What is the difference between a Quincy and a soul reaper?

Answer 1

There are several differences between the two. Quincys are human with special powers, and Soul Reapers are souls in the Soul Society chosen to that position. A Quincy's main weapon is his bow born from the stone around his wrist, while each Soul Reaper's zanpakutō is a blade with its own unique name and shape in accordance to the Soul Reaper's spiritual energy. Quincys believe that hollows just need to be destroyed, no questions asked, while Soul Reapers, aware of the balance, know that hollows need to undergo konso, or cleansing, in order to maintain the circulation. The Quincys' demise is directly due to the Soul Reapers, who were forced to exterminate the clan in order to maintain the balance of souls. The two examples in the show I suppose would be Uryu Ishida (who is the last of the Quincys) and Ichigo Kurisaki (although, you could argue that Ichigo isn't the usual Soul Reaper, and in that case, I would suggest Rukia Kuchiki as a comparision).