Toshiro Hitsugaya
Encyclopedia
is a fictional character
in the anime
and manga
series Bleach
created by Tite Kubo
. In the series, Hitsugaya is the captain of the 10th Division in the Gotei 13, a group of Soul Reapers protecting Soul Society. His lieutenant is Rangiku Matsumoto. Hitsugaya is the lead character of the Bleach-based film The Diamond Dust Rebellion.
As a child, Hitsugaya had an icy demeanor that estranged himself from others, with the exception of his grandmother and Hinamori. Throughout his childhood, he was always aware of what seemed to be an icy presence within himself and had continuous dreams about a plain of ice. He claims or believes he died on that plain. Five years after Hinamori's departure, Hitsugaya encountered Soul Reaper Rangiku Matsumoto, when she stood up to a merchant who left his change on the counter, rather than handing it to him. The two got into an argument, and Rangiku noticed Hitsugaya’s enormous latent spiritual power.
That night, Hitsugaya dreamt again of the icy plain and finally met Hyorinmaru for the first time, though he could not hear the spirit’s name. He woke up to find Rangiku admonishing him for not being able to control his power, which had been freezing his grandmother. She told him that power like his needed to be controlled and convinced him to become a Soul Reaper. Hitsugaya entered the Soul Reaper academy in spite of his age and became known as a prodigy, quickly ascending to Captain of the 10th Division, ironically making him Matsumoto's superior.
's school. He hates anything that he deems childish and hates being described as something close to a child, evident in a filler episode when he meets Ichigo's sister, Karin, who pats him over the head further angering him.
Hitsugaya is extremely sharp, and he is the first person to correctly suspect Gin Ichimaru
of foul play, though he understandably did not suspect Sosuke Aizen
of the same. He was very protective of Hinamori Momo, due to the fact that they grew up together, promising to kill those who harm her. A running gag is Hitsugaya getting annoyed when anyone refers to him by anything other than his title, .
Hitsugaya's zanpakuto is . Hyōrinmaru is the strongest of all ice type Zanpakutō in Soul Society. Hyorinmaru's spirit is a winged dragon made of ice, while in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc it takes the form of a man with long green hair and a blue x-shaped scar on his face, being calm and quiet most of the time. Hyorinmaru allows Hitsugaya to control ice and snow. The slashes created by Hyōrinmaru gives off an immense amount of spirit power which overflows from the tip of the blade, creating a flow of ice vaguely shaped like Hyōrinmaru's dragon spirit. The dragon flies at opponents and instantly freezes anything it touches.
Hyorinmaru's bankai, named , causes ice to flow from Hyorinmaru onto Hitsugaya, forming into two large wings, a tail, guards over his feet in the shape of dragon claws, a gauntlet of sorts, in a shape vaguely reminiscent of Hyornimaru's dragon spirit form, over his right hand, essentially binding his hand to Hyorinmaru's hilt, and twelve large flower petals.
Hyorinmaru's bankai has several known special techniques. The first is , which freezes any enemy Hitsugaya stabs, locking them into a cocoon of ice and freezing them to the core. Once frozen, Hitsugaya can shatter his opponent. The second is , which forms a multitude of ice pillars using the moisture in the atmosphere. These pillars hold the enemy prisoner for a thousand years, also freezing them. His third technique, Guncho Tsurara (literally "icicle flock"), he launches a multitude of ice shards in an attempt to impale his opponent. Once per bankai release, Hitsuagaya can create a clone of himself out of ice to distract and offset his opponent. A fourth attack, Hyoryu Senbi (literally "Ice Dragon Swirling Tail") allows Hitsugaya to swing his sword in a linear direction and create overflowing ice from his blade in the form of a crescent. His implied most powerful move is called Hyoten Hyakkaso (literally "frozen sky-countless ornate entombment"). This attack causes one hundred snow flakes to fall from the sky, freezing anything they touch in a flower like shape. When all one hundred flakes fall, the life of the one trapped by the attack is ended.
of foul play as the circumstances surrounding the coming execution of Rukia Kuchiki
become more complicated. He warns Hinamori Momo, inspiring her to attack Gin following Aizen's "murder". When Izuru Kira steps forth to defend his captain against Hinamori, Hitsugaya admonishes Hinamori for losing control and forgetting her duty and sends her and Kira to prison. When Hinamori is manipulated into thinking that Hitsugaya killed Aizen, Hitsugaya knocks her out, and believing Gin responsible, attacks him. The fight is interrupted when Hitsugaya dodges an attack that almost leads to Hinamori's death, only to be intercepted by Matsumoto. Seeing how destructive Rukia's execution is becoming, Hitsugaya tries to stop the execution by appealing to the Chamber 46, only to discover all 46 members are dead and Aizen is responsible for murdering them, having faked his death. When Hitsugaya discovers Hinamori injured and interrogates Aizen, Hitsugaya tries to kill Aizen but is defeated.
In a later arc, Hitsugaya leads a group of Soul Reapers assigned to defend Karakura Town against the arrancar threat. During the first attack, he battles Shawlong Qufang. Though heavily injured, he wins after being allowed to remove his power limit. During the second arrancar attack, he fends off Luppi Antenorf. Though Hitsugaya is initially unable to defend against Luppi's attacks and is knocked to the ground in a single hit, Luppi's inattentiveness and overconfidence gives him ample time to build up a finishing move. Upon learning that Orihime Inoue
has followed the arrancar back to Hueco Mundo, Hitsugaya and his team return to Soul Society to help in the preparation for the war against Aizen. He returns to Karakura Town with the other Captains and engages the Third Espada, Tier Halibel alongside Hiyori Sarugaki and Lisa Yadomaru. He engages Aizen in battle and, with the combined efforts of Suì-Fēng, Shunsui Kyoraku and Shinji Hirako, stabs Aizen in the chest. However, Aizen had been using his zanpakutō's hypnotic abilities, tricking Hitsugaya into stabbing Hinamori. Hitsugaya attacks Aizen in a blind rage, only to be cut down. After Aizen's defeat, Hitsugaya, already healed, trains so that he can more freely use his bankai to protect Hinamori.
When Ginjo Kugo steals Ichigo's Fullbring, Hitsugaya and several other high-ranking Soul Reapers appear in the human world. To help Ichigo regain his Soul Reaper powers and and combat the rogue Substitute Soul Reaper Kugo, Captain-Commander Yamamoto orders the Soul Reapers to give some of their spirit energy. Hitsugaya then engages the Fullbringer Yukio in a game of cat-and-mouse, ending with Hitsugaya encasing Yukio in ice, threatening to end his life if he does not release his Fullbring.
. He is the main character in The DiamondDust Rebellion, where he searches for the thieves who stole the "King's Seal," an ancient artifact, after crossing paths with and fighting them. This led the Seireitei to suspect him of treason. As Ichigo Kurosaki
and others go out in search of him, Hitsugaya stumbles across a dark secret concerning a long-dead Soul Reaper named Kusaka Sōjirō, who was his close friend and rival when he was younger. A one-shot manga chapter focusing on Histugaya's past was released to promote the film, revealing how Hitsugaya learned of his powers. Apparently, Kusaka uses the King's Seal to come back to life for revenge, but in the end is killed by Hitsugaya in a final rematch. He also appears in the third film
, in which he loses his memories of Ichigo and Rukia, along with the other Soul Reapers.
Hitsugaya is featured in the 30 minute original video animation
, Sealed Sword Frenzy, in which he is part of the group of captains sent to the real world to seal away the escaped and notoriously dangerous shinigami criminal, Baishin. During their first encounter, he successfully fends off the criminal, though Baishin escapes.
Hitsugaya has been a playable character in every Bleach-related video game released so far, the only exception being Bleach: Heat the Soul. Often, he's playable in several different forms, such as his shikai and bankai and even in a gigai. He is also a playable character in the Nintendo DS
game, Jump Ultimate Stars
.
He also appears in two Bleach Beat Collection albums aside: The first one was a compilation album with Hinamori Momo and his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto. The second one was also a compilation album, this time with the protagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki
. His two songs are 'This Light I See' and 'Bleach the Limitation'. He is also portrayed by Takashi Nagayama
in the Rock Bleach Musicals.
s Bleach popularity polls ranking most of the times within the top ten. In early 2008, Hitsugaya was voted the most popular character in the series, replacing Ichigo Kurosaki
, who had previously held the position. He received 8278 votes, 383 votes more than Rukia Kuchiki
, who finished second. Hyōrinmaru was voted the most popular Zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Poll. In the 2007 Japanese Newtype
magazine character polls, he was voted the 9th most popular male character in any anime. Various merchandise based on Hitsugaya's appearance has been created, including action figures, plush toys and key-chains.
In order to promote the second film of Bleach, the trailer had the line "Execute Hitsugaya!". Kubo admitted that it was his own idea to make everybody be surprised, but he and Masakazu Morita
, the voice actor of Ichigo Kurosaki, received a lot of letters from worried fans, causing Kubo to apologize in response. The Japanese music distributor Recochoku has made two annual survey of which anime characters that people would like to marry. Hitsugaya ranked 8th in the category "The Character I Want to Be My Groom" from the 2008 survey and 3rd in the 2009 poll in the same category. In the 28th Anime Grand Prix poll, Hitsugaya was voted as the eighth most popular male anime character.
Various publications from manga, anime and other media have commented on Hitsugaya's character adding praise and criticism. Carl Kimlinger from Anime News Network
praised Steve Staley
, Hitsugaya's English voice actor, for giving an interesting variation of his voice rather than "integrity-destroying abominations". In another review he comments that Hitsugaya's unresolved personal issue is, along with the ones from others characters, to be a good part from the climax of one of the story arcs from Bleach. He additionally praised Hitsugaya's bankai for the good animation it has in the anime. IGN
's Ramsey Isler found Hitsugaya to be one of the most common "fan favorite" characters from the series, but lamented the fact that his first fight against an arrancar was not very entertaining and his character did not "get a chance to shine." His appearances in DiamondDust Rebellion were praised by Active Anime's Holly Ellingwood who noted them "involving and intriguing" and liked his scenes with Matsumoto.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series Bleach
Bleach (manga)
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Noriaki "Tite" Kubo. Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the powers of a —a death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki...
created by Tite Kubo
Tite Kubo
, known by his pen name , is a Japanese manga artist. His most significant work is the manga series Bleach.-Biography:Kubo was the son of a town council member in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima. He never took drawing seriously until he was 17, and after reading the manga Saint Seiya which...
. In the series, Hitsugaya is the captain of the 10th Division in the Gotei 13, a group of Soul Reapers protecting Soul Society. His lieutenant is Rangiku Matsumoto. Hitsugaya is the lead character of the Bleach-based film The Diamond Dust Rebellion.
Background
Hitsugaya's early life was spent in Junrinan, District 1 of western Rukongai. There he lived with his Grandmother and for a short period of time with Momo Hinamori, whom he considers a very close friend.As a child, Hitsugaya had an icy demeanor that estranged himself from others, with the exception of his grandmother and Hinamori. Throughout his childhood, he was always aware of what seemed to be an icy presence within himself and had continuous dreams about a plain of ice. He claims or believes he died on that plain. Five years after Hinamori's departure, Hitsugaya encountered Soul Reaper Rangiku Matsumoto, when she stood up to a merchant who left his change on the counter, rather than handing it to him. The two got into an argument, and Rangiku noticed Hitsugaya’s enormous latent spiritual power.
That night, Hitsugaya dreamt again of the icy plain and finally met Hyorinmaru for the first time, though he could not hear the spirit’s name. He woke up to find Rangiku admonishing him for not being able to control his power, which had been freezing his grandmother. She told him that power like his needed to be controlled and convinced him to become a Soul Reaper. Hitsugaya entered the Soul Reaper academy in spite of his age and became known as a prodigy, quickly ascending to Captain of the 10th Division, ironically making him Matsumoto's superior.
Personality
Toshiro Hitsugaya is very young by Soul Society standards. Born in Rukongai, he became the youngest ever to reach Captain rank (Taicho - Japanese for 'Captain'). Thus, he is called a "boy genius" or a "child prodigy" by many. Hitsugaya is generally mature and serious, in contrast to his free-spirited lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, although he can sometimes be short-tempered and irritable. Despite their personality differences, he and Matsumoto seem to be very close. Hitsugaya is shown to also be easily irked by others goofing off or drawing unneeded attention to themselves, as shown when he led a team of Soul Reapers into Ichigo KurosakiIchigo Kurosaki
is a fictional character in the anime and manga franchise Bleach by Tite Kubo. He is the story's main character. The series begins with Ichigo receiving Soul Reaper powers as a result of a run-in with Rukia Kuchiki, the Soul Reaper assigned to patrol his city, Karakura Town...
's school. He hates anything that he deems childish and hates being described as something close to a child, evident in a filler episode when he meets Ichigo's sister, Karin, who pats him over the head further angering him.
Hitsugaya is extremely sharp, and he is the first person to correctly suspect Gin Ichimaru
Gin Ichimaru
is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo. He is the captain of the 3rd Division in the Gotei 13 until he betrays Soul Society, and after that becomes a commander in Sōsuke Aizen's arrancar army. Later on, his initial betrayal turns out to be a trick to get...
of foul play, though he understandably did not suspect Sosuke Aizen
Sosuke Aizen
is a fictional character and formerly the main antagonist in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo. He is the captain of the 5th Division when he is first introduced, but later betrays the Soul Society and becomes the series' main antagonist...
of the same. He was very protective of Hinamori Momo, due to the fact that they grew up together, promising to kill those who harm her. A running gag is Hitsugaya getting annoyed when anyone refers to him by anything other than his title, .
Abilities
- Dragon form:
- Spirit:
Hitsugaya's zanpakuto is . Hyōrinmaru is the strongest of all ice type Zanpakutō in Soul Society. Hyorinmaru's spirit is a winged dragon made of ice, while in the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales anime arc it takes the form of a man with long green hair and a blue x-shaped scar on his face, being calm and quiet most of the time. Hyorinmaru allows Hitsugaya to control ice and snow. The slashes created by Hyōrinmaru gives off an immense amount of spirit power which overflows from the tip of the blade, creating a flow of ice vaguely shaped like Hyōrinmaru's dragon spirit. The dragon flies at opponents and instantly freezes anything it touches.
Hyorinmaru's bankai has several known special techniques. The first is , which freezes any enemy Hitsugaya stabs, locking them into a cocoon of ice and freezing them to the core. Once frozen, Hitsugaya can shatter his opponent. The second is , which forms a multitude of ice pillars using the moisture in the atmosphere. These pillars hold the enemy prisoner for a thousand years, also freezing them. His third technique, Guncho Tsurara (literally "icicle flock"), he launches a multitude of ice shards in an attempt to impale his opponent. Once per bankai release, Hitsuagaya can create a clone of himself out of ice to distract and offset his opponent. A fourth attack, Hyoryu Senbi (literally "Ice Dragon Swirling Tail") allows Hitsugaya to swing his sword in a linear direction and create overflowing ice from his blade in the form of a crescent. His implied most powerful move is called Hyoten Hyakkaso (literally "frozen sky-countless ornate entombment"). This attack causes one hundred snow flakes to fall from the sky, freezing anything they touch in a flower like shape. When all one hundred flakes fall, the life of the one trapped by the attack is ended.
Plot overview
Introduced to the Gotei 13, Hitsugaya's intuition leads him to suspect 3rd Division captain Gin IchimaruGin Ichimaru
is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo. He is the captain of the 3rd Division in the Gotei 13 until he betrays Soul Society, and after that becomes a commander in Sōsuke Aizen's arrancar army. Later on, his initial betrayal turns out to be a trick to get...
of foul play as the circumstances surrounding the coming execution of Rukia Kuchiki
Rukia Kuchiki
Rukia is 4foot 8 . is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo. In the series, Rukia is a Soul Reaper in charge of slaying evil spirits known as Hollows...
become more complicated. He warns Hinamori Momo, inspiring her to attack Gin following Aizen's "murder". When Izuru Kira steps forth to defend his captain against Hinamori, Hitsugaya admonishes Hinamori for losing control and forgetting her duty and sends her and Kira to prison. When Hinamori is manipulated into thinking that Hitsugaya killed Aizen, Hitsugaya knocks her out, and believing Gin responsible, attacks him. The fight is interrupted when Hitsugaya dodges an attack that almost leads to Hinamori's death, only to be intercepted by Matsumoto. Seeing how destructive Rukia's execution is becoming, Hitsugaya tries to stop the execution by appealing to the Chamber 46, only to discover all 46 members are dead and Aizen is responsible for murdering them, having faked his death. When Hitsugaya discovers Hinamori injured and interrogates Aizen, Hitsugaya tries to kill Aizen but is defeated.
In a later arc, Hitsugaya leads a group of Soul Reapers assigned to defend Karakura Town against the arrancar threat. During the first attack, he battles Shawlong Qufang. Though heavily injured, he wins after being allowed to remove his power limit. During the second arrancar attack, he fends off Luppi Antenorf. Though Hitsugaya is initially unable to defend against Luppi's attacks and is knocked to the ground in a single hit, Luppi's inattentiveness and overconfidence gives him ample time to build up a finishing move. Upon learning that Orihime Inoue
Orihime Inoue
is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo. She is a classmate and friend of Ichigo Kurosaki, the main character of the series. Like many other friends of Ichigo, she quickly develops spiritual powers of her own after Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper...
has followed the arrancar back to Hueco Mundo, Hitsugaya and his team return to Soul Society to help in the preparation for the war against Aizen. He returns to Karakura Town with the other Captains and engages the Third Espada, Tier Halibel alongside Hiyori Sarugaki and Lisa Yadomaru. He engages Aizen in battle and, with the combined efforts of Suì-Fēng, Shunsui Kyoraku and Shinji Hirako, stabs Aizen in the chest. However, Aizen had been using his zanpakutō's hypnotic abilities, tricking Hitsugaya into stabbing Hinamori. Hitsugaya attacks Aizen in a blind rage, only to be cut down. After Aizen's defeat, Hitsugaya, already healed, trains so that he can more freely use his bankai to protect Hinamori.
When Ginjo Kugo steals Ichigo's Fullbring, Hitsugaya and several other high-ranking Soul Reapers appear in the human world. To help Ichigo regain his Soul Reaper powers and and combat the rogue Substitute Soul Reaper Kugo, Captain-Commander Yamamoto orders the Soul Reapers to give some of their spirit energy. Hitsugaya then engages the Fullbringer Yukio in a game of cat-and-mouse, ending with Hitsugaya encasing Yukio in ice, threatening to end his life if he does not release his Fullbring.
Appearances in other media
He appears in all of the featured films in the series: he fights the Dark Ones with other Soul Reaper comrades in Bleach: Memories of NobodyBleach: Memories of Nobody
Bleach: Memories of Nobody is a 2006 animated film adaptation of the anime and manga series Bleach. Directed by Noriyuki Abe and written by Masashi Sogo, the film was first released in Japanese theaters on December 16, 2006. The DVD was released in Japan on September 5, 2007...
. He is the main character in The DiamondDust Rebellion, where he searches for the thieves who stole the "King's Seal," an ancient artifact, after crossing paths with and fighting them. This led the Seireitei to suspect him of treason. As Ichigo Kurosaki
Ichigo Kurosaki
is a fictional character in the anime and manga franchise Bleach by Tite Kubo. He is the story's main character. The series begins with Ichigo receiving Soul Reaper powers as a result of a run-in with Rukia Kuchiki, the Soul Reaper assigned to patrol his city, Karakura Town...
and others go out in search of him, Hitsugaya stumbles across a dark secret concerning a long-dead Soul Reaper named Kusaka Sōjirō, who was his close friend and rival when he was younger. A one-shot manga chapter focusing on Histugaya's past was released to promote the film, revealing how Hitsugaya learned of his powers. Apparently, Kusaka uses the King's Seal to come back to life for revenge, but in the end is killed by Hitsugaya in a final rematch. He also appears in the third film
Bleach: Fade to Black, I Call Your Name
is the third animated film adaptation of the anime and manga series Bleach. Directed by Noriyuki Abe, the film was released December 13, 2008. The film's theme music was "Koyoi, Tsuki wa Miezu Tomo", performed by Porno Graffiti and its screenplay was written by Natsuko Takahashi, who is a...
, in which he loses his memories of Ichigo and Rukia, along with the other Soul Reapers.
Hitsugaya is featured in the 30 minute original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
, Sealed Sword Frenzy, in which he is part of the group of captains sent to the real world to seal away the escaped and notoriously dangerous shinigami criminal, Baishin. During their first encounter, he successfully fends off the criminal, though Baishin escapes.
Hitsugaya has been a playable character in every Bleach-related video game released so far, the only exception being Bleach: Heat the Soul. Often, he's playable in several different forms, such as his shikai and bankai and even in a gigai. He is also a playable character in the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
game, Jump Ultimate Stars
Jump Ultimate Stars
is a fighting video game developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the sequel to Jump Super Stars, also released for the DS. The game was released in Japan on November 23, 2006...
.
He also appears in two Bleach Beat Collection albums aside: The first one was a compilation album with Hinamori Momo and his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto. The second one was also a compilation album, this time with the protagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki
Ichigo Kurosaki
is a fictional character in the anime and manga franchise Bleach by Tite Kubo. He is the story's main character. The series begins with Ichigo receiving Soul Reaper powers as a result of a run-in with Rukia Kuchiki, the Soul Reaper assigned to patrol his city, Karakura Town...
. His two songs are 'This Light I See' and 'Bleach the Limitation'. He is also portrayed by Takashi Nagayama
Takashi Nagayama
is a Japanese actor. He is probably best known for his roles as Eiji Kikumaru in The Prince of Tennis musical series, Tenimyu, when he replaced Yamazaki Ichitaro , and Tōshirō Hitsugaya in "Rock Musical Bleach". During his run in Tenimyu, he garnered the nickname "Nagayan", which he is still...
in the Rock Bleach Musicals.
Reception
Hitsugaya has been highly popular in the Weekly Shōnen JumpWeekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
s Bleach popularity polls ranking most of the times within the top ten. In early 2008, Hitsugaya was voted the most popular character in the series, replacing Ichigo Kurosaki
Ichigo Kurosaki
is a fictional character in the anime and manga franchise Bleach by Tite Kubo. He is the story's main character. The series begins with Ichigo receiving Soul Reaper powers as a result of a run-in with Rukia Kuchiki, the Soul Reaper assigned to patrol his city, Karakura Town...
, who had previously held the position. He received 8278 votes, 383 votes more than Rukia Kuchiki
Rukia Kuchiki
Rukia is 4foot 8 . is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo. In the series, Rukia is a Soul Reaper in charge of slaying evil spirits known as Hollows...
, who finished second. Hyōrinmaru was voted the most popular Zanpakutō in the Zanpakutō Poll. In the 2007 Japanese Newtype
Newtype (magazine)
is a monthly magazine publication originating from Japan, covering anime and manga . It was launched by publishing company Kadokawa Shoten on March 8, 1985 with its April issue, and has since seen regular release on the 10th of every month in its home country...
magazine character polls, he was voted the 9th most popular male character in any anime. Various merchandise based on Hitsugaya's appearance has been created, including action figures, plush toys and key-chains.
In order to promote the second film of Bleach, the trailer had the line "Execute Hitsugaya!". Kubo admitted that it was his own idea to make everybody be surprised, but he and Masakazu Morita
Masakazu Morita
is a seiyū and actor born in Tokyo, Japan. He currently works for Aoni Production. He is also the host of the radio show, Bleach B-Station. Morita is perhaps best known for his roles as Ichigo Kurosaki , Tidus , Auel Neider , Pegasus Seiya , Troy Bolton is a seiyū and actor born in Tokyo, Japan....
, the voice actor of Ichigo Kurosaki, received a lot of letters from worried fans, causing Kubo to apologize in response. The Japanese music distributor Recochoku has made two annual survey of which anime characters that people would like to marry. Hitsugaya ranked 8th in the category "The Character I Want to Be My Groom" from the 2008 survey and 3rd in the 2009 poll in the same category. In the 28th Anime Grand Prix poll, Hitsugaya was voted as the eighth most popular male anime character.
Various publications from manga, anime and other media have commented on Hitsugaya's character adding praise and criticism. Carl Kimlinger from Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
praised Steve Staley
Steve Staley
Steve Staley is a voice actor who is also known as Steve Cannon. He is represented by Arlene Thornton & Associates.When he is not working in the booth, he teaches a voice acting class at Kalmenson & Kalmenson in Burbank, California....
, Hitsugaya's English voice actor, for giving an interesting variation of his voice rather than "integrity-destroying abominations". In another review he comments that Hitsugaya's unresolved personal issue is, along with the ones from others characters, to be a good part from the climax of one of the story arcs from Bleach. He additionally praised Hitsugaya's bankai for the good animation it has in the anime. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Ramsey Isler found Hitsugaya to be one of the most common "fan favorite" characters from the series, but lamented the fact that his first fight against an arrancar was not very entertaining and his character did not "get a chance to shine." His appearances in DiamondDust Rebellion were praised by Active Anime's Holly Ellingwood who noted them "involving and intriguing" and liked his scenes with Matsumoto.