Momo Hinamori

Momo Hinamori (雛森 桃, Hinamori Momo) is the lieutenant of the 5th Division, formerly under Captain Sōsuke Aizen and currently under Captain Shinji Hirako.

Background
Momo grew up in Junrinan, District 1 of Rukongai, along with Toshiro Hitsugaya. While Hitsugaya tended to be a bit of a brat as a child, Momo, finding him amusing, treated him like a younger brother. The two have a close friendship, reflected by Momo giving him the nickname "Shiro-chan" (Lil' Shiro in the English version). Momo was older than Toshiro, which gave him the best reason to protect her. Even more, the two were very close, and promised to protect each other. When Momo entered the Shinigami Academy, she excelled at Kido. It was there she met Izuru and Renji, who soon became her friends and, later, her fellow lieutenants.

Her friendship with Izuru Kira and Renji Abarai began back in the Shinigami Academy, on a standard field exercise to the Real World to practice performing Konso, and combat with artificial Hollow replicas. The exercise was led by iiShuhei Hisagi]]. Everything went well until a group of huge Hollows attacked them. Shuhei told everyone to run, but Momo turned to see Shuhei being attacked by a Huge Hollow. She ran to help him, and was followed, somewhat reluctantly, by Renji and Izuru. The group, managing to escape, ended up being surrounded by even more large Hollows, before backup arrived in the form of Fifth Division Captain Aizen and his Lieutenant Gin Ichimaru. At that moment, Momo began idolizing Aizen. Later, Momo was assigned to Aizen's Division after her graduation from the Shinigami Academy. After Gin's eventual promotion to Captain, Momo, through much hard work (as noted by Hitsugaya), made her way through the ranks to be Aizen’s Lieutenant.

Both Momo and Izuru Kira presented Renji with the news of his promotion to the 6th Division as their new lieutenant. Ikkaku Madarame told Renji that, due to his promotion, he was now closer to Rukia in status, and he should renew his friendship with her. Izuru informed him Rukia was being stationed in the Human World, and Momo urged Renji to go after her before it was too late. Renji, refusing, stated it was not official until the ceremony anyway, and he would rather surprise her with his new promotion after she returned.

Personality
Momo's main pastimes are reading and drawing. Due to her talent in drawing, she has overseen work for book illustration in the Shin'ō Academy.[4] Her love for books has developed since Aizen regularly gave her the books he had read. In his absence, she frequently visits the library. She attends the ikebana lessons held by Captain Retsu Unohana. She frequently visits Toshiro's grandmother in Rukongai. Her favorite food is peaches, and she does not like plums. She sometimes bakes cookies, and once made a batch in the shape of Aizen's glasses.

Momo is generally an upbeat, easy-going, and friendly girl. She has a strong friendship with Toshiro Hitsugaya, whom she grew up with, repeatedly calling him "Shirō-chan", despite his higher rank and complaints about this. Though normally kind, her rare bouts of anger can appear rather menacing, such as her outrage at Captain Gin Ichimaru when she blamed him for killing Aizen. While serving as his lieutenant, Momo greatly respects and admires Aizen. She idolizes him to the point where a letter from Aizen leads her to attack Hitsugaya, her childhood friend. Even after being stabbed by Aizen, she, proclaiming Aizen was being manipulated, asks Hitsugaya to save him. When Aizen leads an attack on the Fake Karakura Town, Momo helps to defend the town from Aizen and his forces, but she still knownably refers to him as "Captain Aizen".

Appearance
Momo has brown eyes, and wears standard Shinigami robes, with her black hair pulled into a bun held in a tied cloth. When in her Shinigami robes, she wears the 5th Division's lieutenant armband. While in her pajamas, a plain kimono, her hair is tied in a loose ponytail. When she attended the Shinigami Academy, she wore the red student's robes assigned to the girls, and her hair was in pigtails tied at the base of her neck.

17 months after Aizen's defeat, Momo wears a new hairstyle; no longer tied up in the back, it hangs down in a bob, with a clip on the left side.

Expert Swordsman
Momo is proficient enough to cross swords with other lieutenant-level Shinigami. While she is capable enough in swordsmanship to attain her high-level seated position, when facing Harribel's Fraccion, she states she knows she is not strong enough to combat them using her swordsmanship skills, instead sneaking up on them and using Kido.

Shunpo Practitioner
Momo is skilled enough in the use of Shunpo to keep up with lieutenant-level Shinigami.

Kido Expert
Momo excels at Kido. Captain Hitsugaya and Izuru have stated Momo is a Kido master. She can use multiple spells in conjunction with each other and her Zanpakuto, creating a unique way in which to attack and incapacitate her opponents. In this way, she can make common spells all her own. She can use a single Kido technique on two separate targets at once. Momo has some skill with healing Kido.

High Spiritual Power
Being a lieutenant of the Gotei 13, Momo boasts a high level of spiritual energy. Her Reiatsu is red.

Skilled Tactician
Knowing her own limitations in direct battle, Momo has shown herself able to compensate for it through crafty combination attacks (such as when she caught Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, and Apacci in a Kido net). Because of her expertise in Kidō, Momo is able to attack in a number of versatile ways.

Tobiume
Tobiume (飛梅, "Flying Plum Tree"): In its sealed state, Tobiume takes the form of a regular katana with a light red handle, with the only slight difference being the five-petal flower designs stamped on the rectangular tsuba. Her Zanpakutō is a fire-type.

Shikai
The command for its Shikai is "Snap" (弾け, hajike). When its Shikai is activated, Tobiume's blade straightens and produces multiple jutte-like prongs along its length at various intervals. The blade initially had two of these prongs, but has since gained a third after Aizen's defeat.

Shikai Special Ability
In this form, Tobiume can release fireballs that explode on impact from its blade. The release of a fireball is accompanied by a sound, similar to a seagull cry.

Bankai
Not Yet Achieved

Soul Society arc
Momo, first to arrive to the lieutenants meeting, is sitting on the floor. She asks Renji if he has seen Aizen anywhere, and when she, admitting she has noticed him acting weird lately, is near tears, Renji, lying, denies he just had a conversation about Rukia with him.[27]

The captain of the 10th Division, Toshiro Hitsugaya, has been one of Momo's close friends since they both lived in Rukongai. She still calls him "Hitsugaya-kun" sometimes, and only once does she call him her old nickname for him, "Shirō-chan," which is when she is under severe stress. Worried about Momo, he warns her to watch out for Gin before Aizen’s "murder."[28] As a result, Momo, attacking Gin when Aizen’s body is discovered, is countered by Izuru. When Izuru refuses to let her kill his captain, she releases her Shikai. Upon arrival, Hitsugaya, stopping both of them in an instant, orders them to be restrained and imprisoned.[29]

Momo is desolate over the death of Aizen, but Hitsugaya and his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, give her his last letter, which is addressed to her. Matsumoto points out if the letter had been found by any of the other captains, she would not have been allowed to see it. The letter, which holds Aizen’s "secrets" and his knowledge of the conspiracy, is actually a sham meant to blame Hitsugaya for everything, including Aizen's "death."[30] When Momo escapes from her cell, she goes after Hitsugaya, and Gin, who arrives on the scene, merely laughs. Hitsugaya attempts to deal with Gin, but Momo tries to stop him. He hits her much harder than he means to, and in the fray with Gin which follows, Gin traps Hitsugaya in a situation where he has two choices: be killed, or let Momo die. Hitsugaya realizes this too late, but Matsumoto, reappearing, stops Gin's sword.[31]

When Momo is put back into a cell, Hitsugaya puts a spell on her cell to keep others from attacking her. It is very difficult to break from the outside, but very easy to break from the inside. However, Hitsugaya did not count on Momo’s determination to avenge Aizen, and she breaks the spell from the inside. Following Hitsugaya and Matsumoto while hiding her presence, she is shocked to find the Central 46 massacred. When she is reunited with Aizen, he, betraying her, stabs her through the chest, and she nearly dies.[32]

When Hitsugaya returns to the Central 46 Compound, he sees Momo’s body. He is surprised to see the one behind it all was Aizen and not Gin. Aizen's reasoning behind almost killing Momo is since he built her to not be able to live without him, he has done her a favor by killing her. He tried to get other people to kill Momo, but when that failed, he was left with no choice, but to kill her himself. Hitsugaya, attacking Aizen, is easily defeated. Aizen abandons Momo and Hitsugaya once Unohana and Isane show up at the Central 46 Chambers.[33]

Arrangcar arc
After Yamamoto debriefs Hitsugaya on Aizen’s plan concerning the King's Key, the Captain-Commander allows Momo to talk. Hitsugaya, somewhat surprised to see her up, asks her if she should be walking around. Momo tries to persuade him she is better, though she does not look it. Momo apologizes for not believing Hitsugaya and attacking him. Hitsugaya tells her not to worry about it, as it did not bother him. As he tells her to get back to bed so she can get rid of those bags under her eyes, Momo thanks Hitsugaya for accepting her apology. He retorts that even if she is not one who looks like a little kid, if she does not sleep more, she will not ever grow. Momo, yelling at him, tells him he is not one to talk about growing.

When Hitsugaya reminds her she is to call him Captain Hitsugaya, Momo, remembering the situation, asks Hitsugaya if he is going to fight Captain Aizen. When Hitsugaya says yes, she, asking if he is going to kill Aizen, begs him to save Aizen. She states what Captain Aizen is doing is bad, but she, thinking he has a good reason, expresses her belief Gin or someone else is forcing him to engage in his actions. Yamamoto, knocking her out, hands over her care to his lieutenant, Chōjirō Sasakibe. Yamamoto, apologizing to Hitsugaya, says he was just respecting her wishes by allowing her to speak, but perhaps it was too soon.

Fake Karakura Town arc
Momo, appearing in the battle of Fake Karakura Town, launches a fireball through Tobiume at Apacci, who is about to attack Rangiku Matsumoto. She declares herself as Aizen's enemy; Matsumoto, however, worries slightly, as she still addresses him as 'Captain'. Upon disclosing her method of sneaking up on Apacci to Tier Harribel's Fracción, namely through using Kidō to conceal her presence, she, applying Tobiume to a "Kido net", engulfs the three in an explosion.

The Arrancar, using their Resurrección to heal themselves, combine their powers to counterattack. Each of them sacrifices their left arm, using them to activate an ability they call Quimera Parca, forming a creature Apacci claims is called Ayon. Rangiku tries to defend herself against the creature, but it, tearing through the right side of her abdomen, severely injures her. Momo, trying to save Rangiku, catches her in a star-shaped Kido net, but the creature, attacking Momo, takes her out with one punch to her stomach, with Momo stating all of her bones are broken. She is saved by the timely arrival of Izuru Kira and Shuhei Hisagi.

Later, Izuru heals them. Healing Rangiku first, he tells Momo to hang on. Momo says Rangiku is seriously injured, and he should heal her first. After the Espada, in Aizen's eyes, prove unable to defeat the Shinigami, he decides to enter the fight himself. As Hitsugaya impales him through the chest and it appears Aizen is finally struck down, it is revealed Aizen has been using his Zanpakuto's hypnotic powers well before the fight started, somehow tricking Hitsugaya into stabbing Momo instead.

Ten days after Aizen's defeat, a member of the 12th Division reveals Momo is undergoing organ regeneration in their squad.

Zanpakuto Unknown Tales arc
The Shinigami in Soul Society grow uneasy when their Zanpakuto begin ignoring them. Momo chooses not to get angry at Tobiume after how much she has been there for her. Later, she, along with all the other Shinigami with awakened Zanpakutō, is called to the Sōkyoku Hill by Captain-Commander Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. To the Shinigami's shock, it is revealed a mysterious man named Muramasa called them, and has sealed Yamamoto away. Muramasa reveals he has used his powers to "free" all the Zanpakuto Spirits from their bonds with the Shinigami and let them loose throughout Soul Society.

After Ichigo Kurosaki, regaining his Zangetsu, proves the Zanpakuto spirits can be returned to their original state, Momo goes off with Rangiku to get back their respective partners. After finding Tobiume, the rogue spirit tells Momo how much she hated Momo's naivety towards people's natures, foolishly believing everyone has good in them. Teaming up with Rangiku and using a Kido combo to attack the other's Zanpakuto Spirit, Momo uses a binding Kidō to finally subdue the Zanpakuto Spirits. As Haineko mocks Rangiku about being too old, Momo states she cannot wait to get older so she can overcome her naiveness.

After the battle, Rangiku and Momo, having a few Shinigami take their Zanpakutō Spirits to the 4th Division, travel until they run into Ichigo, whom Rangiku collides with. Ichigo reveals to Momo and Rangiku that Hitsugaya has fought his Zanpakuto Spirit, which returned to him, and he left Hitsugaya to rest. During their conversation, Muramasa arrives at their location through a Garganta. Muramasa begins to fight Ichigo, but is having trouble adjusting to his "new" body, something both Rangiku and Momo notice. When Muramasa decides to restrain them with a binding attack, his weakened condition causes the effect to wear off. As Ichigo tries to fight Muramasa again, Senbonzakura, arriving, fights Ichigo instead. Senbonzakura, activating his Bankai, attacks Ichigo, Rangiku, and Momo. When Momo protects them with a Kido spell, they watch Ichigo and Senbonzakura fight until Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, arriving, stops Senbonzakura from fighting. Byakuya reveals to them he is not there to fight his Zanpakuto, but is following his inner desires: to protect his pride. Byakuya retreats along with Muramasa and Senbonzakura, the latter using his technique to cover their escape.

Later, Momo and Rangiku watch over Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya while he rests. Later, when the Zanpakutō Spirits launch a full scale attack, she and Rangiku, arriving on the scene, intercept Tobiume and Haineko as they attack Isane Kotetsu and Tetsuzaemon Iba. As she and Rangiku prepares to take on their Zanpakuto again, Ashisogi Jizo, appearing, breathes a cloud of poison at them. All of the lieutenants try to outrun Ashisogi Jizo, but it keeps up with them. When Momo attacks it with Shakkaho, though she does not hit it, it, becoming irritated with her attacks, activates its Bankai. They all try to outrun it, but Ashisogi Jizō catches up to and passes them. Momo and the others soon collapse, all of them having breathed in Ashisogi Jizo's poison, but are all found and treated by the 4th Division

Later, in the Human World, when Muramasa's unstable powers cause him to become a Hollow, Momo, once again allied with Tobiume, joins her fellow Shinigami and the Zanpakutō spirits.[45] Freed from Muramasa's brainwashing by Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Tobiume voices her resentment to being lied to and used by Muramasa. Momo reminds her to focus on their mission, and together they destroy several Gillians. As Muramasa's Garganta continues to call forth more Gillians, Momo and Tobiume join their allies in sealing the Garganta with their Reiatsu. After Momo and her allies defeat the remaining Gillians, Ichigo emerges from the destroyed dome with a defeated Muramasa.

Beast Swords arc
Despite Momo regaining her Zanpakutō Spirit, Tobiume can freely manifest herself whenever she pleases. Momo and Tobiume take advantage of this by chatting with each other, Tobiume telling Momo what her experience of being controlled by Muramasa felt like. When Zabimaru and Senbonzakura are trapped in the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, they stumble upon the room where Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi has been spying on the inhabitants of Soul Society through the use of hidden cameras. She, along with the other members of the Shinigami Women's Association, is seen in a hidden room located in the Kuchiki Manor. When Senbonzakura crashes the system, their secret hiding spot is discovered by Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. She is present when Zabimaru ultimately destroys the Twelfth Division's barracks.

When most of the Tōjū have been dealt with, Momo has dinner at Kamenoya Bar & Grill with Lieutenant Nanao Ise, Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, Tobiume, Haineko, and the shorter half of Katen Kyokotsu. When a drunken Rangiku reprimands Momo for not have drunk any saké, she states she came to the restaurant to enjoy the food. Rangiku angrily inquires if Momo thinks she is too good to drink with her. When Tobiume indignantly stands up for her master, Haineko calms Rangiku down by offering to drink with her instead.

After dinner, Momo and Nanao are forced to carry Rangiku back to her quarters. Momo motions for Tobiume to come with them, but Tobiume apologetically refuses, saying she would like to spend some time with her friends. Momo says it is alright for her to want to be with her friends sometimes. When the Zanpakutō spirits struggle in their attempt to subdue the Toju Kirikaze, they are saved by the timely arrival of their Shinigami masters. Unable to defeat Kirikaze separately, the Shinigami and Zanpakuto reunite with each other. Tobiume returns to her sword form, and, together, Momo and Tobiume help defeat Kirikaze. Momo understands there is no reason to be sad over Tobiume losing her materialized form, because they can see each other whenever they want to, and they will always be together.

The 10 Thousand Year Blood War arc
While the captains are in a meeting, the lieutenants, gathering, discuss the situation with the Wandenreich and recent disappearances of Hollows and Rukongai residents. Momo listens as Izuru deduces Shinigami were likely involved in the disappearance of the Rukongai denizens.

When the Wandenreich make their attack on Soul Society, Momo and her captain quickly make their way to the battlefield. En route to the battlefield, the two sense Yamamoto's Reiatsu moving onto the battlefield. When Momo states she has never seen the Captain-Commander so angry, Shinji, scolding her, calls her an idiot. He states he has not ever seen the Captain-Commander in such a rage either. Momo is surprised to hear from her captain this will be the first time they will see Yamamoto fight at the front lines. She is told they need to hurry, or else Yamamoto will take all the fun for himself.

A few days after the Wandenreich retreat, Momo nervously listens to Shinji arguing with Hiyori Sarugaki over a phone. [53] Later Momo bears witness to the swift and complete invasion of Soul Society by the Wandenreich. When her captain is wounded by Bambietta Basterbine, an enraged Momo tries to attack the Sternritter. She is however stopped by Sajin Komamura, who states that the explosions created by the Quincy are not something that Momo can counter with Tobiume. Komamura then protects her from the explosions

Quotes

 * (Thinking about Sosuke Aizen) "Captain Aizen's words... his voice... Captain's everything calms my restless spirit. I'm so glad I came... I'm so lucky to serve under you, Captain Aizen."
 * (To Toshiro Hitsugaya) "Please save Captain Aizen. What Captain Aizen is doing is bad, but I bet he has a good reason for it. Yeah, that's it... Surely Captain Ichimaru or someone is forcing him..."
 * (To Rangiku Matsumoto) "Don't worry about me, Rangiku-san. I've come to this battlefield as the Fifth Division Lieutenant. I bear the adjutant's plate upon my arm. But what that signifies is that I am here as 'the officer responsible for the Fifth Division'. Not as 'Captain Aizen's subordinate'. That man is now the enemy of Soul Society."
 * (To Rangiku Matsumoto, Tobiume and Haineko) "I can't wait until I'm older. There's nothing great about being young. Being young means that you're still naive. That's why it feels like you're soaring in the sky or sinking beneath the ocean when someone you admire betrays you. Those emotions control your entire life and can make you lose sight of who you are. By growing older, your heart grows more experienced. You grow one step further away from being controlled by your feelings and are able to keep from soaring through the sky or sinking to the depths of the ocean. That's what it means to grow older."

Knownable Relatives

 * Unnamed Mother
 * Unnamed Father
 * Toshiro Hitsugaya (Childhood Best Friend)

Trivia

 * In the fourth character popularity poll, Momo was ranked 6th with 4102 votes, while in the Zanpakuto poll, her Zanpakuto, Tobiume, placed 23rd, tying with Szayelaporro Granz's Fornicaras.
 * In the anime, when Momo appears to aid Rangiku against Harribel's Fraccion, when Emilou Apacci, Franceska Mila Rose, and Cyan Sung-Sun all release their Zanpakuto, Momo draws hers from its sheath, and at the same time, it goes to its Shikai form without Momo calling the release command.
 * The number of prongs on Momo's shikai are inconsistent. The anime has it shown as three but the manga originally had it as two that later changed to three.
 * She doesn't appear in any of the Bleach films so far. However she is mentioned by Rukia Kuchiki to Ichigo and the others in the second bleach movie.

Voice Actresses

 * Japanese : Kumi Sakuma

all information on Momo Hinamori came from http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Momo_Hinamori
 * English : Karen Strassmen