Why did Tosen become evil in Bleach? Explained

Modified Oct 18, 2024 04:30 GMT

Why did Tosen become evil in Bleach? Explained (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Bleach has introduced numerous characters with complex yet well-explained goals throughout the series. While many of these villains were easy for the fandom to understand, Tosen, one of the original three Shinigami to betray the Soul Society, remains relatively obscure due to the complexity of his actual goals and motivations.

Tosen was one of the first allies Aizen recruited to his cause. Although Tosen preached justice and adhered to the mentality of following "the path with the least bloodshed," his actions and words during his final fight contradicted his character, making it difficult for fans to fully decipher him.

At the beginning of the story, Tosen claimed his motivation was simple justice, but it was later revealed that his true drive was a form of revenge. This revenge was twisted with convoluted reasoning, which he used to disguise as a pursuit of justice.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the Bleach series.

Why Tosen betrayed Soul Society, explained

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Kaname Tosen's primary motivation was to bring justice to the Soul Society, which he deemed corrupt and unjust. Despite interacting with numerous untainted and relatively "good" Soul Reapers, he was aware that the Soul Society was not completely filled with sinners, yet he chose to disregard them.

Tosen's initial ideology of "taking the path with the least bloodshed" led him to ostracize Kenpachi Zaraki due to his nature of bloodlust, but this was merely a front to hide Tosen's own warped sense of justice.

This distorted view of justice was revealed during his conversation with Grimmjow, where Tosen deemed killing without a proper reason as murder, while considering killings with a purpose as his so-called justice.

His early years, where he lost his best friend to a high-ranking Soul Society official, molded his worldview. He blamed the entire Soul Society for the unjust killing of his friend, which is an event pivotal in shaping his future betrayals.

Aizen as shown in the Bleach anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Tosen ultimately betrayed the Soul Society and sided with Aizen, believing that Aizen's rule would bring about a more "just" version of the Soul Society compared to its current state in Bleach.

His thirst for revenge and belief in reshaping the world overrode his awareness of the good within the Soul Reapers, further showcasing his flawed pursuit of justice.

Tosen's origins and goals in Bleach

Tosen as shown in the Bleach anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Tosen was born in the Soul Society and was blind throughout his formative years. Whether he was born blind or became blind due to an accident is not known, but it led him to find solace in a woman named Kakyo, whose words soothed his heart.

Kakyo, who shared a dream of becoming a Soul Reaper, was later murdered by Tokinada Tsunayashiro, her husband and the head of one of the noble families of the Soul Society.

Tosen's initial response was to plead for justice against the man who had killed Kakyo, but Tokinada managed to find him and took advantage of his blindness. Tokinada masqueraded as one of Kakyo's friends and consoled Tosen while also probing his mind to uncover Tosen's true feelings about the situation and his actual goals.

Tosen revealed that even if he had the power, he would not seek revenge for Kakyo, as she would not have wanted bloodshed. Upon hearing this, Tokinada revealed himself as Kakyo's killer, shattering Tosen's mind.

Tokinada then proceeded to beat a much weaker and helpless Tosen while mocking him. These events later led Tosen to cultivate a goal of destroying the unjust and corrupt Soul Society, a goal he masked as his pursuit of justice.