Hello guys again how is you doing? I was bored today so I needed something to do and I ended up creating such a list and its the 5th one lol. So far I've discussed how Rukia, Kira, Hisagi and Byakuya are Psychopaths. Now I want to talk about Kyoraku. I’ve previously made a few allusions to my belief that Kyoraku is a closet psychopath, but I’ve never really talked about it. But now I’m going to! Because part of what I love about Kyoraku is that he may seem like a big cuddly teddy bear, but there’s also a sort of dangerous undercurrent to him…or at least, I certainly think I see one…
So, let’s talk about Kyoraku!
1. First, I obviously realize that he’s good…
And not even “good-in-the-sense-that-his-goals-happen-to-be-aligned-with-those-of-the-protagonists-even-though-he’s-evil-in-every-other-way,” like, say, Gin. No, Kyoraku is a genuinely good guy, as far as we know. He doesn’t kill Chad. He helps Ukitake try to rescue Rukia, even knowing that will cause him to clash with the head captain. He has a good relationship with his lieutenant. He’s just an all around decent guy. So I think that he’s a closet psychopath because he’s genuinely trying to deny those darker impulses, not because he’s biding his evil time before he strikes (*cough* Urahara *cough*). Just, you know, for the record. Before I start talking about how scary he is…
2. He’s crazy-powerful, but tries to hide it.
Kyoraku pretends to be a lazy, unconcerned guy - in his first Bleach appearance, we find him napping on the floor, talking about how he doesn’t want to be bothered with all that ryoka stuff. And when Chad shows up, Kyoraku tries to talk him out of fighting, suggesting that they just drink together instead. But then, once Chad actually attacks…it quickly becomes clear that Kyoraku is just crazy-powerful. He blocks Chad’s attacks with his hands. And he takes Chad down without breaking a sweat (I mean, I know it’s just Chad. But still.). Now, of course, preferring to relax rather than fight does not a psychopath make. But I did wonder, even back then, why Kyoraku was working so hard to hide his true strength. Why the act, captain?
3. He’s a rule-breaker.
When Ukitake decides to try to save his subordinate Rukia from being executed, Kyoraku helps him out. And together they kill that phoenix thing, allowing Ichigo to rescue Rukia. Then they fight against the head captain who is seriously pissed off by the whole “being betrayed thing.” All of which is good, of course - Rukia does not deserve to be executed, so anybody who opposes her death wins points in my book. But there is a bit of a…difference between how Ukitake and Kyoraku handle the rule-breaking. Ukitake is pretty concerned about having to fight the head captain and he kind of wants to just talk things out. Kyoraku is all, “Whelp! I guess we have to fight him” in a pretty…nonchalant way. Maybe he just knows - somehow - that the fight isn’t going to go very far, but still. He’s just not at all concerned to be fighting against his teacher and friend.
4. His bankai is apparently too horrible to use.
While fighting Starrk - the number 1 espada - Kyoraku stubbornly refuses to go into bankai, despite all of Starrk’s goading. Then, when Starrk finally pushes him enough that Kyoraku is considering it, Ukitake intervenes, telling Kyoraku that his bankai shouldn’t be used. Wait…what? What is so horrible about Kyoraku’s bankai that it can’t be used even in the super important fight against Aizen? I mean, Kyoraku’s shikai is pretty unsettling (see #5)…is his bankai just THAT MUCH MORE horrible? I like to think so. Because perhaps Kyoraku’s bankai is a reflection of his inner psychopath.
5. His shikai is…unsettling.
Man, I love Kyoraku’s ****ed-up shikai! Twisted, deadly children’s games? That’s a psychopath shikai if I’ve ever seen one. Kyoraku’s shikai practically forces him to play with his victims…sorry, I mean, his opponents, constantly changing the rules to get the upper hand. And considering how much Soul Society prizes straightforwardness in fighting, Kyoraku’s sneaky shikai is that much more striking.
6. And so is how he uses it.
But, of course, Kyoraku can’t help what his shikai is. There are other soul reapers, like Hisagi or Yumichika, who don’t like their shikai and in fact try really hard not to use it. But that doesn’t quite seem to be the case with Kyoraku. I mean, he kind of…revels in his shikai. Or at least, he has no problem adopting the sneakiness that comes along with it. He attacks Starrk out of his shadow with no warning. From behind! Later he attacks Aizen from behind, too. Stabbing in the back just isn’t a problem for Kyoraku.
7. He tries too hard to keep Nanao out of things.
Now, to be fair, Kyoraku’s protectiveness around Nanao is pretty adorable. But now that I’m looking at Kyoraku with psychopath goggles, I also find even that a little…unsettling. I mean, when Kyoraku removes Nanao from the Yamamoto fight - fair enough. She wasn’t strong enough to be there. But why exactly wasn’t Nanao in the fake Karakura Town fight? I have to assume that Kyoraku deliberately kept her out of it (unless I just missed something), which is a little strange, given that all of the other lieutenants were there. It’s as if Kyoraku didn’t want Nanao to see him fight. Maybe because he doesn’t want her to see that side of him?
8. He straight-up kills Lilinette.
Bleach characters generally try not to kill children. You know, just as a general rule. When Ukitake “fights” against Lilinette, he spends the entire time trying to convince her to just go home before she gets hurt. But when Kyoraku fights against Lilinette and Starrk, Kyoraku deliberately uses an attack that he knows will kill her. And then says to Starrk, in essence, “Yup. I figured that attack would work pretty well.” Killing successful! Don’t get me wrong, it was actually pretty refreshing to see a Bleach character actually try to kill an opponent, but still. Kyoraku just calmly killed a kid. Is all I’m saying.
9. And I’m pretty sure he did it to get to Starrk.
I’m getting (even more) into headcanon territory here, for which I apologize. But I’ve always assumed that Kyoraku deliberately kills Lilinette because he knows that that will be the thing that brings down Starrk. I mean, after that the fight is pretty much over. I don’t think Starrk even wants to survive. And sure, Lilinette *was* Starrk’s weapon so it made perfect sense for Kyoraku to eliminate her first. That’s not necessarily psychopathic. But if he *was* attacking a loved one to get at Starrk, that’s pretty damn cold.
10. I think Ukitake knows it.
I’m actually out of things to say now, so I’m just going to end with pure headcanon. I like to think that Ukitake - and maybe only Ukitake - knows about Kyoraku’s dark side and that that’s part of the reason the two of them are best friends. You know, no secrets between them. Which is why Ukitake was all, “Nooo! Don’t let anybody else see your bankai!” He’s trying to help Kyoraku keep his psychopathy closeted. Just like a true friend.
So, let’s talk about Kyoraku!
1. First, I obviously realize that he’s good…
And not even “good-in-the-sense-that-his-goals-happen-to-be-aligned-with-those-of-the-protagonists-even-though-he’s-evil-in-every-other-way,” like, say, Gin. No, Kyoraku is a genuinely good guy, as far as we know. He doesn’t kill Chad. He helps Ukitake try to rescue Rukia, even knowing that will cause him to clash with the head captain. He has a good relationship with his lieutenant. He’s just an all around decent guy. So I think that he’s a closet psychopath because he’s genuinely trying to deny those darker impulses, not because he’s biding his evil time before he strikes (*cough* Urahara *cough*). Just, you know, for the record. Before I start talking about how scary he is…
2. He’s crazy-powerful, but tries to hide it.
Kyoraku pretends to be a lazy, unconcerned guy - in his first Bleach appearance, we find him napping on the floor, talking about how he doesn’t want to be bothered with all that ryoka stuff. And when Chad shows up, Kyoraku tries to talk him out of fighting, suggesting that they just drink together instead. But then, once Chad actually attacks…it quickly becomes clear that Kyoraku is just crazy-powerful. He blocks Chad’s attacks with his hands. And he takes Chad down without breaking a sweat (I mean, I know it’s just Chad. But still.). Now, of course, preferring to relax rather than fight does not a psychopath make. But I did wonder, even back then, why Kyoraku was working so hard to hide his true strength. Why the act, captain?
3. He’s a rule-breaker.
When Ukitake decides to try to save his subordinate Rukia from being executed, Kyoraku helps him out. And together they kill that phoenix thing, allowing Ichigo to rescue Rukia. Then they fight against the head captain who is seriously pissed off by the whole “being betrayed thing.” All of which is good, of course - Rukia does not deserve to be executed, so anybody who opposes her death wins points in my book. But there is a bit of a…difference between how Ukitake and Kyoraku handle the rule-breaking. Ukitake is pretty concerned about having to fight the head captain and he kind of wants to just talk things out. Kyoraku is all, “Whelp! I guess we have to fight him” in a pretty…nonchalant way. Maybe he just knows - somehow - that the fight isn’t going to go very far, but still. He’s just not at all concerned to be fighting against his teacher and friend.
4. His bankai is apparently too horrible to use.
While fighting Starrk - the number 1 espada - Kyoraku stubbornly refuses to go into bankai, despite all of Starrk’s goading. Then, when Starrk finally pushes him enough that Kyoraku is considering it, Ukitake intervenes, telling Kyoraku that his bankai shouldn’t be used. Wait…what? What is so horrible about Kyoraku’s bankai that it can’t be used even in the super important fight against Aizen? I mean, Kyoraku’s shikai is pretty unsettling (see #5)…is his bankai just THAT MUCH MORE horrible? I like to think so. Because perhaps Kyoraku’s bankai is a reflection of his inner psychopath.
5. His shikai is…unsettling.
Man, I love Kyoraku’s ****ed-up shikai! Twisted, deadly children’s games? That’s a psychopath shikai if I’ve ever seen one. Kyoraku’s shikai practically forces him to play with his victims…sorry, I mean, his opponents, constantly changing the rules to get the upper hand. And considering how much Soul Society prizes straightforwardness in fighting, Kyoraku’s sneaky shikai is that much more striking.
6. And so is how he uses it.
But, of course, Kyoraku can’t help what his shikai is. There are other soul reapers, like Hisagi or Yumichika, who don’t like their shikai and in fact try really hard not to use it. But that doesn’t quite seem to be the case with Kyoraku. I mean, he kind of…revels in his shikai. Or at least, he has no problem adopting the sneakiness that comes along with it. He attacks Starrk out of his shadow with no warning. From behind! Later he attacks Aizen from behind, too. Stabbing in the back just isn’t a problem for Kyoraku.
7. He tries too hard to keep Nanao out of things.
Now, to be fair, Kyoraku’s protectiveness around Nanao is pretty adorable. But now that I’m looking at Kyoraku with psychopath goggles, I also find even that a little…unsettling. I mean, when Kyoraku removes Nanao from the Yamamoto fight - fair enough. She wasn’t strong enough to be there. But why exactly wasn’t Nanao in the fake Karakura Town fight? I have to assume that Kyoraku deliberately kept her out of it (unless I just missed something), which is a little strange, given that all of the other lieutenants were there. It’s as if Kyoraku didn’t want Nanao to see him fight. Maybe because he doesn’t want her to see that side of him?
8. He straight-up kills Lilinette.
Bleach characters generally try not to kill children. You know, just as a general rule. When Ukitake “fights” against Lilinette, he spends the entire time trying to convince her to just go home before she gets hurt. But when Kyoraku fights against Lilinette and Starrk, Kyoraku deliberately uses an attack that he knows will kill her. And then says to Starrk, in essence, “Yup. I figured that attack would work pretty well.” Killing successful! Don’t get me wrong, it was actually pretty refreshing to see a Bleach character actually try to kill an opponent, but still. Kyoraku just calmly killed a kid. Is all I’m saying.
9. And I’m pretty sure he did it to get to Starrk.
I’m getting (even more) into headcanon territory here, for which I apologize. But I’ve always assumed that Kyoraku deliberately kills Lilinette because he knows that that will be the thing that brings down Starrk. I mean, after that the fight is pretty much over. I don’t think Starrk even wants to survive. And sure, Lilinette *was* Starrk’s weapon so it made perfect sense for Kyoraku to eliminate her first. That’s not necessarily psychopathic. But if he *was* attacking a loved one to get at Starrk, that’s pretty damn cold.
10. I think Ukitake knows it.
I’m actually out of things to say now, so I’m just going to end with pure headcanon. I like to think that Ukitake - and maybe only Ukitake - knows about Kyoraku’s dark side and that that’s part of the reason the two of them are best friends. You know, no secrets between them. Which is why Ukitake was all, “Nooo! Don’t let anybody else see your bankai!” He’s trying to help Kyoraku keep his psychopathy closeted. Just like a true friend.
