Bleach: The Soul Reapers’ Gigai Technology, Explained – CBR – Comic Book Resources

Bleach is a fantasy shonen anime that focuses on spirits and the afterlife, and the very image of a black-robed Soul Reaper with a sword is what inspired author Tite Kubo to write the entire series. These Soul Reapers are supernatural beings who are far beyond human comprehension, but they can make themselves more presentable to mortals with specialized technology.

For all their historical Japanese trappings, the Soul Reapers have some remarkably advanced technology, usually to make their jobs easier, such as communicating with soul pagers. Meanwhile, gigai technology is what allows Soul Reapers to speak to humans as equals, and gigai technology made Bleach's narrative far more streamlined and enjoyable, especially in the reverse-isekai sequences.

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Bleach's extensive lore does not describe who exactly invented the first gigai or when, but fans do know the basics: that gigai bodies are physical humanoid shells that allow Soul Reapers to present themselves to humans. Soul Reapers may be solid, but ordinary humans can't see or hear them, so if a Soul Reaper wants to speak with humans, they need to put themselves into a gigai body first. On typical missions to hunt dangerous Hollows and escort Pluses to the Soul Society, Soul Reapers don't need human aid, but for convenience's sake, gigai technology is always on hand. If a spiritually gifted human is found, for example, a Soul Reaper can meet them in a gigai body and get directions to find a rampaging Hollow.

Most often, Soul Reapers will visit the world of the living already inside a gigai body, as it's a hassle to drag around a dummy body all day long, as shown in the first sequence of the "Arrancar" arc. When Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya and his allies arrived in Karakura Town, they were already in their gigai bodies, dressed as high school students. While Kisuke Urahara the scientist invented a portable gigai that can be blown up like a balloon, Soul Reapers usually use gikongan -- soul candy to keep their gigai bodies mobile if they must fight an enemy.

If a fight starts, a Soul Reaper cannot use their zanpakuto or kido spells in their gigai body, but they also don't want that gigai to get caught in the crossfire. A Soul Reaper will thus consume a gikongan pill, or "soul candy," to force their spirit out of the gigai in an instant. The gikongan animates the body and has a mind of its own but usually follows the Soul Reaper's orders. In a typical scenario, the Soul Reaper will tell the gikongan to run away and keep the gigai body safe, though some gikongan may be uncooperative and expose the gigai body to danger.

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Bleach's overall lore suggests that Soul Reapers rarely need gigai bodies for their duties, but Bleach's main story involves Soul Reapers and mortal humans working together as friends, so gigai bodies are used often. For the narrative's sake, several Soul Reapers are seen using gigai bodies, as it would be tricky to portray characters whom most people cannot see or hear. Rukia Kuchiki, for example, is a major reverse-isekai character in two of Bleach's arcs, and the narrative would feel warped if Rukia was a spirit no one could interact with. Rukia would only be Ichigo's friend since he can see spirits, so that would feel rather limiting.

Instead, Rukia spent the first major arc stuck in her gigai body, allowing for some charming slice-of-life antics. She also made some important friends in this gigai body, including Ichigo's pal Chad, the Quincy archer Uryu Ishida and Ichigo's good friend Orihime Inoue. Eventually, most of those characters could see spirits anyway, but that gigai body still made things more convenient in Bleach's first arc. Later, Toshiro's team did the same thing, amusing Bleach fans with their reverse-isekai hijinks until it was time to fight, when they used soul candy to make their gigai bodies flee the battlefield.

All this helps prove that even if Soul Reapers normally have no business with mortal humans and rarely need gigai bodies, Bleach's story is a heartwarming shonen tale about very different people coming together to understand one another and fight together, which definitely calls for a few artificial bodies along the way.

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Bleach: The Soul Reapers' Gigai Technology, Explained - CBR - Comic Book Resources