This is a list of characters for Tite Kubo's manga and anime series Bleach. It takes place in a fictional universe in which the characters are split into various factionalized fictional races. They are subdivisions of humanity, but are distinguished by whether they live on Earth or in one of the afterlives, by possession of thematically contrasting supernatural powers, and by the use of aesthetics drawn from the artistic traditions of different real-life regions.
The main character of the series, Ichigo Kurosaki, has the ability to interact with ghosts. He soon meets Rukia Kuchiki, a female Soul Reaper from the Soul Society whose mission is to deal with hungering lost souls called Hollows. After seeing Rukia grievously wounded by a Hollow in his presence, Ichigo receives the power of exorcism and psychopompy to carry out her Soul Reaper duties as she recovers. As Ichigo guides the recently deceased to the afterlife while contending with Hollows, he clashes and forms alliances with the other supernaturally powered residents of the city, including his friends.
Many individual characters and the series' character design work have been praised, though Bleach's constantly-expanding character roster has been a point of criticism in the press. The size of the cast has been explained by author Kubo as the result of his writing process, in which he first creates new figures, then writes their personalities and character arcs, and finally assembles these interactions into a new plot. The overall response to this technique is mixed, with some reviewers believing the resulting characters are still relatively stereotypical and often get little individual focus, while others have remarked that even secondary characters feel like protagonists of their very own stories.