Byakuya Kuchiki (朽木 白哉, Kuchiki Byakuya) is the captain of the 6th Division in the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Renji Abarai. He descends from one of the four great noble families of Soul Society, and as such he is the embodiment of pride and discipline, intending to be a role model for all Shinigami. Due to an oath he took, he strongly supports the punishment of his adopted sister, Rukia Kuchiki, after she is arrested and sentenced to death for giving her powers to Ichigo Kurosaki, thus he becomes the fiercest opponent of the latter, when he comes to Rukia's rescue. After being defeated by Ichigo and learning the truth behind Rukia's planned execution, he becomes slightly more lenient and even more protective towards his sister and her Ryoka friends. Later, just like the other captains, he is involved in the war between the Arrancar and Shinigami. He ranked 7th in the most recent popularity poll with 4,010 votes, edging out Orihime Inoue by 35 votes. Senbonzakura, Byakuya's Zanpakutō, was voted the 5th most popular Zanpakutō in a recent Bleach Poll.

Byakuya has slate gray eyes and long black hair, which he keeps up in an intricate white headpiece called a kenseikan that symbolizes his nobility as the head of the Kuchiki family. He wears the standard captain uniform along with a white scarf made by the master weaver, Tsujishirō Kuroemon III. The scarf is made from the silver-white, windflower light silk (ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu) and is a family heirloom that is handed down from generation to generation and is given to each Kuchiki family head. The scarf alone is worth enough to buy ten mansions in the Seireitei.[2] He also wears fingerless white gloves that cover only the back of his hands.

Powers & Abilities
Byakuya's Battle Data, clockwise. Top: Offense (90), Top Right: Defense (80), Bottom right: Agility (90), Bottom: Kidō (90), Bottom Left: Intelligence (90), Top Left: Physical Stamina (70). Total: 510/600.[92]Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Byakuya is masterful at swordsmanship, capable of flawless precision and lethal attacks without much effort.[93][94]

Flash Step Master: Byakuya is probably best known for his usage of Flash steps. Although having been taught by, but never beating "Goddess of Flash" Yoruichi Shihōin, he is still easily one of the most proficient users of this skill in all of Soul Society.[95]

Senka (閃花, Flash Blossom): a special Shunpo technique where one moves to their opponent's back, directly attacking and sealing one's "Saketsu" and "Hakusui" in one strike. This attack is his favorite to use.[96] The movement is so fast that an opponent may not be able to tell whether he was attacked from the front or the back and even an outside observer may find it impossible to tell what the movements are.[97]
Utsusemi (空蝉; Cicada, referencing their molting): Way of Onmitsu, 3rd of the Shihou. It allows for a movement at great speed, leaving an afterimage behind. It is a technique taught to him by Yoruichi Shihōin.[98]
Kidō Master: Byakuya has displayed his knowledge of high level Kidō spells, able to cast several in quick succession without the incantation and with almost no effort and still possessing formidable power. He has been shown to use spells up to level 81 and possesses advanced knowledge of Kidō application and consistency. He can use low-level spells with devastating effects, as well as a counter to attacks. He even uses a low-level lightning spell to burn a hole right through Ichigo's shoulder.[99][100][101]

Hand-to-Hand Combatant: While used less often, Byakuya has shown highly proficient skill in this area. In the anime, Byakuya was able to effortlessly knock out several Shinigami guards stealthfully with a single strike each. [102]

Master Tactician: Byakuya is a highly perceptive fighter, being able to almost immediately determine an opponent's attack patterns and weaknesses.[103] He is also a crafty tactician, as demonstrated from how effectively he uses his Kidō to confuse his opponents.[104] He can discern the motives and abilities of his opponents and effectively uses his knowledge to end the battle in his favor.[105]

Enhanced Durability: While not having the most imposing appearance compared to other Shinigami captains like Kenpachi Zaraki, Byakuya has shown to be a very resilient fighter. During his fight against Ichigo, despite gaining several major injuries, Byakuya was able to continue fighting effectively and even ignores his wounds to the point that he seemed unfazed by them. At the end of fight, he was still able to perform an impressive Flash Step to leave.[106] During his fight with the 7th Espada, Byakuya's durability proved great enough for him to willingly damage himself to escape from his enemy's possession attack and continued to fight as if unaffected.[107]

Immense Spiritual Power: He is capable of exerting a vast Spiritual Pressure, which, in league with his already admirable combat skills and finesse, makes him one of the most formidable captains. His spiritual pressure is so great it can be felt from a great distance and it has the tendency to make people perspire in fear.

ZanpakutōSenbonzakura redirects here. For the manifested spirit that appears in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc see Senbonzakura (spirit).


Senbonzakura's ShikaiSenbonzakura (千本桜, "Thousand Cherry Blossoms,"; a reference to Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura): A regular katana, with a simple cross guard, which is a simple open frame, much like a four-pane window. It has a light blue handle.

Shikai: It is triggered by the command "Scatter" (散れ, chire).[108]
Shikai Special Ability: In its Shikai, Senbonzakura's blade separates into a thousand slender, tiny blade fragments, which then fly away from the hilt, leaving only the sword's handle in Byakuya's hand. The release can be negated before it completes, such as when Yoruichi Shihōin wrapped the blade in cloth during Byakuya's short battle with Ichigo. However, if the release completes itself, then Senbonzakura is rendered near-unstoppable. While the blades are supposedly too small to be seen normally, they reflect light in such a way as to appear as cherry blossom petals. By swinging Senbonzakura's hilt, Byakuya can control the blade fragments at will, allowing him to shred opponents at a distance and break through almost any defense.[109]




Senbonzakura Kageyoshi's releaseBankai: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi (千本桜景厳, Vibrant Display of a Thousand Cherry Blossoms): is essentially a much larger version of Senbonzakura's Shikai. To activate it, Byakuya needs to drop his sword straight down. The sword phases into the ground, as though it were a pool of water. Energy ripples expand out, turning the surrounding area dark, and within seconds, two rows of a thousand giant blades rise up from the ground. Those thousand swords then scatter and countless flying blades pierce the enemy. No one knows the exact number of blades generated and no one can see the movements of those blades or even dodge them.[110] The number of blades is great enough that Byakuya can use them for defense as well as offense at the same time. He commonly forms them into large masses, designed to obliterate opponents instantaneously. As it moves through the air like torrents of waves, it gives the appearance of cherry blossoms flowing swiftly along with the wind.[111] Byakuya's defensive use allows him to cover himself entirely in these tiny blades, and form a body shield.[112] Unlike his Shikai, his Bankai is entirely mentally controlled. While Byakuya can control the blades with his mind alone, using his hands allows him to do so more effectively, making the blades increase in speed three fold.[113] Similar to his Shikai, its attack is triggered with the phrase Scatter.[114]
Bankai Special Ability: Byakuya's Bankai has several forms, achieved by arranging the blades in different patterns. Each form presents a different advantage, such as increasing offense at the expense of defense. This makes Senbonzakura Kageyoshi one of the most versatile Bankai in the series. These techniques are activated by saying the name of the technique, followed by the name of his Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.

SenkeiSenkei (殲景, Massacre Scene; Viz: "annihilate"): The true form of Senbonzakura is seemingly created by his blood, which glows and turns into spiritual energy, mixing with the tiny blades of his Bankai. This unites the scattered petals into complete glowing swords, numbering in the thousands, that form four rows. These rows float just above the other, and circle around Byakuya and his opponent in a continuously moving, column-like array. It abandons defense in favor of a concentrated offense. Though visually menacing, this form is not meant for attack from all sides; rather, it is to concentrate his power into fewer blades, thus increasing his attack power. While Byakuya can mentally control these swords as he does his regular blades, he commonly calls them to his hands for actual melee combat. When in his hand, they lose their glow, and take the form of his sealed Zanpakutō. While they seem solid in this state, the swords can just as easily dissipate back into the multitude of tiny blades that they are made up of. It seems to take fewer blows from a Senkei blade to gravely injure an opponent than the multiple cuts needed from the unfocused Bankai. The Senkei also cages himself with his enemy, allowing neither combatant to move very far from each other, though the area is still large enough for maneuverability. The most effective use of the Senkei form is that it allows for use of all the swords at the same attack level, making it highly versatile as a way to effectively defeat an enemy unaware of the danger of the situation. It is extremely rare for him to use this ability, doing so only when he has sworn to cut down the opponent with his very own hands. Ichigo was the second being to ever witness the ability.[115][116]




GokeiGōkei (吭景, Pivotal Scene): This form increases the number of tiny blades immensely. It creates a spherical formation of over 100 million tiny blade fragments, which swirl around the opponent like a cloud. It then flies into them from every possible angle, leaving no blind spots and no possibility to escape. It then collapses on itself, obliterating the opponent. It was strong enough to completely obliterate a very large building from the inside out, and the resulting shockwave generated by the attack is so powerful that Byakuya himself has to Flash Step away (Byakuya is normally immune to the cutting effects of his own Bankai, evident by the fact that he could wield the swords generated by its Senkei formation with bare hands without cutting himself).[117][118]




HakuteikenShūkei (終景, Final Scene; Viz: "last sight"): This condenses each and every single one of his blades into a single, potent sword, drastically increasing its cutting power. The spiritual energy and pressure of this form released is immense. The blade appears bright white and its aura takes the form of a bird, earning it the name Hakuteiken (白帝剣, White Imperial Sword; Viz: "white emperor sword"). Pure white wings form on Byakuya's back, as well as a halo-like circle, made of concentrated spiritual energy. It is unknown whether these wings are merely an aesthetic effect or if they can be used to fly. The blade in this form is dangerous enough to cause aggravated injuries in one single blow. Whether or not this form allows only one single attack or more is as yet unknown.[119]