Orihime Inoue

Appearance & Personality

Birthday:

03 September

Hair:

Burnt Orange

Eyes:

Brown (Manga), Grey (Anime)

Height:

5'2" (157cm)

Weight:

99 lbs (age 15)

108 lbs (age 17)

Blood Type:

B

Orihime Inoue is one of the main female characters in the manga series Bleach. She is an excellent student, but has little common sense.

Inoue harbors a perpetual crush on Ichigo Kurosaki, which she cannot bring herself to confront him about; later in the series, she admits to herself that she has outright fallen in love with him. She isn't a good chef but will often attempt to cook for herself or her friends on a regular basis. She has an extremely active imagination, resulting in many of her friends not taking her outlandish claims seriously, even when they ultimately turn out to be true.

Despite being somewhat scatterbrained around her friends, Inoue has shown to possess an innate ability to sense how others are feeling and is very good at reading others' behavior to determine their mental and emotional states. She is particularly empathic towards Ichigo and is very good at reading his mood by his nonverbal gestures.

History

The Substitute Story Arc

The first time Inoue is seen is in the series she is talking to some of her school mates about why Ichigo is late for school. After Ichigo accepts the role of Soul Reaper, Inoue begins to be attacked by the Hollow known as Acidwire. Since Orihime had no Spiritual Powers at the time she didn't know that they attacks where from an outside force and chalked it up to her clumsiness.

Later that night Orihime and Tatsuki are at the house her house discussing Ichigo and his past when Acidwire attacks again, this time attempting to kill Tatsuki first. At the same time Ichigo is making his way across time to help save his friends and reveals to Rukia that he recognized the Hollow that was attacking Orihime. Ichigo explains that Orihime had a brother that was quite a bit older than her when she was you. It turns out that Orihime's brother took her and ran from their parents house when she was a young child so that they couldn't abuse her anymore. Finally, Ichigo reveals that her brother died one morning when he was hit by a car and despite Orihime's efforts to drag him to Ichigo's family's clinic.

Orihime tries to help Tatsuki, but can't see the Hollow that has attacked them, and ends up having her soul shoved out of her. Once she is out of her body and only connected by her Chain of Fate Orihime can make out the battle that is happening between Ichigo and Acidwire.

After a missed attack from Ichigo, Acidwire's mask is partially removed and she sees the face of her attacker, she is shocked to see that Acidwire is actually her older brother Sora Inoue. It is here that Sora reveals that he became a Hollow after Orihime began to spend less time praying for and talking to her brother, but instead began to talk about her new friends.

Orihime also tells her brother that the only day she choose not to wear the hair pins that Sora bought her was the same day they had argued and he was killed. As her brother turns to attack again Orihime opens her arms and allows her brother to bite her while she hugs him and apologizes for having made him feel lonely.

Orihime reveals that she was only trying to keep Sora involved with her life after he had died and therefore talked about her friends with him so he would now that she was happy. Sora apologizes to his little sister and punctures his own head with Ichigo's Zanpaktou so that he can be cleansed and pass onto the Soul Society to wait for Orihime to join him.

Battle of the Rubicon

When Orihime is seen in this story arc she is first being complimented for her high seat in the school academic standings, and then being teased for her lack of common sense. When Ichigo is at school the day after he met Uryu Ishida trying to remember Uryu's name Orihime over hears his muttering and helps him find Uryu.

Orihime leads Ichigo through the school and to the Sewing Crafts Club. Orihime explains that Uryu is a very kind person even if he does get somewhat rude.

After Uryu challenges Ichigo to a Hollow destroying contest Orihime is at the school waiting for Tatsuki to get done with karate practice when they are attacked by another Hollow. This time the Hollow named Numb Chandelier pelts the school with it's spores that infect other students and subjugates them to Numb Chandelier's commands.

After infecting most of the students at the school Numb Chandelier sends his minions after Orihime. After the mob converges on Orhime she is saved by her friend Tatsuki for the second time in her life. Nub Chandelier proves too strong for Tatsuki though and infects her too, sending her after Orihime too.

Numb Chandelier's callous assault causes Orihime's spirit powers to awaken and manifest themselves as the Six Flowers of The Hibiscus Shield. The fairies that her powers manifest themselves as are all very different, and are initially very unpredictable.

After learning from her fairies how she can use them to attack, heal, and defend Orihime makes short work of Numb Chandelier. The energy needed to use her powers is too much and causes Orihime to faint and when she awakens she is asked to watch as Ichigo fights with Uryu against the remaining Hollows.

The Soul Society Story Arc

Ichigo returns to school after nearly being killed and Orihime confronts him about Rukia's disappearance. Orihime offers Ichigo motivation to chase after Rukia in The Soul Society and then turns around goes off to train under Kisuke Urahara's friend, a talking cat known simply as "Mr. Yoruichi."

Orihime gets Chad to join in on the training and tries to get Uryu join too. After Uryu turns down the offer to train with Chad and Orihime they begin to master their powers under the close supervision of Mr. Yoruichi.

When Orihime releases her fairies Tsubaki, the loner of the group, begins to abuse and insult Orihime for summoning them while she wasn't in trouble.

Later Orihime joins Chad, Ichigo, Uryu, and Mr. Yoruichi in their attempt to invade The Soul Society and rescue Rukia. Once in the portal to get to the Soul Society the small invading team is chased by an entity that was made to clear the portals between the Soul Society and the human world.

Orihime reacts in a defensive manner to protect the others and shots herself and the others out of the portal. She is quickly punished and lectured for her actions by Mr. Yoruichi for putting herself in danger by risking contact with the cleaning spirit. After Ichigo fights Jidanbo and Gin Ichimaru slices the giant's arm off, Orihime helps to heal the gate keeper's arm.

After Orihime and the others actually get inside the Soul Society's central city Orihime and Uryu get separated and sneak through the Soul Society rather well before they run into Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the Captain of the 12th Soul Reaper Court Squad Division and The 2nd Generation Head of Research and Development.

Uryu refuses to let Orihime stay and sends her away while she fights. Even though Uryu is captured shortly after the fight Orihime meets with Kenpachi Zaraki of the 11th Division and gets his help in freeing and helping the others to continue to try and save Rukia.

Orihime and the others show up shortly after Ichigo defeats Byakuya. While trying to catch Ichigo, Orihime ends up butting heads with him causing even more injury to Ichigo.

Even after the teams attempt to save Rukia they are still beaten by Sosuke Aizen when he tears the Orb of Distortion from Rukia's body.

The Arrancar Story Arc

During the Arrancar Story Arc, Orihime is present when the Vizards make themselves known and try to recruit Ichigo. After the Vizards back off a new threat arrives in the human world in the form of the Arrancar, a new species of Hollow that have been transformed by Aizen's experiments into Soul Reaper-like entities who wield unimaginable power.

Two of the Arrancar, Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Rialgo show up in a park and attempt to attack Tatsuki since she is the only human with enough spirit energy to keep standing after Yammy absorbs the souls of several humans. As Yammy is about to kill Tatsuki, Chad steps in and blocks his attack but receives a lot of damage to his Right Arm of the Giant. When Yammy tries to finish off Chad, Orihime shields him with her powers and begins to heal his arm, which sparks a measure of curiosity within Ulquiorra.

After the Arrancar break her first shield Orihime tries to attack them with Tsubaki, but he is destroyed by their attacks. After running some messages for the Soul Reapers and the defenders in the human world Orihime meets Rangiku Matsumoto, a lieutenant for the Soul Reapers Orihime decides to get back in the fight with the others.

When she gets back to the Human world, Orihime tracks down Ichigo and meets Hachigen Ushoda, a Vizard who revives Tsubaki. Ulquiorra and Yammy, who were defeated earlier return to Hueco Mundo with footage of what Orihime could do and show it to Aizen.

Aizen is immediately impressed and intrigued by what Orihime can do and sends out an Arrancar taskforce led by Ulquiorra and made up of Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, Luppi and a newborn Arrancar named Wonderweiss Magera to capture her and force her into joining them by any means possible.

While returning from The Soul Society, Orihime and the two Soul Reapers accompanying her are confronted by Ulquiorra, who easily tears through the two Soul Reapers like tissue paper and then demands that she return with him to Las Noches within the realm of Hueco Mundo to serve the will of Aizen.

Though Orihime tries to speak up, Ulquiorra demands that she remain silent and that the only word that she is "allowed" to say is "yes" or else he will personally kill all of Orihime's friends. With no other choice, she agrees to Ulquiorra's terms.

Ulquiorra then gives Orihime a bracelet that will envelope her in a special membrane through which only The Arrancar can see, he then tells her that she is allowed to say goodbye to a single person before heading to the designated rendezvous point where Ulquiorra will retrieve her.

After writing the words "Goodbye halcyon days" in her journal, Orihime travels to Ichigo's house where she almost kisses him while he is sleeping and recovering from his wounds, but she cannot bring herself to do it and so before leaving Ichigo's house she starts explaining how she wishes that there were five of her existing all that same time.

That she wishes she could live five different lives and that in all five of them that each version of her would still fall in love with the same man. She then says her last goodbye and makes her way to the designated rendezvous point where Ulquiorra and his Arrancar task force are waiting to retrieve her.

What Orihime is not aware of is that because Ulquiorra allowed her to say goodbye to one person it made it appear as if she had joined The Arrancar of her own free will, thus making her a traitor in the eyes of The Soul Society and deemed unworthy of rescue.

Hueco Mundo

Upon arriving in Hueco Mundo

with Ulquiorra and his task force, Orihime is taken to the Arrancar stronghold called Las Noches and is brought before Sosuke Aizen who wishes to see a quick demonstration of her powers before he goes to make a few more preparations for his plans to take control of both Earth and The Soul Society by overthrowing the enigmatic King of The Soul Society.

Orihime heals Grimmjow's arm, which was torn off after he had been stripped of his rank as the Sexta Espada. Luppi, who was immediately skeptical of Orihime's powers is shocked to see Grimmjow's fully restored arm.

As for Aizen, he is satisfied with what he has witnessed and goes on to explain that Ulquiorra's theory concerning the nature of Orihime's powers being akin to the reversal of time and space is partially but not entirely correct.

It is revealed that Orihime is the wielder of a God-like power known as "Rejection of Phenomenon" which allows her to reject anything that has happened and allows her to alter reality (albeit on a very small scale) accordingly to fit the world she would have and that with this power she can heal any wound, she can keep anyone from dying and even resurrect those who have already perished if she acts in time.

Aizen declares that Orihime's powers are so much more than spatial or temporal regression, that they overstep the boundaries and limitations put in place by The Gods (in the Anime Aizen refers only to God instead of "The Gods") and that they directly violate Divine Law.

Grimmjow then asks Orihime to come and heal the scar tissue that now covers up the number six tattoo which once signified his rank as Sexta Espada, as she does Luppi (who became Grimmjow's replacement following his demotion), demands to know what Grimmjow is doing and receives the answer to his question in the form of Grimmjow punching his new arm through Luppi's chest.

After telling Luppi in a roundabout way that he is taking his job back, Grimmjow uses a Cero to blow off the top half of Luppi's body, thus killing him instantly. As Grimmjow rejoices in the restoration of his rank as the Sexta Espada, Orihime looks on in sheer terror.

Afterwards, Orihime is given a room to stay in at Las Noches where she must remain unless she is called upon by Aizen. Ulquiorra is assigned by Aizen to watch over her and checks on her constantly, when he first goes to visit her she is given a dress-like Arrancar uniform that will help to further maintain the illusion that she has betrayed The Soul Society as well as her friends and that she is a loyal servant to Aizen.

When Ulquiorra visits her a second time following Chad's alleged death and demands that she eats the food he has brought to her, Orihime refuses to do so. Ulquiorra says that if she does not willingly eat the food of her own accord that he will either tie her down and force the food down her throat or he will inject an IV full of nutritional substances into her body.

Orihime only responds by saying that Chad is not dead. Becoming somewhat annoyed with her, Ulquiorra begins mocking her concern for her friends, whom he claims are all going to die whether she likes it or not. Ulquiorra also declares that he is not here to pamper her, that he is not going to comfort her in any way and that is when Ulquiorra proceeds to insult Orihime's friends.

In her anger, Orihime steps forth and slaps Ulquiorra across the face, he keeps his head tilted to the side for a moment before shifting his eyes back towards her. Ulquiorra then turns around and says he will be back within an hour and that if Orihime has not eaten by then he will tie her down and force the food down her throat piece by piece.

After he leaves, Orihime breaks into tears and begins to cry, Ulquiorra is seen standing outside of her closed door listening to her in complete silence.

Two Female Arrancar breaks into Orihime's room to torture her. Then Grimmjow show up and kill the two Arrancar to paid back the favor for his arm. Grimmjow grads Orihime by the collar. Then he say "Now you owe me a favor." Before they go Orihime heal the two dead Arrancar. Grimmjow then grad her arm and drags her to Ichigo. To restore him to full strength so they can have a fair battle. Doing the battle Orihime see how cold and vicious fighting style Ichigo displays and wonders if it really is him. After the battle they are attack by Nnoitra.

Powers & Abilities

Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka "Six Flowers of the Hibiscus" are the physical manifestation of her powers. The shield is made up of six fairies named Ayame, Tsubaki, Baigon, Lily, Shun'o, and Hinagiku. When summoned by Orihime Tsubaki creates a a singular shield that slices through matter and destroys any enemy that it is strong enough to kill.

Orihime can create a shield to defend herself and anyone close to her by calling Hinagiku, Baigon, and Lily to shield against attacks. The third and final ability for the fairies is to send Ayame and Shun'o to shield any ally or object with their shield. Once inside this shield the fairies will undo all damage that has been instilled by the enemy.

Since gaining powers from her contact with Ichigo, Orihime has also learned to sense her friends and enemies by the spirit power that they release, making her capable to track down anyone.

Orihime also claims that she can smell Ichigo whenever he is near. It has recently been revealed that Orihime wields a God-like power known as "Rejection of Phenomena" which is actually the true source of all her so-called "healing abilities" and is a kind of power which directly violates Divine Law.

What is known about them however is that Orihime can reject anything that has happened (like when one of her friends is injured) and can, albeit on a very small scale, alter reality to make it as if they were never injured in the first place.

However, since Orihime is still only a novice in terms of wielder her power, the true extent of her reality-manipulating "Rejection of Phenomena" abilities is currently unknown.

In the seventeen months since Ichigo was depowered, Orihime began training alongside Chad to further master their powers in the event that should Ichigo one day regain his powers that they would be able to stand side by side with him in battle and never fall behind like they had done so in the past. Through her training she discovered a new and very powerful technique, one that the Fullbringer called Ginjou referred to as "Sadistic".

The technique, which Orihime calls Shiten Koushun or "The Defiant Shield of The Four Heavens", looks identical to the Santen Kesshun technique but is no mere shield. At the instant in which it receives an attack, the Shiten Koushun disperses the force of said attack into an explosion while automatically returning fire on the attacker at that very same instant.