Saturday, October 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
13th Division
Shiba Kaien (dead)
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Shi-Kai: Nejibana
Release command: Reverse Swirl
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Shiba Kaien served as vice captain of the Thirteenth Division under Ukitake Jyuushiro. When he was alive he often took over Ukitake’s duties because of the captain’s illness. He wears the standard shinigami robes and has a tattoo of the Shiba family’s symbol on his arm. Kaien looks almost identical to Ichigo. The only differences are Kaien’s slightly longer black hair and the bottom eyelashes that seem to run in the Shiba family.
Kaien was the oldest of the Shiba siblings, and grew up in Rukongai, though the Shiba house was once one of the great noble houses. His sister Kuukaku and their younger brother Ganju don’t like shinigami very much, and they are still baffled by their older brother’s desire to become one. However, Kaien was very talented as a shinigami. He completed the six year curriculum of the Shinigami Academy after only two years, and went on to become vice captain of the Thirteenth.
He was the first person in Seireitei to treat Rukia like an ordinary person since her adoption into the Kuchiki family. Until he came along, she was treated with careful respect to her face and talked about and bashed behind her back. She was grateful for that, and eventually fell in love with him. She didn’t pursue him because Kaien was already married to the third seat of the Thirteenth. However, Kaien did appear to take a special interest in Rukia, probably because of her detached and slightly depressed manner. Rukia tended to jump when she saw him, much to his irritation. She also followed him like a puppy following its master.
When Kaien’s wife died at the hands of a hollow, Kaien swore revenge. Ukitake and Rukia accompanied him in his search. They found the hollow in its lair, and Kaien asked for permission to fight it alone. Ukitake granted permission, and Rukia watched in horror as the hollow’s abilities became apparent. Kaien’s zanpakutou was broken as soon as he touched the hollow.
Kaien continued to fight it alone. It obviously pained him to not help his vice captain, but when Rukia asked why they could help Kaien, he told her that it would kill his pride. Rukia yells at her captain, saying that pride isn’t important compared to life. He answers her calmly:
“Rukia, remember this. There are two types of fights. Whenever we are in battle, we must be one of the two. The fight for life or…the fight for pride! Right now…He is fighting for his pride! His wife’s pride…his men’s pride…Most importantly…his own personal pride. Dismiss this as his stubbornness…and let him fight alone like this…”
Those words haunt Rukia later in Ichigo’s fight against Grand Fisher.
Kaien held his own against the hollow for several minutes before the hollow revealed its true ability. It merged itself with Kaien, and when Ukitake stepped in, the hollow laughed maliciously and told him that he and Kaien were now the same being, because they were both spirits. It wasn’t the same as possession.
Rukia, who had been Hollow-Kaien’s first target, was told to run while Ukitake held it off, returned because she was afraid to face that cowardice. Ukitake was struck by his illness at that moment, and the Hollow-Kaien attacked her again. Ukitake yelled at her to kill it because it wasn’t Kaien anymore. She stabbed him through the heart. Kaien’s consciousness surfaced before he died and he thanked Ukitake for letting him fight alone. He thanked Rukia, and then apologized to her.
She took Kaien’s body back to the Shiba house to give to Kuukaku and Ganju. From that stemmed Ganju’s absolute hatred of all shinigami. Ukitake went to the Shiba house to explain to Kuukaku what had happened, and she accepted it and decided to forgive Rukia if she apologized. It took Rukia many years to work up the courage to do so.
Kuukaku and Ganju still make many of their own decisions based on what their brother would have done. That’s why Kuukaku agreed to help the Ichigo and Yoruichi. It’s also why Ganju eventually came around to helping them.
Ichigo is very close to Kaien in both looks and personality, which is probably why Rukia trusted him completely in chapter 001. At the moment, there is speculation on whether or not Ichigo is Kaien’s reincarnation based on them being very similar persons. If that is the case, there is further speculation on whether or not the hollow that merged with Kaien’s soul is still a part of that soul, and and if that is the reason for Ichigo’s strength as a Vaizard – the standing theory is that the shattered shaft merely released a hidden part of Ichigo’s soul that is being personified by Shirosaki.
Kaien was a good man and a good shinigami. He is sorely missed by the people who cared about him, but they find strength in remembering him and trying to do what he would do in times of trouble.
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Shi-Kai: Nejibana
Release command: Reverse Swirl
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Shiba Kaien served as vice captain of the Thirteenth Division under Ukitake Jyuushiro. When he was alive he often took over Ukitake’s duties because of the captain’s illness. He wears the standard shinigami robes and has a tattoo of the Shiba family’s symbol on his arm. Kaien looks almost identical to Ichigo. The only differences are Kaien’s slightly longer black hair and the bottom eyelashes that seem to run in the Shiba family.
Kaien was the oldest of the Shiba siblings, and grew up in Rukongai, though the Shiba house was once one of the great noble houses. His sister Kuukaku and their younger brother Ganju don’t like shinigami very much, and they are still baffled by their older brother’s desire to become one. However, Kaien was very talented as a shinigami. He completed the six year curriculum of the Shinigami Academy after only two years, and went on to become vice captain of the Thirteenth.
He was the first person in Seireitei to treat Rukia like an ordinary person since her adoption into the Kuchiki family. Until he came along, she was treated with careful respect to her face and talked about and bashed behind her back. She was grateful for that, and eventually fell in love with him. She didn’t pursue him because Kaien was already married to the third seat of the Thirteenth. However, Kaien did appear to take a special interest in Rukia, probably because of her detached and slightly depressed manner. Rukia tended to jump when she saw him, much to his irritation. She also followed him like a puppy following its master.
When Kaien’s wife died at the hands of a hollow, Kaien swore revenge. Ukitake and Rukia accompanied him in his search. They found the hollow in its lair, and Kaien asked for permission to fight it alone. Ukitake granted permission, and Rukia watched in horror as the hollow’s abilities became apparent. Kaien’s zanpakutou was broken as soon as he touched the hollow.
Kaien continued to fight it alone. It obviously pained him to not help his vice captain, but when Rukia asked why they could help Kaien, he told her that it would kill his pride. Rukia yells at her captain, saying that pride isn’t important compared to life. He answers her calmly:
“Rukia, remember this. There are two types of fights. Whenever we are in battle, we must be one of the two. The fight for life or…the fight for pride! Right now…He is fighting for his pride! His wife’s pride…his men’s pride…Most importantly…his own personal pride. Dismiss this as his stubbornness…and let him fight alone like this…”
Those words haunt Rukia later in Ichigo’s fight against Grand Fisher.
Kaien held his own against the hollow for several minutes before the hollow revealed its true ability. It merged itself with Kaien, and when Ukitake stepped in, the hollow laughed maliciously and told him that he and Kaien were now the same being, because they were both spirits. It wasn’t the same as possession.
Rukia, who had been Hollow-Kaien’s first target, was told to run while Ukitake held it off, returned because she was afraid to face that cowardice. Ukitake was struck by his illness at that moment, and the Hollow-Kaien attacked her again. Ukitake yelled at her to kill it because it wasn’t Kaien anymore. She stabbed him through the heart. Kaien’s consciousness surfaced before he died and he thanked Ukitake for letting him fight alone. He thanked Rukia, and then apologized to her.
She took Kaien’s body back to the Shiba house to give to Kuukaku and Ganju. From that stemmed Ganju’s absolute hatred of all shinigami. Ukitake went to the Shiba house to explain to Kuukaku what had happened, and she accepted it and decided to forgive Rukia if she apologized. It took Rukia many years to work up the courage to do so.
Kuukaku and Ganju still make many of their own decisions based on what their brother would have done. That’s why Kuukaku agreed to help the Ichigo and Yoruichi. It’s also why Ganju eventually came around to helping them.
Ichigo is very close to Kaien in both looks and personality, which is probably why Rukia trusted him completely in chapter 001. At the moment, there is speculation on whether or not Ichigo is Kaien’s reincarnation based on them being very similar persons. If that is the case, there is further speculation on whether or not the hollow that merged with Kaien’s soul is still a part of that soul, and and if that is the reason for Ichigo’s strength as a Vaizard – the standing theory is that the shattered shaft merely released a hidden part of Ichigo’s soul that is being personified by Shirosaki.
Kaien was a good man and a good shinigami. He is sorely missed by the people who cared about him, but they find strength in remembering him and trying to do what he would do in times of trouble.
12th Division
Kurotshuchi Nemu
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Description: It is not known if she even has a Zanpakutou, having been created by Kurotsuchi Mayuri, her direct Taicho and so-called father. Because she is also nearly constantly around him, she probably has no need to call one into combat either unless he commands her to.
Shi-Kai: None
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Nemu was created by Mayuri, from his own blood and other sources. Thus she is intensely loyal to him and feels only respect and affection for him even though he does not treat her as a person, or even his daughter, but more a slave. Despite her suffering she appears to be highly adept at demon arts, and is also immune to his poison created by his Zanpakutou, Ashisogi Jizou.
Nemu appears with Mayuri during the first day or so of the ryoka invasion, receiving a hell butterfly with an update on the situation. Informing Mayuri of the proceedings, she then follows him to the 4th Squad Medical Relief Station, where Mayuri tries to use force to get information out of Madarame Ikkaku about the ryoka. When Nemu tries to stop him from using his power, she is silenced and threatened. Madarame, seeing this, responds that he has no information whatsoever about the ryoka, risking his life. Mayuri is stopped in time by Zaraki Kenpachi and is forced to leave, bringing Nemu with him and telling her not to dawdle. As she leaves she gives an apologetic glance to Zaraki.
Nemu was also present at the Fukutaicho meeting regarding the situational update, but makes no comment. The next time she appears is when Mayuri fails to get both Ishida Uryuu and Inoue Orihime in a bomb trap. When Mayuri starts fighting with Ishida, Ishida deems that she is of no threat but is surprised when she tries to hold him down he attempts to shoot Mayuri after he releases his Zanpakutou. Despite that however, Mayuri slashes both of them together, and then proceeds to beat Nemu for letting go of Ishida and for asking him for life regeneration medicine, saying that she makes a fool out of him for making her so weak. Ishida manages to stop him from stabbing her on the spot.
After the fight, Nemu thanks Ishida for his actions and for not killing Mayuri, giving him the antidote to Mayuri’s poison. When Ishida asks why she could feel that way about someone like Mayuri, she answers that she does not understand it herself, but when she saw that Mayuri was still alive, she was a bit relieved.
Later Nemu’s is seen asking Mayuri after he revives in human form on the day of Rukia’s execution about Kotetsu Isane’s message. He answers that he has no interest, and so far, nothing else has been really seen of her.
Character:
The quintessential demure and petite lady, Nemu’s quiet disposition and her timid attitude can be directly attributed to Mayuri’s treatment. Despite this, she does have a sense of justice as evidenced by her trying to stop Mayuri from committing certain crimes if possible.
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Description: It is not known if she even has a Zanpakutou, having been created by Kurotsuchi Mayuri, her direct Taicho and so-called father. Because she is also nearly constantly around him, she probably has no need to call one into combat either unless he commands her to.
Shi-Kai: None
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Nemu was created by Mayuri, from his own blood and other sources. Thus she is intensely loyal to him and feels only respect and affection for him even though he does not treat her as a person, or even his daughter, but more a slave. Despite her suffering she appears to be highly adept at demon arts, and is also immune to his poison created by his Zanpakutou, Ashisogi Jizou.
Nemu appears with Mayuri during the first day or so of the ryoka invasion, receiving a hell butterfly with an update on the situation. Informing Mayuri of the proceedings, she then follows him to the 4th Squad Medical Relief Station, where Mayuri tries to use force to get information out of Madarame Ikkaku about the ryoka. When Nemu tries to stop him from using his power, she is silenced and threatened. Madarame, seeing this, responds that he has no information whatsoever about the ryoka, risking his life. Mayuri is stopped in time by Zaraki Kenpachi and is forced to leave, bringing Nemu with him and telling her not to dawdle. As she leaves she gives an apologetic glance to Zaraki.
Nemu was also present at the Fukutaicho meeting regarding the situational update, but makes no comment. The next time she appears is when Mayuri fails to get both Ishida Uryuu and Inoue Orihime in a bomb trap. When Mayuri starts fighting with Ishida, Ishida deems that she is of no threat but is surprised when she tries to hold him down he attempts to shoot Mayuri after he releases his Zanpakutou. Despite that however, Mayuri slashes both of them together, and then proceeds to beat Nemu for letting go of Ishida and for asking him for life regeneration medicine, saying that she makes a fool out of him for making her so weak. Ishida manages to stop him from stabbing her on the spot.
After the fight, Nemu thanks Ishida for his actions and for not killing Mayuri, giving him the antidote to Mayuri’s poison. When Ishida asks why she could feel that way about someone like Mayuri, she answers that she does not understand it herself, but when she saw that Mayuri was still alive, she was a bit relieved.
Later Nemu’s is seen asking Mayuri after he revives in human form on the day of Rukia’s execution about Kotetsu Isane’s message. He answers that he has no interest, and so far, nothing else has been really seen of her.
Character:
The quintessential demure and petite lady, Nemu’s quiet disposition and her timid attitude can be directly attributed to Mayuri’s treatment. Despite this, she does have a sense of justice as evidenced by her trying to stop Mayuri from committing certain crimes if possible.
11th Division
Kusajika Yachiru
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Unknown? We have yet to see Yachiru in action with her zanpakutou. However, it is appropriately short to match her height with a flower shaped guard.
Biography:
Eleventh Division Vice-Captain Kusajika Yachiru is very tiny, and very adorable with her bubblegum pink hair. She wears the normal shinigami robes, and thus far we have only seen her with the vice-captain insignia on her arm. She appears to be the youngest, as well as the smallest, among the captains and vice-captains, but she is respected throughout her division. Generally she’s seen hanging on to Zaraki Kenpachi’s shoulder. Yachiru makes up nicknames for the people she knows, including “Ichi” for Ichigo, “Big Boobies” for Orihime, and “Ken-chan” for Kenpachi.
Yachiru first appears in volume ten, hopping from the roof of a building onto Kenpachi’s shoulder as he makes his way to find and fight Ichigo. She has a horrible sense of direction, but despite that Kenpachi listens to her directions, which get him lost every time. Even though she and her captain appear to be polar opposites, she is utterly devoted to Kenpachi, and he to her. When Yachiru’s hyper-activity and Kenpachi’s constantly serious and power hungry demeanor are combined, a comically sweet relationship becomes evident.
She first met Kenpachi in one of the worst districts of Rukongai, the 79th district of the North Alley, Kusajika, as a nameless baby. She crawled over to him after he had killed several other men with his unnamed zanpakutou, and was completely unphased by the violence she had just witnessed or the blood on the sword. Even as Kenpachi warned her that the sword was dangerous, she reached out and touched it, giggling as her hand was covered in the blood of dead men. He adopted her after that, saving her from certain death in Rukongai. He named her Yachiru – “The name of the only person I ever cared about…I’ll give it to you.”
There is some speculation that Yachiru’s post as vice-captain of the eleventh squad is based on nepotism. However, in the brief appearances of Yachiru’s serious side, we have seen that she is extremely fast and strong enough to carry Kenpachi, who is twice her height and more than six times her weight. Also, no one appears to harbor feelings of ill will against her, even though the seated shinigami of the eleventh division seem to be vice-captain or captain level.
In serious situations, Yachiru will take control when Kenpachi is indisposed. For example, she took over leading Orihime, Ishida, Chad, and Ganju to the Soukyoku when Kenpachi was faced with the prospect of fighting Komamura and Tousen. When the execution proceedings began, Yachiru used her super speed to go ahead and try to delay the execution as a favor to Orihime, who she seems to have taken a particular liking to, perhaps because of their similar innocent natures.
Most of Yachiru’s appearances are for comic relief, though her serious side is pretty scary. She is an intimidating figure when she wants to be. She is cute and quirky, and the president of the Shinigami Women’s Association. It seems that Ikkaku takes care of most of the vice-captain paperwork, probably because Yachiru doesn’t think it’s worth her time. From what we’ve seen in the color omake, her weakness is candy and one of her favorite things to do appears to be to run around like crazy and drive Ikkaku crazy.
For all her faults, Yachiru appears to be a competent leader, and the one of the cutest characters in Bleach. When she decides she likes someone she’ll go to any means to help them when they need it.
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Unknown? We have yet to see Yachiru in action with her zanpakutou. However, it is appropriately short to match her height with a flower shaped guard.
Biography:
Eleventh Division Vice-Captain Kusajika Yachiru is very tiny, and very adorable with her bubblegum pink hair. She wears the normal shinigami robes, and thus far we have only seen her with the vice-captain insignia on her arm. She appears to be the youngest, as well as the smallest, among the captains and vice-captains, but she is respected throughout her division. Generally she’s seen hanging on to Zaraki Kenpachi’s shoulder. Yachiru makes up nicknames for the people she knows, including “Ichi” for Ichigo, “Big Boobies” for Orihime, and “Ken-chan” for Kenpachi.
Yachiru first appears in volume ten, hopping from the roof of a building onto Kenpachi’s shoulder as he makes his way to find and fight Ichigo. She has a horrible sense of direction, but despite that Kenpachi listens to her directions, which get him lost every time. Even though she and her captain appear to be polar opposites, she is utterly devoted to Kenpachi, and he to her. When Yachiru’s hyper-activity and Kenpachi’s constantly serious and power hungry demeanor are combined, a comically sweet relationship becomes evident.
She first met Kenpachi in one of the worst districts of Rukongai, the 79th district of the North Alley, Kusajika, as a nameless baby. She crawled over to him after he had killed several other men with his unnamed zanpakutou, and was completely unphased by the violence she had just witnessed or the blood on the sword. Even as Kenpachi warned her that the sword was dangerous, she reached out and touched it, giggling as her hand was covered in the blood of dead men. He adopted her after that, saving her from certain death in Rukongai. He named her Yachiru – “The name of the only person I ever cared about…I’ll give it to you.”
There is some speculation that Yachiru’s post as vice-captain of the eleventh squad is based on nepotism. However, in the brief appearances of Yachiru’s serious side, we have seen that she is extremely fast and strong enough to carry Kenpachi, who is twice her height and more than six times her weight. Also, no one appears to harbor feelings of ill will against her, even though the seated shinigami of the eleventh division seem to be vice-captain or captain level.
In serious situations, Yachiru will take control when Kenpachi is indisposed. For example, she took over leading Orihime, Ishida, Chad, and Ganju to the Soukyoku when Kenpachi was faced with the prospect of fighting Komamura and Tousen. When the execution proceedings began, Yachiru used her super speed to go ahead and try to delay the execution as a favor to Orihime, who she seems to have taken a particular liking to, perhaps because of their similar innocent natures.
Most of Yachiru’s appearances are for comic relief, though her serious side is pretty scary. She is an intimidating figure when she wants to be. She is cute and quirky, and the president of the Shinigami Women’s Association. It seems that Ikkaku takes care of most of the vice-captain paperwork, probably because Yachiru doesn’t think it’s worth her time. From what we’ve seen in the color omake, her weakness is candy and one of her favorite things to do appears to be to run around like crazy and drive Ikkaku crazy.
For all her faults, Yachiru appears to be a competent leader, and the one of the cutest characters in Bleach. When she decides she likes someone she’ll go to any means to help them when they need it.
10th Division
Matsumoto Rangiku
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Shi-Kai → Shi-Kai: Hai Neko (Ash Cat) - release command → "Roar!" Ban-Kai → None
Biography:
Making her first appearance as a very bothered Vice-Captain in the meeting called for all Vice-Captains, Rangiku may strike many males as one of the better looking females of Soul Society’s top echelons, even if the major reason being her cleavage.
Nevertheless, during the report, she gains an attitude of seriousness that immediately sets the record straight – she will do her duty whenever needed, and back it up with a serious attitude and her combat skills if need be.
She is also the one who holds Hinamori Momo after her little skirmish with Kira Izuru, when her Captain, Hitsugaya Toushirou orders them arrested. She then had a little conversation with Hinamori while the latter was being kept in the 5th Squad cells and handed her a letter addressed to her by Aizen, that Hitsugaya had found in Aizen’s room.
A scene before the escape of the three Vice-Captains, Hinamori, Kira and Abarai Renji, tells us a little about Rangiku’s history. When young, she was about to die of starvation when a boy hands her something to eat. That boy, Ichimaru Gin, saved her life, and for that she is forever grateful to him, even going so far as to like him.
Later, when Hitsugaya faces off with Ichimaru Gin, she stops Ichimaru’s blade from killing an unconscious Hinamori, thus saving Hinamori’s life. It is then that she wonders where Ichimaru will go from there. While thus occupied with their own thoughts, a message comes via a hell butterfly for them stating that the execution of Kuchiki Rukia was being pushed forward. Hitsugaya, determined to get to the bottom of the matter, realizes that the only way to do so would be to stop the execution. He thus orders Rangiku to follow him to Center 46, where they make the shocking discovery later that the entire Center 46 has been massacred.
Following Kira’s bait, Hitsugaya later returns to Center 46 upon being told that Hinamori had been following them. When Hitsugaya leaves, Kira releases his own Zanpakutou to fight against Rangiku who had been ordered to continue the chase. Despite blocking Kira’s attacks, the ability of Kira’s Zanpakutou doubles her weapon’s weight seven times, forcing her to release her own Zanpakutou. She defeats him and then learns of the truth behind Center 46.
When she arrives at the Sougyoku, she holds Ichimaru’s arm and places her Zanpakutou on his neck, asking him not to move and effectively placing him under arrest. When the Gillian’s Negashion comes down to save Ichimaru however, she releases her hold upon him. Ichimaru then expresses his regret that she could have held onto him a little longer, and that he was sorry. He then bids her a farewell.
Later, Rangiku is dismayed over this turn of events, but when Kira turns up to apologize to her, she asks him to forget everything, and to join her in a revelry of sake which ends up with all of them being drunk.
Rangiku is now in the living world, having just fought off an Arrancar by lifting the limit that is placed upon all Vice-Captains and Captains and their spirit power when they enter the living world. She currently resides with Inoue Orihime.
Character:
Rangiku is a fun woman at heart, and this shows when she is not embarrassed to talk about her cleavage openly, especially in the scene where Hitsugaya brings Kira to her for the latter’s apology. Her serious side for duty and work also shows through her dedication to follow her Captain and solve the mystery behind Rukia’s execution, and also to attempt to stop Ichimaru despite her liking for him. Truly a good mix of the fun and the serious, Rangiku also loves looking pretty, and, of course, she has the beauty deserving of praise, even aside from her cleavage.
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Shi-Kai → Shi-Kai: Hai Neko (Ash Cat) - release command → "Roar!" Ban-Kai → None
Biography:
Making her first appearance as a very bothered Vice-Captain in the meeting called for all Vice-Captains, Rangiku may strike many males as one of the better looking females of Soul Society’s top echelons, even if the major reason being her cleavage.
Nevertheless, during the report, she gains an attitude of seriousness that immediately sets the record straight – she will do her duty whenever needed, and back it up with a serious attitude and her combat skills if need be.
She is also the one who holds Hinamori Momo after her little skirmish with Kira Izuru, when her Captain, Hitsugaya Toushirou orders them arrested. She then had a little conversation with Hinamori while the latter was being kept in the 5th Squad cells and handed her a letter addressed to her by Aizen, that Hitsugaya had found in Aizen’s room.
A scene before the escape of the three Vice-Captains, Hinamori, Kira and Abarai Renji, tells us a little about Rangiku’s history. When young, she was about to die of starvation when a boy hands her something to eat. That boy, Ichimaru Gin, saved her life, and for that she is forever grateful to him, even going so far as to like him.
Later, when Hitsugaya faces off with Ichimaru Gin, she stops Ichimaru’s blade from killing an unconscious Hinamori, thus saving Hinamori’s life. It is then that she wonders where Ichimaru will go from there. While thus occupied with their own thoughts, a message comes via a hell butterfly for them stating that the execution of Kuchiki Rukia was being pushed forward. Hitsugaya, determined to get to the bottom of the matter, realizes that the only way to do so would be to stop the execution. He thus orders Rangiku to follow him to Center 46, where they make the shocking discovery later that the entire Center 46 has been massacred.
Following Kira’s bait, Hitsugaya later returns to Center 46 upon being told that Hinamori had been following them. When Hitsugaya leaves, Kira releases his own Zanpakutou to fight against Rangiku who had been ordered to continue the chase. Despite blocking Kira’s attacks, the ability of Kira’s Zanpakutou doubles her weapon’s weight seven times, forcing her to release her own Zanpakutou. She defeats him and then learns of the truth behind Center 46.
When she arrives at the Sougyoku, she holds Ichimaru’s arm and places her Zanpakutou on his neck, asking him not to move and effectively placing him under arrest. When the Gillian’s Negashion comes down to save Ichimaru however, she releases her hold upon him. Ichimaru then expresses his regret that she could have held onto him a little longer, and that he was sorry. He then bids her a farewell.
Later, Rangiku is dismayed over this turn of events, but when Kira turns up to apologize to her, she asks him to forget everything, and to join her in a revelry of sake which ends up with all of them being drunk.
Rangiku is now in the living world, having just fought off an Arrancar by lifting the limit that is placed upon all Vice-Captains and Captains and their spirit power when they enter the living world. She currently resides with Inoue Orihime.
Character:
Rangiku is a fun woman at heart, and this shows when she is not embarrassed to talk about her cleavage openly, especially in the scene where Hitsugaya brings Kira to her for the latter’s apology. Her serious side for duty and work also shows through her dedication to follow her Captain and solve the mystery behind Rukia’s execution, and also to attempt to stop Ichimaru despite her liking for him. Truly a good mix of the fun and the serious, Rangiku also loves looking pretty, and, of course, she has the beauty deserving of praise, even aside from her cleavage.
9th Division
Hisagi Shuuhei
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Nothing is known about Shuuhei’s zanpakutou. It appears that when he was winning against Yumichika, he didn’t even bother releasing it. However, he was taken by surprise by Yumichika’s shikai, and defeated before he had a chance to do anything.
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Hisagi Shuuhei served as vice captain to Tousen Kaname in the Ninth Division. Since Tousen’s betrayal with Aizen, the current status of the Ninth Division’s captainship is unknown, so it could be assumed that Shuuhei is acting captain until a new captain is chosen.
Shuuhei has short, dark hair and wears sleeveless shinigami robes, and has the number 69 tattooed to his left cheek and has a set of three scars straight over his eye and down his right cheek. He also has a blue, stripe tattoo running across his left cheek and over the bridge of his nose over the 69. He wears what appears to be a jeweled choker around his throat, and a matching armband on his right arm. He has his vice captain insignia tied to his left arm.
Hisagi Shuuhei was a famous shinigami even before he was officially a shinigami. In the omake chapter directly preceding chapter 173, we learn from Kira Izuru that Shuuhei was already taking missions from the Gotei 13 even though he was still a student of the Shinigami Academy. In that same chapter, Shuuhei is assigned, along with two of his classmates, to lead a field lesson on performing the konso with Freshman Class One, Kira, Renji, and Hinamori’s class. All went well until the end of the lesson, when the class was taken by surprise by a group of giant hollows.
Both of Shuuhei’s classmates are killed, and he orders all the freshmen to run as he tries to hold off the hollows until help arrives. However, he is quickly overpowered, and if Hinamori, Kira, and Renji hadn’t turned back, Shuuhei would have died then and there. Backup arrives in the form of Captain Aizen and his then Vice Captain Ichimaru Gin. The scars on Shuuhei’s face were acquired in that incident.
Before Rukia’s execution, Shuuhei accompanies his captain Tousen and the captain and vice captain of the Seventh Division, Komamura Sajin and Iba Tetsuzaemon, to confront Captain Zaraki Kenpachi of the Eleventh Division because Kenpachi is assisting the ryoka. Though Kenpachi claims that he can take on all four and assumes the others have gone ahead. However, he is surprised to discover his third and fifth seat officers have remained behind to challenge the two vice captains. Kenpachi grants permission for Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika to fight Iba and Shuuhei. They lead their opponents away from the captains in order to avoid getting in the way. Ikkaku takes Iba and Yumichika takes Shuuhei.
In the beginning of the fight, Shuuhei is winning, and chides Yumichika for thinking a fifth seat shinigami could defeat a vice captain. However, Yumichika turns the tables by releasing his zanpakutou, which, until that point, was all but unknown. The next time we see Shuuhei, he’s collapsed in exhaustion and disbelief. To quote him directly: “I didn’t know a zanpakutou like that even existed...” Yumichika rejoins Kenpachi after his captain is done battling, and he looks more full of energy than when he began.
Shuuhei is devastated by the news that Tousen is a traitor to Soul Society. In the aftermath of Aizen’s retreat into Hueco Mundo he visits the grave of Tousen’s friend, and encounters Komamura, one of Tousen’s best friends. They swear to each other that they will save Tousen from himself and his crazed sense of justice.
After that the Tenth Division Vice Captain Matsumoto Rangiku sees him and invites him to drink with her and Kira, who is already passed out. Shuuhei accepts the invitation only to find that Kira needs some serious attention and Rangiku is just ignoring him so she can keep drinking.
From the few other times we’ve seen Shuuhei, he’s generally been in the company of Kira or Renji. He apparently comes from the lower class, but when he’s pressed for cash, he’ll rely on any free food source available, including one provided by someone as obtuse and snotty as the vice captain of the Second Division, Oomaeda Marechiyo. He’s also just as perverted as the other male shinigami, and has a crush on Matsumoto.
Shuuhei is a loyal shinigami whose ideals have been thrown for a minor loop by the betrayal of his captain. He is currently still in Seireitei, and it is yet unknown whether or not he’ll show up on Earth with Renji, Matsumoto, Hitsugaya, Ikkaku, and Yumichika. However, it is a sure thing that we’ll see him again sooner or later, because of his vow to save Tousen.
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Nothing is known about Shuuhei’s zanpakutou. It appears that when he was winning against Yumichika, he didn’t even bother releasing it. However, he was taken by surprise by Yumichika’s shikai, and defeated before he had a chance to do anything.
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Hisagi Shuuhei served as vice captain to Tousen Kaname in the Ninth Division. Since Tousen’s betrayal with Aizen, the current status of the Ninth Division’s captainship is unknown, so it could be assumed that Shuuhei is acting captain until a new captain is chosen.
Shuuhei has short, dark hair and wears sleeveless shinigami robes, and has the number 69 tattooed to his left cheek and has a set of three scars straight over his eye and down his right cheek. He also has a blue, stripe tattoo running across his left cheek and over the bridge of his nose over the 69. He wears what appears to be a jeweled choker around his throat, and a matching armband on his right arm. He has his vice captain insignia tied to his left arm.
Hisagi Shuuhei was a famous shinigami even before he was officially a shinigami. In the omake chapter directly preceding chapter 173, we learn from Kira Izuru that Shuuhei was already taking missions from the Gotei 13 even though he was still a student of the Shinigami Academy. In that same chapter, Shuuhei is assigned, along with two of his classmates, to lead a field lesson on performing the konso with Freshman Class One, Kira, Renji, and Hinamori’s class. All went well until the end of the lesson, when the class was taken by surprise by a group of giant hollows.
Both of Shuuhei’s classmates are killed, and he orders all the freshmen to run as he tries to hold off the hollows until help arrives. However, he is quickly overpowered, and if Hinamori, Kira, and Renji hadn’t turned back, Shuuhei would have died then and there. Backup arrives in the form of Captain Aizen and his then Vice Captain Ichimaru Gin. The scars on Shuuhei’s face were acquired in that incident.
Before Rukia’s execution, Shuuhei accompanies his captain Tousen and the captain and vice captain of the Seventh Division, Komamura Sajin and Iba Tetsuzaemon, to confront Captain Zaraki Kenpachi of the Eleventh Division because Kenpachi is assisting the ryoka. Though Kenpachi claims that he can take on all four and assumes the others have gone ahead. However, he is surprised to discover his third and fifth seat officers have remained behind to challenge the two vice captains. Kenpachi grants permission for Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika to fight Iba and Shuuhei. They lead their opponents away from the captains in order to avoid getting in the way. Ikkaku takes Iba and Yumichika takes Shuuhei.
In the beginning of the fight, Shuuhei is winning, and chides Yumichika for thinking a fifth seat shinigami could defeat a vice captain. However, Yumichika turns the tables by releasing his zanpakutou, which, until that point, was all but unknown. The next time we see Shuuhei, he’s collapsed in exhaustion and disbelief. To quote him directly: “I didn’t know a zanpakutou like that even existed...” Yumichika rejoins Kenpachi after his captain is done battling, and he looks more full of energy than when he began.
Shuuhei is devastated by the news that Tousen is a traitor to Soul Society. In the aftermath of Aizen’s retreat into Hueco Mundo he visits the grave of Tousen’s friend, and encounters Komamura, one of Tousen’s best friends. They swear to each other that they will save Tousen from himself and his crazed sense of justice.
After that the Tenth Division Vice Captain Matsumoto Rangiku sees him and invites him to drink with her and Kira, who is already passed out. Shuuhei accepts the invitation only to find that Kira needs some serious attention and Rangiku is just ignoring him so she can keep drinking.
From the few other times we’ve seen Shuuhei, he’s generally been in the company of Kira or Renji. He apparently comes from the lower class, but when he’s pressed for cash, he’ll rely on any free food source available, including one provided by someone as obtuse and snotty as the vice captain of the Second Division, Oomaeda Marechiyo. He’s also just as perverted as the other male shinigami, and has a crush on Matsumoto.
Shuuhei is a loyal shinigami whose ideals have been thrown for a minor loop by the betrayal of his captain. He is currently still in Seireitei, and it is yet unknown whether or not he’ll show up on Earth with Renji, Matsumoto, Hitsugaya, Ikkaku, and Yumichika. However, it is a sure thing that we’ll see him again sooner or later, because of his vow to save Tousen.
8th Division
Ise Nanao
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Description: Ise Nanao has never once released her Zanpakutou, seemingly more dependent on her demon arts.
Shi-Kai: None
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
The standard teacher stereotype female character, Ise is a rather uptight, bespectacled and always serious girl. Despite her slender and demure appearance, the fact that she has made it to the rank of Fukutaicho and has never once seen fit to release her Zanpakutou (though this could be due to the fact that Kyouraku Shunsui has always protected her) during all this time proves that she is not one to be trifled with.
She first appears in the Fukutaicho meeting, but does not make an actual appearance till Sado Yasutora (Chad) makes his way to the 8th Squad’s offices. She is seen in a conversation with her Taicho, who delights in teasing her, often calling her “Nanao-chan!” much to her dislike.
During the course of the conversation she is seen as a serious and able assistant to Kyouraku, though having to put up with his teasing all the time. However her expression at the end of it shows that she does care about him, although one may question what kind of care this is.
Later she is seen to be helping Kyouraku by scattering flower petals as he makes his grand entrance. Unfortunately she is not inclined to stop even when he asks her to, and when he goes into his usual irritating routine of calling her Nanao-chan, she drops the entire petal basket onto him, creating a comical sight.
During the fight between Kyouraku and Chad she stays out of the picture, and then receives a message from the Covert Forward Corps, informing her of the murder of Aizen Sousuke. She runs to Kyouraku to tell him, and then as they turn to leave, she notices that Chad, who has been cut by Kyouraku, is not dead. She asks permission to deliver the finishing blow, but is denied it by Kyouraku who talks her out of it and asks her to bring the 4th Squad to save Chad. Much later, during the day of Kuchiki Rukia’s execution, she finds her Taicho as usual up on a roof. She puts up once again with his teasing as she tries to hurry him to the Soukyoku Stands. As he asks her what he should do, she tells him that no matter what she thinks or advises, he would still do what he wanted to. “Don’t worry,” she also said, “I will stay several steps behind you, so as not to get caught in trouble, but I will follow.”
After the failed execution, Nanao-chan follows Kyouraku and Ukitake Juushirou to place where they could battle Yamamoto without getting anyone else implicated. She then describes the power that is Yamamoto, but while trying to do something, she is caught in Yamamoto’s stare and suffocated by his power. Kyouraku breaks the eye contact to save her, and brings her to a safer spot. She then realizes that it is not only difficult to win Yamamoto even with two Taicho on their side, it is next to impossible.
Ise does not make any appearance after this and seems to have been pushed to the background for the time being, even in the filler arc.
Character:
An able and serious person, Ise is always ready to follow the rules but also to stand up for justice if necessary, such as the help she provided to Kyouraku to stop Rukia’s execution. She also is almost never seen without a book, and despite her irritation at her Taicho’s teasing, she cares a lot for him and just shows it in different ways. Despite her being uptight, this just makes her, and her coldness all the more wonderful.
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Description: Ise Nanao has never once released her Zanpakutou, seemingly more dependent on her demon arts.
Shi-Kai: None
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
The standard teacher stereotype female character, Ise is a rather uptight, bespectacled and always serious girl. Despite her slender and demure appearance, the fact that she has made it to the rank of Fukutaicho and has never once seen fit to release her Zanpakutou (though this could be due to the fact that Kyouraku Shunsui has always protected her) during all this time proves that she is not one to be trifled with.
She first appears in the Fukutaicho meeting, but does not make an actual appearance till Sado Yasutora (Chad) makes his way to the 8th Squad’s offices. She is seen in a conversation with her Taicho, who delights in teasing her, often calling her “Nanao-chan!” much to her dislike.
During the course of the conversation she is seen as a serious and able assistant to Kyouraku, though having to put up with his teasing all the time. However her expression at the end of it shows that she does care about him, although one may question what kind of care this is.
Later she is seen to be helping Kyouraku by scattering flower petals as he makes his grand entrance. Unfortunately she is not inclined to stop even when he asks her to, and when he goes into his usual irritating routine of calling her Nanao-chan, she drops the entire petal basket onto him, creating a comical sight.
During the fight between Kyouraku and Chad she stays out of the picture, and then receives a message from the Covert Forward Corps, informing her of the murder of Aizen Sousuke. She runs to Kyouraku to tell him, and then as they turn to leave, she notices that Chad, who has been cut by Kyouraku, is not dead. She asks permission to deliver the finishing blow, but is denied it by Kyouraku who talks her out of it and asks her to bring the 4th Squad to save Chad. Much later, during the day of Kuchiki Rukia’s execution, she finds her Taicho as usual up on a roof. She puts up once again with his teasing as she tries to hurry him to the Soukyoku Stands. As he asks her what he should do, she tells him that no matter what she thinks or advises, he would still do what he wanted to. “Don’t worry,” she also said, “I will stay several steps behind you, so as not to get caught in trouble, but I will follow.”
After the failed execution, Nanao-chan follows Kyouraku and Ukitake Juushirou to place where they could battle Yamamoto without getting anyone else implicated. She then describes the power that is Yamamoto, but while trying to do something, she is caught in Yamamoto’s stare and suffocated by his power. Kyouraku breaks the eye contact to save her, and brings her to a safer spot. She then realizes that it is not only difficult to win Yamamoto even with two Taicho on their side, it is next to impossible.
Ise does not make any appearance after this and seems to have been pushed to the background for the time being, even in the filler arc.
Character:
An able and serious person, Ise is always ready to follow the rules but also to stand up for justice if necessary, such as the help she provided to Kyouraku to stop Rukia’s execution. She also is almost never seen without a book, and despite her irritation at her Taicho’s teasing, she cares a lot for him and just shows it in different ways. Despite her being uptight, this just makes her, and her coldness all the more wonderful.
7th Division
Iba Tetsuzaemon
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Not much is known about Iba’s zanpakutou. Because we didn’t see him legitimately fighting with it, it is difficult to gauge his strength. But, judging how hard he worked to become a bannougata to achieve the rank of vice-captain, we can assume that he is very strong, or at the very least, very suspicious.
Shi-Kai: When his zanpakutou is released, it widens at the end and splits into two points to create a negative shape of a “v”, as well as creating a third, smaller branch coming off before the tips.
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Iba is the vice captain of the Seventh Division. His captain is Komamura Sajin, who until recently wore a mask to hide his identity as a giant fox. Iba is very loyal to his captain, though in the week after Tousen Kaname’s betrayal he spent a lot of time at the Eleventh Division headquarters in order to give his captain some space. Preceding their fight, Ikkaku mentions that Iba has become cockier since he left the Eleventh Division to become a vice captain.
Iba wears the standard shinigami robes, and first wore his vice captain insignia at the emergency vice captain meeting after Ichigo and company infiltrated Soul Society and were kept out of Seireitei by Ichimaru Gin. We know this because when Sixth Division Vice Captain Abarai Renji was entering the room he mentioned that it was the first time he had ever needed to wear it, and Iba admitted it was the first time he had to wear his vice captain insignia as well. Because none of the other vice captains make any comments on needing to wear the badge, it should be assumed that Iba is a new vice captain, like Renji.
Iba has a very distinctive appearance as a character. His hair is cut short and he has a thin mustache. He also wears oval shaped sunglasses at all times and has a thick upper lip.
Though Iba has been seen infrequently throughout the series, we do know that he will try to do the right thing. He tells a dumb lie to his captain directly before Rukia’s execution because he knows Komamura is unsure of the decision, and wants to give him time to decide. Komamura sees right through this, but lets it go, understanding it as an act of compassion.
Soon after that Komamura and Tousen take their vice captains, Iba and Hisagi Shuuhei, to challenge Zaraki Kenpachi because he has freed Ishida, Chad, and Ganju from their cell with Orihime’s direction and is leading them to Soukyoku to stop the execution. Yachiru takes control and starts to lead the group ahead to Soukyoku when the four shinigami confront them. After Kenpachi claims he can take on all four, Ayasegawa Yumichika and Madarame Ikkaku complain that they want some action, and so Kenpachi lets them have Shuuhei and Iba. We see little of Ikkaku and Iba’s fight. Most of the scene we see is the two of them sharing a bottle of sake. While they are resting from their fight, Ikkaku unwittingly reveals that Iba mastered all elements of shinigami-hood in order to become vice captain. When Ikkaku mentions that he sounds unhappy, Iba denies it. When Ikkaku goes on to say that Iba has become vice captain for his mother, Iba denies it again. Iba abruptly changes the subject by pointing out that they’ve run out of sake. After that they play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets the higher ground. Iba wins the rock-paper-scissors match, and before they begin both of them wonder who Byakuya is fighting on Soukyoku Hill. Ikkaku guesses (correctly) that it’s Ichigo. Iba admits that he’d like to fight Ichigo, and Ikkaku tells him he has the spirit of the Eleventh Division. They decide that the loser of the match gets more sake while the winner rests, but remind each other that if either lets up, the other will die. However, the match is interrupted by Isane’s report on Aizen, Tousen, and Gin’s betrayal.
Later, when Iba is at the Eleventh Division headquarters, he’s hanging out with Yumichika, who notes, with some irritation, that it’s awfully loud because of Ikkaku, Ichigo, and Kenpachi. Iba says it’s been like that since Ichigo started hanging out with the Eleventh, but it’s better than quiet. Yumichika asks why he’s hanging out there, and Iba says that Komamura wants to be alone. Because his last division assignment was the Eleventh, it was the place that he felt most welcome at that time. There is a current theory floating that Iba was the fourth seat of the Eleventh Division until recently, when he was promoted to vice captain of the Seventh. On a side note, Yumichika calls Iba “Tetsu-san.”
Not much is known about Iba’s zanpakutou, strength, or general personality. However he does have a crush on Matsumoto Rangiku, the rather busty vice captain of the Tenth Division. In the color omake Iba is seen frequently in the company of the other male vice captains and seated shinigami. He seems to share their pension for perverted things related to the female shinigami of the Gotei 13.
Overall, Iba is a good shinigami. In the current Arrankar situation, Iba has remained in Soul Society. Kubo Tite has yet to really flesh this character out, if he plans to. However, there is the mystery of why Iba became a vice captain, and what his mother has to do with it.
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Not much is known about Iba’s zanpakutou. Because we didn’t see him legitimately fighting with it, it is difficult to gauge his strength. But, judging how hard he worked to become a bannougata to achieve the rank of vice-captain, we can assume that he is very strong, or at the very least, very suspicious.
Shi-Kai: When his zanpakutou is released, it widens at the end and splits into two points to create a negative shape of a “v”, as well as creating a third, smaller branch coming off before the tips.
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Iba is the vice captain of the Seventh Division. His captain is Komamura Sajin, who until recently wore a mask to hide his identity as a giant fox. Iba is very loyal to his captain, though in the week after Tousen Kaname’s betrayal he spent a lot of time at the Eleventh Division headquarters in order to give his captain some space. Preceding their fight, Ikkaku mentions that Iba has become cockier since he left the Eleventh Division to become a vice captain.
Iba wears the standard shinigami robes, and first wore his vice captain insignia at the emergency vice captain meeting after Ichigo and company infiltrated Soul Society and were kept out of Seireitei by Ichimaru Gin. We know this because when Sixth Division Vice Captain Abarai Renji was entering the room he mentioned that it was the first time he had ever needed to wear it, and Iba admitted it was the first time he had to wear his vice captain insignia as well. Because none of the other vice captains make any comments on needing to wear the badge, it should be assumed that Iba is a new vice captain, like Renji.
Iba has a very distinctive appearance as a character. His hair is cut short and he has a thin mustache. He also wears oval shaped sunglasses at all times and has a thick upper lip.
Though Iba has been seen infrequently throughout the series, we do know that he will try to do the right thing. He tells a dumb lie to his captain directly before Rukia’s execution because he knows Komamura is unsure of the decision, and wants to give him time to decide. Komamura sees right through this, but lets it go, understanding it as an act of compassion.
Soon after that Komamura and Tousen take their vice captains, Iba and Hisagi Shuuhei, to challenge Zaraki Kenpachi because he has freed Ishida, Chad, and Ganju from their cell with Orihime’s direction and is leading them to Soukyoku to stop the execution. Yachiru takes control and starts to lead the group ahead to Soukyoku when the four shinigami confront them. After Kenpachi claims he can take on all four, Ayasegawa Yumichika and Madarame Ikkaku complain that they want some action, and so Kenpachi lets them have Shuuhei and Iba. We see little of Ikkaku and Iba’s fight. Most of the scene we see is the two of them sharing a bottle of sake. While they are resting from their fight, Ikkaku unwittingly reveals that Iba mastered all elements of shinigami-hood in order to become vice captain. When Ikkaku mentions that he sounds unhappy, Iba denies it. When Ikkaku goes on to say that Iba has become vice captain for his mother, Iba denies it again. Iba abruptly changes the subject by pointing out that they’ve run out of sake. After that they play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets the higher ground. Iba wins the rock-paper-scissors match, and before they begin both of them wonder who Byakuya is fighting on Soukyoku Hill. Ikkaku guesses (correctly) that it’s Ichigo. Iba admits that he’d like to fight Ichigo, and Ikkaku tells him he has the spirit of the Eleventh Division. They decide that the loser of the match gets more sake while the winner rests, but remind each other that if either lets up, the other will die. However, the match is interrupted by Isane’s report on Aizen, Tousen, and Gin’s betrayal.
Later, when Iba is at the Eleventh Division headquarters, he’s hanging out with Yumichika, who notes, with some irritation, that it’s awfully loud because of Ikkaku, Ichigo, and Kenpachi. Iba says it’s been like that since Ichigo started hanging out with the Eleventh, but it’s better than quiet. Yumichika asks why he’s hanging out there, and Iba says that Komamura wants to be alone. Because his last division assignment was the Eleventh, it was the place that he felt most welcome at that time. There is a current theory floating that Iba was the fourth seat of the Eleventh Division until recently, when he was promoted to vice captain of the Seventh. On a side note, Yumichika calls Iba “Tetsu-san.”
Not much is known about Iba’s zanpakutou, strength, or general personality. However he does have a crush on Matsumoto Rangiku, the rather busty vice captain of the Tenth Division. In the color omake Iba is seen frequently in the company of the other male vice captains and seated shinigami. He seems to share their pension for perverted things related to the female shinigami of the Gotei 13.
Overall, Iba is a good shinigami. In the current Arrankar situation, Iba has remained in Soul Society. Kubo Tite has yet to really flesh this character out, if he plans to. However, there is the mystery of why Iba became a vice captain, and what his mother has to do with it.
6th Division
Abarai Renji
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Shi-Kai: Zabimaru (Serpent Tail) - release command: "Hoero!" ("Howl!") Renji's zanpakutou grows larger and has a saw like appearence. Zabimaru can extend and retract at Renji's will. It can be thrown around like a whip and slice threw the enemy.
Ban-Kai: Hihiou Zabimaru (Baboon King Zabimaru) Renji's zanpakutou turns into a giant snake skeleton and coils around the ground with him in the center. Segiments of Hihiou are connected with Renji's spiritual pressure thus making him stronger. Though bulky Hihiou is a great endurance zanpakutou even if it losses one or two segments it can still fight. Hihiou Zabimaru's attack is much like his Shi-Kai where Zabimaru can extend and lash out. Renji can also shield himself with this form of zanpakutou. Renji's appearance also changes he gets a neclace of teeth/claws around his neck as well as a fur jacket type garmant that goes down only one arm and has a skull on the shoulder. Zanpakutou's true form: Baboon with a serpent tail.
Biography:
6th squad vice-captain Abarai Renji. He’s very tall, red-haired and good looking young man with certain abilities to be a captain. We meet him for the first time when with Byakuya ordered to capture Rukia Renji approaches to Ichigo’s world. He proves to be a powerfull enemy but he’s way to self-confident and believes in his abbilities mostly underdestimating enemies. Therefore his first meeting with Kurosaki ends up fighting with ‘shinigami rookie’.
Renji’s history is connected with Rukia. In his childhood Abarai was part of Area 78, Inuzuri, South Alley of flowing spirit. He lived there along with Rukia and few other souls. Although he was very stubborn and trained everyday, Rukia had much more spiritual force what pissed off Renji. Living in Area 78 was very hard because of starvation, diseases and endless problems with water. Such a conditions caused death of Rukia’s and Renji’s friends. After that they both decided to join Soul Court and become shinigamis. Way of becoming soul slayer also wasn’t as easy as they expected. One day Rukia was taken by Byakuya to his nobble family. For Renji it was like the end of the world. He thought that he was betrayed, but he did never showed his emotions to Rukia. After hard training in academy Renji was taken to 6th squad and very soon started to be Byakuya’s vice-captain. Although Renji hates his captain because of the fact that he took Rukia from him.
When Rukia’s execution was commited Renji stared to feel odd about all case. Still he wasn’t able to stand against Gotei and fight his own captain. Then, when Ichigo appeared in Soul Society Renji pushed by emotions and revenge attacked Kurosaki. Battle was long and proved that Renji is powerfull warrior, although he was not able to defeat Ichigo. He thought that he’ll die but somehow he managed to survive and get back to training. Therefore he made his mind to stop Rukia’s execution at all costs.
After receiving BanKai state, full of self-confidence and courage Renji stood against Byakuya. He proved back then that he’s much more powerfull than ordinary vice-captains and brave enough to fight even his own captain. Although he ws no match for Kuchiki (even using Zabimaru BanKai) and lost again. Fortunatelly battle with Byakuya didn’t have bigger influence on Renji’s thoughts and soon he showed himself on Rukia’s execution and helped Ichigo. During escape he met on his way Aizen Souske and still was no match for him. He was defeated quickly.
Later, when Aizen’s betrayal was figured out and nobody wanted to execute Rukia anymore (even Byakuya) Renji proved also to be very honest and loyal. He came to Byakuya’s room to say ‘sorry’ but he never admitted that he made a mistake attacking his master. After that he went to normal world with other shinigamis to fight alongside Ichigo with Arancar. He was able to defeat his enemy – El Forte using his Ban Kai what proved his increasing power.
Abarai’s Zanpaktuou is one of the most powerfull vice-captains weapons in Soul Society. It is called Zabimaru (serpent tail). In normal state Zabimaru looks like most of ordinary zanpaktous. When releasing it (Howl! Zabimaru!) weapon extends to be longer and similar to saw. Renji can also control Zabimaru’s powers by his will. In BanKai mode ‘Baboon King’ Zabimaru turns into giant sceleton snake filled with reiatsu. Some kind of leather also covers Renji’s shoulders. In this stadium it is one of the most powerfull and hard to control Zanpaktous (btw that was main reason why Renji was defeated by Byakuya. It is said that after achieveing bankai shingami has to spend 10 years on training to gain ability to control it’s own Zanpaktou. Renji just attacked more experienced Byakuya who quickly found Zabimaru’s weak point – manouverability).
Renji has relationship with some shinigamis. For example with Rangiku or Kira. Therefore one of the wierdest Renji’s ‘friends’ (!?) is called – Ichigo. Every single time when they meet each other it means that it’s gonna be fight... between them ofcourse. Every stupid reason is good enough, is doesn’t mean if it’s ZanKetsu J, or when Ichigo says someting stupid ‘bout Renji’s appearance is normal world. It always lead to same solution – fight. Despite that both Ichigo and Renji understands each other more than good and when it comes to fight together with powerfull enemy then they know that there’s no time to argue and both cooperate to win or just to survive (like when fighting Aizen). They also have same friends (or should we say girlfriend? – Rukia) and for her or anyone else they both would spare their lives without hestitation. Same goes if any of them would be in need... One day it can really turn into friendship.
Abarai Renji is surely a great character. Sometimes funny, sometimes rude, sometimes kind but mostly friendly and certain in his (re)actions – he’s the best material for a war companion and friend till death.
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Shi-Kai: Zabimaru (Serpent Tail) - release command: "Hoero!" ("Howl!") Renji's zanpakutou grows larger and has a saw like appearence. Zabimaru can extend and retract at Renji's will. It can be thrown around like a whip and slice threw the enemy.
Ban-Kai: Hihiou Zabimaru (Baboon King Zabimaru) Renji's zanpakutou turns into a giant snake skeleton and coils around the ground with him in the center. Segiments of Hihiou are connected with Renji's spiritual pressure thus making him stronger. Though bulky Hihiou is a great endurance zanpakutou even if it losses one or two segments it can still fight. Hihiou Zabimaru's attack is much like his Shi-Kai where Zabimaru can extend and lash out. Renji can also shield himself with this form of zanpakutou. Renji's appearance also changes he gets a neclace of teeth/claws around his neck as well as a fur jacket type garmant that goes down only one arm and has a skull on the shoulder. Zanpakutou's true form: Baboon with a serpent tail.
Biography:
6th squad vice-captain Abarai Renji. He’s very tall, red-haired and good looking young man with certain abilities to be a captain. We meet him for the first time when with Byakuya ordered to capture Rukia Renji approaches to Ichigo’s world. He proves to be a powerfull enemy but he’s way to self-confident and believes in his abbilities mostly underdestimating enemies. Therefore his first meeting with Kurosaki ends up fighting with ‘shinigami rookie’.
Renji’s history is connected with Rukia. In his childhood Abarai was part of Area 78, Inuzuri, South Alley of flowing spirit. He lived there along with Rukia and few other souls. Although he was very stubborn and trained everyday, Rukia had much more spiritual force what pissed off Renji. Living in Area 78 was very hard because of starvation, diseases and endless problems with water. Such a conditions caused death of Rukia’s and Renji’s friends. After that they both decided to join Soul Court and become shinigamis. Way of becoming soul slayer also wasn’t as easy as they expected. One day Rukia was taken by Byakuya to his nobble family. For Renji it was like the end of the world. He thought that he was betrayed, but he did never showed his emotions to Rukia. After hard training in academy Renji was taken to 6th squad and very soon started to be Byakuya’s vice-captain. Although Renji hates his captain because of the fact that he took Rukia from him.
When Rukia’s execution was commited Renji stared to feel odd about all case. Still he wasn’t able to stand against Gotei and fight his own captain. Then, when Ichigo appeared in Soul Society Renji pushed by emotions and revenge attacked Kurosaki. Battle was long and proved that Renji is powerfull warrior, although he was not able to defeat Ichigo. He thought that he’ll die but somehow he managed to survive and get back to training. Therefore he made his mind to stop Rukia’s execution at all costs.
After receiving BanKai state, full of self-confidence and courage Renji stood against Byakuya. He proved back then that he’s much more powerfull than ordinary vice-captains and brave enough to fight even his own captain. Although he ws no match for Kuchiki (even using Zabimaru BanKai) and lost again. Fortunatelly battle with Byakuya didn’t have bigger influence on Renji’s thoughts and soon he showed himself on Rukia’s execution and helped Ichigo. During escape he met on his way Aizen Souske and still was no match for him. He was defeated quickly.
Later, when Aizen’s betrayal was figured out and nobody wanted to execute Rukia anymore (even Byakuya) Renji proved also to be very honest and loyal. He came to Byakuya’s room to say ‘sorry’ but he never admitted that he made a mistake attacking his master. After that he went to normal world with other shinigamis to fight alongside Ichigo with Arancar. He was able to defeat his enemy – El Forte using his Ban Kai what proved his increasing power.
Abarai’s Zanpaktuou is one of the most powerfull vice-captains weapons in Soul Society. It is called Zabimaru (serpent tail). In normal state Zabimaru looks like most of ordinary zanpaktous. When releasing it (Howl! Zabimaru!) weapon extends to be longer and similar to saw. Renji can also control Zabimaru’s powers by his will. In BanKai mode ‘Baboon King’ Zabimaru turns into giant sceleton snake filled with reiatsu. Some kind of leather also covers Renji’s shoulders. In this stadium it is one of the most powerfull and hard to control Zanpaktous (btw that was main reason why Renji was defeated by Byakuya. It is said that after achieveing bankai shingami has to spend 10 years on training to gain ability to control it’s own Zanpaktou. Renji just attacked more experienced Byakuya who quickly found Zabimaru’s weak point – manouverability).
Renji has relationship with some shinigamis. For example with Rangiku or Kira. Therefore one of the wierdest Renji’s ‘friends’ (!?) is called – Ichigo. Every single time when they meet each other it means that it’s gonna be fight... between them ofcourse. Every stupid reason is good enough, is doesn’t mean if it’s ZanKetsu J, or when Ichigo says someting stupid ‘bout Renji’s appearance is normal world. It always lead to same solution – fight. Despite that both Ichigo and Renji understands each other more than good and when it comes to fight together with powerfull enemy then they know that there’s no time to argue and both cooperate to win or just to survive (like when fighting Aizen). They also have same friends (or should we say girlfriend? – Rukia) and for her or anyone else they both would spare their lives without hestitation. Same goes if any of them would be in need... One day it can really turn into friendship.
Abarai Renji is surely a great character. Sometimes funny, sometimes rude, sometimes kind but mostly friendly and certain in his (re)actions – he’s the best material for a war companion and friend till death.
5th Division
Hinamori Momo
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Shi-Kai: Tobiume (Flying Plum)
- release command: "Hajike!" ("Snap!")
Hinamori Momo’s zanpakutou becomes a rod with bent prongs extending at intervals. Her zanpakutou’s power is based in kidou, the Demon Arts. This makes sense, as Hinamori is a master of kidou. Her zanpakutou is very powerful, though we only saw her use it in a brief moment against Kira.
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Hinamori Momo was the utterly devoted vice captain of Aizen Sousuke of the Fifth Division. Aizen’s betrayal to the Soul Society essentially broke Hinamori, and his attempt on her life has had thus far unknown effects on her psyche. Last time she was seen, she was still bedridden in the Fourth Division headquarters. Because of the massive amounts of physical and psychological damage done to Hinamori, it should not be assumed that Hinamori is acting captain of the Fifth Division.
Hinamori wears standard shinigami robes and her dark hair is pulled into a bun held in a tied cloth. When in her shinigami robes, she wears the Fifth Division’s vice captain badge. We saw her in her pajamas, a plain kimono, and her hair was tied in a loose ponytail. When she attended the Shinigami Academy, she wore the red students robes assigned to the girls and her hair was in pigtails tied at the base of her neck.
Hinamori has good friendships with many of the captain and vice captain shinigami. Her friendship with Kira Izuru and Abarai Renji began back in the Shinigami Academy on a standard field exercise to the real world to practice performing the konso. The exercise was led by Hisagi Shuuhei. Everything went well until a group of huge hollows attacked them. Shuuhei told everyone to run, but Hinamori turned to see Shuuhei being attacked by multiple hollows. She ran to help him, and was followed, somewhat reluctantly, by Renji and Kira.
Backup arrived in the form of Fifth Division Captain Aizen and then Vice Captain Ichimaru Gin. Hinamori began idolizing Aizen from that moment. He knew that, and manipulated the system to make sure that Kira, Renji, and Hinamori were all sent to his division upon graduation. He perceived Renji as a threat to his scheme and had him sent out of the divisions he controlled, but sent Kira to the Third Division, which was now captained by Gin. He kept Hinamori in the Fifth, and she worked her way up the ladder to be Aizen’s vice captain.
When we are initially introduced to Hinamori, she is the first to arrive to the vice captains’ meeting, and is sitting on the floor. She asks Renji if he’s seen Aizen anywhere, and when she admits that she’s noticed him acting weird lately and is near tears, Renji lies and denies the fact that he has just had a conversation about Rukia with him.
Hitsugaya Toushirou, who is captain of the Tenth Division, has been one of Hinamori’s close friends since they both lived in Rukongai. She still calls him “Hitsugaya-kun” sometimes, and only once does she call him her old nickname for him, “Shirou-kun,” and that is when she is under severe stress. He is worried about Hinamori, and warns her to watch out for Gin before Aizen’s “murder.” As a result, Hinamori attacks Gin when Aizen’s body is discovered, and is countered by Kira. She actually releases her shikai when Kira refuses to let her kill his captain. Hitsugaya arrives and stops both of them in an instant. He orders them to be restrained, and orders them to be imprisoned.
Hinamori is desolate over the death of Aizen, but his last letter to her reaches her through Hitsugaya and his vice captain, Matsumoto Rangiku. Matsumoto points out that if the letter had been found by any of the other captains, she wouldn’t have been allowed to see it. The letter holds Aizen’s “secrets” and his knowledge of the conspiracy. However, it is a sham letter meant to blame Hitsugaya for everything, including his “death.” When Hinamori escapes from her cell, she goes after Hitsugaya, and Gin, who has arrived on the scene, merely laughs. Hitsugaya attempts to deal with Gin, but Hinamori tries to stop him. He hits her much harder than he means to, and in the fray with Gin that follows, Gin traps Hitsugaya in a situation that is either be killed or let Hinamori die. Hitsugaya realizes this too late, but fortunately Matsumoto reappears to stop Gin’s sword. Hinamori is put back into a cell and a spell is put on her cell to keep others from attacking her. It is very difficult to break from the outside, but very easy to break from the inside. However, Hitsugaya didn’t count on Hinamori’s determination to avenge Aizen and break the spell from the inside. She hides her presence and follows Hitsugaya and Matsumoto and is shocked to find the Central 46 massacred. She is reunited with Aizen briefly, but she is betrayed by him. He stabs her through the heart and she nearly dies.
When Hitsugaya returns to the Central 46 building, he sees Hinamori’s body, and attacks Aizen. He is easily defeated. The two of them are saved by Unohana Retsu, the captain of the Fourth Division.
Aizen’s reasoning behind killing Hinamori was that he built her to not be able to live without him. He claims to have done her a favor by killing her. He tried to get other people to kill Hinamori, but that failed, so he was left with no choice but to kill her himself. Fortunately, even that failed, and he abandoned Hinamori and Hitsugaya once Unohana showed up on the scene at the Central 46.
Hinamori is a sweet soul who is willing to give anything for the people she cares about. She has a strong sense of right and wrong and cowardice and sense. She is a master of Kidou, and was a part of the top class in the Shinigami Academy.
Her best friends are Hitsugaya, Renji, and Kira. Those who know Hinamori only want her to be happy. When she is worried, others try to make her feel better.
She is a good person and a strong shinigami when she needs to be. She has untapped wells of anger hidden in the depths of her soul, and only goes there when she must.
Right now it is impossible to tell what Hinamori will be like the next time we see her. As stated earlier, Aizen’s attempt on her life has damaged her soul irreparably. She will probably never be the same sweet, innocent girl she was when she was first introduced. However, we have yet to see if that will really come to pass. She is still in Soul Society, and it is assumed she is in a stable condition, or else Hitsugaya probably wouldn’t have gone to the material world.
**Recent developments vis-à-vis Hinamori’s condition** Hinamori has recently been confirmed as conscious. After Yamamoto debriefed Hitsugaya on Aizen’s plan concerning the Ou-ken, he allowed Hinamori to surprise Hitsugaya and let her talk to him. Hinamori still looks a little worse for wear, and has apparently not been sleeping well since regaining consciousness. After she apologizes to him profusely for not believing him and attacking him, Hitsugaya pokes fun at her for her baggy eyes and small breasts, trying to make her laugh. Hinamori abruptly asks him if he’s planning on killing Aizen, and when he tells her yes, she begs for Aizen’s life. As she enters a hysterical state, she is knocked out again, and Yamamoto apologizes for Hinamori. It is obvious that Hinamori is not in a stable condition mentally, and there is some speculation that she will try to find a way to rejoin Aizen at a later date. Hinamori’s mental state isn’t entirely unexpected. The psychological damage she’s suffered at Aizen’s hands is nothing short of incredible. It can only be hoped that Hinamori will recover enough to see the truth about Aizen eventually.
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Shi-Kai: Tobiume (Flying Plum)
- release command: "Hajike!" ("Snap!")
Hinamori Momo’s zanpakutou becomes a rod with bent prongs extending at intervals. Her zanpakutou’s power is based in kidou, the Demon Arts. This makes sense, as Hinamori is a master of kidou. Her zanpakutou is very powerful, though we only saw her use it in a brief moment against Kira.
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Hinamori Momo was the utterly devoted vice captain of Aizen Sousuke of the Fifth Division. Aizen’s betrayal to the Soul Society essentially broke Hinamori, and his attempt on her life has had thus far unknown effects on her psyche. Last time she was seen, she was still bedridden in the Fourth Division headquarters. Because of the massive amounts of physical and psychological damage done to Hinamori, it should not be assumed that Hinamori is acting captain of the Fifth Division.
Hinamori wears standard shinigami robes and her dark hair is pulled into a bun held in a tied cloth. When in her shinigami robes, she wears the Fifth Division’s vice captain badge. We saw her in her pajamas, a plain kimono, and her hair was tied in a loose ponytail. When she attended the Shinigami Academy, she wore the red students robes assigned to the girls and her hair was in pigtails tied at the base of her neck.
Hinamori has good friendships with many of the captain and vice captain shinigami. Her friendship with Kira Izuru and Abarai Renji began back in the Shinigami Academy on a standard field exercise to the real world to practice performing the konso. The exercise was led by Hisagi Shuuhei. Everything went well until a group of huge hollows attacked them. Shuuhei told everyone to run, but Hinamori turned to see Shuuhei being attacked by multiple hollows. She ran to help him, and was followed, somewhat reluctantly, by Renji and Kira.
Backup arrived in the form of Fifth Division Captain Aizen and then Vice Captain Ichimaru Gin. Hinamori began idolizing Aizen from that moment. He knew that, and manipulated the system to make sure that Kira, Renji, and Hinamori were all sent to his division upon graduation. He perceived Renji as a threat to his scheme and had him sent out of the divisions he controlled, but sent Kira to the Third Division, which was now captained by Gin. He kept Hinamori in the Fifth, and she worked her way up the ladder to be Aizen’s vice captain.
When we are initially introduced to Hinamori, she is the first to arrive to the vice captains’ meeting, and is sitting on the floor. She asks Renji if he’s seen Aizen anywhere, and when she admits that she’s noticed him acting weird lately and is near tears, Renji lies and denies the fact that he has just had a conversation about Rukia with him.
Hitsugaya Toushirou, who is captain of the Tenth Division, has been one of Hinamori’s close friends since they both lived in Rukongai. She still calls him “Hitsugaya-kun” sometimes, and only once does she call him her old nickname for him, “Shirou-kun,” and that is when she is under severe stress. He is worried about Hinamori, and warns her to watch out for Gin before Aizen’s “murder.” As a result, Hinamori attacks Gin when Aizen’s body is discovered, and is countered by Kira. She actually releases her shikai when Kira refuses to let her kill his captain. Hitsugaya arrives and stops both of them in an instant. He orders them to be restrained, and orders them to be imprisoned.
Hinamori is desolate over the death of Aizen, but his last letter to her reaches her through Hitsugaya and his vice captain, Matsumoto Rangiku. Matsumoto points out that if the letter had been found by any of the other captains, she wouldn’t have been allowed to see it. The letter holds Aizen’s “secrets” and his knowledge of the conspiracy. However, it is a sham letter meant to blame Hitsugaya for everything, including his “death.” When Hinamori escapes from her cell, she goes after Hitsugaya, and Gin, who has arrived on the scene, merely laughs. Hitsugaya attempts to deal with Gin, but Hinamori tries to stop him. He hits her much harder than he means to, and in the fray with Gin that follows, Gin traps Hitsugaya in a situation that is either be killed or let Hinamori die. Hitsugaya realizes this too late, but fortunately Matsumoto reappears to stop Gin’s sword. Hinamori is put back into a cell and a spell is put on her cell to keep others from attacking her. It is very difficult to break from the outside, but very easy to break from the inside. However, Hitsugaya didn’t count on Hinamori’s determination to avenge Aizen and break the spell from the inside. She hides her presence and follows Hitsugaya and Matsumoto and is shocked to find the Central 46 massacred. She is reunited with Aizen briefly, but she is betrayed by him. He stabs her through the heart and she nearly dies.
When Hitsugaya returns to the Central 46 building, he sees Hinamori’s body, and attacks Aizen. He is easily defeated. The two of them are saved by Unohana Retsu, the captain of the Fourth Division.
Aizen’s reasoning behind killing Hinamori was that he built her to not be able to live without him. He claims to have done her a favor by killing her. He tried to get other people to kill Hinamori, but that failed, so he was left with no choice but to kill her himself. Fortunately, even that failed, and he abandoned Hinamori and Hitsugaya once Unohana showed up on the scene at the Central 46.
Hinamori is a sweet soul who is willing to give anything for the people she cares about. She has a strong sense of right and wrong and cowardice and sense. She is a master of Kidou, and was a part of the top class in the Shinigami Academy.
Her best friends are Hitsugaya, Renji, and Kira. Those who know Hinamori only want her to be happy. When she is worried, others try to make her feel better.
She is a good person and a strong shinigami when she needs to be. She has untapped wells of anger hidden in the depths of her soul, and only goes there when she must.
Right now it is impossible to tell what Hinamori will be like the next time we see her. As stated earlier, Aizen’s attempt on her life has damaged her soul irreparably. She will probably never be the same sweet, innocent girl she was when she was first introduced. However, we have yet to see if that will really come to pass. She is still in Soul Society, and it is assumed she is in a stable condition, or else Hitsugaya probably wouldn’t have gone to the material world.
**Recent developments vis-à-vis Hinamori’s condition** Hinamori has recently been confirmed as conscious. After Yamamoto debriefed Hitsugaya on Aizen’s plan concerning the Ou-ken, he allowed Hinamori to surprise Hitsugaya and let her talk to him. Hinamori still looks a little worse for wear, and has apparently not been sleeping well since regaining consciousness. After she apologizes to him profusely for not believing him and attacking him, Hitsugaya pokes fun at her for her baggy eyes and small breasts, trying to make her laugh. Hinamori abruptly asks him if he’s planning on killing Aizen, and when he tells her yes, she begs for Aizen’s life. As she enters a hysterical state, she is knocked out again, and Yamamoto apologizes for Hinamori. It is obvious that Hinamori is not in a stable condition mentally, and there is some speculation that she will try to find a way to rejoin Aizen at a later date. Hinamori’s mental state isn’t entirely unexpected. The psychological damage she’s suffered at Aizen’s hands is nothing short of incredible. It can only be hoped that Hinamori will recover enough to see the truth about Aizen eventually.
4th Division
Koutestu Isane
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Isane’s zanpakutou becomes a three pronged sword upon release. Beyond that, little is known about Isane’s abilities. In the one and only instance that we have seen her release her zanpakutou, she was defeated in seconds by Kurosaki Ichigo, who didn’t even use his zanpakutou..
Shi-Kai:Itegumo (Frozen Cloud)
- release command: "Hashire!" ("Dash!")
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Koutetsu Isane is the vice captain of the Fourth Division, also known as the Medical Unit, under Unohana Retsu. Isane is the older sister of one of the third seat shinigami of the Thirteenth Division, Koutetsu Kiyone. She is very tall at 187 cm (around six feet). She has platinum blonde hair and dark eyebrows. Her hair has two hair wraps on the left, and is set off by a second set of hair wraps just behind her right ear. Her face is has both very distinctive eyelashes and a very pouty mouth. She wears the standard shinigami robes, which happen to show off her tall, slim figure. She also wears the vice captain insignia for her division on her arm.
Isane is very devoted to her captain, and appears to be somewhat insecure about herself. She seems to be very empathetic to others feelings. For instance, when Yamamoto tells Rukia that he will grant her request to return Ichigo, Orihime, Ishida, and Chad to the real world safely, Isane feels that it’s cruel to lie to her outright like that. However, Unohana points out that since Rukia’s death in inevitable, it is just as well to let her die with no regrets. After the mess with Aizen’s betrayal, Isane can’t sleep and doesn’t want to wake Kiyone. However, Unohana is awake and invites her vice captain to sit with her until she can sleep. The only case that we have seen Isane fight is in the brief seconds that she, Marechiyo, and Choujirou were ordered to stop the escape of Renji and Rukia. However, in the brief interaction with Ichigo, she was defeated as easily as the other two. In the middle of the mess, Unohana used her zanpakutou to help heal Marechiyo and Choujirou and used her own power to heal Isane, who had not been hit as hard as her male comrades.
Unohana then proceeds to take Isane with her to investigate the mysterious circumstances of Aizen’s death. Upon discovering Aizen alive and his vice captain, Hinamori Momo, and the captain of the Tenth Division, Hitsugaya Toushirou, with fatal wounds, Unohana and Isane listen in wonder, fear, and disgust as Aizen reveals his plot to them. He leaves with Third Division Captain Ichimaru Gin, Unohana orders Isane to contact all the active captains, vice captains, and, to Isane’s surprise, all the ryoka who have had contact with the Fourth Division. This means that the only ryoka to not be contacted is Orihime, the only one who wasn’t injured.
Isane appears to be close to her sister Kiyone, though Kiyone is obviously the more intimidating of the two. She is also a member of the Shinigami Women’s Association. Isane is loyal to her captain, and is proud to serve her. She appears to believe in fairness for all. Her nurturing personality is well suited to the Fourth Division.
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Isane’s zanpakutou becomes a three pronged sword upon release. Beyond that, little is known about Isane’s abilities. In the one and only instance that we have seen her release her zanpakutou, she was defeated in seconds by Kurosaki Ichigo, who didn’t even use his zanpakutou..
Shi-Kai:Itegumo (Frozen Cloud)
- release command: "Hashire!" ("Dash!")
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Koutetsu Isane is the vice captain of the Fourth Division, also known as the Medical Unit, under Unohana Retsu. Isane is the older sister of one of the third seat shinigami of the Thirteenth Division, Koutetsu Kiyone. She is very tall at 187 cm (around six feet). She has platinum blonde hair and dark eyebrows. Her hair has two hair wraps on the left, and is set off by a second set of hair wraps just behind her right ear. Her face is has both very distinctive eyelashes and a very pouty mouth. She wears the standard shinigami robes, which happen to show off her tall, slim figure. She also wears the vice captain insignia for her division on her arm.
Isane is very devoted to her captain, and appears to be somewhat insecure about herself. She seems to be very empathetic to others feelings. For instance, when Yamamoto tells Rukia that he will grant her request to return Ichigo, Orihime, Ishida, and Chad to the real world safely, Isane feels that it’s cruel to lie to her outright like that. However, Unohana points out that since Rukia’s death in inevitable, it is just as well to let her die with no regrets. After the mess with Aizen’s betrayal, Isane can’t sleep and doesn’t want to wake Kiyone. However, Unohana is awake and invites her vice captain to sit with her until she can sleep. The only case that we have seen Isane fight is in the brief seconds that she, Marechiyo, and Choujirou were ordered to stop the escape of Renji and Rukia. However, in the brief interaction with Ichigo, she was defeated as easily as the other two. In the middle of the mess, Unohana used her zanpakutou to help heal Marechiyo and Choujirou and used her own power to heal Isane, who had not been hit as hard as her male comrades.
Unohana then proceeds to take Isane with her to investigate the mysterious circumstances of Aizen’s death. Upon discovering Aizen alive and his vice captain, Hinamori Momo, and the captain of the Tenth Division, Hitsugaya Toushirou, with fatal wounds, Unohana and Isane listen in wonder, fear, and disgust as Aizen reveals his plot to them. He leaves with Third Division Captain Ichimaru Gin, Unohana orders Isane to contact all the active captains, vice captains, and, to Isane’s surprise, all the ryoka who have had contact with the Fourth Division. This means that the only ryoka to not be contacted is Orihime, the only one who wasn’t injured.
Isane appears to be close to her sister Kiyone, though Kiyone is obviously the more intimidating of the two. She is also a member of the Shinigami Women’s Association. Isane is loyal to her captain, and is proud to serve her. She appears to believe in fairness for all. Her nurturing personality is well suited to the Fourth Division.
3rd Division
Kira Izuru
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Shi-Kai: Wabisuke (Apologise)
- release command: "Omote wo Agero!" ("Show Your Face!")
Kira’s zanpakutou becomes longer and makes two sharp ninety degree angles at the end of the blade. Until the fight with Matsumoto, the only two people who knew his Shi-Kai were Hinamori Momo and Abarai Renji.
Its name is “Wabisuke” (Apologize) because of the nature of the zanpakutou’s power. To quote Kira directly, “My sword increases the weight of anything it touches. Each hit doubles the weight of your sword. When the opponent can no longer handle the weight, he kneels on the ground, and sticks out his head as if begging for forgiveness.”
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Vice-Captain Kira Izuru served under Ichimaru Gin in the Third Division. To the best of our knowledge, the Third Division is still without a captain, so it could be assumed that Kira is acting captain of the Third until there is a replacement.
Kira wears the standard shinigami robes with his vice-captain insignia attached to his arm. He has straw blond hair that falls over his left eye and falls to his shoulders. When he began at the Shinigami Academy his hair was similar to its current style, but shorter.
At first glance, Kira appears to be depressed, but in reality, he’s just a bundle of nerves. Kira while under Aizen Sousuke's hypnosisb attack his friend Hinamori Momo after she made an attempt to kill Ichimaru Gin. Kira was put into a jail cell(For releasing his zanpuktou) after stopping Hinamori Momo from trying to kill his captain after Aizen was “murdered.” Gin later freed him from his jail cell, the only of the three imprisoned vice-captains (himself, Renji, and Hinamori) to not destroy have to destroy his cell to get out.
In an omake chapter directly preceding Kira’s, Renji’s, and Hinamori’s escapes, it is revealed that Kira entered the Shinigami Academy after his parents’ deaths, and was proud that he got in on his first attempt at the exam as opposed to the already famous Hisagi Shuuhei’s three. He, like Hinamori and Renji, was put in freshman class one for his potential as a powerful shinigami.
Kira has a close friendship with both Renji and Hinamori because of an incident during their freshman year. On a standard training exercise led by sixth year Hisagi Shuuhei, Renji, Hinamori, and Kira were grouped together. All went well until the end of the exercise when the class was attacked by a group of giant Hollows. After being told to run, Hinamori turned back to see Shuuhei in trouble and ran back to help. Somewhat reluctantly, Renji and Kira joined her, and wind up saving Shuuhei. That incident led directly to the group’s first encounter with Captain Aizen of the Fifth Division and his then vice-captain, Ichimaru Gin. It is later revealed in Aizen’s revelations that he thought that he could use all three of them, and went to some trouble to make sure all three were part of the Fifth Division. After some time he transferred Renji to the Eleventh, kept Hinamori in the Fifth, and sent Kira to the Third after Gin became captain.
Renji, Hinamori and Kira are still friends, and when Hinamori finds Renji’s vice captain insignia after he left to find Ichigo, Kira is the first and only person Hinamori tells. Kira suggests they keep it to themselves, as not to get their friend in trouble.
Kira is obviously a powerful and faithful shinigami. Even when he is given orders he knows are wrong, he follows them because that’s what subordinates are supposed to do. As a result he winds up trying to follow through on orders to distract the Tenth Division captain, Hitsugaya Toushirou. However, when he alerts Hitsugaya of Hinamori’s presence, he winds up fighting Hitsugaya’s vice captain Matsumoto Rangiku.
In that battle Kira releases his shi-kai and begins to attack Matsumoto. She parried his blows, but it wasn’t until after he had hit her sword seven times that he told her what his zanpakutou’s power is. At first Matsumoto looks worried, but then she reveals her shikai, which is to scatter into a fine dust. The outcome of the battle is unknown, but it can be assumed that Matsumoto won after seeing the look on Kira’s face.
After the mess with Aizen starts to die down, Kira visits Matsumoto at the Tenth Division headquarters to apologize and winds up joining her in a drinking binge to try to forget about what a traitor Gin was. While Matsumoto is completely capable of holding her liquor, Kira passes out.
Overall, Kira is a good man, but is often hindered by his feelings of obligation to his superiors.
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Shi-Kai: Wabisuke (Apologise)
- release command: "Omote wo Agero!" ("Show Your Face!")
Kira’s zanpakutou becomes longer and makes two sharp ninety degree angles at the end of the blade. Until the fight with Matsumoto, the only two people who knew his Shi-Kai were Hinamori Momo and Abarai Renji.
Its name is “Wabisuke” (Apologize) because of the nature of the zanpakutou’s power. To quote Kira directly, “My sword increases the weight of anything it touches. Each hit doubles the weight of your sword. When the opponent can no longer handle the weight, he kneels on the ground, and sticks out his head as if begging for forgiveness.”
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Vice-Captain Kira Izuru served under Ichimaru Gin in the Third Division. To the best of our knowledge, the Third Division is still without a captain, so it could be assumed that Kira is acting captain of the Third until there is a replacement.
Kira wears the standard shinigami robes with his vice-captain insignia attached to his arm. He has straw blond hair that falls over his left eye and falls to his shoulders. When he began at the Shinigami Academy his hair was similar to its current style, but shorter.
At first glance, Kira appears to be depressed, but in reality, he’s just a bundle of nerves. Kira while under Aizen Sousuke's hypnosisb attack his friend Hinamori Momo after she made an attempt to kill Ichimaru Gin. Kira was put into a jail cell(For releasing his zanpuktou) after stopping Hinamori Momo from trying to kill his captain after Aizen was “murdered.” Gin later freed him from his jail cell, the only of the three imprisoned vice-captains (himself, Renji, and Hinamori) to not destroy have to destroy his cell to get out.
In an omake chapter directly preceding Kira’s, Renji’s, and Hinamori’s escapes, it is revealed that Kira entered the Shinigami Academy after his parents’ deaths, and was proud that he got in on his first attempt at the exam as opposed to the already famous Hisagi Shuuhei’s three. He, like Hinamori and Renji, was put in freshman class one for his potential as a powerful shinigami.
Kira has a close friendship with both Renji and Hinamori because of an incident during their freshman year. On a standard training exercise led by sixth year Hisagi Shuuhei, Renji, Hinamori, and Kira were grouped together. All went well until the end of the exercise when the class was attacked by a group of giant Hollows. After being told to run, Hinamori turned back to see Shuuhei in trouble and ran back to help. Somewhat reluctantly, Renji and Kira joined her, and wind up saving Shuuhei. That incident led directly to the group’s first encounter with Captain Aizen of the Fifth Division and his then vice-captain, Ichimaru Gin. It is later revealed in Aizen’s revelations that he thought that he could use all three of them, and went to some trouble to make sure all three were part of the Fifth Division. After some time he transferred Renji to the Eleventh, kept Hinamori in the Fifth, and sent Kira to the Third after Gin became captain.
Renji, Hinamori and Kira are still friends, and when Hinamori finds Renji’s vice captain insignia after he left to find Ichigo, Kira is the first and only person Hinamori tells. Kira suggests they keep it to themselves, as not to get their friend in trouble.
Kira is obviously a powerful and faithful shinigami. Even when he is given orders he knows are wrong, he follows them because that’s what subordinates are supposed to do. As a result he winds up trying to follow through on orders to distract the Tenth Division captain, Hitsugaya Toushirou. However, when he alerts Hitsugaya of Hinamori’s presence, he winds up fighting Hitsugaya’s vice captain Matsumoto Rangiku.
In that battle Kira releases his shi-kai and begins to attack Matsumoto. She parried his blows, but it wasn’t until after he had hit her sword seven times that he told her what his zanpakutou’s power is. At first Matsumoto looks worried, but then she reveals her shikai, which is to scatter into a fine dust. The outcome of the battle is unknown, but it can be assumed that Matsumoto won after seeing the look on Kira’s face.
After the mess with Aizen starts to die down, Kira visits Matsumoto at the Tenth Division headquarters to apologize and winds up joining her in a drinking binge to try to forget about what a traitor Gin was. While Matsumoto is completely capable of holding her liquor, Kira passes out.
Overall, Kira is a good man, but is often hindered by his feelings of obligation to his superiors.
2nd Division
Oomaeda Marechiyo
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Shi-Kai: Gegetsuburi- release command: "Smash Him Into Bits!"
When released, Gegetsuburi changes from its sword shape to something resembling a giant mace. A giant ball with protruding spikes is attached to a sword hilt by a chain. Marechiyo’s shikai abilities are unknown because he was defeated before it could be seen.
Ban-Kai: None.
Biography:
Marechiyo is the vice captain of the second division under Soi Fon. He wears the standard shinigami robes as well as a scarf, which possibly indicates his wealth, like Byakuya’s. He also wears several rings and bracelets. He is boorish, perverted, and wants Soi Fon to fall in love with him. His blunt manner generally angers the already touchy Soi Fon, but when given orders he follows them. Their relationship is not a particularly close one, as with some of the other captains and vice captains. He is as big, cool-tempered and burly as Soi Fon is small, quick, and angry. It appears to take a lot to actually get Marechiyo angry, but not much at all to get him to over-react. Marechiyo comes from the high nobility of Seireitei and is often seen lording it over his fellow shinigami.
The only time Marechiyo has been seen in battle is in the brief moment that Soi Fon ordered all remaining vice captains (Marechiyo, Koutetsu Isane, and Sasakibe Choujirou) to recapture Rukia after Soukyoku was destroyed. However, that instance can not be used to efficiently gauge his strength, because Ichigo was underestimated and beat all three of vice captains in less than a minute without using Zangetsu.
Most of Marechiyo’s appearances have been in the color omake chapters, which portray him as rich, condescending, perverted, and irritating to his comrades and captain.
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Shi-Kai: Gegetsuburi- release command: "Smash Him Into Bits!"
When released, Gegetsuburi changes from its sword shape to something resembling a giant mace. A giant ball with protruding spikes is attached to a sword hilt by a chain. Marechiyo’s shikai abilities are unknown because he was defeated before it could be seen.
Ban-Kai: None.
Biography:
Marechiyo is the vice captain of the second division under Soi Fon. He wears the standard shinigami robes as well as a scarf, which possibly indicates his wealth, like Byakuya’s. He also wears several rings and bracelets. He is boorish, perverted, and wants Soi Fon to fall in love with him. His blunt manner generally angers the already touchy Soi Fon, but when given orders he follows them. Their relationship is not a particularly close one, as with some of the other captains and vice captains. He is as big, cool-tempered and burly as Soi Fon is small, quick, and angry. It appears to take a lot to actually get Marechiyo angry, but not much at all to get him to over-react. Marechiyo comes from the high nobility of Seireitei and is often seen lording it over his fellow shinigami.
The only time Marechiyo has been seen in battle is in the brief moment that Soi Fon ordered all remaining vice captains (Marechiyo, Koutetsu Isane, and Sasakibe Choujirou) to recapture Rukia after Soukyoku was destroyed. However, that instance can not be used to efficiently gauge his strength, because Ichigo was underestimated and beat all three of vice captains in less than a minute without using Zangetsu.
Most of Marechiyo’s appearances have been in the color omake chapters, which portray him as rich, condescending, perverted, and irritating to his comrades and captain.
1st Division
Sasakibe Choujirou
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Description: It is not known what the abilities of this Zanpakutou are, but the Zanpakutou takes on the form of a rapier with an elaborate hilt reminiscent of the form once used in old English and French battles.
Shi-Kai: Gonryoumaru
- release command: "Pierce Him!"
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Next to nothing is known of this seldom seen Fukutaicho. All that is known is that he is a loyal supporter and assistant to Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni. If appearances are to be believed, he is older than all the other Vice-Captains but is not stronger. The only action he has been seen in so far was the one where Kurosaki Ichigo managed to take out him, Oomaeda Marechiyo and Kotetsu Isane single-handedly. His abilities and his character have yet to been proved but it would seem to most that he is perhaps more able in the administrative side of Soul Society, having been around longer than most.
His attire is slightly different from the other Vice-Captains, with a white uniform over the normal Shinigami attire besides the standard adjutant insignia.
Character:
Nothing is known of his character at this point in time.
Rank: Vice-Captain
Zanpakutou info:
Description: It is not known what the abilities of this Zanpakutou are, but the Zanpakutou takes on the form of a rapier with an elaborate hilt reminiscent of the form once used in old English and French battles.
Shi-Kai: Gonryoumaru
- release command: "Pierce Him!"
Ban-Kai: None
Biography:
Next to nothing is known of this seldom seen Fukutaicho. All that is known is that he is a loyal supporter and assistant to Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni. If appearances are to be believed, he is older than all the other Vice-Captains but is not stronger. The only action he has been seen in so far was the one where Kurosaki Ichigo managed to take out him, Oomaeda Marechiyo and Kotetsu Isane single-handedly. His abilities and his character have yet to been proved but it would seem to most that he is perhaps more able in the administrative side of Soul Society, having been around longer than most.
His attire is slightly different from the other Vice-Captains, with a white uniform over the normal Shinigami attire besides the standard adjutant insignia.
Character:
Nothing is known of his character at this point in time.
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