Yoruichi Shihoin

Yoruichi Shihoin, do you recall the first time you were able to stand up and walk on your own as a child? It doesn’t matter if you don’t recall doing it but you did it. How did you learn how to do that? All humans are born knowing how to stand. Like birds that learn how to fly and fish that know how to swim, so are humans. It’s called instinct. Intuition is the ability to access your natural abilities when you need them.

Yoruichi Shihoin is a supporting role in the Bleach franchise. She was the former commander and captain of the Gotei 13’s 2nd Division, as well as the Onmitsukido. She has now resigned from both her positions and works with Kisuke Urahara, Tessai Tsukabishi and others, based at the Urahara Shop in the Human World.

  • Satsuki Yukino voices her in Japanese, while Wendee Lee voices her in English.
  • Shiro Saito voices her cat form in the Japanese anime and Terrence Stone in English.

Appearance

Yoruichi Shihoin is a slim, brown-skinned woman with average height. She has long, purple-colored hair that she wears in a ponytail. Standard attire includes a black, backless, sleeveless undershirt, an orange shirt with two white straps at each shoulder, a large brown sash around her waist and black stretch pants. These allow for stealthy and easy Shunpo use. Although she used to wear a beige neckwarmer, which she pulled up to conceal her identity, she seems to have abandoned it. Sometimes she wears beige leg and wrist warmers that are secured with bands. Unlike any other Shinigami, she can change into a small, black cat over long periods of time. She has a distinct male voice and is distinguished by her golden eyes.

110 years ago, when she was a captain, she wore the same sleeveless, backless Onmitsukido outfit. Sui-Feng still wears them now. However, she had a black ribbon around her neck. A captain’s long-sleeved haori was what she wore. Her hair was shorter and cut in a similar style to Sui-Feng’s current, but without braids. She wore the Onmitsukido uniform from the corrections corps at one time.

Yoruichi Shihoin Personality

Yoruichi shihoin is an intelligent, witty, and well-informed woman. She was once the leader of the Onmitsukido, and later the captain of the Second Division. Despite being of noble blood, she behaves differently than most nobles and is very similar to Kaien Shiba. Sui-Feng was instructed to use honorific suffixes to refer to her, but she reluctantly accepted the title “Yoruichi Shihoin sama” (“Lady Yoruichi Shihoini”) in the dub. She transforms into her Human form several times in front of Ichigo to show him her nakedness. She also speaks in an older dialect, like calling herself “washi”, which is a term used by elderly men to identify themselves, and “watashi”, in both Human and animal forms.