It is not uncommon for a side character to gain more admiration than the main protagonist in a series, withlegends likeChainsaw Man’s Makima,The Future Diary’sYuno Gasai, and Rem fromRe: Zerooften stealing the show.
Similarly, Rukia Kuchiki has dominatedBleach’spopularity polls since the very beginning and, even though she barely features in the first cours of theThousand Year Blood War,she still swooped in to steal the title as the fan-favorite. In fact, from the get-go, Rukia has yet to drop past 3rd place, while her Zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki, has shared the same experience.
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Rukia’s Rankings
A new character popularity poll was conducted in 2022 followingBleach’sbig come-back, and Rukia’s reputation clearly proceeds her, seeing as she still sits firmly at the top, regardless of her rather insignificant role in thefirst cours of theThousand Year Blood War.After earning three consecutive second-place titles in theBleachcharacter polls, Rukia has finally been recognized as The Best Character, after also taking the Best Shinigami and Best Zanpakuto awards home. She also holds the second and third spot for Best Bout (against Aaroniero Arruruerie and Äs Nödt, respectively), solidifying her status as the comprehensive Queen.
Furthermore,Rukia and her Zanpakutohave managed to impress fans across the world even before her Bankai, Hakka no Togame, makes its grand entrance. While this is not uncommon amongst the Shinigami, it does speak volumes about how much people admire Rukia as a whole package, and not just due to flashy tricks. Tōshirō Hitsugaya’s claim to fame is arguably Hyōrinmaru’s sensational features (as he does not play a major role in the overall narrative and is a relatively hostile and patronizing child); however, nobody can accuse Rukia of using her Zanpakuto for likes.
The Top Five in the 2022 Character Popularity Poll:
The People Have Spoken
In many cases, the Best Girl is celebrated by the masses becauseshe is oversexualized and lewd, which the refined Rukia would no nothing about. From her realistic cup size to her petite physique (not to mention those big doe eyes) Rukia fits the Asian beauty standard, but her likeability stems much deeper than superficial aspects. Many of the otherBleachgirls could easily be accused of being plot devices and manic manic dream girls, but Rukia has enough personality and power to stand her own ground.
Rukia doesn’t just hang around for the fan service potential, like Rangiku Matsumotoor Orihime Inoue, nor does she exist simply to boost the male ego, such as Nemu Kurotsuchi or Hinamori Momo. By the same token, Rukia’s exceptional power level doesn’t automatically increase her seductiveness, unlike Yoruichi Shihōin and Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, who literally lose items of clothing as their strength increases. This “orphaned” sister aims to be the best Shinigami she can be, without all the bells and whistles, which fans evidently admire greatly.
What’s even more refreshing is the fact that Rukia’s popularity has nothing to do with a romantic interest in the protagonist, as with so many other Best Girls and, although some fanshoped that Ichigo would steal her heart, Rukiaends up marrying Renji in the end. Her friendship with Ichigo is pure and unassuming and doesn’t require a tacky love story subplot to spice things up. This pair already bicker like an old married couple, no need to involve any official paperwork or ceremonies!
Rukia’s Competition
The only characters to ever beat Rukia in a popularity contest include the main man himself, Ichigo, and the highly celebrated Tōshirō Hitsugaya. Now that Hitsugaya has lost his Bankaiin theThousand Year Blood War,he may get some extra attention in terms of character development; he has already proved himself capable of putting his oversized ego in his back pocket. Since 2006, the white-haired wonder and his Zanpakuto have never dropped past the third-place mark, however, he only just manages to hold onto his #8 rank in the 2022 polls. It seems that Daiguren Hyōrinmaru maketh the man, after all.
In terms of the girls, only three others make an impression, however, they barely breach the top ten parameters and aren’t exactly causing any waves in the male-dominated ranks. Unfortunately, Orihime Inoue, Yoruichi Shihōin, and Momo Hinamori all suffer from stereotypical pitfalls, with only Yoruichi presenting a well-rounded, yet excessively sultry, persona. Orihime and Momo are essentially Ichigo and Hitsugaya’smanic pixie dream girlcheerleaders and lack the versatility needed to leave a memorable impression. Rukia’s overwhelming strength and resolve, coupled with her intriguing backstory and comical interactions solidify her spot asBleach’sBest Girl, with little to no contention.
The Shinigami’s Shortcomings
To call Rukia well-rounded but then only sing her praises wouldn’t be a fair representation, as everyone has their faults. It seems that Byakuya’s elitist attitude has rubbed off on his sister a bit, seeing that Rukia often looks down her nose at others, particularly if they aren’t Shinigami. She is alsoexcessively aggressive towards Ichigo, using him as a personal punching bag to channel her frustrations, even though she technically owes the Strawberry her life. She also couldn’t be bothered to give her biggest fan the time of day; however, in Rukia’s defense, letting Kon get too close often ends in an inappropriate groping incident. At the end of the day, none of these flaws are considered to be deal breakers, which is precisely why Rukia is still the reigning Queen.
