Tōshirō Hitsugaya (Japanese: 日番谷 冬獅郎, Hepburn: Hitsugaya Tōshirō) is a character in Tite Kubo’s manga and anime series Bleach. Hitsugaya is the leader of the 10th division or squad of the Gotei 13, Soul Reapers, who defend Soul Society, an afterlife region. Hitsugaya is the protagonist of The Diamond Dust Rebellion and appears in all Bleach films, video games, and anime.
Both readers and critics like Hitsugaya. Among Bleach readers, he’s famous and has topped multiple surveys. Hitsugaya has influenced action figures, plush toys, and key chains. Anime and manga have praised and criticised Hitsugaya.
Appearances of Tōshirō Hitsugaya
In the Bleach manga and anime series
Tōshirō Hitsugaya lived with his grandma and buddy Momo Hinamori. Hitsugaya succeeded in the Soul Reaper school and became Squad 10’s youngest captain. Hitsugaya accused Squad 3 leader Gin Ichimaru of wrongdoing as Rukia Kuchiki’s execution approached. Hitsugaya strikes Gin after Hinamori thinks he murdered Sōsuke Aizen. Hitsugaya dodges an assault, almost killing Hinamori, but his lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto interrupts. Hitsugaya attempts to avert Rukia’s execution by appealing to Chamber 46, but all members were slain by Aizen, who faked his death. Hitsugaya attempts to assassinate Aizen after seeing Hinamori wounded but fails.
In a subsequent arc, Tōshirō Hitsugaya leads Soul Reapers to defend Karakura Town against Aizen’s Arrancar. Hitsugaya defeats Shawlong Qufang and Luppi Antenor and goes to Soul Society to assist prepare for the fight against Aizen after discovering that Orihime Inoue has followed the Arrancars home. At Karakura Town, he kills Espada Tier Halibel. From there, Hitsugaya fights Aizen and is fooled into stabbing Momo in the chest, with Aizen using the youth’s wrath to chop off his left limbs. After Aizen’s defeat and healing, Hitsugaya pledges to practise so he may more freely utilise Bankai to defend Hinamori.
When Kugo Ginjo takes Ichigo Kurosaki’s Fullbring abilities, Hitsugaya and other Soul Reapers emerge.
To assist Ichigo in restoring his Soul Reaper skills and fighting Kugo, Genrysai Shigekuni Yamamoto instructs the Soul Reapers to give him some spiritual energy. Hitsugaya confronts the Fullbringer Yukio Hans Vorarlbena in a cat-and-mouse game, threatening to kill him if he doesn’t relinquish his Fullbring. When the Wandenreich invades Soul Society, Hitsugaya loses his Bankai to Cang Du. With Kisuke Urahara’s aid, Tōshirō Hitsugaya recovers his Bankai and defeats Cang Du. Hitsugaya becomes a zombie under Giselle Gewelle. Kensei, Rose, Hitsugaya, and a zombified Rangiku confront Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s resurrected Arrancars and Squad 11’s Ikkaku and Yumichika. Eventually, Mayuri takes control of the zombified Soul Reapers, restoring Hitsugaya and Rangiku to normal but shortening their lifespans. Later, Hitsugaya joins Byakuya and other Soul Reapers against Gerard. During this fight, Hitsugaya’s Bankai melts. Instead of his Bankai deactivating, indicating that it was developed entirely before the conflict, Daiguren Hyrinmaru’s strength achieves its full potential. At the same time, Hitsugaya is turned into a young adult to use his enhanced weapon better.
In other media
He’s in all four movies. He battles Dark Ones in Bleach: Memories of Nobody. In Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion, he is accused of stealing the King’s Seal, an ancient item, and discovers a terrible mystery involving a long-dead Soul Reaper who was his buddy and adversary as a child. To promote the film, a one-shot manga chapter about Hitsugaya’s history revealed how he got his abilities. Kusaka uses the King’s Seal to return for retribution, but Hitsugaya kills him in the last duel. He appears in Bleach: Fade to Black when he loses his memories of Ichigo and Rukia. Tōshirō Hitsugaya and other captains attempt to stop Ichigo from joining the Soul Society when he forgets about Rukia. In Hell Verse, he fights Karakura Sinners.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya appears in the 30-minute original video anime, Sealed Sword Frenzy, as one of the captains assigned to the actual world to lock away fugitive shinigami criminal Baishin. He successfully fends off Baishin in their first battle. Tōshirō Hitsugaya is playable in Bleach-related video games such as Blade Battlers and Nintendo home consoles. Hitsugaya’s Bankai form is shown in Soul Resurrección, and he may be unlocked in Bleach: Shattered Blade. He’s playable in Jump Ultimate Stars for Nintendo DS. He’s on two Bleach Beat Collection CDs. The first was with Hinamori and Matsumoto. The second album also included Ichigo. Bleach Breathless Collection included Hitsugaya and Hyrinmaru’s album. Takashi Nagayama played him in the Bleach musicals. Nagayama was replaced in Shinsei Rock Musical Bleach Reprise by Takuya Kawaharada and Yya Kido. DLC character in Jump Force.
