Gender: Female
Affiliation: Kurosaki Family
Base of Operations: Kurosaki House, Karakura Town
Masaki Kurosaki was Ichigo's mother and the emotional anchor of the Kurosaki household. She died protecting her son from Grand Fisher, a hollow that used the forms of its victims—usually women—to lure people with high spiritual energy. Young Ichigo couldn't tell the difference between ghosts and humans yet, so when he chased after what he thought was a person, Masaki went after him without hesitation. She took the hit meant for him and died in the process.
Her death hit the family hard. According to Ichigo's friend Tatsuki, he carried guilt over it for years, blaming himself for what happened. Isshin struggled with the same guilt, feeling he should have gotten there in time to save her. But when Ichigo asked why his father never blamed him, Isshin's answer was pretty telling: "You were the reason the woman I fell in love with chose to give her life." He made it clear that if he'd ever held it against Ichigo, Masaki wouldn't be able to forgive him in the afterlife.
The family visits her grave every year. It's the only day Isshin smokes—a habit Masaki had once complimented him on early in their relationship, calling it cool. He's said it was the first and last time she ever complimented his appearance. At home, Isshin hung up a large poster of her with the words "Masaki forever" as a permanent reminder. Despite her absence, she remained the center of everything the Kurosaki family did.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
