Bleach's final story arc, the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, mainly focuses on brand-new characters such as the Sternritter and King Yhwach, while also exploring new sides to familiar characters like Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and even Uryu Ishida, Ichigo's friendly rival. This story arc still has room to bring back some familiar faces, though, and some of them are more relevant than Bleach fans would have expected. Ganju and Kukaku Shiba are two prime examples.
In a recent Bleach: TYBW episode, Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends got themselves ready to visit the Soul King's palace to stop Yhwach in his tracks and save the day. To get there, Ichigo needs support not just from Kisuke Urahara the scientist, but also Ganju and Kukaku Shiba, who have finally returned, both on-screen and off-screen. Now's a good time to remember who they are and why they're so important to Ichigo.
Who Are Ganju & Kukaku Shiba?
The Shiba siblings made their debut back in the Soul Society arc as two of many supporting characters in that legendary shonen arc. When Ichigo and his friends failed to force their way into the Seireitei to rescue Rukia Kuchiki, they visited the Rukongai District, where they ran afoul of a street punk riding a large boar. That was Ganju Shiba, a boastful and short-tempered fellow who almost immediately made enemies with the equally antagonistic, Ichigo Kurosaki. Then, Ichigo's team was guided to the Shiba estate, where Yoruichi Shihoin's friend Kukaku resided. There, Ichigo met Kukaku, a one-armed noblewoman who specialized in fireworks and kido spells. And, to Ichigo's shock, Kukaku was also Ganju's older sister. The two of them lived in semi-seclusion there, with only their bodyguards for company.
Ganju and Kukaku did more than provide comic relief as hotheaded tsunderes who butted heads with Ichigo. Ganju and Kukaku made Ichigo's entry into the Seireitei possible with their massive spirit cannon and their Spirit Orb technique. Fortunately for Ichigo, Kukaku and Ganju were not allies of the Soul Reapers – in fact, the two of them greatly disliked the Soul Reapers, and in time, Bleach fans would learn why. After that, Ganju and Kukaku had a greatly diminished role in the story, which is a common fate for many supporting Bleach characters, who tend to serve one narrative purpose and then fade into the background, relegated to cameo appearances at best. Still, at least they have a similar role to play in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, using their spiritual expertise to launch Ichigo's team into the distant Soul King's palace to catch up to Yhwach before all is lost.
How Ganju & Kukaku Shiba Are Connected To Ichigo
Ganju and Kukaku Shiba have more than a plot connection to protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends. Ganju and Kukaku are all business as they support Ichigo's team in their final mission to stop Yhwach, but deep down, Ganju may actually be happy to see Ichigo, and if she were present, Kukaku might feel the same way. Ichigo didn't know it when he met them, but Ganju and Kukaku are his paternal cousins, meaning Ichigo has noble heritage from his father's side. After all, Ichigo's father was once Captain Isshin Shiba of squad 10, the uncle of Ganju and Kukaku. Isshin changed his name to Kurosaki when he married his Quincy lover Masaki, which helped hide Ichigo's connection to the noble Shiba clan.
This helps explain why Ichigo, Ganju, and Kukaku have such similar personalities as aggressive tsunderes who fight hard for the people they care about most. For comedy's sake, this meant Ichigo and Ganju were at each other's throats until Kukaku forced them apart, but they have a good heart. Ganju, for example, set aside his grudge against Soul Reapers to help rescue Rukia in the Soul Society arc, and Kukaku graciously accepted Rukia's apology for Rukia's most tragic action: her murder of Kaien Shiba, who was once the eldest Shiba sibling. Like her cousin Ichigo, Kukaku may have a rough attitude and doesn't show her true feelings often, but she's a kind, forgiving person who will always see the best in others.
The late Kaien Shiba isn't just an excuse for Rukia and Kukaku to have a happy moment mending ties. Kaien was the most similar to his cousin Ichigo Kurosaki, including their physical resemblance. Kaien the Soul Reaper may have had dark hair as opposed to Ichigo's orange hair, but otherwise, he and Ichigo were like twins, and that included their philosophy of friendship. In a flashback, Kaien was seen telling Rukia about the intangible "heart" that connects two people, a bond that even lasts after death. Kaien lived on in Rukia's heart, and that empowered her in her fight against Aaroniero Arruruerie. Similarly, Ichigo and Orihime were in each other's hearts, giving Orihime faith that Ichigo would indeed rescue her from Las Noches no matter the odds. Ichigo is, in many ways, his late cousin's successor, even if they never met.
Ichigo & the Shibas' Ever-Evolving Relationship
Ichigo didn't get along with his surviving cousins when they met in the Soul Society arc, but over time, they learned to come together as family. By the arc's end, Ichigo and the Shibas were no longer harassing one another, and Kukaku pitched in to help fight Ichigo's mortal enemy Sosuke Aizen near the end of the Soul Society arc. Now, in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, Ichigo and the Shibas get along even better, their punkish antagonism reduced to some light teasing for comedy's sake and little more. Ganju was an unexpected but welcome sight when he arrived to join Ichigo's team in recent episodes, and off-screen, Kukaku was doing her best to get the team ready for their reckless journey to the Soul King's palace. Ganju was warned that the mission would be incredibly dangerous, but Ganju politely insisted, and Ichigo had no further qualms about it.
It's not certain, but it's possible that by then, Ganju and Kukaku started seeing their late brother Kaien in Ichigo, mostly on the inside. If Ganju and Kukaku heard about Ichigo's exploits in Hueco Mundo and Ichigo's more recent battles against the Wandenreich, no doubt they realized Ichigo's intangible heart was just like Kaien's had been. Only "the heart" could have driven Ichigo to raid Aizen's territory to rescue a friend, and that same heart is what kept Ichigo and Uryu Ishida the traitor together, no matter Uryu's treachery. It's little wonder the Shibas are so glad to help their cousin without asking for anything in return, and it proves that despite all the death and drama, this arc still has some happy endings in mind for its most lovable characters.
