Bleach: Are Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Together? Relationship Explained!

As shonen fans will know, romance is rarely the focus of such shows, but it is sometimes hinted at or implied, which is why there are so many ships. One such case, as far as Bleach is concerned, is the case of Yoruichi Shihoin, the former Captain of the 2nd Division, and Kisuke Urahara, the former Captain of the 12th Division. The two of them are close friends and have been that for centuries, but are they a couple? Keep reading to find out!

Officially, Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin have not been confirmed as a couple, but the two of them have a very close bond and have been friends for a long time. Urahara was a former member of Yoruichi’s Division, and she was the one who recommended him for the rank of Captain. Later, when he was falsely accused, she gave up everything to help him and the Visored, leaving Soul Society so she could help her friend; since then, she has been at his side constantly in the World of the Living. The two have often collaborated, and as the Quincy Blood War revealed, Kisuke Urahara is the only one who knows everything about Yoruichi, indicating that they are, indeed, close, but as far as the canon is concerned – they are not a couple.

The rest of this article will explore Kisuke Urahara’s relationship with Yoruichi Shihoin while focusing, in particular, on the nature of their relationship and whether they are a couple in the series or not, which is also the main and principal question of this article. If you’re not fully up-to-date with the events of Bleach, this article might contain some important spoilers, but we have to state that no new information will be presented here, as we will focus on old and well-known facts about the two of them.

Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin are not officially a couple, but they are very close

As we usually do with these types of articles, we first analyze their personalities to see whether, based on that, there is any potential for a relationship at all.

Kisuke Urahara is probably the most intelligent character in the series. He is exceptionally smart, and his cunning is so dangerous that he is labeled a Special War Threat by the Sternritter.

He gives off the impression of being a shady and suspicious character while, at the same time, being able to play the role of a stupid and humble shopkeeper. And while he will not divulge his plans and his knowledge at once, he will eventually reveal what is needed and apologize if he has made a mistake because of his actions. He is extremely loyal to his friends and allies, and although he will avoid a fight if possible, he will nevertheless risk his own life to step in and save his friends.

Yoruichi is, likewise, highly intelligent and, due to her past as the Captain of the 2nd Division, is well-versed in the workings and processes of Soul Society. Despite being of noble descent, she does not behave according to her status.

An example can be found in her first encounter with Soi Fon, where she orders her to address her without using polite forms such as Yoruichi-sama. She also transforms from her cat to human form several times in front of Ichigo to see his reaction to her being naked. In addition, her way of speaking is more in line with that used by older people in Japan. While Yoruichi helps Chad and Orihime discover their powers and helps Ichigo reach his Bankai, she mostly avoids fighting herself when possible. Rather, she helps after a fight is over.

And as you can see, as far as their personalities are concerned, Yoruichi and Urahara are a pretty good match. They both have an exceptionally serious side, but they also both have a very childish and playful side. Of course, some parts of their personalities are different, but they complement each other. They are also extremely loyal to each other, and the mutual respect they share is simply amazing. In that aspect, we can actually confirm that they would be a good couple, as far as their personalities are concerned. But what does the story tell us?

Well, we know that the two of them go way back. When Yoruichi was still Captain of the 2nd Division, Urahara was a high-ranked member of her Division, and when Captain Kirio Hikifune was promoted to the Royal Guard, it was Yoruichi who nominated Urahara (whom Soi-Fon hated at the time) as her replacement, and he was eventually promoted to the rank of Captain.

At the time, she stood by his side and supported him, and when Aizen falsely accused Urahara of being the mastermind behind the Hollowfication experiments, i.e., when it became obvious that Urahara would be punished, Yoruichi decided to give it all up and help her friend, as she trusted him completely.

She helped him escape to the World of the Living. Without much thought, she went with him, deserting her position, confusing everyone (especially Soi-Fon), and opting to stay by Urahara’s side rather than enjoy the comfort of the Soul Society. This proves just how deep their bond was and how much she cared for him, and Urahara cherished that as he shared these feelings.

In her cat form, she would hang around Urahara’s Shop all of the time, and this is how she met some of the protagonists. She collaborated with Urahara on many things, including the invasion of the Seireitei. When Yammy and Ulquiorra first came to Karakura, Yoruichi, and Urahara faced them together and managed to defeat them.

Also, she allowed Urahara to create some enhancements for her, and the two of them, along with Isshin, faced Aizen in Fake Karakura; although they lost, this battle proved to be extremely important, as it ultimately allowed Urahara to seal Urahara once Ichigo weakened him enough.

Later, during the Quincy Blood War, the two of them, once again, collaborated and they ultimately faced Askin Nakk Le Vaar together, in which Urahara (despite Yoruichi’s opposition) prompted the activation of her highly dangerous Shunkō: Raijū Senkei: Shunryū Kokubyō Senki (yes, the cat form), which allowed them to gain the upper hand against Askin, forcing him to raise the stakes.

Yoruichi hated this form, but Urahara still activated it, and when Yoruichi turned into a cat, he explained that he was the only one whom she liked in that form and that he was the only one who knew how to control and appease her in that form. And that proved to be true.

As you can see, the depth of the bond between Urahara and Yoruichi is truly… obvious. They are close friends; they have been for centuries, and while Tite Kubo has not officially confirmed that they are a couple, they are so close that we can easily label their relationship as romantic, but this is, again, just conjecture on our part. Officially, the two of them are not a couple, but if Kubo ever decides to solidify some relationships in the series, Urahara and Yoruichi being a couple would make a lot of sense.