Byakuya Kuchiki

Byakuya Kuchiki leads the 6th Division, one of the thirteen fighting units of Soul Reapers in Soul Society. He is also the 28th leader of the Kuchiki family, which ranks among the four great noble houses of that world. His second-in-command is Renji Abarai.

Byakuya seems cold and proud. He speaks little, stays calm even in the middle of a fight, and often acts as if his enemies are not worth his time. Rules matter to him above almost everything. As a noble and a leader, he feels he must obey every law so others will obey them too. In his eyes, anyone who breaks the law must face punishment, even when that hurts him personally.

This belief comes from his past. As a young man, he went against his clan's rules to marry Hisana, a commoner. Before she died, she asked him to find and care for her lost little sister. Byakuya did so and adopted that sister, Rukia Kuchiki, into his family, breaking the rules a second time. Afterward, he swore he would never break the law again. This promise tears at him when Rukia is later sentenced to death. Deep down, he does care for her and for others close to him, even if he rarely shows it.

In battle he uses his sword, Senbonzakura, which means "a thousand cherry blossoms." Its blade splits into countless tiny pieces that look like drifting petals, and he moves them with his will.