Summary
Cheerful, outgoing, and a little bit ditzy, Orihime Inoue is a very prominent character in theBleachseries, best known forher restorative Shun Shun Rikka abilitiesand her gentle, positive nature. Though her combat skills are lacking compared to other characters in the series, she more than makes up for it with her kindness, which has drawn numerous other characters to her in the process.
Underneath her smile, however, Orihime has had a hard life in which she was frequently bullied and abused. Fortunately for her, she has managed to find friends to stand by and protect her from any threat or conflict she may face, with these friends, in particular, being very involved in Orihime’s life.
8Hachigen Ushoda
Orihime’s Healer
After a close encounter with Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo, two members of Aizen’s Espada, Orihime found herself devastated at both her reluctance to fight and the destruction of her only offensive spirit Tsubaki. Fortunately, she managed to find some comfort in the form ofthe Visored’s Kido expert Hachigen “Hachi” Ushoda.
Upon their first meeting, Hachi wasted no time in completely restoring Tsubaki despite having none of his parts, much to Orihime’s joy. Upon noticing that Orihime still wants to help defeat the Arrancar army, Hachi notes that her powers are not suited for combat (much like his own), but reassures her that she is stronger than she thinks.
7Yasutora Sado
Orihime’s Close Friend
Due to being mutual friends with Ichigo, Sado (also known as Chad) and Orihime are quite close to each other.Having awakened his abilitiesin a way very similar to Orihime, the pair are drawn together due to their own spiritual awareness of Hollows, their training under Urahara and Yoruichi, and their desire to support Ichigo despite their lack of strength and resolve.
Though the interactions between them are few, it is clear that the two of them are protective of one another, as shown by Chad shielding Orihime from serious blows from Quilge Opie, one of the Sternritters present in Hueco Mundo. When Chad was grievously injured in his bid to bring her back from Hueco Mundo, Orihime was worried but insisted Chad wasn’t dead, showing a lot of confidence in his resilience.
6Nel Tu
Orihime’s Arrancar Companion
WhileNel and Orihime share very cheerful personalities, the circumstances surrounding their first meeting were anything but cheerful, as Orihime was forced to heal a dying Ichigo so the Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez could fight him at full strength. Eventually, the inevitable fight commences, with Orihime looking after a nervous Nel and assuring her that Ichigo could win.
Later on in the fight, however, it is Nel who offers comfort to a frightened Orihime by explaining how hard Ichigo was fighting for her sake, which included putting on a Hollow Mask that reminded Orihime of her brother’s Hollow form. Since then, Orihime and Nel have developed a fiercely protective relationship, with the latter usually being left in Orihime’s care during times of danger.
5Rukia Kuchiki
Orihime’s Friend and Mentor
Being a Soul Reaper, thus making her very experienced at dealing with spiritual matters, Rukia often acts as Orihime’s senior, explaining to her how Hollows and spirits work. This mentor dynamic is especially present during the Arrancar arc, where Rukia deduces that Orihime is lacking in resolve before taking her to Soul Society to train.
To this end, Orihime holds Rukia in high regard due to her experience as a Soul Reaper, though she often finds herself getting jealous of her due to how close she is to Ichigo. Regardless, she acknowledges her part in Ichigo’s life and growth. When Orihime was imprisoned in Las Noches, Rukia aided Ichigo’s bid to rescue her out of sympathy, as she also knew what being a captive entailed.
4Uryu Ishida
Orihime’s Protector
Much like Chad, Uryu is close to Orihime due to beingone of Ichigo’s good friendsand having his spiritual powers. In Ichigo’s absence, Uryu is often the one who protects Orihime from imminent threats or dangerous opponents, as shown during his battle with Mayuri Kurotsuchi in Soul Society and Ulquiorra Cifer in Hueco Mundo.
On her end, Orihime cares for Uryu and respects his powers, though she is not above teasing him and making jokes at his expense, as she is shown smiling at his reaction when Uryu gets flustered at the thought of growing closer to Ichigo. Like the rest of the main cast, Orihime was extremely shocked and distraught upon seeing Uryu working with the Wandenreich.
3Rangiku Matsumoto
Orihime’s Confidant & Housemate
The Arrancar arc ofBleachproved to be a trying time for Orihime, namely because she struggled with seeming to be left out of Ichigo’s life and the impending war against Aizen and his Arrancar army. Luckily for her, she received some wise advice and comfort fromthe 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, who was staying at her house at the time.
When Orihime expressed her jealousy of Rukia’s prominence in Ichigo’s life, Rangiku, having noticed that she wasn’t herself, proceeded to tickle Orihime ferociously before reminding her of her important role in Ichigo’s life. Outside of the conflict with the Arrancar, Orihime and Rangiku are shown to enjoy the same bizarre kind of food, much to the distress of some of their mutual friends.
2Ichigo Kurosaki
Orihime’s Love Interest
Since the beginning of the series, it was without question that Ichigo was an important person in Orihime’s life. Initially portrayed as a typical friendship, the relationship between Orihime and Ichigo gradually progressed in terms of affection, as shown by the tender moment they share after Ichigo’s battle with Grimmjow in the Hueco Mundo arc.
As noted by Nel at the time, Ichigo has constantly exerted himself for the sole purpose of protecting Orihime, a trend that would see him get grievously injured at the hands of numerous foes such as Ulquiorra and Yhwach. Naturally, this makes Orihime very protective of Ichigo to the point that she is in tune with his emotions and well-being, making their marriage at the end of the series even sweeter.
1Tatsuki Arisawa
Orihime’s Dearest Friend
As is the case with Ichigo, Tatsuki has had a profound impact on Orihime’s life ever since she was little. Having faced a lot of bullying when she was in school for the color of her hair, it was Tatsuki who would fend off her bullies and teach Orihime how to stand up for herself, which earned Orihime’s everlasting friendship.
Even in moments of levity, Tatsuki still assumes a protective role regarding Orihime, usually fending off anyone showing over-enthusiastic affection toward the latter. However, when Tatsuki fell victim tothe Hollow Numb Chandelier’s fearsome possessive abilities, Orihime finally decided to step up and protect Tatsuki, a sentiment that awakened her Shun Shun Rikka abilities for the first time.
