's base bears a Gokon Tekkō emblem on the bottom, which can separate souls from bodies by pressing the mark to it. Back when Urahara was still in the Gotei 13, Benihime was sealed in an average-sized katana form, with a black sheath worn under Urahara's sash. It had an oval-shaped tsuba, with a snowflake-design embossed in it, and a black hilt-wrapping.
Shikai[]
Benihime's Shikai command is "Awaken" (起きろ, okiro; Viz "Wake up"). Its Shikai takes the form of a sleek, medium-sized sword. The hilt's grip, which has a gentle black-decorative wrapping, bends forward at the end, with a pommel shaped overlap three times, and a crimson tassel dangling from its base. Instead of a tsuba, there is a U-shape guard covering three inches of the blade, with a flower petal design. At the base of the guard is a red string wrapped thrice around the hilt, with a three-loop bow on the back side and a folded paper decoration on the front side. The blades' hamon is straight, colored black with a silver edge, and is somewhat thicker than the cane-sealed state. It remains straight and slim with a somewhat short size, with the tip ending in a slanted razor-like edge instead of tapering to a point.
Bankai[]
Urahara's Bankai takes the form of a giant woman with dark, braided hair arranged in loops on her head and mannequin-like arms who wears a revealing red robe while Urahara himself retains his sealed sword for combat. Urahara learned Bankai in three days using the Tenshintai he created. Urahara states that his Bankai is not fit for training or helping others.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In the live action film, he is played by Seiichi Tanabe.
- His first English voice actor, the late Michael Lindsay, is best known voicing as Kankuro from Naruto/Naruto Shippuden, Agumon for episodes 1-2 from Digimon Adventure, Joe Kido, Greymon from Digimon Adventure/02 and Gotsumon from Digimon Data Squad.
- His second English voice actor, Doug Erholtz, is best known voicing as Asuma Sarutobi & Kankuro from Naruto series, T.K. Takaishi from Digimon Adventure 02, Daigo Nishijima and Koromon from Digimon Adventure tri..
- Kisuke is considered the smartest person in the Bleach universe.
- Kurotsuchi despises Kisuke for always being ahead of him as a scientist; despite making radical advances through his inhumane methods.
- Aizen, despite all his scheming, admits Kisuke is smarter than himself; hefty praise for someone who masterminded the creation of Arrancar and taking over Hueco Mundo without the Gotei 13 knowing until he was forced to reveal the trick.
- Yhwach feared him as one of the Five War Powers, due to his incalculable tricks. He couldn't predict anything Kisuke could invent.
- In the epilogue novels, it's revealed Kisuke can create artificial people like Nemu Kurotsuchi on his own. These being Ginta and Ururu, which explains their origins and why they can perceive spirits.
- This does explain why Ururu appears to "malfunction" and attack others. The first time when Ichigo nearly lands a blow and the second when she could sense Ylford Gramtz fighting Renji.
- Myuri speculates that they were meant to be replacements for the Soul King in case of the worst happening. Kisuke didn't deny this.
External Links[]
- Kisuke Urahara on the Bleach Wiki
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