Every anime fandom has favourites and despises certain characters. Many factors can be considered when determining the best male or female character, and the same can be said for determining the worst character. Fans of Bleach adore the prickly Rukia Kuchiki, while Rangiku Matsumoto and Yoruichi also have devoted followings. Many Bleach fans, on the other hand, despise Ichigo’s close friend, Orihime Inoue.
The Bleach fandom overwhelmingly favours the romantic pairing of Ichigo/Rukia, and their devotion to their favourite couple is admirable, given that Ichigo/Orihime is canon. What is not admirable is the hostility directed at Orihime. She is frequently derided as the series’ worst and most unpopular character, much like Sakura Haruno in Naruto. Despite these assertions, Orihime has subtle qualities that can compensate for her lacklustre charm.
Why Bleach Fans Hate Orihime Inoue
Orihime’s detractors cite several reasons for why they consider her Bleach’s worst female character. Like Naruto’s Sakura Haruno, fans consider Orihime the main team’s weakest link, as she never defeats any enemies in battle. In fact, she often needs protection from her friends, just as Naruto and the rest of Team 7 often end up bailing Sakura out of trouble throughout Naruto. Even if shonen is mainly about heroic boys saving the day, fans clearly still want every member of the team to contribute — and that includes the “token girls” like Sakura and Orihime. Since Orihime often needs protecting and rescuing, fans say she’s just a burden who slows things down. The entire “Hueco Mundo” story arc is based on Aizen’s capture of Orihime and Ichigo’s secret mission to rescue her from the palace of Las Noches.
Bleach fans also criticize Orihime on asuperficial level, from her repeated cries of “Ichigo!” or “Kurosaki-kun!” during battles to her role in the supposed love triangle between herself, Ichigo and Rukia. Bleach never created a formal love triangle, but Orihime did feel bad that Ichigo seemed to rely heavily on Rukia, and fans tend to agree that Ichigo has much stronger on-screen chemistry with Rukia.
Orihime must appear to be a dull romantic partner in comparison to the endearing Rukia. Others claim she “stole” Ichigo from Rukia, blaming Orihime for Ichigo’s actions. It’s an unfortunate, and frankly tiresome, fact that a character who threatens the fandom’s favourite ship will almost certainly face backlash. Even if the Ichigo/Rukia pairing wasn’t actually possible in the story of Bleach, fans still defend it, which for some reason is synonymous with criticising Orihime for “ruining” it.
Why Orihime Inoue Shouldn’t Be Hated by Bleach Fans
Orihime Inoue has a lot of critics, but she also has a lot of supporters who appreciate what she adds to the Bleach saga and lore. In contrast to why she is despised, Orihime’s supporters will defend her for her spiritual abilities and close relationship with Ichigo. It’s possible that Orihime’s critics mocked her for failing to live up to her full potential. To prefer tough tsundere women like Rukia over delicate deredere women like Orihime is one thing, but that does not make Orihime a bad character.
Even if the IchiRuki ship is hugely popular, it’s also pure fanon and is based on Ichigo’s and Rukia’s on-screen chemistry as platonic, opposite-sex friends. Ichigo and Rukia are great fun together as fellow tsunderes who have much to learn about each other’s worlds, but that wouldn’t make for a good romance in the actual story. For many reasons, the IchiRukia ship never could have happened, and author Tite Kubo was right to pair up Rukia with her childhood friend Renji, and Ichigo with Orihime. Ichigo and Orihime are perfect romantic partners not because they have electrifying chemistry but because they complement one another.
For years, Ichigo relied on repressed anger to sustain himself after his mother’s tragic death, and even in the present, Ichigo expresses himself through punkish violence and a standoffish attitude as a male tsundere. It was somewhat unhealthy, and having Rukia around did not heal Ichigo’s wounded heart. Only Orihime, as a deeply heartfelt and empathetic person, could soothe Ichigo and give him something new to defend, not just a way to run from his emotional pain. In the long run, Ichigo’s character arc was about healing and moving on, and Orihime was instrumental in that. By Bleach’s end, Ichigo is a cheerful and relaxed young man who has made peace with his past and let go of his grief and rage, all thanks to his loving wife.
As for being “useless” in combat, Orihime doesn’t have to harm the enemy to be a vital part of Ichigo’s main squad. Ichigo, Chad and Uryu already do plenty of damage, and any well-rounded party needs a defender and healer to sustain them. Orihime is more like a cleric, using positive powers to heal her friends and shield them from harm with Shun Shun Rikka’s unique abilities. On her own, Orihime cannot win a fight, but she’s not supposed to. She’s always been a people person and team player, so naturally, she shines as the party’s dedicated healer and cleric. It’s therefore folly to compare Orihime to Uryu or Chad and criticize her for not fighting as they do. Orihime was meant for something entirely different, and in that arena, she absolutely succeeded, to the point where she can restore missing limbs and bring a broken warrior back from the brink of death — something no truly useless anime character could ever achieve.