Wielding one of the most beautiful Zanpakuto in the Gotei 13, Rukia is more than capable of holding her own and dishing out punishment in a fight.
Highlights
- Rukia Kuchiki’s development as a Shinigami is one of the highlights of the Bleach series, and she becomes an integral part of the main cast in the fights against Aizen and Yhwach.
- Rukia excels in Kido and has mastered spells without incantations, showcasing her exceptional skill in this area. She is also proficient in hand-to-hand combat and has above-average strength, speed, and endurance.
- Rukia’s Zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki, is regarded as one of the most beautiful blades in the Gotei 1
- The sword’s freezing abilities stem from Rukia’s own body temperature, allowing her to create ice quakes, freeze targets, and extend the length of her Zanpakuto with a blade of ice. Her Bankai, Hakka no Togame, significantly augments her freezing abilities.
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Having been the catalyst for Ichigo Kurosaki’s entry into the world of Shinigami in Bleach, Rukia Kuchiki is one of the most memorable characters in the entire series. With her keen intellect, no nonsense attitude, level-headed outlook, and innate strength, Rukia served as a brilliant foil to Ichigo’s more impulsive and stubborn tendencies in the early part of the series. While rescuing her from certain death was the focal point of the Soul Society Arc, forcing Ichigo and his friends entered the realm of Shinigami , she later grew to become an integral part of the main cast in the fights against both Aizen and Yhwach.
Over the course of the series, Ruki grew to become an extremely skilled Shinigami in her own right, as she blossomed from a budding Lieutenant class combatant into a warrior capable of facing off against some of the most powerful combatants in Bleach. A fan favorite character since the series’ early days, Rukia’s development as a Shinigami is one of the series’ highlights, and her ascension to the highest echelons of power in the Gotei 13 is something truly remarkable. A clear picture of Rukia’s true strength could only be obtained by analyzing the various components of her fighting style, each of which she has mastered to an impressive level.
An All-Round Shinigami
When first introduced, Rukia’s talents as a Shinigami were not explored in great detail. In fact, it was not until the events of the Arrancar Arc that her true talents began to shine. Although she is more than competent when it comes to each of the four sets of combat skills that Shinigami must learn — Zanjutsu, Kido, Hoho, and Hakuda — there are certain areas in which she excels more than others.
To begin with, one of Rukia’s greatest strengths is her mastery of Kido. Despite having been top of her class in the subject at the Shin’o Academy in Soul Society, she realized that she was only an average level Kido user on joining the 13th Division. However, she was undeterred by this and continued honing her skills in the area to a point where most would struggle to keep up with her. She can use spells such as Hado 73 without any incantation, and can seamlessly switch from wielding her Zanpakuto to casting spells. Moreover, Rukia can also combine multiple spells simultaneously, but she does need to use incantations when merging higher level spells.
She is also quite proficient at Hakuda, the hand-to-hand combat style taught to most Shinigami, as seen in how she was able to use it while in the Gigai she inhabited during her time in the Human World with Ichigo. Rukia has also been noted as exceptionally fast in her use of Shunpo, earning praise from even the likes of Renji. After training in the Soul King Palace, her speed increased even further, as she was able to move fast enough to startle the Sternritter As Nodt. Rukia also has above average strength and endurance, despite her slender frame. Lastly, she is very intelligent, able to analyze an opponent’s movements to devise countermeasures and compensate for her own weaknesses in combat.
A Blade That Exudes Beauty
At first, Rukia had a fairly rudimentary level of skill in wielding her Zanpakuto, but after training with Kaien Shiba, her former mentor and predecessor as Lieutenant of the 13th Division. Her skill at swordplay was enough to take on the 9th Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie, who was harnessing Kaien’s own swordsmanship after absorbing the Hollow that consumed him. Her Zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki, is an ice type that looks like a normal katana when sealed, but is regarded as one of the most beautiful blades in the Gotei 13 in its Shikai state.
To unleash its Shikai form, Rukia says the word “Dance,” which is its trigger. She then holds it out in front of her and spins it clockwise, after which, the Zanpakuto’s blade, guard, and hilt all turn white. A white ribbon also emerges from the pommel, accompanied by a blast of cold air to complete the transformation. Each of her Shikai abilities are centered around dances, which freeze targets in its vicinity.
It may appear as if the blade is the source of the freezing ability, but in fact, the Zanpakuto’s real power lies in how it can reduce its user’s body temperature to levels that will freeze everything around it instantly. Hence, the freezing effect emerges from the user’s body itself, with the Zanpakuto being a mere conduit for its action, and also a means to extend its range.
With this she can create ice quakes, freeze the ground beneath her, or put herself into cryostasis. Some of her techniques that take form as dances include: “Some no mai, Tsukishiro” freezes everything within a designated circle, “Tsugi no mai, Hakuren” creates an avalanche of cold air, and lastly, “San no mai, Shirafune” forms a blade of ice which can be used to extend the length of the Zanpakuto, and its freezing ability.
The Ice Queen
Rukia Bankai Hakka no Togame – BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Episode 6
On releasing her Bankai “Hakka no Togame,” (White Haze Punishment) Rukia’s appearance changes to a point where she is virtually unrecognizable. Instead of her standard Shinigami attire, she dons an elaborate kimono with intricate embellishments in its ornamentation. The edges, collar, and sleeves are detailed with lined patterns, and there are two loops formed by ribbons tied at her back. A half crown of ice adorns her head, as her chest bears a flower formation. Finally, her hair also becomes completely white, and her Zanpakuto’s blade turns to ice itself.
In this state, the range of her freezing ability is augmented considerably, and she can lower her body temperature to absolute zero for a period of four seconds at most. Longer durations would put a heavy toll on her body and may even prove fatal to the manner in which her powers function. With this ability, she was able to fight and defeat the Sternritter As Nodt, and this was considering the fact that she had only just attained her Bankai. In the grander scheme of power scaling within Bleach, it may be safe to say that her power is not too far away from that of most elite Gotei 13 Captains at the end of the series, especially when considering the ridiculous power of her Bankai.
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 – The Separation is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.
Fuente: successacademy.edu.vn
Categorías: Anime
