Byakuya Kuchiki

Occupation: Shinigami Captain of the 6th Division

Birthday: January 31 (Aquarius)

Height: 180 cm (5' 11")

Weight: 64 kg (141 lbs)

Zanpakutou: Senbonzakura

Title: 28th Head of the Kuchiki Clan

Known Relatives: Hisana Kuchiki (wife), Rukia Kuchiki (sister), Ginrei Kuchiki (grandfather), Sojun Kuchiki (father)

Likes: Chinese bellflowers, night time walks, spicy food

Theme Song: "Je Chante Pour Passer le Temps" by Giovanni Mirabassi

Byakuya Kuchiki is the captain of the 6th Division in the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Renji Abarai. He is the 28th head of the noble Kuchiki clan, one of the four noble families in Soul Society. As such, Byakuya acts in an aristocratic manner: he is always quiet and apathetic towards other people.

He claims that life in general isn't supposed to be entertaining, and in one of the omake chapters, he even makes up an idea for a game that isn't meant to be amusing. In spite of his icy and regal manner, Byakuya cares for and protects those important to him.

Byakuya is popular among the female shinigami of Soul Society, and was voted number one in the "captain we desire to release a photo book for" poll taken by the Shinigami Women's Association.

Byakuya wears the standard captain uniform along with a white headpiece called a kenseikan (symbolizing his noble rank as the head of the Kuchiki family) and a white scarf made by the master weaver, Tsujishirō Kuroemon III. The scarf is made from silver-white windflower light silk (ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu) and is a family heirloom handed down through the generations to the head of the Kuchiki family.

Little is known about Byakuya's early history, except that he often played tag with Yoruichi Shihouin using flash steps, though he never was able to beat her, a score that upholds to the current time of the series.

Byakuya married Hisana, who was then a commoner; therefore, he broke the rules by accepting her into the noble Kuchiki family. Shortly before her death, Hisana asked Byakuya to find and adopt her biological sister, Rukia, whom she had abandoned as a baby. She also made him promise that he would not tell Rukia about her real family, for she believed that by abandoning Rukia when she was younger she was not worthy to be called her sister.

One year later, Rukia entered the shinigami academy; shortly after, Byakuya found her and immediately adopted her into the Kuchiki clan. By adopting her Byakuya respected his wife's last wish, but had broken the rules of his clan again. He later swore upon his parents' graves that he would never break the rules again, no matter what. As a result, he, though entirely apathetic on the surface, is actually deeply conflicted with the matter of Rukia's execution: should he intervene, it would require breaking the promise to his parents and the rules again, but should he do nothing he would fail to fulfill the promise he made to Hisana to protect Rukia as his own sister.