Zaraki Kenpachi - 11th Squad Captain

Kenpachi has a wild and aggressive appearance, fitting with his personality. He wears his captain's jacket without sleeves, and with a more ragged look to it (he acquired his jacket from the previous 11th Division captain, whom he defeated and killed in a duel). He styles his hair into spikes with bells at the tips and wears a special eye patch on his right eye created by the 12th Division to absorb the bulk of his power. Both of these are meant to give enemies an advantage so that he can have even fights with weaker opponents. As far as the latter object goes, however, his right eye can still see without an eyepatch. He has a huge scar on the left side of his face, apparently gained well before his time in Soul Society (and even before finding Yachiru). He is also one of the tallest characters in Bleach, towering at 202 cm (approx. 6 ft 7½ in). This is slightly taller than Yasutora Sado and almost double the height of his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi. His stature is often exaggerated even more for dramatic purposes, especially in contrast with Yachiru's.

In the "Shinigami Cup" special after Bleach episode 71, Kenpachi is shown attaching the bells to his hair, which apparently takes quite a while to accomplish. The highest bell in particular takes him several hours to attach, as the tip of his hair is just beyond his reach. Occasionally, Yumichika will offer to do it, but Zaraki usually refuses because he thinks that it is weird for someone else to style his hair. Tite Kubo has remarked that Zaraki's hair is the most difficult to draw along with Kaname Tōsen's.

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

Kenpachi lives for battle (evidenced by his method of attaining his rank) and enjoys a good fight more than anything. He even weakens himself in an effort to make any fight last longer. He also claims that injury and death are nothing but the price one pays for a good fight. Despite his group being the most bloodthirsty of the Gotei 13, they have a code of ethics, though different from the set rules of Soul Society.

Though he literally lives for battle, Kenpachi has shown human emotion and caring for two things: his lieutenant Yachiru (who is one of the few people he is shown to care for, along with Ikkaku, Yumichika) and his name, which he gave himself. Following his battle with Ichigo, in a rare moment of sorrow, Kenpachi talks about the pain of not having a name (as he lived his childhood and early adult years without one), and feels guilty that his sword isn't acknowledged by its name.

Kenpachi also strongly believes that fun comes before working. In every battle, he tries to get as much enjoyment out of it as possible. He also sent his 5th Seat, Yumichika, to fend off the Bount in Karakura Town, as he was the only high-ranking officer who wasn't busy, or rather, busy having fun, as Yachiru was snacking and Ikkaku was napping, while Yumichika was organizing documents.

Irrational to a certain extent, Kenpachi is one of the most complex characters in the series, as he exhibits a wide range of traits; lackadaisical abandon, reckless blood lust, peculiar sentiments of affection toward his subordinates, and even indications of wisdom in the form of terse pep-talks usually given to opponents just before or even during battles. All these factors parallel Ichigo's character giving insight to the inward struggle he seems to contend with.

History

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

After some time had passed, Zaraki found his way into Soul Society. He defeated and killed the previous captain of the 11th Division and thus gained his seat in the Gotei 13. Ikkaku Madarame, having been previously defeated by Zaraki, joined the shinigami soon afterwards, believing Zaraki to be the strongest person he had ever met and wanting to serve under him until the day he died. As a new captain, Zaraki was begrudgingly forced to learn kendo, though made it a point to avoid using it in battle.

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

Synopsis

After Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends arrive in Soul Society, Kenpachi begins to hunt the strongest, and eventually battles Ichigo. During their fight, Ichigo becomes enough of a challenge that Kenpachi removes his eye patch, thus releasing the extra power it has been devouring. The battle ends in a draw, with Ichigo falling first and Kenpachi shortly after, both admitting defeat. Much later on, while searching for Ichigo with his friends in tow, they are headed off by 7th and 9th Division members, and Kenpachi battles the captains Sajin Komamura and Kaname Tōsen, respectively, defeating Tōsen and fights off Komamura before Komamura runs away. He doesn't see Ichigo and his friends off when they leave the Soul Society telling Yachiru that him and Ichigo will certainly meet again because they are the only ones who are what they seem to be. Kenpachi also helps fight off the Bount invasion, and successfully defeats Maki Ichinose.

During the Arrancar arc, Zaraki appears to Ichigo as his instinct and desire to win, explaining to him that they were both the type of people who lived to fight battle after battle. After Orihime is taken to Hueco Mundo, Kenpachi arrives with Byakuya Kuchiki to retrieve Tōshirō Hitsugaya's group and bring them back to Soul Society. Later, in Hueco Mundo, Kenpachi comes to Ichigo's aid during his battle with the arrancar Tesla, dealing the arrancar a mortal blow with a single strike and then engaging Nnoitra Jiruga in battle. After sustaining several injuries, Kenpachi emerges victorious by wielding his sword with two hands, a technique taken from kendo, to deal a powerful blow.

Abilities

Kenpachi is the only captain of the Gotei 13 who doesn't know the name of his sword, nor can he use his bankai as a result. In addition, he never uses kidō or flash steps; the Bleach Official Bootleg databook ranks his talent in the former as zero. However, he more than makes up for his faults in sheer power. His spiritual pressure is such that, even when wearing the energy-sealing eyepatch, Kenpachi can fight on-par with other captain-level opponents, even when they release their zanpakutō.

Despite his seeming disregard for any strategy in his fights and his self-admitted aversion to thinking during battle, Kenpachi is adept at finding and exploiting weaknesses in his opponents' techniques, such as in his battle with Kaname Tōsen. While he admits to having no sanity or common sense, Kenpachi is actually very perceptive and notices traits in people that others wouldn't notice. For example, he correctly singles out Kaname Tōsen and Gin Ichimaru as the only captains who are afraid to die.

Perhaps due to years of combat experience and time on the battlefield, Kenpachi has a large degree of physical strength, most clearly evidenced by the fact that he kicked Tōsen through a building in their battle, and when he grabbed Ichigo's giant sword barehanded and reeled both him and the sword in for an attack. His physical strength is matched by his endurance: Kenpachi has been shown to easily ignore most of the injuries he's sustained in battle, not suffering any debilitation despite having multiple slash wounds in his body. He even allowed himself to be stabbed just to grab Tōsen's blade and break his bankai's effect.

Zanpakutō

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

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

Kusajishi Yachiru - 11th Squad Vice Captain

Yachiru is child-like in most respects, as she is small, cheerful, energetic, and carefree most of the time. She is often seen latched onto the back of her captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, just over his right shoulder, and is somewhat territorial about this position. She is surprisingly intimidating at times, especially when annoyed. Like Kenpachi, she has no sense of direction, even though he relies on her to find his way. Yachiru resents being criticized in any way and will often attack the perpetrator. Further reflecting her child-like nature, Yachiru likes to give people nicknames; for example, she calls her captain Ken-chan ("Kenny"). She also often gives random people placeholder names. She shows no special respect for her superiors, such as calling Sajin Komamura "Koma-Koma" and trying to draw on his head with a permanent marker. Various omake chapters and character profiles also show that Yachiru has a love for candy, specifically confetti candy, which Byakuya Kuchiki takes advantage of on several occasions. Yachiru is also the president of the Shinigami Women's Association, though she doesn't appear to take her responsibilities seriously.

In North Rukongai, in the 79th district (Kusajishi), the parents of Yachiru (who was then unnamed) were murdered. A highly skilled sword fighter with a name unknown to all, including himself, from Soul Society's 80th District, Zaraki, soon found her. The swordsman named the baby Yachiru after the only person he ever aspired to be. That same day, the swordsman named himself Kenpachi, after the most skilled swordfighter in every generation. From that moment on, the two have been inseparable and have developed a caring, albeit argumentative, father-daughter relationship. There is currently no information on how they entered Seireitei and became shinigami. The anime suggests that Kenpachi simply walked in and killed the former 11th Division captain, thus becoming the current one, so it stands to reason she became a shinigami at the same time. In an interview, Tite Kubo mentioned that he plans on revealing Yachiru's namesake.

Despite her child-like appearance, Yachiru is apparently quite strong, since she is the current lieutenant of the combat division within Soul Society. She is strong enough to lift Kenpachi and leap between buildings while carrying him. Yachiru is also incredibly fast despite her size, running from the ground-level area of Seireitei to the mountain that holds the execution grounds in a fairly short period of time. She is capable of emitting a large amount of spiritual power when angry, which forms into a large, pink, angry cat face.

The name and ability of Yachiru's zanpakutō are both unknown. She carries her zanpakutō around with a loose cord, rather than at the sash of her uniform. Her zanpakutō's scabbard is also unusual in that it has a pair of wheels for transport. According to Yachiru's profile in volume 13, these were installed by Ikkaku, who turns out to be handy with tools, after she continually pestered him to do it. It also has a child-like flower pattern on the crossguard

Kurotshuchi Mayuri - 12th Squad Captain

Mayuri Kurotsuchi is a researcher and personifies the stereotype of the mad scientist. In the earlier episodes of the anime, he is displayed as one of the most sadistic and cruel characters in the series. He sees everyone and everything not as a living being, but as an object to be researched—including himself. He has little respect or regard for most others, and was even willing to turn his own men (who were not aware of his plans) into human bombs in an attempt to capture Uryū Ishida and Orihime Inoue for experimentation. He also withheld vital information about the Bount from the other shinigami in order to capture one as a research subject for himself.

Mayuri's appearance has a very skeletal look to it with a skull-like visage. His fingernails are blue and, with the exception of the fingernail on his right middle finger, are all short. The one long fingernail is as long as the finger itself. In the anime, Mayuri is revealed to have blue hair and yellow eyes when unmasked. He also wears a white hat with two ends that point to his right and a bloated purple cravat around his neck. It appears his physical modifications become undone each time he reconstitutes himself, although he is heavily scarred and his ears appear to be permanently removed.


Mayuri's new appearance.Mayuri has performed various experiments on himself, some of which include upgrading certain body parts to function as weapons or giving him otherwise useful abilities. His left arm can extend out like a grappling hook and he is able to pull part of his ear out to form a scythe attached to a rope-like ligament for use as a kusarigama. He can also blend into his environment with some sort of covering that flakes away once he reveals himself.

In case he is defeated, Mayuri is able to transform into a liquid blob-like entity, unable to be attacked or attack, by stabbing himself with his zanpakutō. He is later able to reconstitute himself, at which point his wounds are healed. This ability is related to the bankai of his zanpakutō.

Mayuri seems to be one of the few characters in Bleach that is ambidextrous, as he wields his zanpakutō in his right hand and his scythe-ear in his left (often simultaneously). In the anime's Bount arc, he briefly wields his zanpakutō left-handed, as well.

Kurotsuchi's last name is one of the few shinigami names in Bleach which uses kanji based on the meaning of the name and not the sound. 'Kurotsuchi' means black soil (kuro - black; tsuchi - soil), as does the kanji (涅). However, the kanji's reading (pronunciation) is ne or so.

History

Little is known about the history of Mayuri, except that he succeeded Kisuke Urahara in leading the research institute as well as becoming captain of the 12th Division of the Gotei 13. He also experimented on Quincy, including Sōken Ishida, Uryū's master and grandfather, in his studies.

Research and inventions

Bleach does not go in-depth about Mayuri's inventions, unlike Kisuke's. However, one major invention is present, which is Mayuri's lieutenant and so-called "daughter," Nemu Kurotsuchi, who is the ultimate result of his gigai and modified soul research. It is implied that Mayuri has done extensive research on modifying bodies, as shown by his own modifications, including the ability to regenerate bodyparts by means of a "regenerative serum" and an extendable arm. Another one of Mayuri's abilities likely achieved scientifically is his ability to meld with the color and texture of the environment. He also creates a simple Bount sensor in the Bount arc of the anime. Though not as powerful as Kisuke's equivalent modsoul versions, it is far more effective once properly calibrated.

During the Hueco Mundo arc, Mayuri is able to counter Szayel Aporro Granz' ability to destroy the internal organs of his opponents by replacing his organs with artificial ones. Moreover, he is able to accomplish this not only with himself, but also his lieutenant, and does so less than an hour after first witnessing the ability. He also reveals that bacteria implanted in Uryū Ishida allowed him to gather the data.

Most recently, he has created a drug that slows one's perception of time. It is able to make one second seem like 100 years to the unfortunate victim. An undiluted dose of the drug causes the senses to speed up trillions of times while the relatively "slow" body fails to keep up causing the victim to become paralyzed; on the other hand, it is implied that a diluted dose of the drug can greatly enhance the user's reaction speed.

Synopsis

During the ryoka invasion of Soul Society, Mayuri attempts to search for the ryoka and use them as test subjects. During the search Mayuri meets Uryū Ishida, the grandson of Sōken Ishida, and Uryū is angered by the truth of his grandfather's death. Uryū then fights Mayuri, and, although at first unsuccessful, manages to defeat Mayuri through his ransōtengai and the removal of his sanrei glove, though Mayuri escapes with his zanpakutō's final ability. Shortly after he uses this particular ability, Nemu thanks Uryū for not shooting him through the head (a chest wound being the prompt for its use), implying that anything less would be incapable of killing him. Alternatively, she may have simply been referring to the quickest method of death he could inflict, as any wound preventing him from stabbing himself would prevent use of the ability.

Mayuri again reappears during the Bount invasion of Karakura Town, and, wanting a Bount test subject, sends Nemu to give Uryū an artifact that will give him his Quincy powers back temporarily, though this later proves unsuccessful in allowing the Bount to invade the Seireitei, leading the other captains to suspect him of treason. Mayuri proves his loyalty by defeating one of the Bount, Sawatari, though he is left severely injured (mostly due to the fact that he was trying to capture Sawatari alive at first).

Mayuri later appears in Hueco Mundo to assist Renji Abarai and Uryū in dealing with Szayel Aporro Granz alongside his lieutenant Nemu. Mayuri's looks have changed since his last appearance; his ear attachments have become shorter and rounder, his chin has a longer attachment (much like the beard of an Egyptian pharaoh), and he no longer wears a hat. The hair beneath is styled into "horns", which when viewed from the front looks much like a pharaoh's crown, and his face paint has a different style as well.

Szayel attempts to use his zanpakutō's voodoo ability, but Mayuri negates it by using fake organs, having studied the technique beforehand using data from bacteria he implanted within Uryū during their last battle. Szayel takes Nemu captive, but Mayuri releases his bankai and devours Szayel with it. Szayel uses the rebirth power of his zanpakutō to recreate himself inside Nemu, but in doing so is affected by poisons contained in Nemu's body. Mayuri, disappointed at Szayel's lack of any further abilities, explains that by recreating himself inside Nemu, he is now dosed with a sense-enhancing poison. The poison increases Szayel's senses to the point that his body falls grossly behind and cannot move, and Mayuri stabs Szayel's heart with his zanpakutō, breaking off the blade as the ultimate torture. He revives Nemu and has her dig out Szayel's laboratory, within which are a pair of bodies suspended from the ceiling.

Ashisogi Jizō

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's shikai.Mayuri Kurotsuchi's zanpakutō is Ashisogi Jizō (疋殺地蔵, lit. Ksitigarbha's Killer Head, though it has been translated differently, Viz: Leg-Cutting Jizo). Ksitigarbha is a bodhisattva that watches over children and the underworld. In Japan, where he is known as Jizō, he looks rather like a baby dressed as a Buddhist monk. Mayuri's zanpakutō hilt, which appears to be made of folds of metal, is wrapped in cloth, and has several spiky protrusions sticking out right below the blade, which appear to resemble leaves. Unlike most shinigami, his zanpakutō's sheath hangs directly in front of him, instead of to his side as they are commonly worn. Ashisogi Jizō's shikai command is "rip" (掻き毟れ, kakimushire?, can also be translated as "scratch out", Viz: "go get him", English TV: "claw out").

In its shikai, Ashisogi Jizō transforms into a deformed trident with curved, serpentine blades and a guard shaped like a baby's head (as Ksitigarbha is depicted), all mounted on his sword's normal hilt. The weapon spews a poisonous vapor and when Ashisogi Jizō stabs an opponent, the poison cuts off the nerve signals that control limb movement, effectively causing paralysis while allowing the victim to still feel pain. During the Bount arc, it is shown that healing the stab wound doesn't immediately remove the inflicted paralysis.


Mayuri Kurotsuchi's bankai.Ashisogi Jizō's bankai, named Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō (金色疋殺地蔵, lit. Golden Ksitigarbha's Killer Head; Viz: Divine Leg-Cutting Jizō), returns Mayuri's zanpakutō to its sealed state and produces a giant caterpillar in a red cape with a grotesque baby's head and a silver halo. The creature breathes a poisonous derivative of Mayuri's blood which is lethal to anyone who breathes it, aside from Mayuri and Nemu. Mayuri can change the composition of the poison, making any potential cures only viable in one instance. Mayuri has physically modified Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō itself so that it would change into a liquid and return to its sealed state if it were to attack him, implying that it is sentient as well as organic, reminiscent of Captain Retsu Unohana's Minazuki. Numerous blades can also extend from its chest, allowing it to run through opponents.

Mayuri's zanpakutō also has the ability to transform him into a liquid when he stabs himself with its blade. Doing so doesn't kill him, but instead simply leaves him unable to attack or be attacked, making it an effective escape tool. He reforms after a few days. It's uncertain whether this ability is entirely the product of Ashisogi Jizō, since he specifically relates the ability to himself, not opponents. His various physical modifications may have something to do with the effect.

Kurotsuchi Nemu - 12th Squad Vice Captain

Nemu is the artificially created daughter of Mayuri Kurotsuchi, a combination of his research in artificial bodies (義骸, gigai?) and artificial souls (義魂, gikon?). This past has driven her to become rather introverted and melancholic, preferring to stay silent in her captain's presence. Their relationship is far from the average father-daughter one, as Mayuri doesn't seem to care much for Nemu's well-being (using her as bait in combat). The most that can be said in his favor is that he has occasionally implied concern over her life as a point of personal pride in his own skill as her creator. Despite being abused and mistreated in every possible way by her captain and father, Nemu still shows great loyalty to him, and has openly expressed worry at the prospect of his death, likely due to her implied gratitude that Kurotsuchi brought her into the world. Unlike her father, however, she seems to have compassion for others, saving Uryū Ishida's life as a thank you for not killing Mayuri.

Nemu's body was designed to withstand fatal injury, though still suffers the pain brought on by her injuries. This extends to being able to survive impregnation by Szayel Aporro Granz, a process meant to bring him back to life while leaving his host as an empty husk. Mayuri can repair Nemu very quickly in these situations, allowing her to continue doing her father's bidding. Nemu is also immune to Mayuri's many poisons. Despite this, she carries around a variety of antidotes to be used as she sees fit. She also holds various poisons and potions derived from Mayuri's research in her own body, making her highly dangerous to those that attack her internally.

Based on the 13th Division episode endings and the Bount arc, Nemu's fighting style seems to be a combination of capoeira-like martial arts and kidō attacks. Nemu does not normally carry a zanpakutō, but she is revealed to have one in an illustration in the artbook "All Colour but the Black." Her zanpakutō takes the form of what appears to be a thin katana.

Ukitake Jyuushiro - 13th Squad Captain

Character outline

Jūshirō is a sickly looking man with long white hair. In volume 18 of the manga, it is revealed that the illness he suffers from is tuberculosis and his hair turned white three days after his illness surfaced. Although his body is weak, he often ingests a considerable amount of food, a classic symptom of tuberculosis. Jūshirō's favorite food is umeboshi-chazuke, and there are no foods he dislikes.

Jūshirō is respected by many, especially by his subordinates, for his honesty, loyalty, and personal sense of justice. The extent of his honor and respect is such that Yoruichi Shihouin leaves Rukia Kuchiki, Hanatarō Yamada, and Ganju Shiba behind when she rescues Ichigo Kurosaki from Byakuya Kuchiki, knowing that Jūshirō would not let any harm come to the three. Like Kaien, Jūshirō does not give up when he believes something is wrong and will break the rules if he must. He has been close friends with 8th Division captain Shunsui Kyōraku since his youth, and the two frequently work together.

In various Bleach omake chapters, Jūshirō is fond of giving people strange or unwanted gifts for no apparent reason, particularily Tōshirō Hitsugaya, because "Jūshirō" and "Tōshirō" sound similar and they both have white hair, making them both Shiro-chan (シロちゃん, a nickname meaning "whitey," in reference to their hair). In one sketch, Jūshirō gives Hitsugaya a comically oversized stocking full of candy and other treats. In a V-Jump sketch, Hitsugaya is given a life-size figurine of himself in a fighting pose by Jūshirō as a birthday present.

Before the demise of Kaien Shiba, Jūshirō often left the daily operations of the 13th Division to Kaien because of his illness; this responsibility is now taken care of by his two current 3rd Seat officers, Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarō Kotsubaki. To Jūshirō's chagrin, the two constantly compete over which is the better assistant. Jūshirō is the only captain who currently has no lieutenant.

Despite his illness, it is implied that Jūshirō is a powerful fighter. He is, along with Kyōraku, considered to be the one of strongest captains beside Yamamoto . However, he is limited by his illness to fighting only for short periods of time; excessive action triggers fits of bloody coughing (another classic symptom of tuberculosis). The true extent of his abilities has not been seen in the series; however, he and Kyōraku both held their own against General Yamamoto for a prolonged period, and Yamamoto states that Jūshirō and Shunsui, both of whom he trained himself, possess "greater powers on the battlefield than any younger generation, or old."

History

Jūshirō is the eldest son from the low-class aristocratic Ukitake family. He has five brothers and two sisters, whom he essentially supports by himself. He, along with Shunsui Kyōraku, was one of the first graduates of Captain Yamamoto's academy. Furthermore, he was personally trained by Yamamoto. It is implied that he and Kyōraku are the oldest captains amongst the Gotei 13, with the exception of Yamamoto himself. Jūshirō, due to his illness, rarely played his role as captain on a regular basis, instead having Kaien fill the role under his guidance.

When a hollow possessed Kaien's wife, Miyako Shiba, Jūshirō and Kaien prevented the possessed Miyako from killing Rukia, and then chased her into the forest. The hollow discards her body before they catch up, and Kaien proceeded to battle the hollow alone. Jūshirō stopped Rukia from assisting, explaining that Kaien was fighting for his honor. The hollows abilities ultimately allow it to possess Kaien, and Jūshirō began to fight it, although his illness got in the way and allowed the hollow to attack Rukia. To both Jūshirō and Rukia's horror, Kaien took control and killed himself with Rukia's sword. The 13th Division has never been the same following Kaien's death, being without its well-loved lieutenant and Jūshirō having to rely on Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarō Kotsubaki, which usually ends in disaster. In the manga, Miyako (whose face was never shown) died along with the rest of her team and her dead body was returned to the thirteenth squad's headquarters; instead of following her possessed body, Kaien, Jūshirō and Rukia found the hollow who killed her by travelling to the place that Miyako was scouting.

Synopsis

Jūshirō is first introduced sick in his room when he was informed of Aizen's death. Then, at the Shrine of Petinence, he stops Byakuya Kuchiki, not knowing the release of zanpakutō is temporarily allowed due to the assassination of Aizen. Jūshirō watches Ichigo's and Yoruichi's short battle with Byakuya, and prevents Hanatarō and Ganju from being killed. After hearing of the execution date being moved up, Jūshirō decides to help save Rukia and along with Shunsui destroys the Sōkyoku, and the two later have a short battle with Yamamoto. As a thanks for helping save Rukia, Jūshirō later gives Ichigo a badge that permits him to legally hunt hollows in his hometown and allows him to transform into his shinigami state at will.

Jūshirō appears in the Bount arc of the anime to assist in destroying the remaining Jōkaishō with the help of Rantao. He later makes a reappearance alongside Shūhei Hisagi, discussing Rukia's friendship with Orihime and Shūhei's new job as his division's leader.

Sōgyo no Kotowari

Sōgyo no Kotowari's shikaiJūshirō's zanpakutō is Sōgyo no Kotowari (双魚の理, lit. Truth of Pisces, Viz: Law of the Twin Fish). It is one of only two zanpakutō in Soul Society that exists as a pair, the other being Shunsui Kyōraku's Katen Kyōkotsu. Unlike Shunsui's zanpakutō, however, Sōgyo no Kotowari only splits into two swords when released, while Shunsui's zanpakutō constantly exists as a pair. Its shikai command is "every wave be my shield, every thunder become my blade" (波悉く我が盾となれ雷悉く我が刃となれ, nami kotogotoku waga tate to nare, ikazuchi kotogotoku waga yaiba to nare?, Viz: "Wave, become my shield. Thunder, become my blade").

In its shikai, Sōgyo no Kotowari splits into two thin blades resembling fishing javelins with a reversed prong-blade on the dull end. The two swords are connected by a cord, which is lined with several small charms. While Sōgyo no Kotowari's abilities go unseen in the series, they are depicted in a number of Bleach video games. In Bleach GC: Tasogare Ni Mamieru Shinigami, Sōgyo no Kotowari uses lightning and thunder-based abilities. In Bleach: The Blade of Fate, its special attacks involve water, light beams, and lightning orbs. In Bleach: Heat the Soul 3 and Bleach: Shattered Blade, Sōgyo no Kotowari uses similar combinations of water and electricity.

Kaien Shiba - 13th Squad Vice-Captian

Kaien was an upbeat and kind young man from the Shiba house, tattooing his arm with the Shiba house symbol, who treated all his subordinates equally. Kaien closely resembles Ichigo Kurosaki in both appearance and personality, and their resemblance is brought up multiple times in the series. He was a father/older brother figure to Rukia, whom he taught how to fight and helped her find a place within the 13th Division. He was also a prodigy amongst shinigami; graduating from a six year curriculum in just one year and becoming a lieutenant five years after. He was also married to another shinigami, the 3rd Seat of his division, Miyako. One day, however, Miyako was possessed by a hollow and killed her subordinates, leading Kaien to fight the hollow in an attempt to avenge her. Kaien, however, is also possessed by the hollow, which then attacks Rukia. Ukitake attempts to save her but his disease hinders his efforts. Rukia raises her zanpakutō in self-defense as Kaien lunges at Rukia; the blade pierces thorugh him and he dies in her arms, thanking her and Ukitake for allowing him to fight it alone.

Since his death, the 13th Division has not been assigned another lieutenant, and is instead run by the two 3rd Seats, Sentarō and Kiyone. Both of Kaien's siblings, Kūkaku and Ganju, became distrustful of shinigami, and due to either Kaien's everyday life or his death the Shiba house diminished from their high status, with only Ganju and Kūkaku remaining. Rukia, who felt the most responsible for Kaien's death, carried a heavy amount of guilt over his death, regardless of her apology to Kaien's siblings. It is later revealed that due to the hollow's special ability, Kaien and the hollow were taken to the Hueco Mundo, where the arrancar Aaroniero Arruruerie ate them both and took both their abilities, and with these rose to become the 9th Espada. Rukia would later fight Aaroniero and successfully kill him, finally bringing peace to Kaien's soul.

Kaien's zanpakutō is Nejibana (捩花, Nejibana? lit. Screw Flower, Viz: Twisted Flower). Its shikai command is "uncoil the liquid heavens" (水天逆巻け, suiten sakamake?, Viz: "rage the seas and heavens," English TV: "rankle the seas and the skies"). Nejibana's shikai is a cross between a trident and a ji (a Chinese halberd) with a crystalline appearance that has the ability to manipulate water. Like the ji, it bears a horsehair tassel, although it is blue instead of the traditional red; similarly the two side blades are straight with concave edges as opposed to the usual crescent blade. During Rukia's battle with Aaroniero, Nejibana is described as having the ability to use the shockwaves it creates in conjunction with trident attacks to "crush and split the enemy in two." Kaien's techniques and form are also revealed during the battle, and are described by Rukia as "a trident technique reminiscent of dancing."

3rd Seat (former): Miyako Shiba — Voiced by: Sumi Shimamoto (Japanese), Cindy Robinson (English)
Miyako was Kaien's wife who was killed by a hollow. In the anime, she was first possessed, then killed by the hollow, who devoured her from the inside out. Her face is never fully seen in the manga. It is also stated that Rukia Kuchiki looked up to her as a strong but gentle woman.

3rd Seats 1 and 2: Kiyone Kotetsu (虎徹 清音, Kotetsu Kiyone?) and Sentarō Kotsubaki (小椿 仙太郎, Kotsubaki Sentarō?) — Voiced by: Chinami Nishimura (Japanese), Jeannie Elias (English) (Kiyone) and Voiced by: Kōichi Tōchika (Japanese), Patrick Seitz (English) (Sentarō)
Since the death of Lieutenant Shiba, Kiyone and Sentarō have been acting as the division's joint seconds-in-command, overseeing day-to-day operations. They squabble quite often, each believing that they are more respectful of their leader than the other is. They both mean well, but are highly competitive and constantly critical of the other (to further their rivalry, they also happen to share the same birthday, September 22). Kiyone is the younger sister of 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu. Sentarō came from Rukongai.