Gotei 13 Organization Leaders Founders Captain-Commander Genrysai Shigekuni Yamamoto Captain-Commander Genrysai Shigekuni Yamamoto Seireitei

Headquarters Affiliation Purpose

Soul Society Primary Defense/Offense force of Soul Society

"Dying to exterminate great evil. Know that this is the spirit of the Gotei 13." - Genrysai Shigekuni Yamamoto[1]

The Gotei 13 (, Goteijsantai; 13 Division Imperial Guards, 13 Court Guard Squads in the English dub, 13 Court Guard Companies in the English manga) is the primary military branch of Soul Society. It is also the main military organization that most Shinigami join after the academy. Contents

History

The History of the Gotei 13 is somewhat unknown. All that is currently known is that it was founded by the current Captain-Commander Genrysai Shigekuni Yamamoto.[2] Mission

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 world of the living. The guiding of souls to the Soul Society.

General Operation

The Gotei 13, in contrast to the normal operations of modern-day militaries, does not operate as a cohesive unit normally. The command of the divisions are generally left to the discretion of its particular Captain, who commonly runs it whatever way he or she sees 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 but they are also allocated districts in Rukongai to defend.[3] In addition to these duties, Shinigami also have to deal with the business of being assigned to the Human World.[3]

The only general authority to call forth a combined front would be that of an edict from the Central 46 Chambers, or more often the Captain-Commander. It is not uncommon for captains to not see each other as a whole group for long periods of time, except for cases involving a threat to all of the Soul Society, a captain's punishment, or to a lesser degree, a captain's promotion. On a regular basis, the captains are spread out all across the Soul Society doing their divisions' duties, whatever they may be. They are, in fact, so far spread out that 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 the 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 cannot punish the subordinates of another captain.

Officially, the Kid Corps and Onmitsukid are not part of the Gotei 13. However, as Su-Fng is both the captain of the 2nd Division and the head of the Onmitsukid, the Onmitsukid is effectively under Gotei 13 control. In addition, the captain of the Kid Corps has been known to obey summons and orders from the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13.[4] Organization Structure

The Gotei 13 is made up of thirteen components: They are split into thirteen divisions (hence the name), with several divisions having certain specializations.[5]

The Gotei 13 is led by the "Captain-Commander", who has the statuary authority to conduct all the affairs of the Gotei 13; while deferring to the authority of the Central 46 Chambers in matters involving Soul Society.

As with any army, the Gotei 13 has ranks. There are 20 ranks for officers but no ranks for non-officers. The lower the number is, the higher the rank. The ranks and their descriptions are below, from highest to lowest in terms of strength. The Court Guards are an organization with a merit-based hierarchy. They have disposed of the system of rank based on seniority. Abilities are the only thing used to determine one's rank. [6] Captain's Council

The Captains congregate together in the main hall of the First Division Headquarters to discuss important issues involving their specific divisions and matters that 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 captaincommander. Votes are carried out via a unanimous consensus.

The Captain-Commander (, Staich; 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, Onmitsukid and Kid Corps when the well being of Seireitei and Soul Society is at stake. The only power the CaptainCommander is answerable to is the Central 46 Chambers. The current holder of this title is Captain Genrysai Shigekuni Yamamoto of the 1st Division, who has held that post for the last 1000 years.[7]

A Captain (, Taich; 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 Shinigami within the Soul Society, with the Kid Corps, and Onmitsukid leaders possibly being on equal status. With one exception, all captains are able to utilize the final stage of their Zanpakut, 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.[8] They have also extensivelytrained, 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 Flash Steps, Kid, 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.

Captains 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 (As Kisuke Urahara did upon gaining command). Due to captains having supreme authority in their respective division the divisions have become 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 in the instance that the division in question has no current captain or the subordinates actions are against the laws or rules of Soul Society.

Although not commonly stated, the true power of the Soul Society lies in the captains of the Gotei 13, as they are the leaders of its military arm. With them at full strength, the Soul Society is safe and almost unbeatable. If they are broken, their strength dwindles, making them highly vulnerable.

There are three different ways to become a Gotei 13 captain:[9]

Captain proficiency test (, 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 a captain one-on-one with at least 200 witnesses from the captain's division. Kenpachi Zaraki is the only known current captain to have achieved his rank using this method. This method is seen as being the exceedingly rarest of the three as well as the least refined. The method is commonly looked down upon by some captains as barbaric compared to the other refined methods. This method also allows one to bypass having the mastery of Bankai or other possible abilities that a captain would otherwise be required to have knowledge of, as it allows no judgment from captains who would require those skills as a prerequisite to join their ranks.

Lieutenant

A lieutenant (, fukutaich; Viz "Assistant Captain"; vice-unit commander, often translated as vice-captain) is the 2nd seated officer in a division.[10]

Lieutenants function as executive officers 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 Zanpakut, 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. List of Captains and Lieutenants Division Captain Lieutenant Division Flower Division Color

Division Specialty 1st Division Genrysai Shigekuni Yamamoto Chjir Sasakibe Chrysanthemum (Truth & Innocence) Deep Purple N/A 2nd Division Su-Fng Nothing) Amber 3rd Division Vacant Marechiyo maeda Special Ops Izuru Kira Pasque flower (Seek

Marigold (Despair) Azure N/A

4th Division Retsu Unohana Isane Kotetsu Bellflower (Those Who Grieve Are Loved) Puce Medical/Supply/Janitorial 5th Division Vacant Momo Hinamori Danger, Pure Love, Humility, Sweetness) 6th Division Byakuya Kuchiki Blue N/A 7th Division Sajin Komamura Tan N/A Lily of the Valley (Sacrifice, Light Green N/A

Renji Abarai Camellia (Noble Reason) Indigo Tetsuzaemon Iba Iris (Courage) Dark

8th Division Shunsui Kyraku Nanao Ise (Everything is Obtained) Rose Pink N/A

Strelitzia/Bird of Paradise Tenn

9th Division Vacant Shhei Hisagi White Poppy (Oblivion) Arts & Cultural, Gotei 13 Security Force 10th Division Tshir Hitsugaya Rangiku Matsumoto (Mystery, Egoism) Dark Green N/A 11th Division Lavender Kenpachi Zaraki Yachiru Kusajishi Melee Combat: Swordsmanship

Daffodil

Yarrow (Fight)

12th Division Mayuri Kurotsuchi Nemu Kurotsuchi Thistle (Vengeance, Strictness, Independence) Olive Green Science 13th Division Carnelian Jshir Ukitake N/A Rukia Kuchiki Snowdrop (Hope)

Unknown Division

Zennosuke Kurumadani - Rukia's replacement as watcher of Karakura Town, his Division number and rank is unknown.

Ashido Kan - A Shinigami that was stranded in Menos Forest of Hueco Mundo (Anime-Only) Eikichir Said - A Shinigami sent to find Rukia (Anime-Only) Baishin - A former Shinigami and the antagonist in the OVA The Sealed Sword Frenzy (Anime-Only, Deceased)

Size and Recruitment

Each Division is made up of just over 200 Shinigami, with the Gotei 13's standing force being just around 3000 total enlisted troops.[3] The Shinigami are typically recruited through the Shinigami Academy. However, it must be noted that not all graduates make it into the Gotei 13.[3] Graduates from the Academy are required to sit an entrance exam for the Gotei 13 and only those who pass are allowed to join.[11] The entrance exam can be taken multiple times.[11] 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. The Gotei 13 Insignias. Uniforms

Most Gotei 13 personnel wear the standard Shinigami uniform, called Shihakush (, Garment of Dead Souls) - a white shitagi, a black kosode, a black hakama, a white hakama-himo, white tabi, and waraji. The black kosode also has its owner's division insignia emblazoned on the inside, though it does not appear to have any significant reasoning other than minor security authorization. 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; at the time the series takes place, the use of the armbands was noted to have fallen out of fashion.[12]

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). Some captains have long sleeves, while the others do not. It also seems that the color of the underside is division--or at least captain-specific--as every captain has a different color of it. Uniform Customization

Gotei 13 officers, particularly captains and lieutenants, often customize their personal appearance or that of their uniform. Some of these modifications include:

Captain Su-Fng of the 2nd Division wears a sleeveless and backless Shinigami outfit (when she is fighting) under her haori, which is standard issue for the head of the Onmitsukid. She also wears a yellow sash a layer above, but slightly lower than her white one. Captain Retsu Unohana of the 4th Division wears an obi sash rather than a standard one. Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of the 6th Division wears an extremely expensive scarf named ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu and a white ceremonial hairpiece called kenseikan, symbolizing his noble lineage. Captain Sajin Komamura of the 7th Division wears shoulder guards over his haori and large gloves which go up to his arms. He also wore a helmet to hide his appearance, but he later removed it. Captain Shunsui Kyraku of the 8th Division is probably the most flamboyantly dressed of the captains, always seen wearing a straw hat and a gaudily-colored kimono over his uniform. Captain Kaname Tsen formerly of the 9th Division wears an orange scarf with his outfit, a sleeveless kosode as well as white boots. Captain Tshir Hitsugaya of the 10th Division wears a green sash pinned with a star around his shoulder to hold his sword. Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of the 11th Division wears a jagged edged haori, which was taken from the previous captain. Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of the 12th Division wears a bloated purple

cravat and a hat decorated with two horizontal spikes, he later changes the hat. Lieutenant Chjir Sasakibe of the 1st Division wears a jinbaori over his Shihakush. Lieutenant Shhei Hisagi of the 9th Division wears a sleeveless kosode and black choker. Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto of the 10th Division wears a top that is deliberately loose and hangs open to reveal her ample bosom. She also wears a pink scarf (or stole), and wears her lieutenant's badge around her waist with her sash, tied in a bow. Lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi of the 12th Division has a very abbreviated outfit: the hakama is absent, leaving her with a mini-skirt version of the kosode that is belted at the waist. 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa of the 11th Division wears an orange piece of clothing on top of his uniform around the neck connected to his arm, which covers most of his chest that would otherwise be exposed by his uniform. All known members of the 9th Division, excluding Mashiro Kuna and Toshimori Umesada, wear kosode without sleeves, including the former captains.