Bleach is a hit shonen series with some supernatural elements mostly revolving around the afterlife. In the Bleach world, it’s up to Soul Reapers to fight and exorcise monstrous souls called Hollows, and these Soul Reapers also send pure souls to the afterlife to find eternal rest. It’s not an easy job, but someone has to do it.
The Bleach series makes it clear that while there are some distinct downsides and harsh realities to being a Soul Reaper, there are also many benefits and perks involved in this job. Soul Reapers have been around a long time, after all, and Soul Reaper leaders figured out all kinds of ways to make this job a little easier and safer.
10 Zanpakuto Have Serious Potential
Zanpakuto are the soul-cutting swords that all Soul Reapers carry, but these bladed weapons aren’t just swords. They are practically living things, and if a Soul Reaper can form a strong bond with their zanpakuto, good things will happen.
A zanpakuto’s shikai may soon be revealed, and that will boost the Soul Reaper’s combat prowess greatly. Many shikai are seen in the series, and there is also the possibility of unlocking bankai, a zanpakuto’s ultimate form. That’s something worth striving for.
9 Anyone Can Learn Kido
Kido is a secondary magic system in Bleach, and there is a wide variety of offensive and defensive kido spells that Soul Reapers can learn. Any Soul Reaper can learn to use kido, regardless of their squad, social class, bloodline, or anything else. Kido isn’t reserved for an elite few.
It’s true that some Soul Reapers simply have more natural talent for kido than others, but at least any Soul Reaper can learn some basic spells to enhance their combat prowess against Hollows or the Quincy. Squad 11’s Soul Reapers can’t use kido simply because they chose to never learn it.
8 Captains Are Powerful Allies
Only thirteen Soul Reapers can be a Captain at a time, and that means everyone else will look up to those Captains for protection and guidance during battle. Even Lieutenants such as Renji Abarai and Momo Hinamori only have a fraction of a Captain’s power.
Any Soul Reaper would be comforted and encouraged by the sight of his or her Captain arriving to back them up in battle, and these Captains can take over a difficult fight and slay the enemy with little trouble. It can provide a serious morale boost.
7 Soul Reapers Have A Cool Newspaper
Soul Reapers are primarily fighters and exorcists, but they still make time for literature and mass communication, mostly with the “Seireitei Bulletin.” The “Bulletin” is a newspaper with a wide variety of content to its name, from periodical stories to lifestyle tips and even educational articles on medicine and science.
It’s mostly Soul Reapers who contribute to and read the “Bulletin,” and any Soul Reaper can enjoy catching up on their favorite periodical story or learning insightful combat tips from these articles. Captain Kaname Tosen and Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi are both noted editors for this newspaper.
6 There Are Plenty Of Sparring Partners Available
Even after a Soul Reaper graduates from the academy, they should keep their skills sharp, and the good news is that they can choose from a wide variety of sparring partners across the Seireitei. Most Soul Reapers have a vested interest in keeping their blades and skills equally sharp, after all.
Squad 11, in particular, is populated with Soul Reapers such as Ikkaku Madarame who are eager for a challenge and may spar with Tetsuzaemon Iba or Renji to stay sharp. Practicing swordplay like that can also pass the time and build friendships.
5 The Science Department Invents Many Helpful Items
Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi may rub many people the wrong way, but there is no denying that his science department is highly productive and innovative. Squad 12 is the science squad, and its members work tirelessly to develop new items for all Soul Reapers to use during a mission.
This squad’s various Captains have invented items such as portable gigai bodies and Soul Candy, and Soul Reapers make regular use of them. Gigai bodies are quite helpful for Soul Reapers who need to integrate into human society for a reverse-isekai adventure.
4 Squad 4 Boasts Expert Healers
Squad 4’s members might resent being made fun of by the other squads since they don’t do much fighting, but this squad is essential for all Soul Reapers. Squad 4’s members, from Captain Retsu Unohana to Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu and even the meek Hanataro Yamada, can all use healing kido.
Many squad 4 Soul Reapers also have medical shikai to match, which allows them to save even more lives during a difficult battle against numerous Hollows or Quincy. Unohana, in particular, has a gentle and generous spirit, and she will heal absolutely anyone who needs it. She even healed an Arrancar once.
3 Performing Konso Can Be Gratifying
Soul Reapers often have to fight Hollows while patrolling the world of the living, but that’s not all they are required to do. Ordinary souls, or Pluses, also need Soul Reapers to help them out. These souls often struggle to reach the Soul Society on their own.
So, a Soul Reaper will perform the simple konso ritual to help that Plus move on to the Soul Society and find peace, and a Soul Reaper may find it highly gratifying to help these gentle and grateful Pluses move on to the next life.
2 Exploring The Human World Can Be Fun
Some Soul Reapers take a much greater interest in the world of the living than others. To some, it’s merely a faraway realm of mortals and Hollows, but other Soul Reapers think the mundane world is a colorful and exciting place, and they might make excuses to go visit it.
These Soul Reapers can either explore the mundane world freely while invisible or slip into a gigai body to meet humans and even try on human clothes or take part in fun events of all sorts. These fun-loving Soul Reapers are like tourists, and they’re all strong enough to fight off Hollows or punks who try to mess with them.
1 Soul Reapers Have A Strong Sense Of Purpose
Certain Soul Reapers enjoy combat more than others do, but they can all take comfort in knowing that they are always fighting for a good cause. Having a cause worth fighting for can be incredibly motivating. This strong sense of purpose can help any discouraged Soul Reaper get back into the game before long.
Soul Reapers will always have a duty to escort Pluses to the Soul Society and purify Hollows, and this can motivate them to keep training and practicing day after day. Soul Reapers live for hundreds of years, so they might as well have a long-term goal to sustain them.
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