Five-Man Band/Anime A-F

A-D

 * Varies A LOT: Initially, Rukia is The Lancer, but leaves and is briefly replaced by Uryu, who returns to Smart Guy when Renji joins the team.
 * Uryū doesn't really lower the saddle on his high horse enough to fill his The Smart Guy role very well until shortly after the Soul Society arc ends. Early on, before Renji joins the team and before Uryū calms down, it's more like this:


 * Varies A LOT: One of the complicating factors is that, aside from The Big Guy, Rukia has some elements of all five roles, acting as the informative partner-mentor to Ichigo in the Substitution arc, posing as the primary focus of the Soul Society rescue arc, and in the first half of the story, was the series' co-star, important enough to be considered as The Hero for her own personal character arc.
 * In the Arrancar arc, Chad and Uryū are replaced by Renji/Ikkaku and Hitsugaya respectively, and Rukia becomes The Lancer again.
 * In the midst of the Soul Society Arc, Hitsugaya briefly substitutes for Ichigo as The Hero, with his friend, Momo Hinamori as The Chick and lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto as The Lancer.
 * In all OVAs and filler arcs, Rukia is The Lancer and Renji the Sixth Ranger.