Bleach Episode 2 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

A Shinigami's Work

The morning after the Fishbone D battle, Ichigo learns his sisters' wounds have vanished and their memories are altered, and Rukia reveals she is stuck in a Gigai and needs Ichigo to perform Shinigami duties. Ichigo saves a Plus from Hexapodus, refuses to make a habit of fighting for strangers, and then Acidwire attacks, revealed to bear Orihime's brother Sora's face beneath the mask.

• Aftermath at the Kurosaki house

  Ichigo finds his sisters' injuries gone and memories altered, and suspects a Shinigami's work.

• Rukia's transfer and Gigai

  Rukia enrolls at Ichigo's school, explains she is stuck in a Gigai, and demands he take over Shinigami duties, which he refuses.

• Hexapodus attack on the Plus boy

  Ichigo cuts off Hexapodus's legs and finishes it, then performs Konsō on the boy.

• Sora as Acidwire

  Sora is taken to Hueco Mundo and transforms into Acidwire; Ichigo breaks his mask and recognizes Orihime's brother beneath it.

Recent Timeline

• Ichigo becomes Shinigami and defeats Fishbone D (Episode 1)

  Rukia pours her powers into Ichigo through her Zanpakutō after Fishbone D threatens his family; Ichigo gains Shinigami powers and a large Zanpakutō, then cuts off the Hollow's arm and leg and slashes through its mask, destroying it and saving Karin and Yuzu.

• Hexapodus destroyed in the park (Episode 2)

  Ichigo cuts off the front legs of Hexapodus to save a Plus boy, then pierces its face with his Zanpakutō, destroying it. He performs Konsō on the boy, who is sent on in blue light. Ichigo acts despite Rukia's insistence that a Shinigami must treat all spirits equally.

• Sora Inoue becomes a Hollow (Episode 2)

  Two Hollows seize Sora Inoue, Orihime's deceased brother, and take him to Hueco Mundo. There he is trapped and transforms, growing a tail and a muscular body and gaining a Hollow mask, becoming the Hollow known as Acidwire.

• Acidwire driven back from the bedroom (Episode 2)

  Acidwire bursts into Ichigo's bedroom, and Ichigo cuts his arm and then slashes his face, shattering the mask over his left eye. Acidwire retreats into Hueco Mundo, and Ichigo learns the face beneath the mask belonged to Orihime's brother.

Character Graph

Fishbone D

Hollow

Hollow that pursues the dead girl and then turns on Ichigo's family, seeking a soul with high Reiryoku. He is destroyed when Ichigo cuts through his mask.

• Target

  Was drawn by Ichigo's suppressed power, which had been leaking through the dead girl.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Other, Hostility)

  The Human whose power he hunts; he is destroyed by Ichigo.

• Rukia Kuchiki (Other, Hostility)

  Shinigami who wounds him and is wounded in return.

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.

• Rukia Kuchiki (Pact, Mixed)

  The Shinigami who forced him into becoming one; they clash constantly yet cooperate against Fishbone D.

• Fishbone D (Other, Hostility)

  Hollow that hunts him for his Reiryoku and has attacked his sisters.

Acidwire

Hollow

A Hollow that attacked Ichigo and Rukia in the Kurosaki house and is revealed to have the face of Orihime's brother beneath its mask.

• Identity

  Beneath its mask is the face of Orihime's brother, Sora Inoue.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Other, Hostility)

  Hollow that Ichigo wounded and whose mask he shattered.

Keigo Asano (Keigo)

Karakura High School

Ichigo's talkative classmate who reports news about the clinic.

• Role

  Heard about the truck crash at the Kurosaki Clinic.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Colleague, Affinity)

  Classmate who sits with Ichigo.

Mizuiro Kojima (Mizuiro)

Karakura High School

Ichigo's classmate who sits with him and identifies classes.

• Role

  Identifies Rukia as a transfer student and names the next class.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Colleague, Affinity)

  Classmate who sits with him.

Orihime Inoue (Orihime)

Karakura High School

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

• Family loss

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

• Tatsuki Arisawa (Friend, Affinity)

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

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Colleague, Neutral)

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

Rukia Kuchiki (Rukia)

Shinigami

Shinigami sent from Soul Society to exorcise Hollows and send Pluses on. She first appears by purifying a Hollow in town and later forces her powers into Ichigo.

Now in the Human World after losing most of her powers; she transferred into Ichigo's class and is stuck in a Gigai.

• Role

  Explains Shinigami duties to Ichigo: sending Pluses to Soul Society with Konsō and purifying Hollows.

• Current state

  Stuck in a Gigai after Ichigo took most of her Shinigami powers.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Pact, Colleague, Mixed)

  Partner forced by circumstance; she gave him her power to save his family and bickers with him throughout.

  Shinigami who demands that Ichigo perform Shinigami duties until her powers return.

• Fishbone D (Other, Hostility)

  Hollow she fights and wounds, and who threatens Ichigo's family.

Sora Inoue (Sora)

Deceased

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

• Fate

  Was seized by Hollows, taken to Hueco Mundo, and transformed into a Hollow.

• Orihime Inoue (Family, Affinity)

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

Tatsuki Arisawa (Tatsuki)

Karakura High School

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

• Role

  Brings Orihime food and comments on her habits.

• Orihime Inoue (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend who looks after her and brings her food.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Colleague, Hostility)

  Classmate who she scolds and teases.

Yasutora Sado (Sado)

Karakura High School

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

• Role

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

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Colleague, Affinity)

  Classmate who offers help.

World Memo

• Return to Soul Society restricted

  Only Shinigami can return to Soul Society, and a Shinigami who has lost their powers cannot do so until they regain them.

• Gigai as temporary body

  Gigai are temporary bodies used in emergencies by weakened Shinigami who are waiting for their powers to return; ordinary people can see a Shinigami while they are in a Gigai.

• Orders sent via Denreishinki

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

• Shinigami duties and the concept of passing over

  Shinigami have two jobs: sending spirits to Soul Society through Konsō, and purifying Hollows. A Shinigami must treat all spirits equally and cannot help only those who happen to be nearby, because the role is that of a balancer. A Shinigami must be willing to go anywhere and sacrifice their own life to carry it out.

  In the Human World, being sent to Soul Society is referred to as passing over.

• Hollow purification by one blow

  Purifying a Hollow means attacking it from behind and splitting its head in one blow; this minimizes the Shinigami's injuries and keeps them from discovering the Hollow's identity.

• Two types of spirits

  Spirits come in two kinds: Pluses, the normal spirits that living people such as Ichigo can see, and Hollows, evil spirits that attack both the living and the dead to devour their souls.

  All Hollows were once Humans. Pluses who hold onto grudges and regrets are hard to perform Konsō on; they linger alone and become Hollows on their own or are devoured by other Hollows, and the devoured then become new Hollows.

Clue Board

• Dead girl vanishes (Episode 1)

  After the monster is destroyed, the dead girl disappears from the scene, and Ichigo looks ahead in shock. The reason is not explained.

• Ichigo's suppressed reiryoku and Hollow targeting (Episode 1)

  Rukia conjectures that Ichigo's reiryoku was almost completely suppressed until just now, which would explain why she sensed nothing from him and why no Hollow attacked him before. What caused the suppression is not explained.

  Rukia also suspects that Ichigo's power began leaking out through contact with the dead girl, and that the Hollows sensed it through her and made him their real target. She admits this is only a guess and remains unconfirmed.

• Hidden Hollow presence (Episode 2)

  Rukia has not been able to sense a second Hollow wandering the area recently and theorizes that a powerful force within the same area is obstructing her senses. Unresolved.

  The face under Acidwire's mask is revealed to be Orihime's deceased brother Sora Inoue, after Sora was transformed into a Hollow.

• Car that hit Orihime drove away (Episode 2)

  The car that struck Orihime at the intersection drove away without stopping, and Orihime admits this when asked where the car is.

• Unexplained bruise on Orihime (Episode 2)

  Orihime has a strange bruise on her left leg that she did not notice before; she suggests it came from the car that hit her, but Rukia seems unconvinced and grows serious about it.

Battle Record

Acidwire breaks into Ichigo's bedroom from a dark portal. Ichigo cuts into his arm and then shatters the mask over his left eye, and Acidwire retreats to Hueco Mundo. Ichigo learns the face beneath the mask belongs to Orihime's brother.

Fishbone D attack on the Kurosaki house

Kurosaki Clinic household · Episode 1

Location: ground floor of the Kurosaki house

Trigger: Fishbone D pursues the dead girl and then attacks the household, seeking Ichigo's high Reiryoku

sides

• Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki — defenders: Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki
• Fishbone D — attacker: Fishbone D

Outcome: Fishbone D destroyed by Ichigo, who has gained Shinigami powers

Aftermath

• Karin rescued by Ichigo
• Rukia's Zanpakutō given to Ichigo, who now holds Shinigami powers
• Yuzu injured and unconscious

Hexapodus attack in the park

Plus boy hunted by a Hollow · Episode 2

Location: park near a telephone-pole memorial, Karakura

Trigger: Soul Society order warned that a Plus living in the park would likely be attacked

Shinigami vs Hollow

• Shinigami — defender: Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki
• Hollow — attacker: Hexapodus

Outcome: Hexapodus is destroyed; it collapses and fades away after Ichigo's Zanpakutō strike

Aftermath

• The Plus boy is sent on by Ichigo's Konsō
• A Jigokuchō flies away from the fading light

Acidwire attack on Ichigo's bedroom

Hollow breaks into the Kurosaki Clinic · Episode 2

Location: Ichigo's bedroom at the Kurosaki Clinic

Trigger: Hollow alert received by Rukia

Shinigami vs Hollow

• Shinigami — defender: Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki
• Hollow — attacker: Acidwire

Outcome: Acidwire retreats into Hueco Mundo with the mask over his left eye shattered

Aftermath

• Ichigo learns the face under Acidwire's mask was that of Orihime's brother
• Acidwire's damaged mask regenerates in Hueco Mundo

Ability Table

Music Releases

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