Sōjirō Kusaka

is a fictional character in "Bleach." He was an old friend and rival of Tōshirō Hitsugaya when they were younger in the Soul Reaper academy in Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion. He is the main antagonist of the movie and is a Shinigami which Hitsugaya encounters while searching for the thieves who stole the "King's Seal". He has the same Zanpakutō (Hyōrinmaru) as Hitsugaya.

Description

Kusaka is a tall Shinigami with long, black hair tied into a bun at the back. He has red eyes (violet in his academy days) and a large scar running the length of the right side of his face. He wears a light brown cape and a mask that resembles a Hollow's.

Character Outline

Kusaka was a man who had vowed his alligenace to Soul Society, and met Hitsugaya during their days at the academy. He thought of Hitsugaya as both his friend and rival and often competed in both school work and practice. After his return he grew bitter and resented Soul Society for what they had done to him.

History

During his days in the academy, he was in the same class as Tōshirō Hitsugaya and the two of them quickly became friends. He had regarded Hitsugaya as a genius and strove to be better than him. When Kusaka met his zanpakutō spirit in a frozen cave, he came along Hitsugaya who had also been summoned there and their friendship deepened.However, after a short while, Central 46 ruled that two Shinigami cannot hold the same zanpakutō. Hitsugaya then offered to abandon Hyōrinmaru instead of fighting Kusaka, but the council forced both men to fight for the honor of bearing the zanpakutō. Although reluctant; it was ultimately Kusaka who drew his sword and charged Hitsugaya, shouting that he wanted Hyōrinmaru for himself.Before the battle was concluded, the Central 46 members ruled that Hyōrinmaru belonged to Hitsugaya and Kusaka was sentenced to death. Even though no one had won at the time of the decision Hitsugaya had the upper hand. He was then attacked by the Special Forces and killed.His execution was kept secret and his academy records were destroyed afterwards; however, the cover-up was not complete, ultimately enabling Nanao Ise to find a picture of him from his time in Rukongai.He was brought back to life by the nihongo|Ōin|王印|King's Seal which had the power to manipulte space and time [Bleach Movie 2] .

Defeat

After Ichigo and his associates defeat numerous enemies, they manage to corner Kusaka and strip him of his power, he then challenges Hitsugaya to a battle. Kusaka and Hitsugaya charged at each other for one last time to finish the battle which they had left off. Hitsugaya won and Kusaka told him that he would never die, before dissolving, leaving behind his broken zanpakutō and his cape. Ichigo said that all Kusaka wanted to do was to finish his fight with Hitsugaya.

Hyōrinmaru

Kusaka has the same Zanpakutō as Hitsugaya, nihongo|Hyōrinmaru |氷輪丸|Ice Ring [Bleach Movie 2] . When sealed, Hyōrinmaru looks just like a normal katana. The hilt is deep red. The appearance of his sheath is unknown as it is always hidden behind his cape.

In its Shikai Hyōrinmaru's release command is nihongo|Souten ni saze|霜天に坐せ|Sit upon the frozen heavens. When released, Hyōrinmaru gains a crescent-shaped blade attached to the base of the hilt by a long chain and allows Kusaka to control ice. His slashes create an immense amount of spirit power which overflows from the tip of the blade, creating a flow of ice shaped like a purple Chinese dragon. The dragon flies at opponents and instantly freezes anything it touches. Kusaka can also direct his slashes towards the ground and form a wave of ice which rushes over his opponents overwhelming and freezing them. The chain-blade freezes anything Kusaka traps within it. Unlike Hitsugaya, Sōjirō never achieved Bankai however his domain of Shikai seems to be better [Bleach Movie 2] .

References