Yes, Bleach’s Creator Meant for His Soul Reapers to Be Really Hot

Bleach may be turning 20 years old this year, but the anime feels as fresh as ever. Tite Kubo pieced together a classic when he first inked Ichigo Kurosaki, and the hero has come a long way since his debut. From a recent anime comeback to an upcoming game, Bleach is back in the headlines as god intended. And now, Kubo is making headlines himself after admitting a very serious fact about Bleach.

As it turns out, the creator of Bleach intended for its heroes to be incredibly hot. Kubo hit the drawing board with a mission in mind. He wanted to give fans eye candy as they read Bleach, so that is why the hit series has a large number of hotties on call.

The confession comes from Kubo himself as the artist was interviewed recently for the anime’s 20th anniversary. The show just held a special event in Japan to celebrate the launch of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War season three. It was there a pamphlet went live with quotes from Kubo, and the artist said he intentionally made some characters in Bleach hotter than others.

Who Are the Hottest Characters in Bleach

According to Kubo, he focused on four characters during the final arc of Bleach. The artist wanted Hisugaya and Byakuya to serve looks for the Soul Society. As for the Quincy, Kubo says he put special care into Szayelaporro and Haschwalth. So if you have found yourself sweating over these men, well – that reaction was the goal.

Of course, the fandom has long appreciated the visuals of Bleach. Ichigo became a heartthrob in his own right, but of course, the series opened up once the Soul Society was infiltrated. As Bleach continued to explore new realms and villains, it became rather obviously that Bleach liked eye candy. From Yoruichi’s famous fan service to hunky Arrancars like Ulquiorra, Bleach has never shied away from its most attractive characters. And while Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has a serious story to tell, well – some fans are into the bloody aesthetic.

Tite Kubo Had Free Reign Over Bleach

Clearly, Kubo had a vision for how Bleach would look, and the artist held tight to that idea. In fact, fans were recently given an idea of how tightly Kubo controlled the going ons of Bleach. In a recent interview, Kubo admitted his editors never interfered with his story’s direction.

“Well, I’m the type of writer who doesn’t really have meetings with my editor,” the Bleach creator confessed. “I mean, when I was serializing, my editor would come to pick up the manuscript once it was done. I’d tell them, ‘Next week, it’ll go like this,’ and then they’d leave.”

According to Kubo, he never gave the editorial team an opportunity to adjust his manga’s trajectory, so what he wanted is what he got. That vision was then passed to fans in all its hot glory. To get a leg up on the competition, Kubo knew Bleach needed more than a compelling hero and a well-built world. The special sauce behind Kubo’s success came down to some strategically placed cuties. So if Bleach left you crushing on Captain Hitsugaya (and also Rangiku), that was the whole point.

What do you make of this Bleach confession? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.