| Shinigami (bleach) |
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''Shinigami'' are departed human souls that have gained supernatural powers. As such, their bodies are composed of Ectoplasm and they can only be seen by other spiritually aware entities, which excludes most humans. In the series, ''shinigami'', as well as most other types of spirits, are quite capable of influencing their environment. Additionally, they can be injured and die like regular humans, though it takes considerably greater injuries for the latter to occur than it would in regular humans. The most prominent supernatural power possessed by a ''shinigami'' is their '' Zanpakutō '', a supernatural sword generated from the ''shinigami'''s soul. ''Shinigami'' also naturally give off spiritual energy, which varies greatly in magnitude with the strength of a ''shinigami''. A ''zanpakutō'' is a physical manifestation of this force concentrated into a blade.''Bleach'' anime; episode 36, as explained by Kenpachi Zaraki. ''Shinigami'' operations are based out of Soul Society , which is the afterlife in ''Bleach''. Travel between the human world and Soul Society is extremely limited and monitored, but some ''shinigami'' are stationed in the human world to carry out their duties and therefore must often travel between the two. In addition, it is a crime for a ''shinigami'' to remain in the human world longer than a certain time limit. A ''shinigami'''s duties include leading Pluses (ghosts) to Soul Society in a practice called soul burial (''konsō''), and the cleansing of Hollows (evil spirits).''Bleach'' manga; chapter 1, pages 19-20. Later in the series, ''shinigami'' duties are clarified further, and it is revealed that they are also responsible for governing the flow of spirits between the human world and Soul Society. TRAINING The majority of training for individuals wanting to become ''shinigami'' is done through the ''Shinigami'' Academy. It is a six-year academy, during which time its students Learn To Fight hollows and perform soul burial duties. While it is not clear, this academy seems to have been founded by Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai about 2000 years before the ''Bleach'' storyline. COMBAT The ''shinigami'' have four forms of combat: ''kidō'', hand-to-hand combat, foot combat, and Swordsmanship . Kidō See Also: Kidō are a type of sorcery used by ''shinigami''. They can be used for various purposes, such as healing, attacking, and restraining. Healing seems to be a more general skill, while attacking and binding require an incantation to be recited beforehand. Demon arts spells are divided into two major groups: (destructive spells in the Viz. translation), used for direct attack, and , which are spells that restrain someone or have other effects. These forms of demon arts spells are performed by calling out a complicated and often long-winded incantation followed by the name of the spell, which causes an effect once the name has been recited. Lesser versions of the spells can be used by calling out the name alone, but their effectiveness is reduced when used in such a fashion.''Bleach'' manga; chapter 176, page 13. Hand-to-hand combat in ''Bleach'' is not elaborated upon. Special forces troops, especially those of higher ranks such as Soifon , are known to be well-trained in this field. Agility , like hand-to-hand combat, is not elaborated upon. Flash steps (''shunpo''), a movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow, is implied to be part of this category.''Bleach'' anime; episode 61. Another, though not necessarily related, skill is the ''shinigami'' ability to walk on air using spiritual power. Though used quite liberally in the human world, ''shinigami'' seem to rarely make use of this skill while in Soul Society. Swordsmanship See Also: Zanpakutō is the most used form of combat among ''shinigami'', since their ''zanpakutō'' is the most effective way of dispatching any given opponent. As the name suggests, it involves using a ''zanpakutō'' and its various special abilities to attack an opponent. In addition to its basic form, each ''zanpakutō'' has two enhanced forms: Shikai (始解, ''initial release'') and Bankai (卍解, ''final release''), which change the sword's form to unlock its potential and that of its user. MISSION AIDS To aid in their missions, particularly when said missions involve more than simply dispatching a hollow, ''shinigami'' have a number of unique items to assist them in their duties. In addition, it should be noted that all ''shinigami'' captains and lieutenants have their spiritual energy reduced by about 80% when they enter the human world by use of a spiritual limit, represented by a seal resembling the symbol unique to their division, in order not to cause unnecessary influence while there. In extreme cases where their full power is needed, they can request a limit release. Gigai In certain circumstances, a ''shinigami'' will need a way to stay in the human world for long periods of time, interact with the living, and/or recover their powers when the need arises, all of which they can't do in spirit form. Thus, the ''gigai'' was developed. A is an artificial body that allows ''shinigami'' to remain in the human world for an extended period, either due to temporary loss of powers or extended missions. While the body is synthetic, it functions and operates exactly like a natural one, including but not limited to blood flow and the like. Unlike the normal ''shinigami'' body, a ''gigai'' is detectable by humans who are not spiritually aware. Artificial souls , as the name suggests, are souls designed by ''shinigami'' scientists to separate a ''shinigami'''s spirit from a ''gigai'', should they be inhabiting one, or to evict stubborn spirits from their corpses if necessary. When ingested, it forces the soul out of the body and takes control of it, operating in a pre-programmed manner until removed by the ''shinigami''. It is commonly called Soul Candy, as the Shinigami Women Organization complained that the name ''gikongan'' wasn't cute and had it changed.''Bleach'' manga, Volume 2, Page 122. To fit with the more informal name, Soul Candy is contained in Pez -like dispensers with cartoony characters on top. The souls themselves apparently have personalities to match the cartoon character in question; for example, Rukia's favorite version, Chappy the Rabbit, is a hyperactive character that tries to restrain Ichigo when given control of Rukia's ''gigai'' and even speaks in a cutsy baby talk manner. Modified souls Because there are far more hollows than ''shinigami'', the modified soul (modsoul) project was born in an attempt to even the gap. are artificial souls designed to enhance regular human physiology, making them capable of battling hollows equally. For example, one modsoul may be able to run many times faster than a regular human while another may be many times stronger than normal.''Bleach'' manga; chapter 15, page 9. Kon , a recurring modsoul, has enhanced leg-strength. The modsouls are condensed into tiny, candy-like orbs and placed into Corpses to achieve their function as Soldier s to combat hollows. The modsouls were exterminated after the experiment proved to be a failure (due to ethical reasons). Kon was somehow mixed into a batch of regular artificial souls (Soul Candy) and shipped to Kisuke Urahara 's shop, where Rukia and Ichigo obtained it and unknowingly let it loose. Despite a standing order to dispose of all modified souls, they kept Kon and placed him into the body of a Lion Plushie . Rukia and Ichigo use Kon to possess Ichigo's body when his soul is expelled from his body to fight as a ''shinigami''. Memory replacement In some cases, a human witnesses a ''shinigami'' purify a hollow or affect his surroundings in a significant way. To keep the incident a secret, ''shinigami'' perform memory replacement with an item called ''kikanshinki''. In function, it operates almost exactly like the Neuralizer in the '' Men In Black '' films. When used, a bird's head pops from the top of the device and produces a puff of smoke. The human it is used on is knocked unconscious and wakes up a while later with a new memory. However, the new memory that the human acquires is random and often based on the limits of what they themselves will believe. For example, Ichigo's family merely believed they slept through a truck crashing into their house when it was used on them. Conversely, Orihime Inoue , who has a much more active imagination, believed that her house was attacked by a gun-toting sumo wrestler (a Yakuza gunman in the manga). Mobile phone A vital tool for any ''shinigami'' stationed in the real world, this variation on a Mobile Phone functions both as a regular phone and as a communication line with Soul Society. It receives information about the time and exact location of a hollow's emergence via Global Positioning System (GPS). A ''shinigami'''s kills are also recorded in the phone and can be used as currency (according to the bounty placed on each hollow). GOVERNMENT AND LAW The main authority of the ''shinigami'' are the , who serve the ''shinigami'' royalty (the ruling class of all Soul Society). The Central 46 Chambers are made up of 40 wise men and 6 judges. They are sealed into an enclave in Seireitei called which no one else may enter, regardless of their military or civilian status. The decisions of the 46 Chambers are final and unquestionable, regardless of what the decision may involve. The only ''shinigami'' forces which do not answer to the Central 46 Chambers are the , which is said to have considerable power and tactical knowledge, and the Shinigami Academy.''Bleach'' Official Character Book SOULs; page 98. It is also implied that shinigami receive salaries, like workers in the real world.''Bleach'' Colorful Bleach Omake 4. Judiciary The Central 46 Chambers act as the ''shinigami'' judiciary and are responsible for judging and sentencing ''shinigami'' who have committed serious crimes, such as murder or treason. Punishments for less serious crimes may be given by other authorities, such as ''shinigami'' captains. It is implied that the Central 46 Chambers mostly deal with executions. With their deaths at the hands of Sōsuke Aizen during the Soul Society arc, General Yamamoto has taken over their normal duties. There are several forms of executions in Soul Society, although only two have been revealed:
ARMY The ''shinigami'' army consists of three unique elements: the Gotei 13 (Thirteen Court Divisions), the Kidō Corps, and the special forces. Kidō Corps There is currently little information on the , except that it takes students from the ''Shinigami'' Academy that excel in demon arts and that its operations are executed in absolute secrecy. The Kidō Corps is responsible for opening the between the human world and Soul Society.''Bleach'' manga; chapter 231, page 4. Special forces Also called the Secret Mobile Unit/Corps or Covert Ops, the has five divisions. The top rank is the , the second is the ,''Bleach'' manga; chapter 247, page 1. and the fifth division is called the Reversal Counter Force or . The other two division names or functions are unknown. There is little information about the operations of the special forces. The special forces are currently run by Captain Soifon of the Gotei 13's 2nd Division. She succeeded Yoruichi Shihouin , who departed Soul Society 100 years before the start of the ''Bleach'' storyline. Ranks The head of the special forces is called . The leaders of each on the five divisions are ranked as , the real-life equivalent being Lieutenant General . Although it is unknown how other ranks work in the special forces, like in Gotei 13, the leader of the forces generally also commands its top division, which is the Executive Militia, but unlike in the Gotei 13, the force commander has several bodyguards. Uniforms Although the general special forces uniform appears to be the standard ''shinigami'' uniform, the Executive Militia uniform is different from the Gotei 13. Overall, it resembles a Ninja uniform. It has no visible white undergarments and the sash is dark as opposed to white. A headpiece covers the bottom part of the face and sometimes the top, but not the eyes; they wear no sandals, but only socks, and tight bands are on the legs and arms to keep the clothes from moving too much, which both are presumably for silence of movement. In the anime, members of the Executive Militia also wear their head covering on the top, not just the bottom and wear a black sash instead of a white one. The leader of the militia wears the same uniform, except that the shoulders and back are exposed. The reason for the empty space is the technique, an advanced technique that combines hand to hand combat and kidō and causes high spiritual pressure to accumulate at the shoulders and back, blasting away the fabric at the shoulders and back.''Bleach'' manga; chapter 158, pages 15-16. The Correctional Force uniform is radically different. The soldiers wear a white uniform, a long piece of headgear, and a backpack. Gotei 13 The is the organization which most ''shinigami'' join. It is split into thirteen divisions (hence the name), with several divisions having certain specializations. The 4th Division is the medical/supply division, the 11th Division is the combat division (specialization in swordsmanship), and the 12th Division is the research/scientific division. It's unclear if the other divisions are specialized, as the three above are the only ones who receive any significant attention apart from their members. Ranks As with any army, the Gotei 13 has ranks. There are 20 ranks for officers but no ranks for non-officers. The ranks and their descriptions are below, from highest to lowest. =Commander-General The sōtaichō (総隊長, ''lit.'' commander-general, dubbed as head-captain) is the leader of the Gotei 13 and the captain of the 1st Division; the implication is that this is an Ex Officio or a Primus Inter Pares position. The current holder of this title is Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai . =Unit Commander A , commonly referred to as Captain , are the leaders of the thirteen divisions (with the special case of the Commander-General). While "captain" is not an accurate translation of the rank, it's appropriate considering the Size Of The Unit they lead. A single Gotei 13 'unit' (隊) is estimated at about 200-500 troops. Viz renders the units as ' Companies ' rather than 'divisions' because captains lead companies in real life. However, given that each Captain in ''Bleach'' leads a major part of a military wing or corps, they could be division commanders or Generals. Most literally, the name simply means 'unit commander', which could be practically any officer rank. Captains are generally the most respected ''shinigami'' in Soul Society, with the Central 46 Chambers, Demon Art Corps, and special forces leaders possibly being on equal status. With one exception ( Kenpachi Zaraki ), all captains are able to perform the Bankai of their ''zanpakutō'' and are generally much more powerful than even their lieutenants. Knowing the bankai gives captains an average of five to ten times the strength of ''shinigami'' who are unable to perform it.''Bleach'' manga; chapter 120, page 10. They have also extensively trained, if not mastered, their bankai, allowing them to actually use the enormous power effectively in battle. Most captains are also skilled in the use of ''shunpō'', ''kidō'', and generally have excellent knowledge of ''shinigami'' history and battle tactics. All of these factors create a huge power-gap between captains and lower-ranked officers. There are three different ways to become a Gotei 13 captain:''Bleach'' manga; chapter 146, page 1. #To take the , which requires the ability to perform the bankai. Presumably, most shinigami become captains using this method. At least three existing captains, including the Commander-General, have to witness the test. #To have personal recommendations from at least six captains and approval from at least three of the remaining seven. #To defeat a captain one-on-one with at least 200 witnesses from the captain's division. Kenpachi Zaraki is the only known captain to have achieved his rank using this method. =Vice-unit Commander , more commonly referred to as Lieutenant s, are the 2nd seated officers in each division. Because captain describes the unit commander, vice-captain is the most literally accurate translation some have used. The Viz manga translation renders the rank as the similar but somewhat longer "assistant captain", while the English dub of the anime uses the term "lieutenant". Although this does not apply to modern armies, in historical real-life armies the lieutenant has been the Adjutant of the captain, as is the case for fukutaichō and taichō in ''Bleach''. Therefore, lieutenant is a correct real-life equivalent of this rank. Holders of this rank in Gotei 13 have also been called adjutants. Lieutenants function as Executive Officer s for their division, taking care of or supervising day-to-day operations. They (along with their captains) are not assigned to one specific squad. They generally only know the Shikai of their ''zanpakutō'', but are still the second strongest in their division. In the case of a division captain's death, departure, or other circumstances making him unable to perform their duties, the lieutenant acts as the substitute captain until another can be assigned. =Seated officers Seated officers are the remainder of the officers in the Gotei 13 who hold ranks at or below 3rd Seat. Captains have the rank of 1st Seat and lieutenants are 2nd Seat. Next to that, there are 18 more seats (3rd to 20th). There seems to be a distinction between senior and junior seated officers, just like in real-life armies. In the Gotei 13, only one person can hold a senior officer rank (such as 3rd or 5th seat), but there are several holders of junior officer ranks (e.g. 20th seat). This may vary from division to division however, as there are two 3rd Seats in the 13th Division. Seated officers may lead subunits within each division (for example, Hanatarō Yamada is leader of 4th Division's 14th Advanced Relief Team). Uniforms .]] Most Gotei 13 personnel wear the standard ''shinigami'' uniform, called - a white ''kosode'', a black Kimono and Hakama , and a white Obi sash. Lieutenants sometimes also 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 seems that it is rarely compulsory. Captains wear a white Haori over the usual black ''shinigami'' clothes, with the number of their division on the back, inside the Gotei 13 symbol (a rhombus). Those worn by senior captains have sleeves, while the others don't. Gotei 13 officers, particularly captains and lieutenants, often customize their personal appearance or that of their uniform. Some of these modifications include:
Insignia Each of the 13 divisions in Gotei 13 have their own symbol that represents the division's primary role, which all seem to be based on flowers. When a power limit is placed on a captain or lieutenant, their symbol appears on a certain part of their body until the limit is lifted. Each symbol also has a specific meaning, but not all of them have been revealed. The 11th Division symbol means 'fight' while the camellia symbol of the 6th Division means 'noble reasoning'. Captain and lieutenant listings See Also: Characters in Bleach#Shinigami court divisions l1=Shinigami court divisions Below are the names of all captains and lieutenants in the Gotei 13. SEE ALSO NOTES AND REFERENCES |
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