Ichigo Kurosaki would have liked to be an ordinary high school kid, but sometimes things don’t quite work out that way. Instead, he gets to enjoy a second life, as a hunter of the “hollows” that haunt the night around him.
He came upon his role as a “shinigami,” or collector of souls, by accident, when he stumbled upon the veteran shinigami Rukia Kuchiki one night. Normally, he shouldn’t have been able to see her, but his innate spiritual powers revealed both her presence and that of the hollow she was fighting inside his house. In the confusion of the ensuing battle, Ichigo acquired a measure of Rukia’s own shinigami abilities, causing him to join their ranks whether he wanted to or not.
With both Rukia’s skills and his own raw abilities, Ichigo is a powerful, if undisciplined force. His “zanpakuto” sword, physically manifested by his powers, is far larger than it should be, a consequence of his considerable raw power. Unfortunately, mastering the sword’s potential is another matter entirely.
In the real world, which does occupy his attention from time to time, Ichigo’s a surprisingly good student at his high school. He deliberately cultivates the role of a dedicated student to counter his naturally delinquent-ey appearance (the orange hair, the permanent scowl). In time, that same dedication will make him a shinigami of remarkable power.