Isshin Kurosaki
Born on December 10th, Isshin Kurosaki is the husband to the late Masaki Kurosaki and father of main protagonist Ichigo and twin sisters Yuzu and Karin. He founded and runs the Kurosaki Clinic, which is attached to their home in Karakura Town, located in Western Tokyo.
Isshin tends to be goofy and fun-loving. He spends most of his time outside of work doting over his daughters and surprise-attacking Ichigo, although he is often thwarted by him. He can also be seen at times talking to a memorial poster of Masaki about his family woes.
I like Isshin because he's cutes to me :) He seems at first to not be the best father but you find out later he's actually awesome. I also like his big smiles and silly demeanor. However, most of the things about him that I like are revealed later and are BIG spoilers. If you've already gotten past his backstory in Thousand-Year Blood War (or don't care about spoilers lol), please feel free to read further below!
[click here to view spoilers]
The truth of Isshin's past is gradually revealed throughout the series. The first major discovery occurs during the Arrancar arc, where Isshin appears in a Shinigami uniform to rescue Kon from Grand Fisher, the Hollow that killed Masaki and has grown to become an Arrancar. After defeating it swiftly, Urahara appears and talks to him like an old acquaintance. This is how we find out that Isshin gave up his Shinigami powers twenty years prior, although we don't yet know why.
Near the end of the Fake Karakura Town arc, Isshin appears between Ichigo and Aizen with his Zanpakutō drawn. This is how Ichigo discovers that his father was a Shinigami, but he's not really surprised (he's got so much shit going on, it takes a lot to shock him anymore) and asks him not to explain anything until he's ready to. Isshin is able to overpower Aizen on his own, but he soon transforms and becomes more formidable. Still, Isshin and Ichigo continue to fight him with help from Urahara and Yoruichi, until Aizen decides to leave and destroy the real Karakura Town.
After Aizen escapes to Soul Society, Isshin asks Ichigo to open a Senkaimon so they can follow him. Upon entering, they realize that he has killed the Kōtotsu, a monster that chases intruders. The purpose of the monster, as well as the walls made of oozing, purple Kōryū, is to prevent anyone in the Dangai (the corridor between the two worlds) from exploiting its time distortion. Within the Dangai, time moves two thousand times faster than outside. In the span of one real-time hour, two thousand hours pass in the Dangai. With one threat eliminated, Isshin only needs to stop the flow of the Kōryū, which would ensnare them on contact and end up killing them. There is a method for this, usually done by several Shinigami, but a Shinigami of Isshin's level could do it alone for two thousand hours. He tells Ichigo to use that time to consult Zangetsu, train, and learn how to execute the Final Getsuga Tenshō. Towards the end, Isshin sits slumped, visibly tired and wondering why Ichigo hasn't finished training, but eventually he does and carries his unconscious father to Soul Society.
In the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc, Isshin helps Urahara with his plan to restore Ichigo's powers. This becomes more meaningful during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc when it is revealed that Urahara was the one to ask Isshin to give up his powers.
Having been expelled from the Soul King Palace, Ichigo is sought out by Isshin in his Shinigami form. He explains Ichigo's mother, Masaki Kurosaki, was a Quincy and the last of her family. Isshin was born to the Shiba clan in Soul Society and was living as the Captain of Squad 10 at the time. After hearing strange reports of Shinigami dying in the World of the Living, he ventured out alone to investigate. There, he found a mysterious Hollow, which he began to fight. Masaki noticed the fight from a distance and decided to help. She ended up saving his life, which is forbidden by Quincies who are at war with Shinigami, but the wound sustained by the Hollow (created by Aizen to Hollowfy whoever it managed to attack) was starting to kill her.
Urahara, who had been keeping an eye on her after the attack, took her in and explained to Isshin that by giving up his Shinigami powers and living in a Gigai alongside Masaki, she could be saved from the Hollowfication. He chose to do so without a second thought, abandoning his life in Soul Society and starting a new one as a Human. He later told her that he was banished after a screw up, but suspects she knew he was lying.
Isshin also reveals that his powers returned after the Hollow awakened within Ichigo, which Urahara anticipated.
Not only do I think Isshin is so cutes but I also think he's SO BADASS. He's a super wifeguy and he loves his kids and he's silly, but he also sacrificed everything to save the life of a total stranger who saved his and ended up making a whole new life with her. When he takes down Grand Fisher and fights Aizen you can see just how crazy strong he is even after not having his powers for so long, and he is fully willing to use all of his Reiatsu to allow Ichigo to train before facing Aizen again. I also love that his sword is Engetsu, literally the fire version of Zangetsu. He's just so so so cool AUGH I could weep and sob. He's also a dilf but I didn't need to tell you that. Just look at him.
[click here to close]