Gotei 13 - Captains

Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni
Captain of 1st Division



Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai (山本元柳斎 重國 Yamamoto-Genryūsai Shigekuni) is the captain of the 1st Division and the leader of the Gotei 13. He is an old man with a very muscular body. There are many scars on his torso and head, suggesting numerous battles in his past. Yamamoto believes that laws must be upheld for the benefit of the community and despises those who break them. He founded the Soul Reaper academy about 2000 years before the main Bleach storyline, where he personally instructed Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake who he treats as if they were his sons. Yamamoto's zanpakutō is Ryūjin Jakka (流刃若火 roughly "flowing blade like fire", Viz "flowing flame blade"). When released, the sword consumes him and the surrounding area in flames. It is the most powerful fire-based zanpakutō in Soul Society, and the sheer power of the flame can disintegrate almost anything the sword is waved at. Yamamoto is an exceedingly powerful fighter, able to easily fight two captains with Ryūjin Jakka's shikai.

Soi Fong
Captain of 2nd Division



Soi Fong, born Shaolin Fon , is the captain of the 2nd Division. She is a hard worker who believes strongly in following orders. She is also outwardly antagonistic to her underlings, as she believes this keeps them on their toes. During her childhood, she served as a bodyguard and eventual protégé of Yoruichi Shihōin, with whom she developed a close relationship. When Yoruichi left Soul Society, Soi Fon was crushed by the fact that Yoruichi did not take her with her. When Yoruichi returns to Soul Society a century later, Soi Fon engages her in battle. After asking the question of why she was left behind, to which Yoruichi's answer is not heard, the two make amends. The two's relationship has become somewhat of a running gag: Soi Fon consistently displays an obsessive, almost romantic, interest in Yoruichi. She likes anything resembling a black cat (a form Yoruichi can assume at will), and displays jealousy should Yoruichi be in someone else's company. IGN has commented that Soi Fon and Yoruichi share one of the more interesting histories in the series, though feels more could have been done to flesh it out.

Soi Fon's zanpakutō is Suzumebachi (literally "hornet"). It shrinks into a stinger that is worn on the middle finger of Soifon's right hand. Whenever it cuts an opponent, a butterfly symbol called a hornet's crest (hōmonka) spreads from the point of contact. Should Suzumebachi stab the same location again, the opponent dies.

Unohana Retsu
Captain of 4th Division



Retsu Unohana (卯ノ花 烈 Unohana Retsu) is the captain of the 4th Division. She is a soft-spoken woman who has never displayed distress and uses honorifics when addressing everyone, including her subordinates. Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake treat her as their senior, implying she may have been involved in Soul Society longer than either of them. As the head of the 4th Division, Unohana is usually tasked with healing others, commonly treating the most severe injuries. Though she is always polite to her patients, her presence will scare her charges into submission if they try to leave her care before they are fully healed. Unohana's zanpakutō is Minazuki (肉雫唼 roughly "purify the flesh"), When in its sealed form it resembles a curved tachi. When unsealed, the entire sword transforms into a gigantic, flying, one-eyed creature resembling a manta ray. It has the ability to heal people by swallowing them. When Unohana reseals Minazuki, it dissolves into green mist and reforms into the sheath of her zanpakutō.

Kuchiki Byakuya
Captain of 6th Division




Profile

Gender - Male
Species - Soul Reaper
Date of birth - January 31[1]
Occupation - Soul Reaper captain of the 6th Division
Title - 28th Head of the Kuchiki clan
Known relatives - Ginrei Kuchiki (grandfather)
Hisana Kuchiki (wife, deceased)
Rukia Kuchiki (sister-in-law, adopted sister)
Zanpakutō - Senbonzakura

Character outline

Byakuya Kuchiki is the 28th head of the noble Kuchiki clan, one of the four great noble families in Soul Society. As such, Byakuya acts in an aristocratic manner — he seems always serene and apathetic towards other people, even when he is actually deeply conflicted. He is also extremely calm, even in battle, and is very seldom surprised by even the most drastic of actions. Ironically, when he was younger, he was quick to anger and very hotheaded, as noted by his grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki.

Byakuya strongly believes in law and order. As the head of one of the great noble families and as a captain in the Gotei 13, he always works hard for a peaceful society. He thinks that if someone in his position doesn't follow the rules as a good example, then no one will follow them. He believes that to maintain the order, all law-breakers must be punished, even if that goes against his own wishes. Despite his icy and regal manner, Byakuya cares for and protects those important to him, even referring to Rukia as his "pride".

Byakuya is popular among the female Soul Reapers of Soul Society, and was voted number one in the "captain we desire to release a photo book for" poll taken by the Soul Reaper Women's Association. He likes Chinese bellflowers, night time walks, and spicy food.

Byakuya wears the standard captain uniform along with a white headpiece called a kenseikan (symbolizing his noble rank as the head of the Kuchiki family) and a white scarf made 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 handed down through the generations to the head of the Kuchiki family. Ten houses can be built for the cost of just one such scarf.[1] In the anime, the scarf is an extremely light green (episodes 52 and 53).

Byakuya seems to have a comic side to himself despite his extremely serious personality. He not only attends the lieutenants' meeting when Renji Abarai is absent, but also implies that he attends the meetings of the Soul Reaper Women's Association when Rukia is absent. As he puts it, "part of a captain's responsibilities are to make sure the lieutenant's responsibilities are taken care of" which was spoken during the Soul Reaper's Illustrated Picture Book in episode 118, to which Renji asks him if he also goes to Rukia's meetings, which is only responded by a smile. In the Soul Reaper's Illustrated Picture Book in episode 113, Byakuya jokingly remarks that he uses Senbonzakura to cut his hair. In one of the omake chapters, Byakuya claims that life in general is not supposed to be entertaining, and even makes up an idea for a game that is not meant to be amusing. It was also shown in an omake chapter that Byakuya has a similar artistic style to Rukia.

History

Little is known about Byakuya's early history. When his grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki, was still the captain of the 6th Division, Byakuya was preparing to take over leadership of the clan, although his grandfather was worried about his rash and hotheaded attitude.[4] During this time Yoruichi Shihouin would play pranks on him and goad him into games of tag using flash steps, which she won every time.

Around 55 years before the main Bleach storyline, Byakuya married Hisana, who was then a commoner from Inuzuri, one of the poorest districts of Rukongai; therefore, he broke the rules by accepting her into the noble Kuchiki family. Shortly before her death from illness, Hisana asked Byakuya to find, adopt, and protect her biological sister, Rukia, whom she had abandoned as a baby. She also made him promise that he would not tell Rukia about her real family, for she believed that by abandoning Rukia when she was younger she was not worthy to be called Rukia's sister.

One year later, during Rukia's time at the academy, Byakuya found her and immediately adopted her into the Kuchiki clan. By adopting her Byakuya respected his wife's last wish, but had broken the rules of his clan again. He later swore upon his parents' graves that he would never break the rules again, no matter what. As a result, he, though entirely apathetic on the surface, is actually deeply conflicted with the matter of Rukia's execution. Should he intervene, it would require breaking the promise to his parents and the rules again; but should he do nothing he would fail to fulfill the last promise he made to his dying wife to protect Rukia as his own sister.

It is implied that Byakuya Kuchiki became captain of the 6th division about 40 years before the main Bleach storyline (shortly before Rukia had entered the Gotei 13). Gin Ichimaru became captain of the 3rd Division at the same time, and Gin would commonly start pointless conversations with Byakuya during times they crossed paths.

Synopsis

Byakuya first appears on a mission with his lieutenant, Renji Abarai, to capture Rukia Kuchiki and kill Ichigo Kurosaki. They succeed in retrieving Rukia, and would have easily killed Ichigo, if not for Rukia's intervention, pleading for Byakuya not to give the finishing blow. Byakuya later interrupts Ganju Shiba and Hanatarō Yamada's attempt to rescue Rukia and, later on, Renji's attempt. When Ichigo succeeded in rescuing Rukia, he and Byakuya have an extended battle, where both use their bankai. However, Ichigo's inexperience with his new release and Byakuya switching to a more powerful form leaves Ichigo at a disadvantage. It was through the temporary emergence of Ichigo's inner hollow that evened the odds out once more. Following Ichigo's inner hollow's forced submission, both channel all their remaining power into one final attack, resulting in Byakuya's sword breaking and Byakuya retreating from the fight. Later, when Sōsuke Aizen orders Gin Ichimaru to kill Rukia, Byakuya pulls her out of the attack and takes it instead. While being treated, Byakuya tells Rukia why she was adopted, apologizes to her and thanks Ichigo. Afterwards, Byakuya's attitude toward Rukia changes significantly. He is seen to care for Rukia in an indirect manner and displays a new view on the idea that the law is never perfect. However, he still appears to view Ichigo with disdain.

When the Bounts' threat to harm Soul Society becomes serious, Byakuya uses the Kuchiki Clan's records to gain information on the Bount for General Yamamoto. Byakuya, aiding Rukia in her battle with Yoshi, attempts to seek out the Bount leader Jin Kariya. The two meet, and engage in a battle that is interrupted by Ichigo and, later, Rantao.

Byakuya reappears to retrieve Tōshirō Hitsugaya's team on General Yamamoto's order near the end of the Arrancar Arc, but he secretly allows Rukia and Renji to assist in Orihime's rescue. He reasons that he was only ordered to bring them back to Soul Society and that what they chose to do afterwards was none of his concern, though Ichigo and Rukia suspect otherwise. Byakuya appears later in Hueco Mundo to save Rukia from the 7th Espada, Zommari Leroux. After a quick clash using their speed, in which Byakuya is proven superior, Zommari releases his zanpakutō and takes control of Byakuya's body parts. When Byakuya cuts his left leg and arm tendons to negate the effect, Zommari turns his attention to Rukia, taking control of her body and forcing her own zanpakutō to her neck. Byakuya uses a binding spell to prevent Rukia's movement, then activates his bankai, engulfing Zommari with the millions of blades it creates. Zommari survives the attack, but finds himself powerless before Byakuya. He accuses Byakuya and all shinigami of aristocratic pride, claiming that they "slay hollows as if it were their birthright", deeming Byakuya's actions as unjust. To this, Byakuya replies that he will kill Zommari, not because of "shinigami protocol", but because he aspired to kill Rukia. He is finished off by a single strike from Byakuya's blade. Once Rukia is revived, Byakuya tells her to rest for the more important battles to come, and resists treatment from the 4th squad lieutenant, captain, and 7th seat until Rukia is fully healed.

Abilities

Byakuya, as the 6th Division Soul Reaper captain, is skilled in all forms of Soul Reaper combat. In keeping with his rank, Byakuya's abilities allow him to defeat opponents of lieutenant level Soul Reaper without much effort.

Of particular note is Byakuya's speed: he is skilled in the use of flash steps, having trained with (but never surpassed) Goddess of Flash Yoruichi Shihōin. Yoruichi also taught Byakuya some techniques of her own creation involving flash steps, including one called utsusemi (空蝉, lit. empty cicada, in reference to their molting), which allows Byakuya to move out of harm's way while leaving an afterimage behind. One of Byakuya's favorite techniques, as described by Renji, is senka (闪花, lit. Flash Blossom）, a flash step combined with a spin to quickly move behind the enemy, followed by a combination of two quick thrusts.

Byakuya has also displayed knowledge of high level kidō spells, able to cast spells up to number 81 without the incantation. He is adept at using them strategically, such as disrupting the movement of Renji's bankai with a well-timed fire spell and damaging Ichigo's right arm by using a low-level lightning spell at point-blank range to burn a hole through his shoulder.

Senbonzakura

Byakuya Kuchiki's zanpakutō is Senbonzakura (千本桜 literally "thousand cherry blossoms," and a reference to Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura). Its shikai is triggered by the command "scatter" (散れ chire). In the English manga the phrase is translated inconsistently; at the start of volume fourteen it is translated as "die", though later in the same volume "scatter" is used instead.

In its shikai, Senbonzakura's blade separates into thousands of slender blades. The release can be negated before it completes, such as when Yoruichi Shihouin wrapped the blade in cloth during Byakuya's short battle with Ichigo. While the blades are too small to see normally, they reflect light in such a way as to appear as cherry blossom petals. Byakuya can control the blades at will, allowing him to shred opponents at a distance and break through almost any defense. While Byakuya can control the blades with his mind alone, using his hands allows him to do so more effectively, making the blades move twice as fast.

Byakuya's bankai, named Senbonzakura Kageyoshi (千本桜景厳 literally "Vibrant Display of a Thousand Cherry Blossoms"), is essentially a much larger version of Senbonzakura's shikai. To activate it, Byakuya drops his sword. The sword passes through the ground and two rows of giant blades rise up from the ground. These then scatter into millions of tiny blades. The number of blades is great enough that Byakuya can use them for defense and offense at the same time. He commonly forms them into large masses of blades to crush opponents. Like with his shikai, its attack is triggered with the phrase "scatter".

Byakuya's bankai has several forms, achieved by arranging the blades in different patterns. They are activated by saying the name of the technique followed by the name of his bankai. Each form presents a different advantage, such as increasing offense at the expense of defense.

Byakuya's attack form is "massacre scene" (殲景 senkei, Viz: "annihilate"), which unites the scattered petals into complete swords that form rows of swords around Byakuya and his opponent. In this form, Byakuya abandons the defense potential of his many blades and concentrates on killing the enemy. While Byakuya can control these swords as he does his regular blades, he usually attacks with just one in hand. He remarks in his battle with Ichigo that he normally only shows senkei to those he has sworn to "kill by his own hand", Ichigo being the second to see this. After immobilizing an opponent, he can call in the other blades to hit them while they're trapped. He can also use all the blades at once for one immensely powerful strike. Byakuya demonstrates that Senkei can also be used as a barrier to protect those inside from a barrage of Ceros blasts. He also displays the ability to activate Kageyoshi from inside Senkei, shattering all rows of swords at once.

To overwhelm the defense of an opponent, Byakuya can use "pivotal scene" (吭景 gōkei). This aligns every blade in a spherical formation around his opponent, which then collapses into them from every possible angle, leaving no blind spots and no chance to escape.

As a final attack he can use "final scene" (終景 shūkei, Viz: "last sight"). This condenses every one of his blades into a single sword, drastically increasing its cutting power. The blade appears bright white and its aura takes the form of a bird, earning it the name "white imperial sword" (白帝剣 hakuteiken, Viz: "white emperor sword"). Byakuya also grows pure white wings and a halo-like circle in the back, both made of spiritual power.

Senbonzakura's shikai:



Senbonzakura's bankai, senkei form:

Komamura Sajin
Captain of 7th Division



Sajin Komamura (狛村 左陣 Komamura Sajin) is the captain of the 7th Division. He is an anthropomorphic canine who is very self-conscious about his appearance, and so wears a large helmet that conceals his entire head when he is first introduced. After his fight with Kenpachi Zaraki (during which his helmet is destroyed), he gains enough confidence to go without the helmet. His canine appearance is often the source of jokes; for example, when his lieutenant asks where to find a bathroom, he appears to direct him to a fire hydrant, though he is in fact pointing at a bathroom just around the corner. Komamura has a close friendship with Kaname Tōsen, and is shocked when the latter defects from Soul Society, feeling that his friend has abandoned his morals. Komamura resolves to awaken Tōsen with his own hands. Komamura is immensely strong, as demonstrated by his ability to hurl the arrancar Po's massive released state over his head and onto the ground.

Komamura's zanpakutō is Tenken (天譴 literally "divine punishment", translated in the English manga as "sword of heavenly retribution"). Once released, Tenken creates various body parts of a giant to copy whatever body part Komamura moves; for example, should Komamura swing his sword, a gigantic disembodied arm wielding a sword appears and does the same thing. Tenken's bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō (黒縄天譴明王 roughly "king of black-roped divine punishment", translated in the English manga as "divine retribution, black ropes of ruination") brings forth the entire giant, which also copies Komamura's movements.

Kyoraku Shunsui
Captain of 8th Division



Shunsui Kyōraku (京楽 春水 Kyōraku Shunsui) is the captain of the 8th Division. He is a laid back and flamboyant man, evident in his style of dress: he wears a straw hat and a pink flowered haori over his captain's uniform. In his off time, he can be seen drinking sake and napping. Other times, he likes to chase after women, particularly his lieutenant. Kyōraku tends to use a more familiar speech style than most other characters in Bleach; he generally refers to his fellow captains and Soul Reapers by their first name followed by an honorific. Kyōraku is a peace-loving man who will always try to find a nonviolent solution, though he does not wish to insult opponents by refusing to fight. He and his friend Jūshirō Ukitake are two of the oldest captains in the Gotei 13. They both trained under General Yamamoto, who Kyōraku calls Old-man Yama (山じい Yama-jī).

Kyōraku's zanpakutō is Katen Kyōkotsu ( roughly "flower-heaven bone of madness"). His zanpakutō is unique in that it exists as two completely separate swords, being as a daisho sword pair. In Katen Kyōkotsu's released state, the daisho sword pair transforms into two large scimitars or falchions. While the anime and manga have yet to depict what special abilities Katen Kyōkotsu possesses, some Bleach video games portray it as having wind manipulation abilities.

Hitsugaya Toushirou
Captain of 10th Division



Profile

Gender - Male
Species - Soul Reaper
Date of birth - December 20
Occupation - Soul Reaper captain of the 10th Division
Zanpakutō - Hyōrinmaru

Tōshirō Hitsugaya is very young by Soul Society standards. Born in Rukongai, he became the youngest ever to reach captain rank. Thus, he is called a "boy genius" or a "child prodigy" by many. Hitsugaya is very short in height comparable to Rukia Kuchiki's. He also has spiky silver-white hair (which tends to draw attention in the human world) and teal-emerald eyes, which evokes his ability of controlling ice and water. He wears standard captain's clothing, save for a green sash around his shoulders which holds Hyōrinmaru, his zanpakutō.

Hitsugaya is generally mature and serious, in contrast to his free-spirited lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, although he can sometimes be short-tempered and irritable. Despite their personality differences, he and Matsumoto seem to be very close. Hitsugaya is shown to also be easily irked by others goofing off or drawing unneeded attention to themselves, as shown when he led a team of Soul Reapers into Ichigo Kurosaki's school. He hates anything that he deems childish and hates being described as something close to a child, evident in a filler episode when he meets Ichigo's sister, Karin, who pats him over the head further angering him. This is also shown more in the omake chapters, where he is repeatedly mistaken for a child, much to his annoyance. Fitting with the nature of his zanpakutō, Hitsugaya dislikes summer and warm weather in general. He is also rather talented as a soccer player as seen when he singlehandedly helps Karin's team level a 4-1 scoreline in a filler.

Hitsugaya's intuition is extremely sharp, and he is one of few captains to correctly suspect Gin Ichimaru of foul play, though he understandibly did not suspect Sōsuke Aizen of the same. During his duel with Ichimaru in the anime, the latter remarks that Hitsugaya is the embodiment of a heavenly guardian that would be reincarnated once in a few centuries. This is attributed to his given name, which is a homonym for a casual Japanese term meaning "amateur" (藤四郎), possibly referring to Hitsugaya's young age and inexperience relative to the other captains of the Gotei 13. He is overly protective of Momo Hinamori, due to the fact that they were old childhood friends, promising to kill those who harm her.

A running gag is Hitsugaya getting annoyed when anyone refers to him by anything other than his title, Captain Hitsugaya. Hinamori has called him by "Tōshirō," ("Hitsugaya-kun" in the Japanese manga and anime) and both she and Ukitake have occasionally used "Little Shiro" (シロちゃん Shiro-chan) — a nickname meaning "Whitey" (Snowy in the English manga) in reference to his hair — in both cases without repercussion, however. In the Shinigami Golden Picture Book sketches (omakes found at the end of episodes of Bleach), Jūshirō Ukitake comically gives Hitsugaya candy and other food because "Jūshirō" and "Tōshirō" sound similar and because they both have white hair, making them both "Shiro-chan." The first character in Hitsugaya's given name, Tōshirō, means "winter," which is appropriate given his white hair and ice type zanpakutō. Ichigo also calls Hitsugaya by his given name without the use of honorifics, much to his irritation, making him one of three captains Ichigo refers to in this manner (the others being Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki). In contrast, Orihime Inoue calls him "Tōshirō-kun".

History

Hitsugaya's early life was spent in Junrinan, District 1 of Rukongai. There he lived with his grandmother and Momo Hinamori. He was also a friend of Jidanbō, the West Gate Keeper, whom he taught the "city rules."

As a child, Hitsugaya had an icy demeanor that estranged himself from others, with the exception of his grandmother and Hinamori. She would call him "Shiro-chan" (Lil' Shiro in the English dub) and he would retort by calling her "Bed-wetter Momo." The three were very close, and Hitsugaya was irritated when Hinamori left to join the Soul Reaper academy. Throughout his childhood, he was always aware of what seemed to be an icy presence within himself and had continuous dreams about a plain of ice. He claims or believes he died on that plain. Five years after Hinamori's departure, Hitsugaya encountered Rangiku Matsumoto, not yet a fuku-taichou, in a marketplace, when she stood up to a merchant who left his change on the counter, rather than handing it to him. The two got into an argument, and Rangiku noticed Hitsugaya's enormous latent spiritual power.

That night, Hitsugaya dreamt again of the icy plain and finally met Hyōrinmaru for the first time, though he could not hear the spirit's name. He woke up to find Rangiku admonishing him for not being able to control his power, which had been freezing his grandmother. She convinced him that power like his needed to be controlled, and convinced him to become a Soul Reaper. With Hitsugaya's natural talent, he entered the Soul Reaper academy in spite of his age and became known as a prodigy, quickly ascending to captain of the 10th Division, ironically making him Rangiku's superior.

Because of a promise she had made, a promise she for the most part ignores, she must call him by Histugaya-kun after he achieved his zanpakutō's shikai and was recognized as a Soul Reaper. Hinamori has continued to call Hitsugaya "Shiro-chan" out of habit, and still feels protective of him. Highly capable and knowledgeable, he remains the youngest of the captains within the Gotei 13.

Hitsugaya meets Hyōrinmaru for the first time.


[size=18]Synopsis

Introduced along with the rest of the Gotei 13, Hitsugaya's sharp sense of intuition and keen sense of observation leads him to suspect 3rd Division captain Gin Ichimaru of foul play as the circumstances surrounding the coming execution of Rukia Kuchiki become more complicated. He warns Hinamori of these suspicions, which inspires her to attack Gin following Aizen's murder. When Izuru Kira steps forth to defend his captain against Hinamori, Hitsugaya breaks up the fight. He admonishes Hinamori for losing control of herself and forgetting her duty, and has her and Kira sent to prison. Hitsugaya also warns Gin that he knows he wanted to kill Hinamori, and that if he causes Hinamori to spill even a single drop of blood he will kill him. When Hinamori is manipulated into thinking that Hitsugaya killed Aizen, Hitsugaya knocks her out, and believing Gin responsible, attacks him. Hitsugaya manages to freeze Gin's arm, but Matsumoto interrupts and breaks it up after Gin threatens to kill Hinamori, distracting Histugaya and making him take a hit. Seeing how destructive Rukia's execution is becoming, Hitsugaya tries to stop the execution by appealing to the Chamber 46, only to discover all 46 members are dead and Aizen is responsible for murdering them, having faked his death. When Hitsugaya discovers Hinamori injured and interrogates Aizen, he angrily explains how Hinamori truly cared about him and how she worked so hard to be his lieutenant. Aizen replies that that's why it was easy to manipulate her and states that "admiration is a state furthest away from understanding". Hitsugaya tries to kill him with his bankai, but he charges at an illusion and is defeated with a single strike. Luckily, Retsu Unohana and Isane Kotetsu, who were also present to learn of Aizen's plan, rescued and healed them.

During the first anime filler arc, Hitsugaya later sends several Soul Reapers to fend off the Bount in Karakura Town. When the Bount infiltrate Soul Society, he, along with Renji and Matsumoto, investigate reports of Bount activity in a forest in Rukongai. The Bount, however, are gone by the time they reach the forest. Hitsugaya later has a battle with the Bount Koga Gō, whom he easily defeats thanks to the advantages his style of combat holds over Koga's. Though he assumes the Bount to be dead, Koga survives.

In a later arc, Hitsugaya leads a group of Soul Reapers assigned to defend Karakura Town against the arrancar threat. During the first attack, he battles Shawlong Koufang. Though heavily injured, he wins after being allowed to remove his power limit. Hitsugaya then has a conversation with Hinamori through video-conference. Hinamori apologizes to Hitsugaya for pointing her sword at him, Hitsugaya tells her not to worry about it. After bickering, they start talking about Aizen. Hinamori, who still cares for her former captain, begs Hitsugaya to save Aizen, thinking that Gin is manipulating him somehow. Angered by the fact that Hinamori is still devoted to Aizen, despite what he did to her, as a result of Aizen's conditioning her, Hitsugaya hopes for revenge. During the second arrancar attack, he fends off Luppi. Though Hitsugaya is initially unable to defend against Luppi's attacks and is knocked to the ground in a single hit, Luppi's inattentiveness and overconfidence gives him ample time to build up a finishing move. Luppi escapes death and promises to kill Hitsugaya in turn. Upon learning that Orihime has followed the arrancar back to Hueco Mundo, Hitsugaya and his team return to Soul Society to help in the preparation for war against Aizen, and he has recently been seen among the captains preparing to do battle.

Hyourinmaru

Hitsugaya's zanpakutō is Hyōrinmaru (氷輪丸 literally "ice ring", idiomatically "full moon"). When sealed, Hyōrinmaru looks almost exactly like a normal zanpakutō with the exception of the guard, which is in the shape of a four-pointed star. The hilt is light-blue while the sheath is a deep blue. Hyōrinmaru's shikai command is translated in the English anime as "reign over the frozen sky" (霜天に坐せ sōten ni zase). Hyōrinmaru is the strongest of all ice element zanpakutō in Soul Society.[8] Hyōrinmaru is one of the three zanpakutō spirits that have been seen, the others being Zangetsu and Zabimaru. Hyōrinmaru's spirit is a large, winged, Japanese dragon.

In its shikai, Hyōrinmaru itself remains the same, but gains a crescent-shaped blade attached to the hilt by a chain. Hyōrinmaru allows Hitsugaya to control water and ice. The slashes created by Hyōrinmaru gives off an immense amount of spirit power which overflows from the tip of the blade, creating a flow of ice vaguely shaped like Hyōrinmaru's dragon spirit. The dragon flies at opponents and instantly freezes anything it touches. The chain-blade also freezes anything Hitsugaya traps with it.

Hyōrinmaru's bankai, named Daiguren Hyōrinmaru (大紅蓮氷輪丸 literally "great crimson lotus ice ring"; translated by Viz as "Great Roaring Coldly Shining Moon"), causes ice to flow from Hyōrinmaru onto Hitsugaya, forming into two large wings and a tail. Ice also forms into a dragon's head around his sword hand, encasing it up to the hilt; which is in the shape of an eight-pointed star. Additionally, his wings are capable of folding around him to serve as ice shields. During one of Hitsugaya's earlier battles, the arrancar Shawlong speculates that Hitsugaya's bankai will fade when all twelve petals disappear and that Hitsugaya's bankai is incomplete due to his young age. Later during his fight with Luppi, the petals no longer appear. Also during that fight, Hitsugaya states that "even if [Hyōrinmaru is] shattered, it will reform as long as there is water present."

Hyōrinmaru's bankai has two known special techniques. The first is ryūsenka (竜霰花 literally "dragon hail flower"), which freezes any enemy Hitsugaya stabs, locking them into a cocoon of ice and freezing them to the core. Once frozen, Hitsugaya can shatter his opponent. The second is sennen hyōrō (千年氷牢 literally "thousand-year ice prison"), which forms a multitude of ice pillars using the moisture in the atmosphere. These pillars then envelop the enemy and freeze them.[

Hyourinmaru's Shi Kai:



Hyourinmaru's Ban Kai:

Kenpachi Zaraki
Captain of 11 Division



Profile
Gender Male
Date of birth November 19
Occupation Soul Reaper
Title Captain of the 11th Division
Zanpakutō Unknown

Kenpachi has a wild and aggressive appearance, fitting with his personality. He wears his captain's jacket without sleeves, and with a more ragged look to it. He acquired his jacket from the previous 11th Division captain, whom he defeated and killed in a duel in order to become captain. He styles his hair into spikes with bells at the tips, which Tite Kubo has remarked that this makes his hair one of the most difficult to draw in the series. He also wears a special eye patch on his right eye lined with a strange creature created by the 12th Division. It absorbs the bulk of his power. Both of these are meant to give enemies an advantage, similar to his habit of fighting one-handed, as in an unhandicapped state he would defeat them so quickly that he would be unable to enjoy himself sufficiently to delve into a state of bloodlust, that being what he treasures most. He has a huge scar on the left side of his face, apparently gained well before his time in Soul Society (and even before finding Yachiru).

Despite his initial introduction as a lethal foe, Kenpachi later begins to play the role of the comical anti-hero in Bleach: though still self-centered and violent, his actions tend to be for the best and his relationship with his division and others is always portrayed comically. This comical shift is primarily centered around his appearances in the Bleach anime and omake stories, with the exception of the occasional diatribe between himself and Yachiru. He is depicted as having a very poor sense of direction, and is often depicted in omake stories asking his lieutenant Yachiru for directions to a particular place (who then randomly points in a direction).

Kenpachi lives for battle (evidenced by his method of attaining his rank) and enjoys a good fight more than anything. He even weakens himself in an effort to make any fight last longer. He also claims that injury and death are nothing but the price one pays for a good fight. Despite his group being the most bloodthirsty of the Gotei 13, they have their own code of ethics, different from the set rules of Soul Society, fitting with Kenpachi's portrayal as a free spirit. On various occasions, he is seen putting fun before work. Despite his violent tendencies Kenpachi will usually give up on a fight if his opponent is too injured to fight back, claiming that the fight is no longer fun. However, he will unhesitatingly kill his opponent if they refuse to end their fight on his terms as evidence during his battles with Tousen and Nnoitora.

History

Prior to entering Soul Society, Zaraki resided in District 80, the most lawless district surrounding Soul Society. He became very proficient with swordsmanship while he was there; or at least fighting, and eventually adopting the district's name, "Zaraki", as his surname. After leaving the district he found a small girl who, despite her young age, did not fear his sword. Since she had no name, he named her Yachiru (やちる) in remembrance of the only person he ever admired. At the same time he also took on a name for himself: Kenpachi, the title bestowed upon the strongest swordsman, the one who has killed the most, and a tradition amongst captains of the 11th Division. Yachiru became inseparable from Zaraki from that point further, following him wherever he went, usually clinging to his back.

After some time had passed, Zaraki found his way into Soul Society and killed the previous captain of the 11th Division, thus gaining his seat in the Gotei 13. As a new captain, Zaraki was begrudgingly forced to learn kendo, though he made it a point to avoid using it in battle in order to prolong the experience of fighting as long as possible.

In an interview, Tite Kubo noted that he would like to go more into depth about Zaraki.

Abilities

Kenpachi is the only captain of the Gotei 13 who doesn't know the name of his sword, nor can he use his bankai as a result. In addition, he never uses kidō and rarely uses flash steps, the only exception being in Bleach: Memories of Nobody as he is seen to appear behind one of the Blank officers during the battle, with him stating 'I hate hide and seek, but I'm not too bad at it'; the Bleach Official Bootleg databook ranks his talent in the former as zero. However, he more than makes up for his faults in sheer power. His spiritual pressure is such that, even when wearing the energy-sealing eyepatch, Kenpachi can fight on-par with other captain-level opponents, even when they release their zanpakutō in either shikai or bankai form. Its concentration is so great that it acts like armor against weaker opponents. During their first duel, he allowed Ichigo one free attack before the duel began. That attack failed to pierce his body, and actually cut Ichigo's hand.

Despite his seeming disregard for any strategy in his fights and his self-admitted aversion to thinking during battle, Kenpachi is adept at finding and exploiting weaknesses in his opponents' techniques. While he claims to have no sanity or common sense, Kenpachi is actually very perceptive and notices traits in people that others wouldn't notice. For example, he correctly singles out Kaname Tōsen and Gin Ichimaru as the only captains who are afraid to die. During his battles with both Kaname Tōsen and Nnoitra Jiruga, he formulates strategies to work around his disadvantages, such as losing most of his senses or fighting an opponent with six arms.

Kenpachi has tremendous quantities of physical strength, proving able to both kick Tōsen through a building in their battle, and grab Ichigo's giant sword barehanded to reel both him and it in for an attack. His physical strength is matched by his endurance; Kenpachi has been shown to easily ignore most of the injuries he sustains in battle, not suffering any debilitation despite having multiple slash wounds in his body. He even allowed himself to be stabbed just to grab Tōsen's blade and break his bankai's effect. The majority of his fight with Nnoitra was a one-sided brawl in Nnoitra's favor, with Kenpachi only taking things seriously when he finds himself in actual danger of dying from the sheer number of lacerations he had received.

Zanpacutou

Kenpachi does not know the name of his zanpakutō, and is the only captain in the history of the Gotei 13 who cannot perform bankai. Despite not knowing its name, his zanpakutō is constantly released due to his immense spiritual pressure in the same manner as Ichigo's Zangetsu. The sword's appearance is a reflection of Kenpachi's own practice of weakening himself to fight: it is a seemingly worn-down and dull blade with a guard that extends inward from its center. The blade is much longer than that of a standard zanpakutō. Despite its appearance, it is easily capable of cutting through most objects, demonstrated when it pierces straight through Ichigo's zanpakutō and later slices a building in half with careless effort after Kenpachi releases the full force of his spiritual power. The weapon was also seen demolishing a large section of a castle in The DiamondDust Rebellion.

It appears that after his fight with Ichigo, Kenpachi wishes to learn more about his zanpakutō because he wants to become stronger and can identify with the pain of not having a name. However, he is not yet capable of communicating with his zanpakutō, and it is implied that he continually tries to learn from his zanpakutō so that he can achieve a new tier of power. Zangetsu notes that Kenpachi's disharmony with his zanpakutō causes the two to diminish each other's power.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri
Captain of 12th Division



Mayuri Kurotsuchi (涅 マユリ Kurotsuchi Mayuri) is the captain of the 12th Division. He personifies the stereotype of the mad scientist, viewing everyone as objects to be dissected in the lab. He takes great pride in his experiments and the things he has created (such as his daughter Nemu) and condemns the concept of perfection. He has made extensive modifications to his body: his left arm can extend like a grappling hook and by pulling out his ears he can form a scythe. Mayuri has little regard for life or allegiances, readily turning his own subordinates into human bombs on one occasion. In the past this potential danger he posed to Soul Society led to his imprisonment when he joined the Soul Reapers. Kisuke Urahara, upon becoming captain of the 12th Division, recognized his potential as a scientist and released Mayuri to help him with his research.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's zanpakutō is Ashisogi Jizō (疋殺地蔵 roughly "leg-cutting Jizō"). When released, Ashisogi Jizō's transforms into a deformed trident. When it stabs an opponent it emits a poison that cuts off the nerve signals that control limb movement, effectively causing paralysis while allowing the victim to still feel pain. Ashisogi Jizō's bankai, named Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō (金色疋殺地蔵 literally "golden leg-cutting Jizō", translated in the English manga as "divine leg-cutting Jizō"), takes the form of a giant caterpillar with a baby's head and a silver halo. The creature breathes a poisonous derivative of Mayuri's blood which is lethal to anyone who breathes it, aside from Mayuri and Nemu. Mayuri has physically modified his bankai so that it will self-destruct and return to its sealed state if it attacks him. As a final defensive measure, Mayuri can reduce himself to liquid form for three days by stabbing himself with his zanpakutō. This leaves him unable to attack or be attacked, making it an effective escape tool.

Ukitake Juushiro
Captain of 13th Division



Jūshirō Ukitake (浮竹 十四郎 Ukitake Jūshirō) is the captain of the 13th Division. He suffers from tuberculosis, and so has a sickly appearance and long hair that has turned white. His illness acts as an inhibition for him throughout the series; if he fights for too long, or even becomes too agitated, the illness flares up. He is forced to leave most of his duties as a captain to his subordinates so that he can rest. Despite this, Jūshirō is respected by many Soul Reapers for his honesty, loyalty, and personal sense of justice. He and his friend Shunsui Kyōraku are two of the oldest captains in the Gotei 13, both having trained under General Yamamoto thousands of years before the current Bleach storyline.

Jūshirō's zanpakutō is Sōgyo no Kotowari (双魚の理 literally "law of the twin fish"). In Sōgyo no Kotowari's released state, it splits into two thin blades resembling fishing javelins, making it one of the only two zanpakutō in Soul Society to exist as a pair. While the anime and manga have yet to depict what special abilities it possesses, some Bleach video games portray it as having the ability to manipulate water and electricity.