Bleach Episode 9 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

Unbeatable Enemy

Ichigo Kurosaki rescues Yuzu and Karin from Grand Fisher at a cemetery, where Grand Fisher reveals the Lure wearing the appearance of Masaki Kurosaki. Ichigo, with Rukia Kuchiki and Eikichirō Saidō, fights Grand Fisher; Saidō is wounded and collapses, Rukia is injured, and Ichigo is pierced and nearly killed. The Lure's manifestation of Masaki appears, sends a farewell message to Ichigo, and disappears. Ichigo cuts through Grand Fisher's side, who flees, and the battle ends with Ichigo collapsing into Rukia's arms. Afterward Isshin speaks to Ichigo at Masaki's grave, telling him that no one is responsible for her death, and Ichigo resolves to continue as a Shinigami to become stronger and defeat Grand Fisher.

• Rescue at the cemetery

  Ichigo saves Yuzu and Karin from Grand Fisher, who reveals the girl from the riverbank as the Lure and then sheds her body to attach to himself.

• Forest and clearing fight

  Ichigo, Rukia, and Saidō battle Grand Fisher through the fur tendrils; Saidō is impaled and collapses, and Rukia is struck into a headstone.

• Masaki's appearance and the final blow

  The Lure takes Masaki's form and delivers her farewell to Ichigo before vanishing, and Ichigo wounds Grand Fisher's side, forcing him to flee.

• Aftermath at the grave

  Isshin tells Ichigo that no one is responsible for Masaki's death, and Ichigo vows to keep fighting as a Shinigami.

Recent Timeline

• Hollow purified and Mod-Soul pill extracted (Episode 7)

  On the school rooftop, Ichigo and the Mod-Soul cut and kick the Hollow's mask together, and the Hollow disintegrates once purified. The Mod-Soul falls toward the ground until Ichigo catches him by the leg. Urahara then pushes the Mod-Soul out of Ichigo's body and collects the pill, ending the Mod-Soul's use of Ichigo's body and declaring the collection complete.

• Mod-Soul sealed into plushie and memories erased (Episode 7)

  On Rukia's instruction, Ichigo puts the Mod-Soul's pill into a lion plushie, which comes to life, leaving the Mod-Soul stuck in that body. Rukia also erases the classmates' memories of the previous day's events, and Ichigo agrees they should not remember it.

• Ichigo's confession about his mother (Episode 8)

  Ichigo tells Rukia that he killed his mother and then runs off, leaving her shocked. The admission ends the questioning about his mother's death and sets Rukia's view of him.

• Ichigo exposed as a Substitute Shinigami (Episode 8)

  Despite Rukia's warning, Ichigo tells Saidō that he is a Substitute Shinigami. Saidō calls it a serious crime, so Ichigo's hidden status is now known to a Shinigami of the Onmitsukidō.

• Grand Fisher flees the cemetery (Episode 9)

  After the Lure reveals Masaki's final thoughts, Ichigo stabs Grand Fisher through the side with his Zanpakutō. Grand Fisher flees into the sky while Ichigo collapses from his wounds. Grand Fisher swears never to forgive Ichigo, leaving the battle unfinished.

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.

• Karin Kurosaki (Other, Hostility)

  Girl he seizes and threatens to devour.

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.

• Isshin Kurosaki (Family, Mixed)

  Father who fights and bickers with him yet shares the household.

• 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.

• Fishbone D (Other, Hostility)

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

Karin Kurosaki

Human

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

• 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.

• Yuzu Kurosaki (Family, Mixed)

  Younger twin sister who worries about her lack of reaction.

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.

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.

Ichigo's classmate who can see spirits; now protected by Ichigo and Rukia after her brother Acidwire attacks 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.

  Friend who stands by her at school and backs up her story after the attack.

• 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 (Princess of the Rukongai)

Shinigami · Kuchiki Clan

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.

A Shinigami adopted into the noble Kuchiki Clan, formerly known as the "Princess of the Rukongai"; currently in the Human World hunting Hollows and has been delayed in returning to Soul Society.

• 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.

• Reputation

  Was famous at the Shin'ō Academy under the nickname "Princess of the Rukongai" after her adoption into the Kuchiki Clan.

• Current status

  Keeps receiving orders to purify Hollows and has not returned to Soul Society; has a Denreishinki that alerts her to Hollows, and is hiding her Shinigami identity from Ichigo's family.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Pact, Colleague, Friend, Mixed)

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

  Met in the Human World; she is wary of his family's safety and shows concern for him, which Saidō teasingly suggests is romantic interest.

• Fishbone D (Other, Hostility)

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

• Eikichirō Saidō (Colleague, Hostility)

  Fellow Academy student two years behind him; she does not remember him and he is an Onmitsukidō agent sent to question her.

Tatsuki Arisawa (Tatsuki)

Karakura High School

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

A childhood acquaintance of Ichigo who first met him at her dojo when he was four and has known him since; she recounts his past to 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.

  Friend who asks her about Ichigo's childhood.

• 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.

Eikichirō Saidō (Saidō)

Soul Society · Onmitsukidō · Shinigami

A Soul Society figure who plays spinning tops with children and is approached in an alley by an Onmitsukidō member about his next target, Rukia Kuchiki.

A Shinigami who fights Grand Fisher alongside Ichigo and Rukia and holds a close, teasing rapport with Rukia.

• Assignment

  Receives an assignment from an Onmitsukidō member to find out what else lies behind Rukia Kuchiki's offense in the Human World.

• Academy history

  Two years ahead of Rukia at the Shin'ō Academy, and was popular there according to himself, though Rukia does not remember him.

• Mission

  Confronts Rukia about Soul Society Shinigami growing irritated at her delayed return and questions her about her Human World activities; fights Ichigo after learning he is a Substitute Shinigami.

• Conduct

  Fights aggressively, ignores danger in the battle, and is sometimes shown falling asleep unexpectedly.

• Rukia Kuchiki (Colleague, Mixed)

  Fellow Shin'ō Academy alumnus two years behind him; he mocks her romantic interest in Ichigo and threatens to take her back to Soul Society.

  A fellow Shinigami; he teases her about coming of age and assures her he will not break up a serious couple.

Grand Fisher

Hollow

A Hollow that travels from Hueco Mundo to the Human World and pins Karin, seizes Yuzu with a tentacle, and holds the sisters as bait.

A Hollow that hides itself behind a Lure with a human appearance, attracting people with high Reiryoku and devouring them to increase its power; its favorite targets are women.

• Attack on the sisters

  Pins Karin to the ground, lifts Yuzu by the throat with a tentacle, and opens his mouth to devour Yuzu at the cemetery.

• Lure tactic

  Gives its Lure a human appearance and uses it to attract individuals with high Reiryoku, then attacks and devours them.

• Target preference

  Favors women as targets and has defeated Shinigami this way for over fifty years.

• Karin Kurosaki (Other, Hostility)

  Hollow that pins Karin to the ground and keeps her as bait.

• Yuzu Kurosaki (Other, Hostility)

  Hollow that seizes Yuzu with a tentacle and prepares to devour her.

Isshin Kurosaki (Isshin)

Human

Father of the Kurosaki household who runs the clinic with his children. He is mourning his late wife and is at odds with his children.

Ichigo's father, who grieves Masaki's death while encouraging his son to move on.

• Household

  Enforces dinner at 7:00 pm and quarrels physically with Ichigo.

• Masaki

  Speaks of Masaki's wishes, including her view of his smoking, and insists that no one is responsible for her death.

• Ichigo Kurosaki (Family, Affinity)

  Son he spars and fights with, though he cannot see ghosts.

  His father; he tells Ichigo not to blame himself and encourages him to live well.

• Yuzu Kurosaki (Family, Affinity)

  Daughter who cares for him and the household.

• Karin Kurosaki (Family, Mixed)

  Daughter who is cold toward him.

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 passing over

  Shinigami have two duties: sending spirits to Soul Society through Konsō, and purifying Hollows.

  A Shinigami must treat all spirits equally and cannot help only those nearby. This follows from their role as balancers, and a Shinigami must be willing to go anywhere and sacrifice their own life.

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

• Shinigami visible only to spiritual beings

  Shinigami are spiritual beings that can only be seen by other spiritual beings, so ordinary people cannot see a Shinigami in Shinigami form.

• 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.

  Purifying a Hollow is not killing it; the Hollow's soul is cleansed so it can enter Soul Society, which is why Shinigami exist.

• Hollows crave Shinigami souls

  Once a Hollow has tasted a Shinigami's soul, it will always crave Shinigami souls because they are exceptionally tasty, and Hollows must keep devouring to fill the emptiness of their existence.

• Reiraku visible to high-level Shinigami

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

• Onmitsukidō Shinigami organization

  The Onmitsukidō is a Shinigami organization to which Saidō belongs.

• Substitute Shinigami status as serious crime

  Saidō declares that being a Substitute Shinigami is a serious crime, a status Ichigo revealed to him.

• Reiryoku as Shinigami life energy

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

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.

• Message on Saidō's hat (Episode 8)

  Saidō's hat has a cord that flips its central segment up to display a message. The content of the message is not shown in this episode.

• Rukia's hidden offense (Episode 8)

  An Onmitsukidō member targets Rukia Kuchiki for staying too long in the Human World, but insists something else lies behind the order. Saidō is tasked to find out what it is.

  Saidō says Rukia has committed a serious crime. Rukia refuses to explain it. Saidō doubts her stated reason for not returning to Soul Society, the recurring Hollows and purification orders, and suspects a cover story.

• 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.

• Girl cannot recall six years ago (Episode 9)

  The girl admits she does not remember things from six years ago and finds this interesting, leaving the reason for the gap unexplained.

• Ichigo's mother's killing (Episode 9)

  Ichigo's mother died on June 17 and was killed, not simply dead. He recalls as a child seeing a girl by the river, trying to save her, his mother calling after him, and finding his mother dead in a pool of blood. Who killed his mother is not yet known.

  Ichigo denies saying his mother was killed, then declares he himself killed her. Rukia's theory that a Hollow killed her by mistake while hunting Ichigo is rejected by him. The cause of death remains unexplained.

  Rukia reveals Grand Fisher's favorite target is women, and Masaki's head is shown inside the Lure, linking Grand Fisher to the mother's death.

• Why Hollows seek Ichigo (Episode 9)

  Rukia suspects Ichigo's power began pouring out through contact with the dead girl and that the Hollows sensed his power through her, making him their real target. Rukia admits this is only conjecture and unconfirmed.

  Rukia explains that the Hollow that took over Sora was the one after Ichigo, but that powerful Hollow remains unidentified.

  Grand Fisher holds Karin and Yuzu at the cemetery, calling them sizable bait and a single hostage enough. The purpose of this bait is left unexplained.

  Grand Fisher theorizes that he may have first targeted Ichigo for his high Reiryoku, though he has not confirmed it.

• 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 9)

  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.

Battle Record

Grand Fisher's clash with Ichigo at the cemetery and clearing ends as he flees after being stabbed in the side; Rukia declares the battle over.

Mod-Soul vs Hollow at the school

Hollow ambush on the schoolyard · Episodes 6–7

Location: Karakura Elementary School

Trigger: A large millipede-like Hollow attacks the schoolboys and the Mod-Soul intervenes

Sides

• Mod-Soul and Ichigo Kurosaki — fighters: Mod-Soul, Ichigo Kurosaki
• Hollow — attacker: Hollow

Outcome: The Hollow is purified and disintegrates; the Mod-Soul is injured in the shoulder

Aftermath

• Urahara removes the Mod-Soul's pill from Ichigo's body
• The Mod-Soul is placed into a plushie body

Forest clash with Saidō

Ichigo versus Saidō · Episode 8– (Ongoing)

Location: Forest near the Karakura cemetery

Trigger: Saidō attacks Ichigo to take Rukia back to Soul Society

Sides

• Ichigo's side — combatant: Ichigo Kurosaki, Kon
• Saidō's side — combatant: Eikichirō Saidō

Outcome: Unresolved; interrupted when Rukia's Denreishinki detects a Hollow

Aftermath

• Ichigo and Rukia run toward the nearby Hollow
• Saidō is left behind and told to wait

Grand Fisher cemetery battle

Ichigo's fight against Grand Fisher · Episodes 8–9

Location: cemetery and clearing in the forest

Trigger: Grand Fisher attacks the Kurosaki family to devour high Reiryoku individuals

sides

• Ichigo's side — fighters: Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, Eikichirō Saidō
• Grand Fisher — fighters: Grand Fisher

Outcome: Grand Fisher flees into the sky after Ichigo stabs him in the side; Rukia declares the battle over.

Aftermath

• Ichigo collapses into Rukia's arms
• Grand Fisher is not dead and vows never to forgive Ichigo

Ability Table

Music Releases

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