Gotei 13
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| Gotei 13 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Current number of captains | 10 |
| Current number of lieutenants | 12 |
| Vacancies | Captain 3rd Division 5th Division 9th Division Lieutenant 13th Division |
The Gotei 13 (goteijūsantai; lit. "13 Division Imperial Guard," or "13 Court Guard Squads" in the English version) is a military order of psychopomps, referred to as soul reapers, based in a remote section of Soul Society called Seireitei (lit. "Court of Pure Souls"). As its name implies, the Gotei 13 is divided into thirteen divisions, each autonomous of one another, and having a ranked hierarchical structure, ranging from captain and lieutenant down to seated officers and then unranked personnel, respectively. Since each division is independent of one another, captains can run their respective divisions the way they see fit. Moreover, they have the liberty of completely revising their agendas if need be and even create their own separate organization. The Gotei 13 has proved itself on some occasions to lack cooperation between divisions, in some cases leading to even violent encounters. It is not uncommon for captains and lieutenants to be out of touch for extended periods of time, that is, until a universal threat, promotion, demotion, or public execution takes place. Consequently, it normally takes a day to gather all captains or lieutenants since they are usually dispersed over an expansive area going about their personal business or duties.
The Gotei 13 is subservient to the Central 46 Chambers, therefore the final word for any action comes from them. In the event that the Central 46 is not available, the captain-commander will assume responsibility of managing the organization. The Gotei 13 has no jurisdiction over noble families, unless a decree is issued directly from the Central 46.
The symbol of the Gotei 13 is a rhombus, which is worn on the backs of captains' haori with their division number pasted in the center. Reminiscent of real life modern-day military branches, each division has its own unique symbol as well.
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Ranks
Like any military organization or setting, the Gotei 13 uses rank to determine the position and responsibilities of shinigami.
Captain-Commander
The Captain-Commander (sōtaichō) is the commanding officer of the 1st Division as well as the entire Gotei 13 by virtue of aforementioned position. All captains and lower of the other divisions answer to him regardless of the circumstance.
Captain
Captains (taichō, lit. "unit commander") are the most respected, and feared, shinigami in Soul Society, distinguished by their white haori with the Gotei 13 symbol and respective division number pasted on the back. They are the commanding officers of the 13 divisions, with the exception of the 1st Division. One captain is responsible for as many as 500 personnel at a time. They are the strongest shinigami in their divisions, and all but one are able to use bankai. Captains generally excel in swordsmanship, kidō, flash stepping, and other advanced techniques while having comprehensive knowledge of combat tactics and history. That in addition to having bankai usually puts them on a whole other tier than their lieutenants or seated officers. The captains of the Gotei 13 can be considered the backbone of Soul Society; while their impressive power makes them a force to be reckoned with, Soul Society can be just as vincible should they be defeated or unavailable.
There are three methods to be promoted to captain in the Gotei 13:
- One is by taking the Captain Proficiency Test (taishu), which requires the ability to use bankai. A minimum of three existing captains, one of which has to be the captain-commander, must be present at the examination. The majority of captains presumably were promoted this way.
- Another way is by a personal recommendation from at least six captains with the approval of minimum of three of the seven remaining captains.
- The last and most uncommon way for a soul reaper to be promoted to captain is by defeating or killing the captain of a division in a duel with at least 200 witnesses from the captain's division. This method is criticized by other captains as barbaric in contrast to the other two systematic ways. Moreover, it overrides the necessity of bankai, exceptional skill in basic and advanced shinigami techniques, or judgment from other captains; all of which are the usual prerequisites for receiving a promotion. The only known captain to have attained his rank by this method is Kenpachi Zaraki.
Lieutenant
The Lieutenant (fukutaichō, lit. "vice unit commander;" often translated "vice captain") is the second-in-command of a division, comparable to the XO of a company in real life military forces. A lieutenant is distinguished by the emblem, which has his/her division's symbol pasted on it, tied to his/her left arm. The lieutenant is typically responsible for handling daily activities such as maintenance and logistics, making it more convenient for the captain to focus on tactical planning and execution. In the absence of the captain, the lieutenant takes charge of the division until the captain returns or a replacement is assigned. Lieutenants (with the exception of Renji Abarai) generally can only use their zanpakutō's shikai. Nevertheless, they are usually the second strongest in their division. A soul reaper is chosen to become lieutenant of a division by its captain, though he/she has the right to refuse the position.
Seated Officer
Seated Officers (Sekikan) are the remaining officers of a division, numbered from 3rd down to 20th. The captain and lieutenant are 1st and 2nd Seats, respectively. Seated officers are somewhat correspondent to junior and non-commissioned officers of real life military forces. In the Gotei 13, only one soul reaper can hold a senior officer rank (such as 3rd or 5th seat), however, there can be multiple holders of junior officer ranks (e.g. 20th seat). Seated officers are typically in charge of smaller platoon-sized subunits within a division, for example, Hanatarō Yamada is leader of 4th Division's 14th Advanced Relief Team.
List of Gotei 13 Divisions
1st Division
The 1st Division itself, though it is led by the captain commander, has no specialized field or task. Its logo is a chrysanthemum, meaning "truth and innocence."
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto
Main article: Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto
By virtue of being head of this division, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto is also the commanding officer of the entire Gotei 13. Despite being an old man, his body is still very fit and muscular. Moreover, he has several scars on his head and torso, suggesting that he has participated in numerous battles. He founded the Shinigami Academy around 2000 years prior to the onset of the main Bleach plot where he taught his first two students Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake, who he treated as his own sons. Since his debut, Genryūsai has seldom engaged in combat, though when he does he displays overwhelming power with his zanpakutō, which in its sealed form is disguised as his cane. He is one of several shinigami who has yet to reveal his bankai.
Chōjirō Sasakibe
Main article: Chōjirō Sasakibe
Chōjirō Sasakibe is the lieutenant of the 1st Division. He has combed, silver hair, a dalí styled black moustache, and wears a white haori making him look like a captain. Though his title doesn't differentiate from lieutenants of other divisions, his authority seems to overshadow those of other lieutenants by virtue of his position in the 1st Division, as the others report to him in their meetings. Chōjirō is one of the least viewed characters in Bleach, not being named until long after his debut. Nevertheless, he is always present at captain and lieutenant meetings unlike most other lieutenants.
2nd Division
The 2nd Division, since Yoruichi Shihōin became its captain, has been closely associated with the Onmitsukidō, dubbed the Special Forces, which was originally an autonomous law enforcement agency traditionally lead by a member of the noble Shihōin family. Since a member of the noble family became its captain, the 2nd Division and the Onmitsukidō became a joint organization which operates slightly differently from the rest of the Gotei 13. The 2nd Division symbol is a tulip, meaning "seek nothing."
Yoruichi Shihōin
Main article: Yoruichi Shihōin
Yoruichi Shihōin directly precedes Soifon as the 2nd Division captain as well as the commander-in-chief of the Special Forces. Additionally, she is also the former corps commander of the Corrections Corps. During this period, she has short, purple hair, yellow, feline eyes, and wears a sleeveless and backless shinigami uniform, standard for the Onmitsukidō head, with her captain's haori over it. She left Soul Society when a criminal conspiracy resulted in a falsely convicted Kisuke Urahara, her childhood best friend and former 3rd Seat, being exiled to Earth.
Soifon
Main article: Soifon
Soifon is the current captain of the 2nd Division as well as the commander-in-chief of the Special Forces by virtue of her aforementioned position, thanks to her predecessor. She hails from a family which has been subservient to the Shihōin family for decades. Therefore, she initially served as Yoruichi's personal bodyguard before becoming captain after Yoruichi's defection. Ever since she met her, Soifon has always had a strong admiration for Yoruichi. She has short, blue hair, styled similarly to the way Yoruichi used to fix her hair, and wears the standard shinigami uniform with a captain's haori and a yellow sash tied around her waist.
Marechiyo Ōmaeda
Main article: Marechiyo Ōmaeda
Marechiyo Ōmaeda is the current lieutenant of the 2nd Division as well as the corps commander of the Patrol Corps in the Special Forces. He is the descendant of a very wealthy family, and he himself owns a manufacturing company that produces jewelry. Subsequently, Marechiyo is very arrogant and materialistic, however shallow and imbecilic, often using one's social and economic status as a measure of character, and demeaning others who are less well-to-do than himself without regard to their strength, which in some cases far exceeds his own. His physique is that of a large man (though he claims he is merely "plump"), and he wears jewelry on his hands and around his neck.
Kisuke Urahara
Main article: Kisuke Urahara
Kisuke Urahara is the former 3rd Seat of the 2nd Division as well as the former corps commander of the Detention Unit in the Special Forces, before being promoted to captain of the 12th Division. Moreover, he was also the supervisor of the Special Underground Detention Facility, colloquially known as the Maggot's Nest, a position which he didn't seem to relinquish until sometime after his promotion to captain. Kisuke is Yoruichi Shihōin's longtime childhood friend, and have remained close even until the current storyline. He had somewhat of a rivalry, though one-sided, with Soifon, which primarily involved competing for Yoruichi's attention. He wears the standard shinigami uniform with no distinguishing features or appendages.
3rd Division
The 3rd Division doesn't seem to have any special function in the Gotei 13. Its insignia is a marigold, symbolizing "despair."
Rōjūrō Otoribashi
Main article: Rōjūrō Otoribashi
Rōjūrō Otoribashi is the captain of the 3rd Division around 101 years prior to the onset of the main Bleach storyline, as shown in the Turn Back The Pendulum gaiden. He has long, curly blonde hair and wears a white, frilly dress shirt as opposed to the standard shitagi under his black kosode of the shinigami uniform. After becoming a visored, he defected from Soul Society and now lives in the human world.
Gin Ichimaru
Main article: Gin Ichimaru
Gin Ichimaru is the former captain of the 3rd Division after Rose's defection from Soul Society. He has short purple hair and jade eyes, though he prefers to keep them closed. Gin is almost always seen smiling, giving him a rather ominous countenance, and he often talks in a sarcastic tone. He too fled from Soul Society with longtime mentor Sōsuke Aizen and Tōsen Kaname.
Shūsuke Amagai
Main article: Shūsuke Amagai
Shūsuke Amagai is the temporary captain of the 3rd Division in an anime filler arc The New Captain Shūsuke Amagai. He comes across as a gentle, benevolent person with messy, blue hair and slightly unshaven. Nevertheless, his underlings were still initially wary of him. Before being promoted, Shūsuke served in the Patrol Corps, which is the reason why the majority of the 3rd Division's soul reapers were vigilant around him at first.
Izuru Kira
Main article: Izuru Kira
Izuru Kira is the current lieutenant of the 3rd Division. He formerly served in the 4th and 5th Division, hence his skills in healing spells. Izuru is close friends with Momo Hinamori and Renji Abarai, who were all classmates in the Shinigami Academy. He inadvertently assisted his former captain Gin Ichimaru in his eventual escape from Soul Society, ending up with compunctions afterward. Subsequently, he's often seen with a somber expression on his face, and seldom being cheerful or smiling.
Makoto Kibune
Main article: Makoto Kibune
Makoto Kibune is the temporary 3rd Seat of the 3rd Division in the anime filler arc The New Captain Shūsuke Amagai. He is generally friendly towards his peers, however highly intolerant of failure, and is quick to berate those who do under any circumstances. Consequently, he was barred from attaining rank in the Gotei 13 despite being very talented, until Shūsuke Amagai chose him as his subordinate in the Patrol Corps and eventually the 3rd Division.
4th Division
The 4th Division acts as a medical/supply relief unit, handling casualties on both sides of the battlefield and supplying combat personnel. The 4th Division is also responsible for maintaining a sanitary environment in Seireitei, which includes the underground sewer system. Being a non-combat division, it is considered to be rather weak, that is, by the warmongering 11th Division which places a high value on strength and fighting skills. Nevertheless, its members specialize in advanced healing kidō and other similar abilities, which is just as essential in a combat zone as weapons and offensive spells. The 4th Division's symbol is a bellflower, meaning "those who grieve are loved."
Retsu Unohana
Main article: Retsu Unohana
Retsu Unohana is the captain of the 4th Division. Despite her young appearance, she is one of the oldest living captains in the Gotei 13. She has long, black, hair with one long braided bang resting on her chest, and blue eyes. Retsu is soft-spoken and forbearant, and comes across as a very gentle, benevolent person. Her peers, Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake, claim that her usual amiable and compassionate behavior masquerades a malevolent and scary personality, hence why they make an effort not to aggravate her. Though the veracity of this seemingly outrageous allegation remains unconfirmed, Retsu is consistently tolerant and compassionate towards allies and enemies alike, which in addition to being head of a medical division, suggests that she has strong pacifistic and altruistic ideals.
Seinosuke Yamada
Main article: Seinosuke Yamada
Seinosuke Yamada is the former lieutenant of the 4th Division. He made a brief appearance in the Turn Back The Pendulum gaiden, standing behind captain Retsu Unohana in an induction ceremony for Kisuke Urahara, who was then recently promoted to captain. It is assumed that Seinosuke and Hanatarō Yamada are somehow related, having the same last name and bearing a resemblance to one another. Whether or not he is deceased is still unconfirmed.
Isane Kotetsu
Main article: Isane Kotetsu
Yasochika Iemura
Hanatarō Yamada
Haronobu Ogidō
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