Kisuke Urahara

Kisuke Urahara is a character from the Bleach anime and manga.

Kisuke is the former captain of the 12th Division, as well as the founder and 1st President of the S.R.D.I.. His lieutenant was Hiyori Sarugaki. He lives in the Human World where he owns a small convenience store which sells Shinigamiitems. He is assisted by his employees Tessai Tsukabishi, Jinta Hanakari, and Ururu Tsumugiya.

Appearance
Kisuke is a tall, lean-built man with light skin and gray eyes. His hair is messy and light-blond (almost pale), with strands framing the sides of the face and hanging between his eyes, and he has chin stubble. He wears a dark coat, which sports a white diamond pattern along its bottom half, with a dark green shirt and pants underneath. His coat's design is reminiscent of an inverted captain's haori (white with black diamonds). Urahara carries a fan, which he occasionally uses to hide his face. He usually wears traditional Japanese wooden sandals (geta) and a striped dark green and white bucket hat (which usually shadows his eyes), which has earned him the nickname "sandal-hat" (geta-bōshi; "Mr. Hat-and-Clogs" in the English dub).

During his earlier years in Soul Society, he had a clean-shaved face and wore the standard Shinigami uniform. In his more casual events, he usually wore his geta. He later wore a long-sleeved captain's haori after his promotion to the rank of captain.

Personality
Though usually a laid-back, optimistic, jovial, humble and eccentric man, Urahara shows a deceptively cunning and serious side when the situation warrants it. He commonly uses idle conversation and outward concern to distract his opponents.[4] Despite his care-free attitude, he always speaks politely, but is sometimes sarcastic. Yoruichi Shihōin notes he tends to go over the top with whatever he becomes passionate about. He has described himself as a "mere honest, handsome, perverted businessman."

Approximately 110 years ago, Urahara's personality was slightly opposite of what it is in the present. During his earlier years as a captain, he was viewed as a nervous, flustered, and quiet person. Somewhat unsure of himself, he lacked confidence in his ability to be a good leader. In addition, he was occasionally confused with how to deal with his division. Despite being uncomfortable in his role, he seemed relatively at ease in his previous position at the 2nd Division Detention Unit. However, he eventually hardened his resolve to take on his role as captain by becoming more serious and determined.

Urahara can usually be found near the scene of an important event, but he rarely intervenes in situations, preferring to stay on the sidelines. He often knows more information than he lets on, and despite being a major player in the situation, he acts only as a catalyst, having others do the work for him. Urahara is often manipulative, tricking people into doing what he wants them to.

He likes building large secret underground training spaces.

Kisuke is a pragmatic combatant, believing that using any means necessary in a life-and-death battle is essential in victory and survival, such as forming an alliance with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez beforehand to defeat Askin Nakk Le Vaar via a sneak attack from behind.

Abilities
Master Swordsman: Urahara is an extremely skilled swordsman, possessing powerful strikes with equally impressive speed behind them. He can perform attacks with perfect precision and stop them in an instant. His abilities are considered highly dangerous by Ulquiorra Cifer, the 4th Espada, who opted to avoid fighting Urahara. While Urahara's preferred fighting style seems to be swordsmanship, he is highly proficient in combining it with his other skills and instantly switching between any of them. His usual methods in battle are striking from various angles to confuse and catch his opponents off-guard for sneak attacks. He kept Ichigo constantly pressured during their training despite Ichigo's much larger blade. He rarely relies on more than Shikai, as seen against Yammy, the 10th Arrancar. He achieved Bankai within a short time through a process he devised, relying on sheer skill against the blade's spirit.
 * Shitonegaeshi (Cushion Return): A pinning technique which subdues an opponent and immobilizes them on the ground using coercion alone, with Urahara suspending the tip of his cane just millimeters from their face after he has struck them down.

Hakuda Master: As a former commander of the Detention Unit of the Onmitsukidō, Urahara was not allowed to use weapons in the Nest of Maggots, so he became highly proficient in unarmed combat. His skills are great enough to force Yoruichi at her peak to fight seriously during their regular sparring sessions. During his days as a Shinigami, even when only a third seat officer, he effortlessly took down several Shinigami deserters unarmed, and emerged unscathed afterwards.
 * Hōzuri (Cheek Stroke): A simple but precise slash technique which is meant only to lightly graze and cause superficial wounds.

Shunpo Master: As a former Onmitsukidō unit commander, Urahara has exceptional skill in Shunpo and is well-versed in its various techniques. He is so fast, an opponent does not notice when he replaces himself with a portable Gigai for misdirection; this is further demonstrated when he uses this tactic effectively against Aizen. The fact that he could always keep up with Yoruichi's speed at her peak during sparring sessions is further proof of his mastery of this skill.

Kidō Master: Urahara is a master in the use of Hadō and Bakudō spells. He knows how to break barriers of the spiritually superior noble clans, a feat which even captains cannot achieve. He can silently, and without warning, use low and mid-level Kidō to great effect. He can rapidly use a single high-level Kidō repeatedly, or multiple ones in quick succession, by name alone, without incantation or calling the type and level, while retaining considerable power and control. He can use level 99 Kidō, but has more difficulty with Kidō above level 88 without incantation, as he had to use the incantation to ensure enough power for a level 91 Kidō. He can use multiple Kidō in conjunction for various combination and diversion tactics, and have them remain undetected until sprung in sync in a chain reaction. Aizen admitted that if not for the Hōgyoku, Urahara's prowess would have surely defeated him.
 * Kaidō (Turn Way): He is highly proficient in healing Kidō, having repeatedly healed Ichigo and his friends when battle-worn.


 * Kidō Creation: As the former head of the SRDI, Urahara has immense knowledge and understanding of the flow, application, and consistency of spiritual energy. From this, Urahara can create his own unique high-level Kidō, each designed for a very specific or versatile nature. Some of these said spells draw influence from other techniques.undefined

Immense Spiritual Power: As a former captain of the 12th Division, Urahara boasts great amounts of spiritual energy. His energy is intense enough to make opponents with high levels of energy sweat in fear. When releasing his spiritual pressure, it can create a shockwave strong enough to affect a considerable area and launch back weaker individuals. He has demonstrated noticeably great reserves of energy, launching multiple high-level Kidō and Shikai attacks in a single battle without tiring. His Reiatsu is red. Genius Intellect: Urahara has proven himself to be the most intelligent being both within and outside of Soul Society. Much of his intellect is seen in scientific inventions, deduction of situations, and combat tactics. Aizen himself acknowledges that Urahara's intelligence surpasses his own immense intellect. Even after a century of exile, the SRDI still holds great respect for his talents. He is very insightful of other people, allowing him to see through a person's demeanor and determine what they are thinking. Also able to read well into the situation, he can seemingly predict anything well in advance. After Orihime inadvertently revealed her powers to Ulquiorra, Urahara correctly deduced Aizen would try to capture Orihime to use her against Soul Society, and had already prepared to send Ichigo to Hueco Mundo before he even had a chance to ask. Kisuke is a highly capable teacher. In only five days of unorthodox training, he conditioned Ichigo into an experienced fighter on par with lieutenant-level Shinigami. His knowledge has given him an innate understanding of the abilities of others and what happens when independent variables are entered into an equation. It was for this reason why Kisuke was chosen as one of the 5 Special War Powers by the Wandenreich.
 * Keikaigi (World-Tying Rite): This technique connects the space tying two worlds together to produce a Garganta. The opening is generated between two large wooden posts jutting out from two large rock formations. He is later able to open the portal silently and whenever he chooses.
 * Masterful Reiatsu Control: As former high-ranking member of the Onmitsukidō, Kisuke is adapt at fine-control of his spiritual energy, never wasting more energy than necessary for his various stunts. He is quite skilled in hiding his reiatsu, able to remain unnoticed by both allies and enemies.
 * Master Scientist & Inventor: As the founder and former head of the SRDI, Urahara is a talented inventor and scientist, having created a number of devices and techniques to aid him in battle or otherwise. His intellect in this field is evident, having created the most amazing things in Soul Society's history. As he has been inventing and creating things before becoming a seated officer in the 2nd Division, he can create his inventions in rather short amounts of time. He modified a simple plushy doll into a two-way monitor to speak between dimensions, greatly intriguing Kurotsuchi. Urahara figured out how to restore Ichigo's Shinigami powers seventeen months after losing them. He is even able to determine the true mechanics behind a new advanced power and how to disrupt it, even the ability of the Quincy to steal one's Bankai. He is a highly adept chemist, having recreated the unique healing properties of both the "White Bone Pond" and "Blood Hell Pond" in his own hot spring. Urahara also has highly capable medical skills, regularly healing Ichigo and his friends when battle-worn. He also has a very detailed understanding of the Hollowfication process and has determined how to stabilize a victim of it, as seen with the Visored.

Enhanced Strength: As a former member of the Onmitsukidō, he received considerable physical conditioning. During his time as commander of the Detention Unit, he effortlessly stopped a punch from a giant man with a single hand. He stopped a kick from the immensely strong Ururu, blocking most of the impact which would have otherwise killed Ichigo. During his training with Ichigo, his strikes possessed enough power to create large craters and launch the younger fighter several meters through solid rock.
 * Master Strategist & Tactician: Despite his aloof and unkempt appearance, Urahara is a very insightful and cunning man. He possesses great intuition, quickly becoming aware of any incoming danger and reacting to it in time. Urahara has an undeniable talent for thinking things through well in advance, making decisive and accurate decisions quickly in battle, and seemingly perceiving any situation at hand. He is a crafty tactician, easily deceiving both allies and enemies. In battle, he regularly uses cunning and deception to catch his opponents off-guard. He is a very analytical man, quickly seeing through an opponent's power and attack patterns to ultimately make them useless against him. He easily outmaneuvered and tricked Aizen repeatedly in his fight with him. Urahara stated that he goes into situations expecting many possible scenarios just so he is never caught by surprise and making it possible for him to be ready for any that might occur.

Enhanced Speed: Kisuke has demonstrated tremendous speed and reflexes in battle. Even when caught by surprise from an enemy's attack, he can react in time to skillfully dodge or counter the assault. Offensively, he can keep up a quick and rapid assault which forces most opponents on the defense, as he leaves no openings in his attacks.

Enhanced Agility: While normally laid-back, Kisuke is an immensely agile fighter. In battle, he can effectively use the battlefield to his advantage, flipping and jumping from wall to wall to keep his opponents unsure of his attack patterns. Offensively, his agility grants him great balance and dexterity in battle, attacking his opponent from various angles with great accuracy and force.

Enhanced Durability: While not the most imposing in appearance, Kisuke has received considerable physical training from his days in the Onmitsukidō, and is well-conditioned for battle. He can take large amounts of punishment. His durability caused Hiyori to be more careful about how she would hit him if she did not want to hurt herself instead.

Enhanced Endurance: During his time as a captain, he would regularly be assaulted by his then-lieutenant Hiyori Sarugaki. Each time, he would take the assaults indifferently, if not laugh about it, with little to no adverse effect on himself. Against Askin's "The Deathdealing", despite showing great exhaustion from the Quincy's poisonous power, Kisuke was still able to move about with considerable agility, surprising Askin.

Master Assassin: As a former high-ranking member of the Onmitsukidō, Kisuke possesses considerable mastery in the art of stealth combat. He has repeatedly shown impressive skill in staying hidden and unseen while maneuvering towards his target. He can completely hide his presence, remaining undetected until he intentionally reveals himself. During his battle against Yammy, he repeatedly caught his opponent completely off guard and effectively took advantage of it. Even the perceptive and intuitive Aizen was caught by surprise. He was also able to launch a successful sneak attack on the Quincy Quilge, sensing when he wasn't using his Blut Vene for defense.

Zanpakutō
Benihime (Crimson Princess): A blade described by Urahara as "not nice", it is one of the few known Zanpakutō with a female spirit owned by a male. When sealed, Benihime is a beige-colored shikomizue (a blade hidden inside a cane) with a curved handle and silver base. As the blade resides in a cane, the cane's handle is still the hilt and the shaft is the sheath, allowing it to still operate like other Zanpakutō. The shaft's base bears a skull and blue flame mark on the bottom, which can separate souls from bodies by pressing the mark to it. Back when Urahara was still in the Gotei 13, Benihime was sealed in an average-sized katana form, with a black sheath worn under Urahara's sash. It had an oval-shaped tsuba, with a snowflake-design embossed in it, and a black hilt-wrapping.
 * Shikai: Benihime's Shikai command is "Awaken". Its Shikai takes the form of a sleek, medium-sized sword. The hilt's grip, which has a gentle black-decorative wrapping, bends forward at the end, with a pommel shaped overlap three times, and a crimson tassel dangling from its base. Instead of a tsuba, there is a U-shape guard covering three inches of the blade, with a flower petal design. At the base of the guard is a red string wrapped thrice around the hilt, with a three-loop bow on the back side and a folded paper decoration on the front side. The blades' hamon is straight, colored black with a silver edge, and is somewhat thicker than the cane-sealed state. It remains straight and slim with a somewhat short size, with the tip ending in a slanted razor-like edge instead of tapering to a point.
 * Shikai Special Ability: Benihime is capable of producing and manipulating a crimson-colored energy to perform a variety of techniques. Urahara can use these techniques by declaring the proper verbal command that corresponds to Benihime's different abilities.
 * Nake, Benihime (Sing, Crimson Princess; "Scream" in the English dub): This technique fires particularly strong and destructive crimson-colored energy blasts. The energy flows out of the blade and fires in the arc of the sword's swing. The technique is capable of taking on a point-blank Cero from an Espada-level Arrancar by dissipating it with a blast of equal power. He can charge up this technique to deal considerably more damage.
 * Chikasumi no Tate (Blood Mist Shield): This technique forms a hexagon-shaped crimson barrier in front of the blade for defensive purposes. The barrier is called out with the same command as the "Nake" technique. The barrier can easily block a direct punch from the immensely strong Yammy Llargo without any damage or repercussions to Urahara, and block Ichigo's first use of his "Getsuga Tenshō" while only slightly eroding, after which Urahara states he would have lost an arm were it not for the shield.
 * Kamisori, Benihime (Razor, Crimson Princess): A technique which fires an energy arc capable of cutting through materials and substances with relative ease. This arc moves towards the target and can instantly change direction. It cut through a Hierro-protected tentacle of Luppi Antenor.
 * Tsuppane, Benihime (Spurning, Crimson Princess): After analyzing a technique's Reishi composition and the subject's muscle movements when they use the technique, by simply drawing a circle of energy with the edge of Benihime and timing it right, this technique can cancel out the enemy's attack at the point of contact.
 * Shibari, Benihime (Crimson Princess of Binding): This technique launches condensed energy in the form of a tangible blood red net, generated from the blade length, and simply throws it over the intended target (typically from above) with a simple slashing motion from Benihime. The net further binds and restricts an opponent’s movements by constricting to its form. This net appears elongated and somewhat narrow.
 * Hiasobi, Benihime, Juzutsunagi (Fire-Playing Crimson Princess Beaded Mesh): After using the Shibari technique, Urahara stabs the net with the tip of Benihime, creating orbs of fire along the outside length of the net, which explode like linked land-mines in a domino formation, leading toward the target bound under the net. When the orbs come into direct contact with the intended target, they create a tremendously large and devastating explosion.

Bankai: Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame (Modification of the Crimson Princess' Dissection at the Doors of Avalokiteśvara; Viz "Opened Red Princess Neo"): Urahara's Bankai takes the form of a giant woman with dark, braided hair arranged in loops on her head and mannequin-like arms and wears a revealing red robe, while Urahara himself retains his Shikai sword for combat. Urahara learned Bankai in three days using the Tenshintai he created. When Yasutora Sado comes to him for training, Urahara states that Sado needs to fight against the power of a Bankai to improve and assigns Renji Abarai to fight him, saying that his own Bankai is not fit for training or helping others.

Bankai Special Ability: Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame has the ability to restructure anything it touches for both offensive and supportive purposes. Offensively, it can split open whatever is within its area of effect as if cutting with a knife. This "splitting" is similar to the act of dissecting something by cutting it open. Supportively, it can restructure something by stitching it back together; this can be used as a form of healing, such as when Urahara restored his eyes using this power. It also can be used as a way to bring something to an optimal working state by enhancing it, which Urahara used to overpower Askin Nakk Le Vaar by restructuring his arm to have greater strength. All uses of this are manifested in the form of cutting said objects into parts and then using stitches to sew the pieces back together. With it, Urahara can also create a path for others to move through obstacles or barriers.

Trivia

 * Kisuke Urahara was inspired by Snufkin (original language: Snusmumriken, Nuuskamuikkunen), a character from Tove Jansson's Moominvalley novels.
 * Urahara has been highly popular with fans. In the first popularity poll he placed 7th, 4th in the second, 8th in the third, but in the 4th poll he dropped out of the top 10, placing 20th.
 * In the Zanpakutō poll, his Zanpakutō, Benihime, placed 12th.
 * His command for his Nake, Benihime technique differs between episodes in the English dub. Its release command is "Scream" in Episode 114 and "Cry" in Episode 214.