Bleach/Stars and the Stray

Stars and the Stray
Season 2, Episode 12
Airdate	May 17, 2005
Production Number	32
Written by	Genki Yoshimura Masahiro Okubo Masashi Sogo Michiko Yokote Natsuko Takahashi Rika Nakase
Directed by	Noriyuki Abe
ADR Writer(s)	Mark Ryan
ADR Director(s)	Kirk Thornton Wendee Lee
← 2x11 The Resolution to Kill	2x13 → Miracle! The Mysterious New Hero
Bleach — Season Two

Stars and the Stray is the twelfth episode of the second season of Bleach and the thirty-second episode overall. Renji's past with Rukia is looked back upon while he bleeds to death in the courtyard outside of the white tower.

Co-Stars: Wally Wingert (Renji Abarai), Yuri Lowenthal (Young Renji), Vic Mignogna (Renji's Friend), Cam Clarke (Bully)

Plot Overview

Having fallen in battle to Ichigo, Renji's life flashes before his eyes, particularly his history with Rukia. He recalls living in the 78th district, one of the most impoverished districts in Rukon. He and his friends robbed a merchant to survive, but Rukia was the one to stop the merchant from chasing them and allow them to escape. She was given part of the rock candy stash, but gave it away to a kid who was bullied into giving up his own candy and left after beating up the bully. Naturally, she and Renji were instant friends.

One day, when the kids were up to no good in the city, they saw a soul reaper existing his home. He starts to get into a rickshaw, but when Rukia collapses, he stops and gives her some food when he assumes correctly that her spiritual energy was drained when it came into contact with his. In the alleys, Rukia and Renji display their spirit energy powers but are initially hesitant to leave their makeshift family. 10 years pass and they decide to become soul reapers after their three friends all wind up dead.

The two enter the soul reaper academy where they find that they're completely different from the spoiled kids from affluent noble families. Even though they left the Rukon and entered the academy, they were still far and away in a class of their own against the nobles. After a while, Renji passes his second exam and finds nobles in Rukia's room when he goes to tell her. Those nobles were the Kuchiki family, who are interested in adopting Rukia into their family and placing her into one of the 13 guard squads. She's unsure about what to do, but Renji insists that she should do it because of the opportunity that is presented (although, his excitement was clearly just a show). With his support, she decides to take them up on their offer.

In the present day, a bleeding Renji considers this history and realizes that it wasn't Ichigo who condemned Rukia. It was him for the start because he didn't stop Rukia from going to the noble family. He tells Ichigo that the reason why he trained so hard was to surpass Captain Kuchiki and get her back that way. He breaks down, swallows his pride and begs Ichigo to save her from death.

Trivia

The Show

• Closing Credits: The closing credits animation of this episode features Kaname Tōsen, captain of Squad 9, and his lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi.