Ishida, Souken
Seiyuu / Dub
Summary
Souken Ishida served as the mentor who trained both Ryūken and his son Uryū in Quincy arts during their childhood, earning the admiration of the young Uryū for his kindness. He championed an unconventional Quincy philosophy that emphasized cooperation with the Shinigami, attempting to rectify the spiritual imbalance caused by the Quincy’s past actions. To this end, he proposed a new protocol where Quincies would act as first responders to hollow attacks, protecting humans until Shinigami arrived to eliminate the threat. Despite his persistent efforts, this proposal was rejected. His life was ultimately cut short during a hollow attack; while the Shinigami arrived, they failed to save him in time. Later, during the rescue of Rukia Kuchiki, Mayuri Kurotsuchi confessed to Uryū that he had intentionally delayed the Shinigami responsible for protecting Sōken, allowing the hollow to kill him so Mayuri could study his soul for research. A reflection in Uryū’s glasses revealed that only Sōken’s head remained after the incident. This tragedy was the primary source of Uryū’s hatred toward the Shinigami, though his animosity later shifted specifically toward Mayuri after uncovering the conspiracy, even though the Captain had previously saved Uryū’s life during the assault on Hueco Mundo. Additionally, Sōken appeared as a vision to Uryū during the anime-only Bount arc, urging him to rest.
