Ichigo Kurosaki is the hero of Tite Kubo's hit series Bleach, immersed in a world of spirits and swords and magic powers. But what made him the hero, exactly? To become the powerful Soul Reaper he's known to be, Ichigo had several factors line up just right. His heritage was a good start: his father was a Soul Reaper, Captain Isshin Shiba of Squad 10, and his mother Masaki was a human Quincy. Some time ago, an artificial Hollow called White (one of Sosuke Aizen's inventions) attacked, and its Hollow essence poisoned Masaki. Isshin gave up his powers to save her life, and they later married and had three children: Ichigo, Yuzu and Karin.

Ichigo always had latent spirit abilities, and he could see ghosts and Hollow when few other people could. His powers were fully activated when he met Rukia Kuchiki — a Soul Reaper — and she thrust her zanpakuto into his chest to lend him her powers. Ever since then, Ichigo has been a Soul Reaper of great power, and his training with Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi  Shihouin honed his abilities further. Ichigo's training brought him to a level of strength beyond most of his allies, but it wasn't exactly impossible to duplicate. Suppose Yuzu and Karin followed the same path as their brother?

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It's not really so far-fetched to think that Karin and Yuzu could become Soul Reapers like their big brother. To begin with, they have the exact same ancestry, since the three of them are full-blooded siblings. Isshin is as much their Soul Reaper father as he is Ichigo's, and both sisters have a Quincy mother in Masaki. That alone sets the groundwork for Karin and Yuzu to become powerful, only needing an outside catalyst like Ichigo did. It should also be noted that Karin, much like Ichigo at the start of Bleach, is already able to clearly see ghosts and Hollows. Yuzu is able to see them as well, albeit much less clearly, but, regardless, it's a promising start for the both of them.

If Karin and Yuzu have the same "ingredients" as their hero brother, then they may react the same way to certain exterior factors as well. Ichigo didn't just become a Soul Reaper by will or by exercising a lot; he needed Rukia's input and the infusion of her powers. This aids the case for Yuzu and Karin, since even the mighty Ichigo needed outside help to spark his powers. If the Kurosaki sisters met a Soul Reaper generous enough to lend them powers in the same manner, then in all likelihood, they too would become substitute Soul Reapers. This is purely hypothetical, as there's no guarantee that Karin and Yuzu would successfully become full-blown Soul Reapers like Ichigo, but all the signs point in that direction, at the very least.

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yuzu kurosaki smiling in bleach

And it's not like Ichigo started off at 100%. Even after gaining Rukia's powers and becoming a substitute Soul Reaper, he had some ground left to cover. Namely, he had no formal training with the sword and had a generic, nameless zanpakuto with limited strength. The only reason he advanced beyond that point was because he trained with Kisuke Urahara, enduring grueling training to unlock Zangetsu, his real power. He unlocked shikai in this manner, and after training with Yoruichi, he also learned bankai. Training with the Visoreds is what allowed him to control his inner Hollow and master the use of Getsuga Tensho.

These advances were learned, not innate, so it is not inconceivable that Yuzu and Karin could learn the same lessons from the same teachers and thus get the same results. Ichigo's advanced powers were the result of what he did, and actions can be repeated. That's good news for the hypothetical Soul Reaper versions of Yuzu and Karin.

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There is another ingredient: personality. Ichigo may be gruff, but he's also got a strong sense of personal loyalty, and he routinely risks his life to protect his friends and family. Protecting Yuzu and Karin from a Hollow is what inspired him to become a Soul Reaper to begin with, in fact. He is also tough and brave, and these attributes are particularly mirrored in Karin, who refused to cry for years after her mother's death, purely so her family wouldn't worry. Yuzu, meanwhile, is much like Orihime, and as a Soul Reaper, she would likely end up with a healing sort of zanpakuto, like Hanataro Yamada's. Not all swords cut; some heal.

Yuzu and Karin Kurosaki, under the right circumstances, could very well become heroic Soul Reapers like Ichigo, and they already have what it takes. They just need a jump start.

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