Bleach: Who Is Genshirō Okikiba & How Powerful Is He? Introducing Kyoraku’s Second Lieutenant!

Most Bleach fans will know all the major Shinigami in the series, while hardcore fans will know even some whose impact on the story is not that big. Some of them have made a name for themselves, while others have become an important addition to the lore despite not doing much in the series. Genshirō Okikiba is one such character, and in this article, we will tell you all about Yamamoto’s former 3rd Seat and Kyoraku’s current Co-Lieutenant in the series.

Genshirō Okikiba is an old Shinigami who was introduced later in the series as a member of the 1st Division. Alongside Yamamoto and Sasakibe, he seems to be the oldest and most trusted member of the 1st Division, and while he was introduced later in the series, it seemed as if Yamamoto put a lot of trust in him. His true powers have never been revealed, but since he was appointed Yamamoto’s 3rd Seat, we assume Okikiba was quite powerful. After Yamamoto’s and Sasakibe’s deaths and Kyoraku’s subsequent appointment as Captain-Commander, he was promoted to Lieutenant, serving alongside Kyoraku’s former 8th Division Lieutenant, Nanao Ise; Kyoraku, thus, like Ukitake, had two Lieutenants at the time.

The rest of this article will be dedicated to Genshirō Okikiba and his story as it happened on the pages of Bleach. We are actually going to explain who Genshirō Okikiba is, why he is such an important character, and what his overall powers and abilities are in the series. We will answer all the important questions about this intriguing member of the 1st Division, so stick with us if you want to know what happened. This article will contain many major spoilers, so be careful if you haven’t actually read the Bleach manga, as this article will reveal a lot.

Genshirō Okikiba has not spoken a single word, but his presence seems to be a sign of stability in the Division

The name Genshirō Okikiba might not be known to all Bleach fans, and in all honesty, if you’re a bit confused as to why we are discussing him, we won’t blame you. He is a character who was seen in several scenes, but in all the time he has appeared, he has never spoken a single word.

He is a shadowy presence, but he is, at the same time, a sign of stability and, as was seen in the series, a trustworthy character whom the late Yamamoto could rely on easily, even in the most dangerous situations. Now, since Okikiba’s role in the story is, despite everything we’ve said, significant, we have decided to tell you everything that we know about him.

Genshirō Okikiba is quite old, as seen by his appearance, with some wrinkles on his forehead and cheeks. His hair is combed back and is almost completely white, with a small streak of black on the right side, and he also has a big white mustache. Despite his age, he seems to be in great physical condition.

He seems to be a man of great responsibility and commitment on the Gotei 13 and also seemed to be very faithful to his Captain, the late Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. It is not known how skilled he is on the battlefield. Still, when Yamamoto decided to join the fighting, he entrusted Okikiba with protecting the barracks, which Okikiba accepted without hesitation. He seemed to have done a good job, which suggests that he was quite powerful, but which also shows just how much Yamamoto trusted him and how reliable Okikiba was as a character.

Now, his story is not filled with many events, but we will tell you what we know about this silent biography of his. After the Wandenreich attacked the Soul Society for the first time, Yamamoto, after sensing the presence of Sasakibe’s killer, immediately went to the battle site while ordering Okikiba to guide the 1st Division’s Barracks while he was away. Okikiba did, and as it seemed, no harm had befallen him until much later when he was faced with a force much above his level.

At that moment, Yhwach personally attacked and destroyed the 1st Division’s Barrack, seemingly burying Okikiba in the rubble, but it turned out that he survived and was then left as the temporary leader of the 1st Division; Okikiba was the 3rd Seat, so, after the deaths of Sasakibe and Yamamoto, Okikiba was the provisionary leader.

After the Wandenreich attackers withdrew and Shunsui Kyōraku was appointed the new Captain-Commander after Yamamoto’s death, Kyōraku was expected to appoint Okikiba as his Lieutenant. Still, he also wanted to keep Nanao Ise, who was his Lieutenant in the 8th Division. After elaborating the situation to Central 46, Kyōraku appointed Genshirō, along with Nanao Ise, as his Lieutenant.

While Nanao Ise performed, more or less, the same duties as before, Okikiba was kept because he knew the 1st Division well, and Kyōraku assigned him the task of dealing with the business and affairs within the 1st Division.

He was later seen, in the anime only, when Yhwach and his Schutzstaffel went to the Soul King’s Palace, in the company of Kyōraku and Nanao, observing their exit, and that was is as far as the Quincy War Saga is concerned. He appears in the Can’t Fear Your Own World sequel light novel, where he speaks for the first time, but his role in the story is still minor.

Ten years later, he was there when Rukia was appointed as Ukitake’s successor, and he also made a brief appearance in the Echoing Jaws of Hell arc when Nanao asked him to take care of Kyōraku while she was away.

And that is, more or less, that. Genshirō Okikiba is specific in the sense that he has made an impact and is interesting to fans, although he has not spoken even a single word in the whole series. Everything we know about him has been implied. We can deduce that he was an important member of Yamamoto’s Division based on how much respect everyone has for him in the series.

As for his powers and abilities, we don’t know anything since we haven’t seen him fight. His Zanpakuto’s name, as well as his Shikai and, potentially, Bankai, have not been named in the series. But, the fact that he survived Yhwach’s destruction of the 1st Division Barracks and that Yamamoto trusted his powers and abilities enough to entrust the safety of the barracks to him while he was away suggests Okikiba was quite powerful.

He wouldn’t have let him all alone and certainly wouldn’t have given him the position of his 3rd Seat had he not shown his worth in battle since Yamamoto respected strong warriors more than anything else. Still, it is sad that we haven’t seen him in battle in the series.