The first thing that people know about Bleach is that it is a battle and action-based manga and anime, making it a classic example of the Shonen genre. It does not center around romance and would be unlikely to focus on romance a lot. In fact, author Tite Kubo himself has stated that he did not wish to focus on romantic relationships, as there were other interesting and exciting things happening. Much like in the real world, however, romance happens, and when fans start shipping certain characters as a couple, they will go down with those ships until the very end.
The IchiRuki ship was a powerful force within the fandom, despite the many hints at romantic feelings between the now-canon couples of Ichigo and Orihime and Rukia and Renji. How things ended was a point of contention for IchiRuki fans, but a closer look at their various relationships showed that the final pairings were always the best option available for both characters.
Updated on April 25th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: Who does Ichigo end up with? Are he and Rukia really in love? Bleach shippers want answers, especially anime-only fans, and while the canon pairings may have disappointed some fans, there are good reasons why Ichigo and Rukia ended up with the people they did. It's time to explore this topic in further detail, complete with material that now adheres to CBR's current publication standards.
15 Ichigo Set Aside His Wants For Orihime
One thing always consistent about Ichigo Kurosaki was how stubborn he could be about fighting. If someone was in danger, he was going to rush in to try to save the day — and more often than not, that meant going in without a plan. That helped him live up to the fact his name can be read as "one defender."
Another important fact is how willing Ichigo was to set aside his wants and fears outside of combat if it meant helping others in many Bleach episodes. An example is when Orihime invited him to go see Spirit Hunters, the Don Kanonji television show. Ichigo Kurosaki has always hated ghosts, a fact Tatsuki had to explain to Orihime, but it didn't stop him from going anyway. He always wanted her to be happy at the end of the day.
14 Orihime Knew That Kon Wasn't The Real Ichigo
It takes quite an emotional connection to know when someone isn't acting like themselves, and it's a sign that two people intimately understand each other and have a "feel" for one another. That's what Orihime managed to do when Kon was running wild inside Ichigo's body and being his exaggeratedly lustful self.
In that episode, the wild Kon jumped into Ichigo's classroom, made a move on Orihime, and then kissed Tatsuki before being forced to flee. Orihime knew right away that wasn't the real Ichigo, forgiving him of actions that would have got him in hot water with any other girl. It's a testament to how much Orihime cared about him. That said, Ichigo would have never acted that way in the first place, and she knew that.
13 Renji Makes His Feelings For Rukia Apparent
Renji Abarai's feelings towards Rukia have always been apparent, as far back as when they were kids living on the mean streets of the Rukongai District together. As they originally met around 150 years before the Bleach timeline, Rukia and Renji been around each other for quite a while.
One evening, the two of them were unsuccessfully trying to catch fish when Renji finally managed to snare one. When he turned around triumphantly, he saw the rest of his friends staring at Rukia longingly. As anyone with a crush themselves would do, Renji admonished his friends for looking at her with love-struck eyes. Reni isn't generally known as the jealous type, but he did care so much about other people looking at Rukia with adoring eyes, at least.
12 Ichigo & Rukia Contributed To Each Other’s Respective Romances
It is interesting to note that both Rukia and Ichigo have worked to bolster each other's romantic relationships, even if that was never their goals as accidental matchmakers. Rukia was the one who dragged Ichigo to apologize to Orihime, for example, an expression of how much Rukia cared about her friends. Rukia was the initial reason why Ichigo and Orihime came closer together and were more expressive of their desire to protect each other.
At the same time, Ichigo was the catalyst for Rukia and Renji to become close again after decades of avoiding each other. Ichigo was not meant to interfere in their relationship as a third party, but to help them realize the complete range of their feelings for each other.
11 Ichigo Resembles Kaien Shiba Too Much
Ichigo looks like Kaien Shiba, Rukia’s mentor and the man that she viewed as an older brother and clearly platonic friend. Due to this, even Byakuya himself understood why Rukia would feel a connection with Ichigo. Further, Rukia realized the parallels between Kaien’s last fight with Ichigo’s battle against the monstrous Hollow named Grand Fisher, the Hollow that had killed Masaki Kurosaki.
As such, Rukia viewed Kaien and Ichigo as similar and so would be unlikely to have romantic feelings for someone resembling her late mentor. In fact, she keeps comparing Kaien and Ichigo throughout the Soul Society arc. It's no coincidence, either, since Kaien actually is Ichigo's relative on his father's side. Kaien and Ichigo are cousins, and that may be why they think along similar lines, including their emphasis on "the heart."
10 Ichigo & Rukia Are Literally Different Species
Given the sheer scope of the supernatural in Bleach and despite Ichigo's extraordinary abilities and powers, it's easy to forget that Ichigo is a human being. Even though he becomes a Soul Reaper, he is not technically a Soul. He was not born in the Soul Society and he never died to go there.
If Ichigo ever wanted to be with Rukia, he would either have to wait and die from old age or die right away and part with everyone else way too soon. Rukia is a Soul who ages extremely slowly and will probably never die. Their families are in different worlds and their priorities are incompatible. It's only through favorable circumstances that they even became friends, with Rukia being a reverse-isekai heroine in the early episodes and Ichigo visiting the Soul Society after that.
9 Ichigo & Orihime’s Romance Had Foreshadowing
Orihime’s crush on Ichigo was evident from the first few chapters and episodes of Bleach's story. She even had trouble being articulate in front of him, although part of her character development was how she gained confidence in herself. At first, Orihime acted like a carefree goofball, but under that silly exterior was a passionate girl who knew exactly what she wanted.
As for Ichigo, he was ready to sacrifice his life for Orihime from the first arc, when he put himself between her and her Hollowified brother Sora. Ichigo almost always singles her out, speaks up for her, and he defends her. On the contrary, Ichigo and Rukia's relationship perfectly fits the best bud dynamic in anime, with plenty teasing, joking around, and faux fighting, since they were fellow tsunderes.
8 Ichigo & Orihime Go To Extremes To Protect Each Other
Ichigo Kurosaki literally comes back from death for Orihime during his fight with Ulquiorra, all because she begged him not to die, and that's hardly the only example of Ichigo or Orihime pushing themselves to the limt for each other's sake. Ichigo defied everyone to raid the bleak desert world of Hueco Mundo for Orihime's sake and even put himself between Grimmjow’s Ceros and Orihime without hesitation.
In return, Orihime also placed her body between Ichigo and Acidwire to protect Ichigo in an early episode. Orihime more than willingly went to fight Yhwach alongside Ichigo in later manga chapters, serving as the latter's defense. Fans should remember that many of Ichigo’s enemies noticed this — Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, and Nnoitora all mocked him for wanting to protect her and underlined how she was the motivation for him to fight more fiercely.
7 Renji Showed How Much He Cared About Rukia
Rukia and Renji grew up together as orphaned Soul children in the Soul Society. They shared the same experiences, jointly discovering the gift of spirit energy that earned them a place in the Shin’o Academy as fellow Soul Reaper trainees. Their mutual goal was to become proper Soul Reapers, gain higher ranks, and grow stronger side by side.
When Rukia told Renji the Kuchiki clan wants to adopt her, Renji acted happy, but was deeply upset because he predicted that they would grow apart, which they did. Still, Renji tried to repress his sadness because Rukia finally had a family. Unfortunately, Renji falsely believed that he's not important to her anymore, feeling abandoned by the girl who cared about him most as they grew up together.
6 Renji Was Willing To Sacrifice Everything For Rukia
Ichigo may have gone to the Soul Society in the fondly-remembered Soul Society arc to save Rukia from execution, but that was out of strong friendship and gratitude that Rukia gave him the means to protect his family. Then, when Ichigo convinced Renji to join him in the rescue mission, Renji sprang into action, knowing that this mission was intensely personal for him.
Renji almost lost his life and put everything on the line for Rukia's sake, just like Ichigo. If things had taken a different turn and Ichigo hadn’t managed to save Rukia, he could have cut his losses and retreated back to Karakura Town. But such an outcome for Renji would be devastating; he’d have lost Rukia, as well as his position as a Soul Reaper his standing in the Seireitei, and possibly his life since he unashamedly defied his superiors.
5 Rukia & Renji’s Romance Was Also Foreshadowed
When Rukia announced her adoption to Renji, Renji expressed nothing but happiness for her. While this saddened Rukia, he only reacted in the way he believed was best for her, and that ended up making him feel guilty about her potential execution. Chapter 98 was devoted to how Renji considered Rukia an unattainable “star” that he, a “tramp,” could never reach.
If Renji just wanted friendship from Rukia, why did he feel he had to stay out of Rukia’s way? If she just wanted friendship, why did she expect him to protest? The answer is simple: Her adoption didn’t get in the way of friendship, but in the way of the "something more" that they wanted.
4 Renji & Rukia Grow Emotional Around Each Other
There were some notable examples of Rukia and Renji showing their devotion to each other in various points of Bleach's story. For example, there was the time Renji swallowed his pride and begged Ichigo to save Rukia in the Soul Society arc, risking his life and career for Rukia's sake. There was also the moment when Rukia was ready to give up and follow Aizen so that Renji would be spared.
Moreover, Renji's extreme reaction upon Szayelaporro Grantz telling him that Rukia and Aaroniero had killed each other seemed rather similar to how Ichigo reacts when Orihime is in trouble. And, finally, there was the time when Renji warmly thanked Ichigo for helping him and Rukia become close once again.
3 When Orihime Confessed Her Love To Ichigo
This must have been the most obvious and blatant foreshadowing event in Bleach. When the Espadas allowed Orihime to say goodbye to one person before she was taken to Hueco Mundo, she chose Ichigo (even though he is still unconscious from an earlier fight). Orihime phased into his room through the wall thanks to a strange bracelet that Ulquiorra had given her, and then Orihime said her piece.
Orihime explained how she could have picked one of the others, but Ichigo was the person she needed to see one last time. Orihime said how there were so many things she wished she had gotten to do and how she would like to live five times to try multiple different things, but that she'd always fall in love with the same person: Ichigo.
2 Rukia Has Always Been In Love With Renji
Renji's feelings for Rukia are perfectly clear to Bleach fans, even when Renji doesn't openly acknowledge them. Put another way, Renji wears his strong emotions on his sleeve and lets his actions do the talking. On the other hand, Rukia finds it difficult to express her emotions, especially after joining the Kuchiki clan.
However, there were numerous instances that proved Rukia's love for Renji beyond the shadow of a doubt. In fact, Rukia obviously cared a great deal for Renji even after he attacked Ichigo in the anime's first story arc. Although Ichigo and Rukia also probably love each other, their friendship is considerably less intense than her lifelong attachment for Renji. Rukia ended up with Renji in the end, and they had a daughter named Ichika.
1 Ichigo and Orihime's Son Has Unique Powers
Ichigo ended up with Orihime in the Bleach manga's final chapter. The two of them eventually got married and had a son, Kazui Kurosaki. Most IchiHime shippers had seen this coming from the very beginning, but IchiRuki fans were left disappointed. While the fact that Ichigo and Orihime start a family isn't exactly evidence that they were destined to be together, shonen series treat destiny differently.
Kazui was born with powers presumably greater than his father's, making this six-year-old child capable of constructing portals to the Soul Realm. Not even Ichigo could dream of having such unique abilities. Most importantly, Kazui's existence leaves open the possibility for a Bleach sequel, much like Boruto.
