Yachiru Kusajishi

Yachiru Kusajishi (草鹿 やちる, Kusajishi Yachiru) is the lieutenant of the 11th Division in the Gotei 13, under Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, as well as the President of the Shinigami Women's Association.

Background
Yachiru first met Kenpachi in one of the worst districts of Rukongai, the 79th district of the North Alley, Kusajishi, as a nameless child. She crawled over to him after he killed several other men with his unnamed Zanpakutō, and was completely unfazed by the violence she had just witnessed, or the blood on his sword. Even as Kenpachi warned her that the sword was dangerous, she reached out and touched it, giggling as her hand was covered in the blood of dead men. He adopted her after that, saving her from certain death in Rukongai. He named her "Yachiru" in memory of the only person he had ever admired. Her surname Kusajishi was given to her because she was from that district. Since that day, she has spent much of her time clinging to his back for transport.[8 ]

Personality
Yachiru is childlike in most aspects - she is small, cheerful, energetic and carefree most of the time. She is often seen latched onto the back of her captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, just over his left shoulder and is somewhat territorial about this position. She can be intimidating at times, especially when annoyed. Yachiru resents being criticized in any way and will often attack the perpetrator. Further reflecting her childlike nature, Yachiru likes to give people nicknames. For example, she gave Makizō Aramaki the name "Maki-Maki" and later when he reminds her of that name, she finds it funny. She later renames him "mini-mustache". She also calls Ikkaku Madarame "Baldy". Like Kenpachi, she has no sense of direction, but even so, he relies on her for directions.

Yachiru's favorite free-time activity is eating sweets, though she will eat pretty much anything. She attends Captain-Commander Yamamoto's tea sessions, Captain Unohana's ikebana lessons, and also Captain Byakuya Kuchiki's Calligraphy Club, but only to eat up the snacks and cakes served during these occasions and then disappear within moments. Yachiru has occasionally dressed up in a cat costume and caught the koi in Byakuya's pond and released them in Jushiro Ukitake's pond.[6 ] Yachiru specializes in infiltration, which she uses mostly for mischievous deeds. During Kenpachi's regular afternoon naps, she goes to play around the Seireitei. She has secret tunnels under the Kuchiki house, which she wished to show to Ichigo Kurosaki.[7 ]

Yachiru is the president of the Shinigami Women's Association and holds its funds as such, spending it mostly on toys and candy. She stores her "treasures" in her hideout on the Kuchiki grounds. It seems that she uses the whole Association to order the other members around, who are made to do various, mostly childish pranks and other "tasks" to please her.

Appearance
Yachiru's appearance is that of a very small, young girl with pink hair, dark pink eyes and a perpetual blush on her cheeks.[3 ] She wears the normal Shinigami robes and a lieutenant's insignia on her arm. Seventeen months after Aizen's defeat, Yachiru's hair is flatter and has a cross-bone hair-clip on the left side.[4 ]

Abilities
High Spiritual Power: She is capable of emitting a great amount of spiritual power when she is angry, which forms into a large, pink, angry cat face.[45 ] She also seems to be unaffected by her captain's vast spiritual pressure. Despite her childlike appearance and immature personality, Yachiru is apparently quite strong, since she is the current lieutenant of the combat division within Soul Society. Grown men have been shown to be afraid of her, and Rangiku Matsumoto was able to scare Ikkaku Madarame by threatening to tell on him to Yachiru if he didn't stop harassing Keigo Asano.[46 ]

Infiltration Expert: Yachiru is an expert at infiltration, which she only uses to undertake mischief.

Enhanced Strength: She is strong enough to easily lift Kenpachi, who is almost twice her height and over five times heavier, and leap between buildings while carrying him.[47 ]

Enhanced Speed: Yachiru is also incredibly fast despite her compact size, running from the ground-level area of Seireitei to Sōkyoku Hill in a fairly short period of time without Shunpo. However, she uses what appeared to be Shunpo, when chasing Ashisogi Jizō.[48 ]

Detection & Analysis: Yachiru has displayed some detection and analysis skills with Reiatsu. She detected and found Orihime when the latter was with Aramaki, by noting the similarities between her Reiatsu and that of Ichigo. From this, she deduced that Orihime was a Ryoka.[49 ]

Yachiru's Zanpakutō is a normal katana with a pink hilt-wrapping, a tsuba shaped like a five-petal flower, and a purple scabbard. The name and ability of the Zanpakutō are both unknown. Yachiru carries it around with a loose cord, rather than at the sash of her uniform. Her Zanpakutō's scabbard is also unusual in that it has a pair of wheels for transport, which were installed by Ikkaku Madarame, who turns out to be handy with tools, after she continually pestered him to do it.[50 ]

Shikai: Not Yet Revealed

Bankai: Not Yet Achieved

Video Games
In Bleach: The Blade of Fate, Yachiru hits enemies with her Zanpakutō sheathed. She can also summon a cat made of yellow spiritual energy. In Bleach: Shattered Blade, she uses the same fighting style as Ikkaku before he uses Shikai and hits with her scabbard and Zanpakutō. In Bleach: Blade Battlers 2nd, she fights with her Zanpakutō sheathed again and can summon a pink demon-like face for a short time to hit enemies.

Quotes

 * (To an Onmitsukidō Reversal Counter Force member) "You're annoying me! Ken-chan's fighting, so don't bother me!"
 * (About Kenpachi Zaraki) "I had no name. I had no parents. I was from the 79th District of North Rukongai, Kusajishi. I had never seen anything in colours other than bloody red. But then you appeared, from the 80th District of North Rukongai, Zaraki. Even deeper in the darkness. You demolished the chaotic world that was dyed in blood, then you gave me a name. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here today."
 * (About Kenpachi Zaraki) "Since that day, you have been everything to me in this world."
 * (To Kenpachi Zaraki) "We'll get stronger, Ken-chan. Together, let's get stronger. I know that Ken-chan is the best. So let's get stronger! You and me together."
 * (To Orihime Inoue) "Of course! No matter who the opponent is, Ken-chan won't ever lose!"
 * (To Nnoitra Gilga) "You should watch out! Ken-chan'll get mad if you start attacking me!"

Nicknames for other characters
Yachiru is known for making up nicknames for people, sometimes on a moment's notice. This is a list of her known nicknames:
 * Kenpachi Zaraki - Ken-chan/Kenny
 * Ikkaku Madarame - Shiny/Baldy/Cueball/Smoothie/Pachinko head/Pinball head
 * Yumichika Ayasegawa - Yun-Yun
 * Ichigo Kurosaki  - Icchi
 * Sajin Komamura - Koma-Koma/Doggy/Bow-Wow
 * Makizo Aramaki - Mini Mustache/Maki-maki, Mustache guy and Whisker (in between the first 2, only used shortly)
 * Maki Ichinose- Maki-chan
 * Nano Ise - Nana
 * Shunsui Kyoraku - Shun-shun
 * Retsu Unohana - Re-chan
 * Izuru Kira - Izurun
 * Yoruichi Shihoin - Boobies
 * Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto - Gramps
 * Mayuri Kurotsuchi - Mayurin
 * Byakuya Kuchiki - Byakki/Byakushi/Bya-kun
 * Orihime Inoue - Jiggles/Big Boobies/Boobies
 * Ganju Shiba - Monkey
 * Yastora "Chad" Sado - Muscles
 * Uryu Ishida - Pencil
 * Jushiro Ukitake  - Ukki
 * Shunsuke Amagi - Ama-Ama
 * Shuhei Hisagi - Hisa-Hisa
 * Masayoshi - Mappy
 * Mayu - Mayu-Mayu

Knownable Relatives

 * Kenpachi Zraki (Adopted Father)

Voice Actresses
Japanese : Hisayo Mochizuki

English : Stevie Bloch