Bleach: Who Was Masaki Kurosaki?

by

Bleach: Who Was Masaki Kurosaki?

Key Takeaways

  • Masaki Kurosaki was a Quincy who lost her powers protecting Ichigo from Grand Fisher.
  • Masaki’s heritage and marriage to Isshin reveal key plot points in Bleach.
  • Isshin saved Masaki’s life by connecting his soul to hers, costing him his Shinigami powers.

As a dedicated Bleach fan who has spent countless hours immersed in the captivating world of Soul Society and the Human world, I can confidently say that Masaki Kurosaki is one of the most intriguing characters in the series. Her life story, filled with mystery and sacrifice, adds depth to the narrative that keeps us hooked episode after episode.

At the onset of Bleach, there wasn’t much information available about Masaki Kurosaki. It was commonly thought that her demise was a tragic, random occurrence. Nevertheless, the realities behind her lineage surfaced during The Thousand-Year Blood War.

In the Kurosaki household, Masaki was often the focal point. Yet, it turned out that her lineage carried the key to Ichigo’s powers and insights into Aizen’s plots. However, one may wonder who exactly Masaki was, and how her ancestry influenced Ichigo?

Who was Masaki Kurosaki?

All members of her family loved Masaki, and she was the glue that held them together

Bleach: Who Was Masaki Kurosaki?

Masaki Kurosaki, formerly known as Isshin Shiba, was Isshin Kurosaki’s wife and the mother of three children: Ichigo, a son, and twin daughters Yuzu and Karin. At the outset of Bleach, we encounter Masaki as a cheerful, loving mother who was at the heart of the Kurosaki family.

Masaki, indeed, was a genuine pure-bred Quincy – a race of humans imbued with spiritual powers passed down from Yhwach, the Quincy King. Unfortunately, the Quincy population has been dwindling for over 200 years due to the mass exterminations by Soul Society. While Soul Society strives to preserve global balance and prevent catastrophe, the role of the Quincy was to hunt and annihilate all Hollow entities, which could potentially lead to the world’s demise.

Initially, Masaki’s background remained unclear, with her being thought of as an ordinary human at the beginning of the series. Regrettably, in Chapter 19, titled “Memories in the Rain,” we discover that Masaki had passed away during a flashback featuring Ichigo at age nine. Throughout this chapter, it is also revealed that Ichigo has always possessed the unique ability to perceive both spirits and Hollows since his childhood. This extraordinary talent could be attributed to his mother being a Quincy and his father being a Shinigami.

At age 9, endowed with the gift of seeing spirits, Ichigo was unable to discern between the living and the deceased. Similar to his current compassionate nature, as a child, Ichigo also had a kind heart. This kindness surfaced when he spotted a young girl standing in the rain, and without hesitation, he rushed towards her with the intention of preventing her from jumping into the river.

Tragically, Ichigo refused to heed his mother’s entreaties to halt; it was only later that he discovered she had perished shielding him from the Hollow Grand Fisher. For a long time, Ichigo harbored the belief that he was the one who caused her demise. However, as it turned out, he was not the culprit.

In Chapter 537, it was disclosed that Yhwach began the Holy Selection on June 17th. During this event, Yhwach seized the powers from the half-Quincy individuals (Gemischt Quincy) to reclaim his own strength. As a result of the Holy Selection, Masaki forfeited her Quincy abilities and, in doing so, sacrificed her life while shielding Ichigo from Grand Fisher.

How did Masaki meet Isshin, a Shinigami?

Masaki was an exceptional Quincy, and her do-good nature led to a chance encounter

Bleach: Who Was Masaki Kurosaki?

Being a devoted fan, I’d like to share some insights about a remarkable character named Masaki. Born as an Echt and a pure-blood Quincy, she was uniquely special, being the last of the Kurosaki lineage. Given her unique heritage and the potential threats it could attract, she found refuge with the gracious Ishida family.

Due to numerous Quincys being wiped out by Shinigami, very few Echt Quincies survive today. Those who do exist are extremely cautious about preserving their lineage. To ensure the safety of Masaki and continue their family line, the Ishidas accepted her into their household, arranging a marriage between Masaki and Ryuken Ishida as part of this agreement.

Currently, a puzzling entity known as White Hollow, fashioned by Aizen, has been causing the demise of several Shinigami in the Human realm, sparking anxiety. In response, Isshin Shiba, formerly Captain of the 10th Division, covertly ventured into the Human world to uncover the truth. Upon Isshin’s encounter with White Hollow, Masaki too sensed its intense Reiatsu from the Ishida residence. Determined not to stand idle while the Hollow wreaks havoc, Masaki journeyed to the location to aid Isshin. She then deliberately provoked White, drawing it closer for a direct strike to its head, thereby eliminating it.

Unfortunately, this led to White exploding, which Isshin shielded Masaki from. The injury Masaki sustained at White’s hands triggered a Hollowfication within her – a transformation where a Hollow’s spirit merges with a regular soul, shattering the boundary and making the original soul immensely stronger, as explained by Urahara Kisuke in Chapter 535.

To rescue Masaki, Isshin had to prevent the “Soul Destruction.” Since Isshin is the opposite of a Quincy, he was the only one capable of saving Masaki’s life, but doing so would mean losing his Shinigami powers. Without delay, Isshin and Urahara immediately took action, linking their souls with Masaki’s, ultimately rescuing her from danger.

Following this, Masaki developed feelings for Isshin and frequently visited his clinic once she started attending university. As their relationship blossomed, they got married, and Isshin adopted the surname Kurosaki, relinquishing his role as the leader of the Shiba family.

Earlier, we discussed that Masaki sacrificed herself to shield Ichigo from Grand Fisher’s attack, and subsequently, Isshin managed to revive her. However, due to being tainted by a Hollow, Masaki had lost her Quincy powers during the Auswahlen event, making her defenseless against Grand Fisher because she was no longer a full-blooded Quincy.

Bleach is now available to stream on Hulu.

Read More

2024-10-05 22:33