“Only one to die are the Quincies..”: Tite Kubo’s Plot Armors in Bleach Are So Strong It Can Protect Good Guys From Any Danger and It Can Get a Little Annoying

Plot armor is one of the most commonly used tools in the anime and manga industry. Almost every story uses it to protect its main characters and help their development within the narrative. Tite Kubo’s Bleach is also one of those stories that rely heavily on plot armor, and while it may not be easy to notice, it certainly impacts the Bleach storyline in a major way.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War | Credit: Studio Pierrot

While the narrative is based around death, Hollows, Soul Reapers, Soul Society, etc., there are very few characters who have actually been a victim of it. This is because Kubo not only uses plot armor for the main character, Kurosaki Ichigo but also protects other characters who hold significance to the central storyline (mainly the Soul Reapers).

Be it Kuchiki Byakuya or Shunsui Kyoraku, almost every Bleach character who is not on the wrong side of the story has been saved by plot armor. And while it is a common practice, it has become a little annoying, and fans might have started losing interest in the Bleach narrative.

The concept of plot armor in Bleach

Bleach has some of the strongest villains in the history of Shonen anime. From Sosuke Aizen to King Yhwach, these antagonists are insanely dangerous and powerful, and the only character to defend the world against them is Kurosaki Ichigo, the protagonist of Bleach. While he majorly uses his own talent to defeat these threatening villains, sometimes it’s not enough.

This is when Tite Kubo brings out the plot armor to keep the story going. Plot armor is a narrative tool that allows the plot itself to protect the character from dangerous situations (even death) because of their importance to the narrative. And while it is primarily used solely for the main character, Kubo has used this tool for other major characters of Bleach.

Byakuya almost dies | Credit: Studio Pierrot

One of the biggest examples of plot armor in Bleach is probably Kuchiki Byakuya. During the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, Byakuya’s battle against Äs Nödt resulted in his biggest defeat ever, and he had no choice but to hand over the reign to Ichigo. This defeat almost led him to death, and Bleach fans were certain that they would not see Byakuya again, but plot armor brought him back for the second part.

The Bleach plot armor is getting annoying

While certain key characters, such as Yamamoto and Nemu, have died, the concept of death itself has grown rare in Bleach. There were many characters who were supposed to die according to the story, but they were saved by plot armor and then used in the next phase of the Bleach narrative. These characters are mainly the Soul Reapers who portray the positive side of the story.

Nemu’s death in Bleach | Credit: Studio Pierrot

Although these characters are fan favorites, the continuous use of plot armor to bring them back into the narrative has made them look a little boring. Not only that, they have even made the storyline a little bit predictable for the Bleach fans.

Thus, fans have become a little annoyed by the continuous use of plot armor, as death is also an important factor in any thrilling storyline.

While the manga cannot change this concept of recurring plot armor in the Bleach narrative, the Thousand-Year Blood War anime series still has a chance. Kubo has been modifying the anime storyline to bring a better ending suitable to Bleach, and if he reduces the use of plot armor, it will certainly help in making the story even more enticing.

Bleach is available to watch on Hulu.