The Gotei 13 form an integral part of the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc in Bleach, as Kurosaki Ichigo fights alongside Soul Society's Captains to protect humans and spirits alike. Sousuke Aizen and his rebellion originate from within the ranks of the Gotei 13, sending the balance of power into disarray.
The Soul Society may be the basis of the afterlife, but it is by no means heavenly, so the Gotei 13 was established to protect the innocent and keep the peace between realms. 26 Captains and vice-captains make up this force, each with a specialized skill acquired from training at the Shin'ō Academy. Each Division supervises a specific element of this military task force, which was founded by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto more than a millennium ago.
Who Is In Charge Of What
The 1st Division holds the leader and commanding officers of the Gotei 13. The oldest member, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, spent more than a thousand years serving as Captain-Commander before relinquishing his title to Shunsui Kyoraku, who is capable of finding beauty and whimsy in everything.
In contrast to Shunsui's fun-loving nature is the ever-serious Soi Fon, leader of the 2nd Division, who trained under none other than the shape-shifting Yoruichi Shihouin. The 2nd Division is regularly linked to the Onmitsukidō (隠密機動), who are a Secret Special Ops Force that has been working within the Soul Society for many years.
The 3rd Division specializes in communication and are responsible for maintaining the jigokuchou systems, headed by Roujuuro Otoribashi, aka Rose. The 4th Division, however, is full of healers, with Retsu Unohana stepping down into the vice-captain role and handing Isane Kotetsu the reigns. A change of command also took place within the 5th Division when Aizen rebelled, and Shinji Hirako reclaimed his title of Captain and leader of the Kidou Corps.
Who better to handle Internal Affairs than the quintessential Shinigami and model student, Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of the 6th Division. Similarly, the 7th Division's Shinigami are also responsible for keeping the peace, but Sajin Komamura focuses his attention on Seireitei (瀞霊廷, Court of Pure Souls) and Rukongai (流魂街, Wandering Soul City.) Lisa Yadoumaru and the rest of the 8th Division are masters in Kidou, with the highest numbers of Shinigami in their ranks, and are often first on the scene when reinforcements are required. Most Shinigami also have Kensei Muguruma on speed dial, as the 9th Division manages the memory-wiping process on Earth when humans witness the unthinkable.
The 10th Division has many administrative and tedious tasks, which is probably why Toushirou Hitsugaya, the youngest Shinigami, got stuck with the job. The 11th Division, on the other hand, is arguably the most exciting sector of the Gotei 13, specializing in sword combat with Kenpachi Zaraki as the head of the pack. In contrast, the most technologically advanced Shinigami all end up in Division 12, which began working hand-in-hand with the Shinigami Research and Development Institute over a century ago while under Kisuke Urahara's leadership. Mayuri Kurotsuchi has since taken the title of Captain and is never short of ideas for new extreme experiments. Last but not least, the 13th Division has Rukia Kuchiki at the helm with defensive strategies as a priority.
Ichigo And The Gotei 13
During the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc, Ichigo interacts with most of the Gotei 13, but a few of these bonds are paramount to the storyline. The Captain of the 13th Division, Rukia finds herself in the position of leading lady as she helps Ichigo develop his skills as a substitute-Shinigami. The tense relationship between Ichigo and Byakuya stems from their ideals regarding the best way to protect Rukia. The new Shinigami finds more allies in Toushirou, Urahara, and most importantly Yoruichi, who is his constant source of wisdom. Kenpachi Zaraki, on the other hand, opposes Ichigo at every opportunity, but the constant conflict only helps to strengthen the pair over time — Kenpachi is brutal, but he has a moral code and pushes boundaries in the pursuit of fulfilling potential power.
The Influences Of Aizen
Originally the leader of the 5th Division, Sousuke Aizen stirred up the ranks of the Gotei 13 when he rebelled against the system in the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. Firstly, the 3rd Division's vice-captain, the devious Gin Ichimaru, shocked many when he went rogue to be Aizen's right-hand man. When Gin left the Gotei 13, Shuusuke Amagai filled his space in the Anime series (only). The second to follow in the rebellion is the former 9th Division's Captain, Kaname Tousen, who died fighting against his former brethren. Kensei Muguruma (9th Division) Shinji Hirako (5th Division) and Rose (3rd Division) were all falsely incriminated, leaving their commanding positions conveniently open for Tousen, Aizen, and Gin to claim, which is indicative of the long game that was played. These three crooked Shinigami spent over a century planning their rebellion, but they did not expect Ichigo Kurosaki's intervention.
Defeated Captains
The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc did not fall short of victims, and the Gotei 13 were not all fortunate enough to evade this list. Yamamoto had both his Bankai, Zanka No Tachi, and his life stolen by Yhwach, and left only his Zanpakuto, Ryujin Jakka, in his wake. In contrast, Unohana did not die in battle but was impaled by her companion, Kenpachi, during a training exercise. However, her death was not in vain, as Unohana accomplished her task of guiding Kenpachi towards reaching his full strength.
The Gotei 13 And The Quincy
Although they both fight Hollows, the Quincy and the Shinigami are seen as opposing forces. The powerful tribe was almost completely wiped out by the Gotei 13, under Yamamoto's direct instruction during the Quincy Blood War two centuries ago. Luckily, the descendants of the Soul King managed to teleport their city, Wandenreich, to an alternate dimension before their untimely demise. The Gotei 13 fought under the premise that the Quincy population was growing at a rate that would damage the balance of power between the realms, believing that the Quincies' use of Reishi was potentially dangerous to all. Fans theorize that the Quincy will seek their revenge in the next installment of Bleach.