Many characters in the Bleach anime represent worldly themes, and protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki is just the start. Ichigo embodies the values of family and self-sacrifice to protect others, especially in how he risks his life to protect his sisters Yuzu and Karin. But even Ichigo's friends, like the burly Chad, have an important role in Bleach's morality play, and Chad himself isn't so different from our hero.
Yasutora "Chad" Sado, a boy of Japanese and Mexican heritage, moved to Mexico with his family as a child, only to lose his parents while there. He found himself in a dark place, and fortunately, managed to turn his life around -- partially with Ichigo's help -- and thus proved himself one of the most noble characters in the series. He sets an excellent example.
When Chad was a younger, he was far from being any kind of shonen hero. He was hurting on the inside, and felt like had had nowhere to go and no one that cared. But he did have a strong, tough body, and his hurting mind made a connection between the two. Thus he decided to use his strength to take on anyone who crossed him, forcing respect out of anyone that dare look down on him. Chad sought validation in brutality, and he kept it up despite the hollow feelings all the fighting brought on. He was strong, but that's all he was. A mere bully.
Until his grandfather, Oscar, stepped in. Oscar, despite being an older gentleman, set an example when he used himself as a shield to protect Chad from other bullies. Chad was shocked that Oscar would not only protect someone else, but also by the fact that he didn't fight back at all. Oscar taught Chad an important lesson: that misused strength is no strength at all, because strength is the power to make other people's lives better and lift them up. Strength is a positive thing, and outward power always stems from inward strength of character.
If Chad struck others out of rage, he was showing weakness of character, acting out of fear, spite and emptiness. Chad learned this lesson well, and he certainly learned it better than someone like Grimmjow Jaegerjaques did. By contrast, Grimmjow the Hollow tried to dominate Hueco Mundo and become a bloody "king," one kill at a time. But there is no salvation for Hollows, hence their name, and Grimmjow failed to learn that outer strength with inner weakness brings only misery. Chad is the positive inversion of that.
Chad is certainly not the strongest character in the series, or even the most powerful of the good guys. But he has massive strength of character that matches his physique, and he set a high bar that not every Bleach hero managed to clear. Chad reformed himself using his grandfather's wise words, and then he met his equal after moving back to Japan and meeting Ichigo Kurosaki. Chad was being bullied by a few punks but refused to hit back, and Ichigo stepped in and knocked out all of Chad's tormentors. Chad then explained himself, and Ichigo told him that if it's for self-defense or protecting others, raising a fist is justified. From that point on, Chad would become a noble knight, shielding the innocent from harm and fighting for justice, but never for just himself.
Better yet, Chad was never arrogant or conceited about this. He continued to grow stronger and unlocked spiritual powers, never boasting about his strength or taking his duties lightly. He was ready to risk his life to save Rukia, whom he barely knew, from her unfair execution in Soul Society. He also stood up to Captain Shunsui Kyoraku despite the massive difference in their power, and when Chad nearly died at the hands of the Arrancar named D.Roy, he humbly realized that he needed to train yet again, imploring his neighbor Kisuke Urahara to help him. Some people might think that bowing to another and begging for help is weakness, but Chad shows that the opposite is true. It takes great strength of character to recognize, admit and work to improve one's own faults, and that's just what Chad did. After his training was complete, he was ready to invade Hueco Mundo, Aizen's territory, with Ichigo and Uryu Ishida. A conceited or thuggish Chad would have picked a losing fight and gotten himself killed. But in reality, Chad is the strongest character in Bleach where it counts, and his role in the story is to show what true strength looks like.
