Byakuya Kuchiki vs Zommari Rureaux: True Love

Chapter 299

In a somewhat curious manner, Byakuya Kuchiki has two fights with opponents whose power revolves around love. Captain Kuchiki’s first love-related fight is his fight in the Arrancar Arc against the 7th Espada, Zommari Rureaux. His second love-related fight is one in the Thousand Year Blood War Arc against the quincy PePe Waccabrada who has the schrift “L”. In this post, I will discuss Byakuya’s fight with Zommari. The fight with PePe will be discussed in a different post.

I see Byakuya vs Zommari as a fight that showcases Byakuya’s growth after the Soul Society arc. Through this fight, we see that Byakuya (1) has changed what he takes pride in, and (2) has learned to some degree that love is not controlling.

Fun with Titles: The Speed Phantom 2 (Denial by Pride, Contradiction by Power)

Chapter 163 of the Bleach manga has one of my favorite chapter titles ever out of all the titles in the whole Bleach series. Said title is “The Speed Phantom 2 (Denial by Pride, Contradiction by Power)”. It is a chapter in the climax of Soul Society arc in which Byakuya and Ichigo fights with their respective bankais. Let’s break down the title and see how it relates to the contents of chapter 163.

Bleach: Understanding Byakuya Kuchiki’s Motivations in His Fight with Ichigo Kurosaki

Chapter 152

Ichigo Kurosaki vs Byakuya Kuchiki is arguably the climax of Bleach’s Soul Society Arc. I’ve written here that I’d like to do a post on Ichigo vs Byakuya sometime in the future, and (finally) this is that post. I’ve mentioned that I see Sui-Feng vs Yoruichi Shihoin as a fight mostly fueled by personal reasons. The fight’s main driving force is not so much Sui-Feng’s zealous passion for the law as Sui-Feng’s pain due to Yoruichi’s abrupt departure a hundred years earlier. On the other hand, I see Jushiro Ukitake, Shunsui Kyoraku vs Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto as a fight mainly fueled by impersonal reasons (that is, legal reasons). Yamamoto fights his protégés simply because he thinks lawbreakers must be punished. His fondness of them cannot cancel the necessity for punishment. These two concurrent fights can help us understand the Ichigo vs Byakuya fight. I argue that his fight with Ichigo, Byakuya is driven by both impersonal and personal reasons.