Bleach is a dark supernatural anime that tells the story of Ichigo Kurosaki as he becomes a Soul Reaper and defends humanity from evil spirits. The series originally ran from 2004 to 2012, while a sequel series, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, arrived in 2022 and is still ongoing.
Bleach's epic martial arts and perfect mix of supernatural elements and adventure have made it one of the best manga of all time, and its anime adaptation continues to stand the test of time. While much of Bleach's story focuses on Ichigo and his journey, the series has many underrated characters, including Don Kanonji who has become a fan-favorite for his lovable personality, incredible bravery and surprising strength.
Don Kanonji is One of Bleach's Most Underrated Characters
With how much of Bleach's story focuses on spirits and the afterlife, it may be surprising that a spirit medium is not one of the more prominently featured characters on the show. Don Kanonji hosts a popular television show, Casual Soul Realm Assault Trip, where he tries to be the stalwart hero while exorcising spirits for his audience.
Kanonji took on the stage name Misaomaru when he adopted his fictional persona as a spirit medium, with his infectious and flamboyant charm garnering him considerable fame in the process; at the height of its popularity, his show was watched by 1 in 4 people in Japan. Don Kanonji's iconic signature pose and lovable personality have also made him resonate with fans of Bleach, and he's become one of many underrated characters who were sadly written out too soon in the series.
Don Kanonji's Confident Fashion Befits His Memorable Persona
Don Kanonji has one of the more striking appearances among Bleach's human characters; he is both tall and thin with a slick handlebar mustache, and true to his status as a legendary television performer, his fashion sense is highly theatrical and eccentric -- something that' highly unusual among other characters in Bleach. Kanonji is often seen wearing a pair of signature stylish round glasses that are paired with a variety of different hats (often embroidered with his name) and many long, billowing capes, with the television star designing his own clothes.
Kanonji's television persona also includes a trademark pose wherein he crosses both arms over his chest and lets out a bellowing laugh. His fans often join him in doing it, proving that he's a master of branding himself to his audience.
Kanonji's TV Persona Makes Him Wildly Courageous
While Don Kanonji may be far from one of the most skilled fighters in Bleach, he actually finds immense courage to stand up to spirits thanks to his television persona. Much of his show may be for entertainment purposes only, but he genuinely has good intentions and desires to be the hero, no matter what it takes.
Kanonji is always conscious of his audience, too, with him longing to instill powerful and positive messages for his fans, especially the children watching his show. He calls himself 'The New Century's Premiere Spirtualist', and that's a title he's been working to maintain; after meeting Ichigo, he dedicated time to become vastly more knowledgable about both Hollows and Shinigamis. When he found out that the way he was ridding the world of ghosts was actually turning spirits into Hollows rather than sending them to heaven, he was rightfully horrified, proving that despite his persona being mostly for show, he's actually a good guy underneath it all.
Bleach's Spiritual Medium Has Surprising Strength and Powers
There are plenty of amazingly strong abilities featured in Bleach, and Don Kanonji possesses some pretty impressive power for a human. His power levels are high enough that he is on the Hollow's radar, and he's also proven to have keen spiritual awareness, able to recognize a large horde of Hollows from almost 20 miles away.
Kanonji's special attack is 'Kanonji-Style Final Supper Attack: Kannonball', which is a slow-moving tiny blue ball of light that explodes with intense power. He also has a Golden Kannonball move, which he calls the 'Fatal Attack of Justice'. These Kannonballs are larger and faster, with Kanonji even capable of generating one large ball that can split into two and be fired together.
Kanonji also wields the Super Spirits Stick, a golden scepter that he uses for melee attacks. The spirit stick is capable of shocking his opponent with its infused spiritual energy in a powerful blast capable of destroying lesser Hollows with ease.
Kanonji Joined Ichigo in a Hilarious Battle Against the Hollows
Ichigo is joined in battle by Don Kanonji early in his journey, in Bleach's first arc 'Agent of the Shinigami'. As part of Kanonji's television show, he attempts to exorcise a Demi-Hollow but regrettably transforms it into a Hollow in the process. Ichigo tries to intervene and help, but Kanonji's desire to be a courageous entertainer prevents him from backing down from the fight, even when he's outmatched.
Mindful that Kanonji wants to teach his viewers an inspiring lesson in courage, Ichigo accepts Kanonji's refusal to run away, and the two fight side-by-side against the Hollow. It's far from Bleach's most strategic fight, with Ichigo hitting his head on a low ceiling in the fray. With Ichigo incapacitated, Kanonji has the perfect chance to save the day and reveal his powerful Kanonball attack with its comedically tiny ball of energy. While Ichigo did most of the heavy lifting in the battle, things easily could have turned out differently if Kanonji hadn't been able to use his special attack and free Ichigo, proving that the television star isn't as inept as he may appear.
After the battle came the sad moment when Kanonji realized his methods were actually responsible for accelerating spirit transformations into Hollows. Ichigo delivers the tragic news to Kanonji, but the entertainer is still grateful to Ichigo for his help and knowledge. Before the two part ways, Kanonji gives Ichigo a fan club card dedicated "to my #1 pupil," a hilarious inscription considering Ichigo's skilled work in the battle just moments before.
Kanonji is Brave Enough to Battle Aizen
One of Kanonji's more impressive accomplishments in the series is his bravery in going toe-to-toe with one of Bleach's most irredeemable villains: Sosuke Aizen. Kanonji's attacks appear to do little to stop the wicked member of the Gotei 13, but that doesn't deter him from trying to protect those around him.
Like his previous battle in the series, Kanonji isn't equipped to handle such potent threats on his own, but he refuses to run away, citing that staying and fighting is what heroes do. Despite being heavily outclassed, Kanonji is able to prove his impressive strength against Aizen; Kanonji is able to move on his own, even while under the influence of Aizen's spiritual pressure, a considerable accomplishment. However, there's not much else he can do to actually stop the villain, though, with even his Super Spirit Stick being destroyed just by being near him.
Luckily for Kanonji and the rest of the group that Aizen is targeting, Ichigo eventually arrives for his final battle with Aizen and saves the day, much like he did during his first encounter with Kanonji. After Ichigo emerged victorious, Kanonji was able to return to hosting his TV show, marking the end of his appearance in the series.
Kanonji's Appearances in Bleach
While not one of the main characters in Bleach, Don Kanonji still makes important appearances throughout the series. He debuts in Season 1's Episode 10, 'Casual Soul Realm Assault Trip!' wherein Ichigo and his family attend a taping of Kanonji's show. He goes on to appear in the Soul Society Arc, Hueco Mundo Arc, and cements his underrated status with his brave battle against Aizen in the Fake Karakura Town Arc.
Bleach is currently available for streaming in the United States on Hulu. The series is available for digital purchase on platforms including Amazon, Apple TV and Google Play. Viz Media has also released the series physically on Blu-ray.
