The Bleach Captains are all members of the Gotei 13. Their duty is to provide protection to the Soul Society and the Human World from threats such as the Hollows. This prestigious position requires a lot of courage, strength and leadership skills, leading to just a handful of Shinigami who are qualified for this position. The role of a Bleach Captain isn’t without mortal dangers either, many of them have given their life up for their duty. Let’s take a look at these glorious heroes as published by 2MinutesRead.com.
All The Bleach Captains So Far
1st Division
No special duties have been noted for the 1st Division. The First Division is ranked highest among the 13 Divisions. Even subordinate members of the First Division are considered model Shinigami. Emergencies must be dealt with swiftly; quick decisions and quick actions are essential. The division is able to ascertain a situation and mobilize quickly even before an order is issued.
Incumbent Captain: Shunsui Kyoraku
Shunsui Kyoraku took over the duties of Captain-Commander from outgoing Captain-Commander Yamamoto. Prior to his current role, he was the Captain of the 8th Division. Shunsui Kyoraku is the leader of the 1st division as well as the complete Gotei 13. His Zanpakuto has the ability to make children’s games real. People who try to break these rules face lethal consequences.
Previous Captain: Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryusai
Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto was a long serving and oldest member of the Gotei 13. He served as Captain-Commander for 1000 years. His strategic acumen is unmatched and he is a master hand-to-hand combatant and absolutely lethal with the swords.
2nd Division
No special duties have been noted for the 2nd Division. Since the linking of the Onmitsukidō with the 2nd Division well over 110 years ago, its role may have changed from its original duty.
The 2nd Division has been directly linked to the Onmitsukidō for well over 110 years ago by former Captain Yoruichi Shihōin who was Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō before being promoted to a captain. As such the special operations of Soul Society has become the full measure of what the division involves itself in primarily. Members are tasked with assassination, policing, detention and message couriers.
Incumbent Captain: Soi Fon
Soi Fon is the exemplary leader of the 2nd Division. A master assassin, she has the powerful Zanpakuto of slaying any enemy with just two strikes. It can also work as an artillery cannon. She is an excellent hand to hand combatant and excels as Kido and Shunko.
Previous Captain: Yoruichi Shihouin
Soi Fon’s mentor and the previous 2nd Division captain Yoruichi Shihouin is legendary for unrivalled hand to hand combat skills. Despite being such a skilled fighter, she is very playful in nature and never takes anything seriously outside a battle.
3rd Division
No special duties have been noted for the 3rd Division.
Incumbent Captain: Roujuuro Otoribashi
Rojuuro Otoribashi, also known as “Rose”, captained the 3rd Division a 100 years before the events of Bleach started. He was removed from his position after being framed for a crime. He regained his position after the actual culprit was revealed. He can manipulate sound to create shockwaves.
Previous Captain: Gin Ichimaru
Gin Ichimaru’s constant smiling seems strange to just about everyone. He captained the 3rd Division while Rose was removed from the post because of a false conviction. His Zanpakuto has the ability to extend great distances at high speeds. This allows him to instantaneously cut or impale enemies.
Anime-only: Shuusuke Amagai
This character is not present in the manga and was written for the anime. Shuusuke Amagai filled Gin’s vacant spot after learning to utilize the Bankai of his Zanpakuto to control fire. He didn’t have any major storyline around him and only appeared in a filler arc.
4th Division
The 4th Division is the medical/supply division. They are responsible for both treating the injured and doing most of the manual labor, such as cleaning the Seireitei. The 4th Division is further divided into teams that have specific assigned jobs.
Incumbent Captain: Isane Kotetsu
Isane is generally quiet, shy, and observant, with a strong sense of loyalty. She can be impatient in the face of an enemy, rushing after enemies she has no chance of defeating, including the seemingly unstoppable Sōsuke Aizen.
Previous Captain: Retsu Unohana
Retsu Unohana was the former captain of the 4th Division. She also mentored the current captain Isane Kotetsu. Retsu’s Zanpakuto is a large manta ray-like creature that breathes a healing mist and can also be used for transporting injured people.
5th Division
No special duties have been noted for the 5th Division. The members of this division are all highly skilled, having been trained by a captain who excels at everything, including battle readiness.
Incumbent Captain: Shinji Hirako
Shinji Hirako, like Rose, was another Shinigami wrongfully framed for crimes 100 years before the start of the events of Bleach. As a result of that, he was removed from the captain’s helm. However, once the actual culprit was caught, Shinji took over as captain of the 5th division once again. His Zanpakuto is called Inverted World and makes everything backwards for his opponent (up is down, left is right, etc.)
Previous Captain: Sousuke Aizen
Sousuke Aizen was the former captain of the 5th Division. He is intellectually a genius and stays calm and composed in the face of adversity and seemingly impossible odds. Aizen is also a very devoted individual, going to any means in order to achieve his objectives.
6th Division
No special duties have been noted for the 6th Division. The 6th Division is seen as a model division by every Shinigami and is known for its strict adherence to rules.
Incumbent Captain: Byakuya Kuchiki
Byakuya Kuchiki is the captain of the 6th Division and is renowned for being one of the deadliest fighters of the Soul Society. He was a child prodigy who was very serious and driven towards her goal from a young age. Personality wise, he is on the other extreme of Yoruichi. Byakyua’s Zanpakuto can split into thousands of small blades that he controls at will to cut his opponents to ribbons.
Previous Captain: Ginrei Kuchiki
Ginrei Kuchiki, who is also the grandfather of incumbent 6th Division captain Byakuya, helmed the 6th Division at some point of time. There isn’t much information available about his career as a Bleach captain.
7th Division
No special duties have been noted for the 7th Division. This division is made up of sincere, unpretentious people who live life with gusto. Both former Captain Komamura and current Captain Iba believe strongly in moral obligation and compassion. This ethos has been passed down through the ranks of the 7th Division.
Incumbent Captain: Sajin Komamura
Sajin Komamura is the dog headed leader of the 7th Division. He is extremely strong and wields a Zanpakuto of a giant suit of armor, with an equally giant sword, that follows his every move. Even though he is extremely powerful, Komamura is very kind hearted and forgiving.
Previous Captain: Love Aikawa
One of the other Shinigamis who were framed for the crimes he didn’t commit, Love Aikawa led the 7th Division at one point of time. Aikawa’s Zanpakuto can turn into a giant, spiked club that ignites itself and shoots fire.
8th Division
No special duties have been noted for the eighth Division
Incumbent Captain: Lisa Yadoumaru
Lisa replaced Shunsui Kyoraku as the captain of the 8th Division after he went on to become the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13. In comparison to her comrades, Lisa is one of the calmer, more sensible members of the Visored, showing a quite stern, detached and secretive demeanor at most points, although she is somewhat temperamental and easily irritable.
Previous Captain: Shunsui Kyoraku
He was the captain of the 8th Division before being chosen to replace Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto as the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13.
9th Division
The mission of the Ninth Division is to protect the Seireitei. It is always on standby for combat because it is the security force of the Gotei 13. Traditionally, the Ninth Division has overseen arts and culture. For this reason, it is known to be in charge of the Seireitei news magazine. All the lieutenants of the divisions of Gotei 13 hand in their reports to them.
Incumbent Captain: Kensei Muguruma
Kensei Muguruma was another Shinigami who was wrongfully framed for crimes he didn’t commit. He lost his position as the Captain as a result of that. However, he regained his post after the actual criminals were caught. His Zanpakuto had the ability to create powerful air blades that would explode on impact.
Previous Captain: Kaname Tousen
Kaname Tousen was blind and his abilities took advantage of this, manipulating the sense of sight to put his opponents at a disadvantage. His creed to life was to “take the path with the least bloodshed”. He was the Captain of the 9th Division till his death.
10th Division
Naruki City is under the jurisdiction of the 10th Division. No other special duties have been noted.
Incumbent Captain: Toushirou Hitsugaya
The youngest captain of the Gotei 13, Toshiro Hitsugaya often gets stuck with duties that the other captains do not want to perform. It’s a form of Gotei 13 hazing. He can control an ice dragon and is always working towards proving himself to his seniors.
Previous Captain: Isshin Kurosaki
Isshin Kurosaki was the captain of the 10th Division before his decision to return to the Human World without permission led to a permanent exile.
11th Division
The Eleventh Division is a direct-combat Division with a specialization in swords-only combat, forgoing the other Shinigami arts and thereby being one of the most specialized divisions in the Gotei 13. As such, it is common practice for members to be carrying their Zanpakutō at all times. The division’s doctrine of dominating in battle is what appeals to its members; they believe that fighting is what makes life worth living. This is what separates the 11th Division from the others and makes them the strongest division. Everyone in the 11th Division is highly skilled in fighting. They believe if they are going to die anyway, they have to go down fighting gloriously.
Incumbent Captain: Kenpachi Zaraki
Kenpachi Zaraki isn’t just the captain of the 11th Division, he is also the 11th person to hold the title of Kenpachi. Zaraki is always battle hungry. He fights like a berserker to inflict maximum damage to his opponents while holding little regard for his own safety. When it comes to raw power, no Shinigami can stand in front of Zaraki.
Previous Captain: Yachiru(Retsu) Unohana
Retsu Unohana was the first person to hold the Kenpachi name. She is also known as the best healer of the Soul Society. Aside from her time as the captain of the 11th Division, she also served as a captain of the 4th Division.
12th Division
The 12th Division develops new technology and spiritual tools and has been the home of the S.R.D.I. for 110 years. The 12th Division has been directly linked to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute over 100 years ago by former Captain Kisuke Urahara. As such technological and scientific research has become the full measure of what the division involves itself in primarily. Members are tasked with research and collection of data and samples, something both the current and previous captains are very enthusiastic about, though not to the same extreme.
Incumbent Captain: Mayuri Kurotsuchi
Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who is also known for his “mad scientist” type experiments, is the captain of the 12th Division. He is very cruel and holds no regard for anything in the pursuit of science, indulging in sadistic experiments at times.
Previous Captain: Kisuke Urahara
Kisuke Urahara was the captain of the 11th Division until he was exiled to the human world because of false crimes. He currently owns a shop in the Human World, which sells items imported from Soul Society.
13th Division
Karakura Town is under the jurisdiction of the 13th Division. No other special duties have been noted.
Incumbent Captain: Rukia Kuchiki
The captain of the 13th Division was born into a lower class. Because of that, Rukia retains her modesty, even as an adopted member of the nobility. She is graceful and “clean”, yet chooses to talk to ordinary people. However, her cool and lone demeanor often forces her to hide her personal troubles, even from her friends.
Previous Captain: Juushiro Ukitake
Jushiro Ukitake was a powerful but sickly man. The former captain of the 13th Division was a man of strong morals who used his abilities to protect people around himself. He was the captain of the 13th Division till his demise. His Zanpakuto could absorb energy attacks and fire them at his enemies.
So those were the Bleach Captains of the Gotei 13. These brave souls fight hard to keep the world of Bleach safe and a lot of them have given up their life in the cause as well.