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   In this world, there are three worlds: Human World (Viz; the World of The Living), Soul Society (where souls live), and Hueco Mundo (where Hollows live).

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   The Human World (現世, Gense; also known as Living World), also referred to as the World of the Living, Material World, or the Real World, is the material plane where living Humans reside.

   Alongside Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, the Human World is one of the Three Worlds that make up most of known existence.

   Overview:

   The Human World is home to Pluses, the Quincy, the Visored, Kisuke Urahara's group, and the Bounts. Hollows, which normally reside in Hueco Mundo, often visit the Human World to hunt Souls, which they feed upon. Prominent areas of the Human World include Karakura Town in Western Tokyo, where Ichigo Kurosaki, his family, and his friends live, Kagamino City, which is 22km east of Karakura Town, and Naruki City. Xcution has its headquarters in Naruki City's Chōbara District, which is located roughly to the west of Karakura Town.

   The concentration of Reishi in the atmosphere is lower in the Human World than it is in Hueco Mundo and Soul Society. Shinigami and Arrancar can gather Reishi underneath their feet to stand, walk, or balance in the air, while Pluses are able to float around at will. The area in the Human World which has the highest concentration of Spirit Energy and has the highest rate of attracting spiritual beings is referred to as the Jūreichi (重霊地, Important Spirit Ground; Viz "Concentrated Spirit Zone"). The exact location of this area varies over time, but is currently Karakura Town.

   Shinigami are regularly stationed in the Human World. The duties of such Shinigami include finding and sending Pluses to Soul Society and slaying Hollows in order to protect Humans and Pluses. Shinigami stay in the Human World for a set period. Rukia Kuchiki was officially stationed in Karakura Town for one month, though she actually stayed for much longer than this. There is only one Shinigami stationed in Karakura Town at a time. On occasion, groups of students from the Shin'ō Academy are sent to the Human World to gain experience in the duties they will have to perform when they become full-fledged Shinigami, an example being the soul burial practice conducted by Shūhei Hisagi, Izuru Kira, Renji Abarai, and Momo Hinamori. Members of the Onmitsukidō are known to have visited the Human World, capturing images of Ichigo Kurosaki injuring a Menos Grande.

   When Shinigami come to the Human World, their Reiryoku can unduly influence the local population if they do not keep their power under control. Failure to exert such control can awaken the powers of living Humans who have some spiritual power, as exhibited by Ichigo Kurosaki's lack of control being blamed for affecting his friends. Shinigami are bound by Soul Society's laws not to harm or interfere with Humans. Rukia Kuchiki is arrested for breaking these laws. Captains and lieutenants who travel to the Human World have a seal placed on their powers, referred to as a limiter, which can contain up to 80% of their power, although it can be removed in the event of an emergency. This restricts their spiritual power to a level at which they will not accidentally influence the Human inhabitants.

   Locations:

   Karakura Town (空座町, Karakurachō; lit. Empty Seat Town) is a settlement in the Human World, located in Western Tokyo.

   Karakura Town is the hometown of Ichigo Kurosaki. It is a small city with an average-sized population, most of which is unaware of the ghosts and other spiritual beings that exist there.

   Karakura Town is under the jurisdiction of 13th Division and is referred to as District 3600 by the Shinigami and is situated on the current Jūreichi (重霊地, Important Spirit Ground; Viz "Concentrated Spirit Zone") - the point in the Human World that possesses the greatest concentration of spiritual beings. For this reason, Sousuke Aizen sought to destroy the town and sacrifice its human inhabitants in order to create a copy of the Ōken.

   History: Approximately 100 years ago, Kisuke Urahara, Tessai Tsukabishi and the eight Visored fled Soul Society to escape their sentences. They were soon joined by Yoruichi Shihōin. Urahara opened a small shop in the outskirts of town, the Urahara Shop, aided by Tessai Tsukabishi. While it is no more than an average store on the outside, it is a shop that caters to Shinigami needs. Underneath the shop, Urahara built a vast training area to be used by himself, his employees, and some of his clients. The Visored made their home in an old rundown warehouse. They too constructed a training ground where they trained to take charge of their inner Hollows and later to prolong the period of their Hollowfication.

   About 20 years ago, after sacrificing his Shinigami powers, Isshin Shiba settled down in Karakura Town and opened his own medical clinic with help from Urahara. He would later marry the Quincy, Masaki Kurosaki and have three children with her: Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu. Although all three of their kids would eventually develop a level of spiritual awareness, Ichigo was the only one who was able to awaken his powers and learn about the truth about his heritage.

   Urahara Shop (浦原商店, Urahara Shōten) is a shop located in Karakura Town.

   While it appears to be no more than an average shop on the outside, it is a shop that caters to Shinigami needs. This shop serves as the base of operation for its owner, Kisuke Urahara, and all of its employees possess great spiritual abilities. Rukia Kuchiki comes here from time to time to either buy something while staying with Ichigo Kurosaki in the Human World or gain information from Urahara himself; Renji Abarai stays here when he has missions to the Human World. Occasionally, a small van can be seen outside the store. Yuzu Kurosaki is also a customer of the shop, frequenting it, despite Jinta's objections, as she is able to purchase a large quantity of appetizers for just 500 yen.

   Seventeen months after Sousuke Aizen's defeat, Karin Kurosaki begins visiting the store, purchasing several anti-Hollow products. Urahara lets her purchase them for free, saying that he is in debt to Ichigo. Karin visits because she saw Ichigo fighting to protect something, and that it's their turn to protect him.

   Underneath the store lies a giant room designed by Urahara in resemblance to the training field he created in Soul Society. It is used as a secret base/training ground and contains a Senkaimon arch to travel to Soul Society, as well as the posts between which Urahara generates a Garganta.

   Employees: Kisuke Urahara, Shopkeeper Tessai Tsukabishi Jinta Hanakari Ururu Tsumugiya Renji Abarai (temporarily) Ririn (Anime only) Kurōdo (Anime only) Noba (Anime only)

   Training Grounds:

   The Urahara Shop has been used as a training ground by: Ichigo Kurosaki Yasutora Sado Renji Abarai

   Karakura High School (空座一校, Karakura Ichikou) is the school which Karakura Town residents Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado and Uryū Ishida, among others, attend.

   Located in the Gakuenchō area of Karakura Town, Karakura High School is a normal school containing normal teenagers. However, like the rest of the town, it contains an abnormally large amount of spiritually aware people. Surrounded by trees, the school complex consists of a number of buildings varying from one to four stories, along with open areas. The roof, which is surrounded by railings, is frequently used by students as a venue for lunch. The schools facilities include playing pitches, a six lane running track, and a gym. There are a number of clubs in the school, from soccer and basketball to Kendō. The school is somewhat famous for its strong karate team.

   The school's uniform consists of grey trousers, a white short and grey blazer for boys and grey skirt, white shirt with red bow tie, and grey blazer for girls. There is also a beige sleeveless jumper. Scholastically, Ichigo's class occupies the top three places in the 9th grade year's list of excellence, but at the same time contains mediocre and poor graded pupils, such as Keigo. The school attracts a large number of applications from delinquents.

   Over the last year Karakura High School has seen an unusually large number of mid semester transfers, mostly into Ichigo Kurosaki's class. None of the newly transferred students have lasted more than a few months.

   The Kurosaki Clinic (クロサキ医院, Kurosaki Iin) is a privately owned medical clinic in Karakura Town, as well as the residence to the Kurosaki Family.

   This clinic is run by Isshin Kurosaki and is assisted by his two daughters (Yuzu Kurosaki and Karin Kurosaki) as acting nurses, as well as sometimes by his son, Ichigo Kurosaki. Isshin is capable of handling anything at his clinic except for major surgeries. Orihime's brother, Sora Inoue, died at the clinic.

   Residents: Current: Isshin Kurosaki Ichigo Kurosaki Karin Kurosaki Yuzu Kurosaki Kon Orihime Inoue (after Thousand-Year Blood War) Kazui Kurosaki (after Thousand-Year Blood War) Former: Masaki Kurosaki † Temporary: Rukia Kuchiki (she stays here during missions in the Real World)

   Karakura General Hospital (空座総合病院, Karakura Sōgō Byōin) is the main medical facility in Karakura Town, located beside Karakura's Honchou train station. Overview

   While the Kurosaki Clinic handles minor cases, the General Hospital is equipped to handle much more serious cases and larger incidents, catering to residents from both inside and outside of Karakura Town. The current director of the hospital is Ryūken Ishida. Ryūken has an office in the hospital, with a large window, curtains, a desk and bookcases stocked full to capacity.

   Ryūken has constructed a secret training area in the hospital. It is unknown when it was built, or where exactly it is inside the hospital, but grass can be seen just outside its windows, suggesting that it is at ground level. The training area has multiple levels, and these windows are on the upper levels, meaning that much of the room must be underground, forming the basement of the hospital. There are no furnishings or objects visible in the chamber.

   The only known physical access to the room is via a large door which appears to be on the lowest level of the chamber. The door does not appear to have handles, or any obvious means to open it from either side. Outside this door, there is a staircase leading upwards, presumably providing access to the main part of the hospital. Kisuke Urahara uses an unspecified ability to break into the training area, appearing to cut a hole through space. Isshin Kurosaki also gained entry to this hidden area, though he does not explain how he did so when questioned on it by Ryūken.

   The chamber is constructed from soul-synthesized-silver (霊化銀, reika gin) and soul-synthesized-glass (霊化硝子グラス, reika gurasu). While it is evidently strong, it is unable to fully withstand numerous strikes from arrows without sustaining damage. When Ryūken fights Uryū Ishida in this chamber, there are multiple pock-marks and holes in the walls and floor from Quincy Spirit Arrows and Gintō.[9] The chamber also does not completely block out Reiatsu, as Uryū is able to sense that the Shinigami are fighting Arrancar outside during his training in this room.

   It is in this hidden room that Ryūken fights Uryū to the point of exhaustion, shooting him in the chest with a Spirit Arrow in order to restore the abilities he lost due to the Quincy: Letzt Stil.[10] It is unconfirmed if Ryūken himself used this hidden chamber to train or practice, or if it was constructed solely to aid Uryū in regaining his powers.

   There is also a hidden storehouse inside the hospital, possibly within the training area itself. Uryū took five Seele Schneider from this place to aid in the invasion of Hueco Mundo.

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   Soul Society (Japanese for "Dead Spirit World") is one of the spiritual afterworlds where deceased humans go to posthumously. This is also where the Shinigami live and operate from, and where most souls dwell until they are reincarnated into the Human World. Alongside the World of the Living and Hueco Mundo, Soul Society counts as one of the Three Worlds.

   While referred to as simply Soul Society by its residents, this area is actually the East Branch (, Tōshōkyoku; literally "Eastern Office") of a larger Soul Society, with an area in Reverse London marked as the West Branch.

   While Rukia Kuchiki initially describes Soul Society as something of a paradise, where nine out of ten times it is better than the living world and hunger is never a problem, Soul Society is far from sublime. In fact, aside from the slowed aging and aforementioned lack of hunger, life there is much like that in the living world.

   Soul Society consists of the Rukongai (Wandering Soul City; Viz "Rukon District"), where souls live when they arrive in Soul Society, and Seireitei (Court of Pure Souls), which is at the center of Soul Society. The mode of life here closely resembles that of feudal Japan.

   The Human World and Soul Society are parallel to each other and are two sides of the same coin; while the exact starting point of humanity in the Human World is unknown, Soul Society itself is over a million years old. Families separated by death are rarely reunited in the Soul Society unless they arrive in Soul Society together. People live nestled together like a family of strangers. One never gets hungry (if she/he doesn't have spiritual powers) and aging is slowed to a great extent, with lifespans of 2000 or more years not being unheard of, though such ages are limited to Shinigami or other souls with high spiritual power. Children can be born as they are in the Human World. People can also be killed as regular humans are, though they are capable of surviving wounds that would normally be considered fatal. A soul that dies in Soul Society is eventually reincarnated on Earth after having spent a certain amount of time there.

   Shinigami enter and leave Soul Society by unlocking the Senkaimon and using a Jigokuchō. Pluses (Souls), on the other hand, enter Soul Society through the ritual of Konsō. When people die, they are assigned a number to a part of Soul Society according to when they died. Spirits can be born in Soul Society as much as in the living world, with the Shinigami acting to balance the number of souls in each world.

   Intruders can pass through the Senkaimon in the same manner, but only in soul form. This allows spiritual beings, such as Ichigo in his Shinigami form, to enter without permission. Humans can also use such a gate through the use of Reishihenkanki (Spirit Exchangers), which converts solid matter into Reishi.

   Finally, Hollows can also directly rip a hole to Soul Society from Hueco Mundo, or in the case of Arrancar, using Garganta.

   Seireitei (瀞霊廷, Court of Pure Souls; Viz "Quiet Spirit Court") is a large city in the center of Soul Society and serves as the home of the Shinigami and the Noble Houses.

   Seireitei is a circular shiro with four main entrances, ten days walk apart, each guarded by one of the Gatekeepers. These gates are collectively called the Four Great Pure Soul Gates (四大瀞霊門, Shidai Seireimon): these gates are made up of the Northern Black Ridge Gate (黒陵門, Kokuryōmon), the Eastern Blue Stream Gate (青流門, Shōryūmon), the Southern Red Hollow Gate (朱洼門, Shuwaimon), and the Western White Way Gate (白道門, Hakutōmon; Viz "White Road Gate"). The gates are so heavy that it takes the full might of Jidanbō Ikkanzaka to lift one. There are, however, doors within the gates, to allow passage of individuals when needed, such as when Momo Hinamori first entered the Shin'ō Academy.

   The walls of the Seireitei, known as the Seireiheki (瀞霊壁, Pure Soul Wall), are made of Sekkiseki (殺気石, Spirit Reducing Stone), a rare type of stone known to negate all Reiryoku, similar to magnetic lodestones. The stone also forms a spherical barrier known as the the Shakonmaku (遮魂膜, Soul-Warding Membrane; Viz "Soul Shield Membrane") around the city, extending above and below, stopping anything spiritual from breaching it from ground level, from the sky or from underground.

   The wall that surrounds the Seireitei is commonly held up, only closing down when there is an emergency. When it is not down protecting the Seireitei, the wall protects the Soul King Palace, located in an inner dimension.

   Information about the Seireitei is confidential. What is known is that in the center of the Seireitei is a white tower known as the Senzaikyū, where criminals are imprisoned; on the hill adjacent to it is the Sōkyoku, where prisoners are executed. Those permitted to live in the tranquility of the Seireitei are Shinigami and the Noble Houses. Shinigami live in the Division barracks, while high-ranking officers commute from their own homes.

   The majority of the residents of Seireitei, nobility and Shinigami alike, do not interact with the citizens of Rukongai. However, residents of Rukongai, like Renji and Rukia, are allowed to apply for the Shin'ō Academy, which is often the only escape from the poorest conditions of Rukongai.

   Rukongai (流魂街, Wandering Soul City; Viz "Drifting Spirit Town") or Rukon District, is the largest portion of Soul Society and the most populated.

   Rukongai is divided into 320 districts (80 districts in each cardinal quadrant), each numbered in descending order on how far they are from the center; this results in the higher-numbered (and farther) districts decaying into slums. Thus, while District 1 is peaceful and lawful, much like the antiseptic lifestyle of early-Edo Era Kyoto, District 80 is a hardscrabble, violent, crime-infested area that more depicts Heian era Kyoto. The duties of the Gotei 13 Divisions include defending allocated districts of Rukongai. However, which Division is responsible for which district has not been stated. The living standards in Rukongai decline sharply beyond the fiftieth district, with an increase in people wearing rags and no footwear. According to statistics from the last 550 years, no Rukongai resident wears sandals beyond District 59.

   Rukongai is full of families that are not related by blood. People die at different times and places, and it is rare for a person to find their real family in the vast Rukongai. When a soul arrives in Soul Society, they are given a ticket according to the time they died and are sent off in different directions. Even if two people were to die together, if they do not receive tickets at the same time, they will not know where the other is.

   101 years ago, many souls in Rukongai mysteriously vanished due to the experiments of Sousuke Aizen. These occurrences continued for about a month before the Shinigami sent Kensei Muguruma and a team from the 9th Division to investigate. The Visored were Hollowfied in a forest in the west of the 6th ward of the Fugai District on the same night that the 9th Division team arrived to begin their investigation. Tessai Tsukabishi used forbidden Kidō to teleport the Visored back to the lab of Kisuke Urahara in Seireitei in a bid to save them.

   When the balance of souls between the Human World and Soul Society is endangered, the Shinigami can request permission to kill citizens in Rukongai in order to restore the balance of souls between the two worlds.

   The Sōkyoku Hill (双殛の丘, Sōkyoku no oka) is an iconic, large, rocky mesa located at the center of Seireitei in Soul Society, where it is overlooked by the Senzaikyū (懺罪宮, Palace of Penitence).

   The hill is visible from most of Seireitei. It has sheer cliffs on all sides. There are two known access points to the Sōkyoku Hill - a long bridge connecting to the Senzaikyū (懺罪宮, Palace of Penitence), and a long, zigzagging stairway carved into one side of the hill. The Senzaikyū is where the Kyokushū (中央犯人, Capital Offender) is stationed, generally waiting one month before execution. One end of the hill is heavily undercut, where the Sōkyoku and the bridge are located. The opposite end is covered by a white forest.

   When he was young, Kisuke Urahara dug a large cavern beneath the Sōkyoku Hill, which was to be used as a secret training area. It is accessed via a small cave in the side of one of the hill's sheer cliffs. In this training ground, he and Yoruichi Shihōin would play and train. Ichigo Kurosaki and Renji Abarai both train to attain Bankai in this cavern.

   The Sōkyoku Hill is the scene of the execution ceremony of Rukia Kuchiki and several battles, including Ichigo's final fight with Byakuya Kuchiki and the final battle against the Bount leader Jin Kariya (filler). It was central to Sousuke Aizen's plot to acquire the Hōgyoku. Not only was the Sōkyoku his intended method of gaining the Hōgyoku, but it was also the place where Menos Grande arrived and enveloped Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen in Negación to allow them to escape from Soul Society. The Sōkyoku Hill is also the location where Muramasa confronted the Shinigami about their Zanpakutō prior to the Zanpakutō Rebellion (filler).

   ---

   Hueco Mundo (Spanish for "Hollow World", Japanese for "Hollow Sphere") is an alternate world in which Hollows and Arrancars usually reside. It lies in between the Human World and Soul Society, being one of the three planes of existence collectively referred to as the Three Worlds.

   An unchanging night covers the sky, an endless white desert covers the ground. The tree-like objects are not plants, but rather quartz-like minerals.

   he landscape of Hueco Mundo is a seemingly never-ending white desert, with a multitude of dunes, littered with boulders. In Hueco Mundo, the moon is on the opposite lunar phase of that in the Human World. The vast desert seems to lack any bodies of water and contains rocky formations. Like in Soul Society, the atmosphere is filled with a high concentration of Reishi, thus allowing smaller Hollows to gain nourishment despite the lack of human souls.

   Similar to Human World deserts, active life in Hueco Mundo appears to be few and far between. Hollows generally dwell below the surface or in other areas until something provokes them to leave their shelter, like the intrusion of a foreign entity. According to the Shinigami, all Hollows dwell in Hueco Mundo regardless of their shape, size, or power.

   The Gotei 13 (護廷十三隊, Goteijūsantai; lit. "13 Division Imperial Guards"; Viz "Thirteen Court Guard Companies") is the primary military branch of Soul Society and the main military organization most Shinigami join after graduating from the Shin'ō Academy (where souls in Soul Society train their skills).

   The Gotei 13 serves as a military force with its primary responsibilities consisting of:

   The defense of the Seireitei, the center of Soul Society. The deployment of Division members into enemy territory for combat operations. The deployment of Task Forces as defensive measures in the Human World. The guiding of souls to Soul Society.

   While the history of the Gotei 13 remains largely unknown, the organization was founded by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who has stood at the head of the group since its inception.

   The first generation of the Gotei 13 consisted of Yamamoto, Chika Shihōin, Kinroku Izuhara, Chigiri Shijima, Danjirō Obana, Furōfushi Saitō, Nobutsuna Shigyō, Batsu'unsai Katori, Entetsu Kumoi, Furuoki Ōtogawa, Yachiru Unohana, Uhin Zenjōji, and Saizō Sakahone. Shunsui Kyōraku considers this generation to be the strongest version of the Gotei 13.

   According to Yhwach, the original Gotei 13 were "defenders" in name only, comprised of nothing less than a brutal mob of the most dangerous killers in the Seireitei, but it was for this very reason they were a force to be feared and able to enforce order, especially because Yamamoto was a ruthlessly pragmatic leader who would hold even his subordinates as expendable. In their pursuit of enforcing order, they were personally involved in the extermination of the Quincy race, whose actions against Hollows threatened the balance of life and death. It is noted that the Gotei 13 underwent dramatic changes after the extermination of the Quincy, mellowing out to become less brutal and barbaric in the ensuing peace, having now found a sense of justice upon discovering things to protect and treasure.

   The Gotei 13 does not normally operate as a cohesive unit. The command of the divisions is generally left to the discretion and oversight of its particular captain, who commonly runs it whatever way they see fit, allowing for the change of a division's traditional duties to an entirely new set and even the creation of a separate institution connected to the division. The Gotei 13's main duty is to defend the Seireitei from hostile threats, but they are allocated districts in Rukongai to defend. In addition to these duties, Shinigami have to deal with the business of being assigned to the Human World.

   The only general authority to call forth a combined front is an edict from the Central 46 Chambers, or more often the Captain-Commander. It is not uncommon for division captains to not see each other as a whole group for long periods of time, except for cases involving a threat to all of Soul Society required unified efforts, a captain's punishment, or, to a lesser degree, a captain's promotion. On a regular basis, the captains are spread out all across Soul Society doing their divisions' duties, whatever they may be. They are so far spread out, getting the captains together as a group, or even getting their lieutenants together as a group, could normally take a day to accomplish.

   Unless specifically ordered by the Captain-Commander, captains can choose whether or not to attend meetings (at their own risk) or not even involve themselves in the daily situations of Soul Society. Captains are not allowed, without permission, to carry out activities outside of their normal jurisdiction or their division. The captain of one division also cannot punish the subordinates of another captain.

   Officially, the Kidō Corps and Onmitsukidō are not part of the Gotei 13, but since Suì-Fēng (Soi Fon) is both the captain of the 2nd Division and the head of the Onmitsukidō, the Onmitsukidō is effectively under the control of the Gotei 13. Additionally, the captain of the Kidō Corps has been known to obey summons and orders from the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13.

   The captains congregate in the main hall of the First Division Headquarters to discuss important issues involving their specific divisions and matters which affect Soul Society. This council is highly formal, with the captain-commander leading its proceedings. All captains are considered equal (with the exception of the captain-commander), and determine the course of their individual division unless dictated otherwise by the captain-commander. Votes are carried out via a unanimous consensus.

   The Captain-Commander (Sōtaichō; Viz "Captain-General"; Captain-Commander, Head-Captain in the English dub) is the supreme leader of the Gotei 13. The position requires the Captain-Commander to oversee the overall operations of the Gotei 13, Onmitsukidō and Kidō Corps when the well-being of Seireitei and Soul Society is at stake. During wartime, the Captain-Commander has the authority to grant Captain-Class and Lieutenant-Class Shinigami to wield their Zanpakutō openly in Seireitei. The Captain-Commander is the only person in Soul Society who knows the truth about the Ōken, which is passed down orally. The only power the Captain-Commander answers to is the Central 46 Chambers, who elect the successor of the current Captain-Commander in the event of their death. The current and inaugural holder of this title is Captain Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto of the 1st Division, who had held this post for the last 1000 years.

   A Captain (Taichō; lit. Unit Commander) is the leader of one of the thirteen divisions (with the special case of the Captain-Commander).

   Captains are generally the most respected and powerful Shinigami within the Soul Society, with the leaders of the Kidō Corps and Onmitsukidō possibly being of equal status. Initially with one exception, all captains are able to utilize the final stage of their Zanpakutō, and are far more powerful than even their lieutenants. Knowing Bankai gives captains an average of five-to-ten times the strength of Shinigami who are unable to perform it. They have extensively trained, if not mastered, their Bankai, allowing them to use its enormous power effectively in battle. Most captains are skilled in the use of Shunpo and Kidō, and generally have extensive knowledge of Shinigami history and battle tactics. All of these factors create a vast power gap between captains and lower-ranked officers.

   They function as Chief executive officers, and they determine the course, organization, tactics, and policy of their division. The power a captain has over his/her division is absolute and cannot be questioned by subordinates or the captains of the other divisions. A captain can choose to change the division specialty (which Kisuke Urahara did upon becoming captain of the 12th Division). Due to captains having supreme authority in their respective division, the divisions are separate entities and not a cohesive military. In this way, they only have the right to punish the actions of their subordinates and not those of other divisions unless the division in question has no current captain or the subordinate's actions are against the laws or rules of Soul Society.

   The true power of Soul Society lies in the captains of the Gotei 13, as they are the leaders of its military arm and the vanguards against any threat the Soul Society may face. With them at full strength, Soul Society is deemed safe and almost unbeatable. If they are broken and disjointed, their strength dwindles, making them highly vulnerable.

   Shinigami all have a salary. Captains receive an initial salary of ¥2,000,000 per month, from there a raise is issued through each fiscal year and a performance-based merit system. They are also assigned Captain's Chambers to live in or, if they have a family, can move into the Officer's Mansion District.[16][17]

   There are three different ways to become a Gotei 13 captain:

   Captain Proficiency Test (隊首, taishu): A test which requires the ability to perform Bankai. Nearly all Shinigami become captains using this method. At least three existing captains, including the Captain-Commander, have to witness the test.

   Personal Recommendation: To have personal recommendations from at least six captains and approval from at least three of the remaining seven.

   Trial by Combat: To defeat and kill an already acting captain in one-on-one combat with at least 200 witnesses. This method is seen as being the exceedingly rarest and the least refined of the three. The method is commonly looked down upon by some captains as barbaric and outdated compared to the other refined methods. This method allows one to bypass having the mastery of Bankai or other possible abilities which a captain would otherwise be required to have knowledge of, for it allows no judgment from captains who would require those skills as a prerequisite to join their ranks. Though rare in other Divisions, the Eleventh Division has been set up to exclusively utilize this method, with each captain attaining their rank by killing their predecessor in combat.

   A Lieutenant (Fukutaichō; Viz "Assistant Captain"; vice-unit commander, often translated as Vice-Captain) is the 2nd seated officer in a division.

   Lieutenants function as executive officers for their division, taking care of or supervising day-to-day operations. Along with their captains, they are not assigned to one specific squad. They generally only know the Shikai of their Zanpakutō but they are still the second strongest in their division. In the case of a division captain's death, departure, or other circumstances making them unable to perform their duties, the lieutenant acts as the "substitute captain" until another can be assigned.

   The authority to appoint or dismiss a lieutenant lies solely with the captain of the respective division, a privilege which was granted to them with the support of the Central 46 Chambers. Captains reserve the right to appoint multiple lieutenants at a single time, though this is rarely done due to it being both considered highly unorthodox and heavily frowned upon by the Central 46 Chambers. Though rarely exercised, any potential candidate retains the right to decline the nomination.

   Lieutenants receive an initial salary of ¥700,000 per month.

   Seated officers (Sekikan) are the remainder of the officers in the Gotei 13, who hold ranks at or below 3rd Seat. Captains and lieutenants have the ranks of 1st and 2nd Seats, respectively. The 3rd Seat (Daisanseki) of a division is also referred to as Adjutant Lieutenant (Fukukan Hosa; Viz "Assistant Adjutant"; also translatable as Vice-Captain's Assistant), serving directly under the lieutenant as the third-highest rank holder.

   After that, there are 17 more seats (4th-20th). In the Gotei 13, only one person can hold a senior officer rank (3rd-10th seats), but there are several holders of junior officer ranks (e.g. 20th seat). This varies from division to division, for there are two 3rd Seats in the 13th Division. Seated officers often lead sub-units within each division (for example, 3rd Seat Hanatarō Yamada is leader of the 4th Division's 14th Advanced Relief Team).

   A Shinigami's starting salary is ¥200,000. As they rise in the ranks they earn raises.

   Energy system: The difference between Reiryoku (Spiritual Power) and Reiatsu (Spiritual Pressure) is simple: Reiryoku is the amount of energy a being has stored within their body or soul, whereas Reiatsu is the pressure that a person's Reiryoku exerts. In other words, Reiryoku is potential while Reiatsu is energy in use and can be sensed by other spiritually aware beings. In general, those with high levels of Reiryoku will often have the highest levels of Reiatsu also. A skilled warrior can overcome a person possessing greater Reiryoku by possessing greater Reiatsu - this is achieved by having greater control over their own Reiryoku.

   Reishi composes the spiritual bodies of Souls, including Hollows and Shinigami, and everything in Hueco Mundo and Soul Society. Reishi is invisible and intangible to mortals, with the exception of spiritually aware ones such as the Quincy or Fullbringers.

   There is also a certain amount of Reishi in the Human World. Free Reishi tends to be found in places closer to nature. Quincy collect this Reishi to use for combat in the form of Spirit Weapons. Reishi in the atmosphere is also able to be controlled freely, allowing a person to gather it under their feet so that they can stand on air, though it is difficult to do so in Reishi-thin areas such as Wahrwelt. In Soul Society, for most Souls that die, their entire bodies and clothes eventually degrade and become the very Reishi that makes up Soul Society.

   The Zanpakutō (斬魄刀, Soul-Cutter Sword; Viz "Soul Slayer") is the main weapon of the Shinigami, used for various purposes such as defeating Hollows, sending spirits to the afterlife, or traveling through the Three Worlds. Apart from Shinigami, Hollows that have removed their masks and gained Shinigami powers, known as Arrancars, also wield Zanpakutō, though an Arrancar's Zanpakutō is fundamentally different from a Shinigami's. The art of wielding a Zanpakutō is called Zanjutsu (斬術, Swordsmanship), one of the four Shinigami combat styles in the Zankensoki.

   Zanpakutō are swords that resembles a regular Katana in its regular form and the wielder hasn't manifest their powers yet. They're used for various purposes such as defeating Hollows, sending spirits to the afterlife, or traveling through the Three Worlds. Apart from Shinigami, Hollows that have removed their masks and gained Shinigami powers, known as Arrancars, also wield Zanpakutō, though an Arrancar's Zanpakutō is fundamentally different from a Shinigami's. The art of wielding a Zanpakutō is called Zanjutsu. A Zanpakuto also has two stages if the wielder is a Captain or much higher level. First stage: Shikai (Initial Release). Shikai is the second (or first upgraded) form available to a Zanpakutō. To activate it, the Shinigami must know their Zanpakutō's name, as well as be able to communicate and harmonize with their Zanpakutō effectively, which requires being able to speak to the spirit within its inner world. Gaining access to one's Shikai and releasing it for the first time is known as manifestation. The blade changes shape and gains special abilities by chanting a Kaigō (Release Call), or release incantation. Uttering the Kaigō, followed by the name of the Zanpakutō, activates Shikai. It is crucial to memorize each phrase, as every Zanpakutō has a different incantation. The commands vary between users and range from a simple imperative verb to a short poem. They often relate to the Zanpakutō's signature ability or hint at the nature of its spirit. This step may be bypassed by expert Shinigami who have learned how to use their Bankai. By calling out a different name and Kaigō, a Zanpakutō will achieve a different release, which is weaker than by calling out the true name. This is usually done when the Shinigami in question wishes to conceal the true nature of their Zanpakutō.

   Zanpakutō are the trademark weapons of the Shinigami. Capable of cutting spiritual bodies, they are among the few weapons which can be used to combat Hollows. A Zanpakutō is different from a Quincy's Spirit Weapon; while a Shinigami channels Reiryoku from their soul into their blade, a Quincy does the opposite by gathering Reishi from the atmosphere to form a weapon and coat it with their Reiryoku. Each Shinigami carries a Zanpakutō, and each Zanpakutō is unique: far from mere weapons, the swords are reflections of a Shinigami's power and soul, and sentient beings unto themselves. Since they are sentient beings, this means that they are vulnerable to abilities such as PePe Waccabrada's Schrift, The Love, which otherwise does not affect non-living matter. Indeed, the very nature of the Zanpakutō is complex: they cannot simply be classified as weapons, powers, extensions of their wielders, or separate beings; they are all of those at the same time. The Zanpakutō's name is the name of the living spirit which empowers the sword and lends its strength to the Shinigami who wields it. These beings can vary greatly in appearance, and have their own distinct personalities, which are nonetheless similar to their owner's. A Zanpakutō's shape and abilities are based on their Shinigami's soul. Once a Shinigami learns their Zanpakutō's name, they can communicate with one another and grow stronger together. Zanpakutō are born with their Shinigami, and they die along with their Shinigami. Shinigami use them in battle as a reflection of their heart. When released, they can display a vibrant power. They are one with the Shinigami, and they share a Shinigami's conviction. However, if a Shinigami experiences mental instability, they can lose harmony with their Zanpakutō, making it impossible to hear the spirit's voice and rendering them unable to access their Shikai, even if they know its name. Abusing a Zanpakutō Spirit can further deteriorate this bond and may even permanently sever the connection between Shinigami and Zanpakutō.

   Every Zanpakutō has its own name, which the wielder must learn. Such weapons are unique swords generated from their owner's souls. Its shape, even in its sealed state, differs depending on its owner. Because they are part of their owner's soul, a Zanpakutō cannot be replaced, though it will slowly regenerate if it is broken. No Zanpakutō has a Shikai and a Bankai with completely unrelated abilities. A Zanpakutō can determine if its wielder is worthy of its power. If the wielder is deemed unworthy, the Zanpakutō may refuse to reveal its true Bankai name, thereby limiting its full potential. Conversely, a wielder can release a weaker form of their Shikai by using an incorrect release command. Additionally, a Zanpakutō Spirit or an external entity connected to it can suppress the wielder's power, leading to a significantly weaker Shikai and Bankai with altered forms, even if the wielder knows their true names. A Zanpakutō possesses a true form that resides within its Shinigami. As sentient beings, Zanpakutō have their own minds and bodies, which dictate their powers. A Shinigami can grow stronger through communication with their Zanpakutō. In rare cases, a Zanpakutō Spirit can even create another Zanpakutō Spirit with a unique name and appearance. Inside each Zanpakutō is an incarnation which manifests itself upon the Zanpakutō's transformation. The first step is to acquaint oneself with this incarnation.

   Zanpakutō that have merged with a power source that is not of Shinigami nature or origin can also gain the ability to protect their Shinigami wielders through various means, with the best examples being the manifestations represented by the two swords that make up Ichigo Kurosaki's dual Zanpakutō, Zangetsu. The Zangetsu that was born from the fusion of the Hollow White with Ichigo's natural Shinigami powers was able to manifest a Hollow mask to protect Ichigo from major injuries. After becoming the dominant spirit inside Ichigo, he was able to take possession of his body whenever he was on the brink of death to save him. The Quincy power manifestation, known as "Old Man" Zangetsu, on the other hand was able to similarly protect Ichigo from fatal blows and temporarily stop his bleeding with what appeared to be Blut Vene.

   Certain unique Zanpakutō can also be passed onto other Shinigami, who can then access their inherited abilities. The size of a Zanpakutō reflects the amount of the wielder's spiritual power. However, this does not necessarily mean that someone with a larger Zanpakutō is stronger than an opponent with a smaller one, as evidenced by Isshin Kurosaki's defeat of the Arrancar Grand Fisher; per the former's explanation, captain-class Shinigami must actively control the size of their Zanpakutō, or else they would wield swords as large as buildings. Regardless of a Zanpakutō's form or size, it is always effortless for its wielder to use because it is part of their soul. Some Bankai may be exceptions, such as Suì-Fēng stating that her Bankai is too heavy to move.

   Zanpakutō possess their own Reiatsu, which can be sensed like any other Reiatsu and is similar to their wielder's, albeit with subtle differences. If a Shinigami pierces a human's chest with their Zanpakutō and channels their Reiryoku into them, it can temporarily transform the human into a Substitute Shinigami. However, this method has a low viability rate, even for spiritually aware Humans, and failure results in death.

   Communication & Personality of the Zanpakutō: A wielder knows their Zanpakutō Spirit very closely and vice versa. The connection is very deep, though in the beginning the connection is one sided, with the wielder being unable to fully hear the spirit communicating with them. It is not uncommon for the introduction of the Shinigami and Zanpakutō spirit to take place in the Shinigami's "inner world" while the prospective Shinigami sleeps. As stated, a Zanpakutō is a being unto itself, and tends to be highly temperamental. Its mood is determined by how it is treated by its Shinigami and its overall personality. This allows a Shinigami to partially determine whether or not it will achieve its true power. For example, Yumichika Ayasegawa normally releases his Zanpakutō with the name Fuji Kujaku (藤孔雀, Wisteria Peacock), even though its true name is Ruri'iro Kujaku (瑠璃色孔雀, Azure Peacock), knowing its favorite color is azure and its least favorite is wisteria purple. He does this so its true power is not seen. Since his Zanpakutō hates the nickname, it becomes moody and only releases a fraction of its power. This allows him to pass off his Zanpakutō as a simple melee-type rather than what it truly is, a Kidō-type, something which is unacceptable in the 11th Division due to an unspoken rule that all Zanpakutō in the Eleventh Division must be melee-types. Only when its true name is uttered does it achieve full potential. Similarly, Renji Abarai obtained his true Bankai, Sōō Zabimaru, only after proving his strength to Zabimaru, who didn't respect Renji's power until his training with the Royal Guard. Shunsui Kyōraku also states Katen Kyōkotsu is moody and won't let him use the true extent of its power in battle unless in the mood for it.

   An Asauchi (Shallow Hit) is a nameless Zanpakutō given to Shinigami unworthy of being in the Gotei 13. "Shallow hit" refers to the grossly reduced power of a Zanpakutō whose wielder cannot connect with it properly. All Asauchi are exclusively forged by Ōetsu Nimaiya, and since the birth of Soul Society itself, there has never been a Shinigami who truly awakened their own Zanpakutō without wielding an Asauchi that Nimaiya forged. As the creator of every Asauchi, Nimaiya knows the exact location of every Zanpakutō in existence, no matter who the wielder is or how the blade is attained. Due to Ichibe'e Hyōsube's innate ability to determine the true name of all things, he also knows the names of every Zanpakutō from the time they are handed to a Shinigami as an Asauchi.

   Asauchi are actually the ultimate Zanpakutō, for they have the potential to become anything. There are over 6,000 members of the Gotei 13, all of whom are loaned one of these nameless Zanpakutō upon first entering the Shin'ō Academy, and this same blade is officially given to them upon joining a division. All Shinigami must spend every waking moment with their own Asauchi, and as they progress in their training, they slowly and methodically imprint the essence of their soul into their Asauchi. This is how they guide and mold their own unique Zanpakutō. When manifested, Asauchi appear as blank humanoid figures with no distinctive traits other than two small mouths for eyes. Its through the wielder imprinting the essence of their soul that these figures gain unique traits and personalities. If the wielder already possesses a fully formed and self-aware Zanpakutō Spirit, the Asauchi instead acts as a catalyst and draws out the spirit, essentially being assimilated in the process.

   Although Asauchi (and later unique Zanpakutō) are normally given to Shinigami upon joining the academy, Kenpachi Zaraki took an Asauchi from a dead Shinigami and made it his own without ever entering the institution. Kaname Tōsen also took the Asauchi of his late friend and transformed it into his own Zanpakutō, Suzumushi.

   Those born from the Ise Clan cannot imprint their essence into an Asauchi, due to their family's Zanpakutō, Shinken Hakkyōken, being passed down from generation to generation. Because they are bound to this blade, it is impossible for members of the family to create their own unique Zanpakutō.

   In its sealed state, a Zanpakutō has the form of a Japanese sword. A Zanpakutō will return to its sealed state when its wielder is knocked unconscious. However, in cases of Shinigami with immeasurable levels of Reiryoku, the Zanpakutō will remain in Shikai state or automatically revert to this state from Bankai. A Zanpakutō may have several different sealed forms depending on the user. These include:

   Katana (刀, one-sided blade): The term katana may be applied to the standard-size, moderately curved, Japanese sword with a blade length of 2 shaku (606 mm / 23.9 in) and longer. The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade, a circular or squared guard, and a hilt long enough to accommodate two hands. Most sealed Zanpakutō of Shinigami and Arrancars alike take this form; notable examples include Rukia Kuchiki's Sode no Shirayuki, Renji Abarai's Zabimaru, and Byakuya Kuchiki's Senbonzakura.

   Wakizashi (脇差, side inserted sword): A short blade between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 inches), with an average of 50 cm (20 inches). It is similar to but shorter than a katana, and usually shorter than the kodachi. An example of this sealed form of Zanpakutō is Gin Ichimaru's Shinsō. The wakizashi was usually worn together with the katana. When worn together, the pair of swords were called daishō (大小, large and small). The katana was often called the long sword, and the wakizashi the companion sword. Shunsui Kyōraku's Katen Kyōkotsu is the only known Zanpakutō to exist as a daishō pair.

   Ōdachi (大太刀, large/great sword): The ōdachi was more difficult to wield due to its size and weight. The average length of an ōdachi is 65–70 inches long (approx. 165–178 cm), often with a 4–5 foot (approx. 120–150 cm) blade. The length of the hilt of the ōdachi varied between 30 to 33 cm (12 to 13 inches). Due to its weight and size, its cutting capability and range exceeds those of a katana. Kenpachi Zaraki's Nozarashi is the best known example.

   Tantō (短刀, short sword): The tantō is commonly referred to as a knife or dagger. The blade is single or double edged, with a length between 15 and 30 cm (6–12 inches, in Japanese 1 shaku). The tantō was designed primarily as a stabbing weapon, but the edge can be used for slashing as well. Tetsuzaemon Iba's Zanpakutō is an example of a tantō.

   A Zanpakutō can also be disguised as other objects, though such objects seem to need to be of similar proportions to the sword itself. Kisuke Urahara's Benihime and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka both take the forms of canes. Yamamoto's cane resembles a large walking stick, which dissolves on command to reveal his sheathed Zanpakutō, whereas Kisuke's forms a shikomizue, a thin blade hidden within the hollow shaft of a cane. Arrancar Zanpakutō have appeared in a wider variety of sealed forms, such as different types of weapons; Baraggan Louisenbairn's Arrogante and Nnoitra Gilga's Santa Teresa take the form of an axe and a uniquely-shaped scythe, respectively, while Aaroniero Arruruerie's sealed Glotonería takes the form of his own tentacle-like left arm. Coyote Starrk uniquely does not have a Zanpakutō, instead having his power sealed in the form of his own Fracción, Lilynette Gingerbuck, which he unleashes with his Resurrección, Los Lobos.

   Normally, while Shinigami and Arrancar can only use the unique abilities of their Zanpakutō after releasing them, there are several examples of both beings being able to channel unique powers or techniques without releasing their sword first; Shinigami examples include Hanatarō Yamada's Hisagomaru with its ability to heal injuries, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi's Kinshara with Arpeggio, and Ichibe'e Hyōsube's Ichimonji with its power to sever names. Arrancar examples include Tesra Lindocruz's Verruga with Plato Colmillo, Aaroniero's Glotonería with its aspect manifestation ability, Baraggan's Arrogante with Senescencia, and Tier Harribel's Tiburón with Ola Azul.

   Shikai (始解, Initial Release) is the second (or first upgraded) form available to a Zanpakutō. To activate it, the Shinigami must know their Zanpakutō's name, as well as be able to communicate and harmonize with their Zanpakutō effectively, which requires being able to speak to the spirit within its inner world. Gaining access to one's Shikai and releasing it for the first time is known as manifestation (顕現, kengen). The blade changes shape and gains special abilities by chanting a Kaigō (解号, Release Call), or release incantation. Uttering the Kaigō, followed by the name of the Zanpakutō, activates Shikai. It is crucial to memorize each phrase, as every Zanpakutō has a different incantation. The commands vary between users and range from a simple imperative verb to a short poem. They often relate to the Zanpakutō's signature ability or hint at the nature of its spirit. This step may be bypassed by expert Shinigami who have learned how to use their Bankai. By calling out a different name and Kaigō, a Zanpakutō will achieve a different release, which is weaker than by calling out the true name. This is usually done when the Shinigami in question wishes to conceal the true nature of their Zanpakutō, as Yumichika Ayasegawa does.

   While each Shikai is unique to the holder, the Shikai of Shinigami that are related, specifically parents and children, may share at least a technique; this is shown by both Isshin Kurosaki's Engetsu and his son Ichigo's Zangetsu sharing the Getsuga Tenshō technique. However, even in those cases, each Shinigami's variation of the technique possesses subtle differences that, while not significant enough to be classified as two different techniques, are still important enough to differentiate the two versions.

   Usually, a Shikai manifests as the Zanpakutō's blade, or the Zanpakutō as a whole, changing its outward appearance. In some cases, this change is slight, with the Zanpakutō remaining as a katana but gains a new color scheme or additional traits, such as a ribbon, a chain, or some kind of ornament on the pommel (like Rukia Kuchiki's Sode no Shirayuki, Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Hyōrinmaru, or Shinji Hirako's Sakanade). Nevertheless, in most cases, the change is significant, sometimes even requiring holders to train in wielding another weapon besides a katana.

   Examples of Shikai that manifest as swords different from regular katana are: twin scimitars (Shunsui Kyōraku's Katen Kyōkotsu), a Western-style rapier (Chōjirō Sasakibe's Gonryōmaru), a double-edged seven-branched sword (Momo Hinamori's Tobiume), and a whip-sword (Renji Abarai's Zabimaru).

   Examples of non-sword forms taken via Shikai are: a kusarigama (Shūhei Hisagi's Kazeshini), a giant axe (Kenpachi Zaraki's Nozarashi), a spear (Ikkaku Madarame's Hōzukimaru), a sickle (Yumichika Ayasegawa's Ruri'iro Kujaku as Fuji Kujaku), a scalpel (Hanatarō Yamada's Hisagomaru), and a khyber knife or trench knife (Ichigo Kurosaki's Zangetsu), and a combat knife (Tachikaze).

   Examples of non-bladed Shikai forms are: a finger-mounted stinger (Suì-Fēng's Suzumebachi), a flail (Marechiyo Ōmaeda's Gegetsuburi), a whip (Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi's Kinshara), and a kanabō (Love Aikawa's Tengumaru).

   Retsu Unohana's Minazuki is one of the most extreme Shikai transformations seen, since it transforms the sword into a giant, flying manta ray-like creature that is under Unohana's control.

   However, there are cases where a Zanpakutō's Shikai does not alter the shape or size of the Zanpakutō at all, while still giving the sword special powers (usually Kidō-types). Examples include Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka, Sousuke Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu, Kaname Tōsen's Suzumushi, Sajin Komamura's Tenken, and Isshin Kurosaki's Engetsu.

   Bankai (卍解, Final Release) is the second and final upgraded form of a Zanpakutō. Prior to Ichibe'e Hyōsube giving this form its name, it was known as a Shin'uchi (真打, True Strike), and when a Shinigami achieved it, they would possess an Evolved Zanpakutō (進化した斬魄刀, Shinkashita Zanpakutō). To achieve Bankai, one must be able to materialize and subjugate their Zanpakutō spirit. Materialization (具象化, Gushōka; Viz "Exteriorization") means the opposite of getting dragged into the Zanpakutō's inner world: the wielder needs to summon the Zanpakutō's spirit into the physical world. It usually takes 10 years or more to achieve, plus the experience needed to master it. Despite the Zanpakutō Spirit being subjugated for their Shinigami to learn Bankai, the Zanpakutō also becomes stronger and learns Bankai at precisely the moment their Shinigami learns it. Even though Bankai is the final stage of a Zanpakutō, it does not mean the Shinigami's growth ends there. A Bankai, especially one recently obtained, can evolve even further as its Shinigami gets stronger. Furthermore, obtaining Bankai allows a Shinigami to release their Shikai without calling its name, although some Shinigami still choose to release their Shikai by calling its name.

   The power and forms of Shikai and Bankai are dependent on the Zanpakutō and vary according to the wielder's strength and training, but the power of a Zanpakutō's Bankai is generally 5 to 10 times greater than that of its Shikai and is accompanied by a large increase in Reiatsu from its wielder. As such, a Shinigami wielding a Shikai usually cannot hope to contend with, let alone win against one wielding a Bankai. However, if the difference in power, skill and experience between the two is great enough, the more experienced one can block and at least temporarily incapacitate their opponent's Bankai with just Shikai or even Kidō, especially if their opponent has only recently achieved Bankai and lacks proper control over it. Only the strongest Shinigami can use Bankai, and it is the ultimate technique of a Zanpakutō. Even the four Noble Houses, whose members are always exceptionally talented, only have one member capable of Bankai every few generations. Those who achieve Bankai always have remarkable roles in the history of Soul Society.

   Ichigo Kurosaki and Kisuke Urahara are the only known individuals who have attained Bankai through a far shorter, yet much more dangerous method. Using a special device created by Kisuke known as a Tenshintai, which forcibly materializes a Zanpakutō Spirit (thus bypassing a large portion of the training), they attained their Bankai within three days instead of the normal ten or more years. After successfully testing the device and achieving Bankai, Kisuke stated training by using this method for more than three consecutive days could prove to be fatal, which is why Ichigo was forced to achieve his own Bankai within three days.

   As stated above, even if Bankai is the ultimate technique of a Zanpakutō, it can still evolve further, especially one obtained recently, like Ichigo Kurosaki's Tensa Zangetsu. Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Daiguren Hyōrinmaru is another example; despite the immense power Daiguren Hyōrinmaru's original form affords Hitsugaya, Shawlong Koufang noted that it still had room to grow due to Hitsugaya's young age compared to other Shinigami. Hitsugaya trained endlessly following Aizen's defeat, completing his Bankai after eighteen months of hard work. Once Daiguren Hyōrinmaru reached its full potential, Hitsugaya's completed Bankai allowed him to not only freeze physical objects and beings, but also concepts and powers; as such, anything he freezes with his ice will lose all its powers.

   Sometimes, Shinigami may not gain access to their real Bankai from the start due the Zanpakutō Spirit either suppressing most of their true power, as was the case for Ichigo Kurosaki with the original form of Tensa Zangetsu, or giving them a false name for the Bankai, as was the case for Renji Abarai with Hihiō Zabimaru. Despite these Bankai being weaker versions of what they should be, they are still powerful enough to be recognized as Bankai and can still be used against fully realized Bankai; Byakuya Kuchiki, who was the first person to fight both Renji and Ichigo's newly-achieved Bankai, stated that Hihiō Zabimaru was worthy of being called a Bankai, and, despite not believing Ichigo's original Tensa Zangetsu was a Bankai due to its simple katana form, he recognized it as such when he realized it compressed Ichigo's extraordinary power to greatly increase his speed. Nevertheless, once the wielder demonstrates their power or resolve to their Zanpakutō Spirit, it will allow them access to their Bankai's full potential.

   In addition to a Bankai continuing to grow in power with its wielder, acquiring a new kind of power (especially one that enhances all of the Shinigami's other powers) will supplement the Bankai's own power. After defeating his inner Hollow and training with the Visored, Ichigo Kurosaki used his Hollowfication in combination with his Bankai to fight at the level of and win against several opponents. According to both Sousuke Aizen and Kisuke Urahara, Hollowfication allows the Shinigami to exceed the limits of their power by breaking the boundary between the Hollow and Shinigami souls. During the Quincy Blood War, when Urahara learned that Hollows are poisonous to Quincy, he created the Shin'eiyaku, which introduces a small portion of Hollow spiritual power into Shinigami souls, causing the Bankai stolen by the Quincy with a Medallion to become Hollowfied. The newly Hollowfied Bankai then gradually return to their wielders while harming or weakening the Quincy who stole them. This temporary Hollowfication also slightly altered the appearance of some Bankai while in effect, such as Daiguren Hyōrinmaru. After having his Bankai stolen by Bambietta Basterbine, Sajin Komamura learned the Humanization Technique (which made him temporarily immortal) from the elder of the Wolfman Clan to become stronger to face the invading Wandenreich. Later, he also received a Shin'eiyaku to regain Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, which in turn also synchronized with the Humanization Technique and became Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō: Dangai Jōe, becoming as invulnerable as its wielder. With Dangai Jōe, Komamura was easily able to defeat Bambietta even with her Schrift, The Explode, and Quincy: Vollständig activated. Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who regularly modifies both himself and his Zanpakutō, is the only individual to display a Modified Bankai (改造卍解, Kaizō Bankai). With this, Mayuri can utilize a unique variant of his normal Bankai that adapts to the battle or situation upon activation.

   Drawbacks

   Training Requirement: The biggest flaw of Bankai lies in the overwhelming power it releases. Its power and form are often far beyond those of a normal weapon, which is why one needs to train at least 10 years with Bankai in order for one to become capable of using it completely and effectively. Otherwise, the wielder risks losing control over their Bankai or, worse, becoming injured by their own Bankai's power.

   Breaking & Fixing: While a broken Shikai will eventually regenerate, a broken Bankai can never be returned to its former state. Ikkaku Madarame's Ryūmon Hōzukimaru became drastically weaker even after being restored by Akon, and Renji Abarai's original Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru, had permanently lost some of its joints during his battle with Byakuya Kuchiki. The only known exceptions are:

   Komamura’s Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, which heals when Komamura himself heals.

   Hitsugaya’s Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, which can regenerate as long as there is water in the air.

   Mayuri’s Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō, which he remodels whenever it is broken. The only true way to fix a Bankai is to have it reforged by Ōetsu Nimaiya. Orihime Inoue’s Sōten Kisshun can also reject damage inflicted upon a broken Bankai, thus repairing it.

   Withholding Power: A Bankai’s form and strength depend on how much the spirit recognizes its wielder. If the Zanpakutō does not fully recognize its wielder, it may not give its Bankai’s true name, resulting in a weaker form.

   Possible Sign of Death: A Bankai normally only disappears with its user's permission. If it disappears without permission, it could mean the user is close to death if not treated immediately.

   Energy Requirement: A Shinigami needs to exert a certain amount of Reiatsu to maintain their Bankai. If drained of Reiatsu, they cannot maintain or reactivate their Bankai until they recover. According to Shawlong Koufang, Bankai requires an enormous amount of Reiryoku to use, making it difficult for even captains of the Gotei 13 to maintain during long battles.

   A Zanpakutō Spirit (斬魄刀の本体, Zanpakutō no Hontai; lit. "Soul-Cutter Sword's Real Form") is the spirit embodying a Shinigami's Zanpakutō that resides within their master's inner world.

   A Zanpakutō Spirit is a part of their Shinigami's soul, and their appearance and abilities are a reflection of this; as such, they also share their master's resolve. They exist in tandem with their master; they are born alongside their Shinigami, and die with them. A Zanpakutō Spirit's power is separate from that of their owner, and when a Shinigami draws on this power in addition to their own, their Zanpakutō will become even stronger. They dwell within the inner worlds of their Shinigami masters.

   Reflecting the Asauchi's ability to become anything, when their masters imprint the essence of their soul onto them, the resulting Zanpakutō Spirits can seemingly take the form of anything, including their own masters and other people. As unique reflections of their masters' souls, Zanpakutō Spirits do not share any common appearance traits. Their appearance can change while their master has their Bankai activated, can be temporarily altered when their master uses a Shin'eiyaku, and generally varies drastically between spirits; furthermore, Dual Zanpakutō, which take the form of two swords instead of one, are represented by two Spirits, one for each blade. Examples of divergent Zanpakutō Spirit appearances include:

   Zangetsu, as the Dual Zanpakutō of Ichigo Kurosaki, who possesses the powers of most known races, takes the form of two separate entities whose individual appearances imply their hybrid nature.

   One takes the form of his master, Ichigo, but with inverted colors, due to also being Ichigo's inner Hollow.

   The "old man", as a manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy powers, takes the form of the Quincy King Yhwach from 1,000 years ago.

   Zabimaru takes the form of a large, white-furred baboon with a snake for a tail, or a nue.

   Hyōrinmaru takes the form of an enormous, serpentine ice dragon with large wings.

   Katen Kyōkotsu takes the form of two separate Human women, due to being a Dual Zanpakutō.

   Though a Zanpakutō Spirit's personality is also influenced by the soul of their master, they possess their own thoughts, feelings, opinions, and desires, which may differ from their master's to varying degrees. Zanpakutō Spirits, regardless of their appearance, are intelligent beings, capable of speech and complex thoughts. They are aware of what is happening outside of the inner world they usually dwell in and, once their master has learned to manifest them in the real world, usually through Bankai training, they can manifest by themselves without their master's knowledge or input. Additionally, they are or become aware of the names of their brethren by themselves, as Zabimaru knew Zangetsu's name and spoke it to his master, Renji despite Zangetsu's master Ichigo not revealing his Zanpakutō's name during his and Renji's fight.

   First and foremost, Zanpakutō Spirits, as sentient manifestations of their wielders' power, are innately aware of the techniques they and their masters can use, including their names, which they can reveal/teach to their wielders, as a the only one who can teach a Shinigami about their Zanpakutō is the Zanpakutō itself; Bankai seems to be an exception, as the Zanpakutō Spirit only achieves it at the same time as their master, but the Spirit is the one who learns their Bankai's name and gives it to their master, and can teach then how to use it properly.

   Furthermore, Zanpakutō Spirits that have become hybridized with other sources of power, such as Hollow or Quincy powers, innately know and can freely use specific abilities such as Cero or Blut and can even manifest through or remotely activate those powers to protect their wielders. However, Zanpakutō Spirits are unwilling to teach their masters new techniques that have an adverse effect on them, such as causing them to disappear altogether, and will engage their wielder in battle in order to determine whether or not they are worthy. They can also determine if their masters are worthy of wielding their power.

   In some instances, a Zanpakutō Spirit's personality can influence how their master can use their Zanpakutō in battle:

   Ruri'iro Kujaku's favorite color is azure, and its least favorite color is wisteria. Because of this, Yumichika Ayasegawa, who wishes to hide its true power from others, can release it as Fuji Kujaku (藤孔雀, Wisteria Peacock) instead of as Ruri'iro Kujaku (瑠璃色孔雀, Azure Peacock), causing it to sulk and only release a fraction of its full power by becoming a melee-type Shikai.

   Katen Kyōkotsu refuses to let Shunsui Kyōraku fight at his full power and use the special techniques of his Shikai unless she is in the mood for it.

   Benihime is described as "not nice" by Kisuke Urahara, who mentions that she would refuse to hold back her power against Ichigo's Zangetsu.

   Hōzukimaru is very lazy, to the point that it takes Ikkaku Madarame some time to get his Bankai, Ryūmon Hōzukimaru, to full power.

   Quincy Zangetsu initially suppressed his counterpart and thus a major portion of Ichigo's power to stop Ichigo from taking the path of a Shinigami to protect him from getting hurt, but let Hollow Zangetsu out and worked with him to save Ichigo's life and train him in a "tough love" method for when he inevitably faced opponents who could kill him. Eventually, he had a change of heart and relented to Ichigo's decision to follow the Shinigami path, which resulted in Ichigo gaining his full power and the true, dual form of his Zanpakutō.

   Hollow Zangetsu sees Ichigo as the "king" and himself and his counterpart as the "horse who carries the king". While he constantly threatened Ichigo that he'll destroy him so he can be the "king", Hollow Zangetsu only possessed Ichigo to protect him and agressively trained him to make him strong, instances from which Ichigo also learned the Deadly Darts and the Black Getsuga Tenshō from Hollow Zangetsu.

   Initially, Zabimaru did not fully acknowledge Renji Abarai's power, so when he attained Bankai, Zabimaru gave him a drastically weakened version of his Bankai form called Hihiō Zabimaru (狒々王蛇尾丸, Baboon King Snake Tail). However, once Ichibe'e Hyōsube revealed the true name of his Bankai and Renji proved his strength to him, Zabimaru gave Renji access to his true Bankai, Sōō Zabimaru (双王蛇尾丸, Twin Kings Snake Tail).

   Zanjutsu (Swordsmanship; Viz "Art of the Sword") is the fighting style for the Zanpakutō (i.e. sword fighting) and is one of the four basic fighting styles of the Shinigami. It is shameful for a Shinigami to not master at least this technique. It is the specialty of Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of the 11th Division.

   Kidō (Demon/Spirit Way; Viz "Demon Arts") is one of the four main fighting styles in the Zankensoki, the group of Shinigami primary combat skills, making use of various spells. They are produced with strong Reiryoku and fall into two categories: Hadō for direct attacks, and Bakudō for battle support. Kidō spells are usually triggered by an incantation. Experienced users can use them without said incantations, though the effectiveness of the spell may be diminished.

   The Kidō Corps is a branch of Soul Society's military which excels in the mastery of Kidō.

   There are three main types of Kidō: binding spells, destruction spells, and healing spells.

   Bakudō (Way of Binding; Viz "Binding Spell"): Supplementary spells which can immobilize an enemy or have an effect besides a direct strike. They may seem subtle, but these spells can give their users a tactical advantage when used properly. These are a broad category of defensive spells which block/repel attacks or freezes enemies in place. This class of spells include Kidō barriers and seals.

   Barriers (Kekkai): Focused Reiryoku formed into a solid form of energy. This energy can take on many shapes or colors as determined by the user. Barriers are protective in nature, and can be as simple as a barrier only protecting one direction or encompassing all sides of an area. Barriers can be used for containment, and some barriers can be used offensively. Barriers can mask Reiatsu and can make one spiritually and physically invisible. The strength of a barrier is dependent upon the power of the user. Weak barriers are easily breakable, while strong ones can last for centuries. Barriers created by noble blood are said to be unbreakable by those of lesser status. Certain barriers can be placed beforehand and activated later, while others require certain artifacts and time to activate.

   Seals (封, Fū): Somewhat similar to barriers, but far more powerful and require far more preparation to create. Seals can only be used by those of sufficient spiritual power, and are meant to hold the most powerful and/or dangerous artifacts or beings. Seals are usually hard to break.

   Hadō (破道, Way of Destruction; Viz "Path of Destruction"): Offensive spells which inflict direct damage to the enemy. Their effectiveness differs depending on the user. It is said the effectiveness of the higher-ranked spells are beyond imagination.

   Gisei Hadō (犠牲破道, Sacrificial Way of Destruction; Viz "Sacrifice Path of Destruction"): A particular offensive spell like Ittō Kasō that requires the user to sacrifice a certain portion of themselves in order to use it.

   Kaidō (Turn Way): Also known as Healing Kidō (Viz "Healing Spiritual Arts"). These spells do not have known names, numbers, or incantations to cast, and simply heal the target. As the user holds their hands above the patient's wounds, their palms glow with green spiritual energy to facilitate healing. When one heals with healing kidō, they perform Reiatsu restoration first. By doing so, one can attempt to recover the physical body using the patient's restored Reiatsu and the healer's external Reiatsu. Therefore, restoring the Reiatsu when the physical body is in a fully healed state is no trouble at all. Kaidō was invented by Tenjirō Kirinji, which earned him his promotion to the Royal Guard.

   Hohō (Step Method; Viz "Fast Movement") is a defensive style of fighting which relates to footwork. It is one of the four basic combat skills of the Shinigami.

   Shunpo (Flash Steps) is a movement technique which allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow. As speed is the main factor of the technique, the method is best characterized by how fast one can get from point A to point B in the least amount of steps. Training and skill are what determines how fast a user of Shunpo can move. Users of little skill in the technique or those who have not used it for an extended period of time would obviously be out of practice, causing them to be considerably slower, which requires the use of more steps to move the same distance and become winded in a shorter amount of time.

   Way of Onmitsu, 3rd of the Shihō (Viz "Four-Maple Secret Step") is a category of Shunpo skills, including the technique Utsusemi.

   The Arrancar variation of Shunpo is Sonído, while the Quincy variation is Hirenkyaku. The Fullbringers also have their own unnamed movement technique, which is akin to Shunpo.

   Konsō (魂葬, Soul Burial; Viz "Soul Funeral") is a technique used by Shinigami as a fundamental part of their roles in maintaining the cycle of souls between the Human World and Soul Society.

   Konsō is the process by which Shinigami send Pluses to Soul Society from the Human World, which is known as "crossing over". To achieve this, they tap the hilt of their Zanpakutō against a Plus's forehead, leaving an emblem at the point of impact which begins to shine brightly. The Plus proceeds to sink into the ground in a pool of blue light as they are sent to Soul Society, and a Jigokuchō flies away from their point of departure. However, if the Shinigami presses the hilt against the Plus's forehead too hard, the Plus is left in pain during the process.

   Hakuda (White Hits; Viz "Hand-to-Hand Combat") is a close-combat style of fighting, in which one is unarmed and uses only one's body, and is one of the four basic fighting styles of the Shinigami. Captain Suì-Fēng (Soi Fon) of the 2nd Division excels in this style. High-speed Taijutsu (Body Skill) attacks are used to overwhelm the opponent. Physical strength and skill is determined by this class. It seems to be a combination of several martial arts.

   The foremost practitioners of this technique are those assigned to the Executive Militia of the Onmitsukidō.

   Cero (Sero; Spanish for "Zero", Japanese for "Hollow Flash"; Viz "Doom Blast") is an attack used by Menos, Arrancar, and Visored.

   The practitioner fires a powerful blast of concentrated spiritual energy at the target. While in most cases it is fired from the mouth, some Arrancar and Visored can fire Cero from their hands, fingers, and other parts of their bodies. This often requires the user to take on a specific pose, with Coyote Starrk being the only known exception.

   The power, force, speed, and blast area of the Cero is dependent on the strength, spiritual power, and sometimes skill of the user (i.e., the stronger the user, the stronger the attack), and there are some Arrancar who have come up with their own variation of Cero. The charging and firing time for Cero varies greatly, from charging relatively fast to firing it to instantaneously firing one without much charging.

   Shinigami (Death god(s); Viz "Soul Reaper(s)") are the spiritual guardians of the Three Worlds who protect and guide Souls going through the cycle of transmigration between the World of the Living and Soul Society. Having been called Balancers (調整者バランサー, Baransā; Japanese for "Regulators") in ancient times, they purify Hollows who do evil in the World of the Living and ensure the safe crossing of souls — the Pluses who have lost their way after death — by giving them a soul burial. Shinigami are the opposite of the Quincy, as they cause imbalance between the Three Worlds by exterminating Hollows and their souls completely.

   Most Shinigami appear like average Humans. There are, however, a few Shinigami who are less Human-like in appearance. For example, there are much greater variations in body-sizes between Shinigami than between Humans, with small childlike Shinigami such as the 109 cm tall Yachiru Kusajishi. and giant Shinigami such as Sajin Komamura, who is 288 cm tall. Variations do not just occur in size but in overall appearance, too, the most notable example being Captain Komamura, who is an anthropomorphic wolf.

   Shihakushō (Death-Conquering Garb): The black kimono worn by Shinigami. It is customary to wear a white undergarment underneath. Some wear bright colored scarves with it or shorten the sleeves. They commonly carry their Zanpakutō, which is in most cases tied to their obi sash.

   The Shihakushō is composed of a white shitagi (下着, under clothing), a black kosode (小袖, small sleeve), a black hakama (袴), a white hakama-himo, white tabi (足袋, foot pouch), and waraji (草鞋). The black kosode has its owner's division insignia emblazoned on the inside. Lieutenants of the Gotei 13 sometimes wear an armband which carries their division symbol and its number, usually on their left arm. They are required to do this when they are summoned to a meeting, but apart from this, it is rarely compulsory.

   Captains additionally wear a white haori (羽織) over the usual black Shinigami clothes, with the number of their division on the back inside the Gotei 13 symbol (a rhombus). Some captain haori have long sleeves, while others do not. The color of the underside is division — or at least captain — specific, for every captain has a different color of it. The haori is meant to signify a captain's status, and Yamamoto was furious when Captains Kuchiki, Kyōraku, and Zaraki lost theirs in battle and were acting indifferent about it.

   Substitute Shinigami (死神代行, Shinigami Daikō) is a human who became Shinigami by obtaining another Shinigami's power, or by going through a much harder and riskier process to transform him/herself into one. Obtaining another Shinigami's power is done by thrusting his/her Zanpakutō into the person's chest who wants to obtain the power. However, the percentage of success is low. In the case of success, the person normally obtains around half of the Shinigami's power, and only temporarily at that. The transferral of a Shinigami's powers to a Human is forbidden by the Soul Society.

   In the case of the individual borrowing the power being a Human, several difficulties arise, illustrated by the example of Ichigo. In order to be able to fight as a Shinigami, he has to leave his body and get into soul state, which can only be by use of a Gokon Tekkō or Soul Candy. In the former case, his body needs to be taken care of until he finishes his job and re-enters it.

   If a Substitute Shinigami appears, Soul Society gives that Shinigami a special badge which they use to monitor and restrict the Substitute. However, the Substitute is told that it is a license which is given to Substitutes that prove beneficial to Soul Society to allow them to do their work and identify them as a Substitute. The badge alerts the user if Hollows are nearby via an alarm sound which can only be heard by the owner and the item itself is only visible to other spiritually aware beings. The Badge can also allow the soul to leave the body.

   ---

   Hollows (虚ホロウ, Horō) are a race of masked spiritual creatures which are born from human souls who, for various reasons, do not cross over to Soul Society after their deaths and stay in the Human World for too long. They are corrupt spirits with supernatural powers which devour the souls of both living and deceased humans. Hollows settle in Hueco Mundo, but can cross over to the Human World and Soul Society. Hollows are the opposite of humans and the Japanese counterparts to London's Dragons. A Hollow that has removed its mask is referred to as an Arrancar.

   Hollow Classifications:

   A Demi-Hollow (lit. "Half-Hollow") is a Jibakurei, an earthbound spirit who is evolving into a Hollow. It usually takes a while for the earthbound spirit to fully transform into a Hollow, but this process can be sped up by forcing the hole in their chest to open. The Demi-Hollows are held down by chains, usually to a place they consider to be their territory. They are usually only seen when a human steps on their territory and cannot be easily sensed by Shinigami.

   Huge Hollows (Japanese for "Gigantic Hollow") are large Hollows that tower over human-sized individuals and buildings. Though they pose a grave threat to inexperienced Shinigami, such as the students of Shin'ō Academy, captains of the Gotei 13, such as Sousuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen, can handle them with little effort. Apart from their size, they don't appear to be any different from an ordinary Hollow.

   Though most Hollows are simply transformed human souls, a sub-group of Hollows known as Menos Grande (Spanish for "Less Big" or "Big Minus", Japanese for "Great Hollow"), or simply Menos (Spanish for "Minus" or "Less"), exist. Menos are conglomerations of hundreds of normal Hollows, resulting in a single composite entity of far greater strength than any normal Hollow.

   Menos are created when the void within an ordinary Hollow's heart becomes so substantial human souls are incapable of sustaining it, at which point it begins devouring fellow Hollows. These cannibal Hollows are attracted to one another, and a mass inter-devouring follows, resulting in a Gillian. Following this transformation, the Gillian can evolve twice more, first into an Adjuchas and finally into a Vasto Lorde, provided certain conditions are met. Menos evolution is not only contingent upon the Menos eating other Hollows, but also upon the Menos' ability to avoid being eaten. If another Hollow succeeds in devouring even a part of their body, evolution becomes impossible for the one who was wounded this way. Menos-class Hollows pose such a grave threat that even a single Shinigami's abilities are insufficient to handle them, necessitating the intervention of the Royal Guard. There are three categories of Menos: Gillians, Adjuchas, and Vasto Lordes.

   Gillians (Japanese for "Lowest Great Hollow") are the first and weakest of all Menos. In human terms, they would be considered foot soldiers. There are many of them, and they all look alike. In Soul Society, they are the "Menos" who are generally referred to in textbooks. Gillians are huge, but they are slow and have beast-like intellect; any captain-level Shinigami can destroy them with ease. Up to the point when Rukia Kuchiki meets Ichigo Kurosaki, she had only seen them in such textbooks, despite having been a Shinigami for many years. Gillians have immense Reiryoku, and are commonly seen attacking in groups. Gillians typically arrive in the Human World through the use of spatial distortions called Kūmon.

   Appearance: Gillians are huge monster Hollows at least 2-6 stories tall, easily dwarfing even the largest standard Hollow. They all have a white mask with an elongated nose. Their bodies are covered from their head to their feet with a black covering reminiscent of a cloak. Around their neck is a row of thin white spikes. They have large, pointed feet wrapped in white bandages. They have large white hands with long, sharp, white nails, but they are commonly hidden within their cloak, rarely revealed even in combat. They have long tongues capable of breaking a fellow Hollow's mask.

   Signature Skills: Cero, Kūmon, Negación.

   Evolution: Though Gillians usually have no personality to speak of, which makes them dangerous since they have no mind of their own, one of the many Hollows which comprise it might gain control over the newly formed entity, reflected in the unique mask it wears in comparison to a normal Gillian. Only these Gillian variants have the potential to evolve into Adjuchas-class Menos. The evolution is facilitated by the continued cannibalization of fellow Hollows, even other Gillians.

   Aaroniero Arruruerie is the only member of the most recent generation of the Espada that was originally a Gillian-class Menos prior to becoming an Arrancar.

   Adjuchas (Japanese for "Intermediate Great Hollow") are the second classification of Menos. They are smaller than Gillians and far fewer in number. They are much smarter and stronger than Gillians, and are often the ones who lead Gillians into battle. Adjuchas are commonly solitary creatures, rarely joining into groups.

   Appearance: Adjuchas can vary radically in appearance, anywhere from bulky humanoids to the panther-like form of pre-Arrancar Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

   Signature Skills: Cero, Garganta.

   Evolution: Adjuchas-class Menos are much smaller in population compared to the Gillian class, due to the rarity of any one Hollow being capable of overwhelming the many other Hollows which comprise the body of a Gillian. Furthermore, the Adjuchas must continue to devour Hollows, or its mind will be absorbed by the other Hollows comprising its form, and it will revert into a Gillian. The subsequent lack of an individual will prevent the reverted Gillian from becoming an Adjuchas again. If any part of an Adjuchas is devoured, they permanently cease evolving, but they also cannot devolve into a Gillian anymore.

   Vasto Lordes (Spanish for "Vast Lord", Japanese for "Highest Great Hollow") are the third classification of Menos and the highest level of evolution. They are extremely rare, and it is said that their entire number within Hueco Mundo can be counted on one's hands. The combat capabilities of a Vasto Lorde are also said to be above those of the captains of the Gotei 13, to the point where Tōshirō Hitsugaya speculates that if Sousuke Aizen were to acquire ten or more Vasto Lordes and turn them into Arrancars, the Soul Society would be doomed. However, it is still possible for a captain to take on a Vasto Lorde in combat if they are strong enough, as demonstrated by Hitsugaya himself during his battle with Tier Harribel. Aizen, a former Gotei 13 captain, also easily defeated Harribel during a brief clash. Most of the Espada were Vasto Lordes.

   Appearance: Vasto Lordes are extremely small Hollows, roughly the same size and shape as humans. Signature Skills: Cero, Sonído.

   Evolution: The process for the creation of a Vasto Lorde is unknown. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and his Fracción hypothesized that an Adjuchas can become a Vasto Lorde by devouring large amounts of Hollows; however, Shawlong Koufang and his group found this method to be ineffective. After devouring three thousand Hollows, Shawlong speculates that a Vasto Lorde is determined upon an individual's birth as a Hollow, or perhaps before that.

   Pluses (整プラス, Purasu; Viz: Wholes) are the benign ghosts in the Human World. They are the spirit of a person who has died. A chain, known as the Chain of Fate, protrudes from the soul's chest and connects it to its living body. When this chain is severed, the soul can no longer return to its body and live. The soul can move about freely if the chain is broken, but this also causes the chain to slowly corrode. Normally, pluses are sent to Soul Society by Shinigami in a ritual called Konsō before this corrosion becomes significant. If the Chain of Fate is corroded entirely, the Plus will become a Hollow. This type of Soul, not possessing any regrets or other ties to the Human World, is also referred to as Fuyūrei (浮遊霊, Wandering Spirit; Viz "Floating Fuyu Spirit").

   An Arrancar (破面アランカル, Arankaru; Spanish for "To Tear Off", Japanese for "Ripped Mask") is a Hollow that has removed its mask and has gained a more humanoid form and powers similar to those of a Shinigami.

   Arrancar are a group of Hollows that gained similar powers to that of a Shinigami by removing their masks. The individuals that Aizen turned into Arrancar using the Hōgyoku generally possess powers far beyond those of previous Arrancar, with some exceptions like Coyote Starrk and Ulquiorra Cifer. Especially powerful Arrancar were assigned ten numbers by Sousuke Aizen and came to be known as the Espada.

   Creation: Arrancar are the result of Hollows removing their masks. However, an average Hollow removing their mask would not be a problem for the Gotei 13: to hold their own against the Gotei 13, the ones removing their masks would need to be Gillian or stronger. Pseudo-Arrancar have not developed much in the past few decades. Sousuke Aizen was the first to create a breakthrough; Aizen managed to create a full Arrancar by using the Hōgyoku.

   Power Development: The number that the Arrancar (with numbers 11 and above) have are not the order of their strength, but rather the order of their birth. First, via the Hōgyoku, they are reborn from Hollows into Arrancar. Then, according to the order in which they are born, they were assigned a number, starting with eleven.

   Arrancar and ordinary Hollows differ in several ways:

   Humanoid Form: A Menos usually takes on a Human shape when it becomes an Arrancar. The only ones that will definitely get a 100% Humanoid form are Vasto Lorde-class Menos. For the remaining two levels, there are many who don't get a completely Humanoid form, despite becoming Arrancar. Therefore, the closer one looks to a Hollow, the lower its power of reasoning. There have been Arrancar who have claimed that they gave up their Humanoid forms in order to obtain enormous power. All Arrancar retain a hole in them somewhere, as well as fragments of their Hollow form (in the shape of protrusions and partial masks). While an Arrancar's appearance cannot change as a result of aging, it can change over time as the Arrancar in question's Reiatsu evolves.

   Physiology: Uryū Ishida theorized that Arrancar share not only the powers of Shinigami, but also their anatomy. During his battle with Cirucci Sanderwicci, he aimed for the area where the Chain of Fate would be located, and upon striking it Cirucci immediately lost not only her release form and mask fragment, but seemingly all traces of her former power.

   Estigma (Spanish for "Scar" or "Stigma", Japanese for "Mask's Crest"): The pattern on an Arrancar's face. It is potentially the remaining part of a mask and is unique to each individual. The pattern may appear when performing Resurrección for many Arrancar. A few cases that include visible Estigma without the release of a Zanpakutō include Ulquiorra's tear marks, Sung-Sun's pink dots, the dashes under Grimmjow's eyes, the marking which runs across Nelliel's cheekbones and nose, and the marks on Yammy's cheek bones. Hole: One of the most distinctive characteristics of an Arrancar is the hole in their body. It is said to represent the lack of a heart that is difficult to fill.

   Zanpakutō: The Arrancar seal the nuclei of their abilities within the form of a sword; which is manifested from the part of their Hollow Mask that has broken off. It is purportedly "entirely different" from the Zanpakutō that Shinigami use. When Arrancar release their Zanpakutō's seal, they unleash their true power and their true form. The combat efficiency of an Arrancar with a released Zanpakutō is increased several times over. Therefore, an Arrancar's release of their Zanpakutō is merely a temporary restoration to their former selves, granting them any powers their Hollow form possesses. The act of release is called Resurrección (Spanish for "Resurrection", Japanese for "Returning Blade"), which is activated with a command phrase followed by the name of the sword. An Espada's Resurrección is claimed to be different from that of a normal Arrancar.

   The Espada (Spanish for "Sword", Japanese for "Ten Blades") are the ten most powerful and highest-ranked Arrancars in Sousuke Aizen's army of Hollows, possessing Shinigami-like powers. They serve as the primary adversaries of the Gotei 13's captains during Aizen's war against them.

   An Espada may be demoted from the group either when they lose strength or cease to be useful to Sousuke Aizen, such as Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez after his left arm was cut off by Kaname Tōsen.[60] Yammy Llargo would have also been demoted from the Espada had he not brought his severed arm from his encounter with Ichigo Kurosaki. In most cases, they will be demoted to the Privaron Espada (Spanish for "Deprived Sword", Japanese for "Omission of the Ten Blades"), who are former Espada that have officially lost their rank and are assigned a three-digit number. Being former Espada, they are far stronger than the normal Números. They reside in Tres Cifras (Japanese for "Three-digit", Spanish for "Three Digits"). Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio states that these former "naturally created" Espada were rendered obsolete after Aizen began artificially creating Arrancars to meet his own standards.

   The Números (Spanish for "Numbers", Japanese for "Number Holders") are the combat experts in Sousuke Aizen's army of Arrancar.

   The moment they are "reborn" from Hollows into Arrancar, each member of Aizen's army is assigned a two-digit number, starting with 11. This number indicates not the order of the Números' strength, but of their birth. Thus, the higher an Arrancar's number, the younger they are. The strongest among the Números can be handpicked by Aizen and promoted to Espada.

   The Quincy (Japanese for "Destroyer(s)") are a race of living, spiritually aware Human beings. They are notable for their ability to manipulate Reishi and completely destroy the existence of Hollows, and are considered the polar opposite of Shinigami. Most Quincy were exterminated by the Soul Society over 200 years ago to prevent the collapse of the worlds (brought upon by the mass culling of Hollows).

   Secretly, a "hidden" empire of Quincy has remained, the Wandenreich, which traces its origin back to 1,000 years ago. It is led by Yhwach, the son of the Soul King and the supposed "Father" of all Quincy.

   Quincy are spiritually aware Humans able to absorb and manipulate Reishi into spiritual weapons.

   Reishi Manipulation: A Quincy uses the Reishi in the atmosphere and combines it with their Reiryoku to create weapons. They fight using a power from outside. They have an easier time collecting this energy in environments with higher concentrations of Reishi such as in Soul Society or Hueco Mundo. To a sufficiently powerful Quincy, there is no difference between Reishi and Reiryoku as a source of power. The ability to manipulate such energy allows for a variety of abilities offensive, defensive and supportive. Spirit Weapon: The weapon that Quincy create by gathering the Reishi in the air. The only limit to a Quincy's ability to create and fire arrows is their own stamina and ability to absorb ambient Reishi. In general, a Quincy Cross is the foundation of a Spirit Weapon.

   Enhanced Physical Capabilities: Like Shinigami, Quincy are far more physically capable than regular Humans. For example, Bazz-B is particularly strong and durable, being able to casually crush skulls and survive a combined Shikai assault almost completely unharmed.

   Spiritual Awareness: As a spiritual being, the Quincy can sense Hollows and other spiritual beings at a significant distance, and tell in what direction they are in. Quincy have an acute perception of Reiatsu.

   At some point within their history, the Quincy began to distinguish themselves based upon an individual's ancestry and adopted the practice of true-breeding. Those who were descended from a long line of only Quincy, and so were thought to have a pure heritage, came to be known as Echt (純血統エヒト, Ehito; German for "Real", Japanese for "Pure-Blooded"; Viz "Pure Bloods") Quincy, while all others were instead referred to as Gemischt (混血統ゲミシュト, Gemishuto; German for "Mixed", Japanese for "Mixed-Blooded"; Viz "Mixed Breeds"). In order to preserve their pure lineage, many families conducted arranged marriages between their own children and only those belonging to other pure families. Following Auswählen, a great number of Gemischt Quincy were stripped of their powers and lives, though Uryū Ishida was able to survive thanks to a hidden power within him.

   The final point of contrast between the Quincy and Shinigami is their respective choice of uniform. While the Shinigami wear traditional, black, flowing hakama, the Quincy wear white, form-fitting, high-collared tunics. These bear some resemblance both to Mandarin Chinese dress and to cassocks of Catholic priests. This gives the Quincy a distinctly "foreign" or "Western" style compared to the Shinigami. One peculiar recurring motif of Quincy is that of a cross, which appears frequently on their uniforms and artifacts. The cross is not the same shape among all Quincy (e.g. Uryū uses a Celtic cross, while Ryūken uses a pentacle). There is also a six-pointed cross that appears on the back of Uryū's Quincy tunic.

   Current Gotei 13 in this era: 1st Division: Yamamoto, 2nd Division: Soi Fon; 3rd Division: Gin Ichimaru; 4th Division: Retsu Unohana; 5th Division: Sōsuke Aizen; 6th Division: Byakuya Kuchiki; 7th Division: Sajin Komamura; 8th Division: Shunsui Kyōraku; 9th Division: Kaname Tōsen; 10th Division: Toshiro Hitsugaya; 11th Division: Zaraki Kenpachi; 12th Division: Mayuri Kurotsuchi; 13th Division: Ukitake Jūshirō

   Also known by its English adaptation title, "The Substitute" arc, the first Bleach story arc is twenty episodes in length and covers manga chapters 1 through 70. It initially aired in Japan from October 2004 through February 2005 and in the US from September 2006 to January 2007.

   Ichigo Kurosaki is a 15-year-old teenager with an unexpected ability to see spirits. This ability allows him to spot the Shinigami Rukia Kuchiki, whom he encountered in the morning that day. When Rukia is injured by a Hollow that attacks Ichigo's family, Ichigo is forced to temporarily take her Shinigami powers to defeat the Hollow. The next day, Rukia shows up at Ichigo's school as a normal human. Ichigo asks her what is happening. She explained that he had taken all of her powers instead of the portion she intended to give him the previous night, leaving her unable to perform her duties nor return to the Soul Society. While she recovers her powers, Ichigo must replace her as Karakura Town's in-charge Shinigami, guiding souls to the afterlife and defending people from Hollows.

   Ichigo's spiritual power as a Shinigami is so large that it attracts hungry Hollows and even awakens some humans some spiritual powers they possess. His powers also attract Uryū Ishida, one of the last Quincy's, a race of spiritually aware humans who were annihilated by the Shinigami's a long time ago. In order to prove the Quincy's are better than the Shinigami's, he challenges Ichigo on a Hollow hunting contest. This goes horribly awry, as the bait Uryū uses to start the contest is far more effective than intended, summoning tons of Hollows. During this contest, Yasutora "Chad" Sado and Orihime Inoue have their own spiritual abilities awakened when they are assaulted by Hollows. Uryū and Ichigo eventually ally to drive off the Hollows.

   As the remainder of the school year passes, Ichigo, Rukia, Chad, Orihime, and Uryū become close friends. Rukia begins to grow comfortable with life in the living world but having already spent too much time in the living world without permission makes her a criminal. Soul Society sends two elite Shinigami, Renji Abarai and Byakuya Kuchiki, to arrest her. Ichigo tries to stop the arrest, but his efforts are in vain. Ichigo was defeated and got the originally-Rukia's Shinigami powers taken by Byakuya. Rukia is taken to Soul Society, where she is put on death row.

   Kisuke Urahara, a mysterious shopkeeper and ex-Soul Society resident, reveals to Ichigo a way to save Rukia, which is getting trained by him so Ichigo can become strong enough to rescue Rukia. During training, Kisuke have Ichigo's soul undergo Encroachment and warns that if he doesn't awaken his Shinigami power, he will become a Hollow. Ichigo manages to successfully become a Shinigami before too late and grows stronger after the training. Ichigo and his friends then set off to Soul Society, accompanied by one of Urahara's friends, a talking cat named Yoruichi.

   Arc Overview & Key Milestones

   The Meeting: Rukia Kuchiki, Fishbone D, Transfer of PowerIchigo Kurosaki, a teenager with the ability to see spirits, meets Shinigami Rukia Kuchiki while she is hunting a Hollow named Fishbone D. After being injured in battle, Rukia is forced to transfer her spiritual powers to Ichigo so he can protect his family, making him a Substitute Shinigami.Substitute DutiesHollow hunting, Konso, Soul Burial, ShriekerAs a Substitute Shinigami, Ichigo takes over Rukia's duties of purifying Hollows and performing Konso (Soul Burial) on Pluses in Karakura Town. Key encounters include the battle against the serial killer Hollow, Shrieker, and the realization that his friend Orihime Inoue is being targeted by her own brother's Hollow form, Acidwire.

   The Quincy Duel: Uryū Ishida, a classmate and the last remaining Quincy, challenges Ichigo to a Hollow-hunting competition to prove that the Quincy's methods are superior to the Shinigami's. Uryū uses "Hollow Bait" to draw a massive swarm of Hollows to Karakura Town, unintentionally putting the entire city in danger. The massive concentration of spiritual energy during the Quincy duel attracts a Menos Grande, specifically a Gillian-class Menos. Ichigo and Uryū are forced to work together, and Ichigo repels the beast by releasing a massive, uncontrolled burst of spiritual pressure that injures the Menos and forces it back into Hueco Mundo.

   The Arrest: Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and Lieutenant Renji Abarai arrive in the Human World to arrest Rukia for the capital crime of giving her powers to a human. Byakuya easily defeats Ichigo using the high-speed "Senka" technique, severing Ichigo's Soul Chain and leaving him powerless as Rukia is taken back to Soul Society for execution because she gave Ichigo her powers.

   Trials of the Shattered Shaft:

   Trials of the Shattered Shaft is an event marking the end of The Death Trilogy Overture and leading into the Ryoka Invasion. During this event, Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends undergo training to refine and control their respective powers, with Ichigo himself encountering Zangetsu for the first time, but inadvertently awakening his inner Hollow in the process.

   Prelude:

   After Ichigo Kurosaki manages to scar a Menos Grande during his competition with Uryū Ishida and force it to retreat back to Hueco Mundo, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai and Captain Byakuya Kuchiki are dispatched to the Human World in order to apprehend or execute Rukia Kuchiki for transferring her Shinigami powers to Ichigo. Upon finding Rukia, Renji and Byakuya are confronted by Uryū, whom Renji easily defeats, and Ichigo, whom they had also been seeking in order to kill.

   Ichigo engages in a fierce battle with Renji, and though the latter initially overwhelms him with his greater combat experience and usage of his Zanpakutō's Shikai, Zabimaru, Ichigo gains a power boost upon realizing that he is in mortal danger and quickly turns the tables on Renji, leading Byakuya to intervene by grievously wounding Ichigo with Senka. After learning that Byakuya has destroyed his Saketsu and Hakusui to rid him of all his Shinigami powers, Ichigo can only watch as Rukia, as a last resort to protect him from further arm, willingly returns with Byakuya and Renji to Soul Society in order to atone for her crime.

   However, though Byakuya and even Rukia had assumed Ichigo would soon die from his injuries, Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin arrive shortly afterward in order to save him and Uryū, the latter of whom only requires minor treatment due to the shallow nature of his wound and goes home afterward. Urahara brings Ichigo back to the Urahara Shop to fully recuperate due to his more extensive injuries, and after Ichigo regains consciousness, Urahara reveals that there is a way for him to travel to Soul Society and rescue Rukia before her execution. However, Urahara only promises to help Ichigo achieve this if the latter trains with him for the next ten days, which Ichigo agrees to.

   The next day, at Karakura High School, Tetsuo Momohara greets Ichigo, and when the latter reacts in confusion, an irritated Tetsuo wonders how Ichigo cannot remember him after all the times he asked Ichigo to join the karate team, prompting Ichigo to apologize. Noting that he is at school right now, Ichigo recalls Urahara giving him a bottle of pills to take one of every hour and promising that his wounds will be a lot better by that night, as he does not want Ichigo to die in the middle of their training, before telling him to go to school until his summer vacation starts tomorrow.

   As he sits down at his desk, Ichigo observes that the medicine really is amazing despite the skull-and-crossbones label on the bottle because it only takes one pill to numb his pain completely. However, Ichigo also reveals that no one at school remembers Rukia, with Tetsuo sitting at her desk in the classroom and no one having even mentioned her name, and states that he now understands what it means to return to Soul Society, with her existence having been erased from the world and people's hearts. Later, Misato Ochi finishes reading the announcements and advises her students to not spend too much time studying except for this class.

   Instructing them to break some rules in order to make good memories, which bewilders her students, Misato declares class is dismissed as they all cheer. While the students around him discuss their after-school plans and new music releases, Ichigo looks at Uryū's empty seat and notes he was absent all day before admitting he thought Uryū might remember Rukia too. Suddenly, Keigo Asano wraps a blindfold around Ichigo, lifts him out of his seat, and spins him around before asking him where the watermelon is, only for Ichigo to hit him in the head with the bat, prompting a bleeding Keigo to tell him he is supposed to crack the watermelon instead of his skull.

   Soon afterward, Keigo presents various beach party supplies to Ichigo, Yasutora Sado, Orihime Inoue, Tatsuki Arisawa, Mizuiro Kojima, and Michiru Ogawa before proposing that they all go on a ten-day beach trip starting tomorrow. As he describes all the available festivities and hijinksthat they will get up to, Ichigo bluntly states that he will be busy and apologizes to an incredulous Keigo. While Orihime also declines, Tatsuki reveals that she will be attending Nationals, leading Michiru to state that she will not go if Orihime and Tatsuki are not either, and Sado declines as well. When a dejected and tearful Keigo slowly turns to him, Mizuiro reveals that he is going to Phuket tomorrow, prompting Keigo to angrily grab him by the shoulders and demand to know if he is going with the two older women he met at the Casual Soul Realm Assault Trip taping. Mizuiro clarifies that it is actually his girlfriend Marie and nine of her friends for a total of eleven, which only enrages Keigo further as he accuses Mizuiro of trying to start a nude soccer team with these women.

   Watching this, Ichigo notes it feels weird for the world to keep rotating without Rukia, but wonders why it should not be this way since Rukia is originally from Soul Society and never really belonged in the Human World, though he is disheartened at the possibility of this being true as he walks through Karakura Town soon afterward. Suddenly, Ichigo is surprised to find Orihime standing in front of him and is further shocked when she asks him where Rukia went and why everyone forgot about her. After Ichigo explains the situation to her, Orihime sits next to him while summarizing it as Rukia having gone back to her world and Ichigo wanting to help her.

   As he affirms this, Ichigo admits that he is surprised Orihime could see them and begins to ask her why she never brought it up sooner, but Orihime inquires about what he is going to do and points out how Rukia being from the other world means that all her friends and family are over there. Wondering if Ichigo is going to forcefully take Rukia away from her loved ones and bring her back to the Human World after he saves her, Orihime questions if this is the right thing to do, leaving a shocked Ichigo at a loss for words. However, as Ichigo tries to answer, Orihime asserts that it is the right choice, to his further bewilderment, and declares that Ichigo has already made up his mind no matter what she says before imitating how Ichigo will put on a stubborn face and tell Rukia that she will only be able to see her family again someday if she is alive rather than dead, which Orihime cheerfully states is what the Ichigo she knows would say. With Orihime encouraging him to save Rukia because she does not want her friend to die either, Ichigo gets up and sincerely thanks Orihime for her perspective.

   Ichigo proceeds to run up a nearby set of stairs, leaving Orihime to ask him to not get hurt before deciding she will not let it happen. After finding a phone booth, Orihime calls Sado and reveals she has made up her mind. Shortly afterward, when Ichigo arrives at the Urahara Shop, Urahara stands with Tessai Tsukabishi, Jinta Hanakari, and Ururu Tsumugiya as he asks Ichigo how his wounds are faring, prompting Ichigo to rip open his shirt and reveal only scars remain as he declares they have completely healed. Commending this, Urahara asks Ichigo if he got permission from his family and is startled when Ichigo explains his story of crashing at a friend's house.

   As Urahara decides that they should get started, Ichigo plants his feet and bows while loudly thanks him for saving his life, leading a surprised Urahara to ask him if he said something. After Ichigo denies this, Urahara smiles and states that he did not think so before admitting that he has been looking forward to this. In the Sixth Division barracks in the Seireitei in Soul Society, a kimono-wearing Renji strides past two unseated Shinigami, whom he exchanges greetings with, and reaches the door to the prison ward, which he opens with a keycard. Inside, Rikichi Yuki expresses dismay upon seeing a Jigokuchō flying away again and tries to catch it with a net while asserting that he is going to get in trouble.

   When that fails, Rikichi attempts to entice it with a fake butterfly of the opposite sex, only to be kicked down by an irritated Renji, who demands to know what he was doing. As Rikichi rubs his head and wonders what that was for, Renji criticizes him for not being able to handle the Jigokuchō on his own by now and responds to Rikichi pointing out that he is supposed to be off-duty today by stating that he is just here to check on Rukia and asking how she is, leading Rikichi to note that she has been staring at the small window in her cell since last night. Renji asks Rukia how long she is going to sulk and asserts that she will not survive to be executed if she does not eat something, but Rukia claims that she is simply not hungry while addressing Renji as Lieutenant. When an annoyed Renji asks her if his new rank bothers him, Rukia denies this and commends him for working hard to get himself promoted in the two months she was gone before sarcastically wishing him luck, praising his strength, and asking him about his strange eyebrows.

   Angered by this, Renji declares Rukia is dead and tells her to step out of her cell. After pausing for a few seconds, Rukia asks Renji if she is really going to die, and when he confidently proclaims she is going to be executed any day now, Rukia merely accepts this, leading a bewildered Renji to assure her he was just kidding as she questions how she was supposed to know that. Renji claims Byakuya is on his way to the Captain-Commander's office and will likely request a reduced sentence for her because he will not just stand by and let her be killed as her brother, but Rukia asserts he will simply kill her himself because she knows very well what kind of person he is, having not once looked at her in the 40 years since the Kuchiki Clan took her in.

   Lesson 1. One Strike:

   Meanwhile, in the Human World, the Urahara Shop is closed for business, and Ichigo, Urahara, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu stand in a large, desert-like area underneath it as Urahara expresses amazement at such a huge and cavernous chamber being located underneath his store. While Ichigo flatly states that he is duly impressed, Urahara reveals that this is his training room which they made overnight just for him using their powerful technology, prompting Ichigo to ask Tessai if their policy is to ignore customers just to cater to spiritual matters, which Tessai does not have an answer for. Urahara points out that the ceiling is painted to resemble the sky, which Ichigo observes is just like a prison, and that they planted trees to make it cheery, only for Ichigo to note that they are all dead, before patting himself on the back for managing to build this underneath a city, prompting an annoyed Ichigo to assert that it is likely illegal and in violation of building ordinances.

   When Ichigo tells him to start training already because they do not have much time, Urahara commends his spirit and agrees before pushing Ichigo's Soul out of his body with the tip of his cane. Flying back onto the ground, Ichigo demands to know what that was for, only to suddenly find himself tired and out of breath as Urahara observes that this is the first time Ichigo has left his body without becoming a Shinigami, which means that he is just a Soul and will find it hard to move and breathe. Urahara explains that Byakuya destroyed Ichigo's Hakusui and Saketsu, which act as the source of and a booster to his Reiryoku respectively, meaning he is now a regular disembodied Soul from a regular Human with no spiritual powers, before revealing that he must restore his Reiryoku in order to fight the Shinigami. As he details how he must learn to control his Soul body, which will happen when he recovers his Reiryoku, Urahara states that he will have succeeded when his Soul body moves better than his physical body.

   Ichigo asserts that it sounds complicated and wonders how he is supposed to do this, leading Urahara to note that he probably learns better by doing before calling over Ururu, who greets Ichigo and states that it is a pleasure to train with him. While Ichigo expresses confusion at this, Urahara reveals that his first lesson is to hit her, shocking Ichigo, and explains the rules as the session ending when one of them is unable to move and Ichigo trying to knock her out before he gets knocked out. When Ichigo demands to know if he is sick for wanting him to hit a little girl, Urahara claims that it will not be as easy as Ichigo thinks with his Soul body, further irritating Ichigo. However, Ururu tosses Ichigo protective equipment while putting on her own, and as Ichigo tries to tell her that he will not be fighting her, Ururu asks him to put the equipment on or risk being killed before leaping toward a confused Ichigo and throwing a punch, which creates a large explosion of force while Urahara asserts that he told Ichigo as much.

   As the dust settles around Ururu after her powerful blow, Jinta notes that he cannot see Ichigo and Tessai wonders if he is dead, prompting Urahara to admit that he does not know. Upon seeing Ichigo tumble out of the dust cloud and run toward Ururu, Urahara assumes he is charging her, only to be confused when Ichigo runs past her and grabs his headgear off the ground before running away while marveling at the power Ururu unleashed and admitting that he will die if he is hit by that kind of attack. Asserting that he is going to wear the headgear no matter how much it helps him, Ichigo realizes that he does not know how it works and asks Urahara for help.

   Urahara tells Ichigo to tie it onto his forehead and recite a cheesy mantra about the power and armor of justice. Though he initially agrees to do so, Ichigo only gets to the point of placing the headgear on his forehead before throwing it down in embarrassment and proclaiming that he cannot do it. However, after Ururu attacks him again and Urahara tells him that this is no time to look stupid, Ichigo decides to put it on and recite the line despite his embarrassment, only for nothing to happen as Urahara laughs about him actually putting it on, to Ichigo's chagrin.

   Putting the headgear and gloves on properly, which gives him protection for the sides of his face as well, Ichigo declares he is ready now and tells Ururu to do her worst, only to be sent fleeing once again as she continues to attack the area behind him. When Urahara compliments his fleeing, Ichigo asserts that it is a defensive strategy and notes he is not sure the headgear will save him. As he continues to run while expressing astonishment at Ururu's power and reiterating that he will die if he is hit by her, Ichigo realizes he is outrunning her, which means he might be able to dodge her punches, and turns to face Ururu before narrowly dodging her next punch aimed at his head.

   With this leading him to mentally declare that he can do it, Ichigo throws a left hook at Ururu, who leans back at the last second, to Urahara's entertainment. Ichigo continues to throw punches at Ururu, who dodges each one, and mentally promises that he only intends to tap her headgear rather than hit her face because he is so much bigger than her that such a hit should be sufficient to knock her out. Upon throwing one more punch, Ichigo manages to graze Ururu's cheek and observes his success. However, when her cheek begins to bleed, Ururu stares coldly at Ichigo and leaps onto his outstretched arm before delivering a powerful kick to his head.

   As Ichigo is sent crashing into a nearby rock wall by this, Urahara grabs Ururu's leg to prevent her from continuing and declares that Ichigo is "safe" while a lightly injured Ichigo finds himself having been caught by Tessai. Realizing that he lost, Ichigo asks Urahara to let him try again so he can beat Ururu, but Urahara declares that he passed lesson one, shocking Ichigo. When Ichigo points out that Ururu beat him soundly, Urahara reminds him that he only told Ichigo to knock out before he was knocked out, not that he had to knock out Ururu, to Ichigo's surprise, and asserts that a Human Soul does not stand a chance against Ururu because she has Shinigami-level combat skills before asking Ichigo if he is still having trouble breathing. With Ichigo realizing that he is not, Urahara observes that his movement should be better too.

   When Urahara inquires how long this has been the case, Ichigo estimates it as having been a little while. Urahara that this lesson was solely about whether or not Ichigo could survive the first blow from Ururu because Reiryoku is most quickly increased when a Soul is put in a life-or-death situation, which is why they exposed Ichigo to mortal danger; if his Reiryoku increased, he would evade the subsequent punches and live, while he would die if it did not increase, leading an irritated Ichigo to observe that this would mean no harm to Urahara himself either way. Reminding Ichigo that his Reiryoku did increase, Urahara declares that they should celebrate by proceeding to something, but while Ichigo assumes he is referring to dinner or a party, Tessai severs his Chain of Fate with a large axe while Urahara tells a stunned Ichigo that they are proceeding straight to lesson two.

   Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Orihime stands with Sado and questions the idea of a lesson, prompting Yoruichi to assert that they will need it if they insist on going to Soul Society before warning them that Yoruichi's lessons are not for the faint of heart. Some time later, upon arriving at a waterfall in a remote area of the wilderness, Uryū declares his satisfaction and asserts that he can train here without anyone bothering him, only to be interrupted when Orihime cheerfully calls out to him.

   Uryū is astonished to see Orihime climbing up the rocky mountainside with Sado and Yoruichi. After they get settled, Uryū questions the idea of a lesson, prompting Orihime to explain that they need one so they can go to Soul Society before asking Uryū if he wants to join them. Admitting that he had noticed Orihime and Sado's Reiryoku had increased recently but did not think they were considering this, Uryū inquires who will be teaching them, and when Orihime bashfully states that their teacher is right next to him, a shocked Uryū assumes that he has been masking his presence this whole time, only to be flabbergasted when Yoruichi identifies as the master. When Uryū questions what Yoruichi is, Orihime and Sado simultaneously tell him that Yoruichi is a cat as Uryū clarifies that he wants to know why Yoruichi is talking as the latter remarks on his pointing as rude.

   Suddenly realizing what he is doing, an embarrassed Uryū asks them to forgive him for his outburst as Yoruichi mocks him for reacting so violently to a cat talking, which provokes an irritated Uryū into swiping at Yoruichi while demanding that the cat stop talking. Yoruichi tells Uryū to take a lesson from Orihime and be more adaptable before instructing those present to focus on why they are here as Orihime asks Uryū why a talking cat is so unusual, though a perturbed Sado admits that it is a little strange despite this. Orihime points out that Uryū is planning to rescue Rukia too and encourages him to join them for Yoruichi's lessons, but Uryū respectfully declines.

   A confused Orihime wonders why and picks up Yoruichi, whom she asserts is amazing for tracking Uryū here by his spiritual presence. Though he agrees that Yoruichi is very skilled, Uryū explains that he just wants to be alone before claiming that he never had any intention of rescuing Rukia and is simply training because he is angry with himself for losing to a Shinigami. Upon seeing Yoruichi walking away after hearing this, Orihime calls out to the cat, who declares that they have no further business here because Uryū is not going to Soul Society. As Orihime tries to protest this, Sado gently tells her that they should go and begins to follow Yoruichi. Turning to face Uryū, Orihime promises that they will be waiting if he changes his mind before running off to catch up to Yoruichi and Sado. As she leaves, Uryū simply apologizes to Orihime and asserts that this training cannot be witnessed by anyone as he opens a box that he brought with him and tells his master that he is ready.

   Lesson 2. Shattered Shaft:

   Meanwhile, in the training space underneath the Urahara Shop, Ichigo declares that he is doing to die as Tessai sits on his back, and when Urahara questions if he has to make so much noise, Ichigo reminds him that they cut off his Chain of Fate and that he needs it. However, Urahara simply states that he knows this, to Ichigo's bewilderment, and explains how Ichigo is going to die because he cannot return to his body. Detailing how the chain's Encroachment will soon begin and eventually reach Ichigo's chest, where it will create a large hole, Urahara proclaims that this will cause Ichigo to turn into a Hollow.

   When Ichigo is left shocked by this, Urahara expresses surprise that he did not already know before revealing the one way for Ichigo to survive after his Chain of Fate has been cut is for him to become a Shinigami. Urahara confirms lesson two is about Ichigo regaining his Shinigami powers and promises he will be a fully functional Shinigami once again when it is over before declaring "Shattered Shaft" will commence and pointing at a rock spire dozens of meters away, only to have a large hole appear underneath Ichigo and Tessai, who promptly fall into it. As Ichigo screams in terror from within the hole, Urahara proudly certifies this as his highest-level fakeout.

   Despite this, Urahara is somewhat unnerved when he does not hear them land and observes to Ururu that it is very deep, prompting her to assert that she worked very hard. After landing, Ichigo curses Urahara before realizing that his arms have been bound as Tessai reveals that he has used Bakudō #99, Part 1. Kin and apologizes before explaining that he must bind Ichigo's arms for the duration of this lesson. Calling out to Ichigo from the surface, Urahara tells him to reach the top of the pit in his current condition and declares that this is lesson two, which Ichigo proclaims is impossible. However, Urahara merely tells him he may not want to spend his time arguing because Encroachment has already begun, and as Ichigo sees the last two links of his Chain of Fate sprout tiny mouths with spiky tongues that begin devouring the upper links, Urahara reveals a severed Chain of Fate will begin to devour itself.

   While Urahara calls this process Encroachment, Ichigo angrily slams his chest against the side of the Shattered Shaft and begins scraping the end of his Chain of Fate against it while proclaiming that he will crush the mouths, only for Urahara to warn him to not get too close to the mouths as Ichigo hears a crunching sound and falls back to discover that the mouths have taken a bite out of his torso, which spurts blood. As Urahara observes that they will eat Ichigo instead of the Chain of Fate if he gets too close, Ichigo collapses and grunts in pain. After admitting that it normally takes months or even years for a broken Chain of Fate to reach this state, Urahara reveals that there is a gas in the Shattered Shaft that stimulates Encroachment.

   Urahara tells Ichigo his Encroachment will be complete in 72 hours as he clarifies Ichigo will either become a Shinigami and escape or become a Hollow and be disposed of by Urahara and his crew. With Ichigo incredulous that Urahara would let him die, Urahara asserts his only two choices are to succeed or die while Tessai continues to maintain his spell a few feet away from Ichigo. Elsewhere, in an abandoned building in Karakura Town, Orihime and Sado yell loudly as they attempt to summon their respective powers, prompting an embarrassed Yoruichi to tell them they are doing it wrong and state they will never get to Soul Society like this.

   Urahara tells Ichigo his Encroachment will be complete in 72 hours as he clarifies Ichigo will either become a Shinigami and escape or become a Hollow and be disposed of by Urahara and his crew. With Ichigo incredulous that Urahara would let him die, Urahara asserts his only two choices are to succeed or die while Tessai continues to maintain his spell a few feet away from Ichigo. Elsewhere, in an abandoned building in Karakura Town, Orihime and Sado yell loudly as they attempt to summon their respective powers, prompting an embarrassed Yoruichi to tell them they are doing it wrong and state they will never get to Soul Society like this.

   When Orihime begins to protest, Yoruichi asserts that they will not last one minute in Soul Society if they cannot activate their powers at will before instructing them to remember the first time they used their powers and retrace their steps. Admitting that this sounds reasonable, Orihime notes that she was desperate when she first used her power, prompting Yoruichi to inquire what she was desperate to do. With Orihime confused by this, Yoruichi explains how people discover their true powers when they want to protect something, regardless of what it is, and asks Orihime and Sado what they wanted to protect back then. Though Orihime immediately thinks of Tatsuki, Sado is unable to recall precisely what Karin looks like.

   Sado simply adds Karin's hat and hair as well as lipstick to Ichigo's face because he assumes that they must look the same, with the resulting mental image visibly shocking him as Orihime and Yoruichi wonder what is wrong. Suddenly, Orihime's hairpins sparkle, which Sado points out to her as Yoruichi further elaborates that the heart reveals what is most precious to its owner because it is closely linked to the soul. Yoruichi asks Orihime why she is going to Soul Society, and after she thinks for a few seconds and firmly states that she is going in order to protect Ichigo, Yoruichi praises her conviction as the Shun Shun Rikka suddenly burst out of Orihime's hairpins, prompting a surprised Orihime to happily greet them. However, Tsubaki begins pulling on her hair while berating her for summoning them when she is not in danger as Shun'ō frantically tells him to stop, which leads Yoruichi to tells Orihime that she needs to learn to control her powers.

   After observing that they seem to be controlling Orihime right now, Yoruichi turns to Sado and asks him why he wants to go to Soul Society, but Sado initially does not answer. Back in the Shattered Shaft, Ichigo lies on the ground and watches the mouths on the end of his Chain of Fate disappear as he notes that this was the fifth Encroachment and mentally detailing how the mouths only chomp on the links for a few minutes at a time between rest periods of several hours. As he gets to his feet, Ichigo mentally states that the pain of Encroachment is so paralyzing that he has to attempt his escape while the mouths are asleep and begins running up the side of the Shattered Shaft.

   Suddenly, Ichigo slips off and falls back down as he screams. Watching from above, Jinta observes that Ichigo managed to run 10 feet up the wall, slightly impressing Urahara as Ururu calls him an idiot. When Jinta asks him if he is hungry, Ichigo reminds him that he cannot be hungry because he is a disembodied Soul. However, Jinta merely notes that this is good before revealing that a Soul getting hungry means that they are about to become a Hollow, shocking Ichigo. Offering to let Ichigo drink some of his spit if he is thirsty, Jinta lets a strand of saliva drip down from his mouth and has Ururu join him, prompting Ichigo to angrily threaten to beat them up when he gets free before switching to begging for mercy as the saliva begins to touch him.

   Nearby, Urahara purposely ignores this as he notes that it must be getting dark by now before stating that this area makes one lose all sense of time. Some time later, Ichigo lies on the ground and looks up at the top of the Shattered Shaft as he admits that he cannot climb it. While Ichigo wonders how long he has been down here and how he is supposed to climb out, Jinta runs down the side with a large plate of fruit and offers it to Ichigo, whom he cheekily claims must be getting hungry by now, only for Ichigo to assert that he is not hungry and point out that he still has multiple links of his Chain of Fate left. Narrowing his eyes at this, Jinta sets down the plate and notes that it is easy to lose track of time in this hole, and when a confused Ichigo picks up on his mention of time, Jinta reveals in succession that Ichigo has been in the Shattered Shaft for exactly 70 hours, which is when most Souls start transforming into Hollows, and that the next Encroachment will be worse than all the others combined. Suddenly, mouths form on all the remaining links of Ichigo's Chain of Fate, and he can only stare in shock and futilely beg them to stop as the mouths devour each other and the base of the chain on his chest. With the entire chain gone, a mask begins forming itself on Ichigo's face as he screams in agony.

   Tessai can only watch in shock as a shockwave emanates outward from a screaming Ichigo. As Jinta climbs to the top of the Shattered Shaft and observes that Ichigo is actually going to transform into a Hollow, Ururu points her left fist at Ichigo while bracing it with her right arm and asserts that she is going to take preventative measures, but Urahara stops her and tells them to look closely before explaining how Hollows are usually formed by having the Soul burst into pieces and reassemble itself. Pointing out how Ichigo's body is remaining intact while his mask is forming, Urahara reveals that this atypical transformation is a sign of Ichigo's resistance, which means that there is a remote chance of him becoming a Shinigami in time, and requests that they wait just a bit longer until his transformation is complete, to Jinta and Ururu's shock.

   While the mask continues to form, a voice asks Ichigo if he can hear it as Ichigo wakes up on the side of a skyscraper in his inner world. Wondering where he is, Ichigo has his attention drawn behind him, where Zangetsu stands on top of a pole. Upon being asked who he is, Zangetsu states that Ichigo should know and says his name, but Ichigo is unable to hear it. Disappointed by this, Zangetsu inquires how many times he has to shout in order for his voice to reach Ichigo and claims that there is no one in this world who knows Ichigo better than he does. Upon seeing Zangetsu stepping onto the side of the pole, a confused Ichigo questions what he is talking about.

   However, Ichigo is quickly shocked to see Zangetsu standing on the side of the pole as the latter asks him how he can sit in a place like that. Realizing that he is sitting on the side of a skyscraper with the ground behind him, Ichigo begins falling backward as he screams in terror, prompting Zangetsu to sarcastically praise his composure as he falls alongside him. When Zangetsu assures him that Shinigami preside over all spiritual phenomena, including death, Ichigo frantically points out that he is not a Shinigami right now, only for Zangetsu to continue explaining that Ichigo can solidify the Reishi in the atmosphere beneath his feet in order to stop his fall, which leads an irritated Ichigo to demand to know if he is deaf. Zangetsu tells Ichigo to remember how he was able to gain traction on the air itself as a Shinigami, prompting Ichigo to recall doing so in his fight against Acidwire.

   Zangetsu reveals the Shinigami powers which Byakuya removed from Ichigo were only the ones given to him by Rukia, to Ichigo's shock. Detailing how that was all Byakuya was interested in because he assumed them being gone would be the end of Ichigo, Zangetsu asserts he was careless because he overlooked Ichigo's own Shinigami powers, further shocking Ichigo, as he explains how Rukia's powers awakened Ichigo's own and how they lay deep in his soul at the time of Byakuya's attack before telling Ichigo to find them. The skyscraper behind Zangetsu begins to disintegrate into boxes, which fall past him as he stands in midair and tells Ichigo he needs to find his hidden Shinigami powers now because this world is falling apart before revealing his powers are in one of the boxes.

   Ichigo claims that he cannot possibly do so with how many thousands of boxes there are, but Zangetsu states that there is no time for excuses because Ichigo will turn into a Hollow if he does not find the right box before this world disintegrates. Stunned by this, Ichigo falls into a tear behind him and finds himself in water surrounded by the boxes. Wondering what he is supposed to do in order to find the right box out of all of these, Ichigo admits that he cannot even detect Reiryoku as he is right now, only for this to remind him of Uryū telling him something similar once. As he tries to recall how Uryū figured out that he was a Shinigami and how he was able to detect a Shinigami's powers, Ichigo remembers Uryū informing him that a Shinigami's Reiraku is red, unlike all other Reiraku, and realizes that this is the solution as hundreds of Reiraku appear connected to the boxes around him.

   Upon spotting a red Reiraku, Ichigo grabs it and pulls the box it is connected to over to him while proclaiming that this is it, only to be surprised when it opens to reveal a Zanpakutō's hilt. Praising Ichigo for finding it, Zangetsu hopes his name will reach Ichigo's ears next time, leading Ichigo to realize who he is. However, as the world continues to crumble around them, Zangetsu questions what Ichigo is waiting for and demands he pull him out quickly as Ichigo pulls the Zanpakutō out of the box. In the real world, Urahara, Jinta, and Ururu look down the Shattered Shaft as a partially Hollowfied Ichigo strains against the Bakudō #99 Part 1. Kin binding his arms.

   When Ichigo's struggling causes the iron shafts embedding the fabric to burst out into the air behind him, Tessai informs Urahara that he is switching to suppression mode because they cannot wait any longer and plunges his hands into the ground as he initiates Bakudō #99 Part 2. Bankin, releasing white energy which begins wrapping itself around Ichigo in the form of strips of fabric. As Ichigo is impaled by numerous metal bolts, a shocked Jinta demands to know what Tessai is doing because this will kill Ichigo, only for Tessai to assert that he has no choice because he can barely restrain Ichigo and must destroy him before the change is complete. Tessai completes the spell by dropping an enormous metal cube on top of Ichigo, but as it descends, white fluid bursts out of the bindings covering the hole in Ichigo's chest and travel upward while destroying more bindings along the way, revealing a fully formed Hollow mask underneath the bindings. With Jinta shocked by this, Tessai declares that this is it, but the cube comes to a halt as Urahara shields Jinta and Ururu before a torrent of Reiatsu erupts from the Shattered Shaft. While Jinta observes that it exploded, something bursts out of the Reiatsu flare and hits the painted ceiling above, where it skids along as Jinta points it out to the others, before leaping off and slamming into the ground nearby.

   Surprised by this, Jinta demands to know if that is Ichigo and tells the latter to answer him if he is still alive. Upon seeing two glowing eyes within the dust cloud and a figure moving toward them, Jinta is left speechless as the dust clears to reveal what appears to be a fully Hollowfied Ichigo standing before them with a Shinigami's shihakushō and the tattered remnants of his bindings trailing off of him. With Jinta confused to see both a Shinigami's shihakushō and a Hollow mask on the same being and wondering which it is, the figure reaches for the Zanpakutō on his back, prompting Jinta and Ururu to assume battle stances, only to withdraw a Zanpakutō missing most of its blade. Though Jinta assumes that it is going to attack, the figure instead smashes the hilt of its Zanpakutō into the middle of its mask, shocking Jinta, and grabs the broken section as more pieces fall off.

   The figure pulls the remnants of the mask aside to reveal Ichigo, whose Soul remains intact. With Jinta stunned by him not turning into a Hollow, Ichigo clenches and unclenches his fist before having his attention drawn by Urahara, who celebrates him passing lesson two and becoming a Shinigami. However, an irritated Ichigo jabs Urahara in the eye with the hilt of his Zanpakutō and asserts that the latter should have been praying for him to not make it out alive before revealing that he swore to beat up Urahara if he survived. Noting that this is perfect, Urahara tells him to carry this spirit into lesson three and proclaims that Ichigo passes if he can knock off Urahara's hat with no time limit. Suddenly, Ichigo moves in and slashes upward at Urahara, who notices a slight cut on the brim of his hat and admits that he is impressed by Ichigo getting that close with a broken Zanpakutō. However, when Ichigo confidently declares that he does not need a lack of a time limit anyway because he will finish this in five minutes, a smiling Urahara simply tells him to try as he pulls his own Zanpakutō out of his cane.

   Meanwhile, in the Sixth Division prison ward in the Seireitei, as he grips the bars of Rukia's cell, a stunned Renji refuses to believe what Byakuya just told him, but Byakuya merely questions if he must repeat himself before repeating that Rukia has been found guilty of a capital offense and will suffer the ultimate punishment 25 days from now, which is Soul Society's final decision. Asserting this is the last time he will speak with Rukia, Byakuya departs while noting they will next see each other at the gallows. After Byakuya leaves, Renji attempts to convince Rukia to not be sad because they could still change their minds, only for Rukia to affirm she is not sad.

   Renji angrily declares that she is obviously disconsolate while kicking the bars of her cell. However, Rukia simply states that the ruling cannot be overturned because it came from Central 46 and claims it is fine because she knew it would happen from the beginning, but when Renji expresses concern for her, Rukia whips around and declares that she got him, to his confusion. As she stands up, Rukia inquires if Renji really thought capital punishment would upset her and asserts that it only makes escaping more interesting, and upon seeing Renji's expression, Rukia notes that he seems very worried about her before mockingly observing that he should be worried about his strange tattooed eyebrows. Angered by this, Renji proclaims that he could not care less about Rukia and her problems as he claims to be looking forward to her execution before slamming the door to the prison ward behind him as he departs, leaving Rukia to stare solemnly at the window.

   Outside, Renji mentally berates Rukia for speaking of escape when she is receiving the ultimate punishment and wonders if Byakuya will really allow this to happen. Elsewhere, as he walks along a corridor, Byakuya is confronted by 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and 3rd Division Captain Gin Ichimaru, who respectively note that he seems very calm despite the circumstances and praise him for it. When Gin claims that Byakuya is an example to all Shinigami for being imperturbable even when his sister is going to die, Kenpachi wonders if he is joking and asserts that the only Shinigami who are scared of dying are Gin and 9th Division Captain Kaname Tōsen.

   Byakuya questions what two Captains without their Lieutenants would want with him, and when Gin claims they thought Byakuya would be sad about his sister's impending execution, Byakuya states it has nothing to do with them while Kenpachi dismisses the idea of Byakuya being sad because the blood of a criminal only dishonors a distinguished family like his. With Byakuya admitting his surprise at a commoner like Kenpachi understanding the ways of nobility, Kenpachi merely claims to have always been observant and offers to behead Rukia before the execution for Byakuya's sake, only for Byakuya to calmly declare someone with Kenpachi's skills could not do this.

   However, as Byakuya and Kenpachi further provoke each other, Gin suddenly ties up Kenpachi's body with cloth and moves them both to a nearby rooftop with Shunpo while apologizing to Byakuya, whom he did not intend to anger. With Kenpachi struggling to free himself, Gin asks Byakuya to give his regards to Rukia and moves them both away, leaving Byakuya to resume his walk after a moment's pause.

   Lesson 3. The Blade and Me:

   Back in the training area underneath the Urahara Shop in Karakura Town, Tessai climbs out of the Shattered Shaft, and upon being asked if he is alright by a surprised Jinta, Tessai claims that he is hardly alright due to his badly cracked glasses, leading Jinta to observe that he is at least in one piece while calling him a monster. Despite this, Jinta tells Tessai to keep his broken glasses on because Urahara has drawn his Zanpakutō and Tessai does not want to miss this as he turns back to the fight between Urahara and Ichigo. Upon seeing Urahara cut through a rock with his Zanpakutō, a shaken Ichigo claims this is not bad for Urahara's small sword, leading Urahara to accept this as a compliment before warning Ichigo that he will not go easy on him.

   While Urahara repeatedly slashes around Ichigo as he chases him, Ichigo recalls that only Zanpakutō can harm Shinigami and Hollows, which leads him to believe that he will be fine if he is cut by Urahara's sword because it cannot possibly be a Zanpakutō due to him drawing it from his cane, only for Urahara to immediately prove this wrong by slashing off the remnants of Ichigo's Hollow mask and lightly cutting his head and shoulder, to Ichigo's confusion. Observing that Ichigo let his guard down by assuming that Urahara did not have a Zanpakutō to hurt him with because he is not a Shinigami, Urahara criticizes him for being naive and releases his Shikai, Benihime, which he asserts is very much a Zanpakutō to a shocked Ichigo.

   Ichigo recalls Renji releasing his own Shikai, Zabimaru, and criticizing him for thinking he could fight Renji as an equal without being able to ask his own Zanpakutō for its name. When a stunned Ichigo mentions the concept of the Zanpakutō's name, Urahara affirms that each Zanpakutō has a name before asking Benihime if she is ready as he attacks Ichigo, who is slammed into a large rock behind him with enough force to crack and break it apart. Seeing this, Jinta joins Tessai and Ururu in taking shelter behind another nearby rock as Ichigo hurtles past them. As he regains his footing while sliding backwards, Ichigo sees Urahara emerging in midair from the dust cloud and brings up his damaged Zanpakutō just in time to block Urahara's subsequent attack with what remains of the blade. With Benihime grinding along the blade, Urahara praises Ichigo's courage in blocking Benihime with his broken Zanpakutō, only to assert Benihime is too fierce to be restrained by something like that as he cuts off half of the remaining blade.

   Shocked by this, Ichigo begins running away from Urahara while mentally noting the unfairness of Urahara being able to cut through his Zanpakutō. Suddenly, Urahara appears behind Ichigo and reminds him that he said Ichigo's Zanpakutō was too big. Casually leaning back to dodge Ichigo's subsequent upward slash, Urahara explains that it is not filled with Reiryoku and is instead a bloated bag of fluff that happens to be in the shape of a sword, which he asserts is why it shatters so easily as he destroys the remaining blade and half the guard of Ichigo's Zanpakutō with another slash from Benihime. As a speechless Ichigo watches the other half of his Zanpakutō's guard fall off the hilt and onto the ground, Urahara notes that the blade is gone altogether and questions if Ichigo will come at him with only a hilt, though he admits that Ichigo might be able to achieve the goal of knocking his hat off with that.

   Exerting his Reiatsu, Urahara warns Ichigo that he will kill him if the latter comes at him with that toy. Intimidated, Ichigo begins fleeing from Urahara while mentally asserting that the latter will kill him, only for Urahara to swiftly catch up with him and attack. As he leans away, Ichigo is surprised to find another part of his Zanpakutō's hilt severed and resumes running from Urahara, who grabs him by the back of his shihakushō and throws Ichigo on the ground before slashing down at him. Rolling away from this at the last second, Ichigo gets to his feet as he mentally berates himself as a coward beyond all redemption for pathetically and shamefully running away without any resolve whatsoever. Suddenly, Zangetsu appears before Ichigo and questions why he runs.

   As he brings Ichigo's mind into his inner world, Zangetsu notes that Ichigo still has not called him and asserts that Ichigo should be able to hear it now because only fear is plugging his ears. When Ichigo stops running from him, Urahara also stops in his tracks and stares at him, prompting Jinta to express confusion as he peers at them from behind a rock alongside Tessai and Ururu. With Ichigo's Reiatsu steadily thrumming outward from him, Urahara assumes a battle stance with Benihime, while Ichigo holds the broken hilt of his Zanpakutō next to his hip. As Zangetsu encourages Ichigo to abandon his fear and advance, as retreating will age him and fear will kill him, he commands Ichigo to shout his name as Ichigo calls out Zangetsu, resulting in a torrent of Reiatsu surging from the broken hilt and startling Urahara as Ichigo turns around and unconsciously fires a Getsuga Tenshō. The subsequent energy wave crashes outward between the surrounding rocks, prompting Tessai to shield Jinta and Ururu with his body.

   With the dust beginning to settle, Jinta peers over the rock and wonders what is happening now while Urahara holds onto his hat and watches Ichigo, who kneels with his Shikai, Zangetsu, embedded in the ground before standing up and pulling it out. Though a puzzled Jinta questions what kind of Zanpakutō this is because there is no hilt or guard, which he feels means it is not shaped like a normal sword at all and makes Ichigo's previous Zanpakutō better, Tessai can stare in shock while Ichigo silently inspects Zangetsu. However, when Urahara steps forward and declares that they can proceed with lesson three now that Ichigo has managed to draw his Zanpakutō, Ichigo holds Zangetsu out to the side and apologizes while assuming that Urahara will evade it as best he can, and when a confused Urahara bluntly inquires about why he will need to dodge, Ichigo admits that he probably cannot restrain it.

   Seeing the remnants of Ichigo's bindings burst off his shoulder due to his rising Reiatsu, an alarmed Urahara prepares to protect himself with Chikasumi no Tate as Ichigo brings down Zangetsu and unleashes another, more concentrated Getsuga Tenshō. In the aftermath, Urahara's hat flies off with almost half of its brim missing as Urahara stands behind Chikasumi no Tate in the wake of Ichigo's attack and admits that he would have lost at least an arm without the shield. Walking over to his hat and picking it up, Urahara dusts it off and declares that Ichigo killed it before putting it back on his head as he looks over the large chasm created by Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō.

   Urahara notes that Ichigo is a scary kid to be able to do this with only one attack before informing a sleeping Ichigo that he has passed the third lesson. Elsewhere, in the wilderness, a panting Uryū declares that it is finished as he dissolves his Heilig Bogen and thanks Sōken Ishida while looking at his Sanrei Glove. Meanwhile, in an abandoned building in Karakura Town, Sado destroys a large portion of a wall with an energy blast from his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, leading him and Orihime to celebrate his success and their readiness to go to Soul Society. Despite this, an irritated Yoruichi asserts that they have made a mess and tells Orihime and Sado to run out the back door as sirens approach the building from the street outside.

   At a later point during his training of Ichigo in the training grounds underneath his shop, Urahara explains to him that an attack can be employed fewer times in succession in direct correlation to its power, with a revolver being able to fire six times and a missile only firing once, and asserts that the number of consecutive attacks is always pre-determined. Urahara instructs Ichigo to determine the maximum number of attacks because a desperate opponent will always strike the maximum number of times, which will allow him to attack while the opponent is vulnerable and defenseless between the end of the first series of attacks and the start of the second.

   Some time after this, while training with Urahara, Ichigo narrowly dodges an attack from the former that shatters a rock behind where he was standing, and as Urahara flatly states that he cannot run away, Ichigo angrily points out that Urahara tried to kill him just now and that he would have been killed had he not run. However, Urahara reveals that this is the point and explains how he is trying to corner Ichigo and drive him to the edge so he can learn to deliver the killing blow at any time. With Urahara indicating the massive chasm in the ground he left in the ground after manifesting Zangetsu, Ichigo claims that this was due to luck and not something he can perform on command, but Urahara insists that he has to be able to do it on command.

   Clarifying that Ichigo is on the verge of learning how to fight by activating the true power of his Zanpakutō, Urahara describes him as having talent but only being as strong as a 3rd or 4th Seat at best before informing Ichigo that the enormous strength of Shinigami requires him to master this attack in order to be their equal. Ichigo concedes this, but admits that he does not even remember how he performed this attack due to how desperate he was at the time, only for Urahara to conclude that he is driving Ichigo to the edge in order to make him remember as he leaps forward and jabs at Ichigo with Benihime, which Ichigo blocks with the broad side of Zangetsu before sending him flying backward, where he crashes into the top of a large rock formation.

   Though Tessai and Ururu attempt to move to Ichigo's side in order to tend to his injuries, Urahara appears before them and instructs the two of them to hold back for now as he ascends the side of the rock. As he tries to catch his breath, Ichigo is stunned to see Urahara appear in front of him and attack once more, resulting in Ichigo crashing into a second rock formation nearby after being sent hurtling off the top of the first one, to Jinta's astonishment. Having carved a trench into the top of the rock with his crash, Ichigo coughs as Urahara criticizes him for falling apart after being pressed only a little and expresses disappointment in Ichigo's condition before asserting that his blade only resonates with fear. Urahara details how Ichigo's every move revolves around his fear and declares this will not bring him victory in battle because nothing is born of fear as he tells Ichigo his actions should revolve around his resolve to kill and not let himself or others be killed.

   When Urahara points out how Benihime is filled with the resolve to kill him, Ichigo gets to his feet and raises Zangetsu above his head as his Reiatsu surges, and while Urahara notes that he is capable of resolve after all and instructs Ichigo to never forget this feeling, he uses Nake, Benihime to fire an energy blast at Ichigo as the latter unleashes a Getsuga Tenshō.

   August 1st:

   On August 1st, the day after Ichigo completes his training with Urahara, Keigo welcomes him home and tearfully declares that he was lonely playing video games alone while flinging himself at Ichigo, who merely kicks him in the face as he offhandedly states that it is nice to see Keigo too. When Mizuiro appears with a golden tan and asks Keigo if he missed him, Keigo angrily throws salt at him while calling him a foreign devil, prompting Mizuiro to complain about how it is making his Phuket tan sting before revealing that he brought Keigo back a coconut as a gift, only for Keigo to declare that he will crack it open using Mizuiro's head. As he watches this in bewilderment, Ichigo mentally notes he has decided to enjoy what may be his last normal summer vacation while Urahara's crew prepares to open the gate to Soul Society. At 3:10 P.M. that afternoon, after confirming the time with Mizuiro, Ichigo demands to know why Keigo brought them out to the area they will watch the fireworks from now if the display is not happening until that night.

   Demanding to know if Ichigo knows how much he has been looking forward to this day, Keigo reveals he did not sleep at all last night as Ichigo observes he sounds like a grade school kid before a field trip. Keigo declares he would have had them meet at 11 P.M. in the morning if he could, leading Ichigo to point out this would have been last night rather than this morning, and bemoans how he shut himself in his house and played video games he did not even like every day while Ichigo and the others were gone before revealing he cleared five role-playing games in the last ten days as a stunned Ichigo notes he seems to have found his calling in life. Suddenly, Tatsuki kicks over Keigo from behind and greets Ichigo and Mizuiro alongside Orihime and Sado.

   While Mizuiro greets them in return, Ichigo expresses shock upon seeing Tatsuki's right arm in a sling and is further incredulous to hear that she only placed 2nd at Nationals. Though Tatsuki merely brushes it off as lame because she would have won were it not for her injury, Keigo and Mizuiro are frightened to be standing in front of the second strongest high school girl in Japan, and when Ichigo wonders what kind of monster could have done this to her, Tatsuki explains that she was actually hit by a car when she went to buy a drink after the semifinals and managed to beat her next opponent with just her left arm before revealing that she had to fight a "gorilla" in the finals, prompting Keigo and Mizuiro to mentally swear that they would not fight such a creature with a bazooka.

   Later, as the friends walk through Karakura Town in the evening, Ichigo expresses surprise at how long it took them to just walk to their destination, and upon being told that their destination is the Onose River, Tatsuki points out that they are already here, only for Keigo to claim that they need to keep going because the fireworks are being shot off at the city field across the river while Mizuiro clarifies that they need to go farther down in order to get a good view. Sitting down on the riverbank, Tatsuki asserts that this area is fine because they will get lost in the street vendors and crowds of people if they get too close to the fireworks, prompting Keigo to proclaim that fireworks displays are festivals that are all about going crazy over the fireworks, interacting with the street vendors, and getting aroused by the girls in yukata.

   As Keigo criticizes Tatsuki and Orihime for coming to watch fireworks in their street clothes because he wanted to see Orihime in a yukata, Ichigo questions if they should check out the vendors for a while, which Mizuiro is not sure of. Suddenly, Ichigo is startled to hear Isshin Kurosaki yell out to them as he, Karin Kurosaki, and Yuzu Kurosaki run up dressed in kimono and tackle Ichigo, who is sent rolling down the embankment. Karin and Yuzu offer Ichigo a chocolate-covered banana, but he refuses to eat it while asking them why they are all the way over here.

   When Yuzu loudly expresses surprise at him not wanting to eat her banana, Ichigo asks her to lower her voice as he wonders if they are drunk. Isshin reveals that he is very drunk, to Ichigo's outrage, and explains that one of the vendors put out a stall of fruit juice that was diluted with sake instead of water, though Isshin assumes it was due to senility while Keigo notes that senility likely had nothing to do with it. While Keigo and Mizuiro realize that Isshin knew exactly what he was drinking, Isshin reveals that he also saved a lot of great seats at 7 A.M. and offers to take the students there, leading Ichigo to observe that this is where he was this morning, and admits that he almost got arrested by the police while trying to set up a raft on the river to watch the fireworks from as Ichigo mentally asserts that they should have thrown him in jail.

   After learning that Orihime and Tatsuki will come over later, Isshin runs off with his daughters, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Sado as an exasperated Ichigo notes that he should probably go too. When Ichigo apologizes to her for the chaos and assures her that it is okay if she does not want to come, Tatsuki affirms that she will show up later and tells Ichigo to catch up with them. As Ichigo leaves, Orihime and Tatsuki look out over the river as Orihime cheerfully observes that it has been a while since they were last here. Noting that they come here every fall, Tatsuki reminds Orihime of the time that she found a red dragonfly on this riverbank and ran off after it, only to not come back that night and leave Tatsuki to tearfully look for her for two days. Orihime fondly recalls how a fisherman bought her tasty sushi while she was lost before revealing to Tatsuki that Sora Inoue could catch red dragonflies on his finger at will.

   As she explains how Sora would simply point a finger at the sky and having a red dragonfly land on it, Orihime admits that she loved this and always wanted to do it herself but never could. As she listens to this, Tatsuki notes that Orihime changed how she parts her bangs, and while Orihime claims that she simply felt like a change and wonders why Tatsuki is wearing such a solemn expression, Tatsuki asks her to not go too far away. However, Orihime inquires what she is talking about and asserts that she is simply going to her aunt's house for a while before assuring Tatsuki that she does not want to do so and would much rather hang out with her.

   While Tatsuki looks at her, Orihime proposes that they come back here and watch red dragonflies again after summer vacation is over, which Tatsuki happily agrees to. Suddenly, fireworks begin exploding in the sky above them, prompting Tatsuki to begin running off while observing that it is not even dark yet and telling Orihime to follow her. As she runs, Orihime mentally assures Tatsuki to not worry because she always feels safe wherever she goes due to Tatsuki always looking for her before asking her to wait if Orihime goes somewhere she cannot find so Orihime can eventually come back to her. Later that night, Ichigo carries Karin and Yuzu home as they sleep on his back.

   Ichigo questions why he has to do it, and when a drunk Isshin tells his daughters to enjoy making their brother work like a mule, Ichigo angrily demands to know if he thinks it is funny and turns away as Isshin tearfully claims he was just kidding and Ichigo does not need to get upset. As he continues walking, Ichigo reveals he is going away again in about a week and will not be back until summer vacation is over, prompting Isshin to encourage his solitary journey before requesting he bring back any cute girls he meets for Isshin. Though Ichigo is visibly doubtful of his capabilities, Isshin assures him he can look after the house while Ichigo is gone before proclaiming no harm will befall their family as long as he is around. While Isshin prides himself on having said something cool, Ichigo asserts he is not worried and decides to go.

   Some time later, in the SRDI within the Seireitei, Hiyosu watches archival footage of Rukia in her Gigai at Don Kanonji's Casual Soul Realm Assault Trip taping and observes that it is very well-made as he expresses his hope that it is returned to them soon. Walking up behind Hiyosu, 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon teasingly notes that Hiyosu has been watching this footage for several days and inquires if he is really not bored of it yet, but Hiyosu bluntly asserts that he can look at it all he wants because he found it. Akon admits that they would never have found this Gigai if Hiyosu had not been scouring the Human World's radio wave broadcasts, only for an irritated Hiyosu to point out that they would already have it back were it not for Akon requesting that the Onmitsukidō investigate it. As Akon assures Hiyosu that it should be returned to them today, a nearby alarm shaped like a caterpillar with a human head begins screaming, leading him to observe that it seems to have arrived as Niko Kuna wheels the Gigai into the room on a gurney.

   Laughing with excitement, Hiyosu rips the cloth off the Gigai and praises its perfect condition while admitting that he thought it might have been shaved by the Quarantine Department. As they crowd around the gurney, the other researchers inspect the limbs of the Gigai and observe that it does not have a signature despite being exquisitely crafted. Kuna asserts that no one other than Akon could make something of this quality, but Akon states that he does not remember this Gigai and assumes that it is the work of his Captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. While another researcher dismisses its creator as irrelevant, Hiyosu extends his eyeball outward on a rod with a crank on the side of his head as he reminds them that they should be thanking him for finding it. Suddenly, Hiyosu expresses surprise, and when Kuna asks him what he found, a shocked Hiyosu tells them to look closer.

   Hiyosu indicates a certain portion of the Gigai, and as he leans in to look, a stunned Akon asserts that this is not Mayuri's work or that of anybody else because nobody should be able to do something like this, but one of the researchers simply states that it is here regardless, prompting Akon to clarify that it exists even though it should not before declaring that whoever made it is definitely no longer in Soul Society. Upon being asked why he believes this with such conviction, Akon proclaims that possession of this level of skill would be enough to banish someone from Soul Society forever.

   August 8th:

   At 1 A.M., in the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo sits awake in his bed while looking out the window and recalls Urahara's instructions to do this while asserting that he is getting a bad feeling about this. As he looks out the window and enjoys the breeze, Ichigo is caught off-guard when a large ball bearing a caricature of Urahara on it hurtles toward him and passes through his window before hitting his closet, where it bursts open, releasing a large amount of blood-like liquid. Grossed out by this, Ichigo is shocked when the dripping liquid spells out a message telling him to gather with his friends in front of the Urahara Shop, causing Ichigo to freak out about the mess and compare it to a message written by a murder victim with his own blood.

   When the dripping liquid reveals a postscript message that claims anyone who saw the main message and though it was a horror movie cliché has no sense of humor, Ichigo angrily throws his pillow at it. Shortly afterward, Ichigo quietly walks past Karin and Yuzu before reaching the front door, where he bids his family farewell as he opens the door and walks outside. Suddenly, Isshin leaps off the roof of the house and greets Ichigo, who steps aside at the last second as Isshin crashes into the ground where he was standing. After congratulating Ichigo for evading his attack, Isshin hands him a small charm and reveals he wanted to give this to Ichigo before he left.

   When a confused Ichigo questions what it is, Isshin claims it is a talisman that Masaki Kurosaki gave him a long time ago which will give Ichigo good luck, shocking Ichigo, who asserts that he cannot takes this as Isshin agrees and clarifies that he is only lending it to Ichigo for the trip before requesting that Ichigo return it when he gets back. Seeing Ichigo solemnly contemplate this, Isshin declares that he will shave his beard off if Ichigo loses it, leading Ichigo to question the viability of shaving as a threat. After agreeing to take it, to Isshin's delight, Ichigo runs off into the night. As he runs down the street, Ichigo crosses paths with Orihime, who begins running alongside him. Ichigo asks Orihime if she also received a summons from Urahara, and when she confirms this with a strange look on her face, Ichigo inquires what is wrong, only to be baffled when Orihime reveals that she was also told that she has no sense of humor.

   Explaining that he also got a summons, Ichigo asks Orihime if she is sure that she is going, and after she affirms this, Ichigo smiles and declares that they had better hurry while the two of them continue running. Upon reaching the Urahara Shop, Ichigo and Orihime are surprised to find Sado sitting outside and note that he is early. Upon learning that Sado was taking a walk when he got the summons because he could not sleep, Ichigo wonders where he got the summons, only to be shocked to see it written in a nearby alley as he thinks of how the neighbors will react. When Ichigo wonders where Uryū is because he had heard the latter was coming too, Orihime assures him that Uryū will be here soon enough, but Sado asserts that he is not coming, to Orihime's surprise and irritation, before explaining that he believes it may be for the best because Uryū is the most complicated and fragile out of all of them.

   However, Uryū inquires who Sado is speaking of as he steps forward and clarifies he said he was training because he could not accept losing to the Shinigami. As Uryū declares he is ready for a rematch and will go wherever he has to for it, Orihime thanks him for coming along, prompting a mildly embarrassed Uryū to claim this has nothing to do with Rukia. Uryū asserts Ichigo will see how much stronger he has become when they get to Soul Society, but Ichigo focuses on him walking all the way to the Urahara Shop in his new outfit, which Uryū defends the appearance of. In the middle of this, Urahara walks up and greets Ichigo and his friends as he opens the doors.

   Detailing how he will explain the method for traveling to Soul Society inside his shop, Urahara warns them to listen carefully or risk not making it there alive. Inside the training area underneath the Urahara Shop, Orihime and her friends look around as she expresses amazement at how large it is and how it feels like a secret base, to Ichigo's confusion, prompting Tessai to tearfully thank Orihime for her kind words. Watching this, Ichigo notes Orihime has a gift for making friends with people she just met and is the opposite of Sado and Uryū, the latter of whom questions why Ichigo is looking at him like this before Urahra draws their attention.

   Urahara snaps his fingers, causing four large rectangular pillars wrapped in tags to emerge at 90-degree angles from the space behind him and slide into place with each other, forming a gate. As he explains that this is a Senkaimon leading to Soul Society, Urahara requests that they listen carefully because he is going to tell them how to pass through this gate without dying. Urahara pushes Ichigo's Soul out of his body with his Gokon Tekkō-tipped cane, to the amazement of Orihime, Sado, and Uryū, who begin examining his lifeless body. While Uryū observes the two are separated quite easily, Orihime asks Ichigo if he is really no longer in his body anymore, which Ichigo confirms while unnerved by this. Suddenly, Kon pops out from behind Ichigo's shoulder.

   While Ichigo expresses shock at his appearance, Kon tells his friends to stop touching Ichigo's body because it is going to be his body for a while, but assures Orihime that she can touch it as much as she wants as Ichigo demands to know what he is doing here. Kon declares that he is going as well while Orihime and Uryū are left speechless over seeing a talking stuffed animal. Though Kon asserts that he will not let Ichigo leave him behind and is going to Soul Society no matter what, he quickly begins screaming in terror when Sado picks him up by the head and recalls their first encounter. While Kon questions why Sado is here, Urahara calls out to the group and reveals he is going to explain the gate before detailing how the gate is comprised of a Senkaimon and a Reishi Henkan-Ki.

   After clarifying that a Reishi Henkan-Ki converts Reishi, Urahara states that the two are attached by covering the gate with Ketsūgo-Fu, which act as a binding agent. When Ichigo picks up on his mention of Reishi conversion, Urahara reminds them that Soul Society is a world of Souls and cannot be entered without being a Soul before pointing out that only Ichigo can move about as a Soul, as the rest of them would be attached to their bodies by Chains of Fate if their Souls were pushed out and would barely be able to move as a result. Urahara reveals that this is where the Reishi Henkan-Ki comes in by converting Kishi, the matter that makes up most things in the Human World, into Reishi, which is the main component of Souls.

   Considering this, Uryū concludes that they can enter Soul Society exactly as they are now by simply walking through the gate even without removing their Souls, which Urahara confirms. Though Ichigo asserts that he understands and that they can proceed, Urahara jabs him in the side with his cane and prepares to move on to the most important point. While Ichigo leans against a rock in pain, Urahara assures them that passing through the gate itself is not a problem because the Reishi conversion is painless and will allow them to reach Soul Society if they keep moving forward. However, Urahara clarifies that the problem they are facing is time.

   Urahara details how the Senkaimon can only remain open and connected to Soul Society for up to four minutes at most, shocking Ichigo and his friends, who are further stunned when Urahara reveals that still traveling when the gate closes will result in them being trapped in the Dangai forever. As he adds that the Dangai also has a restrictive current called the Kōryū which paralyzes Souls in order to prevent the entry of Hollows and other foreign invaders, Urahara asserts that any of them getting a limb caught in it reduces the possibility of passing through the Dangai within the time span to nearly zero. With Orihime questioning how they can get through like this, Yoruichi suddenly finishes her sentence for her and reminds Orihime of how the heart and soul are connected to each other.

   Asserting that the state of the heart is crucial, Yoruichi tells Orihime and her friends that the will to go forward will be their guide and instructs them to simply go forward while casting aside all fear, not looking back, and not thinking of those they are leaving behind. When Yoruichi states that those who can do this should follow, Ichigo steps forward while his friends remain silent and declares that Yoruichi is wasting time because all their minds were made up the moment they arrived. Despite Yoruichi warning him that he will never return to the Human World if he loses, Ichigo proclaims that he will just have to win, which Yoruichi affirms as Urahara and Tessai begin charging up the gate to open the Senkaimon.

   Aftermath:

   As Urahara instructs Ichigo and his friends to run in as soon as it opens, a bound and gagged Kon struggles to free himself as Ichigo instructs him to take care of his family before leaping into the gate alongside his friends and Yoruichi, where they find themselves in a realm of dripping sludge littered with bones and a path to a rectangular opening in front of them. While they realize that this is the Dangai, Yoruichi berates them for standing around while the Kōryū is approaching. Outside, Urahara touches the gate, which repels and burns his hand, and while Ichigo and his friends begin running through the Dangai, Urahara asserts that it is all up to him now.

   This story arc is twenty-one episodes long and covers chapters 71 through 117. It aired in Japan between March 2005 and July 2005. Subtitled the "The Entry" in the US, it aired from February 2007 to July 2007.

   Ichigo, Chad, Orihime, Uryū, and Yoruichi arrive in Soul Society, but are prevented from entering the gate of the Shinigami citadel Seireitei by Shinigami captain Gin Ichimaru, and must seek another way. Yoruichi takes the group to the home of her old friend Kūkaku Shiba, who owns a giant cannon usually used for fireworks, but is capable of launching other objects. Kūkaku agrees to fire them into Seireitei, and sends an assistant with their group, her younger brother Ganju Shiba, who hates the Shinigami organization ever since his Shinigami elder brother Kaien Shiba was killed by another Shinigami during a mission. The cannon is a partial success and the party lands in Seireitei, albeit with its members split up.

   Meanwhile, the flashy entrance attracts the attention of the many Shinigami elite officers, which issues orders mandating the immediate capture of the intruders. Ichigo and the company all continue to advance through Seireitei regardless, making short work of the rank-and-file Shinigami and lower officers who oppose them. This lasts until Ichigo and Ganju, who landed together, encounter lieutenant Renji Abarai. Ichigo defeats him, alarming the Shinigami command enough that the captains themselves are sent out to pursue them. Another captain, Sousuke Aizen, is found dead the next morning, sparking an internal conflict among the Shinigami, several of whom suspect other Shinigami officers of the murder.

   Ichigo and Ganju are met by Kenpachi Zaraki, a bloodthirsty captain with the reputation of being unbeatable, as they are approaching Rukia's prison. Ichigo sends Ganju on to break Rukia out of jail, while he duels Kenpachi alone. Kenpachi and Ichigo fight until they are both nearly dead, both ultimately admitting defeat and collapsing. After the fight, Ichigo is healed by Yoruichi who then reveals that she is not a cat but a woman, and Urahara and she are both actually ex-Shinigami.

   Ganju reaches Rukia's prison, where he discovers that she is the Shinigami who killed his brother, Kaien. A flashback scene ensues, in which it is shown that Rukia killed Kaien only after his body had been completely taken over by a Hollow, but that Rukia still feels guilty for his death. They are interrupted by the arrival of captain Byakuya Kuchiki, who noticed the prison being opened. Byakuya defeats Ganju, but Ichigo comes flying to the rescue, and a brief clash takes place. Yoruichi arrives on the scene but knocks Ichigo unconscious to end the fight.

   Arc Overview & Key Milestones

   The Infiltration: Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends (Uryū Ishida, Yasutora "Chad" Sado, and Orihime Inoue) invade the Soul Society with the help of Kūkaku Shiba’s spirit cannon to rescue Rukia Kuchiki before her execution.

   The Gatekeeper Duel: Upon reaching the Seireitei gates, Ichigo defeats the colossal gatekeeper, Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, only to be effortlessly repelled by Squad 3 Captain Gin Ichimaru.

   Separation in Seireitei: After successfully launching into the Seireitei, the group is scattered, forcing each member to navigate the labyrinthine military district while being hunted by Gotei 13 officers.

   Ichigo vs. Kenpachi: Ichigo encounters the 11th Division Captain, Kenpachi Zaraki; he manages to survive and draw the fight by finally learning to synchronize his spiritual pressure with his Zanpakutō, Zangetsu.

   The Quincy’s Sacrifice: Uryū Ishida faces the 12th Division Captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and is forced to use the "Quincy: Letzt Stil" to defeat the Captain's Bankai, resulting in Uryū losing his Quincy powers.

   The Murder of Aizen: The Seireitei is thrown into absolute chaos when the 5th Division Captain, Sōsuke Aizen, is found seemingly murdered, triggering suspicion and infighting among the Captains.

   Bankai Training: Under the guidance of Yoruichi Shihōin, Ichigo utilizes a dangerous "Tenshintai" method to achieve Bankai in only three days, a feat that usually takes decades of mastery.

   The Sōkyoku Stand: Ichigo arrives at the Sōkyoku Hill execution grounds just in time to stop the Sōkyoku halberd with his own Zanpakutō, single-handedly destroying the execution stand and challenging Byakuya Kuchiki. All while the Captains and Lieutenants watch with caution.

   The Final Showdown: Ichigo reveals his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, during his fight against Byakuya; the battle ends when Ichigo's inner Hollow briefly takes over, though Ichigo regains control to finish the duel in a draw.

   The Great Betrayal: Sōsuke Aizen reveals he faked his death and manipulated the entire Soul Society to obtain the Hōgyoku, which was hidden inside Rukia’s soul by Kisuke Urahara.

   Ascension to Hueco Mundo: Aizen, along with Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen, uses the Negación light to escape to Hueco Mundo, leaving the Soul Society in a state of recovery and preparation for war.

   This 22 episode arc returns mostly to the plot of the manga, covering chapters 183 through 229. It was aired in Japan from January 2007 to June 2007. In the US, it ran from April 2009 to July 2009, since two episodes from this arc were aired every night, presumably to help close the gap between the US and Japanese broadcasts.

   This arc starts off with Shinji Hirako introduced as a transfer student in Ichigo's school, but his true motive is to recruit Ichigo into the Visored, a group of Shinigami who have gained Hollow powers. Meanwhile, Kon (inhabiting Ichigo's body) is attacked by Grand Fisher and Uryū is attacked by another imperfect Arrancar. Uryū is saved by his father, Ryūken Ishida, while Kon is saved by Isshin Kurosaki, who has regained his Shinigami powers. Soon after that, two Arrancar, Yammy and Ulquiorra Cifer, appear at Karakura Town. Yammy begins draining all of the surrounding souls. Only Tatsuki Arisawa survives. When Chad and Orihime interfere, Yammy injures them gravely, but Ichigo arrives in time to protect them. Upon confronting the Arrancar, his inner Hollow demands that Ichigo switches with him, sinisterly stating that he would be able to finish them off with ease. Ichigo however, denies his request, causing his inner Hollow to interfere. His inner Hollow prevents him from being able to fight and he is severely beaten until Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin arrive in time to rescue them.

   Hitsugaya's team is later dispatched to patrol Karakura Town. The team consists of Renji Abarai, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Rangiku Matsumoto, Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa and Rukia Kuchiki, all of whom are posing as new students at Ichigo's school. When Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and his subordinates attack, they each fight their own separate battles. Ikkaku reveals a surprise Bankai to defeat his opponent while Hitsugaya's squad have difficulty battling the Arrancar and are on the verge of defeat before Soul Society allows them to remove their limiters. While this occurs, Ichigo is fighting a hopeless battle against Grimmjow. After being severely beaten, he manages to launch a devastating Getsuga Tenshō blast that scars Grimmjow. The battle is then abruptly ended by Kaname Tōsen who orders Grimmjow to return to Hueco Mundo for violating orders. After this, Ichigo realizes he can no longer fight adequately with his inner Hollow constantly seeking to take control of him and he goes to train with the Visored. Meanwhile, Hitsugaya's team fend off various Arrancar and Hollows.

   After defeating his inner Hollow, Ichigo continues to train with the Visored to increase his mask usage time. Chad trains with Renji in the Urahara Store basement to strengthen both their powers while Uryū trains with his father in the hospital's basement to restore Quincy powers. Captain-Commander Yamamoto informs everyone of Aizen's true intentions, which is to absorb Karakura Town's all residents' soul to create the Ōken so that Aizen can overthrow the Soul King. Orihime visits Ichigo where he is training with the Visoreds, and Hachigen Ushōda restores her attack ability Tsubaki, and then Rukia takes Orihime to Soul Society for training. The last 4 episodes deal with a Plus spirit named Shōta Toyokawa who is saved from a hollow by Rangiku, and then she, Tōshirō, and other Shinigami confront the Cloning Arrancar, which has gained the power to create seemingly limitless clones of its original Hollow form by consuming the spirit of Shōta's sister Yui. Eventually the Cloning Arrancar is defeated, and Yui and Shōta are both saved and sent to Soul Society.

   Arc Overview & Key Milestones

   The Scout Mission: The first Arrancar to descend upon Karakura Town are the 4th Espada Ulquiorra Cifer and the 10th Espada Yammy Llargo, who arrive to assess Ichigo Kurosaki’s potential for Sōsuke Aizen.

   The Visored Reveal: Ichigo Kurosaki is approached by Shinji Hirako, a former Captain and member of the Visored, who reveals the existence of Shinigami with Hollow powers and invites Ichigo to join them to control his inner Hollow.

   Grimmjow’s Rogue Invasion: Defying Aizen's orders, the 6th Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez leads a group of five Fracción to Karakura Town to eliminate anyone with spiritual pressure, leading to a brutal series of nighttime battles.

   The Advance Guard Arrival: To defend the Human World, Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya leads a specialized squad—including Rangiku Matsumoto, Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Renji Abarai, and Rukia Kuchiki—to monitor spiritual anomalies.

   Ikkaku’s Secret Bankai: During the battle against Grimmjow's Fracción, Ikkaku Madarame is forced to reveal his hidden Bankai, Ryūmon Hōzukimaru, to defeat the Arrancar Edrad Liones in a high-stakes duel.

   Hollow Mask Training: Ichigo seeks out the Visored and undergoes a dangerous spiritual trial to suppress his inner Hollow, eventually gaining the ability to summon a Hollow mask to augment his combat stats for a limited duration.

   The Second Skirmish: Grimmjow returns to Karakura Town for a rematch with Ichigo; though Ichigo uses his new Hollow mask to gain the upper hand initially, the mask shatters prematurely, leaving him at Grimmjow's mercy until Kaname Tōsen intervenes.

   Orihime’s Ultimatum: Ulquiorra Cifer intercepts Orihime Inoue while she is traveling between dimensions and forces her to join Aizen in Hueco Mundo, threatening to kill all of her friends if she does not comply within 24 hours.

   The Twelve-Hour Farewell: Orihime is granted twelve hours to say goodbye to one person without being detected; she visits a sleeping Ichigo Kurosaki to deliver a final, silent confession before departing for Las Noches.

   The Declaration of Treason: After Orihime's disappearance, Captain-Commander Yamamoto declares her a traitor and refuses to send a rescue mission, ordering all Shinigami to return to Soul Society to prepare for the coming winter war.

   The Rogue Rescue: Refusing to abandon Orihime, Ichigo Kurosaki enlists the help of Uryū Ishida and Yasutora "Chad" Sado to break into Hueco Mundo through a Garganta opened by Kisuke Urahara.

   The seventh season of the Bleach anime. The twenty episodes featured in the season cover chapters 229 through 251 of the manga series. The episodes' plot follows Ichigo Kurosaki's journey to Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime Inoue, who was kidnapped by the Arrancar under the command of former Soul Reaper captain Sousuke Aizen. Although episodes focused on the character Ashido Kanō were not featured in the manga due to timing issues, Kubo still helped the anime staff to show it in the anime. The season began airing on July 4, 2007 in Japan on TV Tokyo and ended on December 5, 2007. The season aired in the United States on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block from July 11, 2009 to September 26, 2009.

   The episodes use four pieces of theme music: two opening themes and two closing themes. The opening themes are "Alones" by Aqua Timez, used for the first twelve episodes, and "After Dark" by Asian Kung-Fu Generation, used for the remaining episodes. The ending themes are "Daidai" (橙, lit. "Bitter Orange") by Chatmonchy, utilized for episodes 132 to 143, and J-pop singer Kousuke Atari's "Tane wo Maku Hibi" (種をまく日々, lit. Seed-Scattering Days), used for the rest of the episodes. To promote the second Bleach feature film, Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion, the opening and closing credits for episode 151 use footage from the film.

   The first six episodes are filler episodes. The first 3 are about the Shinigami in Karakura Town becoming a little bit too caught up in the affairs of the human world: Tōshirō gets caught up in playing soccer, Ikkaku gets caught up in a kendo tournament, and Yumichika gets caught up in baking a cake. Then there is an episode about Kon and his adventures with a girl named Miyuki. The last 2 filler episodes are about a failed attempt by a few Arrancar to overthrow Sousuke Aizen's rule of Hueco Mundo.

   Back to the main story, Yumichika and Rangiku attempt to learn their Bankai, but are interrupted by four Arrancar (Yammy, Luppi Antenor, Grimmjow and Wonderweiss Margela) who are ordered to distract the Shinigami team. In Soul Society, Rukia decides to go back first, while Orihime requires a special gate. Ichigo fights Grimmjow with his newly acquired Hollow mask transformation, but when his mask breaks, Grimmjow gains the upper hand; however, he is subsequently fended off by Rukia and Shinji. When Orihime goes through the gate, her guards are attacked by Ulquiorra and he demands that she follows him back to Hueco Mundo. She agrees, as Ulquiorra threatened to kill her friends if she responded otherwise. The battle is ended by Ulquiorra, and Orihime is brought to Hueco Mundo after she bids Ichigo goodbye.

   Orihime's disappearance is soon noticed, and Captain-Commander Yamamoto forbids Ichigo from attempting to rescue her. Ichigo naturally disobeys these orders, as his top priority is always protecting his frineds, in this case Orihime, and he decides he will go there alone. At the Urahara Store, Chad and Uryū are there waiting for Ichigo, and both of them have become much more powerful through their training. Chad learned a new attack called El Directo when fighting Renji, and Uryū not only regained his Quincy powers, but learned several new attacks from his father. Kisuke Urahara opens up a Garganta for them to enter Hueco Mundo, after warning them of the dangers, and then Ichigo, Chad, and Uryū make a difficult entry into Hueco Mundo.

   Immediately upon entering Hueco Mundo, Ichigo, Chad, and Uryū find themselves in an underground maze full of traps and guarded by Arrancar, and they use their newly awakened powers to fight their way out onto the surface of Hueco Mundo. Then they begin going towards Las Noches, the capital of Hueco Mundo and the fortress of Aizen, guarded by the mighty Espada. On their way, they come across a little girl, Nel, being pursued by 3 Hollows, Pesche, Dondochakka, and Bawabawa. Ichigo and his friends attack the Hollows in an attempt to save the little girl Nel, only to have her scold them for being bad guys who attack her innocent friends who were only playing a game of "infinite tag" to pass the time. Nel and her friends turn out to be a group of Arrancar who befriend Ichigo, and offer to take them to Las Noches by riding on the back of Bawabawa, who takes the form of a giant worm. Soon after that, Rukia and Renji surprise everyone by showing up to help in a battle against a giant Arrancar made of sand whose weakness is ice, which just happens to be Rukia's Zanpakuto's speciality.

   Then there is a three-episode anime-only arc - "Forest of the Menos", in which the group gets split up in an underground forest full of vast numbers of Menos Grande. A mysterious Shinigami, Ashido Kanō, aids them all in escaping the Forest of the Menos.

   After that detour, Ichigo and his group are all back together, and take Bawabawa all the way to Las Noches, where they break in. Once inside, they soon find themselves at a five-way fork. After vowing to stay alive and return, they split up and take one path each. Ichigo and Nel encounter the Privaron Espada Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, where Ichigo begins to engage in battle with him.

   This story arc is sixteen episodes long and covers manga chapters 252 through 286. It aired between October 2007 to April 2008 in Japan and from August 2009 to November 2009 in the US.

   The episodes use three pieces of theme music: one opening themes and two closing themes. The opening theme is "After Dark" by Asian Kung-Fu Generation. The ending themes are "Tane wo Maku Hibi" (種をまく日々, lit. Seed-Scattering Days) by J-pop singer Kousuke Atari, and "Kansha" (感謝, lit. Appreciation) by RSP for the rest of the episodes.

   This arc continues right where the last one left off, right after Ichigo started fighting the Privaron Espada Dordoni. At first, Ichigo is proving no match for Dordoni because he does not wish to use his bankai. After Dordoni continually pesters Ichigo and attacks Nel, Ichigo is forced to use his Bankai and Hollow mask to defeat him.

   Meanwhile, other members of the group are having their own battles. Uryū fights with the Arrancar Cirucci Sanderwicci and defeats her using his energy sword, Seele Schneider. Rukia runs into the Espada Aaroniero Arruruerie, who after removing his mask reveals the face of the deceased Shinigami Lieutenant Kaien Shiba. After initially believing to be the real Kaien Shiba, Rukia exposes him as an imposter and the two do battle. Overwhelmed by Aaroniero's released form, Rukia is impaled through the stomach. She flashes back to her training with Kaien and regains her resolve. She uses her Zanpakutō's third dance to impale the Aaroniero through his upper skull. As Aaroniero dies, she compares Orihime's current situation to her own when she was a prisoner in Soul Society. Though she attempts to keep moving, her injuries get the better of her and she collapses.

   Elsewhere, Chad is fighting with Gantenbainne Mosqueda, whom he is unable to harm. After many damaging blows, Chad realizes how to access his full power, transforming his arm into a giant shield, Brazo Derecha del Gigante. When Gantenbainne releases his Zanpakutō to match up, Chad reveals that his right arm is only meant to defend. His left arm, meant for attack, is known as Brazo Izquierda del Diablo. With his newly awakened powers, Chad easily defeats him. However, his victory is short-lived as Espada Nnoitra Gilga arrives at the scene and disables Chad with a single attack.

   Renji and Dondochakka run into Szayelaporro Granz. Renji attempts to use his Bankai, but it shatters almost instantly. Szayelaporro explains to Renji that the room they are in has nullified his Bankai. He reveals that he gathered the data using parasites stored in the body of his older brother, Yylfordt Granz. With only his Shikai, Renji is proved no match for Szayelapporo. Just then, Uryū steps in to assist Renji in the battle. However, Uryū finds that Szayelaporro expected his arrival, and his attacks are useless against both the Espada and his minions. With Renji's help, Uryū maneuvers Szayelapporo into a trap, catching him in a massive explosion. Though the trap is very damaging, it fails to kill him. Szayelapporo then completely heals himself by eating one of his subordinates. However, rather than retaliate, he leaves, wanting to replace his damaged clothing and allow Renji and Uryū to formulate a new plan.

   Meanwhile, Ulquiorra appears before Ichigo to inform him of Rukia's death. Ichigo says she’s still alive and attempts to leave, but Ulquiorra goads him into fighting by revealing that it was he who forced Orihime to Hueco Mundo. Ichigo decides to end the fight quickly by using his Bankai and Hollow mask. Even after using his most powerful attacks, Ichigo proves to be no match for Ulquiorra. Ichigo, however, refuses to give up, believing Ulquiorra to be the top-ranked Espada. Ulquiorra reveals his "4" tattoo, proving otherwise, and stabs Ichigo in the chest with his hand. Later, Grimmjow brings Orihime to Ichigo, wanting him healed so he may have his own fight with him. Before she can finish her work, however, Ulquiorra arrives. Using a special device called Caja Negación, Grimmjow traps Ulquiorra in an alternate dimension which will take him several hours to escape. Once Ichigo is healed, their battle begins.

   Ichigo, using his Bankai and Hollow mask, and Grimmjow, now in his Resurrección form, face off in a destructive battle across Las Noches while Orihime and Nel look on. Ichigo is slowly beaten back by Grimmjow, despite managing to maintain his Hollow mask for much longer than he previously could. Orihime is scared to watch, seeing the same look in his eyes as her brother had when he became a Hollow. At Nel's insistence, she overcomes her fear and cheers Ichigo on. Ichigo summons the last of his strength, swearing that he will defeat Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, Aizen, and bring back all of his friends safely, and launches the finishing blow to Grimmjow. Ichigo returns to Orihime, who is glad to see that he is not really a Hollow as she feared. Nel clumsily jumps into Ichigo, overcome with tears that he is all right. The series moves into another anime-only arc at this point.

   Part 2 of the Hueco Mundo arc is the tenth season of the Bleach anime series, covering chapters 286 through 315. Three pieces of theme music are used for the episodes: one opening theme and two closing themes. The opening theme is "Velonica" by Aqua Timez whilst the first ending song is "Hitohira no Hanabira" by Stereopony. The second ending song is "Sky Chord ~Otona ni Naru Kimi e~" by Tsuji Shion.

   The series returns to the manga-based storyline, picking up after Ichigo defeats Grimmjow. Nnoitra Gilga attacks the weakened Grimmjow, severely injuring him. Ichigo begins to fight Nnoitra, while Orihime is restrained by Tesra Lindocruz. Injured and tired from his previous fight, Ichigo is overpowered. Suddenly, Nel Tu transforms into her former adult form and attacks Nnoitra as her past is revealed. After releasing her Zanpakutō and overpowering him, she turns back into a child and is defeated by Nnoitra. Tesra then releases his resureccion and prepares to kill Ichigo, but is defeated by Kenpachi Zaraki. As Kenpachi fights Nnoitra, Orihime heals Ichigo. Meanwhile, Retsu Unohana confronts Rudbornn Chelute, Byakuya Kuchiki battles the Espada Zommari Rureaux and Mayuri Kurotsuchi fights Szayelaporro Granz. Rudbornn withdraws from the front lines, while Byakuya and Mayuri defeat their opponents. Having exchanged blows for some time and injuring each other, Kenpachi emerges victorious from his battle with Nnoitra. However, Coyote Stark recaptures Orihime and returns her to Aizen, who departs for the Human World to destroy Karakura Town.

   Arc Overview & Key Milestones

   Entering the Garganta: Ichigo Kurosaki, Uryū Ishida, and Yasutora "Chad" Sado enter Hueco Mundo via a Garganta stabilized by Kisuke Urahara, initially landing in the endless desert outside of Las Noches.

   Meeting the Nel Tu: While traversing the desert, the group encounters Nel Tu, a child-like Arrancar, and her brothers Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Birstanne, who eventually join the group as comic relief and guides.

   Infiltrating Las Noches: The group successfully breaks through the outer walls of Las Noches, Sōsuke Aizen's massive fortress, only to find a crossroads where they must split into five separate paths to cover more ground.

   The Privaron Espada: The intruders encounter the "Privaron Espada" (fallen Espada), such as Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio and Cirucci Sanderwicci, who serve as high-level tests for the group's improved powers.

   Rukia vs. Aaroniero: Rukia Kuchiki faces the 9th Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie, who reveals he has consumed the soul of Kaien Shiba and uses his face and memories to psychologically torture her before she kills him.

   Chad’s Defeat: After defeating Gantenbainne Mosqueda, Chad is intercepted by the 5th Espada, Nnoitra Gilga, who brutally defeats him in a single strike, showcasing the massive power gap between the group and the top Espada.

   The Grimmjow Rematch: Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez heals a wounded Ichigo so they can have a fair final duel; Ichigo uses his Hollow mask to its full potential and narrowly defeats Grimmjow after a high-speed, destructive battle.

   Ulquiorra’s Dominance: Ichigo encounters the 4th Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer, for the first time in Las Noches; Ulquiorra easily kills Ichigo by blasting a Cero through his chest, though Ichigo is later revived by Orihime’s power.

   The Science of Szayelaporro: Renji Abarai and Uryū Ishida are trapped in a tactical nightmare against the 8th Espada, Szayelaporro Granz, who uses specialized dolls to crush their internal organs one by one.

   The Captains’ Intervention: Just as the rescue team is at its breaking point, four Gotei 13 Captains (Kenpachi Zaraki, Byakuya Kuchiki, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and Retsu Unohana) arrive in Hueco Mundo to turn the tide.

   Kenpachi vs. Nnoitra: Kenpachi Zaraki engages Nnoitra Gilga in a prolonged, bloody contest of endurance, eventually winning by using Kendo (two-handed swordsmanship) to strike the finishing blow.

   Aizen’s Master Plan: Sōsuke Aizen reveals that the entire Hueco Mundo invasion was a trap to split the Gotei 13's forces, locking the Captains in Hueco Mundo while he travels to the Human World to destroy Karakura Town.

   Current Gotei 13 in this era. 1st Division: Yamamoto, 2nd Division: Yoruichi Shihōin; 3rd Division: Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi (or Rose); 4th Division: Retsu Unohana; 5th Division: Shinji Hirako; 6th Division: Ginrei Kuchiki; 7th Division: Love Aikawa; 8th Division: Kyōraku Shunsui; 9th Division: Kensei Muguruma; 10th Division: Vacant (empty); 11th Division: Kenpachi Kiganjō; 12th Division: Kisuke Urahara (promoted), Kirio Hikifune (former); 13th Division: Ukitake Jūshirō

   110 years before the battle in Fake Karakura Town, the then-lieutenant of the Fifth Division, Sousuke Aizen, is greeted by his fellow Shinigami as he walks towards his captain's quarters. Standing outside the door, he asks the captain if he is ready. Captain Shinji Hirako tells him to come in. Hirako and Aizen disagree over Aizen's unwillingness to dress up for the ceremony they are to attend and the music that Hirako is listening to. The pair go to the First Division's headquarters, where they are greeted by the lieutenant of the Twelfth Division, Hiyori Sarugaki, who kicks Shinji in the face. Seventh Division captain, Love Aikawa, hits her on the head and tells her to apologize. When Hiyori complains, Love explains that somebody has to keep her in line since her captain is not there. Hirako makes faces at her behind Love's back, annoying both Hiyori and Aizen. While waiting for the others to show up, Hirako notices that the Eleventh Division captain has not turned up, and questions why the tenth-generation Kenpachi was even made a captain. Love replies that it cannot be helped, as it is customary for the captain of the Eleventh to be a Kenpachi.

   When Jūshirō Ukitake, Shunsui Kyōraku, and Lisa Yadōmaru arrive, Ukitake notes that Kirio Hikifune has not shown up. Hirako comments that the Gotei 13 has been going through captains at a high rate lately, with Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi becoming the Third Division captain two years earlier. Shunsui explains that the Gotei 13 is just going through a period of change and that only himself, Ukitake, and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto have been captains for over one hundred years. Ukitake tells him he forgot Captain Retsu Unohana. Shunsui says it is a peaceful change, with the former Third Division captain retired and Hikifune being promoted, whereas the previous Tenth Division captain had died. Aizen overhears Shunsui discussing this, causing him to ask to what she has been promoted to. Shunsui tells him that she was promoted to the Royal Guard. Captain Kensei Muguruma interrupts, telling them that the new guy has arrived and Yamamoto had told them to line up. Kisuke Urahara enters the room, wearing a captain's haori. Aizen glances at him and agrees with Hirako's statement that he is lazy.

   Kisuke apologizes for being late and asks if he may enter the room. Second Division captain, Yoruichi Shihōin, scolds him for his timid attitude and tells him to act like a captain. Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto pokes him in the back with his staff and tells him to hurry up. Yamamoto explains that seven days previously, Kirio Hikifune had vacated her position as Twelfth Division captain due to her promotion, and that all other captains received notice that elections for a new captain were to begin. One day ago, on Yoruichi's recommendation, Urahara, who was her Third Seat officer, underwent the Captains Proficiency Test in the presence of Yamamoto and three other captains. Yamamoto confirms that Urahara is the new Twelfth Division captain.

   Later on, Kisuke introduces himself to his new subordinates. His introduction earns him a slap from his new lieutenant, Hiyori, who refuses to acknowledge him. Already upset with Hikifune's departure, she refuses to accept somebody from the Second Division as her captain, due to his ties with the Onmitsukidō. Her fellow Shinigami tell her she is going too far, but she retorts that she is only saying what they are thinking. When Urahara nervously laughs, she questions why he is not angry that she is bad-mouthing his old division. Kisuke explains that he had decided that he was now fully a member of the Twelfth and will act accordingly. Hiyori refuses to accept this and kicks him before rushing outside to nurse her leg.

   Later, Kisuke sits outside to clear his head. Hirako tells him that he suspected that Kisuke would have a rough time and reveals that Hiyori looked up to Hikifune as a mother figure, so it will be hard to try and replace her. Urahara admits that he would like to get along with her, but that their relationship will not be the same. Hirako tells Kisuke that he cannot please his subordinates all the time and he should do things the way he wants to. If nobody follows him, then it means that he was not good enough to be a captain. As Hirako leaves, he asks Aizen how long he is going to watch, tearing away the Kidō he was using to hide. Aizen tells Hirako that he is a really scary person, but Shinji replies that he is the scary one. The following morning, Hiyori becomes angry with Kisuke when she discovers that he has remodeled the captain's office, installing large pieces of equipment to the room. Urahara replies that it is his room now and says that they should try to get to know each other. When Hiyori refuses, punching him in the face, he asks her to accompany him to the Nest of Maggots.

   In the 2nd Division's headquarters, a member of the Onmitsukidō reports that Urahara wishes to enter their grounds, claiming to have already received permission from Yoruichi. Though she does not remember granting such permission, Yoruichi tells him to let Kisuke go wherever he wished, despite a protest from Suì-Fēng. When the gates open, Urahara drags the uncooperative Hiyori by the collar of her uniform. It is explained that the Onmitsukidō was originally a separate organization to the Gotei 13, but when the head of the unit becomes a captain as well, the two units become closely linked. Under Yoruichi's leadership, the commanders of each of the five sections of the Onmitsukidō are seated officers in the Second Division. Urahara tells Hiyori that as the Second Division's Third Seat, he was the head of the Detention Unit. The main duty of the Detention Unit was guarding those who had committed crimes in Seireitei. Hiyori notices his use of the term "main" and asks what other duties the unit had. Kisuke tells her that the Detention Unit also investigated and detained any Shinigami who was deemed to be a potential threat to other Shinigami, or might impede the duties of their Division. Such people were locked up in an underground facility in the Second Division's grounds, called the Nest of Maggots.

   As they descend into the cave, Hiyori asks if people are really locked up in such a place. Urahara replies that it is a horrible affair, but it is not a prison. While the detainees cannot leave, their movements are not restricted. When Kisuke warns her that someone might suddenly attack her, she asks what they have done. Urahara tells her that they have not actually done anything wrong, but have simply been deemed to be dangerous people, according to Seireitei's regulations. Hiyori criticizes this, but is interrupted by Urahara, who asks her if she knew any Shinigami who has withdrawn from the Gotei 13. He explains that if somebody has to leave the Gotei 13 due to personal circumstances, it is called a "leave of absence". If that leave of absence prolongs and it is unlikely the person will come back, it results in "Decommissioning". Actual withdrawal is actually a cover-up for a Shinigami being transferred to the Nest of Maggots. This is all in accordance with the views of the Central 46.

   Urahara tells Hiyori that ever since he took command of the Detention Unit, he has been thinking that if the people kept in Special Detention, while dangerous, were given a suitable environment in which to work, they might be able to turn their dangerous potential into a great power. Then, Hiyori is attacked by a detainee and reaches for her sword. Urahara apologizes for not reminding her that she did not bring her Zanpakutō, stating that the Nest of Maggots is a weapons-free zone. As such, all Detention Unit leaders must be capable of subduing any detainee with their bare hands. After fending off the attacker, Urahara shows Hiyori the only detainee that is placed in a cell, who asks him what business he has here. Urahara tells a shackled Mayuri Kurotsuchi that he has come to offer him the opportunity to leave.

   Hiyori asks who Mayuri is, causing him to say that she is a boy with no manners. This angers Hiyori, who calls him a white goblin. Kurotsuchi congratulates Urahara on his promotion and turns down his offer to leave the Nest of Maggots, stating that he is satisfied with his life here. When Kisuke points out that there is nothing to tinker with in the detention facility, Mayuri asks why he wants to free him. Kisuke reveals that he is thinking of creating an organization within the Twelfth Division called the Research and Development Institute and that he would like Mayuri to be its vice-president. When Mayuri asks if Urahara wants him to work under him, Kisuke replies that if he were to die, the organization would be his to do with as he pleases. Kurotsuchi smiles, saying that Urahara truly is an unpleasant sort of man.

   In the grounds of the Kuchiki manor, Byakuya Kuchiki is practicing his Zanjutsu skills when Captain Ginrei Kuchiki arrives. Byakuya asks his grandfather if he will be staying at the mansion. Ginrei states that he is and tells Byakuya to leave his training session, as he has a guest. As he wonders who the visitor is, Yoruichi appears beside him. Byakuya immediately attacks her, calling her a demon cat. Yoruichi says that that is no way to greet somebody who has come to play with him. Byakuya responds that the next head of the Kuchiki house does not need to play. In response, Yoruichi steals his hair tie using Shunpo, and taunts him. Yoruichi says he will never catch her, which incurs Byakuya's wrath. Byakuya uses his own Shunpo to chase after her, which he says is far superior to hers. Ginrei comments that Byakuya would improve greatly if he learned to control his temper.

   Elsewhere, Kaien Shiba repeats to Jūshirō Ukitake that he does not wish to be a lieutenant, saying that there are others who deserve to be promoted ahead of him. Disappointed with his reply, Ukitake turns the conversation to the latest genius to graduate from the Shin'ō Academy, saying that he completed the academy course in just one year. While he is the same age as Byakuya, Ukitake tells Kaien that he had a seated officer position reserved for him before he joined the Gotei 13, and that he is now part of the Fifth Division. Aizen applauds the young Gin Ichimaru for killing his division's Third Seat. Gin claims that the dead Shinigami was not worth his time, to which Aizen replies he is glad to hear that.

   101 years before the battle in the Fake Karakura Town, 9 years after Kisuke Urahara became the Twelfth Division captain, three souls choke on a substance spewing from their mouths. Three shadowy figures watch on as the souls die, with one of them stating that ordinary souls cannot "contain the prototype". A second person asks if they should halt the experiments, but the first replies that they shall continue.

   In Seireitei, Hirako greets Kisuke as he passes by with Hiyori and Mayuri. When he calls him Hirako-san, Shinji reminds Urahara that he told him to call him Shinji. He then says hello to Mayuri, who reacts hostilely to being called by his given name. As they begin conversation, Hiyori kicks Hirako, annoyed that he did not greet her. While the two bicker, Aizen asks Urahara if he has heard about the strange disappearances in Rukongai, which has been occurring for the past month. Urahara asks if by disappearing, they mean going somewhere else in secret, but Hirako says that is not the case. The missing souls leave behind their clothes. He goes on to repeat Retsu Unohana's explanation that if they had died, they would have turned to Reishi, and their clothes would have disappeared as well. The only thing they can think of is that without dying, the souls are becoming unstable and unable to maintain a Human form and eventually cease to exist. Hirako says that he does not really understand it, and that the Ninth Division is investigating the cause.

   As the 9th Division's captain, Kensei Muguruma, his lieutenant, Mashiro Kuna, and four seated officers march through Rukongai, Mashiro questions why they are there. She says that they should wait for the 10 advance guards to report in and that Kensei is being impatient, as a captain should not need to investigate unknown causes. An angered Kensei is restrained by his subordinates, who remind him that she is always like that and try to calm him. Kensei asks her why she came along, and tells her to go home. Mashiro throws a tantrum, demanding Ogahi (a type of food), but Kens, a young boy, falls at Kensei's feet, and it is shown that a Hollow attacked him. Muguruma uses his Shikai to cause the Hollow to explode and asks his officers if they are all right. Seeing the small boy crying, Kensei tells him that he should be happy that he is alive, and to smile. He hauls the boy to his feet and asks him his name. The boy tries to wipe away his tears as he says "Shūhei Hisagi". Kensei tells him that Shūhei is a strong name, and to quit crying. Hisagi reluctantly agrees, still trying to wipe away his tears. When Mashiro reappears, Kensei demands to know where she was during the fight. She cuts him off by saying she found ten shihakushō in the nearby bushes.

   Kensei realizes that the ten shihakushō belonged to the ten advance guards he sent out and they were not taken off, but rather the wearers have vanished. He orders Shinobu Eishima to inform Central 46 that they have their first Shinigami victims in the case. He tells Izaemon Tōdō that there might be a pathogen causing the souls to break down, and to request a researcher be sent by the 12th Division. Muguruma instructs Heizō Kasaki to have the Division send a tent, as they will be camping there tonight, as he intends to prevent any threats from reaching the Seireitei. His Fifth Seat asks what should he do, and Kensei tells him to search the area with him. Muguruma tells the children to go home before the sun sets, and Hisagi notices the number 69 tattooed on Kensei's chest before he leaves.

   In a laboratory of the Research and Development Institute, Mayuri and Hiyori argue about who has their ranks in the Twelfth Division and the Institute. Hiyori then yells for Kisuke, demanding that he do something about Kurotsuchi. Urahara tells her about his prototype for a new Gigai that he has developed in a bid to stabilize the souls that have been disappearing. Tōdō arrives at the laboratory, requesting an audience with Urahara. After being updated about the situation, Urahara promises to send someone that evening and instructs Tōdō to return to Muguruma. Kisuke asks Hiyori to go, but she refuses, demanding that someone of lower rank be sent instead, pointing at Akon, who retorts that she is always complaining and should quit if her job is so bad. Hiyori tries to kick him, but he dodges her. Urahara tells Hiyori that she is the only one he can trust with acquiring a sample from the scene.

   Tōdō arrives back at the Ninth Division's camp ground, only to be told he is late. He explains that he went to the Twelfth Division's headquarters by himself and asks to switch places with the Fifth Seat, whom he tells to get some sleep. Eishima explains that only one of the seated officers is to rest at a time, with the other three standing guard. Inside the tent, Kensei, Kuna, and Kasaki are resting. Mashiro begins talking in her sleep, annoying her captain. Muguruma hears a noise outside and, along with Kasaki, rushes to investigate. He finds two of the blood-soaked officers lying on the ground, with Tōdō standing nearby. When Tōdō collapses moments later, Kensei tells Kasaki to be ready, as the enemy is still nearby. Muguruma calls for Mashiro, but as he turns his back, Kasaki's neck is cut. Kensei is shrouded in darkness and stabbed through the back. As the darkness recedes, he turns to see his attacker.

   An alarm sounds across the Seireitei, as all captains are summoned to the First Division headquarters for an emergency meeting. Upon hearing that the Reiatsu of Kensei and Mashiro have vanished, Urahara rushes into the laboratory and asks a researcher where Hiyori is. When she tells him that Hiyori has already left, Kisuke rushes off, thinking to himself that he should have went himself.

   At an emergency meeting in the First Division barracks, Yamamoto reports that the Reiatsu of Kensei and Mashiro have disappeared, and the reason is unknown. The Captain-Commander says that this is the worst outcome they can imagine. Until the previous day, the matter only concerned Rukongai, but it is now an issue that must be resolved on the pride of the Gotei 13. As Yamamoto says that he will send five captain-class Shinigami to the scene, Urahara arrives at the meeting. He requests to be allowed to go, but the Captain-Commander declines his request. Urahara tries to argue with him, but is stopped by Yoruichi, who tells him not to lose his composure. She states that since he chose Hiyori to go on the mission, his actions are an insult to her.

   Yamamoto selects Captains Shinji Hirako, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, and Love Aikawa to go to Rukongai, while Yoruichi is to stand-by for separate orders. Captains Kuchiki, Kyōraku, and Ukitake are told to guard Seireitei. Captain Unohana is told to prepare her medical facilities for incoming casualties. Retsu asks if it would not be better if she went to the scene to treat the wounded more quickly, but Yamamoto refuses to allow the head of medical treatment to go into an unknown situation. As a result, he has decided to send somebody else and invites Kidō Captain Tessai Tsukabishi and his lieutenant, Hachigen Ushōda to enter the room. When he asks them to head to the scene, Kyōraku remarks that it is a bad idea to send both the Kidō captain and lieutenant. When Yamamoto asks what he would suggest instead, Shunsui asks for his lieutenant to be sent. Lisa, who had been eavesdropping on the meeting, agrees to go. When Yamamoto says that Shunsui is doing as he pleases, he replies that it is rare for such an event to occur, and he would like to give her some experience. He comments that Lisa is strong, and asks Tessai if he will step aside for her. When Tessai concedes, Yamamoto finalizes the orders. As they leave, Shunsui tells Urahara not to worry, as Hiyori is strong, though not as strong as Lisa. Not worrying and having faith are also duties of being a captain.

   In the forests of Rukongai, Hiyori evades attacks from a large shadowy figure. As the figure attacks again, Hirako arrives. He asks her why she has not drawn her sword. Hiyori replies that she could not draw it. When the moon breaks through the clouds, her attacker is revealed to be a Hollowfied Kensei.

   Love and Rose arrive to find that Kensei has turned into a Hollow. Rose states that his mask and Reiatsu are just like a Hollow's. As Kensei roars, Hirako tells them to draw their Zanpakutō, otherwise they're as good as dead. Kensei appears behind Love and attacks him, ripping his uniform and leaving him breathing heavily. Aikawa comments that his power is what he would expect from Kensei. Hiyori tries to stop the others from attacking Muguruma, but Hirako tells her that they have to stop him, especially if that really is Kensei. Lisa says that there are plenty of ways to defeat an opponent without killing them, and decides to cut his tendons. As Rose approaches Kensei, he is attacked from above by a Hollowfied Mashiro, who kicks him into the ground. Kuna then attacks Hirako, but is caught by Hachi's Kidō. Hachi turns his attention to Kensei and casts a Bakudō on him too. When he asks what is happening to Kensei and Mashiro, Muguruma breaks out of the Kidō, stunning Hachigen.

   Outside a Twelfth Division building, a dark, cloaked figure walks. Tessai tells the figure that making a cloak that completely blocks one's Reiatsu is not an everyday achievement. Urahara reveals his face underneath the cloak, and Tessai asks him if he is planning on rescuing Hiyori. Tessai tells Kisuke that he thought this would happen when he saw Kisuke at the meeting earlier. Tessai reminds him that they spent a lot of time together at Yoruichi's mansion, so he would not have failed to notice such things. When Kisuke asks if he can pass, Tessai says that he will not allow him to go alone. He says he is sensing an unfathomable terror and that they shall go together.

   As Kyōraku walks around Seireitei in the darkness, he comes across two guards, who ask if everything is all right. Shunsui tells them that he was just having trouble sleeping. He spots Aizen and comments that perhaps he was over-thinking it. When one of the guards asks what he means, he dismisses it as nothing and says that Aizen seems to be having similar trouble sleeping. As the guards say good night to Aizen, Kyōraku tells them to get some rest and they say good night to each other. When he returns to the Eighth Division barracks, Shunsui comes across a young Nanao Ise, holding a book. Shunsui remembers her name, and she tells him she is honored because by this. He tells her that he always tries to make note of the young girls' names, and Nanao visits him every month. Nanao says she wanted to read with Lisa again, but Shunsui informs her that Lisa is not there. When she asks why, he says that she is on an important mission, but will be back by dawn.

   In Rukongai, Lisa is injured by Kensei. Rose attacks him, saying that Kensei was not the type of person to attack a woman. Hachigen uses Bakudō #99 Kin to restrain Kensei, commenting that he may have overexerted himself. Hirako asks him if he can do something about their condition with Kidō, but Hachi states that without knowing the cause, there is little he can do. When Hiyori starts coughing again, Hirako tells Hachi to heal all of them, starting with her. Hiyori tells Shinji to let her go, as fluid flows from her mouth. Hirako is cut across the chest as a Hollow mask forms on her face. As Lisa and Love rush towards her, they are shrouded in darkness. Hearing noises in the dark, Love calls out to his fellow Shinigami, but is cut down. As the light returns, Hirako recognizes Kaname Tōsen and asks him why he betrayed his captain. Aizen appears and tells his captain that Tōsen has not betrayed anyone, and that he has followed his orders. Sousuke asks Shinji not to blame Kaname for what he has done.

   10 YEARS AFTER URAHARA GETS EXILED.

   10th Division's new Captain is Isshin Shiba.

   The episodes of the twelfth season of Bleach. The 17-episode season covers chapters 316 through 340 of the manga. The plot continues shows the fight between Soul Society's group of Shinigami against Sousuke Aizen's army of Arrancar, with the former defending Karakura Town, and the latter planning to use Karakura to invade and destroy Soul Society. The season moves onto auto-conclusive stories beginning with episode 227. The season first aired from March 31, 2009 until July 21, 2009 on TV Tokyo in Japan.

   The episodes use two pieces of theme music: one opening theme and one closing theme. The opening theme is "Shōjo S" (少女S, "Girl S") by Scandal. The ending theme is "Kimi wo Mamotte, Kimi wo Aishite" (君を守って 君を愛して, "I Will Protect You, I Love You") by Sambomaster.

   A young Plus girl is being chased by Hollows in Kagamino City, 22 km from Karakura Town, when suddenly the Hollows are killed simply by the Reiatsu of the Gotei 13 captains, Aizen, and his top Espada. Eikichirō Saidō, a Shinigami assigned to the area, tells the girl to run before she is attacked again, then questions how the battle will end.

   70 meters above Karakura Town the captains and lieutenants talk among themselves, when suddenly Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto tells everyone to get back, and he uses Jōkaku Enjō to trap Sousuke Aizen, Kaname Tōsen, and Gin Ichimaru. While trapped in the flame, Gin remarks that they won't be able to join the "fun" and asks Aizen what they should do. Aizen replies that they do nothing, and that the battle would end without them lifting a finger.

   Elsewhere in the fifth tower of Las Noches, Ulquiorra talks to Orihime Inoue, asking if she is scared. She replies that she isn't scared because her heart is already with her friends, and Ulquiorra tells her that she's speaking nonsense. Orihime tells Ulquiorra that when she first heard that her friends were there to rescue her, she was a little happy, but very sad. She goes on to say that she came there to protect them and that she didn't understand why they didn't know how she felt, but she later realized that they must have felt the same way about her.

   Elsewhere Ichigo rushes to Orihime's location, but is temporarily delayed by the Exequias and their leader, Rudbornn Chelute. Rudbornn and his men attack him, but are stopped by Renji Abarai, Yasutora Sado, and Rukia Kuchiki. Ulquiorra tells Orihime that sharing feelings with friends is a Human delusion, and Orihime tells him that what he says could be true, but when people care for each other their hearts are drawn closer together. Ulquiorra then states that humans use the word "heart" to lightly. He asks her what a heart is, and if he could see it if he tore open her chest or cracked her head open. At that moment Ichigo breaks though the floor into the throne room.

   (Meanwhile Unohana, Kenpachi and Byakuya are inside Las Noches. Unohana heals people, Byakuya fights Zommari Rurueaux after Rukia defeats Aaroniero Arruruerie and gets unconscious and Kenpachi fights Nnoitra Gilga. Kenpachi also shows one of the basic stances of Zanjutsu which is holding the sword by the hands since he usually uses one.)

   After the fight against Nnoitra Gilga is finished, Orihime Inoue heads off to heal Captain Kenpachi Zaraki. Before Orihime reaches him, she is whisked away back to Aizen by Coyote Starrk. After "thanking" Orihime for her "services", Aizen makes an announcement to all of Hueco Mundo, stating that Orihime is in the fifth tower, should anyone want to retrieve her as she is now of no use to him, and that he has closed the Garganta that the captains used for entry into Hueco Mundo. He informs them that he is leaving to destroy Karakura Town and that he will deal with all the intruders once he has finished up. Ichigo is about rush away, but Kenpachi tells to wait as Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was anticipating an attack from the Arrancar and planned on defending Karakura Town with the rest of the Gotei 13 from the start.

   Not only had Yamamoto planned on defending Karakura Town from the start, they had taken the precaution to make it safe for the Gotei 13 to fight with their full power by having Kisuke Urahara and the Shinigami Research and Development Institute use Tenkai Ketchū to replace Karakura Town with an abandoned facsimile. As Aizen enters the Human world, he is "greeted" by the remainder of the Gotei 13. Yamamoto remarks that it seems they made it in time. Aizen then questions on how Yamamoto is able to say such a thing as he is aware that the Karakura Town below is fake and it is no threat to him. He then summons his top three Espada who come with their Fracción: Coyote Starrk, Baraggan Louisenbairn, and Tier Harribel to fight the Gotei 13. Aizen only muses that if Karakura Town is in Soul Society then he will just go to Soul Society to destroy the real town and simply decimate the Gotei 13 at the fake Karakura. He also informs Ulquiorra Cifer to take charge of Las Noches.

   As Aizen and his subordinates come together, their combined Reiatsu is so powerful that a group of Hollows 22 kilometers away are fearfully shaking and explode because of this heavy spirit pressure. Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda fearfully remarks on the monstrous size of their Reiatsu to which his captain tells him that he can run if he wants. Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba asks if they ought to directly attack Aizen first, but Captain Sajin Komamura tells him that it is best that they defeat the others first so they can concentrate on Aizen because of Aizen's unique abilities. Captain Shunsui Kyōraku wonders on who is the strongest of the three Espada to which Captain Jūshirō Ukitake remarks that it is hard to say as they would need to ask Aizen. Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya then comments that their problem is not knowing if Aizen will interfere while they fight the Espada. Seeing this, Yamamoto tells the rest of the Gotei 13 to step back as he releases his Shikai. The Reiatsu is incredibly immense as Yamamoto uses Jōkaku Enjō to entrap Aizen, Kaname Tōsen, and Gin Ichimaru in a blazing sphere of flames. With this, Yamamoto tells the Gotei 13 to go and finish the Arrancar as Aizen will not be able to escape for some time. Inside the prison, Gin asks on what to do since now they could not join in. Aizen simply remarks that there is no need for them get involved as the battle will end without them lifting a finger (because the power of the Espada alone will suffice to defeat the Gotei 13).

   With Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tōsen incapacitated by Yamamoto's Jōkaku Enjō, Baraggan Louisenbairn assesses the situation, noting that their enemies are numerous and their leader (temporarily) removed from the battlefield. Tier Harribel tells him that he is underestimating Aizen to which Baraggan states he thinks she is underestimating him. He snaps his fingers and his Fracción pull out a throne of bones for him to sit on as he analyzes the situation. He then decides to takes control of giving all orders and openly threatens the other Espada for the leadership, telling Starrk he'd "better not have a problem with that." His comrade, Starrk, lazily agrees, which earns him a kick from his Fracción, Lilynette Gingerbuck. Harribel and her Fracción could not care less. Baraggan then speaks to Yamamoto, noting that the "jūreichi" beneath them is a fake that was replaced by a replica created in Soul Society. He then repeats Aizen's statement of simply going into Soul Society to destroy Karakura Town and questions if they have to go through all that trouble. He then goes on to say that according to Aizen's explanation, there are four pillars set up at each corner of the city that are keeping the real Karakura Town in the Soul Society. He then wonders what will happen if the pillars are destroyed and calls for Findorr Calius to take action. Findorr calls for four gigantic Hollows that appear at each pillar as Baraggan confidently states that they know where the pillars are, aware that destroying the pillars will swap the real Karakura Town back. Ōmaeda then begins panicking that their enemy know the pillars' locations and that the real Karakura Town will become a battlefield. This prompts Yamamoto to simply call Ōmaeda and the Espada fools as all four Hollows are quickly killed off. Baraggan, Harribel, Starrk and Ōmaeda notice this. Yamamoto reprimands them for thinking that they would leave such important locations unprotected as there are strong warriors stationed at each pillar. Those four fighters are revealed to be Lieutenant Izuru Kira, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Ikkaku Madarame, and Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi.

   Ōmaeda is in complete shock over the presence of the four officers as he thought that they were to hold things up at Soul Society. This prompts him to ask if the rest of the Gotei 13 knew to which Shunsui Kyōraku, Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, and Suì-Fēng confirm. Baraggan, however, is unimpressed. He states if the Gotei 13 have four "ants" to protect the pillars, he will send four "dragons" in response. He sends four members of his six Fracción (Choe Neng Poww, Findorr Calius, Charlotte Chuhlhourne, and Abirama Redder) to kill them. Charlotte, Abirama, Findorr and Poww are sent to battle Yumichika, Izuru, Shūhei, and Ikkaku, respectively.

   The Gotei 13 replace the real Karakura Town with a replica as they prepare to battle Aizen. Both the Gotei 13 and Aizen gather their forces to fight at the fake Karakura Town. As the Gotei 13 confront Aizen and his invaders, Captain-Commander Yamamoto traps Aizen, Gin and Tōsen in a cage of fire. The four critical pillars that keep the fake Karakura Town in place are revealed to have four guardians: Izuru Kira, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Ikkaku Madarame, and Shūhei Hisagi. These four guardians will then fight four of Baraggan Louisenbairn's Fracción: Choe Neng Poww, Findorr Calius, Charlotte Chuhlhourne, and Abirama Redder. The rest of the Gotei 13 and the other Arrancar part of Aizen's invasion force would watch on as these fights commence.

   Arc Overview & Key Milestones

   The Dimensional Swap: Kisuke Urahara and the Soul Society use four massive spiritual pillars to swap the real Karakura Town with a perfect replica in the Rukongai, allowing the Gotei 13 to fight at full power without harming human civilians.

   Aizen’s Vanguard: Sōsuke Aizen arrives in the fake town accompanied by Gin Ichimaru, Kaname Tōsen, and the top three Espada—Coyote Starrk, Baraggan Louisenbairn, and Tier Halibel—along with their respective Fracción.

   The Fire Prison: Captain-Commander Yamamoto uses "Jōryū Enjō" to trap Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen in a massive wall of flames, forcing the Espada to fight the Gotei 13 Captains without their leaders' direct intervention.

   The story continues the fight between Soul Society's Shinigami and Sousuke Aizen's Arrancar army as the former defends Karakura Town from the latter's invasion, while Ichigo and his group fight the Arrancar in Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime Inoue. The season started airing on April 13, 2010 in Japan on TV Tokyo.

   Battle of the Pillars: Four Shinigami (Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Shūhei Hisagi, and Izuru Kira) are tasked with defending the pillars from Baraggan’s Fracción; despite Ikkaku’s pillar being destroyed, Captain Sajin Komamura intervenes to crush the giant Arrancar Choe Neng Poww.

   The King of Hueco Mundo: Baraggan Louisenbairn reveals his true form as the former King of Hueco Mundo and uses his "Respira" ability to age and rot anything it touches, nearly defeating Captain Soi Fon.

   Harribel vs. Hitsugaya: Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya engages Tier Harribel in a battle of elemental manipulation, eventually using "Hyōten Hyakkasō" to trap the 3rd Espada in a massive ice flower prison. Meanwhile Kira Izuru treats the other Lieutenants by Kido (or Kaido specifically.)

   Starrk's True Form: The 1st Espada, Coyote Starrk, reveals his Resurrección "Los Lobos" by merging with his other half, Lilynette Gingerbuck, creating a pair of pistols that fire thousands of Cero blasts.

   Wonderweiss’s Arrival: The modified Arrancar Wonderweiss Margela arrives with a colossal Menos called Hooleer, blowing out Yamamoto's fire prison and releasing Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen back into the fray.

   The Visored's Revenge: Just as the Shinigami are being overwhelmed, Shinji Hirako and the Visored arrive on the battlefield, finally seeking justice for the experimentation Aizen performed on them 100 years prior.

   The Death of the Espada: Disappointed by his subordinates' performance, Aizen personally cuts down Tier Halibel and declares the Espada are no longer strong enough to serve him, signaling his entry into the battle.

   Tōsen’s Transformation: Kaname Tōsen reveals his Hollowfication and Resurrección "Grillar Grillo" to fight Sajin Komamura; he is ultimately defeated by his former Lieutenant, Shūhei Hisagi, before being executed by Aizen.

   Isshin Kurosaki’s Return: As Aizen begins to merge with the Hōgyoku and transcend the powers of Shinigami and Hollow, Ichigo’s father, Isshin Kurosaki, arrives to engage Aizen in a high-intensity duel.

   The Final Training: Recognizing that he cannot defeat Aizen in his current state, Ichigo enters the Dangai (the precipice world) with Isshin to learn the "Final Getsuga Tenshō" while time is slowed.

   Mugetsu: Ichigo returns to Karakura Town with transcendent power, completely overwhelming Aizen and utilizing the "Final Getsuga Tenshō" (Mugetsu) to strip Aizen of his power at the cost of his own Shinigami abilities.

   The sixteenth season of the Bleach anime covers manga chapters 424 to 479. Set seventeen months after Aizen's defeat, it chronicles Ichigo's life after losing his powers and the struggle to regain them.

   The episodes use three pieces of theme music: one opening theme and two closing themes. The opening theme is "Harukaze" by Scandal. The first ending theme is "Re:pray" by Aimer. The second ending theme is "MASK" by Aqua Timez.

   The Lost Substitute Shinigami Arc (commonly known as the Fullbringer Arc) shifts the focus to a more psychological and grounded mystery. It explores the consequences of Ichigo losing his powers and introduces a new branch of the human race with spiritual abilities.

   Arc Overview & Key Milestones

   The Powerless Year: Seventeen months after the defeat of Sōsuke Aizen, Ichigo Kurosaki lives a normal life as a high school student in Karakura Town, having completely lost his Shinigami powers and spiritual awareness.

   Xcution’s Contact: Ichigo is approached by Kūgo Ginjō, the leader of a secret organization called Xcution, who reveals the existence of Fullbringers—humans whose mothers survived Hollow attacks, granting them the ability to manipulate the "souls" of physical objects.

   The Substitution Offer: Ginjō offers to help Ichigo regain his lost Shinigami powers by teaching him how to use Fullbring, claiming that the members of Xcution wish to rid themselves of their own powers by transferring them to a Substitute Shinigami.

   Developing the Fullbring: Ichigo begins training with Xcution, eventually manifesting his own Fullbring from his Substitute Shinigami Badge; it initially takes the form of the tsuba of his old Zanpakutō, emitting black Reiatsu in the shape of a manji.

   The Book of the End: A mysterious antagonist named Shūkurō Tsukishima begins attacking Ichigo's friends and family using his Fullbring, "Book of the End," which allows him to insert himself into the past memories of anyone he cuts with his sword.

   Psychological Isolation: As Tsukishima manipulates the memories of everyone close to Ichigo—including Orihime, Chad, and his sisters—Ichigo is driven into a state of extreme mental distress and isolation, believing Tsukishima is a beloved friend to everyone but him.

   The Xcution Betrayal: After Ichigo completes his Fullbring, Ginjō reveals his true identity as the first Substitute Shinigami and a traitor to the Soul Society; he and the rest of Xcution steal Ichigo's Fullbring powers to augment their own.

   The Return of the Gotei: Just as Ichigo falls into despair, Rukia Kuchiki appears and stabs him with a special sword created by Kisuke Urahara, which contains the Reiatsu of the Gotei 13’s Captains and Lieutenants.

   Restoration of Power: The infusion of the Gotei 13's energy restores Ichigo’s original Shinigami powers, manifesting a new, sleek version of his Shihakushō and an upgraded version of Zangetsu that incorporates his Fullbring's design.

   The Final Confrontation: The Gotei 13 Captains (Byakuya, Kenpachi, Hitsugaya) and Lieutenants (Ikkaku, Renji) engage the members of Xcution in individual duels, easily overwhelming the Fullbringers with their superior combat experience.

   Those fights include: Byakuya vs. Tsukishima, Hitsugaya vs. Yukio, Rukia vs. Riruka, Ikkaku vs. Shishigawara, Renji vs. Jackie and Kenpachi vs. Giriko.

   Ichigo vs. Ginjō: Ichigo engages Ginjō in a final battle, ultimately killing him; afterward, Ichigo travels to the Soul Society to request that Ginjō be buried in the Human World, marking a new era of wary mutual respect between Ichigo and the Gotei 13.

   Current Gotei 13 in this era: 1st Division: Yamamoto, 2nd Division: Soi Fon; 3rd Division: Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi (or Rose); 4th Division: Retsu Unohana; 5th Division: Shinji Hirako; 6th Division: Byakuya Kuchiki; 7th Division: Sajin Komamura; 8th Division: Shunsui Kyōraku; 9th Division: Kensei Muguruma; 10th Division: Toshiro Hitsugaya; 11th Division: Zaraki Kenpachi; 12th Division: Mayuri Kurotsuchi; 13th Division: Ukitake Jūshirō

   10 years after the end of production for the original Bleach anime, a sequel series titled Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War began airing, covering the final arc of the manga from chapters 480 to 686. In this arc, the Wandenreich, a hidden empire of Quincies led by Yhwach, wages war against the Gotei 13.

   The episodes use two pieces of theme music: one opening theme and one closing theme. The opening theme is "Scar" by Tatsuya Kitani. The ending theme is "Saihate" by SennaRin. The Blood Warfare covers from chapters 480 to 542.

   The silence of Soul Society is broken when shadows rise from beneath Seireitei. The Wandenreich, hidden for centuries, emerges under the command of Yhwach. Their first strike is swift. Hollows vanish across the world, Hueco Mundo falls, Harribel is captured, and Arrancar are pressed into service. Sternritter march into Soul Society, killing Sasakibe and leaving devastation in their wake. Yamamoto confronts Yhwach, unleashes his Bankai, and burns the battlefield with the full force of his flames. Yet Yhwach steals the Bankai, cuts him down, and leaves the Gotei 13 without its commander.

   Ichigo rushes to aid but is trapped in Garganta, delayed until the slaughter is nearly complete. He fights Yhwach, discovers his Quincy heritage, and is defeated. The Wandenreich withdraw, leaving Soul Society in ruins. Shunsui Kyōraku assumes the mantle of Captain‑Commander. Kenpachi Zaraki is forced to fight Unohana in a battle to the death, unlocking his true strength as she sacrifices herself to awaken his potential. Ichigo travels to the Royal Palace, meets the Zero Division, and learns the truth of his powers. He forges dual blades by Ōetsu Nimaiya, discovering that Zangetsu was the manifestation of his Quincy side, while the hollow within him was his true Shinigami power.

   The Wandenreich invade again. Sternritter unleash their Schrift abilities, stealing Bankai and overwhelming captains. Mayuri counters with scientific ingenuity, devising ways to reclaim stolen powers. Battles erupt across Seireitei. Byakuya returns from near death, Renji awakens his true Bankai, Rukia gains mastery of her Zanpakutō’s absolute zero, and Hitsugaya regains his matured Bankai. Mask de Masculine crushes opponents until Renji defeats him. As Nodt spreads fear until Rukia freezes him. Bambietta explodes with destructive force until she is betrayed by her own comrades.

   Ichigo descends from the Royal Realm, cutting through Sternritter with newfound strength. He confronts Yhwach but is overwhelmed. Uryū Ishida, revealed as Yhwach’s successor, stands against his friends. Haschwalth, Yhwach’s right hand, enforces the king’s will with cold precision. The Royal Guard battles the Sternritter in the palace, but Yhwach defeats them, ascends to the Soul King’s chamber, and slays the Soul King. Reality begins to collapse.

   Ichigo, Renji, and their allies storm the palace. Yhwach reshapes the world with his Almighty ability, seeing and rewriting all futures. Uryū hands Ichigo the silver arrow forged from his mother’s blood, the only weapon that can pierce Yhwach’s power. Haschwalth entrusts his loyalty to Yhwach but acknowledges Uryū’s resolve. Renji fights alongside Ichigo, but Yhwach shatters their blades. Ichigo’s sword reforms at the crucial moment, channeling his Shinigami and Quincy powers together. He strikes Yhwach, piercing him with the silver arrow, nullifying the Almighty.

   Current Gotei 13 in this era: 1st Division: Shunsui Kyōraku, 2nd Division: Soi Fon; 3rd Division: Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi (or Rose); 4th Division: Isane Kotetsu; 5th Division: Shinji Hirako; 6th Division: Byakuya Kuchiki; 7th Division: Tetsuzaemon Iba; 8th Division: Lisa Yadōmaru; 9th Division: Kensei Muguruma; 10th Division: Toshiro Hitsugaya; 11th Division: Zaraki Kenpachi; 12th Division: Mayuri Kurotsuchi; 13th Division: Rukia Kuchiki

   12 years after the Quincy Blood War, the Gotei 13 holds a ceremony for former 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, which Ichigo Kurosaki is invited to attend.

   A man relates the tale of his two childhood goldfish, both of whom he adored until the larger one passed away one day; while the sight of the smaller remaining goldfish made him lonely at first, it soon began growing larger and flourishing, making him relieved in the end that the larger goldfish died.

   At nighttime in Karakura Town, Orihime Inoue peers into Kazui Kurosaki's room and observes that he seems to be asleep before mentally thanking Kon, who is in his plushie body, for playing with him today as she closes the door. Suddenly, Kazui opens his eyes and slides open his bedroom window, prompting a startled Kon to demand to know where he is going and remind Kazui that he should stay put since he just got in trouble yesterday. When Kazui asserts that he promised to visit again yesterday, Kon points out how he also promised Orihime that he would go to bed and questions which is more important, only for Kazui to bluntly state that his first promise does. With Kon exasperated by this and deciding to let him go if he is going to be stubborn about it, Kazui leaps out of the window while telling Kon he does not have to come, enters his Shinigami form, and manifests two large fish in midair, the larger one of which he lands on the back of. When Kon frantically follows suit and lands on the smaller fish, Kazui observes that he could have pretended to have been asleep and not noticed Kazui's departure, to Kon's chagrin.

   Elsewhere, the Soul of a man with an afro weeps on a street corner before Kazui runs up to him with Kon, where the man proclaims that he was lonely and that he is only fifteen years old upon being addressed formally by Kazui, who counters that he is lying about his age. With the man wondering why Kon is here, Kazui apologetically reveals that he might not be able to come tomorrow, to the man's shock, but cheerily notes that this is why he is taking the man somewhere tonight so he will not be on his own. Kazui, Kon, and the man travel to Takakomo Shrine, where Kazui leads them through the bushes on the right side of the stairs to a clearing with a small shrine of rocks. Though Kon is creeped out by it, Kazui assures him that it is not scary and begins a ritual by clapping his hands three times, causing three large, ethereal eyeballs to pop into existence around the group. As Kon shudders at the sight of this, Kazui bows twice to the eyeballs and claps one more time, resulting in the creation of a large, circular portal with teeth-like markings at the top and bottom as Kazui assures his intimidated companions that it will be fine and everyone is in here.

   Three hours prior, in the Seireitei in Soul Society, Ichika Abarai walks along a road with a water channel carved into the center and calls out to 11th Division Lieutenant Ikkaku Madarame, who chastises her for being late prior to casually holding his Zanpakutō sheath above his head when Ichika leaps into the air and comes down on him with a slash of her own Zanpakutō. Proceeding to effortlessly block all of Ichika's subsequent attacks while walking forward, Ikkaku eventually repels Ichika, who lands on a nearby roof and declares that Ikkaku has gotten better. In response, Ikkaku asserts that he was better from the start since he is the teacher and rudely tells her to get down from the roof, and as Ichika observes that he is the only one who gets to talk to her like this and seems to slip while maneuvering down from the edge of the roof, a concerned Ikkaku tells her to be careful, only to nonchalantly intercept Ichika's attempted surprise attack when she reveals that she is fine and slashes at him. Ikkaku questions why Ichika is acting like this and if she has been on a trip to the Human World, though an embarrassed Ichika reveals that she is only allowed to go during long breaks and responds to Ikkaku assuming that she wants to see Kazui by furiously claiming that the two of them do not have a relationship and berating Ikkaku for saying this. Approaching the two of them, 11th Division 3rd Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa expresses surprise that they are still going and thanks Ichika when she asserts that he looks as beautiful as ever today before glaring at Ikkaku, who claims that he did not do anything and inquires about Yumichika's choice of words since the two of them just started sparring, which leads Yumichika to realize he has forgotten about what is happening today.

   Elsewhere, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai sits in a kimono on a video call with Ichigo Kurosaki, whom he tells about the Konsō Reisai, a ceremony performed twelve years after a captain's death in battle, which he admits is rarely seen since very few captains die this way. Upon being told by Renji that the ceremony consists of the Gotei 13 catching a Hollow in the Human World and purifying it in front of the captain's grave, something they have already done for former Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana and are going to do for former 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, Ichigo is aghast at something so questionably ethical being done in Soul Society, prompting Renji to dismiss it as an old custom and question what is going on at Ichigo's location since it is so noisy. Ichigo reveals that Keigo Asano opened a ramen shop recently that he and his friends all decided to visit since Keigo has not gotten any customers yet and holds up the menu with the restaurant's name of Willpower Ramen, which Renji is confused by the meaning of. Behind Ichigo, Keigo refutes the former's assertion that he does not have any sense to begin with as Mizuiro Kojima requests that he stay out of their conversation since it will make other customers uncomfortable if it seems like he is holding a private conversation, and when Keigo demands to know why he is saying this when he knows there are no other customers, Mizuiro clarifies that he is telling Keigo to shut up while not addressing Keigo by name, to his incredible irritation.

   When Keigo announces that his ramen is almost ready, Ichigo tells Renji that he will be hanging up to eat it, but Renji frantically asks him not to since he is the one who called Ichigo and reveals that he is extending an invitation for Ichigo to attend the Konsō Reisai, due to him having been affiliated with Ukitake even though he is not a captain. With Renji clarifying that this invitation comes from Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku and 13th Division Captain Rukia Kuchiki, the latter walks over and is pleasantly surprised to see Ichigo on Renji's Denreishinki, which she realizes must be a new model. Explaining that she still has her old one since it works fine and that she did not know about the video call function of the new model until now, Rukia attempts to see Orihime by tilting Renji's Denreishinki, only for Ichigo to inform her that this will not work and that Orihime is doing laundry at home. In response, Rukia teasingly assumes that Ichigo leaves all of the housework to his wife and that means they are an estranged couple continuing to live under the same roof despite losing their domestic bliss because of emotional abuse, leaving Ichigo aghast at such an idea and wondering where Rukia learned about such terms, and when Rukia informs him that they now have television in Soul Society and can watch shows from the Human World, Ichigo laments that he never thought he would understand the feeling of being a parent telling their child to stop watching television and start studying in this manner.

   Renji elaborates that Kisuke Urahara began working with the Shinigami Research and Development Institute after the Quincy Blood War and has developed all sorts of new Reishi devices, which leads an impressed Ichigo to comment on his skill. Suddenly, 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi appears behind Rukia and Renji to proclaim that he cannot let such a remark go unheard, startling them both as he asserts that he has always tailored his developments to the Seireitei's aesthetic and that Urahara is undoing his hard work with a lack of good taste. Though Renji presumes Mayuri is actually here, Rukia reveals that this is actually a hologram being projected by a grotesque bug flying overhead, to Renji's disgust, and Mayuri clarifies that squashing the bug is futile since others he has deployed will take its place prior to noting he can hear Renji when the latter realizes that this is similar to what Mayuri says during battle. In the Fourth Division barracks, Captain Isane Kotetsu and 3rd Seat Hanatarō Yamada apologize to another hologram of Mayuri, though Lieutenant Kiyone Kotetsu points out that neither of them have done anything wrong here, and in the Fifth Division barracks, Captain Shinji Hirako admits that this is his first time seeing a hologram in person as his lieutenant, Momo Hinamori, shushes him and asks Mayuri if he has an urgent message, prompting Mayuri to reveal that it is a message for all the lieutenants.

   Back at the Sixth Division barracks, Ichika returns and explains that Ikkaku sent her back since he remembered that he had important work left to do, only to see Mayuri's hologram and express excitement at the sight of him as she hides behind a wall. Mayuri informs Renji and the other lieutenants that they must assemble in the Human World soon to complete the pre-ceremony Jogimen Reibaku, leading 1st Division Lieutenant Nanao Ise to admit that he is right and prepare to depart while telling her co-lieutenant, Genshirō Okikiba, to stay by Shunsui's side while in the Second Division barracks, Captain Suì-Fēng kicks her lieutenant, Marechiyo Ōmaeda, and tells him to get moving, which he agrees to in pain. At the Seventh Division barracks, Captain Tetsuzaemon Iba asks some of his subordinates if they have seen his lieutenant, Atau Rindō, and learns that he is playing with animals in the garden, to Iba's chagrin. Upon being approached by Iba over Mayuri's message, Rindō looks up from his animals and uses sign language to convey that he just heard it, which Iba realizes is true. At the Tenth Division barracks, Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya questions the need for Mayuri to set up such a messaging system in all the barracks for an event that they all knew about in advance, which leads his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, to theorize that it is a reaction to Urahara developing new merchandise, though Mayuri denies this and claims he is simply using a prototype with technology superior to his. At the Ninth Division barracks, Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi points out how Mayuri is acting highly self-conscious about it despite this, but is shocked when Mayuri fires lasers from his eyes at the floor where Hisagi is standing and complains to his captain, Kensei Muguruma, about Mayuri being able to attack while Mayuri chastises him for referring to the creations of the SRDI as merchandise, though Hisagi counters that he is not the one who said this. Meanwhile, Ichika deduces that Renji and Ikkaku are keeping it secret that they are visiting the Human World and mischievously notes that this is no fair.

   That night, Ichigo joins the lieutenants in his Shinigami form as they gather in the Human World, where he questions the need to gather all the lieutenants together for something like this as Renji admonishes him for complaining about their traditions as an outsider and demands to know why Ichigo is even here. When Ichigo points out how Renji is the one who said he is not an outsider and should be here, Renji angrily clarifies that he was only inviting Ichigo to the ceremony, only for Rangiku to sidle up to him and assure them that they will get this done quickly so Ichigo can attend the ceremony and then join them for drinks, to Ichigo's bemusement. Upon being asked by Renji if he can still go out for drinks tonight, Ichigo confirms this since his deadline is still far off, and with Rangiku wondering what his job is, Ichigo reveals that he is a translator, leaving her impressed by his intelligence. Realizing that Ichigo almost never gets together with them anymore, Renji takes the opportunity to introduce him to the new recruits and points out Rindō, whom he notes does not talk. Though Ichigo apologizes for not knowing sign language, Rindō reveals that he can understand them by reading lips, which Ichigo considers cool as he chastises Renji for assuming he was referring to the latter. Suddenly, 8th Division Lieutenant Yuyu Yayahara introduces herself as well, and when Renji explains that she is obsessed with gyaru culture from the Human World, an astonished Ichigo denies having ever seen someone so ingrained in the culture before, only to learn that she is Captain Lisa Yadōmaru's lieutenant. Upon being accosted by Yuyu for a selfie, since she knows him as the hero from the Quincy Blood War, a startled Ichigo denies this and protests Yuyu's usage of filters.

   With Yuyu revealing that Lisa gave her Ichigo's social media account and requesting that Ichigo add her as a friend once she sends him the photo, Ichigo is aghast at Lisa finding his account and at Urahara enabling messaging on the Denreishinki as Ichika emerges from a Senkaimon below and hides behind a wall, where she rejoices in getting here without being caught. However, Ichika is stunned upon seeing a Jigoku no Gaki standing in the air behind Ichigo and the lieutenants, who have not noticed it, and frantically calls out to Renji, who demands to know why she is here prior to being struck by the Jigoku no Gaki and sent crashing through a nearby telephone pole and building. In response, Ichigo draws his Zanpakutō, and slashes diagonally through the Jigoku no Gaki, causing its severed arm to crush part of another building below. When the other lieutenants attempt to respond to the attack, Kiyone is impaled through the right side of her stomach by another Jigoku no Gaki that stands with four more behind Marechiyo, Hisagi, and 13th Division Lieutenant Sentarō Kotsubaki, who assume combat stances. On the ground below, a bloodied Renji frees himself from the rubble prior to Ichika running over and tearfully hugging him. While Ichika apologizes to a bewildered Renji, Ikkaku cuts through the head of a Jigoku no Gaki with his Zanpakutō and warns the others that they do not have any Reiatsu, meaning they are not ordinary Hollows, before declaring that they will be combatting the Jigoku no Gaki in one go. When Marechiyo points out that they traditionally capture a living Hollow for the ceremony, Sentarō asserts that they do not have time to bicker over this and will find another one afterwards as he cradles Kiyone.

   Nearby, Rindō releases the Taka form of his Shikai, causing the shikigami rope attached to the handle to transform into dozens of hawks that fly through one of the Jigoku no Gaki, stripping the flesh from its bones in the process. As the gigantic skeleton falls back, Yuyu lands on the ribcage and runs up the bones with enough force to crack them before leaping into the air, creating the visage of a large bear head by holding her hands out in the formation of teeth, and decapitates another Jigoku no Gaki by having the bear apparition bite its head off. On the ground below, 12th Division Lieutenant Akon is surrounded by a rain of blood and sprinkles a substance from a capsule into the liquid as a third Jigoku no Gaki approaches him. After reciting a string of numbers, Akon orders the Jigoku no Gaki to melt just as it steps into the liquid, causing its feet to dissolve into slush while its body begins to follow suit. When a flying Jigoku no Gaki hurtles toward Akon from above, 3rd Division Lieutenant Izuru Kira slashes his own foot seven times with his Shikai, Wabisuke, doubling his own weight seven times and allowing him to crush the Jigoku no Gaki into the ground by slamming into it from above before decapitating it with a single slash. With an annoyed Akon requesting that he put an end to his habit of guarding the perimeter, Izuru declines since he enjoys doing this and making a late entrance.

   Meanwhile, Renji observes that the lieutenants seem to have the Jigoku no Gaki handled even though he does not know what they are and promises to lecture Ichika on this when they get home, only to find his left leg suddenly wrapped in chains from a nearby portal on the ground, where Szayelaporro Granz inquires about whether Renji needs to leave already since he came all the way out here just to see Renji on this momentous day as he rises from the portal in a heavily altered form, with a skeletal and burnt left arm and his Hollow hole floating in the air behind him. While Szayelaporro admits that he was just flattering Renji by claiming this and muses that Uryū Ishida and Mayuri are not here either, something he decides to not take as a slight, Renji hides Ichika behind his legs and questions if Szayelaporro looks different now because he is dead. In response, Szayelaporro confirms that he was cast into Hell and explains how it has let him cast aside his Hollow yoke so his hole is no longer bound to his flesh and his hate and suffering can pour out of his brain like tears, punctuated by two curving horns growing out of his temples.

   Upon noticing a cowering Ichika, Szayelaporro asks Renji who she is and responds to Renji's silence by revealing that he already knows due to his position as the Jailer of Hell granting him clairvoyance before declaring that he will start by killing Renji's daughter, which prompts Renji to pick up Ichika and flee as Szayelaporro summons more chains to pursue him. Though the chains pierce through Renji's body in multiple areas to restrain him, Ichigo swiftly severs them with his sword and tells Renji to take Ichika somewhere safe while Szayelaporro decides to kill him now even though it will not earn much acclaim, only for Ichigo to demand to know who he is.

   Simultaneously, in Soul Society, the captains gathered at Ukitake's grave notice globules of a strange black substance floating in the air around them. When Suì-Fēng rubs some between her fingers and deduces that it is not Reishi, Shunsui slashes through another globule, causing the substance to fall onto the blade of his Zanpakutō and sizzle, and identifies it as Jigoku no Rinki, to the surprise of the other captains, as he decides to tell them an old myth he heard long ago. Shunsui brings up the concept of Spirit Class, a scale formerly used by the aristocracy to indicate the density of Reiatsu within Reishi, with an average Shinigami having 20th-class Reishi, a lieutenant having 4th- or 5th-class Reishi, and captains having 3rd-class Reishi or higher, and how a Shinigami's body being composed of Reishi causes their body to break down into that and be reclaimed by the soil of Soul Society when they die, though captains have Reiatsu too dense to be reabsorbed without intervention, with the Shin'ō Academy teaching that the Konsō Reisai is a ceremony that allows this Reishi to return to Soul Society. However, Shunsui reveals that the myth says captain-class Reishi can never return to the soil of Soul Society, and since they cannot allow overly powerful Reishi to linger in Soul Society, the other purpose of the Konsō Reisai is to cast deceased captains into Hell.

   Back in the Human World, Szayelaporro informs Ichigo of this while attacking the latter with his chains, though Ichigo is unsure of what he is talking about. Proclaiming that this is the truth, Szayelaporro asserts that power always has a cost and that wayward Souls who have lost the right of return due to the power they sought out being cast into Hell is salvation and a kindness to them, with the Shinigami being unaware that they have sent their comrades to Hell with their own hands. As Shunsui admits to a distressed Rukia that this myth may very well be true and that he is only just realizing it now, Szayelaporro points to his own appearance as proof that the balance has collapsed due to the powerful Reiatsu of Sousuke Aizen and Yhwach that were holding Hell shut having disappeared and the Shinigami sending enough beings with powerful Reiatsu to Hell that its jaws can be wrenched open from the other side, namely "Gotei Kaiso" Yamamoto, "Shiken" Unohana, and now "Kamikake" Ukitake, who proceeds to impale Szayelaporro through the chest from behind with a gigantic version of his Shikai, Sōgyo no Kotowari.

   When a stunned Ichigo expresses disbelief at this by stating that the ceremony has not been completed, Szayelaporro points out that Ichigo and the lieutenants have completed it by massacring the Jigoku no Gaki in front of Ukitake's eyes through Ichigo's Substitute Shinigami Badge, hidden in his shihakushō. Pulled back into the Gates of Hell by Ukitake, Szayelaporro leaves Ichigo to ruminate on why the Jigokuchō who guide the Shinigami have "Hell" in their names as one of the skeletons on the closed Gates looks down at an approaching Kazui with a single eye, causing the latter to grin cheerfully.

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