List of Bleach shinigami

 

This is a list of known shinigami characters in the anime and manga series Bleach.

Shinigami court divisions

1st Division

• Captain: Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai (山本元柳斎 重國, Yamamoto-Genryūsai Shigekuni^?) (General) - Voiced by: Masaaki Tsukada (Japanese), Michael Sorich (English) Bob Johnson (Shattered Blade)

Considered to be the strongest captain in the Gotei 13, Yamamoto is depicted as an old man with a long beard. There are many scars on his torso and head, suggesting numerous battles in his past. He wears the standard shinigami captain uniform, but its size is greatly exaggerated. He also drapes his haori over his back instead of actually wearing it. Despite his old age, he has a very muscular body. As the general of Gotei 13, Yamamoto is highly respected by many shinigami, most notably Sajin Komamura, who views Yamamoto as a benefactor who saved his life. He has a fiery temper, and like fellow captains Byakuya Kuchiki and Soifon, he believes that laws must be executed for the benefit of the community and despises those who break the rules. General Yamamoto founded the shinigami academy about 2000 years before the main Bleach storyline. Yamamoto was himself a teacher at this academy, and personally instructed Kyōraku and Ukitake. He admits to being rather proud of Ukitake and Kyōraku. When they became captains, he "boasted about them as though they were his own sons."

Yamamoto's zanpakutō is Ryūjin Jakka (流刃若火, lit. Flowing Blade like Flame, Viz: Flowing Flame Blade). It is the oldest and most powerful fire-based zanpakutō, and has greater attack power than all other zanpakutō in Soul Society. In sealed form, it is disguised as Yamamoto's staff, which disintegrates into a sword on command. Its shikai command is "reduce the whole of creation to smoldering ashes" (万象一切灰燼と為せ, banshō issai kaijin to nase^?, Viz: "all things of this world, turn to ashes").^[1] When released, Ryūjin Jakka and the area around Yamamoto is consumed in flame. The sheer power of the flame can disintegrate almost anything the sword is waved at. Only powerful fighters such as Kyōraku and Ukitake can resist it. Even in its shikai, Ryūjin Jakka's power is enough to fight against two other captains' shikai simultaneously. His abilities as a shinigami are no doubt powerful, as he was able to bring 8th Division Lieutenant Nanao Ise to her knees and immobilize her by looking at her and releasing his spiritual pressure. He was also able to fight on par with two of the most powerful captains, Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake, for a decent period of time without any sign of injury, while they both came away with minor wounds.

• Lieutenant: Chōjirō Sasakibe (雀部 長次郎, Sasakibe Chōjirō^?) Voiced by: Taro Yamaguchi

Chōjirō Sasakibe (雀部 長次郎, Sasakibe Chōjirō^?) is the lieutenant of the 1st Division. He wears a white jinbaori over his uniform and armguards. In the manga, Chōjirō is illustrated without pupils and is often assumed by fans to be blind. However, in the anime, he is animated with yellow or light brown eyes. Chōjirō's name was not revealed for quite some time after his initial appearance in the manga.

Chōjirō's zanpakutō is Gonryōmaru (厳霊丸, lit. Stern Spirit, Viz: Solemn Spirit). Its shikai command is "pierce" (穿て, ugate^?, Viz: "bite"). In its shikai, Gonryōmaru transforms into a rapier, fitting with Chōjirō's appearance. Its abilities remain unknown, as Ichigo Kurosaki quickly dispatches Chōjirō the single time Chōjirō releases his zanpakutō.

2nd Division

• Captain: Soifon (砕蜂) (Commander of the special forces and Executive Militia)
• Lieutenant: Marechiyo Ōmaeda (大前田 希千代, Ōmaeda Marechiyo^?) Voiced by: Shouto Kashii (Japanese), Lex Lang (English)

Marechiyo Ōmaeda (大前田 希千代, Ōmaeda Marechiyo^?) is the lieutenant of the 2nd Division, under Captain Soifon. He is a large man with an equally large mouth who comes across as arrogant and dull. His skill level as a shinigami remains unknown, however, it is thought that he received his position as lieutenant because of his family's connections. He also seems to be a coward. He likes to eat fried rice crackers (油せんべい, abura senbei^?) wherever he is. His captain has been known to beat him up when crumbs from the crackers fall on her hair.

In an omake in the manga, Marechiyo is shown to come from a rich family. As is typical of many rich families, he has a long name, Marechiyo Yoshiayamenosuke Nikkōtarōemon Ōmaeda (大前田 日光田郎右衛門 美菖蒲介 希千代, Ōmaeda Nikkōtarōemon Yoshiayamenosuke Marechiyo^?). His father is named Marenoshin (希ノ進, Marenoshin^?), his mother is Mareka (希華, Mareka^?), his older sister is Maremi (希美, Maremi^?), his younger brother is Marejirōsaburō (希次郎三郎, Marejirōsaburō^?), and his younger sister is Mareyo (希代, Mareyo^?). With the exception of his younger sister, all closely resemble him. Mareyo is more normal looking and sweet, which shocks Izuru Kira, Renji Abarai, and Shūhei Hisagi (these three are replaced by Ichigo and Rukia in the anime's equivalent sketch). Marechiyo thinks his younger sister is ugly.

Marechiyo's zanpakutō is Gegetsuburi (五形頭, Gegetsuburi^? lit. "Five-form Head", Viz: "Five Heads"). It is a normal katana in its sealed state. Its shikai command is "smash" (打っ潰せ, buttsubuse^?, Viz: "crush"). In its shikai, Gegetsuburi transforms into an oversized spiked ball and chain. Its special abilities, if any, are unknown, as he is quickly dispatched by Ichigo Kurosaki during his first activation of it. It doesn't seem to be particularly sturdy, as Ichigo was able to shatter the spiked ball with a single, barehanded punch; however, considering that Ichigo is capable of fighting on par with captain-level shinigami, this may not be indicative of its actual strength.

3rd Division

• Former Captain: Gin Ichimaru (市丸 ギン, Ichimaru Gin^?)
• Lieutenant: Izuru Kira (吉良 イヅル, Kira Izuru^?)

4th Division

• Captain: Retsu Unohana (卯ノ花 烈, Unohana Retsu^?) Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa (Japanese), Kate Higgins (English)

Retsu Unohana (卯ノ花 烈 or 卯の花 烈, Unohana Retsu^?) is the captain of the 4th Division in Gotei 13 (the medical and supply relief division).

Unohana is a soft-spoken, polite, and caring woman. She uses honorifics when addressing everyone, including her subordinates, and rarely shows panic or distress. In Soul Society arc, she healed everyone in the execution site after Ichigo saved Rukia. Unohana also seems to let her division members go on leave to the real world from time to time; in the anime she gives Hanatarō Yamada permission to take a break in the real world shortly after the events in Soul Society.

Retsu Unohana's zanpakutō is Minazuki (肉雫唼, lit. Purify the Flesh). In sealed form, Minazuki is slightly longer than ordinary katanas, and resembles a nodachi. Instead of tying it to her obi, Unohana carries her zanpakutō over her shoulder by a rope strap or lets Isane carry it for her. When unsealed, Minazuki transforms into a giant, flying, one-eyed manta-ray. It's large enough to transport many people on its back (at least a dozen, based on its size when compared to those riding it). Additionally, it can swallow even more people and transport them in its stomach, healing their injuries at the same time. When Unohana reseals Minazuki, it dissolves into green mist and reforms into the sheath of her zanpakutō. Bleach Advance: Kurenai ni Somaru Soul Society labels this form as Unohana's shikai.

• Lieutenant: Isane Kotetsu (虎徹 勇音, Kotetsu Isane^?) Voiced by: Yukana Nogami (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)

Isane Kotetsu (虎徹 勇音, Kotetsu Isane^?) is the lieutenant of the 4th Division, the medical and supply relief division, in Gotei 13 under Captain Retsu Unohana. Isane is the older sister of Kiyone Kotetsu, one of the two 3rd seats in the 13th Division. Unlike Kiyone, she is generally quiet and observant, though she shares her sister's sense of loyalty. She looks to Unohana as a mentor and mother figure. It is noted by Unohana that Isane suffers from frequent and recurring nightmares. This is sometimes used as material for jokes, as Isane's nightmares are often odd or whimsical in their contents. For example, she once had a nightmare involving fish cakes.^[2]

Isane's zanpakutō is Itegumo (凍雲, lit. Frozen Cloud, Viz: Frozen Snow). Its shikai command is "sprint" (奔れ, hashire^?, Viz: "run"). The guard is shaped like a snowflake.When its shikai is activated, two smaller blades protrude from Itegumo's hilt at 45° angles. She is never seen using it in combat, since the one time she activates it she is immediately knocked out by Ichigo.

• 3rd Seat: Yasochika Iemura (伊江村 八十千和, Iemura Yasochika^?) (Squad Leader of Squad 1) Voiced by: Yutaka Aoyama (Japanese), Cam Clarke (English)

Iemura is very vain, likes to act cool, and thinks he will look better without glasses. He was born on a leap day, February 29. His rank is quite high, but since he comes from the weakest division in terms of combat he has to call the other divisions's 3rd seaters with a -sama suffix. He meticulously keeps a diary, which he sometimes defeats the purpose of by narrating what he's writing in it (particularly when lamenting something).

• 7th Seat: Hanatarō Yamada (山田 花太郎, Yamada Hanatarō^?) (Squad Leader of Squad 14, born April 1)
• 8th Seat: Harunobu Ogidō (荻堂 春信, Ogidō Harunobu^?) (Second Leader of Squad 1, Born April 14)

Ogidō is shown to be very popular with the ladies as most of the 4th Division's mail is addressed to him from the women of the Soul Society.

5th Division

• Former Captain: Sōsuke Aizen (藍染 惣右介, Aizen Sōsuke^?)
• Lieutenant: Momo Hinamori (雛森 桃, Hinamori Momo^?) - Voiced by: Kumi Sakuma (Japanese), Karen Strassman (English)

Hinamori is an upbeat and easygoing girl who gets along with nearly everyone she meets. Hinamori is generally quite trusting, but also very impulsive and naïve. She greatly admires her former captain, Sōsuke Aizen, whom she became a shinigami just to serve under, and Hinamori refuses believing that Aizen intentionally betrayed Soul Society. Her appearance is fairly ordinary compared to other shinigami in Soul Society. She wears her hair up in a bun with a cloth wrapped around it. According to Tite Kubo, Hinamori's name was changed at the last minute; she had a completely different name in the sketch stage.^[3]

Hinamori grew up in Junrinan, District 1 of Rukongai, along with Tōshirō Hitsugaya. While Hitsugaya tended to be a bit of a brat as a child and insisted that he would protect her, Hinamori found him amusing and treated him in an older sisterly fashion, and the two became close friends, with Hinamori giving him the nickname Shiro-chan (little Shiro in English Anime). When Hinamori entered the shinigami academy, she excelled at kidō. It was there that she met Kira and Renji, who soon became her friends and, later, her fellow lieutenants. They were placed in the 5th Division of the Gotei 13 under Captain Aizen and his lieutenant, Gin Ichimaru. While Kira and Renji would later leave to other Divisions, Hinamori remained in the 5th Division and became the division's lieutenant (through much hard work, as noted by Hitsugaya).

Hinamori's zanpakutō is Tobiume (飛梅, lit. flying plum tree). The command for its shikai is "snap" (弾け, hajike^?).^[4] In the English dub, she also adds the word "deflect," though she does it after announcing the full command phrase. When its shikai is activated, Tobiume's blade straightens and produces several jitte-like prongs along its length. In this form, Tobiume acts as a focus for Hinamori's spiritual power, concentrating it into energy bursts capable of cratering floors and breaching walls. Hinamori can also compress her power into massive energy balls and toss them from the blade's tip. In the game Bleach: Blade Battlers, Tobiume creates crimson fire instead of pink-colored energy bursts, though normally this same fire trails the blade just before she fires.

6th Division

• Captain: Byakuya Kuchiki (朽木 白哉, Kuchiki Byakuya^?)
• Lieutenant: Renji Abarai (阿散井 恋次, Abarai Renji^?)
• 9th Seat: Mihane Shirogane (銀　美羽, Shirogane Mihane^?)

Mihane is the co-owner of Silver Tonbo, a very popular eyeglasses store in Soul Society. She wears glasses and has short, dirty blonde hair. She appeared in one of the colorful Bleach extras.

• Rikichi (理吉, Rikichi^?) - Voiced by: Masataka Nakai (Japanese), Liam O'Brien (English)

Rikichi is a young shinigami who idolizes Renji and wants to be like him. To this end, he has similar tattoos to Renji's and will do anything to assist Renji when he is in trouble. His rank, if any, is unknown. He and Hanatarō Yamada are friends.

7th Division

• Captain: Sajin Komamura (狛村 左陣, Komamura Sajin^?) - Voiced by: Tetsu Inada (Japanese), Kim Strauss (English)

Komamura is an extremely large character, the only larger human characters are the Seireitei gatekeepers, he is also quite unusual in that he is an anthropomorphic canine. He was initially very self-conscious about his appearance, after his fight with Kenpachi Zaraki (during which his helmet was destroyed) in midst of the invasion of Soul Society, he gained enough confidence to go without the helmet.

During the Soul Society arc, he fights Zaraki Kenpachi with Kaname Tōsen, while their subordinates fight Ikkaku and Yumichika. They couldn't defeat Kenpachi even when fighting together, and after Kenpachi defeats Tōsen's bankai, Komamura fights him with his own bankai, though Komamura did leave when he sensed Yamamoto was in danger. Because Tōsen fought for the justice that the Gotei 13 represented, he was very shocked when Tōsen chooses to side with Sōsuke Aizen in his betrayal of Soul Society, he feels that Tōsen had lost his morals. Komamura confronts Aizen but is quickly defeated. Komamura later decides to awaken his friend with his own hands.

Komamura's zanpakutō is Tenken (天譴, lit. Heaven's Sword, Viz: Sword of Heavenly Retribution). Its shikai command is "roar" (轟け, todoroke^?). In its shikai, Tenken creates various body parts of a giant to copy whatever body part Komamura moves; for example, should Komamura swing his sword, a gigantic disembodied arm wielding a sword appears and does the same thing. Tenken's bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō (黒縄天譴明王, lit. Heavenly Punishment of Kokujō's King, Viz: Divine Retribution, Black Ropes of Ruination) brings forth the entire giant. Like in the shikai, the giant copies every movement made by Komamura.

• Lieutenant: Tetsuzaemon Iba (射場 鉄左衛門, Iba Tetsuzaemon^?) Voiced by: Rintarou Nishi (Japanese), Steve Cassling (English)

Iba has a distinctive hair cut and wears black sunglasses with his standard shinigami uniform. He also smokes, thus somewhat resembling a typical yakuza gangster. He has a large tattoo on his back consisting of a cat on fire and the kanji 招福 (shōfuku, lit. inviting luck). Iba also seems to have recurring stomach problems, which he notes with shame on a few occasions. He and Ikkaku Madarame seem to have something of a working relationship, though it consists mainly of them dueling, drinking sake, then dueling again to see who has to get more.

Iba was originally from the 11th Division, but transferred to the 7th Division because getting promoted to lieutenant in the 11th Division was more difficult, if not impossible. It is later revealed that he wished to become a lieutenant not out of personal ambition, but for the sake of his mother. As a result, his former compatriots in the 11th Division look down upon him, as they deem the other divisions weaker than they are. In spite of this, he has a habit of hanging around their division's headquarters. Despite having left the 11th Division, it's clear he still enjoys a good fight, and during his duels with Ikkaku reveals a maniac grin much like his sparring partner.

Iba is well-rounded in both swordsmanship and kidō, only because it made becoming a lieutenant easier. The name and abilities of Iba's zanpakutō are unknown, as well as its shikai command. When sealed, it looks like a tantō, and he usually keeps it inside his shinigami uniform with the hilt sticking out. In its shikai, Iba's zanpakutō extends into a falchion or a large bladed scimitar with a pick-like protrusion a short distance below the tip of the sword. The only times he releases it is during his fight with Ikkaku and when he attempts to stop Jin Kariya, but the actual releases occur off-screen.

• Former 4th Seat: Jirōbō Ikkanzaka (一貫坂 慈楼坊, Ikkanzaka Jirōbō^?) - Voiced by: Peter Lurie

Jidanbō's younger brother, Jirōbō is skilled at ranged weaponry and the self-proclaimed "Kamaitachi" (a title bestowed on the best projectile user). He brags about being best in projectile use among all shinigami. His zanpakutō is Tsunzakigarasu (劈烏, lit. Splitting Crow), activated by the phrase "flap away" (羽搏きなさい, habatakinasai^?, "spread your wings" in the Viz translation). In its shikai, Tsunzakigarasu transforms into a number of double-edged shuriken that dance through the air around Jirōbō. If they are destroyed, he can sheath the sword and draw it again to summon more. He is easily defeated by Uryū Ishida, who also removed his ability to become a shinigami again after Jirōbō continually tried to harm the weaker Orihime Inoue, who was alongside him during the fight.

8th Division

• Captain: Shunsui Kyōraku (京楽 春水, Kyōraku Shunsui^?) - Voiced by: Akio Ohtsuka (Japanese), Steve Kramer (actor) (English)

Kyōraku is a laid back and flamboyant man, evident in his style of dress and general attitude. He wears a straw hat and a pink flowered haori over his captain's uniform. Although his haori and obi sash are cheap, his pinwheel hairpin is very expensive.^[5] In his off time, he can be seen drinking sake and napping. Other times, he likes to chase after women, particularily his lieutenant, Nanao Ise, whom he calls 'my Nanao-chan' (little Nanao). Kyōraku tends to use a more familiar speech style than most other characters in Bleach. He generally refers to his fellow captains and shinigami by their first name followed by an honorific. Kyōraku is a peace-loving man who will always try to talk his way out of a fight, though he doesn't wish to insult opponents by refusing to fight. The slightly eccentric Kyōraku also seems to like making an impression on opponents.

Shunsui is the second son of the high-ranking noble Kyōraku family. Despite being of such old and prestigious lineage, he disliked studying and training, and because of his behavior was sent against his will to the Shin'ō Reijutsu Academy.^[5] Although not much else is known about Kyōraku's history, it is implied that he and Jūshirō Ukitake are the oldest captains in the Gotei 13, with the exception of General Yamamoto. Along with Ukitake, he was the first to become captain as a result of training in Yamamoto's academy.^[6] Kyōraku is the only character who dispenses with honorifics when addressing General Yamamoto, calling him old Yama (Yama-jī) He is close friends with Ukitake, with whom he works often. During Rukia Kuchiki's execution, Kyōraku follows Ukitake's example and helps prevent Rukia's death, showing he will help Ukitake with whatever decision he chooses, despite whatever consequences there are.

The true extent of Kyōraku's abilities has not been seen in the series, but he has been hinted to be quite strong, as General Yamamoto hints that Kyōraku, along with Ukitake and Yamamoto himself, are stronger than any other captain. Kyōraku's zanpakutō is Katen Kyōkotsu (花天狂骨, lit. Flower Heaven, Crazy Bone, Viz: Flower-Heaven Bone of Madness). His zanpakutō is unique in that it exists as two completely separate swords, existing as a daisho sword pair. Its shikai command is "flowers are disturbed, god of flowers weeps, winds of Heaven are disturbed, demon of Heaven laughs" (花風紊れて花神啼き天風紊れて天魔嗤う, hana kaze midarete, kashin naki, tenpū midarete, tenma warau^?, Viz: "When the flower wind rages, the flower god roars. The wind of heaven rages, the god of the underworld sneers"). In Katen Kyōkotsu's shikai, the daisho sword pair transforms into two large scimitars or falchions. While the anime and manga have yet to depict what special abilities Katen Kyōkotsu possesses, some Bleach video games show it having the abilities of wind manipulation, with maple leaves or rose petals often seen flowing in the wind.

• Lieutenant: Nanao Ise (伊勢 七緒, Ise Nanao^?) - Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame (Japanese), Kate Higgins (English)

Nanao Ise (伊勢 七緒, Ise Nanao^?) is the lieutenant of the 8th Division of the Gotei 13, under Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, and vice-president of the Shinigami Women's Association. She is a very serious and pragmatic person who often puts up with her captain's silly antics, but like all lieutenants, she is extremely respectful of her captain and follows his instructions without hesitation. She is almost always carrying a heavy book. Nanao is often accosted by her captain, whose teasing takes various forms. Nanao's usual reaction is to scold him or hit him with something, usually a fan. When she is particularly annoyed she takes off her glasses, though her face has never been seen while doing so. Apparently this act is quite frightening, as most people who see it are reduced to gibbering wrecks just by witnessing it, even the sadistic cold hearted 12th division captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi fell victim to this intimidating spectacle.^[7]

It is later revealed in Kubo's cliff notes on the sides of omake chapters that just like Momo Hinamori, Nanao is also a kidō master. Not much is known about Nanao's zanpakutō and she is very rarely seen with it. An illustration in the artbook "All Color but the Black" reveals that her zanpakutō takes the form of what appears to be either a wakizashi or tantō, which she seems to conceal within her sleeve. This is confirmed when just before Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake's fight with Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, where she reaches in her sleeve only to be overwhelmed by Yamamoto's reiatsu.

• 3rd Seat: Tatsufusa Enjōji (円乗寺 辰房, Enjōji Tatsufusa^?) - Voiced by: Toshiharu Sakurai (Japanese), Kim Strauss (English)

Tatsufusa (born July 8) is a large shinigami with an ego to match. When he meets with Chad in battle, he swings his sword in a random, almost idiotic fashion while making ridiculous sounds, believing it to be impenetrable defense (Chad disproves this by punching him in the face). His zanpakutō is Hōzan (崩山, lit. Avalanche) and is activated by the phrase "dance madly" (乱舞せよ, ranbuseyo^?). Its abilities are unknown. In one of the omake chapters, Tatsufusa appears to have a crush on Soifon.

9th Division

• Former Captain: Kaname Tōsen (東仙 要, Tōsen Kaname^?)
• Lieutenant: Shūhei Hisagi (檜佐木 修兵, Hisagi Shūhei^?) - Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi (Japanese), Steve Staley (English)

Shūhei is an extremely mature and calm individual, a state that is slightly at odds with his somewhat punk-like appearance. He is used to taking responsibility, and tends to avoid violence when possible. He seems to be virtuous, much like his captain's image until the latter was revealed to be a traitor. He is often seen in the company of Renji and Kira, who along with Hinamori followed Shūhei as their senpai during their academy days, and appears to be from the lower class (according to omake chapters). Omake chapters also show that he is just as perverted as the other male shinigami. Shūhei has several tattoos — a number 69 on his face, as well as what appears to be a choker around his throat and a matching armband on his right arm. He is also seen with a bandage across his face and has three lines running vertically down the right side of his face, scars that resulted from an injury in the past when several huge hollows attacked a group of students (including Momo Hinamori, Izuru Kira, and Renji Abarai) he was leading into the living world for a lesson in fighting dummy hollows.

During the events of the arrancar arc, Shūhei is seen to have taken over the duties of his captain as an acting replacement. He comments to Jūshirō Ukitake that he never expected a captains' duty to be very difficult as Kaname Tōsen hardly asked anything of his subordinates. Ukitake later comments that Shūhei is still recovering from the fact that his captain was a traitor.

Very little is known about Shūhei's abilities, though it's known that even during his days in the academy he was quite skilled, commonly leading other shinigami trainees on mock missions. However, Izuru Kira mentions that Shūhei failed the entrance exam for the academy twice. His talent allowed him to become a seated officer in the Gotei 13 without having to pass additional tests. The name of Shūhei's zanpakutō has yet to be revealed. He never uses it in its unsealed state. In its sealed form, it looks like a regular katana with a circular tsuba. Shūhei has been seen carrying his zanpakutō both at his waist and on his back.

• 20th Seat: Toshimori Umesada (梅定 敏盛, Umesada Toshimori^?) - Voiced by: Hajime Ījima (Japanese), Michael McConnohie (English)

The lecherous leader of a squadron trying to find the intruders in Soul Society, Toshimori unwittingly allows Orihime and Ishida, disguised as shinigami, to hide within his squadron. He tries to hit on Orihime, but was foiled by Ishida and a timely call from his squad members.

10th Division

• Captain: Tōshirō Hitsugaya (日番谷 冬獅郎, Hitsugaya Tōshirō^?)

• Lieutenant: Rangiku Matsumoto (松本 乱菊, Matsumoto Rangiku^?)

• 7th Seat: Kōkichirō Takezoe (竹添 幸吉郎, Takezoe Kōkichirō^?)

Kōkichirō is mentioned in passing as Hitsugaya and Matsumoto were discussing Gin Ichimaru's involvement in Aizen's murder.

11th Division

The 11th Division is the most fight-loving and violent of the divisions. They also consider the 4th Division weak and often bully them, although several members noticeably fear the 4th Division's captain.

• Captain: Kenpachi Zaraki (更木 剣八, Zaraki Kenpachi^?)
• Lieutenant: Yachiru Kusajishi (草鹿 八千流, Kusajishi Yachiru^?) - Voiced by: Hisayo Mochizuki (Japanese), Stevie Bloch (English)

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 for directions. 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; she has given a total of ten people formal nicknames, the most notable of which is calling her captain "Ken-Chan" or "Kenny" as it is in the dub versions. She often gives random people placeholder names. She shows no special respect for her superiors, calling Byakuya Kuchiki "Byakushi" or "Bya-kun" and 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.

In North Rukongai, in the 79th district (Kusajishi), someone murdered Yachiru's (who was then unnamed) parents. 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 also 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.

• 3rd Seat: Ikkaku Madarame (斑目 一角, Madarame Ikkaku^?)
• 5th Seat: Yumichika Ayasegawa (綾瀬川 弓親, Ayasegawa Yumichika^?)
• Makizō Aramaki (荒巻 真木造, Aramaki Makizō^?) - Voiced by: Yūichi Nagashima (Japanese), J. B. Blanc (English)

Makizō is a shinigami who has been part of the 11th Division for 10 years. Uryū forces him to take Orihime away from the battle with Mayuri, and subsequently follows Uryū Ishida and the other intruders around Soul Society once Kenpachi Zaraki frees them from prison. His nicknames are "Maki Maki" "Whiskers" and "skinny beard," all given to him by Yachiru. He greatly resembles Hong Kong actor Yuen Wah in appearance.

• Maki Ichinose (一之瀬 真樹, Ichinose Maki^?) [Deceased] - Voiced by: Susumu Chiba

Introduced in the anime's Bount arc, Maki belonged to the 11th Division until Kenpachi Zaraki killed the previous captain in a duel. Maki refused to acknowledge the new captain and left Soul Society, although he retains his shinigami abilities. While in Soul Society, he shared many ideals with Kaname Tōsen. He then traveled the human world, but one day, while in a weakened state in a desert, he fell upon a hollow who almost killed him; the hollow was subdued by Jin Kariya, who allowed Maki to kill it. Maki swore his loyalty to Jin after that, breaking the vow only once to fight Kenpachi instead of stopping Ichigo and his friends as he was expected to.

He helped Kariya and the other Bounts by infiltrating Soul Society and provoking Mayuri Kurotsuchi into helping the Bount enter. He is severely wounded by Kenpachi Zaraki during their duel, breaking his sword in the process. When he returns to question Kariya's motives, he is stabbed and tossed away by Kariya. What's left of his sword is destroyed when it inadvertently saves Ichigo from one of Kariya's lightning attacks, acting as a lightning rod.

His zanpakutō is called Nijigasumi (虹霞, lit. Rainbow Haze). It is activated by the command "shine brightly" (光華閃け, kōka hirameke^?). Nijigasumi's ability is to control light and create illusions, such as making Maki invisible. It can also use light offensively, creating blades of light to cut an opponent. It can also compress light and use it to crush an opponent in its Saigyoku Nijigasumi (Swallowing Orb of Rainbow Mist) form.

12th Division

• Captain: Mayuri Kurotsuchi (涅 マユリ, Kurotsuchi Mayuri^?) (2nd Research President)

• Former Captain: Kisuke Urahara (浦原 喜助, Urahara Kisuke^?)

• Lieutenant: Nemu Kurotsuchi (涅 ネム, Kurotsuchi Nemu^?) - Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English)

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^?).^[8] 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, even though she cannot explain to herself why. Her obedience seems to stem as much from her inferior rank and thorough conditioning as any kind of familial affection. Unlike her father, however, she seems to have compassion for others, saving Uryū Ishida's life as a thank you for not killing her father.

Nemu's clothes differ greatly from that of a standard shinigami. The clothes end in a mini-skirt and she wears a white obi. Along with that, her sandals have a thicker heel than most looking more like a pair of womens' high heels. Nemu, despite her somewhat reticent nature, is a member of the Shinigami Women's Association. In the VJump comics, Nemu and Isane Kotetsu are sent to take pictures of Byakuya Kuchiki for the association's calendar. As the two fail, Nemu demonstrates that she is not familiar with conventional things (she says "butter" when taking pictures rather than "cheese") and attempts to take apart the camera and eat it to destroy the evidence. According to the chapter sketches in volume 25, she is also assistant vice-president of the association. When the women's association designed shinigami cell phones, the one she made was completely obscene (taking what seems to be a phallic design), enough so that it was obscured through pixilation.

Being artificially created, Nemu seems to be capable of withstanding otherwise fatal injuries; Mayuri reveals to Ishida that even when severely injured, Nemu will likely live. She also carries an antidote to some of the poisons Mayuri uses on his opponents under her lieutenant's badge; she gives some to Ishida after his battle with Mayuri. 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.

• Hiyosu (鵯州, Hiyosu^?) - Voiced by: Kōhei Matsumoto

Hiyosu is a department head in the Research Institute tied to the 12th division. He is a large man with a bulbous head and an extendable eyeball via a crank on his head. He was the one that originally discovered Rukia's gigai.

• Akon (阿近, Akon^?) - Voiced by: Keiji Okuda

Akon is the second-best gigai scientist in the Research Institute. He is tall and eyebrow-less, with a jagged part. On his forehead are three short horns. He was the first to realize that Rukia's gigai was created by someone working outside the laws of the Soul Society. In a "Colorful Bleach" segment, Akon and his un-named assistant, a girl with pigtails made of chains, are often shown doing various tasks like designing models for the Bleach games and making life-size figures as birthday presents on Ukitake's request.

• Rin Tsubokura (壷府 リン, Tsubokura Rin^?) - Voiced by: Miho Saiki

Rin is a character originally created by Tite Kubo for the Bleach-Fan Japanese Bleach news site as a mascot. She regularly interacts with Ichigo's seiyū in brief video segments on the site. Later, she was brought into the manga and anime as one of Hiyosu's assistants. She has an obsession with candy and any other sort of sweets, jumping at the chance to visit the real world just to buy sweets unavailable in Soul Society. She is just as timid and simple minded as Hanatarō Yamada and Ururu Tsumugiya (ironically, both appear in the same episode along with Rin). According to Hiyosu, she usually runs and hides from any assignment and is surprised that Rin decided to accept a mission to the real world. In an episode commentary, Yumichika Ayasegawa sees her and Hanatarō as twins.

13th Division

• Captain: Jūshirō Ukitake (浮竹 十四郎, Ukitake Jūshirō^?)
• Lieutenant (former): Kaien Shiba (志波 海燕, Shiba Kaien^?) [Deceased]

• 3rd Seat (former) Miyako Shiba [Deceased] - Voiced by: Sumi Shimamoto (Japanese), Cindy Robinson (English)

Miyako was Kaien's wife and had been 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 and as Kaien Shiba's wife.

• 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) and Voiced by: Kōichi Tōchika (Japanese), Patrick Seitz (English)

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.

• Rukia Kuchiki (朽木 ルキア, Kuchiki Rukia^?)

Special forces

• General: Soifon
• Former general: Yoruichi Shihouin
• Eikichirō Saidō (西堂 榮吉郎, Saidō Eikichirō^?) – Voiced by: Takuya Kirimoto (Japanese), Kirk Thornton (English)

Unique to the anime, Eikichirō is two years Rukia's senior and a low or mid-level shinigami (supported by the fact that he never activates his zanpakutō) in service with the special forces. He claims to remember Rukia from the shinigami academy, but she does not seem to remember him. Eikichirō is initially sent to the world of the living to find and retrieve Rukia but he finds himself pressed into service assisting her and Ichigo against the hollow Grand Fisher. After being wounded by Grand Fisher, he fell asleep to heal himself. Upon waking up, he abandoned his mission to bring Rukia back to the Soul Society, having come to appreciate her reasons for staying in the world of the living.

Gate watchers

The Gate Watchers are giants (each is over 30 feet tall) that guard the four gates into Sereitei. They are elites of Soul Society, although not as strong as a captain or lieutenant.

• Jidanbō Ikkanzaka (一貫坂 兕丹坊, Ikkanzaka Jidanbō^?) (West Gate - Hakutōmon) - Voiced by: Takashi Nagasako (Japanese), Peter Lurie (English)

The only gate guard to receive any significant attention, Jidanbō (born January 10) has a good heart and believes in honor. He believes all fights must be one on one (much like the 11th Division mindset) and defeat means he must open his gate, even to an enemy. When he attempts to do so for Ichigo, he is repelled by Gin Ichimaru. He is the first person that Ichigo fought in Soul Society, and following his honorable defeat and being healed by Orihime, became friends with Ichigo and company. He has immense physical power and wields two gigantic axes, which Ichigo destroys during their battle. He assists Kūkaku Shiba against Aizen late in the Soul Society arc. In the manga, he single-handedly defeats the other three guards during their betrayal without visible injury, indicating that he is the most proficient fighter among them. During the Bount arc, he opens the gate for Ichigo's group to help them pursue the Bounts that infiltrate Soul Society.

• Kaiwan (嵬蜿, Kaiwan^?) (East Gate - Shōryūmon)
• Danzōmaru (斷蔵丸, Danzōmaru^?) (North Gate - Kokuryōmon)
• Bikonyūdō (比鉅入道, Bikonyūdō^?) (South Gate - Shūwaimon)

These three guards are on Aizen's side, although it is unknown if it is through their own choice, Aizen's manipulation, or if they are under the control of Aizen through some spell. In the anime, their betrayal was not shown, but during the Bounts' infiltration of Seireitei, the south gate guardian can be seen at his post.

Other shinigami

• Zennosuke Kurumadani (車谷 善之介, Kurumadani Zennosuke^?)^[9] - Voiced by: Masashi Yabe

Zennosuke (born June 25) is a shinigami assigned to replace Rukia in Karakura after her arrest. It is not known what division of the Gotei 13 he is a part of. To his chagrin, he has little to do while in Karakura, since either the Karakura Superheroes or Ichigo tend to destroy the few hollows that attack. He is confused by the fact that so many people in the town are capable of seeing him. He has an afro hair style, which results in Keigo Asano nicknaming him "Old Man Afro" (Afro-oji-san).

In one of the omake chapters, he calls Soul Society to complain about his working conditions, but is merely brushed off and told not to interfere with Ichigo (this upsets him, as he believes he is "elite"). He also complains that he wasn't informed about the happenings in the Soul Society as there was much chaos.

Zennosuke's zanpakutō is Tsuchinamazu (土鯰, lit. Soil Catfish) and is activated by the phrase "good morning" (おはよう, O-hayō^?), which is revealed by Bleach Advance: Kurenai ni Somaru Soul Society. Its abilities are unknown, but it takes the form of a chakram, a circle-round blade with a wooden handle. A purple ribbon is also attached to it.

• Kanisawa (蟹沢) and Aoga (青鹿) - Voiced by: Asami Sanada

Kanisawa and Aoga are two students who were in the same year as Shūhei Hisagi when studying in the Shinigami Academy. They were killed by huge hollows that showed up during a training session which they acted as facilitators. Aoga is a large male and Kanisawa is a female.

• Rantao (蘭島) - Voiced by: Masako Katsuki

Introduced in the anime's Bount arc, Rantao was the leader of the research team that created the Bount race. She looks exactly like Yoshino Sōma with the exception of a pair of glasses and her hair up (similar to Nanao Ise). The two also share the same voice. Rantao has stated that she is much older than she looks and has found a way to stay young in appearance, but needs to take very long naps (about twelve hours a day to be exact) to maintain her image. Out of guilt for creating the Bounts by accident, Rantao took pity on them and helped them build a sanctuary in which all Bounts could live, since they were being persecuted at the time by normal people. She convinced the Bounts to allow her to get them protection from Soul Society. Upon returning to Seireitei, she was immediately arrested and put on trial by Center 46 for her failed soul experiments. When the order was given to exterminate the Bounts because they were considered a threat, Rantao slipped outside to the real world to help them escape, one of the escapees being Jin Kariya. She also gave him "Messer", his doll. Shortly afterwards she was caught and had her shinigami powers sealed, before being exiled from Seireitei. Rantao went into hiding in an underground shelter in Rukongai, where she remains to this day. She spends her time engaging in minor experiments to utilize spiritual energy in better ways, one of which is a kidō shotgun which she uses on Jin Kariya during their confrontation.

• Baishin - Voiced by: Jōji Nakata [Deceased]

Unique to the Sword of Frenzy OVA, Baishin was once a member of the Gotei 13, but went mad and killed 63 seated officers before escaping to the human world. Six of the thirteen captains chased him, two of which sacrificing themselves to seal him away. He eventually broke free and hunted down those with powerful spiritual energy. Baishin found it in Ichigo, sucking out power from him. However, Tōshirō Hitsugaya's interference forced him to flee. At the site where he was once sealed, Baishin once again fought Ichigo, this time with Rukia and Renji at Ichigo's side. However, by sucking out Ichigo's spiritual power, Baishin was able to perform his bankai, becoming a living being of swords. He was eventually killed by Ichigo using his own bankai, leaving only the zanpakutō Baishin had become one with. His goal was to separate his body, and his zanpakutō, even if he perished.

• Senna - Voiced by: Chiwa Saito

Senna (茜雫, Senna^?) is an unusual young girl met by Ichigo and Rukia in the real world during the events of Bleach: Memories of Nobody. She appears to be a shinigami, but when questioned, she refuses to reveal her identity and evades their questions regarding her assignment. Senna wears the standard unseated shinigami uniform with a large, red ribbon tied around her waist. Her zanpakutō, which Rukia reveals was lost 100 years ago in the severed world, is named Mirokumaru (弥勒丸, Mirokumaru^? lit. Maitreya circle) and is released by the command "call forth the twilight". It takes the form of a shakujo when released, and has the power to create and control tornadoes. She likes the color red and high places. Later in the movie, Senna is revealed to be the memory rosary, an entity comprised of the memories of countless souls who had had accidents on their way to soul society. She sacrifices herself near the end to stabilize the worlds from colliding together. After the memory wipe that takes place after her sacrifice, a girl resembling Senna is seen running past Ichigo after the credits.

• The Dark Ones

The Dark Ones, featured in Bleach: Memories of Nobody, are a clan of shinigami exiled from Soul Society over a millennia before the events of the movie. After wandering the space between Soul Society and the real world for years, they learn to use the many "blanks" (souls without memories) to fuel their abilities. Using Senna, they hope to collapse both the human world and Soul Society in on one another by causing them to collide. They are led by Ganryū (巌龍, Ganryū^?).

• Isshin Kurosaki (黒崎 一心, Kurosaki Isshin^?)

• Ichigo Kurosaki (黒崎 一護, Kurosaki Ichigo^?)

References