Soul Reapers (死神, shinigami, literally "death god(s)") are a fictional race of beings in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo.
Soul Reapers are enforcers and psychopomps who all share similar supernatural powers. They are based on the Japanese Grim Reaper concept, imported from Europe into Japan during the Meiji period. Because the concept is very recent and was never a part of Shinto nor of Japanese folklore, Soul Reapers in Bl...
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Soul Reapers (死神, shinigami, literally "death god(s)") are a fictional race of beings in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo.
Soul Reapers are enforcers and psychopomps who all share similar supernatural powers. They are based on the Japanese Grim Reaper concept, imported from Europe into Japan during the Meiji period. Because the concept is very recent and was never a part of Shinto nor of Japanese folklore, Soul Reapers in Bleach are quite different from those of other works of fiction.
Soul Reapers are departed human souls that have gained supernatural powers. As such, their bodies are composed of ectoplasm (霊子, reishi) and they can only be seen by other spiritually aware entities, which excludes most humans. In the series, Soul Reapers, as well as most other types of spirits, are quite capable of influencing their environment. Additionally, they can be injured and die like regular humans, though it takes considerably greater injuries for the latter to occur than...
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