Characters

Ichigo and his closest freinds

Ichigo Kurosaki

Intro

Ichigo Kurosaki is a Human who has Shinigami powers and is a Substitute Shinigami. Ichigo is the son of Isshin and Masaki Kurosaki, and older brother of Karin and Yuzu. He is also married to Orihime Inoue and has a son named Kazui Kurosaki.

Appearance

Ichigo's most distinguishing feature is his spiky orange hair, a trait he has been ridiculed about for years on end. He is a fairly tall, lean-built young man with peach skin and brown eyes. He likes to wear slim fitting clothes. He has a tendency to wear shirts patterned with the number 15 because his name is a homonym for the number. Since becoming a Shinigami, he has become noticeably more muscular, as noted by his sister Karin. When in his spiritual form, Ichigo wears the standard Shinigami attire, with the addition of a strap across his chest. Initially, it was a thick brown belt to hold his Zanpakutō sheath, but it later became a red rosary-like strap after awakening his own Shinigami powers. It is shaped like a kite with a flat top and bottom. Ichigo's appearance has caused several people, including Jūshirō Ukitake, to note a similarity to Kaien Shiba, the former lieutenant of the 13th Division. After training in the Dangai, Ichigo's hair grows considerably, and he is noticeably taller, as stated by his friends. After Ichigo loses his Shinigami powers, his appearance reverts to the way it was before his Dangai training. Seventeen months after defeating Aizen, Ichigo's overall appearance does not change, but he becomes taller again and grows sideburns. After regaining his powers, seemingly caused by remaining energy from his Fullbring, Ichigo's Shinigami attire consists of a thicker strap across his chest. He has four black vertical lines on his forearms and black, tattoo-like bands crossing over his chest, wrists, and ankles. Similar bands, but with white ends, lie around his neck as collars. After training at the Soul King Palace, Ichigo wears his standard black shihakushō, but with some notable changes: he has two white shoulder plates crossing his chest in an X shape that hold his Shikai blades in place, with the first plate on his left shoulder having three sections adorned with red scales, the second plate having three sections adorned with red scales on his right waist, and a white cloak with black markings tied around his waist.

Personality

When he was younger, Ichigo considered his mother to be the center of his world, always smiling when he was with Masaki and regularly holding her hand. Despite crying whenever he lost in a match at the dojo he attended, Ichigo started to smile again as soon as he saw Masaki when she came to pick him up. At a very young age, Ichigo heard his father saying his name means "to protect one thing," which instilled in him a desire to protect his mother. When his sisters were born, he began attending a dojo for the sake of protecting them. Since then, the number of people he wishes to protect has continued to grow, causing Ichigo to risk his life to protect both the people close to him and complete strangers. As a teenager, Ichigo is stubborn, short-tempered, strong-willed, and impulsive. Despite claiming not to care about what other people think about him, he attempts to maintain a detached and "cool" image. He generally keeps his face set in a near-permanent scowl, with his eyebrows drawn together. His outspoken, hot-headed demeanor is a trait Ichigo himself has acknowledged, and if somebody picks a fight with him, he cannot help fighting back. He coldly refers to his teachers as "instructors". He is genuinely compassionate and empathetic towards others, promising to bring a Plus flowers and a toy plane, or soothing others when they become upset. Ichigo is a capable student, ranked 23rd in his year at school, who studies regularly and does not neglect his schoolwork. He works as hard as he does to overcome the misconceptions many have about him based on his hair color and fighting. Ichigo hates fortune telling, horoscopes, feng shui, psychics, and anyone whose trade involves taking money from people for things they cannot see. He has difficulty remembering people's faces and names. Ichigo becomes extremely shy and uncomfortable around nude or immodestly dressed women, a fact both Yoruichi Shihōin and Rangiku Matsumoto have teased him for. Ichigo is often disrespectful when talking to those older than himself, calling Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto "gramps" and referring to several of the Shinigami captains by their given names without using honorifics. When it comes to fighting, Ichigo has a complex sense of honor; he regularly seeks to exact revenge for the cruel actions of his opponent, such as instilling the fear of being murdered in Shrieker and cutting off the right arm of Yammy Llargo in retaliation for him ripping Yasutora Sado's right arm off. He often taunts and belittles his opponents when fighting, sometimes attacking without warning. Ichigo has a strong desire to win his fights, but in what he views as a legitimate manner. To this end, he has often refused the aid of his inner Hollow, even when knowing it would allow him to win. Ichigo's resolve in battle can waver at times, which can impede his fighting prowess, and goes into a state of depression and self-loathing when he loses a major battle or lets a friend down. Ichigo despises those who mistreat their allies in any way, even if they are his own enemies. He was disgusted when Yammy calls Ulquiorra Cifer, Nnoitra Gilga, and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez "trash".

Ichigo Kurosaki with his zanpakuto(sword) Zangetsu. Source: Picture

History

Ichigo was born on July 15th as the son of Isshin Kurosaki and Masaki Kurosaki, 15 years before he became a Shinigami. His sisters Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki were born a few years later. When he was four, Ichigo joined a karate dojo, where he met and befriended Tatsuki Arisawa. Though Tatsuki beat Ichigo in every match they had, she would help Ichigo if he was being picked on by bullies and cheer him up if he was upset. Ichigo was able to see Pluses for as long as he could remember. He could see them so clearly, as a child, he could not tell the living from the dead. This resulted in him appearing to other people to be looking at deserted places and talking to himself. This caused people to say he could see ghosts, though when Tatsuki asked him about this, he denied being able to see them. On June 17th, when Ichigo was nine years old, he and his mother were walking home alongside one of Karakura Town's rivers, which was swollen from heavy rain. Seeing a girl near the river, Ichigo thought she was about to jump into it. Unable to tell the difference between ghosts and living people, Ichigo ran towards her to stop her, unaware the girl was the lure of the Hollow Grand Fisher. Masaki tried to stop him, but he did not listen. After failing to grab hold of the girl, Ichigo lost consciousness for a time. When he awoke, Masaki was lying on top of him, covered in blood. Starting the day after Masaki's death, Ichigo repeatedly skipped school to go to the riverbank where Masaki died. Tatsuki found him there, where he would stay from morning until night, wandering along the bank as if searching for his mother, squatting down if he was tired and then wandering some more. One day, when Ichigo was twelve, prior to the Kurosaki Clinic opening, he heard the bell ring and answered the door to find a girl with her brother on her back. He had been in a car accident, and was covered in blood. The clinic did not have the equipment necessary to save him, and he died before an ambulance arrived to transfer him to Karakura Hospital. Sometime later, he learned the girl was Orihime Inoue. Ichigo later entered Mashiba Junior High School. During this time, Ichigo finally defeated Tatsuki in a karate match, and had not had another match with her since. Ichigo regularly got into fights with thugs, due to the unusual color of his hair. During one of these fights, he received help from Yasutora Sado. Shortly after, Ichigo returned the favor when he rescued Sado from two gang members roughing him up. When the thugs later abducted Sado, Ichigo found them and knocked down their leader, Yokochini. Using Yokochini's phone to ring for an ambulance for each of the five thugs, he beat up all of them. After Sado was freed, they made a pact to protect and fight for each other. Shortly before Ichigo became a Shinigami, he and Sado began attending Karakura High School, and their reputations preceded them. During a fight with a gang led by Reiichi Ōshima, Ichigo and Sado met Keigo Asano and Mizuiro Kojima, saving the former in the process. While Keigo was initially afraid of Ichigo and Sado, both he and Mizuiro later became friends with them. Ichigo later met Uryū Ishida, asking him why he chose to attend Karakura and not a gifted school, as he would have thought that Uryū would want to follow in his father's footsteps and become a doctor. However, Uryū replied that he had no desire to become one.

Ichigo in his Hollow form, during a fight with Ulquiorra(one of Aizens followers.) Source: Picture

Rukia Kuchiki

Intro

Rukia Kuchiki is the current Captain of the 13th Division. She formerly served as lieutenant of the 13th Division under Captain Jūshirō Ukitake. Rukia is the adoptive sister of Byakuya Kuchiki and a friend of Ichigo Kurosaki.

Appearance

Short and petite, Rukia has light skin and purple eyes. Her hair is black, with several strands of hair always hanging between her eyes. Byakuya has stated she strongly resembles her sister, Hisana Kuchiki. As a Shinigami of the Gotei 13, Rukia wears a standard shihakushō. 17 months after Aizen's defeat, Rukia wears her hair cropped into a bob which hangs about her face. She wears a fingerless white tekkō, similar to Byakuya's, which extend above her elbows. As a lieutenant, she wears her Division Badge around her uniform's left sleeve, which has been shortened to just reach her upper arm. Ten years after Yhwach's defeat, Rukia's hair is in a style similar to the time before Aizen's defeat, but much longer. She also now wears a typical captain haori over her usual Shinigami shihakushō.

Personality

Initially born into a lower class, Rukia retains her modesty, even as an adopted member of the nobility. She is graceful and "clean", yet chooses to talk to ordinary people. However, her cool and lone demeanor often forces her to hide her personal troubles, even from her friends. According to Ukitake, Rukia never opens up her heart, and has difficulty making friends. Rukia is clueless about the ways of the modern Human World. She is very good at acting, having acted her way through a number of tough situations, such as getting out of trouble with school teachers and convincing the Kurosaki family to let her stay at their house. Rukia always has trouble finding clothes that fit her, especially when inhabiting a Gigai in the Human World, leading to her stealing clothes from Ichigo's sister, Yuzu. She likes to climb to high places. Rukia likes everything rabbit-themed, and becomes quite sensitive when someone insults her obsession with them. People often have difficulty understanding her drawings, which are typically rabbit-like, and doesn't like it when people complain about their quality. Rukia's favorite foods are cucumber, eggs, and rice dumplings.

Rukia in her Reaper robe accompanied by her zanpakuto Sode no Shirayuk(Sleeved White Snow). Source: Picture

History

Approximately 150 years ago, Rukia and her older sister, Hisana, were brought together to Inuzuri, the 78th District of Rukongai, after they died in the Human World. Unable to live there while caring for a child, Hisana abandoned Rukia when she was still a baby. Rukia grew up on her own for a considerable amount of time. One day, Rukia tripped an adult who was chasing Renji Abarai's group of friends, and urged them to follow her to avoid losing the water they had stolen. Rukia joined their group, becoming their spiritual leader, and they lived together as a family. They all hated Inuzuri and the people there. Rukia exhibited some spiritual power during this time. Ten years after Rukia joined the group, with all of their friends dead, Rukia proposed they become Shinigami and live in Seireitei, noting she had heard it was pretty there. Renji agreed with her. As they were gifted with spiritual powers, they entered the Shin'ō Academy with ease, where they struggled to stand out from those from the noble families. The night before the welcoming ceremony for the new students of the Academy, against Rukia's advice, Renji slept in a tree. The following morning, he fell out of the tree and landed on a headstone where a startled Izuru Kira had been praying, for which Rukia scolded him. Two months after entering the Academy, Renji, scolding Rukia for still not fitting in, informed her he was going to the Human World for field training to practice Konsō for the first time. Rukia complained about this being unfair, but Renji retorted that it is about talent, and that he will get stronger. Rukia said she will show him she is the stronger one, but trailed off. One day, while meeting with Byakuya Kuchiki and his entourage, Renji entered the room to tell her he had passed an important exam. Disappointed with the interruption, the nobles, leaving, told Rukia they were eager to hear her answer. After they had left, Renji asked her what they wanted. She told him they wanted to adopt her into the Kuchiki Clan, having her graduate immediately, and be assigned to the 13th Division, which Renji congratulated her on. Rukia thanked him and left. Rukia was told Byakuya adopted her into the Kuchiki Clan due to her similarity to Hisana, whom he had married. Rukia was admitted to the 13th Division without taking their entrance exam. On her first day in the Division, she is shown into a room by a fellow Shinigami, whom she told to treat her like any other new recruit. After he left, she heard him and others talking about her and the favoritism shown to nobles. Rukia was disappointed it was like that there as well. Lieutenant Kaien Shiba entered the room, introduced himself, and scolded her for her weak reply. Rukia was deeply happy she could have a normal relationship with her superior, rather than being treated as special. That evening, Rukia reported to Byakuya her first day had ended peacefully and she did not attain a Seated Officer position, but Byakuya asked her to leave. Later, Rukia, becoming Kiyone Kotetsu's assistant, went on a mission to the Human World. During her time in the 13th Division, she became friends with Kaien. One day, seeing she was gloomy, Kaien told her as long as she was in his Division, he would stand by her, even if he died. They were interrupted by the drunk Kiyone and Sentarō Kotsubaki, who tried to encourage her. Kaien mentored Rukia, teaching her how to fight. Their first training location was Mount Koifushi of Hokutan, the 3rd District of West Rukongai, where Kaien taught her about the concept of the heart. He was present when she learned her Shikai's first two "dances". Rukia greatly admired Kaien's wife, 3rd Seat Miyako Shiba, wanting to be like her someday. When Miyako was killed by a Hollow, Rukia, Kaien, and Ukitake went to its lair. She offered to go first in order to scout out its abilities, but Kaien asked to face the Hollow alone. When its special ability destroyed Kaien's Zanpakutō, Rukia attempted to help, but was stopped by Ukitake. He told her Kaien's fight was one of honor rather than a fight for his life. If she were to help, Kaien's life would be saved, but his honor would be forever damaged. After protesting about this, Rukia reluctantly obeyed his order. However, the Hollow, entering Kaien's body, possessed him. The Hollow attempted to attack Rukia, but Ukitake, blocking it, sent Rukia away as he fought it. Afraid to fight it, she obeyed, but she came back because she wished to help Kaien and was afraid to face her cowardice in future. As it leaped at her, she noted it was no longer Kaien. Unable to bear seeing him like that, she stabbed Kaien. He thanked Rukia and apologized for dragging her into it. Kaien died in Rukia's arms. Rukia brought the corpse to the Shiba family estate, but was afraid to apologize out of guilt from her role in Kaien's death. Forty years after her adoption into the Kuchiki Clan, Kiyone and Sentarō informed Rukia she had been assigned to the Human World. Rukia thought this was a transfer order, which Kiyone denied, reminding her of her previous mission to the Human World, which Rukia still failed to remember. Ukitake told her she was being assigned to Karakura Town for one month, which should be easy for her. Rukia thanked him for telling her. Ukitake asked if she had told Byakuya about it, but she stated he would not wish to be bothered with such a minor thing. Ukitake offered to tell him for her, for which Rukia thanked him.

Rukia during her Bankai form Hakka no Togame. Source: Picture

Orihime Inoue

Intro

Orihime Inoue is a Human living in Karakura Town. She is a student at Karakura High School, where she is in the same class as Ichigo Kurosaki and her best friend, Tatsuki Arisawa.

Appearance

Orihime is a teenager of average height. She has brown eyes and long, waist-length, burnt orange hair. Her most noticeable physical trait is her slender yet curvaceous figure for a teenager, especially in terms of her large breasts. She wears her hair in bangs tucked behind her ears with hairpins, which she only removes to sleep, as they are worn in the memory of her brother. Orihime initially wears her hair with a full but parted fringe before pulling most of her bangs behind her ears as she was ready to leave for Soul Society, a change noted by Tatsuki. Seventeen months after Aizen's defeat, Orihime's hair becomes fuller and wavier. Her bangs naturally frame her face without her hair clips and also hang over her ears. She stops wearing her hair clips and instead keeps them clipped onto the left collar of her school uniform. Ten years after Yhwach's defeat, she wears her hair tied back with a band and is back to wearing her hairpins.

Personality

Orihime is independent, friendly, humorous, optimistic, sensitive, caring and kind. She comes off as naive and rather clueless, which is at odds with her exceptionally high marks in school. She studies hard because when her grades drop, she receives less financial support from her relatives. She is a member of the Handicrafts Club and likes to invent very ridiculous sports to play with Tatsuki (such as "base-cer," a combination of baseball and soccer). She tends to zone out with her mouth open and loses track of what she was thinking or dreaming about. She has an over-active imagination and gets carried away thinking of implausible scenarios, such as portraying herself as a futuristic and highly destructive robot in an assignment asking a student "How do you see yourself in the future?". Orihime likes Asian flower print clothing and comedies. While she does eat some normal food, Orihime cooks and eats unusual meals, which other people often find unappetizing. Her favorite food is red bean paste and she likes putting butter on sweet potatoes. She enjoys cheese and butter most of the time. Orihime has demonstrated that she is perceptive when it comes to people's mental and emotional state, especially in regards to Ichigo, as she is able to tell what kind of driving force is pushing someone. She additionally has a crush on Ichigo and later falls in love with him. She has exhibited traits that appear to have some connection with Ichigo, such as the ability to detect Ichigo by scent, sense his Spiritual Pressure even when masked by the Visored, and an awareness of what mood Ichigo is in, sensing his feelings of anguish, disappointment, or worry, even feeling pain herself when she sees Ichigo getting hurt. 17 months after Aizen's defeat, Orihime has gained a much firmer resolve in combat; when Ichigo was training with Kūgo Ginjō, Orihime was entirely willing to injure Ginjō if he attacked without her permission. She and Sado have sworn that they would be strong enough to not burden Ichigo when he finally regains his power to fight, which is reflected in her development of a technique that acts as both offense and defense.

Orihime during school, the show starts off with alot of time spent in school, but moves away from it while the main characters get more involved with the Shinigami and hollows. Soruce: Picture

History

Orihime and her brother, Sora Inoue, were raised by a drunken father and a prostitute mother, who always argued and beat their children. Fearing that their parents would kill Orihime, in the March that Sora turned eighteen, he ran away with Orihime, who was three years old, and raised her on his own from then on. For nine years, Orihime and Sora lived in harmony despite the fact that Orihime was bullied in school because of her unusual hair color. One day, Sora gave Orihime a pair of hairpins. However, Orihime refused to wear them because she said they were childish. That day, Sora died, and Orihime began wearing the hairpins every day since. After Sora's death, Orihime prayed for him every day. A year after Sora died, Orihime met Tatsuki and befriended her and the amount of days she prayed for him diminished. After entering Karakura High School, she stopped praying for him and instead talked about Ichigo before she left and when she returned from school. She wanted to show Sora that she was happy and that he did not have to worry about her. Since Sora's death, Orihime has lived by herself in Karakura Town, receiving financial support from a distantly related aunt living elsewhere.

Orihime with her special healing ability Shun Shun Rikka. Source: Picture

Uryū Ishida

Intro

Uryū Ishida is a Gemischt Quincy residing in Karakura Town. He is a Doctor at Karakura Hospital, and a friend of Ichigo Kurosaki. He is a former member of the Wandenreich with the designation "A" - "Antithesis", one of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel, Shuttsushutafferu; German for "Protective Echelon", Japanese for "Elite/Imperial Guards"), and his future successor.

Appearance

Uryū Ishida is a bespectacled teenager of average height and slender build. He has straight, chin-length black hair framing both sides of his face, and is fair-skinned with blue eyes. In school, Uryū wears the respective school uniform along with a tie. When confronting Hollows, he typically dons white Quincy clothes, with blue stripes representing the Quincy cross, and a mantle. Seventeen months after Aizen's defeat, Uryū's bangs hang mostly on the right-side of his face, and the rest hang behind his left ear, due to his glasses. After joining the Wandenreich, Uryū wears a white, double-breasted trench coat underneath a long white cape. The coat is fastened by three buttons emblazoned with the Quincy Zeichen on either side and a white belt with a gold buckle around the waist. Its shoulders are clasped to its neck, and the inside of the collar features a rectangular sigil on either side. Uryū also wears a pin shaped like a winged star circled by a halo on his right breast.

Personality

Uryū is generally quiet and solitary, but tries harder to act cool when other people are around. Uryū is a member of the handicrafts club at Karakura High School, and is highly skilled at sewing. While Uryū does not mind stitching things for his friends, his sense of design forces him to add unexpected designs. For example, when he makes new clothing for Chad and Orihime, he replaces the single red line of Chad's original shirt with a red cross, saying that it was better, and since he could not copy the three white dots on Orihime's shirt, he instead adds frilly lace and two flower-like buds at the bottom. Uryū has low blood pressure and hates procrastination. The other things he hates are quite odd: buttons (despite being an expert in sewing) and the word "haphazard." His favorite food is homemade mackerel miso stew. He likes Don Kanonji's television program "Bura-Rei" so much that he attends the live broadcast of the filming in Karakura Town. He loves wearing a mantle, even though it serves no purpose other than to make him feel cooler, despite the fact that it hinders his movement, even keeping a spare with him. He has a tendency to say things melodramatically. Uryū has proven to be gullible at times. During an omake, he starts getting irritated at the fact that a weapon (a Zanpakutō in this case) has a will of own; Ichigo tricks him into thinking that Ginrei Kōjaku has actually materialized, to which Uryū sheds a happy tear. Uryū operates on a moral ethic known as the "Pride of the Quincy" and has a strong sense of justice. He is very chivalrous, stating that he enacts justice on men who abuse or treat women badly, leading him to attempt to defend Rukia Kuchiki from Renji Abarai when he and Byakuya Kuchiki came to the Human World to arrest her, and protects Orihime Inoue during their time in Soul Society. Uryū has a tendency to not use lethal force in battle, especially if he can win without doing so. Instead, he will simply incapacitate his opponent.

Uryu with his bow. Source: Picture

History

Uryū was born after Ryūken Ishida married Kanae Katagiri which happened after the infection of Masaki Kurosaki, to whom Ryūken's mother originally intended him to marry. Six years before he befriended Ichigo Kurosaki, his mother lost consciousness on the same day Masaki died, June 17th, and died herself three months later as Yhwach performed his Auswählen technique and took her powers. As a child, Uryū mostly interacted and trained with his grandfather, Sōken Ishida. His father, Ryūken Ishida, was less than enthusiastic about being a Quincy, claiming that it was not a profitable occupation. They do not appear to be on very good terms as a result, given Uryū's casual use of his father's given name. Sōken understands Ryūken's reasoning, since being a Quincy is more about justice than material rewards, and Ryūken has a family to support. Sōken told Uryū that he would someday understand his father's motives, but thus far this is not the case. This was compounded as Uryū would watch Ryūken dissect Kanae's dead body, and he begged his father to stop. That day, he decided he would never become a doctor. At a fairly young age, Uryū's grandfather was killed by Hollows right in front of him, and Uryū was unable to do a thing to protect him. This is one of the reasons why he hates the Shinigami, who did not come to rescue Sōken in time. After entering the Soul Society, he discovers that Mayuri Kurotsuchi had bribed certain Shinigami into not protecting the Quincy that they had been assigned to protect so that he could take their Souls for research at the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. He also learns that Sōken died screaming out Uryū's name while being dissected by Mayuri causing Uryū to transfer his pent up anger towards the captain.

Yasutora Sado "Chad"

Intro

Yasutora Sado, also known as Chad, is a Human teenager who lives in Karakura Town. He is a student at Karakura High School, where he is in the same class as Ichigo Kurosaki.

Appearance

Sado is a teenager of Mexican and Japanese descent. He is dark-skinned with pronounced cheek-bones and has wavy brown hair with bangs that generally hangs over his brown eyes. He is a muscular and extremely tall man and appears to be much older than he actually is. Sado has a tattoo on his left shoulder which reads Amore e Morte ("love and death" in Italian) and consists of a heart with a snake and angel wings around it. He typically wears either his school uniform or flashy short-sleeved shirts with open collars. He also wears a dark, long-sleeved shirt with a rose emblazoned on the left sleeve. Seventeen months after Aizen's defeat, Sado has grown a small goatee on his chin.

Personality

Sado is a quiet person and is sometimes the subject of jokes or bullies because he never fights back. Nonetheless, he is treated equally within his group of friends in Karakura. Sado also has a soft spot for cute things, like small animals and Kon's plushie form. Sado is very intelligent: he ranked 11th out of 322 students in Karakura High School. Sado has a very loyal personality. He is quite loyal to his friends, especially Ichigo, who is one of his closest friends, even going as far as to try and defeat a Gotei 13 captain to go help him. He is also fearless and told so by numerous enemies such as the first Hollow he fights. He displays little emotion except when something he cares about is in danger. Sado's favorite food is tomatoes. He also likes music, but rarely watches TV. He only likes two shows, one of which is Carnivore Kingdom, which starts at 8 a.m. on Sundays. He likes it so much that he bought the DVDs for it. As Kon is a cheap knock-off plushie of the main character of Carnivore Kingdom, Sado finds Kon especially cute. The other show he likes is Don Kanonji's Ghost Bust. Sado also has a bass guitar.

Source: Picture

History

Sado was born in Okinawa, Japan, but was taken to Mexico by his parents at a young age. After their deaths, Sado was adopted at the age of eight by Oscar Joaquín de la Rosa, a man believed to be his grandfather since Sado calls him Abuelo ("Grandfather" in Spanish). During his early years, Sado was extremely violent; exploiting his advantage in size, he intimidated and hit any other children who annoyed him. Oscar Joaquín tried to teach Sado to be gentle, but was initially unsuccessful. One day, the fathers of the children Sado fought, seeking to punish him, attacked Sado. Oscar Joaquín stepped in between them, taking Sado's punishment without retaliation. Sado was inspired by this example to become a decent person. To commemorate this event, Oscar Joaquín gave Sado an old Mexican coin; years later, when Oscar Joaquín had died, Sado made a vow that he would never fight unless it was to protect others, as instructed — even if his own life was in danger. The coin would come to symbolize this vow, which Sado now claims to hold more value than his own life. Some time after De la Rosa died, Chad moved back to Japan and entered Mashiba Junior High School at Karakura Town. In the 8th grade, he helped Ichigo when the latter was attacked by thugs. Chad was later attacked by two of Yokochini's gang members and, keeping with his vow, did not strike back or defend himself. Ichigo intervened and saved him and later learned from Chad a little about his past, the meaning of the coin and the vow he made. However, as the gang members fled they left a cell phone with an ongoing call to Yokochini, allowing him to spy on Chad and learn what might get a rise out of him. Yokochini later had Chad abducted and threatened him with the destruction of the coin. Ichigo stuck his neck out again, this time to protect not only Chad, but also the coin he held so dear. When the gang was defeated, Chad and Ichigo made a pact to fight for each other and protect one another. Because they were constantly involved with fights and brawls with thugs and delinquents, both Ichigo and Chad gained the reputation of hardened thugs themselves. Their reputation far exceeded that of violent youths as they were made up to be juvenile gangsters of sorts. On their first day of high school, Chad and Ichigo were forced into pushing back a gang of thugs led by Reiichi Ōshima, who was hell-bent on proving his bravado by beating up such a menacing duo. When Mizuiro Kojima befriended them, Reiichi started bullying Keigo Asano, forcing the two to help him and beat up Reiichi.

Chad with his storng punch ability activated. Source: Picture

Kenpachi Zaraki

Intro

Kenpachi Zaraki is the current captain of the 11th Division in the Gotei 13. He is the eleventh Kenpachi to hold the position. His first lieutenant was Yachiru Kusajishi and his current lieutenant is Ikkaku Madarame.

Appearance

Kenpachi is a tall, muscular Shinigami with a wild and aggressive appearance, which fits his personality. He has a long face with pronounced cheekbones, and pronounced, hairless brow ridges. He has green eyes and long, stringy black hair. A noticeable trait in his appearance is a long, thin scar running down the left side of his face and across his left eye, inflicted on him by Retsu Unohana while he was still a child. In addition to the standard Shinigami uniform, he wears white bandages across his midsection and a sleeveless captain's haori (which belonged to the previous captain and was taken after his defeat), which has a ragged look to it. He styles his hair into stiff strands during his baths, attaching small bells at its tips, and wears a special black eyepatch over his right eye. During his first battle with Ichigo, the eyepatch is more elegant, having a gold-like lining and a chain as one of the straps. He also wore a black choker necklace. Later, he removed the choker and gave his eyepatch normal straps. 17 months after Aizen's defeat, Kenpachi's hair has grown out past his shoulders. He no longer has the bells in his hair. His eyepatch's design has changed again, as it is now a single piece covering his right eye. The eyepatch is black with a grey outline.

Personality

Although he is known to be a violent fighter, Kenpachi's actions tend to be for the best. Kenpachi lives for battle, and enjoys a good fight more than anything. He even holds back in an effort to make any fight last longer. He claims injury and death are nothing but the price one pays for a good fight. Despite his tendency to be brutal, Kenpachi usually stops a fight if his opponent is too injured to fight back, claiming he is not interested in fighting "weaklings who can't fight anymore", and he does not feel obligated to deal a death blow to anyone who cannot fight any longer. However, he will unhesitatingly kill his opponent if they refuse to end their fight, such as during his battles with Kaname Tōsen and Nnoitra Gilga. He also takes his title as Kenpachi seriously, telling Gremmy Thoumeaux that there is nothing the latter can create that he cannot cut because the power his title implies is not to be taken lightly. Kenpachi's unique hairstyle is partly due to his habit of taking a bath every day before going to sleep, which is a necessity to him due to his strong perspiration. During these baths, he usually washes his hair with soap, making it stiff. He enjoys doing so because it is easy for him to set his hair to his preferred style. He once tried a hair treatment recommended by 1st Division Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe, but his hair became too silky and was impossible to set for a while. Since then, Kenpachi has greatly disliked the lieutenant. Kenpachi attaches the bells to his hair himself, which takes a while to accomplish. The highest bell in particular takes him several hours to attach, as the tip of his hair is just beyond his reach. He refuses to get help as he thinks it is weird for someone else to style his hair. On multiple occasions, Kenpachi has shown great respect to those who can defeat him in a fight and those who can push him to his limit. Ever since Ichigo Kurosaki handed him his first known loss since against Retsu Unohana (though Ichigo considers their fight a loss for him), Kenpachi has considered the latter a member of his Division. Despite Ichigo's refusal to engage in a rematch with Kenpachi as he considers him an ally, Kenpachi constantly expresses his desire for it every time they meet. He also aided Ichigo in his fight against the Bount, doing so as it would make Ichigo stronger for "their anticipated fight". Kenpachi also holds great respect for Unohana, the only person he ever admired, as she was the first person to make him experience the thrill of battle. He readily acknowledges that the two of them are very much alike, and is brought to tears at the thought of being unable to beat her before he dies. Upon inadvertently killing Unohana, Kenpachi was reduced to screaming and begging for her to not die. Kenpachi sometimes contradicts his own logic in fighting. On the one hand, Kenpachi wishes to increase his own personal power. On the other hand, he conceals his strength to enjoy a fight for as long as possible. Although he thrives for battle, Kenpachi does have emotions. Kenpachi and his lieutenant, Yachiru, have been close ever since they met, and have a father-daughter-like relationship, making Yachiru one of the few people he cares for. However, he has stated if his subordinates interfere in his fights, he will "cut them up first". Aside from Yachiru, Kenpachi deeply gives meaning to his name. Following his fight with Ichigo, Kenpachi talks about the pain of not having a name, as he lived his early years without one. This causes him to feel guilty his sword is not acknowledged by its own name. Since then, he has strived to learn its identity. Kenpachi strongly believes fun comes before working. One example is when Kenpachi sends his 5th seated officer, Yumichika, to fend off the Bount in Karakura Town, as he is the only high-ranking officer who is not busy, or rather, busy having fun, as Yachiru was snacking and Ikkaku was napping. During his free time, Kenpachi always takes his afternoon nap. He does not have a particularly favorite dish, but he particularly hates nattō. After killing Unohana and finally learning the name of his Zanpakutō, though he retains his desire to battle and is not overly interested in the details, Kenpachi became somewhat calmer and more focused. He is more willing to listen to reason, having backed down from searching for his missing lieutenant on his own when Nanao Ise explained it would be more practical to have his division conduct the search. Likewise, he shows far more concern for Yachiru than previously; when he discovers she is missing, Kenpachi frantically orders his men to begin looking for her.

Kenpatchi, or also known as Kenny sitting down with his Zanpakuto. Source: Picture

History

Not having a name to go by for as long as he could remember, he eventually chose to take his surname from the district he once resided in, Zaraki, which was District 80 of the North Alley of Rukongai. District 80 was the worst, most lawless region of Rukongai, full of thieves and murderers (whereas area #1 was the most orderly and law-abiding). As a young boy living in the streets of the Rukongai, Zaraki, coming upon the dead body of a Shinigami, took his Asauchi, later imprinting his soul upon it to make his own Zanpakutō. During that time, he eventually became proficient in swordsmanship, and killed numerous opponents. Sometime during this, he, coming upon Yachiru Unohana, fought with her. The fight was the first time he felt fear, and subsequently the first fight he ever enjoyed, having been bored slashing anything else. He subconsciously sealed his power to allow them to fight longer and consequently lost to her. After their fight, he began to admire her, and wanted to fight like her. Sometime later, as a young man, Zaraki, coming upon a young girl, named her Yachiru, in remembrance of the only person he ever admired, after she showed no fear of his sword. Yachiru came from District 79, Kusajishi, where her parents were murdered, seemingly not too long before Kenpachi arrived. On that day, he took on a name: Kenpachi, the title bestowed upon the strongest Shinigami in every generation, the one who has slain the most enemies and won the most battles. Later, he had an encounter with Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa before they entered Seireitei. Yachiru warned Ikkaku messing with Kenpachi while he was in a good mood was a bad idea, though Ikkaku did not take the warning seriously. When Kenpachi and Ikkaku meet face to face, the latter immediately became alarmed by the former's Reiatsu, but was happy to finally have a real challenge. Kenpachi attacked with enough force to create a crater in the ground under Ikkaku, which somewhat alarmed Yumichika. Due to Kenpachi's strength, Ikkaku was forced on the defensive, holding off Kenpachi's relentless strikes. As the two continued to fight, Ikkaku tried to overwhelm Kenpachi, though he failed in doing so, only succeeding in increasing his own wounds while his opponent remaining untouched by his blade. While Kenpachi mentioned he was having fun, he decided to finish Ikkaku with one quick strike, resulting in his loss of the fight. Ikkaku became mad Kenpachi would just walk away without finishing him off. Kenpachi, plainly telling him he had no interest in weaklings who could not fight, noted he did not have any obligation to finish Ikkaku off. Ikkaku, thinking he was toying with him, demanded Kenpachi kill him. Kenpachi, losing his patience, grabbed hold of Ikkaku and asked why he was screaming for death if he loved to fight so much. Kenpachi explained to him a philosophy to follow for people like them: "Don't admit defeat and seek death. Die first, then admit defeat. When you lose, but don't die, it just means you were lucky. At those times, think only about survival. Survive, and think only about killing the guy who failed to kill you". Kenpachi, smiling at him, stated it was not like he went easy on him; he was just lucky to escape death. He said Ikkaku should live, come back, and try to kill him again. As Kenpachi went to leave, Ikkaku, asking him his name, is told he is Kenpachi from Zaraki. Sometime later, Kenpachi killed Kenpachi Kiganjō, the captain of the 11th Division, in a single blow in front of over two hundred members of the Division. As per the 3rd Captain Qualification Trial, Kenpachi became the new captain of that division. By killing the 11th Division captain, he became the official and uncontested holder of the title, Kenpachi, as well as becoming the 11th person to hold the title. The following day, during Kenpachi's first addressing of his division, he was greeted by Ikkaku and Yumichika, who had already become Shinigami and joined the division. Ikkaku told Kenpachi he had come back just as he suggested, causing Kenpachi to smile. Later, they were present at the battle of the division against a caterpillar Hollow. While initially the division lost, Ikkaku showed up to fight it, but was stopped by Kenpachi, who decided to kill it himself. After the Hollow was dispatched, more came, prompting Ikkaku and Yumichika to join in the fight. Though at first he was against it, Kenpachi was persuaded upon realizing the two had similar fighting traits, and, as such, would like to fight by his side. After this, Kenpachi allowed them to participate in his fights. Shortly after joining the Gotei 13, Kenpachi was forced by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto to learn Kendō because he had not learned any formal swordsmanship training, having bypassed those normally necessary qualifications due to the way he attained his position. Central 46 ordered Yamamoto to stop the training after one day, as they became concerned that if Zaraki realized his full potential and rebelled, he could become an unstoppable force. Kenpachi hated using Kendō because his battles would end too quickly with it, so he only used it if his own life was in danger.

Kenpathci mid-fight against Ichigo, lets himself get cut deeply in the face. Source: Screenshot from the show Bleach

Shunsui Kyōraku

Intro

Shunsui Sōzōsuke Jirō Kyōraku is the captain of the 1st Division and Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13. His lieutenants are Nanao Ise and Genshirō Okikiba. He is the former captain of the 8th Division.

Appearance

Shunsui Kyōraku is a tall, light-skinned Shinigami with high cheekbones, grey eyes and long wavy brown hair. His hair is tied in a long ponytail and has long bangs that frame the left side of his face. He also has a noticeable amount of body hair on his chest, feet, and arms. He wears a Sugegasa straw hat and a pink, flowered lady's kimono, which he drapes across his shoulders and over his captain's uniform. Although his haori and obi sash are cheap, his pin-wheel hairpins are very expensive. He does not wear tabi with his sandals. He has thin facial hair around his mouth and on his cheeks. Over a hundred years before Sōsuke Aizen's defection, Shunsui only had facial hair on his upper mouth. After the battle with the Wandenreich, Shunsui wears an eyepatch over his right eye that was damaged during the conflict. The top half of his right ear is sliced off at a slight tilt with a scar along his right temple. As a child, Shunsui had shorter and messier hair. He wore a flower patterned kimono.

Personality

Shunsui is a laid-back and flamboyant man, evident in his style of dress and general attitude, and is usually smiling. In his off time, he often drinks sake in bars and naps. He likes steamed buns that go with sake, but dislikes powdered green tea. Other times, he likes to chase after women; particularly his lieutenant, Nanao Ise, whom he calls "my Nanao-chan" (Lil' Nanao in the English Dub) and his former lieutenant, Lisa Yadōmaru. Shunsui tends to use a more casual speech style than many other captains. He generally refers to his fellow captains and Shinigami by their first name followed by an honorific. He wrote a romance novel titled "Rose-colored Path", which runs in Seireitei Communication, but is very unpopular. Shunsui does not receive a single fan letter or gift for his birthday from his readers, but he is not bothered by this at all. Shunsui is a peace-loving man who will always try to talk his way out of battles, though he does not wish to insult opponents by refusing to fight. He has a great distaste for fighting, telling Love Aikawa that "it doesn't matter whether you owe someone or they owe you; as soon as you start fighting, you are in the wrong either way." The slightly eccentric Shunsui also seems to like making an impression on opponents. Though Shunsui tries to talk his way out of a fight, he will fight when the situation demands it, such as in his battle with Coyote Starrk. When Starrk asked that they only pretend to fight, he declined the offer, though noted that he prefers to do the same. Shunsui maintains a level of honor and integrity when engaging in battle. He refuses to fight with children or even in the presence of a child. He also dislikes taking the life of innocent people, as he left Chad alive when Nanao offered to kill him. He always maintains a veil of respect for his opponent, is polite in combat situations and prefers to fight one on one. When fighting powerful opponents, like Starrk or Aizen, Shunsui rarely loses his cool, going as far as to make small talk and joke around with his opponents. Despite being one of the strongest and oldest captains, Shunsui retains a level of humility and is not overly arrogant about his strength, acknowledging that Tōshirō Hitsugaya has the potential to become stronger than himself given enough time. However, Shunsui also harbors a deep sense of guilt over the misfortune that has afflicted those close to him, such as the death of his brother and the execution of Nanao's mother, and considers it a burden too heavy for him to carry alone.

Shunsui in his characteristic big pink kimono. Source: Picture

History

Shunsui is the second son of the high-ranking noble Kyōraku family. While Shunsui was still a young boy, his older brother married the woman who would eventually become Nanao Ise's mother. Though Shunsui and his brother did not really get along, living with his brother became more comfortable, and Shunsui would visit him often. At one point, Shunsui found his brother receiving a hairpin from Nanao's mother and noted that he has mellowed out in his old age, only to be informed that this was the kindness of Nanao's mother at work. After his brother died, during which he was entrusted with hairpins that formerly belonged to Nanao's mother, Shunsui was entrusted with the Zanpakutō of the Ise family by his brother's widow, and his Zanpakutō Spirit created a second spirit to store it. Shunsui was assured by Nanao's mother that he would not suffer from carrying Shinken Hakkyōken and that he was the only one outside of her own family whom she could trust. Despite being of such old and prestigious lineage, he disliked studying and training, and preferred to chase the ladies, although being told by Captain-Commander Yamamoto that he was able to see the truth and was wise for his age. Because of this, he was sent against his will to the Shin'ō Reijutsu Academy (Shinigami Academy). At some point in Shunsui's Academy days, Shunsui trespassed into Yamamoto's room. After being chastised by Yamamoto, he asked about the painting in his room, and Yamamoto replies that it was a monster that caused strife when it was around. While there, he came to know Jūshirō Ukitake, who would become his best friend and fellow captain. He, along with Jūshirō Ukitake, was one of the first Shinigami to become a captain through the Shinigami Academy. Furthermore, he was personally trained by Yamamoto. He and Ukitake are the oldest captains among the Gotei 13, with the exception of Retsu Unohana and Yamamoto himself. It was stated that the four of them have been captains of the Gotei 13 for at least 100 years, as of 110 years before the current time. At some point during his academy days, Shunsui was informed by Ukitake that Nanao's mother had been executed for losing one of the cared treasures, which prompted him to admit that he preferred to learn of such things sooner rather than later. 110 years ago he had a unique relationship with his Lieutenant Lisa Yadōmaru: in contrast to his relationship with his current Lieutenant Nanao Ise, Lisa was more outgoing and perverted in a way much like his own personality, but he found that his position required him to be the "adult" in the situation. He was also the first to casually mention, to a curious Lieutenant Sōsuke Aizen, that the previous 12th Division captain was promoted to the Royal Guard. He was also present at the promotion ceremony of the newly appointed 12th Division Captain Kisuke Urahara. 9 years later, Shunsui was present at an emergency meeting called by Captain-Commander Yamamoto. He decided to create an investigative team to locate the missing 9th Division squad members. When he gave out the orders, Yamamoto ordered Shunsui to guard the Seireitei. When Yamamoto decided to send both Kidō Captain Tessai Tsukabishi and Kidō Lieutenant Hachigen Ushōda of the Kidō Corps, Shunsui instead advised him to send only Hachi and replaced Tessai with his own lieutenant, Lisa. He tried to cheer up a shaken Kisuke Urahara, telling him not to worry about his lieutenant, Hiyori Sarugaki, who was sent to help the 9th Division, because she was strong, though not as strong as Lisa. During his time on guard, he met up with some squad members that were also on guard and congratulated them for keeping watch on the Seireitei. He also noticed Lieutenant Sōsuke Aizen taking a night walk, muttering to himself that he was maybe over-thinking things before leaving. Later in his barracks he was addressed by a very young Nanao Ise, who had come to see his lieutenant, Lisa Yadōmaru. Shunsui then remembered that Nanao always came to him around the first of every month to have Lisa read to her. Nanao confirmed this, only to be told that Lisa was away on a mission, but would be back soon. Soon afterward, Shunsui changed his attire by removing his hairpins and switching his kimono. He was present to greet newly-inducted members of the 8th Division, whom he informed that he was cordial toward young ladies and indifferent toward men. Some time after the Hollowfication Incident, Shunsui was present when Isshin Shiba made his report concerning the mysterious Hollow he fought, along with the string of events caused by the creature in Naruki City. He laughed at Mayuri's irritation that the 10th Division captain hadn't at least brought back the Hollow's body for him to study.

Shunsui with his dualblade Zanpakuto Katen Kyōkotsu. Source: Picture

Tōshirō Hitsugaya

Intro

Tōshirō Hitsugaya is the captain of the 10th Division in the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Rangiku Matsumoto. He formerly served as the 3rd Seat of the 10th Division under Isshin Shiba.

Appearance

Tōshirō is short, with turquoise eyes and short, spiked, white hair, which tends to draw attention in the Human World. He wears a standard sleeveless captain's haori with a green sash around his shoulders, held together by a round, star-like clip. The sash holds his Zanpakutō's sheath in place on his back and is tied to it at either end. He sometimes walks around in his tabi. He is relatively young by Shinigami standards, and has the appearance of a child. In the Human World, he wears a black, short-sleeved, golf shirt and gray pants. He also wore the uniform of Karakura High School. Before Tōshirō was a captain, his hair was not as spiky, with only a few spikes here and there. He also wore the standard Shinigami outfit, but with the addition of the 10th Division's insignia on the left breast of his outfit. 17 months following Aizen's defeat, shortly after Ichigo regains his Shinigami powers, Tōshirō appears sporting a hairstyle similar to that before he became a Shinigami, and a long turquoise scarf. His green sash has also changed to a thin chain, but still retains the star-like clip. After training for an unspecified amount of time in preparation to fight the Wandenreich, Tōshirō's hair appears to have grown longer, his fringe now reaching down to his eyes despite being held up by a newly acquired bandanna. He also appears lankier than before, with his robes loosely hanging off of his body. After being zombified by Giselle Gewelle, Hitsugaya's appearance changes dramatically. He now wears a white double-breasted trench coat with black lapels that is fastened by four buttons on either side and which has a badge with a six-pointed cross on its left breast. He has a black belt with a large buckle around his waist, slightly baggy white pants, and white boots with furry black liners. He retains the thin chain holding his Zanpakutō's sheath around his upper torso.

Personality

Hitsugaya is generally mature and serious, in contrast to his free-spirited lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto. Despite their personality differences, he and Rangiku seem very close. Tōshirō is easily annoyed by others goofing off or drawing unneeded attention to themselves, such as when he leads a team of Shinigami into Ichigo Kurosaki's school. Hitsugaya hates anything that he deems childish as well as being described as something close to a child, such as an elementary school child. He is overly protective of Momo Hinamori, due to the fact that they were old childhood friends. Hitsugaya dislikes summer and warm weather in general. Tōshirō's favorite foods are watermelon and amanattō. He does not like dried persimmons. During his childhood in West Rukongai, he was so skilled with spinning tops that he became the local undefeated champion. He works very hard, but his motive seems to be that if he finishes quickly, he can return to his afternoon nap. He believes in the saying "children who sleep well, grow well," and hopes to grow quickly, a wish shared by his subordinates. Naturally, they do not voice this fact in front of him, for even regularly practicing this adage for so long, he did not really grow in height. Hitsugaya is usually joked about by many of the other Shinigami in Soul Society as well as by his enemies, he tolerates these jokes and goes on with his duties. Hitsugaya has developed a cold attitude toward most people. Although he becomes angry towards jokes, he doesn't take action against whomever insulted him unless they are his enemies. The only thing he cannot tolerate is not being addressed as "Captain Hitsugaya," or an inappropriate use of his name, as he worked very hard for the title. He does not address any other officer with their title, only their last names. The only person that actually calls him by his given name is Ichigo, who he constantly reminded to address him properly, and Hinamori, who is the only person allowed to get away with not addressing him properly. Hinamori tends to call him "Hitsugaya-kun" and both she and Ukitake occasionally use "Shirō-chan" (シロちゃん) — a nickname meaning "Whitey" (Snowy in the English manga) in reference to his hair — in both cases without any repercussion. In addition, Karin and her friends call him by his first name and they are never given any rebukes for it. to his chagrin he often receives candy and other foods fromJūshirō Ukitake because "Jūshirō" and "Tōshirō" sound similar and because they both have white hair, making them both "Shirō-chan."

Source: Picture

History

Hitsugaya comes from the province of Junrinan in the 1st District of West Rukongai. There, he lived with his grandmother and Momo Hinamori. As a young child, Hitsugaya was a bit of a brat who liked to eat watermelons and poke fun at Hinamori. She called him "Shiro-chan" and he retorted by calling her "Bed-wetter Momo." The two were close friends and Hitsugaya, despite being younger and much shorter than his friend, always felt that he needs to protect her. Even at a young, untrained age, Hitsugaya could hear the calling of his Zanpakutō spirit, Hyōrinmaru. Despite this, he never told anyone and couldn't accurately determine what was happening other than to assume it was an ever recurring dream. When Hinamori left to become a Shinigami, he portrayed himself as happy to see her go, though it was more of an act than his true feelings. Her next door friends were scared of him, even though he had never done anything to them. His grandmother, "Granny," and Hinamori were the only ones in the district that weren't afraid of him. His personality was supposedly "cold as ice" or at least thought to be, and he often wondered if it was due to his appearance or attitude. When Momo had been in the Shinigami Academy for 5 years, he began to notice how he hadn't grown an inch. He noticed that Hinamori's hair grew longer and she visited less often, seemingly having a goal in her life now. He also noticed that "Granny" was getting skinnier. While out at the market one day a shopkeeper, whom he was buying items from, was treating him disdainfully. He then meets Rangiku Matsumoto, who yells at the shop keeper for being rude to Hitsugaya and reproached him for his poor customer skills. When Hitsugaya turns around, he is knocked down by bumping into Rangiku's bosom. She then yells at him for "lying there and crying about it and not standing up like a man," although it was she who had knocked him down in the first place. He then shakes her off and runs away. Later that night, he has a vivid dream of a gigantic, icy blue, serpentine dragon with large wings and an echoing voice. This dream is markedly different from the previous ones, where he had only experienced sensations, but nothing substantial to what the meaning might be. This time, however, the reason behind the dreams not only materializes, but tries to tell him its name. Hitsugaya cannot hear him, however, as his voice is muffled by strong winds. He then wakes up in a cold sweat. Upon waking up, he sees Rangiku and is surprised to see her in his home. She immediately tells him to stop leaking his Reiatsu everywhere and to get some sleep. She further explains that his grandmother looks pretty cold, which causes Hitsugaya to notice for the first time that the room is exceedingly cold and affecting his grandmother. Rangiku then tells him he should become a Shinigami, stating that kids with power as strong as his need to learn how to bring their power under control. She explains that if he stays the way he is, his power will end up killing his grandmother. At first, Hitsugaya isn't sure what she is talking about, but she calmly places her hand on his chest and asks him if he hears a voice calling out to him. She explains to him that once he has found that voice, he'll understand how to control his power. She then notes that for that to happen he must become a Shinigami. Soon after, he tells his grandmother of his intentions of becoming a Shinigami. Much to Hitsugaya's surprise, she is happy for him. She tells him that she had always felt that he holds everything in because he didn't want to leave her, but doing so was only hurting him and in turn, seeing him that way, hurt her. Hitsugaya then leaves to follow his own path with his grandmother's blessing. With Hitsugaya's natural talent, he quickly entered the Shinigami Academy and graduated early despite his age. Hinamori continued to call him "Shirō-chan" out of habit and felt she needed to protect him. Because of a promise she had made, she only began to call him "Hitsugaya-kun" after he had achieved his Zanpakutō's Shikai and was recognized as a Shinigami. Hitsugaya eventually joined the 10th Division under Isshin Shiba, working his way up to the rank of 3rd seat. One day, Hitsugaya reported to Isshin that a Shinigami in Naruki City died two months ago. Isshin was aware of the situation, having knowledge that the Gotei 13 was investigating the incident. Hitsugaya then informed him that two more individuals died in the past month, while investigating the cause. Concerned, Isshin decided to investigate the cause himself. Rangiku tried to go to assist him, but Hitsugaya stopped her, informing her that they were not strong enough to assist him. Afterwards he was also present to witness Rangiku's rage towards their captain for returning to the Living World, seemingly on a whim. Highly capable and knowledgeable, he quickly became the youngest of the captains within the Gotei 13 in the entire history of Soul Society. He is also a friend of Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, the West Gate Keeper, who taught him the "city rules."

Toshiro with his Bankai activated. Source: Picture

Byakuya Kuchiki

Intro

Byakuya Kuchiki is the 28th head of the Kuchiki Clan, one of the four great noble clans in Soul Society. He is also the captain of the 6th Division in the Gotei 13. His previous lieutenant was Ginjirō Shirogane and his current lieutenant is Renji Abarai.

Appearance

Byakuya has slate gray eyes and long black hair, which he keeps up in intricate white headpieces called kenseikan, which symbolize his nobility as the head of the Kuchiki Clan, wearing three on top of his head and another two on the right side. In addition to the standard captain uniform, he wears a white scarf, which is woven by the master weaver Tsujishirō Kuroemon III. The scarf is made from silver-white, windflower light silk (ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu) and is a family heirloom, having been handed down from generation to generation and given to each head of the Kuchiki Clan. The scarf alone is worth ten mansions in the Seireitei. He wears fingerless white tekkō which only cover the back of his hands. 17 months after Aizen's defeat, Byakuya wears hairpieces at the back of his head, but it is noted that these hairpieces are not kenseikan. He wears a variation of the captain haori, featuring a high collar with light gold edges and small, light gold tassels attached to the corners. The white scarf is no longer part of his attire. Ten years after Yhwach's defeat, Byakuya returns to wearing three kenseikan on top of his head.

Personality

As the 28th Head of the Kuchiki Clan, Byakuya acts in an aristocratic manner. He always seems serene and apathetic towards other people, even while actually deeply conflicted. He is notably calm, even in battle. He generally acts indifferent, bordering on arrogance, to most situations he is faced with, and rarely views his opponent as being worth his time. Byakuya is easily offended if his name is not used properly. As such, he views Ichigo Kurosaki with disdain for always referring to him improperly. When Byakuya talks with Ichigo, he calls him by his full name. Byakuya is very perceptive, fully aware of the limits of his abilities, and anything he states in comparison to an opponent is usually justified. Despite consistently stating himself to be far stronger than opponents like Zommari, Byakuya retains a formal tone, always using "watashi" which is a formal way of referring to oneself. When he was younger, he was quick to anger and very hot-headed, as noted by his grandfather. Byakuya strongly believes in law and order. As a captain of the Gotei 13 and head of one of the great noble families, he works hard for a peaceful society. He feels that if someone in his position does not follow the rules as a good example, no one else will. He believes that to maintain the order, all law-breakers must be punished, even if it goes against his own wishes. Byakuya feels that "part of a captain's responsibilities is to make sure that the lieutenant's responsibilities are taken care of". During the years between Rukia's adoption and her death sentence, Byakuya's pride and calm demeanor made her believe he never cared about her because he had never once looked at her. In spite of his icy and regal manner, Byakuya cares for and protects those important to him. This holds especially true to Rukia as he loved Hisana dearly and unconditionally, having promised Hisana he would protect Rukia no matter what. After the events of the Aizen incident, he admits law isn't perfect, and becomes more lenient towards Rukia. Although, he tries to maintain a balance between following orders and breaking the law by exploiting loopholes in his orders. In addition, he also provided Rukia and Renji with safety cloaks to protect them against Hueco Mundo's rough terrain. Because of his promise to Hisana, Byakuya smothered Rukia despite his pride by making sure she would never become a seated officer because of the risks that involve missions for such positions. He also comes to learn about his mistakes of keeping his feelings to himself and becomes more open about how much he cares for Rukia and others that are close to him such as Renji. Byakuya is popular among the female Shinigami of Soul Society, and was voted number one in the "captain we desire to release a photo book for" poll taken by the Shinigami Women's Association. He likes Japanese cherry blossoms, night-time walks, spicy food, and bananas, but does not like sweets. Byakuya excels in calligraphy.

Byakuya in front of the gate to Soul Society. Source: Picture

History

Byakuya was born into the Kuchiki Clan, and grew up in the Kuchiki Mansion in Seireitei. He would spend countless hours training, preparing to take over the leadership of the Kuchiki family. Yoruichi Shihōin would often visit the Kuchiki Manor to play a game of tag with Byakuya. On one such occasion, approximately 110 years ago, she is presented to a training Byakuya by his grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki. Upon seeing Yoruichi, he attacked and insulted her. Yoruichi playfully teased him, complaining about his greeting after coming all the way there to see him. Byakuya, expressing his displeasure at seeing her, stated he would be the head of the Kuchiki Clan soon enough, so he had no time to waste on her. Yoruichi, stealing his hair tie, exclaimed that if the head of the Kuchiki Clan could get his hair tie stolen by a girl at play, she is worried about its future. She used Shunpo to escape from him, leaving an angry Byakuya, claiming his superiority, promising to make her see the error of her ways. Fifty-five years ago, Byakuya married Hisana Kuchiki, a commoner from Rukongai, breaking the rules by accepting her into the noble Kuchiki Clan. Five years after the marriage, she became sick and was near death. Hisana asked Byakuya to find and adopt her biological sister, Rukia, whom she had abandoned as a baby, as her final wish. She made him promise he would not tell Rukia she is her sister. One year later, Byakuya, finding Rukia at the Shin'ō Academy, immediately adopted her into the Kuchiki Clan. By adopting her, Byakuya respected his late wife's final wish, but had broken the rules of his clan again. He later swore upon his parents' graves he would never break the rules again, no matter what. Less than 49 years ago, not long before Rukia joined the Gotei 13, Byakuya became the captain of the 6th Division. Gin Ichimaru, becoming captain of the 3rd Division at the same time, would often start conversations with Byakuya when they crossed paths. When Isshin Shiba, captain of the 10th Division, makes his report concerning the mysterious Hollow and the string of events occurring in Naruki City, Byakuya is present to hear his speech, along with all of the other captains of the Gotei 13.

Byakuya during his famous Bankai Senbonzakura. Source: Picture

Mayuri Kurotsuchi

Intro

Mayuri Kurotsuchi is the captain of the 12th Division in the Gotei 13 and 2nd president of the Shinigami Research Institute. His previous lieutenant was Nemu Kurotsuchi, his artificially-created "daughter" and his current lieutenant is Akon. He formerly served as the 3rd Seat of the 12th Division under Kisuke Urahara.

Appearance

Mayuri's appearance has a skeletal look to it with a skull-like visage. His face is painted entirely white with the inner portion of his face painted black with the exception of his nose. His eyes are a golden color and he constantly bares his teeth giving the appearance of him constantly smiling. Both his ears are seemingly replaced with stubbed golden cones. His fingernails are blue and, with the exception of the fingernail on his right middle finger, are all short. The one long fingernail is as long as the finger itself. He also wears a white hat with two ends that point to his right and a large purple scarf around his neck. His whole body, even his face and hands, has been painted black and white. He repaints his make-up every morning, as he always removes it before going to bed. Without his makeup, Mayuri has blue hair and honey gold eyes. He has small, slatted portcullises with multiple earrings in place of where his ears would be, and his body is covered in scars. Upon entering Hueco Mundo, Mayuri reveals a new look: his face paint had changed with him creating a black cross upon the center of his face covering everything but his nose and a small portion of his lower chin. His ear attachments have become shorter and rounder but wider, his chin has a long golden attachment reminiscent of an Egyptian Pharaoh beard, his teeth have become a golden color, and he no longer wears a hat as there is a golden frame around his face. His hair is also styled into "horns," that slope down from the top of his head and frame his face, which when viewed from the front looks much like a Pharaoh's crown. 17 months after Aizen's defeat, Mayuri displays another new look. The black face paint covers much of his face, leaving thin white lines going up his face and a white nose. He wears a long, golden headdress which curves back to his mid back. Underneath his chin are two opposite facing strands from the mask. On the backside of the headdress the Twelfth Division symbol is painted. Following the first invasion by the Wandenreich, Mayuri dons a bright white overcoat with many ridges on the front. The overcoat also has a hood that has many protrusions that give the appearance of a sun. The shoes he wears have changed to be a plain white pair with the shoes splitting into opposite points at the toe. Under this outfit he has styled his hair into three loops, and his ears are covered by three large golden tubes that wrap around the sides of his head. 110 years ago, Mayuri's appearance was similar to his current appearances, but with minimal details. He was still largely painted white except for the black paint which was arranged around his eyes like a large domino mask. He had gold cones covering his ears and blue hair combed back on the top of his head. While developing the Nemuri Project, Mayuri's makeup consisted of black, geometrical shapes covering the area of his face above his nose and mouth, with thick lines extending to his jaw, and he retained the gold cones on his ears while donning an oddly-shaped hat.

Personality

Mayuri Kurotsuchi is a researcher and personifies the stereotype of the mad scientist. By his early actions during the Ryoka Invasion, he is displayed as sadistic and cruel. He sees everyone and everything not as a living being, but as an object to be researched—including himself. He has little respect or regard for most others, and was even willing to turn his own men (who were not aware of his plans) into living bombs in an attempt to capture Uryū Ishida and Orihime Inoue for experimentation.He also withheld vital information about the Bounts from the other Shinigami in order to capture one as a research subject for himself. However, while he usually shows disregard for life, he has been known to warn people of possible dangers when they present themselves. As a scientist, Mayuri despises perfection, as he believes that achieving such a state leaves him with absolutely nothing more to strive for — namely imagination, knowledge and improvements — which would result in nothing but despair; because of this, he derided Szayelaporro Granz for claiming to be a "perfect life form". It is known that Mayuri's favorite food is pike fish, and that he does not like onion. One of his free-time activities is reading every character published in Seireitei Communication. He himself publishes a serialization in the journal, titled "Effective Medication for the Brain", which apparently contains detailed instructions on preparation of medicine and their application. Surprisingly, it is highly popular among the readers. In battle, Mayuri likes to toy with his opponent, torturing them little by little until they can hardly stand. He did this in both the fight with Uryū and his Espada counterpart Szayelaporro. Every time he fights he uses it as an experiment testing himself and his opponent little by little. He also uses it as an opportunity to implant microbes or other things in case they get away. Before engaging, though, he will make extensive research on his possible opponents to tilt the chance of winning in his favor. Before the Winter War, he is busy reading in the library with a note on the door saying, "Enter and Die." Mayuri's utter disregard for life even extends to the rest of the Gotei 13, believing that all members of the organization are to be prepared to give up their lives in order to protect the Seireitei. To this end, he would gladly cut down any former comrades, even if they are under the enemy's control, test many of his experimental drugs on such comrades for the sake of his research which he believes to be the sake of the Seireitei, and even force his zombified fellow captains to become his minions to fight to their last breath for the sake of Gotei 13 and Soul Society, as opposed to killing them out of mercy. Despite his disregard for most life, Mayuri is very obsessive about creating it, and it is his dream to create a soul out of nothing. This led to him being overjoyed when the seventh test of the Nemuri Project was successful.

Mayuri with his wierd and changing appearance. Source: Picture

History

Little is known about the early history of Mayuri, except that 110 years ago, he was the only prisoner in the Maggot's Nest who was considered dangerous enough to necessitate confinement in a small prison cell, chained to the wall by his ankle. He would, however, one day be visited by Kisuke Urahara who was seeking his genius to become vice-president in the newly thought-of Shinigami Research and Development Institute, a request that would automatically get him out of there. At first Mayuri refused, until Kisuke began teasing him with the fact that he had nothing to tinker with down there and that, as vice-president, he would inherit everything should something happen to Urahara. At some point, Mayuri read a book detailing the functions of the arms of the Soul King, where he learned that the right arm is in charge of "stopping" while the left arm is in charge of "advancing". 9 years later, while walking through the Seireitei with Kisuke Urahara and Hiyori Sarugaki, they were greeted by 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako and his Lieutenant Sōsuke Aizen. Mayuri expressed distaste for Shinji as he refused to call Mayuri by his full name and only called him by his first, which was too familiar for Mayuri's liking. He acted uninterested in the conversation between Urahara and Aizen who was explaining that the 9th Division had been sent on a special investigation to find out what was happening with the disappearances in the Rukongai. During her brief time as a member of the institute, Hiyori served as a lab manager, which resulted in clashes with Mayuri, who was then 3rd Seat & Vice-President of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, over who had more authority under the captain. The two constantly got into an ongoing argument about who was in charge, prompting Hiyori to call in Urahara. He explained to her that with the disappearances occurring he had created a new type of Gigai. Before Hiyori could respond they were interrupted by the arrival of Tōdō Izaemon, the 6th Seat of the 9th Division. Urahara agreed to send a researcher over to the investigation site as per the request of Captain Kensei Muguruma of the 9th Division. Urahara elected Hiyori to go to the site, to which she became irritated and asked why he couldn't send someone less important, referring to lab assistant Akon. He questioned if she should continue being a lieutenant prompting Hiyori to attack him, though he simply dodged her. Though reluctant, Hiyori gave in once Urahara explained that she was the only one that he could trust with the task. After an incident that got Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi banished and several captains and seated officers Hollowfied, Mayuri later succeeded Urahara in leading the Research and Development Institute. At some point, Mayuri began developing the Nemuri Project, which he used to modify his Zanpakutō. This development allowed him to succeed Urahara as captain of the 12th Division of the Gotei 13. In the project, he eventually created new life from "godly soul cells" in the form of Nemu, which made him extremely happy. Though he claimed that creating new souls from nothing was the dream of any Shinigami, Mayuri believed that having a dream while awake was foolish and reflected that in the ironic name of the project. Years later, after the issue of Shinigami being killed in Naruki City was solved, Mayuri listened to Isshin Shiba's report about his findings in a captains' meeting. Although the Captain-Commander was willing to overlook Isshin's violation of rules, Mayuri expressed his displeasure at how Isshin couldn't bring back the "Mysterious Hollow's" body. He also experimented on Quincy, including Sōken Ishida, Uryū's master and grandfather, in his studies. He was disappointed to learn that Uryū was a Quincy because he considered his study of the Quincy complete and did not want any further Quincy specimens.

Mayuri with his big living baby moth looking bankai Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō, that spews deadly poinsonous gas. Source: Picture

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto

Intro

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, was the captain of the 1st Division in the Gotei 13 and also the Captain-Commander (Head-Captain in the English Dub) of the whole Gotei 13. His lieutenant was Chōjirō Sasakibe.

Appearance

Yamamoto is the oldest captain in the Gotei 13. He has the appearance of an old man with red eyes, a very long white beard, and long eyebrows. There are many scars on his torso and head, the two most prominent being a pair of long, perpendicular scars above his right eye, left by his battle with his lieutenant. After his brief confrontation with Sōsuke Aizen, Yamamoto lost his left arm. He wears the standard Shinigami uniform, but its size is greatly exaggerated. He drapes his haori over his back instead of actually wearing it. Despite his old and frail appearance, he has a very muscular body which he only reveals when he goes to battle, something which Shunsui Kyōraku claims is not seen too often. When he was much younger, Yamamoto had black hair on the sides of his head, and was bald on top. He had a tuft of hair sticking up at the back of his head in a topknot. He had thick black eyebrows and a long, thick black mustache. He had a single large scar on his forehead, which earned him the nickname "Eijisai" due to its shape. He had prominent wrinkles on his forehead and beneath his eyes, and shallow cheeks. He wore the typical black outfit of a Shinigami.

Peronality

As the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto is highly respected by most of the Shinigami, most notably Sajin Komamura, who views Yamamoto as a benefactor who saved his life. The embodiment of conviction, Yamamoto follows the laws and regulations of Soul Society to the letter, and expects the same of others. He is not a man to tolerate insubordination, and is vocal with those who attempt to act in such a manner. He is quick to anger in the face of possible betrayal and can be quite aggressive in combat. He has a habit of referring to those he faces in battle as "youngster", and he refers to a battle as a "beating" or "punishment". When in a state of peace, he carries himself with an air of frailty, to the point where he fell asleep standing while awaiting Shunsui Kyōraku's arrival for a meeting. Due to years of experience, Yamamoto very rarely shows any sign of distress or surprise, usually responding by opening one or both of his eyes, which are partially closed slits for the majority of the time. Yamamoto is very loyal to Soul Society, and takes his duties very seriously, expecting the same from the rest of the Gotei 13. His loyalty is so great, he is willing to sacrifice himself and the Gotei 13 in order to defeat Aizen, believing it to be their duty to lay down their lives for the sake of the Soul Society if necessary. Yamamoto becomes visibly angry when Shunsui, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Kenpachi Zaraki lose their haori and show little regret: to him, the haori represents their status as captains. Inversely, he prefers not to involve allies who are not part of the Gotei 13 (particularly humans), as he requested Ichigo Kurosaki to move to safety, and did not request for Orihime Inoue to repair the left arm he sacrificed for Ittō Kasō. Despite his stern and steadfast personality, it is not to say he has no compassion and admiration, even for his enemies, as he was reluctant to strike down Wonderweiss Margela for his childish form and personality (only managing to get through this when Wonderweiss' Resurrección makes him no longer look like a child), and felt pity for him that Sōsuke Aizen stripped him of all his higher mental capacities except emotions (mainly fear of death). He commended the Tres Bestias for their bravery of attacking him with only one arm each, and struck them down without killing them. Yamamoto felt particularly furious when Driscoll Berci utilized his lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe's stolen Bankai, considering the inferior power to that of the original wielder as an insult to Chōjiro's memories and hard work; Yamamoto brutally burned Driscoll to cinders, showing his immense respect for a longtime friend and subordinate. Yamamoto appreciates Eastern cultures, and is a master at the Japanese tea ceremony. He dislikes the Western traditions preferred by his lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe. Yamamoto holds a tea session every month in the 1st Division quarters for every member of his division. He plaits his own beard and arranges its ends once a month, and likes to be rubbed down with a dry towel while exposed to the sun on his balcony. Yamamoto was apparently shameful of his past actions. He once referred to a painting of his past self as a monster that brought the Soul Society further turmoil when it was in a period of instability. Yhwach noted 1000 years ago, Yamamoto was a demon himself, using any necessary means to defeat his enemies, and treated Humans and his own subordinates alike as expendable pawns; it was only after defeating the Quincy and attaining peace did Yamamoto live with honor and justice that led him to hesitate in sacrificing people heedlessly.

Genryusai the leader of the soul society. Source: Picture

History

Around 2,100 years ago, Yamamoto was the "Genryū" Founder and "Genji School" Head Instructor. At some point, Yamamoto founded the Gotei 13 as well; he sought out Yachiru Unohana, the most diabolical criminal of Soul Society and a master swordswoman, to join the group as one of the founding captains. Yamamoto was himself a teacher at this academy, and personally instructed Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake. He admits to being rather proud of the two. When they became captains, he boasted about them as though they were his sons. During Yamamoto's time as an instructor, Chōjirō Sasakibe routinely visited him, always referring to him as "Eijisai-dono", a reference to the large scar on his forehead, despite knowing it annoyed him. He insisted it would be wrong to use Yamamoto's real name. During one of his visits, Chōjirō told Yamamoto he wished to be his right arm and compensate for anything which Yamamoto could not do. When Yamamoto told him to become his disciple, he declined. At Yamamoto's behest, Chōjirō tried to defeat him with his Bankai. Though he failed to defeat him, he left a permanent scar on Yamamoto's forehead, crossing his earlier scar. Others began to refer to him by a different name due to the new scar, but Chōjirō refused to use this new name. As a result, Yamamoto decided to call himself Genryūsai. Approximately one thousand years ago, Yamamoto became the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13. Around the same time, he failed to kill Yhwach, although he did kill several of his Quincy subordinates, including Hubert, Zeidritz and Argola. On various occasions, Yamamoto would catch the young Shunsui Kyōraku sneaking into his room. On one particular instance, he scolded the boy for doing so. When Shunsui asked about a painting of a dark silhouette within a field of fire, Yamamoto explained how the painting was of a monster which appeared in Soul Society a long time ago. He stated it had appeared at a time when Soul Society was facing a difficult situation, and the monster's appearance had made the situation worse. Yamamoto stated it was unlikely to return, but if it did, its return would mark Yamamoto's last day in Soul Society. At some point, Yamamoto came across Sajin Komamura and gave him the opportunity to join the Gotei 13, despite him not being a Human soul. Sometime shortly after Kenpachi Zaraki joined the Gotei 13, Yamamoto forced him to learn kendō because he had not learned any formal swordsmanship training, having bypassed those normally necessary qualifications due to the way he attained his position. Concerned by the devastation which Kenpachi could cause if he were to ever rebel after growing even stronger, Central 46 had Yamamoto stop the training after just one day. Turn Back the Pendulum arc Approximately 110 years ago, Yamamoto was noted as being the oldest captain among the Gotei 13, followed by Retsu Unohana, Shunsui, and Ukitake. It was stated the four of them had been captains of the Gotei 13 for at least 100 years at this point. Pushing Kisuke Urahara into the First Division headquarters so he could start the promotion ceremony, Yamamoto explained how seven days ago, there was an order to promote the 12th Division Captain Kirio Hikifune, which would leave her position open. Notifying the various captains of the opening, he asked them to submit nominations for the selection of a new captain. Within a short period of time, he got a recommendation from 2nd Division Captain Yoruichi Shihōin to promote her 3rd Seat, Kisuke Urahara. The following day, Yamamoto called Urahara in so he could take the Captain's Proficiency Test, administered by himself, 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana and 6th Division Captain Ginrei Kuchiki, so they can confirm Urahara is qualified to be a captain. Having satisfied his three superiors, the three senior captains appointed Urahara the new captain of the 12th Division. 10 years later, Yamamoto called an emergency meeting of the captains of the Gotei 13, where he gave an intelligence report on the disappearances of 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma and Lieutenant Mashiro Kuna, who had previously been sent out to investigate the disappearance of other 9th Division members. As he stated he would choose 5 captains to form an investigation team, a very winded and frantic Urahara showed up to ask permission to go with the investigation team, for he had previously seen his lieutenant, Hiyori Sarugaki, go to the sight of the disappearances. Declining to grant this, Yamamoto, continuing with the meeting, selected 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako, and 7th Division Captain Love Aikawa. Telling them to head to the campground, he ordered Yoruichi to stand by, while the remaining captains present were to stay behind and guard the Seireitei. Yamamoto ordered Unohana to prepare her relief stations for casualties. When Unohana insisted she should tend to the wounded at the site of the disappearances, Yamamoto stated he could not send healers without knowing the full extent of the situation. Upon the arrival of the captain of the Kidō Corps, Tessai Tsukabishi, and his lieutenant, Hachigen Ushōda, Yamamoto, asking Tessai if he had heard the news of the disappearances, told him he wanted the two of them to head to the campground as well. Interrupting, Shunsui asked if it was a good idea to send both the captain and lieutenant of the Kidō Corps when they had no idea what was going on. When Yamamoto asked what he would suggest, Shunsui told him they should send his lieutenant, Lisa Yadōmaru. With the squad formed, Yamamoto sent them out to investigate the disappearances. After Isshin Shiba fought White, he reported back to Yamamoto. Pointing out how he had taken action without permission, Yamamoto stated his quick actions kept casualties low and damage to a minimum, and therefore he would not punish Isshin. As Isshin turned to leave, Yamamoto, suspecting Isshin was leaving out information, asked if there was something else worth mentioning, which Isshin denied. Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc (anime only) Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material. Several centuries ago, during a rebellion which caused a civil war in Soul Society, Yamamoto, praising the actions of Kōga Kuchiki, later gave him the leadership of a special contingent of troops. When Kōga became a rogue, Yamamoto helped Ginrei seal Kōga with a special Kidō spell.

Genryusai Using his Zanpakuto Ryūjin Jakka, engulfing him in raging flames. Source: Picture

Kisuke Urahara

Intro

Kisuke Urahara is the former captain of the 12th Division, as well as the founder and 1st President of the S.R.D.I.. His lieutenant was Hiyori Sarugaki. He lives in the Human World where he owns a small convenience store which sells Shinigami items. He is assisted by his employees Tessai Tsukabishi, Jinta Hanakari, and Ururu Tsumugiya.

Appearance

Kisuke is a tall, lean-built man with light skin and gray eyes. His hair is messy and light-blond (almost pale), with strands framing the sides of the face and hanging between his eyes, and he has chin stubble. He wears a dark coat, which sports a white diamond pattern along its bottom half, with a dark green shirt and pants underneath. His coat's design is reminiscent of an inverted captain's haori (white with black diamonds). Urahara carries a fan, which he occasionally uses to hide his face. He usually wears traditional Japanese wooden sandals (geta) and a striped dark green and white bucket hat (which usually shadows his eyes), which has earned him the nickname "sandal-hat" (ゲタ帽子, geta-bōshi; "Mr. Hat-and-Clogs" in the English dub). During his earlier years in Soul Society, he had a clean-shaved face and wore the standard Shinigami uniform. In his more casual events, he usually wore his geta. He later wore a long-sleeved captain's haori after his promotion to the rank of captain.

Personality

As the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto is highly respected by most of the Shinigami, most notably Sajin Komamura, who views Yamamoto as a benefactor who saved his life. The embodiment of conviction, Yamamoto follows the laws and regulations of Soul Society to the letter, and expects the same of others. He is not a man to tolerate insubordination, and is vocal with those who attempt to act in such a manner. He is quick to anger in the face of possible betrayal and can be quite aggressive in combat. He has a habit of referring to those he faces in battle as "youngster", and he refers to a battle as a "beating" or "punishment". When in a state of peace, he carries himself with an air of frailty, to the point where he fell asleep standing while awaiting Shunsui Kyōraku's arrival for a meeting. Due to years of experience, Yamamoto very rarely shows any sign of distress or surprise, usually responding by opening one or both of his eyes, which are partially closed slits for the majority of the time. Yamamoto is very loyal to Soul Society, and takes his duties very seriously, expecting the same from the rest of the Gotei 13. His loyalty is so great, he is willing to sacrifice himself and the Gotei 13 in order to defeat Aizen, believing it to be their duty to lay down their lives for the sake of the Soul Society if necessary. Yamamoto becomes visibly angry when Shunsui, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Kenpachi Zaraki lose their haori and show little regret: to him, the haori represents their status as captains. Inversely, he prefers not to involve allies who are not part of the Gotei 13 (particularly humans), as he requested Ichigo Kurosaki to move to safety, and did not request for Orihime Inoue to repair the left arm he sacrificed for Ittō Kasō. Despite his stern and steadfast personality, it is not to say he has no compassion and admiration, even for his enemies, as he was reluctant to strike down Wonderweiss Margela for his childish form and personality (only managing to get through this when Wonderweiss' Resurrección makes him no longer look like a child), and felt pity for him that Sōsuke Aizen stripped him of all his higher mental capacities except emotions (mainly fear of death). He commended the Tres Bestias for their bravery of attacking him with only one arm each, and struck them down without killing them.[11] Yamamoto felt particularly furious when Driscoll Berci utilized his lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe's stolen Bankai, considering the inferior power to that of the original wielder as an insult to Chōjiro's memories and hard work; Yamamoto brutally burned Driscoll to cinders, showing his immense respect for a longtime friend and subordinate. Yamamoto appreciates Eastern cultures, and is a master at the Japanese tea ceremony. He dislikes the Western traditions preferred by his lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe. Yamamoto holds a tea session every month in the 1st Division quarters for every member of his division. He plaits his own beard and arranges its ends once a month, and likes to be rubbed down with a dry towel while exposed to the sun on his balcony. Yamamoto was apparently shameful of his past actions. He once referred to a painting of his past self as a monster that brought the Soul Society further turmoil when it was in a period of instability.[14] Yhwach noted 1000 years ago, Yamamoto was a demon himself, using any necessary means to defeat his enemies, and treated Humans and his own subordinates alike as expendable pawns; it was only after defeating the Quincy and attaining peace did Yamamoto live with honor and justice that led him to hesitate in sacrificing people heedlessly.

Kisuke with his characteristic white and green buckethat. Source: Picture

History

Around 2,100 years ago, Yamamoto was the "Genryū" Founder and "Genji School" Head Instructor. At some point, Yamamoto founded the Gotei 13 as well; he sought out Yachiru Unohana, the most diabolical criminal of Soul Society and a master swordswoman, to join the group as one of the founding captains. Yamamoto was himself a teacher at this academy, and personally instructed Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake. He admits to being rather proud of the two. When they became captains, he boasted about them as though they were his sons. During Yamamoto's time as an instructor, Chōjirō Sasakibe routinely visited him, always referring to him as "Eijisai-dono", a reference to the large scar on his forehead, despite knowing it annoyed him. He insisted it would be wrong to use Yamamoto's real name. During one of his visits, Chōjirō told Yamamoto he wished to be his right arm and compensate for anything which Yamamoto could not do. When Yamamoto told him to become his disciple, he declined. At Yamamoto's behest, Chōjirō tried to defeat him with his Bankai. Though he failed to defeat him, he left a permanent scar on Yamamoto's forehead, crossing his earlier scar. Others began to refer to him by a different name due to the new scar, but Chōjirō refused to use this new name. As a result, Yamamoto decided to call himself Genryūsai. Approximately one thousand years ago, Yamamoto became the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13. Around the same time, he failed to kill Yhwach, although he did kill several of his Quincy subordinates, including Hubert, Zeidritz and Argola. On various occasions, Yamamoto would catch the young Shunsui Kyōraku sneaking into his room. On one particular instance, he scolded the boy for doing so. When Shunsui asked about a painting of a dark silhouette within a field of fire, Yamamoto explained how the painting was of a monster which appeared in Soul Society a long time ago. He stated it had appeared at a time when Soul Society was facing a difficult situation, and the monster's appearance had made the situation worse. Yamamoto stated it was unlikely to return, but if it did, its return would mark Yamamoto's last day in Soul Society. At some point, Yamamoto came across Sajin Komamura and gave him the opportunity to join the Gotei 13, despite him not being a Human soul. Sometime shortly after Kenpachi Zaraki joined the Gotei 13, Yamamoto forced him to learn kendō because he had not learned any formal swordsmanship training, having bypassed those normally necessary qualifications due to the way he attained his position. Concerned by the devastation which Kenpachi could cause if he were to ever rebel after growing even stronger, Central 46 had Yamamoto stop the training after just one day. Turn Back the Pendulum arc Approximately 110 years ago, Yamamoto was noted as being the oldest captain among the Gotei 13, followed by Retsu Unohana, Shunsui, and Ukitake. It was stated the four of them had been captains of the Gotei 13 for at least 100 years at this point. Pushing Kisuke Urahara into the First Division headquarters so he could start the promotion ceremony, Yamamoto explained how seven days ago, there was an order to promote the 12th Division Captain Kirio Hikifune, which would leave her position open. Notifying the various captains of the opening, he asked them to submit nominations for the selection of a new captain. Within a short period of time, he got a recommendation from 2nd Division Captain Yoruichi Shihōin to promote her 3rd Seat, Kisuke Urahara. The following day, Yamamoto called Urahara in so he could take the Captain's Proficiency Test, administered by himself, 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana and 6th Division Captain Ginrei Kuchiki, so they can confirm Urahara is qualified to be a captain. Having satisfied his three superiors, the three senior captains appointed Urahara the new captain of the 12th Division. 10 years later, Yamamoto called an emergency meeting of the captains of the Gotei 13, where he gave an intelligence report on the disappearances of 9th Division Captain Kensei Muguruma and Lieutenant Mashiro Kuna, who had previously been sent out to investigate the disappearance of other 9th Division members. As he stated he would choose 5 captains to form an investigation team, a very winded and frantic Urahara showed up to ask permission to go with the investigation team, for he had previously seen his lieutenant, Hiyori Sarugaki, go to the sight of the disappearances. Declining to grant this, Yamamoto, continuing with the meeting, selected 3rd Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako, and 7th Division Captain Love Aikawa. Telling them to head to the campground, he ordered Yoruichi to stand by, while the remaining captains present were to stay behind and guard the Seireitei. Yamamoto ordered Unohana to prepare her relief stations for casualties. When Unohana insisted she should tend to the wounded at the site of the disappearances, Yamamoto stated he could not send healers without knowing the full extent of the situation. Upon the arrival of the captain of the Kidō Corps, Tessai Tsukabishi, and his lieutenant, Hachigen Ushōda, Yamamoto, asking Tessai if he had heard the news of the disappearances, told him he wanted the two of them to head to the campground as well. Interrupting, Shunsui asked if it was a good idea to send both the captain and lieutenant of the Kidō Corps when they had no idea what was going on. When Yamamoto asked what he would suggest, Shunsui told him they should send his lieutenant, Lisa Yadōmaru. With the squad formed, Yamamoto sent them out to investigate the disappearances. After Isshin Shiba fought White, he reported back to Yamamoto. Pointing out how he had taken action without permission, Yamamoto stated his quick actions kept casualties low and damage to a minimum, and therefore he would not punish Isshin. As Isshin turned to leave, Yamamoto, suspecting Isshin was leaving out information, asked if there was something else worth mentioning, which Isshin denied. Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc (anime only) Note: Events occurring in this arc are only in the anime and do not constitute canon material. Several centuries ago, during a rebellion which caused a civil war in Soul Society, Yamamoto, praising the actions of Kōga Kuchiki, later gave him the leadership of a special contingent of troops. When Kōga became a rogue, Yamamoto helped Ginrei seal Kōga with a special Kidō spell.

Source: Picture

Sosuke Aizen

Intro

Sōsuke Aizen is the former captain of the 5th Division in the Gotei 13. He later leaves Soul Society with his followers, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen. His lieutenant was Momo Hinamori. He formerly served as the lieutenant of the 5th Division under Shinji Hirako. After waging war against Soul Society with an army of Arrancar, Aizen was defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki and sealed away by Kisuke Urahara, and then imprisoned for his crimes.

Appearance

Prior to his departure from Soul Society, Aizen appeared as a mild-featured man with brown scholarly hair enhanced by square glasses, along with soft brown eyes. He wore the standard Shinigami uniform with a captain's haori. During his ascent to Hueco Mundo, he removed his glasses and swept his hand through his hair, revealing menacing eyes and a very different hairstyle; his hair is now swept back, with a strand hanging down his face. In Hueco Mundo, Aizen initially wears Arrancar clothes over his shihakushō. After Orihime Inoue is taken to Las Noches, Aizen wears full clothing similar in style to the Arrancar, complete with a pink sash around the waist. Upon his defeat by Ichigo Kurosaki, Aizen loses all of the physical changes made by his transformation and returns to the physical form he had prior to transforming.

Personality

Aizen is a polite, soft-spoken intellectual, often addressing his subordinates by their given names. He rarely shows any sign of alarm or distress, and often has entire situations planned out well in advance. Whenever confronted, Aizen is casual and uncaring, attempting to draw out a conversation and make small talk, which often infuriates those he is talking to. Aizen initially appeared to be a very kind, well-respected captain and was looked up to by many, especially his lieutenant, Momo Hinamori. However, this was just a mask to disguise his manipulative, and very dangerous, nature. In truth, he cares very little for his underlings, and is willing to use almost everyone around him as pawns to achieve his goals. He is willing to stop at nothing to further his ambitions, including manipulating or killing anyone if he deems it to be necessary. He frequently toys with his underlings for amusement. During his time as a captain, Aizen liked tofu, but he disliked boiled eggs. In his free time, he often read, and he gave a special lecture of calligraphy at the Shin'ō Academy because he excelled in this branch of arts. This optional course was immensely popular among the Shinigami students, and many of them felt great sorrow at Aizen's sudden departure. As the commander of his army of Arrancar, Aizen controls his minions through acquired respect or fear. Ulquiorra Cifer revealed to Orihime Inoue that they are all there to further Aizen's ambitions. Aizen keeps more rowdy individuals like Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez in line through intimidation and mind games. The Arrancar Aisslinger Wernarr claims the Arrancar follow him because he has no fear, something which beings born from fear and despair find inspiring. Gin Ichimaru has some sense of Aizen's emotions and feelings, correctly pointing out Aizen was enjoying the invasion by Ichigo and his friends and their successes within Las Noches, which Aizen himself confirmed, and noting Aizen was surprised by the arrival of Momo during the battle of Fake Karakura Town. In contrast, Kaname Tōsen has shown no such understanding, and has fallen victim to one of Aizen's more minor mind games when Aizen subtly manipulated him into punishing Grimmjow for him while Aizen himself kept up his appearance of benevolence. Aizen's true objective was to overthrow the king of Soul Society. As he and his fellow traitor captains were departing from the Soul Society, he told 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake "no one has stood on the top of the world", not even the gods, but he aspires to "stand on the heavens and end the unbearable vacancy on the world's throne". According to Kisuke Urahara, since mastering the Hōgyoku, Aizen has become less cautious in battle, for Aizen would not have allowed Urahara to use level 90 Kidō before he subdued the Hōgyoku. Aizen admits his new powers allow him to let his guard down. Due to this newfound power, Aizen has developed an arrogant and overconfident attitude, often not even thinking his attacks or defense through any longer like he used to, or even bothering to find out the effects of his opponents' and his own attacks. In his newest form, he has developed a severe superiority complex, believing he is now above both Shinigami and Hollows. Because of his superior attitude and high intelligence, Aizen is easily enraged when facing something or someone which he does not understand; for example, when witnessing Ichigo Kurosaki use Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō, Aizen becomes furious because he is unable to comprehend how a Human has surpassed him. By the time he is released from Muken, he has reverted to his calm, casual personality, brushing aside Shunsui Kyōraku's praise regarding his current abilities, and somewhat undergoes a change of heart, even being willing to fight against Yhwach and assist Ichigo before returning to Muken. He disagrees with Yhwach's philosophy about combining all three planes of existence to eliminate the fear of death and believes that people would never have the courage to move forward against such a threat in Yhwach's world.

Aizen facing off against Ichigo in his half hollow form. Source: Picture

History

At an unknown point in the past, Aizen became part of the 5th Division under Captain Shinji Hirako. He invested himself in the research and creation of the Hōgyoku even before Kisuke Urahara. To this end, he sacrificed hundreds of Shinigami and hundreds of Rukongai citizens who bore Shinigami talents to his own Hōgyoku, but it was not satisfied with this. At one point, a young Gin Ichimaru watched Aizen meet with three other Shinigami who were kneeling before him. One of the Shinigami handed Aizen the Hōgyoku, prompting Aizen to put the orb in a glass and hand it back to the Shinigami. Aizen and his subordinates left an unconscious Rangiku Matsumoto a short distance away. Aizen eventually caught Shinji's attention, and was promoted to a lieutenant in order for Shinji to watch over him closely, but Shinji's action only helped further the realization of his plans. 110 years ago, Aizen made his way to the 5th Division living quarters of his captain. He and Shinji discussed style and trends before they made their way to the promotion ceremony being held at the 1st Division headquarters. As they got there, he witnessed 12th Division Lieutenant Hiyori Sarugaki attack his captain, and watched as the two got into a childish argument. He followed behind while the other captains congregated and had a brief discussion on the status of the Gotei 13. Overhearing 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku mention that the previous captain of the 12th Division was promoted, Aizen interrupted and asked Shunsui what he meant by this. When Aizen initially conjectured that the promotion was to Central 46, Shunsui explained it had nothing to do with the Central 46 and revealed the previous 12th Division captain, Kirio Hikifune, had been accepted into the Royal Guard, shocking Aizen. The following night, after Urahara's appointment as the new captain of the 12th Division, Shinji had a short talk with him about his new role as captain. While leaving, Shinji revealed Aizen, who had been concealed behind camouflage. Complimenting his captain, Aizen asked Shinji when he sensed him there. Stating he had known ever since Aizen was in his mother's womb, Shinji ordered Aizen to follow. Noting his disapproval, Aizen commented on how scary a person Shinji was, prompting Shinji to say that Aizen was the scary one. The next night, Aizen saw Gin killing the 3rd Seat of their division. Informing Gin he was impressed by his skill, Aizen asked him how he found the fight, prompting Gin to state he found it pathetic. 9 years later, Shinji and Aizen were walking around the Seireitei when they came across Urahara, Hiyori, and 12th Division 3rd Seat Mayuri Kurotsuchi. While Shinji once again engaged in a childish fight and argument with Hiyori, Aizen asked Urahara if he had heard the news. When Urahara told Aizen he had not, Shinji told Urahara about the series of strange deaths which had taken place in Rukongai and informed him the 9th Division had been sent to handle the investigation. With the disappearance of the 9th Division, Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto called an emergency meeting and assembled a team to investigate. After coming into contact with Hollowfied 9th Division members, the investigation team was dispatched by an unseen assailant. While the investigation team was still out searching, Shunsui and some other Shinigami on guard saw someone whom they believed to be Aizen. It was later revealed 9th Division 5th Seat Kaname Tōsen was behind the betrayal of the 9th Division, having stabbed Kensei Muguruma in the back and killed Heizō Kasaki, Shinobu Eishima, and Tōdō Izaemon, who had accompanied Kensei. He subsequently subdued the team sent to locate the missing 9th Division members using his Bankai. When an injured Shinji asked Tōsen why he betrayed his captain, he was surprised to be answered by Aizen, who stated Tōsen did not betray anyone and faithfully followed his orders. When Shinji admitted he was not as surprised as he seemed to be, Aizen asked Shinji if he suspected him and stated that he had expected this much from his captain. Explaining how he had known something was dangerous about Aizen and he could not be trusted, Shinji said he chose Aizen to be his lieutenant so he could keep an eye on him, prompting Aizen to state that he was grateful because Shinji did not suspect a thing due to his deep-seated doubts. When Shinji said he already made it known he had suspected him, Aizen reveals Shinji did not realize Aizen was not the one walking behind him for the past month. Explaining the power of his Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu, Aizen informed Shinji he would have been able to see through Aizen's deception by picking up on subtle differences between Aizen himself and Aizen's double if he was as close to Aizen as other captains were to their lieutenants, but it was his lack of trust which kept them from getting close and allowed Aizen to fool Shinji. Stating he could have always refused to be Shinji's lieutenant, Aizen revealed he decided against this action because his captain's skepticism made the position ideal to carry out his plans. When Aizen stated Shinji was to blame for his current predicament and his comrades' plight, Shinji was provoked by this, triggering a speed-up in the Hollowfication process. Thanking Shinji for being so easily provoked, Aizen noted the observed connection between Hollowfication and agitated emotions. Ordering Tōsen to cut down 12th Division Lieutenant Hiyori Sarugaki, Aizen thanked Shinji for helping him and raised his blade overhead in preparation to cut Shinji down, only to be attacked by Urahara, who cut Aizen's lieutenant badge off. Aizen and Urahara had a brief discussion about what was transpiring, with Aizen acting innocent at first until Urahara noted the investigation team did not have simple injuries, but were in fact undergoing Hollowfication. Commending Urahara on his deduction, Aizen revealed himself to be behind the disappearances in the Rukongai. Leaving the scene of the crime with Gin and Tōsen, Aizen said that there was nothing more to do there. When Tessai fired Hadō #88. Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō at them, Aizen blocked it with Bakudō #81. Dankū, allowing them to escape. At some point after the Hollowfication incident, Aizen became captain of the 5th Division, and eventually revealed to Gin the secret to avoiding the complete hypnosis of Kyōka Suigetsu. He later made Gin his lieutenant. Continuing to experiment on Hollows to transform them into Shinigami, Aizen created Hollows which were close to Shinigami, such as Metastacia, and Menos capable of concealing their Reiatsu. While testing out this breed of Menos, Aizen and Gin saved the then first year academy students Momo Hinamori, Izuru Kira, and Renji Abarai from them. With his interest piqued by them, Aizen realized their potential and took them all into his division. While the obedient and loyal Izuru and Momo became the lieutenants of the 3rd and 5th Divisions under Gin and Aizen, respectively, Renji proved to be too rebellious and was transferred to the 11th Division, later transferring to the 6th Division to become its lieutenant. Gin and Tōsen later became captains of the 3rd and 9th Divisions, respectively, but remained loyal only to Aizen. According to Aizen, even when Momo was his lieutenant, he always thought of Gin as his subordinate. At some point during their captaincy, Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen secretly visited Baraggan Louisenbairn, King of Hueco Mundo and Lord of Las Noches. He and Baraggan engaged in a light conversation, with Aizen asking Baraggan to look at his Zanpakutō. When Aizen asked Baraggan if he was happy in his position and if he would join him in a new world where he would be granted more power, Baraggan dismissed this notion and stated there was no power higher than his. Releasing his Shikai, Aizen showed Baraggan the decimation of his army, thus subjugating him in turn. This created great enmity between Aizen and Baraggan, who promised to seek Aizen's destruction for all eternity. Sometime after the Hollowfication Incident and during his and Isshin Shiba's time as captains, he, Gin, and Tōsen were still working on their Hollowfication experiments and attempting to locate Shinji's group. He told his co-conspirators to remain patient and reassured them everything would go as planned. Soon after this, Aizen and his two comrades watched the fight between Isshin and one of their Hollow creations on a monitor, with Aizen wondering why Isshin was present in Naruki City. When Tōsen stated Isshin did not report that he was going and Gin said this could cause them immense trouble, Aizen, intrigued by this interesting turn of events, referred to Isshin's arrival as an unexpected harvest and asked if it was possible for him to watch the battle at a closer distance. Later, when he arrives at the scene of the battle with Gin and Tōsen, the three of them wearing Reiatsu-concealing cloaks, Aizen cut down Isshin from behind. Commenting on the quality of Urahara's cloak and how simply kneading Kidō into it will let the wearer blend into the air, Aizen prepared to leave, stating that Isshin would not be able to use Bankai in his current state and that the Hollow experiment was a failure if a captain could take it out using only their Shikai. After Tōsen expressed his desire to call the sample "White" because this was their first experiment based on a Shinigami's soul, Aizen said it was ironic to call the Hollow "White" because of its inner whiteness while its outside was completely encased in black. After observing the fight for a time, Aizen and his cohorts noticed the involvement of a Quincy in the fight, which surprised the three of them. When Tōsen decided to eliminate her, Aizen stopped him from killing her and eagerly stated they should see what happens next. Following White's defeat and destruction, Tōsen expressed his shock and frustration at the events, calling it a failure. Calming him down, Aizen said that the results were interesting and expressed curiosity on how events would further unfold. Aizen became aware of the existence of Ichigo Kurosaki when he was born. Understanding the significance of his birth, Aizen decided to aid Ichigo's development for his plans. To this end, he had Rukia Kuchiki stationed in Karakura Town. Aizen also put into place obstacles which would force Ichigo to grow stronger, including the Hollow which attacked his family and the Menos Grande which appeared when Uryū Ishida used the Hollow bait.

Aizen in his final form in the final battle against Ichigo. Source: Picture

Ulquiorra Cifer

Intro

Ulquiorra Cifer is the Cuatro (4th) Espada in Aizen's army of Arrancar.

Appearance

Ulquiorra is a slender, yet fairly muscular, male Arrancar of average height with a melancholic appearance. He has fairly short, messy black hair, pale white skin, a black upper lip, and green eyes with small slit-shaped pupils, similar to a cat's. Part of his bangs fall between his eyes, and he has distinctively thick eyebrows. He has teal lines which descend from the lower part of his eyes. His facial expression rarely changes, though he is almost always frowning. He wears typical Arrancar clothes: a white jacket, black sash, and a white hakama. However, his jacket has longer coattails than others, and the collar is higher. Like most other Arrancar, he possesses remnants of his former life as a Hollow in his appearance. His Hollow hole is located on his sternum, though the hole was initially located on the base of his throat. The remainder of his Hollow mask lies on the top-left side of his head, forming a broken horned helmet. His Espada tattoo lies on the left side of his chest. As a Hollow, Ulquiorra was roughly the same size, with a full white mask and body, and large black wings mounted on his lower back. His mask covered his entire face, with a line, running up the middle, diverging into three near the top of his head. From ear level, two horns sprouted out.

Personality

Ulquiorra is a very cold, callous, and dispassionate figure, and is rather aloof, brooding, and indifferent, willing to harm both his comrades and enemies should they get in his way. He refers to anyone he does not find interesting as "trash", and treats them as expendable. Despite this, like most of the other top Espada, he is not particularly violent, and will only fight when provoked or ordered to by Aizen. As stated by Grimmjow, Ulquiorra demonstrates a strange habit when killing victims he is particularly interested in; he stabs them with his bare hand in the same location as his Hollow hole. Whether he is consciously aware of this habit or not is unknown. During a speech to Orihime, he claims he does not believe in Human emotions, which he refers to as the "heart," reasoning that if his eye cannot see them, they do not exist. These words, and much of Ulquiorra's overall behavior, reflect the concepts of materialism, which connects to his aspect of death as an Espada, Emptiness. In the last seconds of his life, he seems to finally find his own "heart" and understands feelings. His cold demeanor allows him to stay completely calm and in control in most situations, and he is not easily surprised or caught off-guard. However, he does not seem to comprehend the Human trait of fighting against all odds or the concept of the Human heart; during his final battle with Ichigo, he completely overwhelms the Shinigami after releasing his Zanpakutō, yet Ichigo continues to fight on regardless of this. Because of this, he, shouting at Ichigo out of frustration, tells him "to continue fighting is pointless." He transforms into his Segunda Etapa form in an attempt to show Ichigo "true despair". He seems to contradict himself, telling Ichigo that although it is natural for Humans to mimic Hollows to become stronger, they will never be the equal of Hollows, though the Arrancar are doing much of the same by mimicking Shinigami. Ulquiorra is highly perceptive, cunning, and analytical. During his and Yammy's first visit to the Human World, he makes several surprisingly accurate comments on the Humans who confronted them. He theorizes Orihime Inoue's healing power is a temporal-spatial ability, which Aizen later describes as the rejection of fate, and comments on how Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai can easily cut through Yammy's defenses. He notes how Ichigo's power fluctuates, varying between very weak and stronger than his own. Ulquiorra is very demanding, coming to Orihime's chamber and ordering her to eat a meal an Arrancar servant brought in, claiming that, for Aizen's benefit, it was her "duty" to stay alive. When Orihime hesitates, he threatens to force the food down her throat or strap her to a table and feed her via an IV. This implies that, while he prefers not to dirty his hands, Ulquiorra is fully capable of committing truly abhorrent and inhumane actions without feeling any shred of remorse or hesitation. Despite his demanding nature, Ulquiorra is not vain like most of his fellow Espada. He maintains a cautious and cool demeanor, being always in control of his actions. He holds himself with decent dignity and finds Nnoitra's taunts about 'punishing' Orihime repulsive and vulgar. As he usually not the talkative one, Ulquiorra spares his words and only speaks when necessary or for those he finds worthy of them. He is emotionally detached from all materialistic things but shows a stubborn reluctance to admit the existence of anything immaterial. After Ichigo's Hollow form overwhelms and strikes him down during his last battle, Ulquiorra, maintaining his composure, calmly berates himself for being defeated by a "Human-turned-Hollow." Believing he no longer has a purpose in life since he was quickly defeated by his opponent, he, demanding Ichigo kill him, compliments Ichigo when he decides to use a point-blank Cero to kill him, claiming the lack of mercy is "rather Hollow-like." This is a marked departure from most of his fellow Arrancar, who died cursing their enemies or with an abject fear of death.

Ulquiorra in Aizens HQ in Hueco Mundo. Source: Picture

History

As a Hollow, Ulquiorra felt alone in the world, being white while those around him were black. He wandered Hueco Mundo alone, lamenting his existence, until one day he came across a white tree with many sharp spines. Ulquiorra, finding it satisfying due to its emptiness, sank into it, destroying part of his mask, finally at peace. An unspecified amount of time later, he was recruited by Aizen into the Espada.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez

Intro

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez is an Arrancar and was the Sexta (6th) Espada in Sōsuke Aizen's affiliated army.

Appearance

Grimmjow is a tall, muscular man with light blue spiky hair and light blue eyes, the latter including green lines below them, similar to the eye markings on the Panthera genus of cats. Grimmjow's attire consists of a white hakama, a black sash and a ragged white jacket with an upturned collar. The inner lining of his jacket is black and Grimmjow wears it with the sleeves rolled up and leaving it open to expose his muscular chest. The remains of his Hollow mask consist of the right jawbone and his Hollow hole is located on his abdomen. His tattoo number (6) is located on his back, near the right side of his Hollow hole. Grimmjow also sports a large scar across his torso, gained from his first battle with Ichigo Kurosaki. Sometime after Aizen's defeat, Grimmjow's attire now consists of a black shirt which he keeps partially unzipped, exposing the scar he received from his first encounter with Ichigo. He also wears black pants, with black boots styled differently than the boots he wore as an Espada, and two belts around his waist, with his Zanpakutō sheathed on his left side along his top belt. However, he still wears the jacket he wore as an Espada. Before becoming an Arrancar, Grimmjow was a small panther-like Adjuchas.

Personality

While appearing to be a laid-back individual, Grimmjow possesses a brutal, impulsive, and excessively violent personality alongside a lethally short temper. However, despite his aggression and obvious blood lust in battle, Grimmjow possesses a feral cunning and has a knack for quickly exploiting any opening his opponent reveals. In addition, he is blunt, sarcastic and quite sadistic, revealing a psychotic grin or laughing maniacally whenever he becomes excited. He is also very rude and quite disrespectful. Grimmjow uses none of the honorifics in the Japanese language, except when addressing Aizen (though he is quick to discard the formality when Aizen is not around), and refers to Orihime Inoue as woman in conversation. Grimmjow displays little respect for authority and says whatever is on his mind, regardless of whether or not it is appropriate. This attitude leads to conflicts with Kaname Tōsen, who holds Grimmjow in low regard. He also has conflicts with Ulquiorra Cifer, the 4th Espada, when Ulquiorra interrupts his battles or otherwise clashes with Grimmjow's ideals. Grimmjow confidently believes Ulquiorra's powers to be weaker than his, a point he is eager to prove. He develops an additional grudge against Ichigo Kurosaki for wounding him during their first two battles and is eager to return the favor. He intentionally kept the large scar on his chest from their first battle as a reminder of this. Grimmjow is also infuriated by Ichigo's belief that he can defeat him regardless of how badly he is injured, which Grimmjow sees as Ichigo looking down on him. However, he does have some form of a code of honor, as he is unwilling to fight an injured Ichigo, bringing Orihime to heal him beforehand so that their battle will be a fair one, though he also wants to defeat Ichigo when he is at full strength. He also saves Orihime from Loly Aivirrne and Menoly Mallia, who were beating her up, to repay the debt of restoring his arm, though he immediately demands another favor afterwards.

Source: Picture

History

Before Grimmjow became an Arrancar, he was a panther-like Adjuchas-class Menos. At one point he came across a group of Adjuchas-class Menos that included Shawlong Koufang, Edrad Liones, Yylfordt Granz, Nakeem Grindina, and Di Roy Rinker. Di Roy decided to eat him, but before Di Roy could act, Grimmjow attacked him and ate a chunk of Di Roy's head. The group was impressed at his strength and they introduced themselves. Their leader Shawlong asked that Grimmjow join them, and the group bowed to him. Shawlong then explained that they have no intention of remaining Adjuchas or Gillians, vowing to become Vasto Lorde, but in order to do that they needed strength that they can use to pull themselves up. They had seen that strength in Grimmjow and Shawlong asked that Grimmjow lead them as their king. Sometime later, Shawlong told Grimmjow that the group has given up. Yylfordt explained that they have given up in their quest to evolve into Vasto Lorde. They had eaten over one thousand Hollows and haven't felt their power increase anymore. As of that day, they had eaten three thousand so they know for certain to continue on would be pointless. Grimmjow told them that if they wanted to give up then it was fine, but he would have nothing to do with it. Shawlong then asked Grimmjow if he would eat them, and noted that since Grimmjow had already taken a piece of Di Roy, he would never evolve into a Vasto Lorde and that in conjunction their evolution would end where it was at as well. Grimmjow called them cowards, but Shawlong interrupted him and explained that they have become enlightened. It was not only to the fact that they would never become Vasto Lorde, but it was something they knew even before becoming Hollows. They knew that they would always only be Adjuchas and that Grimmjow would have been the only one to evolve beyond that stage.

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Appearance

Peronality

History

Intro

Appearance

Personality

History

Intro

Appearance

Personality

History

Intro

Appearance

Personality

History

Intro

Appearance

Personality

History