Bleach boasts a huge and unforgettable cast of characters, starting with the inhabitants of Karakura Town, including the Quincy archer Uryu Ishida. This Hollow hunter was introduced in the anime’s first season, and Uryu quickly became Ichigo’s ally and rival of sorts. They play off each other quite well.
Uryu is a powerful fighter on Ichigo’s team, and he is best known for using spirit bows to take down Hollows and other foes with impeccable aim. But Uryu isn’t just an archer. On the battlefield and in everyday life, he can use an impressive variety of other skills and items to save the day and protect his friend. Even if Uryu’s bow and arrows are off-limits, there’s a lot he can do.
10 Uryu Can Attract Hollows With Bait
Hollows are the restless, monstrous souls of the undead, and Soul Reapers and Quincy all hunt them. The Quincy have some special tools that the Soul Reapers don’t, including Hollow bait tablets. Once a tablet is crushed, countless Hollows will be attracted to it.
This makes hunting easier, and Uryu used such bait to begin a Hollow-slaying contest with his rival, Ichigo. If Uryu is part of a team, he can help take down countless Hollows this way, even if he doesn’t use his bow to take part in the hunt.
9 Uryu Can Steal Spirit Energy With Seeleschneider
Uryu has access to many Quincy weapons and items, with his bow being just one of many. It should also be noted that Quincy tend to steal ambient spirit energy to fuel their attacks, and Uryu can harvest spirit particles with an item called Seeleschneider.
This item is like an energy sword, with a rapidly vibrating blade that can shred and steal enemy spirit pressure for Uryu’s use. This strengthens Uryu and weakens his enemy at the same time, and no bow is necessary to do that.
8 Uryu Can Set Off Explosions
Uryu Ishida is also an explosives expert, though this isn’t what he usually relies on. In combat, Uryu can draw a large star on the ground, then pour a special liquid and set off a powerful detonation. Due to the setup required, Uryu needs an ally to keep the enemy busy during prep time.
Uryu was seen doing this once when he and Lieutenant Renji Abarai clashed with the 8th Espada, Szayelaporro Grantz. By then, Uryu’s bow had been sealed, so this was his last option for dealing damage to his Espada foe. The blast badly injured Szayelaporro and forced him to eat a fraccione to recover.
7 Uryu Can Use Ransotengai
Uryu is something of a child prodigy among the Quincy, learning and using highly advanced techniques that no ordinary teenager could ever hope to master. Uryu’s trickiest move is called Ransogengai, where he controls himself like a puppet with strings of spirit energy.
Quincy who are too tired or injured to move can use this to maintain their mobility, controlling themselves like puppeteers. Uryu did this to circumvent the effects of paralysis while fighting Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and Mayuri was impressed.
6 Uryu Can Use Hirenkyaku
Soul Reapers like Captain Byakuya Kuchiki can move in the blink of an eye with a technique called shunpo, and Arrancars can use a similar move called sonido, or “sound.” To keep up, the Quincy have come up with their own move named Hirenkyaku, and Uryu is often seen using it.
Hirenkyaku doesn’t require any items to use, least of all a bow. The user simply gathers spirit energy under their feet to form a slippery disk, and they can slide around at high speeds to outmaneuver their enemies. Uryu is quick as lightning when he’s using Hirenkyaku.
5 Uryu Can Get Good Grades
Uryu Ishida takes pride in being a Quincy, and he identifies strongly with it, but he doesn’t forget to have a civilian life, too. Uryu was an ace student in high school, meaning he and Ichigo were in close proximity even before Ichigo became a Soul Reaper.
Uryu is just as smart as he looks, standing at the top of the class in an early episode of Bleach. This is what put Uryu on Ichigo’s radar, and they soon launched their rivalry. Uryu also missed a lot of school during the Soul Society arc, but he most likely found a way to make up for it.
4 Uryu Can Sew & Make Clothes
Uryu Ishida has a hobby: tailoring. This running gag vanished halfway through the series, but it did add a little charm to Uryu’s character and proved that he had his creative and constructive side, which helped boost his appeal. Uryu is an expert with cloth and needles, and he once fixed up Kon in the middle of class.
Uryu later made new clothes for all his friends after the Soul Society arc wrapped up, and Orihime delivered an Uryu-made sundress to Rukia Kuchiki, who promised to wear it. Uryu felt pretty good about all this.
3 Uryu Can Find Employment In The Medical Field
Uryu Ishida’s studies clearly paid off. In the epilogue chapter of the Bleach manga, all of the main characters enjoy their peaceful civilian lives. While Ichigo became a homebody, Uryu went on to become a doctor, following his father Ryuken’s footsteps.
That not only shows that Uryu is becoming more like his father, but also shows that Uryu is fully committed to his ordinary human life, and he is practical and smart enough to land a career like this to support himself. It’s wonderful to see him so successful.
2 Uryu Can Provide Tactical Assessments
Uryu Ishida ranks among Bleach‘s sharpest tactical thinkers, and it helps that he is a patient and methodical fighter who refrains from charging recklessly into the fray. Uryu can take down foes stronger than himself by analyzing their unique abilities and weaknesses, then exploiting them.
Uryu defeated Cirucci and almost defeated Szayelaporro this way, and he can share his tactical insights with his allies too, so they can deal the final blow in battle. Whether or not Uryu has his bow, he can serve as a strategic leader in any battle.
1 Uryu Can Investigate Spiritual Oddities In Karakura Town
Bleach has some elements of mystery and paranormal investigations to it, mainly in Karakura Town, where unique people, strange phenomena, and Hollow are the norm. Ichigo and his allies sometimes look into these mysteries, and Uryu Ishida is always ready to help.
With or without his bow and arrows, Uryu can track Hollows, analyze strange spiritual energy, analyze a bizarre stranger, and report back with his findings. If something supernatural is afoot, Uryu will get to the bottom of it before long.
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