Ukitake, Juushirou

Ukitake is the captain of the 13 Division in the Gotei 13. He is a sickly looking man with long white hair. He is respected by many, especially by his subordinates, for his honesty, loyalty, and personal sense of justice.

He has been close friends with 8th Division captain Kyouraku Shunsui since his youth, about 2000 years or more ago. The two frequently work together.

It is implied that, since he has achieved the rank of captain, Ukitake must be a powerful fighter. He is considered to be the one of strongest captains beside Yamamoto, Kyouraku, Unohana, and Aizen. However, he is limited by his illness to fighting only for short periods of time; excessive action triggers fits of bloody coughing (another classic symptom of tuberculosis).

The true extent of his abilities has not been seen in the series; however, he and Kyouraku both held their own against General Yamamoto for a prolonged period, and Yamamoto states that Jyuushirou and Shunsui, both of whom he trained himself, possess "greater powers on the battlefield than any younger generation, or old."

The ability of his Zanpakuto was finally displayed in the battle against Starrk and Lilynette. When an attack consisting of energy such as a Cero is thrown at him, the left sword of his set absorbs the beam. The cord connecting them transfers the charge between the two blades, with the talismans dangling from it amplifying the velocity of the beam. It is then fired out of the right sword at the same speed or faster than the initial attack.