Best Character Poems in Bleach

Summary

• Characters’ poems in Bleach reflect inner thoughts, adding depth to their personalities.
• Poems highlight themes of love, loss, and pride, providing insights into characters.
• Poems offer emotional reflections, hint at relationships, and emphasize the series’ themes.

At the very beginning of each volume of Bleach and at the closing moments of the recent Thousand-Year Blood War episodes, there is always a short poem that is said by one of the series’ characters. Sometimes, these are little more than small hints at what is to come next, but many are a lot more thought-provoking and also feed into the series’ deeper themes.

It’s implied that these specific poems are representative of the character’s inner thoughts and how they personally view the world from their own perspective. As a result, these lines can give fans a deeper insight into these characters and their personalities by highlighting the ideas that they may never intend to say out loud. All of these incredible poems are worth checking out, but in terms of memorability and impact, these particular ones are among the best.

8

“To Know Sorrow Is Not Terrifying. What Is Terrifying Is To Know You Can’t Go Back To Happiness You Could Have” – Rangiku

Rangiku Reflects On The Lost Happiness Her And Gin Never Got To Share

Rangiku’s relationship with Gin is one full of tragedy. After Rangiku had part of her soul stolen from her by Aizen, Gin, Rangiku’s childhood friend, devised a plan to act like one of Aizen’s henchmen in order to eventually enact revenge. This poem seems to be centered on Rangiku’s acceptance that she and Gin can never return to the past after all that has happened, which ultimately becomes a “terrifying” thought for her.

Whenever the show flashes back to Rangiku and Gin when they were younger, they always had big smiles on their faces and seemed as though they felt truly comfortable around one another. There have also been many subtle indications the two could have developed a romantic relationship, which is why this poem can feel like even more of a gut punch, since they will never be able to live out that dream of happiness.

7

“Those Who Do Not Know What Love Is Liken It To Beauty. Those Who Claim To Know What Love Is Like It To Ugliness” – Gin

A Rare Insight Into Gin’s Emotional Outlook On Love

Gin often talks in riddles whenever he shows up in the Bleach series, making it difficult to ever deduce what exactly the former captain is thinking. This poem, however, strikes right at the heart of Gin and his true emotions, as he speaks openly about the “Ugly” side of love that many people who have never experienced it may not realize.

In order to protect and avenge Rangiku, Gin ends up pushing everyone away and even killing numerous people throughout his journey of revenge. He ultimately sacrifices his whole life due to his love for Rangiku, with this line summing up just how much damage it can end up causing for a person in some cases. It’s a rare sign of emotion from Gin, which surprisingly comes very early on in the story at volume 20.

6

“The Heart Burns, Even Though The Rain Falls” – Yamamoto

Yamamoto’s Gut Wrenching Poem Sums Up His Burning Hatred For Yhwach

A short but also incredibly emotional quote when put into context, this line comes from Yamamoto after his intense battle with Yhwach, which ended in the former being sliced in two. The “Fire” Yamamoto mentions here doesn’t just refer to his flame-based Bankai, but it also alludes to his deep hatred for Yhwach and the Quincy, who have taken all so much from him and the Soul Society.

However, after it is revealed that Yamamoto had been tricked by Yhwach, he is seen standing in the rain for a few seconds before being cut down, as if he had simply accepted his own fate. Despite the rain, alongside the sorrow and regret that consumes him in that moment, Yamamoto’s heart still rages on due to the devastation caused by his age-old rival Yhwach.

5

“My Child’s Hand, So Lost. Wandering, In Search Of Mine. Close But Far, I Take Your Hand. Together We Will Walk, To The End.” – Mayuri

Mayuri’s Complex Relationship With Nemu Is At The Core Of This Beautiful Poem

Though this poem appears in Volume 71, which features Nemu on the cover, it seems to be said by Mayuri during his fight with Pernida, where he truly begins contemplating his relationship with his lieutenant. Despite Nemu simply being another one of his many experiments, Mayuri eventually begins to recognize Nemu’s impressive growth over the course of the series, and though he’s treated her pretty horribly in the past, it’s implied that he does at least begin to view her as his own daughter by the end of their time together.

This complex relationship is at the core of this poem, where Mayuri essentially sees himself as the father to this “lost” child who he must provide for. The final line suggesting that they will walk to the end “together” is also a neat reference to the last line Mayuri ever says to Nemu, making it even more heartfelt.

4

“If I Were The Rain, Could I Connect With Someone’s Heart As The Earth Can Unite The Eternally Separated Earth And Sky?” – Orihime

Orihime Ponders How She Can Express Her Love Through A Delightful Metaphor

This is a beautiful line from Orihime that appears early on in the series and elegantly emphasizes the love she has for both her late brother and for Ichigo. The way Kubo represents this is by drawing the reader’s minds to the rain and how, in a sense, it is the one uniting factor between the sky and earth. Could Orihime too make such a connection if she were to become the rain itself?

Though Orihime cares deeply about many people, her shy and clumsy personality can often get in the way of her expressing how she really feels. As a result, this feels like a poem Orihime would come up with while pondering all of this in her room, using a beautiful metaphor to describe how hard it must feel to bridge such a seemingly impossible gap.

3

“If It Rusts, It Can Never Be Trusted. If Its Owner Fails To Control It, It Will Cut Him. Yes, Pride Is Like A Blade” – Zangetsu

Zangetsu’s Poem Is Full Of References To The Series And Its Underlying Themes

For much of the series, Zangetsu has always been the guiding light for Ichigo, teaching him about his powers and preparing him for future battles. This thought-provoking poem from Zangetsu manages to, therefore, feed into his role in the story while also emphasizing the notion of pride and how it can affect a warrior in battle.

Possessing an instinct to kill and not letting pride get in the way has always been an underlying theme of many Bleach fights, including Ichigo’s bout with Kenpachi, which is where Zangestu first reveals himself. At the same time, this poem is also openly talking about the nature of a Zanpakuto and how its owner must not only accept but also trust it for the two to form a bond.

2

“We Fear That Which We Cannot See” – Ichigo

The Very First Poem Could Be The Tagline For The Entire Bleach Series

The very first poem in the story hearkens back to an early major theme of Bleach: the mystery of the afterlife. Ichigo may be able to see spirits, but he would have no idea this other world would also be filled with Soul Reapers, Arrancar, and bloodthirsty Hollows, which are always a terrifying sight.

Kubo has always loved playing around with the idea of there being an entirely different world that regular humans are completely unaware of, the thought of which can be utterly terrifying. Kicking off the series, this short but impactful quote could easily be seen as the tagline.

1

“All People, Imitations Of Apes. All Gods, Imitations Of People” – Aizen

Aizen’s Hierarchy Of Humanity Is Expressed Through His Thought-Provoking Poem

Aizen’s goal after becoming the main villain had always been to exceed the limits of humanity and to eventually become strong enough to destroy the Soul King himself. As a result, he views himself as a godly being who still holds some shred of humanity in his heart, as is revealed in this poem, which is said near the end of the story when Aizen prepares to harvest the souls of Karakura Town.

It also feeds into the notion of a godly hierarchy that Aizen explains to Shinji a few chapters before when he claims humans created gods so that they could direct their faith towards them, due to being weak-minded. As a result, Aizen sees himself as the top of the food chain, holding superiority over all of his human servants.