The long-running shonen anime Bleach features a huge cast of characters with all kinds of relationships – from friendly shonen-style rivalries to full blown romances and bitter feuds – but no relationship defines Bleach better than the friendship between protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki and the Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki. Rukia was the first Soul Reaper Ichigo ever met, and she remained the most important all the way to the end.
In fact, the meeting between Ichigo and Rukia was what launched Bleach's entire story, and two of the anime's earliest arcs were only possible because they had formed such a strong bond, even if they came from totally different worlds. Unpacking the Ichigo/Rukia relationship says something not just about these characters, but the emotional and thematic depth of the entire Bleach franchise.
Ichigo and Rukia Need Each Another During Bleach's Early Arcs
Bleach Owes Much of Its Early Success to Ichigo & Ruki's Incredible Chemistry
In the Substitute Soul Reaper arc and the fondly-remembered Soul Society arc, Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki needed a lot from each other. After all, Ichigo was still inexpereinced in the ways of Soul Reapers & Hollow hunting, and Rukia was vulnerable in many ways, inside and out. They both had a long way to go as shonen heroes, hence their close relationship in the Bleach anime's first two arcs. It all began in the anime's very first episode, when Rukia arrived in Karakura Town to hunt a Hollow called Fishbone D.
Seemingly by chance, Rukia crossed paths with Ichigo, and to Rukia's shock, the latter could see him. Before long, Fishbone D had the entire Kurosaki family cornered, and a desperate, wounded Rukia lent Ichigo her Soul Reaper powers, turning the latter into a rookie Soul Reaper himself. Since Rukia was in no shape to return home and Ichigo needed a coach, the two strangers knew they needed each other, so they built an odd but surprisingly strong friendship as the Substitute Soul Reaper arc hit its stride.
That story arc had strong reverse-isekai elements to it, with Rukia being a depowered magical girl who was a little lost in early 21st century Japan, but did her best to blend in while living in a gigai body. For comedy's sake, Bleach arranged to have Rukia live in the Kurosaki house, more specifically Ichigo's closet, and the two became classmates, too. They were an odd pair, but they relied on one another as they hunted Hollows together for a handful of episodes. Rukia's classmate innocently asked if Rukia had a crush on Ichigo, which was the anime's first and apparently last hint at romance between them. Primarily, they were student and mentor during their reverse isekai days together.
Unfortunately for Ichigo, Rukia didn't take their friendship too seriously, and she had strong commitments elsewhere, which she proved when she fled the Kurosaki house one night. Rukia knew she was in trouble with her superiors, and when Ichigo was mortally injured trying to protect Rukia, the latter coldly tried to cut ties with them. She likely did this to protect Ichigo and make sure he didn't pay the price for getting mixed up in her business any further. Despite Rukia's intentions, though, Ichigo valued their strong friendship, even if it was somewhat one-sided. So, Ichigo trained hard to get his real zanpakuto, Zangetsu, and launched a rescue mission with his friends in the Soul Society.
What followed was Bleach's main isekai-style story arc, inverting the reverse-isekai adventure of the Soul Society arc. The narrative was also flipped on its head. After Ichigo needed Rukia's guidance in fighting Hollows, Rukia was the one who needed Ichigo's help in the Soul Society story arc. Rukia was condemned to death for giving her powers to a human like Ichigo, but he was ready to fight anyone and everyone to save his friend, no matter what Soul Society law said. Ichigo succeeded in his rescue mission and even fought Rukia's foster brother Byakuya Kuchiki to a draw, meaning Ichigo paid Rukia back for coaching him back in Karakura Town. Most importantly, the Soul Society arc's events laid the foundation for a major change in Rukia's other relationships, which would have a profound impact on her personal arc. It would even drive her and Ichigo apart over time.
The Hueco Mundo Arc Made Rukia and Ichigo Equals
By the time the Soul Society arc concluded, Ichigo was having a rough time with his half-other powers, his inner Hollow. By contrast, Rukia was turning her life around, starting with her relationship with her foster brother, Byakuya. At first, Byakuya coldly prioritized the law over his sister's life, but Ichigo's actions inspired him to rethink things. Thus, the Kuchikis started bonding all over again, and that emotional support made Rukia less dependent on Ichigo. Rukia recharged her spirit energy and even regained her shikai around, making her even less dependent on Ichigo. Rukia also extended a heartfelt apology to Kukaku Shiba, the older sister of the late Kaien Shiba, the latter of whom Rukia had once killed out of necessity.
All this meant that when Orihime Inoue was captured by the Arrancars and taken to the desolate, bleak world of Hueco Mundo, Ichigo and Rukia stood on equal ground as Soul Reapers who had the Gotei 13's support. Ichigo had more raw power than Rukia, but otherwise, they were on par with each other, making them true teammates and good friends. That was why Rukia apologized for not being allowed to help Ichigo launch a mission to rescue Orihime. Then, Ichigo went behind everyone's backs and snuck into Hueco Mundo with Kisuke Urahara's help, with Uryu Ishid and Chad to back him up. To Ichigo's pleasant surprise, Rukia and Renji both arrived and joined the team with Byakuya's blessing. The five friends split up to search the massive palace of Las Noches to find Orihime.
Ichigo and Rukia wouldn't cross paths again until near the arc's end, when they faced foes like Yammy Llargo and Rudobon. Even then, they didn't fight side by side for very long. Ichigo and Rukia had their own priorities, and as equals, they trusted each other to get the job done separately. This helped prove yet again that Ichigo and Rukia were no longer depending on each other, but they would still lend each other a hand if need be. During the arc, Rukia fully overcame her grief and guilt about Kaien's death when she killed Aaroniero Arruruerie, an Espada who had absorbed Metastacia, the Hollow that once ate Kaien Shiba. Then, it fell to Byakuya, not Ichigo, to protect Rukia when Zommari tried to kill her.
The brief Xcution story arc was almost a reversion to the Substitute Soul Reaper arc, with Ichigo losing his powers until he learned to become a Fullbringer with Ginjo's help. During Ichigo's and Ginjo's fight, Rukia lent Ichigo her powers once again, which would be the final time Ichigo needed any serious help from Rukia. By then, Rukia didn't need anything from Ichigo aside from his continued friendship with her. They had fully stablilized their relationship as friends who could each stand on their own, physically and emotionally.
Ichigo and Rukia Barely Needed Each Other in the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc
During the Thousand-Year Blood War story arc, Ichigo and Rukia were on the same team against the Wandenreich, or the Quincy empire, but they barely shared any screen time together. The two were already going their separate ways, with Ichigo being a human Soul Reaper and Rukia a committed member of squad 13, powers and all. Even the plot itself kept them apart several times, starting with Sternritter J, Quilge Opie, using his The Jail ability to keep Ichigo trapped in Hueco Mundo while Rukia and her allies tried to fight off the Sternritter invading the Seireitei. Ichigo and Rukia exchanged some words during the brief recovery period, but then they separated once again when round 2 began.
When the Soul Reapers and Sternritter faced off again, Ichigo was busy training with the Royal Guard, or squad 0, to get his final zanpakuto while Rukia was on the ground fighting the Sternritter with her allies. It was another example of Rukia and Ichigo trusting each other to get the job done as friends and equals. True to Bleach's core themes, they had an intangible "heart" to connect them from across any distance. That was why Rukia was able to face Sternritter F, Äs Nödt, with total confidence. When Äs Nödt had Rukia cornered, it fell to Byakuya to intervene and guide Rukia as she used her bankai, Hakka no Togame, to finish the fight. That allowed the two Kuchikis to come full circle in their relationship, and Ichigo wasn't needed at all. Similarly, Ichigo didn't need either Kuchiki's help to face the truth about his family tree and his Quincy lineage.
Ichigo and Rukia had a few more passing interactions in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, but not many. Ichigo raced off to the Soul King's palace to confront the Quincy king Yhwach, while Rukia focused on the main battle, fighting the remaining Sternritter alongside her fellow Soul Reapers. Only in the manga's epilogue chapter did Ichigo and Rukia have another substantial interaction, taking place over 10 years after Yhwach's final defeat. By then, Rukia had become squad 13's Captain, and she had married her childhood friend Renji and had a daughter with him, Ichika. Meanwhile, Ichigo married Orihime and had a son with her, Kazui. Ichigo and Rukia met up again with their spouses in tow for a friendly and casual hangout that felt long overdue, considering all the characters had been through. Ichigo and Rukia both savored their well-earned post-war peace as good friends and neighbors of a sort.
Ichigo and Rukia Have Strong Chemistry, But Were Never Meant to Fall in Love
Bleach fans have thought up all kinds of romantic ships between the characters, with the Ichigo/Rukia pairing, or IchiRuki, rising to the top as the fandom's favorite. It's common for two major characters in a shonen anime to get paired up, but there's more to it in Bleach's case. Ichigo and Rukia, from the very start, had strong on-screen chemistry as fellow tsunderes and fighters, and they understood each other even if they came from different worlds (and often annoyed one another). They also had a strong friendship, along with their comedic and/or touching moments together, so everything seemed to be in place for an official IchiRuki pairing. However, author Tite Kubo had other plans, even if the legion of IchiRuki shippers objected.
There's no denying Ichigo's and Rukia's charming chemistry and wonderful friendship as fellow warriors, but the gulf between them was too vast for a plausible romance or marriage between them. They were simply too different as a human and Soul Reaper, starting with the fact that Ichigo aged like a normal human while Rukia had a much longer lifespan. 50 years means entirely different things to characters like them, and Ichigo would die of old age before Rukia even reached middle age as a soul. Lifespan gaps like that come up in other stories too, such as the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler in Doctor Who, whre one character can spend the rest of their life with the other, but not vice versa. Ichigo and Rukia probably knew that deep down – especially Rukia – making romance an unappealing option for them both. Friendship is one thing, but romance calls for commitment that death would break in a big way.
Most of all, Rukia and Ichigo have different priorities, preferences, and commitments in Bleach, with Rukia being a loyal member of the Gotei 13 in the Soul Society, and Ichigo living in Karakura Town. No matter Bleach's partial isekai and reverse-isekai storylines, neither Rukia nor Ichigo planned to move to another world and find a lover there. As of the epilogue chapter, Ichigo and Rukia are long-distance friend who are free to meet up when convenient, but continue to lead independent lives in their respective realms, married to people in those same realms. But that's just another chance for the Bleach anime to show how the "heart" of friendship can keep two people connected across any distance. For IchiRuki shippers, that will have to be enough.
