Bleach Episode 13 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

Flower and Hollow

At Karakura High School, the Hollow Numb Chandelier seeds Orihime's classmates and then Chizuru and Tatsuki, forcing them to fight. Orihime awakens the Shun Shun Rikka to shield Tatsuki and defeat Numb Chandelier, while Ichigo and Uryū battle Hollows elsewhere in town and Urahara and Sado turn up at the Urahara Shop.

• Seeded classmates attack

  Numb Chandelier's seeds take control of Chizuru, Tatsuki and the students, who turn on Orihime and each other.

• Shun Shun Rikka awakening

  Orihime summons the Shun Shun Rikka, whose shields reject attacks and heal Tatsuki's injuries.

• Numb Chandelier defeated

  Orihime splits Numb Chandelier in half with Koten Zanshun, and the Hollow disintegrates before she collapses.

• Aftermath and regrouping

  Orihime and Sado wake at the Urahara Shop, Karin and Yuzu search for Sado, and Ichigo finds Uryū as the Hollows gather.

Recent Timeline

• Jibakurei becomes Demi-Hollow at the hospital (Episode 10)

  Don Kanonji jammed his Super Spirits Stick into the Jibakurei's chest hole during a televised purification, provoking it into a Demi-Hollow that reformed on the abandoned hospital roof. Don Kanonji later realized that his act had directly created the monster. Ichigo, drawing his Zanpakutō after Don Kanonji was struck down, broke free of the Sticker Phlegm and slashed the Demi-Hollow's mask vertically, ending the fight. Kanonball had earlier freed his restraints. The Demi-Hollow then dissipated, revealing the Jibakurei beneath, which also faded as Ichigo explained that a Hollow is a conscienceless monster born from a broken Soul chain.

• Aftermath of the broadcast and new Hollows (Episode 11)

  Kagine confronted Ichigo, Rukia and their friends after the Don Kanonji show incident was broadcast nationwide, but the group escaped before he could act. After the alley Hollow vanished, Ichigo stopped the frightened Plus and sent him to Soul Society with Konsō; the Plus had kept his eyes closed and could not identify his rescuer. The first-semester final exam rankings were posted, with Uryū Ishida first, Orihime Inoue third, Yasutora Sado 11th and Ichigo 23rd, shocking Keigo and Mizuiro. Uryū then pierced a new Hollow's head with a Heilig Pfeil fired from his bow Kojaku as it entered the Human World. Uryū later revealed that Ichigo is a Substitute Shinigami drawing power from Rukia, and Ichigo accepted his duel challenge, swapping bodies with Kon via the Gikongan to enter Shinigami form.

• Bulbous G destroyed by Sado (Episode 12)

  Sado's punch blew off the arm of Bulbous G, and his later uppercut released a torrent of energy that bisected the Hollow vertically. It flew into the air and disintegrated, ending the threat to Karin and her friends.

• Numb Chandelier destroyed at school (Episode 13)

  Orihime used Koten Zanshun with the Shun Shun Rikka to bisect Numb Chandelier from within, and the Hollow disintegrated. This ended its seed-control attack on the students, including Tatsuki and Chizuru.

• Ichigo finds Uryū (Episode 13)

  Ichigo cut the large Hollow in half just as it was about to attack Rukia, Kon and Uryū. He then landed behind Uryū and declared he had finally found him, ending the separate searches the two had been conducting.

Character Graph

Ichigo Kurosaki

Human · Shinigami

Fifteen-year-old tenth grader from Karakura Town whose family runs a clinic. He has been able to see ghosts since childhood and ends the episode with Shinigami powers he took from Rukia.

• Shinigami powers

  Gained Shinigami powers by taking in Rukia's Zanpakutō and power, and now wields a large Zanpakutō of his own.

• Yuzu Kurosaki (Family, Affinity)

  Younger sister who worries over him.

• Karin Kurosaki (Family, Mixed)

  Younger sister who is dismissive of him and whom he rescues from Fishbone D.

Yuzu Kurosaki

Human

Younger Kurosaki sister who can see ghosts but cannot interact with them. She tries to keep peace at dinner and is jealous of Ichigo's spirit attention.

• Spirit sight

  Can see spirits but cannot speak to or touch them.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Family, Affinity)

  Older brother she worries over.

• Karin Kurosaki (Family, Mixed)

  Older twin sister who is unconcerned by the family conflict.

Sora Inoue (Acidwire)

Deceased · Plus · Hollow

Orihime's deceased brother who was seized by Hollows and transformed into a Hollow.

Orihime's brother Sora Inoue, a Plus taken over by a Hollow; in Hollow form he is called Acidwire, claims Orihime as his own and targets Ichigo. When his mask shatters, Sora's face is revealed and he purifies himself with Ichigo's Zanpakutō.

• Fate

  Gave Orihime the hairpins on the day he died; they had fought that day, and she never saw him alive again.

• Sibling bond

  Raised and protected Orihime after their parents abandoned them when she was three; his Hollow form resents her forgetting him.

• Orihime Inoue (Family, Mixed)

  Her only family, who she loved and who died three years ago.

  Younger sister he raised; as a Hollow he claims her as his own, and when his mask breaks she sees Sora's face.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Other, Hostility)

  Hollow who attacks Ichigo as his target, and Ichigo fights him to protect Orihime.

Gitano Shigeo

Gitano Shigeo is a man who lives on a precarious wage and is irritated with Yasutora Sado's stalling on the way to a lunch discount at the market.

• Yasutora Sado (Colleague, Mixed)

  Gitano kicks Sado for stalling, berates him for not realizing that Gitano lives on his job wages, and walks with him to the market.

Karin Kurosaki

Human

Younger Kurosaki sister who is skeptical of ghosts and does not believe in them. She is calm and blunt at home.

Karin has seen monsters like the Hollows before and has been wondering what Ichigo's connection to them is; she identifies Sado as Ichigo's friend and sees the Hollow Bulbous G clearly.

• Disbelief

  Claims ghosts do not exist to her as long as she does not believe in them.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Family, Mixed)

  Older brother she dismisses, and who rescues her from Fishbone D.

  Karin is Ichigo's sister; she comments that his heroic attitude is like Sado's and she has been wondering about his connection to monsters.

• Yuzu Kurosaki (Family, Mixed)

  Younger twin sister who worries about her lack of reaction.

• Yasutora Sado (Colleague, Mixed)

  Karin meets Sado, recognizes him as Ichigo's friend, and fights beside him against Bulbous G, telling him he is just like Ichigo in his heroic reasoning.

Oscar Joaquín de la Rosa

Oscar Joaquín de la Rosa is Yasutora Sado's grandfather, who appears in Sado's childhood memory in Mexico.

• Yasutora Sado (Family, Affinity)

  Oscar is Sado's grandfather who praises him and urges him to be kind and to protect rather than hurt others.

Yasutora Sado

Karakura High School

Ichigo's classmate who offers to help the Kurosaki family clean up.

Sado recalls his childhood in Mexico, where his grandfather Oscar Joaquín de la Rosa praised his physical gifts and taught him to use his large, strong fists to protect rather than hurt others.

• Role

  Offers help to the Kurosaki family after the house was damaged.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Colleague, Affinity)

  Classmate who offers help.

• Oscar Joaquín de la Rosa (Family, Affinity)

  Oscar is Sado's grandfather, who praised him as physically gifted by God and told him to be kind and learn why he has such big and strong fists.

Chizuru Honshō

Karakura High School

Karakura High School student who is seeded by Numb Chandelier and loses control of her own arm.

• Orihime Inoue (Friend, Mixed)

  Classmate who teases Orihime and tries to kiss her, but also runs to protect her.

• Tatsuki Arisawa (Friend, Mixed)

  Classmate who quarrels with Tatsuki over chores and tends to glare at her.

Numb Chandelier

Hollow

Hollow that fires seeds from its forehead to take control of humans and make them fight among themselves.

• Orihime Inoue (Other, Hostility)

  Targets Orihime, who sees her and wants to get away; the Hollow is ultimately defeated by Orihime's power.

• Tatsuki Arisawa (Other, Hostility)

  Seeds Tatsuki and tries to control her body, which Tatsuki resists by biting her tentacle.

Orihime Inoue

Karakura High School · Human

Ichigo's classmate who is close to Tatsuki and whose only family, her brother, died after a car accident three years ago.

Vows to never forgive anyone who hurts Tatsuki, whose loyalty she repays after being protected by her.

• Family loss

  Her only brother died at the Kurosaki Clinic three years ago after being badly injured in a car accident.

• Brother bond

  Recognized her Hollow brother Acidwire and sacrificed herself to intercept his bite out of guilt over her past neglect of him.

• Tatsuki Arisawa (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend who brings her food and walks with her through the school halls.

  Her closest friend, who walked her home when she felt isolated and has protected her since; Orihime keeps her hair long as proof of trust in her.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Colleague, Neutral)

  Classmate whom she has not spoken to much; she was the girl crying at the Kurosaki Clinic years ago.

• Sora Inoue (Family, Affinity)

  Brother who died and became a Hollow; she mourns him and wears the hairpins he gave her.

Tatsuki Arisawa

Karakura High School

Orihime's close friend at Karakura High School who is blunt and teasing with Ichigo.

Karate practitioner who fights through possessed students to protect Orihime.

• Role

  Brings Orihime food and comments on her habits.

• Childhood with Ichigo

  First met Ichigo when he was four at her dojo; was the first to make him cry; looked out for him after Masaki died, finding him walking by the riverbank with his book bag.

• Orihime Inoue (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend who looks after her and brings her food.

  Has always beaten up anyone who made Orihime cry; Orihime's protector, now protected in return.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Colleague, Friend, Affinity)

  Classmate who she scolds and teases.

  Childhood dojo acquaintance who grew up alongside her; she watched him struggle after his mother's death.

• Chizuru Honshō (Friend, Mixed)

  Classmate who argues with her over the chores and glares at her, yet she is willing to act for her.

• Numb Chandelier (Other, Hostility)

  Picked a fight with her after the Hollow hurt Orihime; she resolves to beat her down.

World Memo

• Orders sent via Denreishinki

  Soul Society sends orders and alerts to Shinigami through the Denreishinki device, which shows the target location on its screen.

• Hueco Mundo reached by dark portal

  Hollows can retreat into Hueco Mundo through a portal of darkness.

• Reiraku visible to high-level Shinigami

  Reiraku, visible ribbons of Reiryoku, can be seen only by high-level Shinigami.

• Gates of Hell reserved for sinners

  The Gates of Hell are reserved for Souls and Hollows who committed sins while alive. The Zanpakutō only washes away sins committed after death.

• Project Spearhead cancelled in Soul Society

  Soul Society once ran a program called Project Spearhead that placed artificial combat souls into dead human bodies to fight Hollows; it was cancelled because it would force corpses to fight, and all Mod-Souls in development were slated for destruction.

• Reiryoku as Shinigami life energy

  A Shinigami's Reiryoku is their life energy, so its depletion or excess bears on their survival.

• Attachment-driven Jibakurei become Hollows

  A Jibakurei that feels strong attachment to a part of the Human World left alone can eventually become a Hollow.

• Quincy kill Hollows, Shinigami purify them

  Shinigami purify Hollows and send them to Soul Society with their Zanpakutō, while the Quincy sought to completely kill Hollows, believing they were avenging their loved ones; this belief led to their destruction.

• Hollows emerge from sky tears

  Hollows appear through tears in the sky above Karakura Town, where a distorted sound resonates before they emerge.

• Hollows target high-Reiryoku people

  Hollows tend to attack people who have considerable Reiryoku.

• Strong Reiryoku release affects nearby humans

  When a Shinigami releases strong Reiryoku while fighting Hollows, the release affects ordinary humans nearby, even those who did not see the fight.

• Kūmon converging on Karakura Town

  Kūmon have begun converging on the town, and the necessary preparations are complete. Meanwhile, Urahara tells Orihime and Sado that it is up to them whether to open the door that has appeared before them.

Clue Board

• Suppressed Reiryoku origin (Episode 1)

  Rukia conjectures that Ichigo's power was almost completely suppressed until just now, which is why she sensed nothing from him and why no Hollow attacked him before. The cause of the suppression is unexplained.

• Shrieker's reason for pursuing the child (Episode 4)

  Shrieker has devoured two Shinigami who tried to perform Konsō on the child and relentlessly pursues the soul, but he refuses to explain why unless Rukia lets him devour her soul.

• Urahara's group identity (Episode 7)

  Urahara and his employees can see and hear Ichigo, which surprises him. Ichigo asks who they are, and Urahara hesitates without giving an answer.

• Source of Ichigo's transformation (Episode 8)

  Saidō asks how a Human like Ichigo can transform this way and how he got the ability. Ichigo refuses to answer, so the source remains unexplained.

• Lure may hold Masaki's last thoughts (Episode 9)

  The Lure manifests a Masaki who is not menacing, and Saidō theorizes it shows Masaki's thoughts; Rukia asks whether the Lure recorded them at the time of her death, and the meaning is left unresolved.

• Ichigo's potential to become a monster (Episode 10)

  Saidō notes that a Shinigami's Reiryoku is their life energy and asserts that Ichigo's immense power means he could become a monster, a possibility left open.

• Missing Hollow after purification order (Episode 11)

  A purification order was received for a Hollow, but no Hollow appeared in the alleyway or after the search. Rukia suspects the Denreishinki may be broken, but the cause is not explained.

• Uryū's advance knowledge of Hollow location (Episode 11)

  Uryū names the street where the new Hollow will appear before Rukia's Denreishinki reports the order. The source of his knowledge is not explained.

• Karin's clear sight of Hollows (Episode 12)

  Karin can see Bulbous G very clearly, has seen a monster like it before, and has been wondering what Ichigo's association with such monsters is.

• Source of Sado's giant arm (Episode 12)

  Sado does not understand why armor suddenly appeared on his arm, why he could release such a powerful attack with it, or why he suddenly could see Bulbous G clearly.

• Hollows lured by an unseen force (Episode 13)

  Uryū theorizes that the Hollows are drawn here by an even greater force, but the force itself is not identified.

• Rukia's weakening Gigai connection (Episode 13)

  Rukia's hand fails to move properly and her connection with her Gigai has weakened lately, making her body hard to move. Urahara warns she cannot keep faking this forever. The cause is not yet explained.

  Rukia's Hadō #4 Byakurai is deflected by a large Hollow, and she wonders whether her powers have not returned at all; the cause is left open.

Battle Record

Numb Chandelier seeds possess students and then Tatsuki and Chizuru. Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka destroy the Hollow.

Sado versus Bulbous G

Sado's arm armor manifests · Episode 12

Location: Karakura Town streets and an open field

Trigger: Bulbous G falls from the sky and hunts Sado, who is targeted by the Hollow

Sides

• Yasutora Sado — attacker: Yasutora Sado, Karin Kurosaki
• Bulbous G — defender: Bulbous G

Outcome: Bulbous G is destroyed by Sado

Aftermath

• Sado's right arm transforms into armor
• Sado collapses after the fight

Uryū's Hollow hunt on the bridge

Karakura Town · Episode 11– (Ongoing)

Location: Bridge in Karakura Town

Trigger: Hollows drawn to the town by a greater force

Sides

• Uryū Ishida — hunter: Uryū Ishida
• Hollows — enemies: Hollows

Outcome: Uryū has killed about 20 Hollows and is still fighting

Numb Chandelier's seed assault at school

Karakura High School · Episode 13

Location: Karakura High School grounds and rooftop

Trigger: Numb Chandelier seeds possess students and take control of bodies

Sides

• Numb Chandelier — Hollow: Numb Chandelier, possessed students
• Orihime's side — defenders: Orihime Inoue, Tatsuki Arisawa, Chizuru Honshō, Shun Shun Rikka

Outcome: Numb Chandelier is bisected by Koten Zanshun and disintegrates

Aftermath

• Orihime collapses after using all the Shun Shun Rikka
• Tatsuki and Chizuru are left unconscious and healing

Ability Table

Music Releases

• *~Asterisk~ (OP)
• Life is Like a Boat (ED)