The story of Tite Kubo's Bleach features a massive cast of characters of all kinds, many of them being black-robed Soul Reapers or monstrous Hollows, or even ordinary human beings living in Karakura Town. This series has plenty of heroes who back up the protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki, and they come in all sorts.
Many of Bleach's heroes could be considered role models, since they demonstrate the virtues of compassion, kindness, patience, diligence and selflessness, not to mention incredible courage in battle. Other Bleach heroes aren't such stellar role models, though they are still great fun to watch over the course of the series. Who among Bleach's heroes is worth emulating, and who is not?
10 GREAT ROLE MODEL: Ichigo Kurosaki Will Do Anything For Friends & Family
It's true that Ichigo also has some negative character traits that hold him back as a role model, such as his grouchy and punkish attitude, but as a whole, Ichigo matches Naruto Uzumaki and Monkey D. Luffy as a worthy shonen role model. Deep down, Ichigo always knows what's right.
Ichigo is a responsible student and a loyal friend, which is a great start, and he is also incredibly brave and will take on any challenge to defend his friends and family from any threat. Ichigo is a proactive person in Bleach, and having initiative is a wonderful thing.
9 BAD ROLE MODEL: Ikkaku Madarame Only Cares About Warrior Honor
Ikkaku Madarame is one of several Bleach characters who went from villain to hero, and he clashed with Ichigo early in the Soul Society story arc before facing defeat. Ikkaku is a good example of what squad 11's members are like: he favors honor, aggression and glory above all else.
Ikkaku's dedication to swordplay is impressive, and he has what it takes to become a Lieutenant. However, he has a bad attitude and a short temper, which isn't so great, and he has few goals or interests besides fighting. He also draws out fights to the point of foolishness and self-sabotage.
8 GREAT ROLE MODEL: Kaien Shiba Understands The Heart
Kaien Shiba is Ichigo's cousin through Isshin Kurosaki's family, and he is an even finer role model than his human cousin. During his lifetime, Kaien was quite popular across the Gotei 13, and he was renowned for not just his skills, but also his warm personality and his kindness.
Kaien was talented, but he was humble about it, and was perfectly willing to praise and acknowledge other skilled Soul Reapers, even at his own expense. He also taught Rukia Kuchiki a vital lesson about the heart: it's an immortal bond that links two people, and not even death can sever it.
7 BAD ROLE MODEL: Yumichika Ayasegawa Is An Odd One
Yumichika Ayasegawa is a member of squad 11, just like his friend Ikkaku, and he's not such a stellar role model, either. Yumichika, despite his foppish appearance, is a stone-cold warrior at heart, and he refuses to aid his allies, because that would be dishonorable. It's an odd example to set for viewers.
Not only will Yumichika refuse to help his fellows, but he will even sabotage himself to maintain squad 11's honor. As in, he restrains his kido-based zanpakuto on principle, even if it will cost him a fight. No one should hold themselves back like that. Also, Yumichika is rather vain and snaps at people sometimes, even his own zanpakuto spirit.
6 GREAT ROLE MODEL: Shuhei Hisagi Knows His Duty
The Lieutenant of squad 9 is Shuhei Hisagi, and while he learned some vital lessons from ex-Captain Kaname Tosen, Shuhei certainly didn't help Tosen betray the Soul Society or aid Aizen. Instead, Shuhei is totally dedicated to his duty and the Seireitei, and he will never complain about that burden.
Shuhei is like a soldier's soldier, and his discipline, patience, maturity and courage all set a great example for viewers. He also understands that power should always be respected and feared, and never treated like a toy or a game. That theory could have some real-life applications.
5 BAD ROLE MODEL: Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi Goofs Off All Day
It's true that little Yachiru Kusajishi is just a kid, but she is still not much of a role model for anyone. Rather, Yachiru's character is mostly used for comic relief, and she also helps inspire Kenpachi Zaraki's paternal side. Yachiru is mainly defined by the effect she has on other people.
Yachiru rarely takes her duty, even when the fighting starts. She tends to make jokes, tease people, or just run off to find something fun to do. She also runs the Soul Reaper Women's Association, but uses all its resources to buy candy and games. That's not how a club president should behave.
4 GREAT ROLE MODEL: Chad Respects His Own Strength
In his younger days, Yasutora "Chad" Sado was a bully, frustrated by feeling like he belonged nowhere in the world. He was a big and strong kid for his age, and he vented his frustration by harassing and beating other kids around him while living in Mexico. Then his grandfather stepped in.
Chad's grandfather taught the boy to become a pacifist and use his strength to shield others, not to harm them, and that is true power. Chad took this lesson to heart, and turned his life around when he returned to Japan. Now he is a loyal and humble friend who won't dare misuse his strength ever again.
3 BAD ROLE MODEL: Keigo Asano Won't Take Anything Seriously
Ichigo's classmate Keigo Asano is a real goofball, and not much more than that. He actually takes pride in getting bad grades, since he associates good grades with boring nerds like Uryu Ishida. He actually felt betrayed when Ichigo and Chad scored high in the class after some exams.
Students should not follow Keigo's poor example, and besides that, Keigo is also a self-styled womanizer who annoys everyone around him, and he doesn't seem to take anything seriously except himself. He's a pretty lousy role model overall.
2 GREAT ROLE MODEL: Tatsuki Arisawa Loves Karate & Protects Her Friends
Tatsuki is another of Ichigo's non-magical classmates, and she serves as a much better role model than Keigo does. It's true that her temper is a bit too short, and she's too prone to hitting people who annoy her. Otherwise, she's a good role model for what a protective friend looks like.
Tatsuki and Orihime Inoue are dear friends, and Tatsuki will immediately take action if Orihime is in danger or goes missing. Tatsuki also diligently practices karate, and she is determined to make it big someday. Having constructive and fun goals like that is a good example to follow.
1 BAD ROLE MODEL: Kisuke Urahara Is Difficult To Emulate
The ex-Captain Kisuke Urahara is a weak role model not because he's a terrible person (he isn't), but because he is difficult to identify with, and his talents are even more difficult to draw inspiration from. Kisuke is meant to be a spectacle on screen, not a deeply sympathetic character.
In a way, Kisuke is more of a living plot device and a fighter, and while that's not a bad thing, it also makes Kisuke an awkward role model. There aren't many real-life lessons to apply here, except something vague like "have a good sense of humor" and "creativity is key." Bleach has more appropriate role models than this.