Why Orihime from Bleach is stronger than you think

Despite her reputation as a damsel in distress, Orihime Inoue has untapped potential in the Bleach series.

Orihime isn't a direct fighter like Rukia Kuchiki, but she does have a few tricks up her sleeve. She has a wide range of support moves in the Bleach series, but some of them can break the laws of reality. It's very telling when Aizen himself acknowledges her innate potential.

Orihime isn't the physically strongest character, but she makes up for it with special powers. With the help of her spirits, she might just surprise everybody in the Bleach series.

All she needs is the right mindset to go into battle. Orihime's power is influenced by whatever she's feeling at the moment.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.

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Orihime deserves more credit for her strength in the Bleach series

Orihime carries around a hairpin known as the Shun Shun Rikka, which directly translates to "Six Princess Shielding Flowers." As the name suggests, Orihima has six different spirits living inside these petals, each with special powers:

• Ayame: Provides healing abilities
• Baigon: Provides defensive support
• Hinagiku: Provides defensive support
• Lily: Provides defensive support
• Shun'ō: Provides healing abilities
• Tsubaki: Provides offensive attacks

With the use of incantations, Orihime can arrange these spirits in a specific order to cast spells. These combination attacks can be used for several different purposes, whether it's defending herself or healing somebody else.

Her most useful ability lies within the Sōten Kisshun technique. It's among the best support moves in the entire Bleach series. Orihime activates it by calling upon Ayame and Shun'ō.

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Orihime can reject the concept of reality

Sōten Kisshun, directly translated as "Twin Sacred Return Shield" is unlike any other technique in the Bleach series. Orihime can use this power to revert anything back to its original state. For example, she healed Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez by repairing his destroyed arm.

Sōsuke Aizen believes she can reject events with her godly power. It goes far beyond a simple healing technique. However, there are a few restrictions to what Sōten Kisshun ca do. For some reason, Orihime wasn't able to fully heal Ichigo Kurosaki during his fight with Ulquiorra Cifer.

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Orihime does have other limitations to consider

For better or worse, Orihime is a kind and gentle spirit. This extends to her main accessory, the Shun Shun Rikka. Only a single spirit out of six can directly attack enemies in the Bleach series. In fact, her powers are based on her current state of mind. If she is feeling powerless, then she will become powerless.

Another issue with the Shun Shun Rikka is that it's very fragile. During the Hueco Mundo arc, Tesra Lindocruz stated that he could easily break those hairpins. Orihime is not particularly known for her speed feats, so this presents a huge problem in the context of much faster characters.

If a random Arrancar poses this much of a threat, Orihime isn't going to last in a fight against the Gotei 13 or the Wandenreich. She is best suited for a supporting role in the Bleach series. At the very least, fans should be grateful that her powers don't belong to a scary villain.

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