Shiba Clan

The Shiba once stood as the fifth of the great noble houses, holding a reputation on par with the Kuchiki and Shihōin families. Their fortunes turned after Kaien Shiba, who had served as lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division and ranked as the clan's most celebrated figure, lost his life. For reasons never fully explained, the house slid from its elevated position in the years that followed.

Fireworks are the family's trademark craft. Their emblem, called the Collapsing Whirlpool of the Crashing Heaven, appears stitched onto their garments, and Ganju Shiba wears it decorating his trousers. The clan makes its seat in the Rukongai and keeps ties to Soul Society at large, as well as to Yoruichi Shihōin.

Kūkaku Shiba leads the household in the present day, with her younger brother Ganju standing beside her as a former nobleman. Kaien, elder brother to both, once headed the clan before his death, and his wife Miyako, its former lady, also perished. Isshin Shiba, uncle to the three siblings, formerly ran a branch of the family and remains alive. The gatekeepers Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko serve as Kūkaku's retainers and personal assistants.