| “ | No one stands on the top of the world. Not you, not me, not even gods. But the unbearable vacancy of the throne in the sky is over. From now on...I will be sitting on it. | „ |
| ~ Aizen to Ukitake |
| “ | It is the nature of all living things to find some being greater than themselves and place their trust in that being, following it blindly. In order to escape from the pressure of that trust, those beings seek a still greater entity in which to believe, and those greater beings too seek still greater, still stronger beings to follow. This is how all kings come to be, and this is how all Gods are born. Do not trust in me yet, Hirako Shinji. I will take my time to teach you the nature of the God whom you face. Then, you shall believe. | „ |
| ~ Aizen's philosophy on godhood |
| “ | What's wrong? I know that wasn't your last resort. I'll give you some time to come up with a new plan. I'll just keep crushing them until you're exhausted. | „ |
| ~ Aizen to Urahara, Yoruichi and Isshin |
| “ | The laws of nature are for beings who must live their lives bound by them. Now, shall we carry on? To a place beyond all laws. | „ |
| ~ Aizen to Gin |
| “ | Fear is necessary to achieve evolution. The fear that, in one's current state, one could quite possibly be destroyed at any time. I thank you, Gin. It is thanks to your presence that I have finally succeeded in surpassing both Soul Reapers and Hollows. | „ |
| ~ Aizen to Gin |
| “ | That is a loser's reasoning! A winner has to speak not of the world as it is, but of the world it should be | „ |
| ~ Aizen before being sealed |
| “ | Yhwach, the world that you desired to create may indeed have been devoid of fear. However, in a world without the fear of death, men could not face that fear and seek out hope. Certainly, they could keep walking onward by merely living, but that would be very different from walking onward while conquering their own fears. That is why we give the act of walking onward a special name. We call it 'courage'. | „ |
| ~ Aizen about Yhwach's goals |
Summary
Sosuke Aizen (藍染 惣右介 Aizen Sōsuke) is the former captain of the 5th Division in the Gotei 13. He later leaves Soul Society with his followers, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen. His lieutenant was Momo Hinamori. He formerly served as the lieutenant of the 5th Division under Shinji Hirako. After waging war against Soul Society with an army of Arrancar, Aizen was defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki and sealed away by Kisuke Urahara, and then imprisoned for his crimes.
Powers and Stats
Tier: 4-A | At least 4-A | At least 4-A | At least 4-A | At least 4-A, 3-C with Ultra Fragor | 3-C
Key: Base/First Fusion | Second Fusion | Third Fusion | Fourth Fusion | Final Fusion | Thousand Year Blood War Arc
Name: Aizen Sōsuke
Origin: Bleach
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown (At least one hundred and ten years old, most probably several hundred years old)
Classification: Soul Reaper, Former Captain of the 5th Division
Powers and Abilities:
- Soul Physiology & Soul Reaper Physiology (Soul: High-Tier/Soul Reaper: High-Tier)
- Master Swordsmanship & Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant (Aizen as a former captain of the Gotei 13 is a master swordsman and martial artist.[1] Aizen has been trained in Zanjutsu and Hakuda for decades as necessary to graduate the Soul Reaper Academy. Zanjutsu is the swordsmanship style of Soul Reapers, and Hakuda is their martial arts style. Aizen is skilled enough to fight with swordsmanship and martial arts masters such as Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Isshin all at once.[2] Aizen can also intertwine martial arts into his swordplay as well.[2] Aizen can additionally effortlessly outskill several highly trained captains of the Gotei 13 at once.[3] Aizen is precise enough to slice every piece of Zabimaru apart[4])
- Genius Intelligence & Preparation (Aizen is a genius fighter and strategist. Aizen can create modified Arrancar in preparation for a specific opponent, and using them to specifically counter his opponent's abilities[5])
- Social Influencing (Deception; Aizen is a master manipulator. For decades, he deceived the entire Soul Society as to who he was and his true nature and intentions, and continuously deceived and manipulated them for his own desires.[6][7] Aizen can use a person's own admiration towards him to make them his puppet and fully manipulate them.[8] He manipulated Shinji Hirako, The Vizards, and the rest of the Soul Society in elaborate ways to achieve his own ends.[9] His charm allows him to place a target in a "psychic cage' to ensure their cooperation.[10][11][12] In battle, he can cause his opponent to despair through just his words. He does this through forcing his opponent to question everything about themselves, whether that be their motivation for fighting him, or very history and past achievements[13])
- Information Analysis (Aizen can look at a person and know everything about them[14])
- Reiatsu Concealing Cloak:
- Enhanced Stealth Mastery & Camouflage (Aizen can completely negate the emission of his Reiatsu, causing him to become unsensible to even Soul Reapers.[15] He can also intertwine Kido into this cloak which causes him to blend into the environment and conceals his physical appearance[16])
- Kido:
- Energy Projection (Due to his expertise in Kido, Aizen would be capable utilizing Hado spells such as Sho and Byakurai)
- Light Manipulation (Can certainly use spells like Okasen, which fires a large blast of light at a target)
- Telekinesis (Daichi Ten'yo allows Aizen to lift objects and throw them at a target)
- Air Manipulation (Can create tornadoes with Tenran by spinning his sword and hurl them at enemies)
- Fire Manipulation (As a Kido Master, Aizen should certainly be capable utilizing fiery Hado spells such as Shakkaho, Haien and Itto Kaso)
- Electricity Manipulation (Aizen can create a massive lightning based attack from his palm with Hado #63: Raikoho[17])
- Sealing, Gravity Manipulation, Weapon Creation, Deconstruction & Space-Time Manipulation (Atomic; Hado #90: Kurohitsugi is a high level Kido that seals the target within a massive black rectangle.[18] The coffin then grows spikes to pierce those sealed within it. Aizen's Hado #90 is stated to atomize anyone within it and causes gravity to distort space and time[19])
- Light Manipulation, Spatial Manipulation, Enhanced Invisibility & Further Enhanced Stealth Mastery (By bending light, a user of Kyokko can make themselves[20] or anything they desire invisible and can hide their Reiatsu, Reiryoku, or even Kido[21], even from Soul Reapers. Kyokko is described as cutting through space to hide things[18])
- Energy Manipulation & Energy Absorption (Aizen is capable of creating five dragons composed of energy[22] that are capable of absorbing the Reiatsu in their surroundings and even from the attack of an opponent to enhance themselves with Hado #99: Goryutenmetsu[23])
- Forcefield Creation (Aizen can create a barrier guarding the back of his neck with El Escudo and has this barrier active at all times. Millón Escudo allows Aizen to extend his barrier to other parts of his body[24] He can additionally use a incantationless Bakudo #81: Danku alongside a plethora of other Bakudo spells to form a large wall to shield himself from attacks[25])
- Sealing & Paralysis Inducement (Has an in depth mastery over Bakudo, which even at its most basic levels can paralyze and[26] seal targets[27])
- Healing (Has taught and mentored Kaido masters such as Hinamori. This skill allows Aizen to heal fatal wounds[28] and restore lost Reiryoku at the cost of the user's own reserves[29])
- Illusion Creation & Perception Manipulation (Aizen's Shikai, Kyōka Suigetsu[30] allows him to manipulate all of his targets senses,[3] including their sense of time[31] and spiritual sight and sensing.[14] The manipulation of the senses allows him to hide things from his target's sight, and could even make a fly seem like a dragon, and a swamp a flower garden. Kyoka Suigetsu's ability takes affect when the target sees the release of his Shikai. This ability is called Kanzen Saimin, and it allows Aizen to create flawless illusions for his target.[30] He has complete control over the entirety of his opponent's sensory system.[14] Aizen can use this ability to create entire false battles through illusions.[3] Aizen additionally can use his illusions to mask entire buildings and maintain the appearance that an entire board of dead people were alive.[32] Being aware of being under the illusion or that it's coming does not help resist it[32])
- Likely Pocket Reality Manipulation & Enhanced Sealing (Caja Negación is a device given out to the Espada by Aizen, and as such, he likely has access to it. Caja Negación creates its own dimension and traps those inside in a combat-applicable form of Negación, though the duration of one's time within Caja Negación is entirely dependent on the users strength[33])
All previous abilities on a greater degree plus:
- Enhanced Forcefield Creation (Aizen's Reiatsu can also act as a barrier to repel incoming attacks[34])
All previous abilities on an even greater degree plus:
- Possibly Passive Existence Erasure (Aizen's Spiritual Pressure is so potent that things that get near his body are erased[35])
- Passive Telekinesis (Aizen's aura is able to suspend rocks in the air[36])
All previous abilities on an even greater degree plus:
- Teleportation (Aizen gained the ability to teleport in his transcendent form[37][19])
- Air Manipulation (He can create massive shockwaves of air pressure merely from his sword-strikes[19])
All previous abilities on an even greater degree plus:
- Danmaku & Explosion Manipulation (Aizen is capable of creating multiple Fragors at the same time so he should be able to throw them at the same time, These Fragors explode on contact[38] in a massive nuclear-like explosion)
- True Flight (In his monster form, Aizen gains wings he can use to fly freely with[38])
- Multiple Selves (Types 1 & 2; Has fully merged with his Zanpakuto and consequently, his Zanpakuto Spirit[39])
All previous abilities on a greater degree plus:
- Enhanced Aura (Explosive; Aizen after his imprisonment gains the ability to use his Reiatsu's aura as a weapon to attack without moving. He could use his Reiatsu to physically attack and destroy several of Yhwach's monsters at once and can extend his aura over the radius Seireitei itself to attack if left unchecked. Aizen states that he can even use his Reiatsu to bring down the Soul Palace itself by firing his Reiatsu as a beam[40][41])
- Cosmic Awareness (Aizen can sense and tell what is going on in different dimensions[42])
- Summoning (He is capable of drawing his Zanpakuto seemingly from nowhere after fusing with it[22])
- Enhanced Illusion Creation & Perception Manipulation (After his imprisonment, Aizen can subtly place people under his illusions just by using his Reiatsu and without drawing his sword, subtly manipulating their senses, including their sense of time[43]. Even the immense precognitive powers of The Almighty could not counter Kyoka Suigetsu's illusions, which were capable of affecting its vision of the future[44])
- Limited Fusionism (Aizen physically fused with the Hogyoku[39])
- Multiple Selves (All Types; The Hogyoku is a physical orb with its own sentience that merged with Aizen.[45] Overtime, the Hogyoku absorbed and housed countless souls within it[46])
- Reality Warping & Mind Reading (The true power of the Hogyoku is to make the owners desires come true. The Hogyoku is an orb with a mind of it's own and is capable of reading the hearts of those around it. It is capable of granting Aizen whatever he desires,[45] so long as it is within his abilities)
- Power Bestowal & Power Modification (The Hogyoku can bestow powers onto others and modify beings and their powers[5] such as bestowing Sealing onto Wonderwiess[5] or bestowing Hollowfication onto Tosen.[47] By hearing the desires of those close to it, the Hogyoku can force people to realize their latent abilities[45])
- Fate Manipulation (The Hogyoku made certain events occur due to reading the hearts of people around it and materializing them. For example, the Hogyoku controlled the boundary between Soul Reapers and Hollow as that was Kisuke's wish, or Rukia losing all of her powers by giving them to Ichigo as[45] she tortured herself over the death of Kaien Shiba)
- Absorption (Soul) & Statistics Amplification (Aizen is able to feed Souls to the Hogyoku to boost its power[46])
- Transformation, Adaptation & Reactive Evolution (The Hogyoku made Aizen undergo several evolutions during battle, increasing his statistics, changing his appearance and granting him new abilities and resistances on the spot[2])
- Regeneration (Mid-Godly; Aizen and the Hogyoku itself can quickly regenerate from attacks such as Mugetsu or any attack within the Soul Society[39][41])
- Immortality (Types 1, 2, 3, 4 & 8; Aizen gained a form of immortality with the Hogyoku.[48] Aizen's immortality allows him to live past his immense 20,000 year prison sentence.[49] Aizen can survive severe wounds such as a missing arm and hole in his chest without initially regenerating.[44] Aizen's immortality and regeneration is entirely reliant upon the Hogyoku embedded in his chest,[13][17] which will keep Aizen alive even if it were to be stolen from his body, or if Aizen were to sustain mortal damage, forcing him to evolve[37])
- Biological Manipulation, Transmutation, Limited Deconstruction, Statistics Amplification & Statistics Reduction (With the Hogyoku, Aizen can induce Hollowfication onto Souls, depending on their level of strength they either are disintegrated or transformed into a Hollow. This causes them to gain the inherent characteristics of Hollows such as gaining a large amount of strength[50][9][51] at the cost of massively decreasing their intelligence)
Resistance to:
- Extrasensory Perception (As a transcendent being he cannot be sensed by inferior opponents unless he himself allows it[38])
- Paralysis Inducement & Sealing (NaNaNa's The Underbelly is somewhat ineffective on him as it can only immobilize him for short amount periods of times,[52] even with most of his spiritual power is restricted and his black coat[41] making it easier for NaNaNa's abilities to work)
- Gravity Manipulation, Deconstruction & Space-Time Manipulation (Atomic; Was able to withstand his own Hado #90: Kurohitsugi.[40] Was additionally able to destroy the Kototsu and only strayed from his course slightly.[53] Being chased by the Kototsu can throw someone to a different time period[54])
- Power Nullification (Despite being under seals that weaken the powers of Zanpkautō to the point of losing access to it's powers,[55] the powers of Aizen's Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu are unaffected[31])
- Fire Manipulation (Was able to survive Yamamoto's Itto Kaso, a powerful fire type Kido, point blank with minor injuries[13])
- Mind Manipulation & Empathic Manipulation (The Hogyoku is composed of the Soul King's fragments and is stated to create Oken from his Reiatsu[56])
Likely Resistance to:
- Power Modification, Memory Manipulation & Conceptual Manipulation (Type 2; The Hogyoku contains numerous fragments of The Soul King and Ikomikidomoe was able to negate Ichibe's ability, escape his seal and restore his original name by consuming a single fragment[57])
Attack Potency: Multi-Solar System level (Aizen has among the highest combined Attack and Spiritual Pressure stats of all the Captains and consistently one-shots Captain class fighters with little effort, without even using a third of his power at times, in the Soul Society Arc.[58][59][8][4][60][32] Aizen's Spiritual Pressure is able to casually crush Grimmjow,[61] he's superior to all the Espada,[62][63] which is supported by Gin claiming Aizen's immense power is what subjugated the Espada,[64] and the fact that the Espada are referred to as weak as pawns in comparison to Aizen.[18] Aizen easily cuts down Shinji,[65] and implies he is far superior to Striped Hollow Mask Ichigo,[24] Aizen beats the dog out of Bankai Komamura,[64] he drops Love and Rose,[66] he nullifies Nigeki Kessatsu with his raw spirit energy,[66] and then he one shots Shinji, Sui-Feng, Toshiro, and Shunsui.[66] Aizen pierced Yamamoto, but it is possible that Yamamoto let Aizen stab him,[5] He claims his powers were superior to anyone's in Soul Society,[27] which the databooks support,[18] and while this might not be literally true, as Aizen concedes inferiority to Yamamoto, it still indicates he is among the strongest people alive. Aizen also states he only was wary of Yamamoto and Zaraki's potential,[67] implying that Unohana is below the likes of Aizen; furthermore, nerfed Squad 0 members didn't even use the power of an entire Gotei squad,[68] meanwhile Aizen was capable of mopping the floor with the majority of the Gotei 13's fighting force, making him superior to a Gotei 13 Squad, and thus superior to the nerfed power of a regular Squad 0 member[Statistics Values 1]) | At least Multi-Solar System level (Casually repelled Anti-Hierro Armored Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Isshin,[2] and is so powerful that Isshin cannot even perceive his power,[69][18] which would logically place him among the full power of Squad 0 Captains, and once he gets serious, he effortlessly dispatches of Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Isshin[69][Statistics Values 2]) | At least Multi-Solar System level (To display his power surpasses reason, Aizen destroyed the Kototsu[53][18][Statistics Values 2]) | At least Multi-Solar System level (He easily mutilates Gin,[37][46] as he finally transcends Hollows and Soul Reapers[19] and the Hogyoku had granted Aizen's wish of evolving to the level of god,[18] otherwise known as the level of the Soul King[Statistics Values 2]) | At least Multi-Solar System level (Was able to burn a casual post-Dangai training Ichigo's arm with a Fragor,[38] and has transcended everything,[18] surpassing even god (Soul King)[18][Statistics Values 2]), Galaxy level with Ultra Fragor (Ultra Fragor combines 12 Fragor into a single attack,[38] as confirmed by Unmasked[18][Statistics Values 3]) | Galaxy level (Capable of cutting through Soul King Yhwach's darkness and putting somewhat of a fight, and is one of three people alive capable of defeating Hikone's full power, making him among the strongest in the entire verse[Statistics Values 4])
Speed: Sub-Relativistic (Superior to all of the Espada and overwhelmed Post-Resurrection Ichigo Hollow Mask) | Sub-Relativistic (Faster than before) | At least Sub-Relativistic (Even faster than before) | At least Sub-Relativistic, likely higher (Could cut down Gin before he could even react) | At least Sub-Relativistic (Far faster than before), likely Relativistic (Could hit Post-Dangai Ichigo and grab him) | FTL+ (Kept up with Yhwach in their fight[Statistics Values 5])
Lifting Strength: Class G (Effortlessly stopped Renji's, Ichigo's and Komamura's Zanpakuto with his bare hand and is far superior to all Espada) | At least Glass G (Stronger than before) | At least Class G (Even stronger than before) | At least Class G (Even further stronger than before) | At least Class G (Far stronger than before. Can restrain Ichigo) | Class T (Far tronger than before and is comparable to Ichigo and Yhwach)
Striking Strength: Multi-Solar System level (Comparable to his Attack Potency, as Aizen fights almost strictly with his physical strength) | At least Multi-Solar System level (Comparable to his Attack Potency, as he's stronger than before) | At least Multi-Solar System level (Comparable to his Attack Potency, as he's stronger than before) | At least Multi-Solar System level (Comparable to his Attack Potency, as primarily attacks with physical strikes) | At least Multi-Solar System level (Comparable to his Attack Potency, as he's stronger than before) | Galaxy level (Comparable to his Attack Power)
Durability: Multi-Solar System level (Casually blocks attacks from multiple Captain class fighters with his bare hand in the Soul Society Arc,[4][60][32], managed to survive Yamamoto's Hado #96 with little injury[13], and his toughness is comparable to his Attack Potency as he can withstand the force of his own strikes[Statistics Values 1]) | At least Multi-Solar System level (Comparable to his Attack Potency as he withstands his own strikes. Easily defended himself against Anti-Hierro Armored Yoruichi and Kisuke,[34] and he didn't suffer any damage from Isshin's Getsuga,[18] which is reiterated by the databooks stating that Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Isshin's attacks were in vain[18][Statistics Values 2]) | At least Multi-Solar System level (Should be comparable to his Attack Potency, as he is far stronger than before[Statistics Values 2]) | At least Multi-Solar System level (Comparable to his Attack Potency, as he can withstand the force of his own strikes[Statistics Values 2]) | At least Multi-Solar System level (Comparable to his Attack Potency, as he transcended his prior self[Statistics Values 2]) | Galaxy level (Comparable to his Attack Power, withstood Soul King Yhwach's attack that destroyed his chair[Statistics Values 4])
Stamina: Superhuman (Soul Reapers with far less Spiritual Pressure than Aizen can fight for several days at a time[70], and are even capable of expending spiritual energy for months at a time, as shown with Isshin Kurosaki[54]), Infinite with the Hogyoku (The Hogyoku makes it such that his spiritual pressure will never deplete as his heart will not stop beating, meaning he can exert himself for a theoretically infinite amount of time[40][41])
Range: Standard Melee Range with Hakuda combat, Extended Melee Range with his Zanpakuto, Hundreds of Meters to Tens of Kilometers with various Kido spells and ranged attacks (Many of his Kido blasts have been shown as dwarfing entire city blocks,[17] and his Kido should be superior to Kisuke's, who can clash with Aura Michibane's several Kilometer ocean[71]), Interdimensional with the Caja Negación (Creates an entire pocket reality to seal its victims[33]), Universal, possibly Universal+ to Interdimensional with the Hogyoku (The Hogyoku can affect the entire world through its ability to fulfill the desires of people[72]) | Same as before, Universal to Interdimensional with Reiatsu (His Reiatsu should be comparable to Shutara's, who can shake the three realms of existence[68]) | Same as before, Several to Tens of Meters with Existence Erasure and Telekinesis (Has been shown erasing things slightly beyond Aizen's body, and Aizen's Reiatsu was shown lifting objects from several meters away[35]) | Same as before, Tens of Kilometers with Fragor and Ultra Fragor (Can create craters of this size[38]) | Same as before, Thousands of Kilometers with Hado #90 and other Kido (Black Coffin's manipulation of gravity affected the entire canopy of the Seireitei[40])
Hogyoku (崩玉 Hōgyoku): A powerful object originally created by Kisuke Urahara. Once equipped, Aizen is granted the ability of high-speed regeneration, and constant evolution in the form of more powerful transformations.
Caja Negacion (反膜の匪 Kaha Negashion): These cubes are capable of sealing away an enemy from the battlefield for a very long time, even foes that are far stronger, however the time limit for the stronger foes is much shorter than those on the same level as him.
Reiatsu Concealing Cloak: A cloak created by Urahara which hides the wearer's Reiatsu. Aizen used this cloak to sneak up and attack Isshin Shiba. Aizen states it allows the wearer to blend in with the air around them by incorporating Kidō into the cloak, almost completely concealing them from sight.
Kyoka Suigetsu (鏡花水月 Kyōka Suigetsu): Aizen's Zanpakuto is his primary means of close quarters combat and is a part of his soul imbued into an Asauchi. In its sealed form, Aizen's Zanpakuto takes the form of a Katana with a green hilt accompanied with a green sheath. The sword has two release states aside from its sealed state, that being its first release, Shikai, and its second release, Bankai. Aizen's Shikai allows him to place anyone who witnesses its release under hypnosis in which he can control all of their senses to create flawless illusions.
Intelligence: Extraordinary Genius, possibly Supergenius
Arguably, the most fearsome trait of Aizen is his tremendous intellect, which he uses to easily deduce things about his opponent and the world at large.
Even as a child, Aizen possessed an intellect greater than all of his peers.[73] His intellect was so vastly superior to all those around him that his perspective on the world made him an outsider to others. This shows that even as a child, Aizen's mind was so great that he was almost like an alien genius to other Soul Reapers and people around him. These Soul Reapers in particular having the experience brought on by living for decades, if not centuries, along with training in the Shin'o Academy for 6 years, mastering swordsmanship, Kido spells, martial arts, and complex footwork, along with simply being taught in general education such as math and literature. The fact that Aizen is simply far above these Soul Reapers in terms of intellect, even as a child, speaks to his raw mental prowess. As Aizen grew older, his knowledge only grew, as Aizen would grow to learn everything about the world, even the most truths of the world.[39] This would mean that Aizen has extensive knowledge on multiple topics of history that would also be extremely comprehensive, as Aizen would know everything about history due to his reading of several texts.[74] His knowledge of the Oken and how to create it shows how Aizen is aware of even the most esoteric functions of his universe, and uses his knowledge to create his plans, such as his plan to destroy Karakura town to create the Oken and bring down the Royal Palace.[74]
Aizen's intellect is also shown in his mastery of calligraphy. Being described as a "first rate" calligraphy teacher,[75] Aizen's skill in the art naturally reaches masterful levels. This mastery of the art shows how Aizen is not only a genius in regards to art, but also literature as a whole, as the skill of calligraphy encompasses both subjects. Aizen's mastery in literature and calligraphy allowed him to subtly convey messages to people in order to manipulate them. This is best shown when he was able to write a letter to his Lieutenant Momo Hinamori[76] with a secret message encoded within it to mislead her into believing he was killed by Tōshirō Hitsugaya.[77] This shows how Aizen can practically utilize his skill in the arts to enact his manipulative schemes. The level of detail within this plan further demonstrates Aizen's genius, as Aizen's varied skills in the arts and social intelligence allows him to get what he desires from people.
Aizen's deductive ability is a key trait of his. It allows him to easily deduce things about people and find their weaknesses. Aizen is stated to simply be able to look at a person and know all things about them, showing that his deductive ability is so advanced he can make many completely accurate deductions about their person based on such little evidence.[75] This feat would place his deductive ability beyond even the smartest of humans. Aizen demonstrates his deductive ability against Ichigo, where Aizen was able to deduce not only the entire situation within Hueco Mundo, but also Ichigo's mental state by simply looking at his face.[24] This demonstrates a superb level of reasoning and perception skill to not only notice the slight changes in Ichigo's face, but to also completely deduce seemingly unrelated truths with complete accuracy. This deductive ability is also shown with his interactions with Gin Ichimaru. Despite Gin being a genius prodigy unmatched by his peers in intellect and skill, and being capable of being so skilled in espionage and infiltration that he could successfully delude the entire Seireitei into believing he worked for them for centuries, Aizen was able to easily deduce Gin's desire to betray and assassinate him, only keeping him so close to him out of mere curiosity.[50] This shows again the depth of Aizen's deductive prowess, as he can even deduce the true intentions of other masters of deception, showing how powerful his reasoning skill truly is. Aizen was additionally able to deduce Shinji's suspicion of him and successfully out-played Shinji by his deduction to successfully plan to trick Shinji keeping his suspicion in mind,[50] showing that Aizen can not only masterfully deduce things from a persons behavior, but is also intelligent enough to use these deductions to create plans to perfectly counter somebody and manipulate them into achieving his goals.
Aizen's skill as a tactician is quite possibly his most famous skill. In particular, his ability to create incredibly complex plans that span several years.
Aizen's planning ability is known for its vast complexity and timing. In particular, his plan to acquire the Hogyoku demonstrates immense strategy and patience. For hundreds of years, Aizen remained dormant within the Soul Society waiting for the proper moment to strike. He planned to maintain his cover as a Soul Reaper for over a hundred years in order to steal Kisuke's Hogyoku from whatever vessel he placed it in. When Aizen discovered where Kisuke was hiding after these hundred years, he created a highly detailed plan specifically to steal the Hogyoku away from Kisuke, who placed it within Rukia. To do this, Aizen manipulated Rukia by predicting what actions she would take when presented with a Hollow threat into committing the crime of giving up her powers to a human, Ichigo Kurosaki. Aizen predicted that Rukia would commit this crime and thus sent the captain and lieutenant of squad 6 to the human world to arrest her. Once arrested, Aizen subtly orchestrated events by sewing chaos by faking his death and making his subordinate Gin Ichimaru the suspect. Aizen did all of this to get the opportunity to take control of the Seireitei's governance by killing the Central 46, and taking their place, allowing Aizen to run the Seireitei from the shadows, which he used to further his goal of killing Rukia with the Sokyoku to steal the Hogyoku. During this time, Aizen also researched a back up option to steal the Hogyoku embedded within Rukia in case his initial plan of killing her with the Sokyoku failed, showing Aizen is intelligent enough to create complex back up strategies for his very complex plans. After Ichigo rescues Rukia, Aizen puts in place a motion to use his back up plan by revealing he is alive to the entire Seireitei and quickly defeating Ichigo, allowing him to use his back up method of removing Rukia's soul barrier in order to steal the Hogyoku.[32] The fact Aizen was strategic enough to create a plan this complex after manipulating the Sereitei for hundreds of years at this point speaks to Aizen's extreme strategic ability.
Aizen was also further able to trick the entire Seireitei without effort during his attempt to create the Oken. Before Aizen moved towards Karakura town, the Gotei 13 infiltrated his base of Hueco Mundo to assist Ichigo Kurosaki in his mission, but Aizen predicted this. Aizen actually had planned for this from the very beginning with his kidnapping of Orihime, He predicted Ichigo and his friends would not only invade Hueco Mundo, but the act of doing such would force the Gotei 13 to invade as well, not wanting to lose the military power Ichigo represented. This invasion left the Gotei at only half of their strength, which Aizen predicted and specifically prepared for in order to trap many Gotei 13 captains within Hueco Mundo.[11] This feat again shows the genius of Aizen's tactics, as he is able to employ divide and conquer strategies to weaken his enemies by predicting their exact responses to his actions.
Aizen's sheer tactical skill and mental calculations are capable of feats which rival precognition. Aizen's understanding of people and their mannerisms allow him to account for and predict every action they might take down to the letter. This is shown when he accurately predicts how Rukia Kuchiki's mental state would make her act, perfectly planning how she would meet Ichigo and grant him her powers, which he orchestrated his plan around by manipulating Renji and Byakuya into arresting her.[45] Aizen's mental calculations and plans are very impressive simply because Aizen can create these multi step plans that span centuries by predicting exactly how his targets will act and planning around them with complete accuracy. He further shows his precognitive calculation ability as he was able to flawlessly predict the entirety of Ichigo's journey, predicting and planning for every fight Ichigo would make to see how he would evolve afterwards. Aizen further predicted Ichigo's actions over the course of his entire life from the moment he took an interest in him.[78] The fact that Aizen is capable of prediction over such a large scale and can create strategies over this period of time shows the sheer extent of his planning ability.
Against powers even greater than his own, Aizen is intelligent enough to prepare countermeasures for stronger opponents. This is first shown in his fight with Yamamoto. Aizen believes that Yamamoto is the only captain whose powers are a rival, if not greater to his, and as such, Aizen does not take any chances and simply creates a plan to deal with his opponents superior powers. By creating Wonderweiss, Aizen put in place a strategy that would disable Yamamoto entirely, even with his great strength. Aizen first lies to Yamamoto, and claims that Wonderweiss can only nullify Yamamoto's flames to lure him into a false sense of security, leading to Wonderweiss being defeated by Yamamoto even without his Zanpakutō powers. However, Aizen reveals this was a trick, and tells Yamamoto that Wonderweiss absorbs his flames before Wonderweiss explodes next to Yamamoto to severely injure him.[5][13] This shows how Aizen uses his extraordinary cunning and deceit to comprehensively take down opponents stronger than himself. Aizen's long term battle strategy is further shown with Yhwach, who when he first met him, Aizen not only accurately deduced Yhwach's intentions in speaking to him, but also placed Yhwach under his hypnosis purely as a test to see if he could manipulate his Almighty foresight, and once he confirmed he could, was able to work with Ichigo to defeat the overwhelming foe.[22] In this fight, Aizen again displays his long term planning and foresight, as he not only predicts fighting with Yhwach in the future, he accurately put in place counter measures for Yhwach without him even knowing, and was able to work with someone who didn't even fully know his plan in order to bring it to fruition, showing how Aizen's cunning is so advanced he can overcome overwhelming odds with his planning.
Aizen's genius extends to his combat prowess in multiple ways, from his immense skill in multiple fighting styles to his strategic brilliance allowing him to plan for anything he fights.
As a combatant, Aizen is highly skilled in swordsmanship and other methods of fighting. Aizen claims to have reached the pinnacle of all the Soul Reaper arts.[79] Aizen mastering all the Soul Reaper arts to their pinnacle means he has complete mastery over all Zanjutsu techniques and styles. This is doubly impressive as Zanjutsu encompasses at least eight thousand sword styles. This means that Aizen's swordsmanship is extraordinarily advanced, allowing him to utilize several swordstyles in a fight depending on the situation, and use them with utmost mastery. Aizen's complete mastery of Kido means that Aizen is a skilled enough in the practice to utilize the most difficult and unwieldy spells even without incantation, a sign of high level skill.[32] His mastery should also allow him to utilize various incantation methods depending on the situation, such as double chants to increase efficiency as much as possible or incantations after the spell is fired to further amplify it.[80] Aizen's ability to utilize these techniques showcases a versatile mastery of the art, which speaks toward his skill in combat. Aizen's mastery over Hoho showcases a mastery of footwork, allowing him to perform super fast movement akin to teleportation through sheer footwork skill. Aizen's footwork skill would also allow him to amplify his attack speeds and create afterimages.[66] Aizen's mastery over Hakuda techniques even shows a mastery over martial arts, and hand to hand combat, allowing him to easily counter blade strikes with his hand.[32]
Aizen's skills in combat are far beyond even most Captains, who have trained for decades in the various martial arts and combat forms within the Seireitei, allowing him to easily counteract their attempts to overwhelm him with numbers.[66] His skill even allows him to overcome Shinji's Sakanade, which reversed his perception completely to the point Shinji claimed adaptation was impossible. Aizen was able to easily see the flaws in his techniques and adapt to fighting completely backwards,[65] showing that Aizen's control over his movements are so precise he can essentially reverse his combat instincts at will if need be, and can on the fly retrain himself in combat to adapt to esoteric abilities which disrupt his combat ability. His skill is so advanced that he can combat Yhwach, who has the composited skill of several thousands of highly trained warriors, and that number is possibly within the trillions.[81] Aizen's combat expertise allows him to place full a body force-field to protect his most vulnerable areas, such as the back of the neck, displaying how Aizen's intelligence allows him to remain cautious enough of his blindspots even in the middle of a fight.[24]
In combat, Aizen can use his deductive ability and taunts to gain an edge over his opponents. Because of his ability to deduce his opponents mental state, including their insecurities and trauma, he uses taunts to provoke his enemy into disadvantageous situations. Aizen uses his goads to force Hiyori to attack him blindly, leading to her being cut in half and taken out of the fight, despite knowing Aizen was just trying to taunt her.[82] Aizen in this instance uses his deductive powers to deduce the mindset of his opponents and determines the one most vulnerable to his taunts, and is able to successfully able to use the right words to lead her to her dismemberment, despite her being aware of his tactics, showing the sheer depth of his ability. Against Ichigo, Aizen uses his taunts to target Ichigo's insecurities, completely deducing his mental state with just a glance at his face. This allowed him to accurately goad Ichigo into a state of further despair by using taunts to emphasize the things Ichigo fears before emphasizing the gap in strength between them, which Aizen does to further terrify Ichigo and throw him off of his game.[24] Aizen again uses taunts masterfully in combat, as he throws his opponent off their game by deducing and pointing out the fears and flaws in their mental state to exploit their weaknesses, showing how he uses his deductions and awareness of people to aid in combat by finding and exploiting mental weaknesses.
Aizen's knowledge of the world around him allows him to create technologies that push the boundaries of reason, and transcend the laws of the world.
Aizen is a master with supernatural technology, and can create technology that defies all reason. Aizen famously created the Hogyoku, a device that was initially believed to break down the barrier between Hollows and Soul Reapers after observing how it was useful to his plans. Aizen was able to deduce the true nature of the Hogyoku with only one piece of data after creating it, determining the Hogyoku can read the hearts of the people around it and materialize them. This feat shows technological mastery as he was able to deduce this truth before even its inventor, Kisuke Urahara could,[83] showing his knowledge of science allows him to come to correct conclusions about esoteric technology before even other geniuses can. This wish granting power is potent enough to alter the entire world,[72] proving that Aizen's technological prowess is so supernaturally potent that he can create a device that can warp the entire structure of a world that contains several universal realms. Aizen's technological knowledge also has other showings demonstrating how impressive it is, such as when he deduced the nature of Kisuke Urahara's Reiatsu Concealing Cloak and was able to replicate it for his own use.[84] The fact that Aizen by just seeing highly sophisticated technology can deduce its functions and design to the point he can perfectly replicate it is an extraordinary feat for his knowledge. Aizen was additionally able to create the Caja Negación, a device that mimics the effects of the Negación by sending its target into a pocket dimension to seal them away for a given time.[33] The fact Aizen can create technology that individually can create their own dimensions by mimicking an ability shows again how Aizen is smart enough to analyze technology or abilities around him and then incorporate them into his own inventions, showing superb technological understanding and analytical ability.
Aizen is a scientist at heart, conducting various experiments to further his knowledge about the esoteric nature of his world. This is best shown during his time as Squad 5's Assistant Captain, where whilst hidden from the entire Seireitei, was conducting Hollowfication experiments on the citizens,[15] which not only shows his ability to hide his activities from authorities, but also his scientific ability becoming so advanced he was not only able to induce Hollowfication onto people. This showing also demonstrates how Aizen is intimately aware of the functions of Soul Reapers and Hollows and begins to experiment upon these functions with pure technological ability. Aizen's feat of doing this had never been seen before, implying that Aizen's knowledge of science and the nature of his world were unparalleled even within the history of the Seireitei. He further demonstrates his scientific knowledge on Hollowfication by creating the hollow White.[84] White was a test Hollow Aizen created from the souls of Soul Reapers, a feat first performed by Aizen himself. The fact that Aizen can create an entire artificial being by combining the natures of Hollows and Soul Reapers further shows his scientific ability.
Aizen is unrivaled in his mastery over the human psyche, allowing him to easily control people and predict their future actions. He further uses his deception in espionage and infiltration to hide in plain sight.
Aizen was able to perfectly manipulate his lieutenant Momo Hinamori by taking advantage of the fact her adoration for blinded her from the truth about him. This allowed him to predict her every move once she read his fabricated note, allowing his plans to be perfectly put into fruition.[76] Aizen manipulated Renji into saving Rukia with a single conversation, subtly suggesting to him that Rukia's execution was wrong and he should fight against it,[6] showing that Aizen's manipulations are so subtle he can manipulate people he is not even particularly close to. Aizen perfectly deceives the entire Seireitei and manipulates them into believing he is dead with ease, allowing him to act in his plan to further manipulate them into killing Rukia.[32] Aizen further manipulates Hitsugaya into chasing a red herring by faking his death, forcing him to come into conflict with his childhood friend Hinamori by giving them a false target to aim their suspicion at. To perform these feats, Aizen uses what he claims are "basic" war strategies, such as dividing his enemies apart and conquering them, and Aizen's ability to manipulate people into getting what he wants in such a way is crucial to his tactics.[8] Aizen's ability to so flawlessly manipulate an entire society of highly wise soldiers is an exceptional display of his manipulation ability. Aizen further manipulates the Seireitei again by framing Kisuke Urahara for his Hollowfication experiments and getting the only person who knew his secrets expelled from the Seireitei, removing him as a threat, displaying Aizen can quickly manipulate an entire judicial system by planting evidence, showing another facet of his manipulative nature.[85] Aizen's manipulation skill is so sophisticated he can place his victims in a "multi layered psychic cage" for what is to him, purely entertainment, such is what he did to Orihime. Aizen is capable of ensuring Orihime's complete cooperation with his plans by initiating a complex series of events to manipulate Orihime's perception of the Arrancar. By making Orihime believe he was sympathetic towards her, Aizen's deception weakened her will and prevented her from ever desiring to escape by deeply ingraining this belief into her. Another layer of this plan was to further divide the Soul Reapers and Ichigo Kurosaki. By allowing her to talk to Ichigo before kidnapping her, he not only makes Orihime believe that he is sympathetic to her, but also manages to fool the Seireitei into believing that Orihime betrayed them of her own free will. This divided Ichigo Kurosaki and the Gotei 13, as Ichigo and his friends were naturally attempting to save Orihime, whilst the Gotei 13 abandoned her, believing she was a traitor.[10] Aizen's manipulation being so potent that he can divide his enemies apart whilst at the same time psychologically reprogramming Orihime into believing he is helping her in what amounts to a game to him is but another showcase of his superhuman manipulation ability.
Weaknesses: His Zanpakuto's special ability can be overcome by touching its blade before it is released. He is somewhat overconfident. After he was sealed in Muken, Aizen gains the ability to manipulate people's senses with just his Reiatsu, but the effect of this is weaker than the control he gains by releasing his sword normally.
| Notable Attacks/Techniques: | |
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Flash Step (瞬歩 Shunpo): A Soul Reaper 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. 
Kido (鬼道 Kidō): Spells cast by Soul Reapers with strong enough Reiryoku and Reiryoku control. Kido is divided into mainly three categories: Hado for attacks, Bakudo for battle support and Kaido for healing. The spells are ranking from 1-99 with 1 being the weaker and easier spells to cast and 99 being the most powerful and difficult to cast. Skilled users can cast Kido without the need of an incantation; however, casting without incantation does reduce the Kido's effectiveness less than a third of its full potential.
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Notable Matchups
Victories:
Losses:
- Lady Bone Demon (Lego Monkie Kid) Lady Bone Demon's Profile (Speed was equalized. Base Lady Bone Demon and Thousand Year Blood War Arc Aizen keys were used. Aizen had access to his sword. Fight took place in a abandonned Megapolis City. Starting distance: 10 m)
Inconclusive:
References
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 100: "Flower on the Precipice"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Bleach, Chapter 403: "Deicide 5"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Bleach, Chapter 392: "The Breaking Glaciers"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bleach, Chapter 173: "end of hypnosis5 (Standing to Defend You)"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Bleach, Chapter 393: "The Burnout Inferno"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Bleach, Chapter 79: "Fourteen Days for Conspiracy"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 83: "Come with Me"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Bleach, Chapter 170: "end of hypnosis2 (the Galvanizer)"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Bleach, Chapter -99: "Turn Back the Pendulum 10"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Bleach, Chapter 249: "Back to the Innocence"
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Bleach, Chapter 314: "Night Side of Abduction"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 270: "WARning"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Bleach, Chapter 396: "The Bite"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Bleach Databook, 13 Blades
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Bleach, Chapter 315.8: "Turn Back the Pendulum"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 532: "Everything But the Rain OP.5 "The White Noise""
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Bleach, Chapter 399: "Deicide"
- ↑ 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 Bleach Databook, Official Character Book 3: "Unmasked"
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Bleach, Chapter 418: "Deicide 20"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter -107: "Turn Back the Pendulum 2"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 335: "chimaera chord"
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Bleach, Chapter 683: "The Dark Side of Two World Ends"
- ↑ Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World, Volume 2: Chapter 13
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 Bleach, Chapter 388: "Eagle Without Wings 2 [EXTREME BATTLEMASTERS MIX]"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter -98: "Turn Back the Pendulum 11"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 48: "Menos Grande"
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Bleach, Chapter 402: "Deicide 4"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 525: "Edges"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 382: "The United Front 2 (Discordeque Mix)"
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Bleach, Chapter 171: "end of hypnosis3 (the Blue Fog)"
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Bleach, Chapter 514: "Born in the Dark"
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 32.4 32.5 32.6 32.7 Bleach, Chapter 176: "end of hypnosis8 (the Transfixion)"
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 Bleach, Chapter 278: "Heal for The Crash"
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Bleach, Chapter 405: "Deicide 7"
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 Bleach, Chapter 411: "Deicide 13"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 413: "Deicide 15"
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 Bleach, Chapter 415: "Deicide 17"
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 38.5 Bleach, Chapter 419: "Deicide 21 (Transcendent God Rock)"
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 Bleach, Chapter 421: "Deicide 23"
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 Bleach, Chapter 622: "The Agony"
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 Bleach, Chapter 623: "Against the Judgement"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 682: "The Two Sided World End"
- ↑ Bleach: EX 1
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 Bleach, Chapter 684: "The Blade"
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 45.3 45.4 Bleach, Chapter 401: "Deicide 3"
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 Bleach, Chapter 416: "Deicide 18 [THE END]"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 384: "Can't Fear Your Own Sword"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 23: "6/17 op. 7 Sharp Will, Dull Blade"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 423: "Bleach My Soul"
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 50.2 Bleach, Chapter 414: "Deicide 16"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter -100: "Turn Back the Pendulum 9"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 624: "The Fang"
- ↑ 53.0 53.1 Bleach, Chapter 407: "Deicide 9"
- ↑ 54.0 54.1 Bleach, Chapter 408: "Deicide 10"
- ↑ Bleach, Spirits Are Forever With You
- ↑ Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Episode 8: "The Shooting Star Project (Zero Mix)"
- ↑ Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World, Volume 3: Pages 318 - 319
- ↑ Bleach Official Bootleg: Bleach Color+
- ↑ Bleach Official Character Book Souls
- ↑ 60.0 60.1 Bleach, Chapter 174: "end of hypnosis6 (The United Front)"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 245: "THE WAY WITHOUT ENEMIES"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 375: "EXecution, EXtinction"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 376: "EXecution, EXtinction 2"
- ↑ 64.0 64.1 Bleach, Chapter 390: "Beyond the Death Understanding"
- ↑ 65.0 65.1 Bleach, Chapter 387: "Ignited"
- ↑ 66.0 66.1 66.2 66.3 66.4 Bleach, Chapter 391: "The Blazing Glaciers"
- ↑ Bleach Spirits Are Forever With You
- ↑ 68.0 68.1 Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Episode 26: "BLACK"
- ↑ 69.0 69.1 Bleach, Chapter 406: "Deicide 8 end of the Chrysalis age"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 72: "The Superchunk"
- ↑ Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World, Volume 2: Chapter 11
- ↑ 72.0 72.1 Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World, Volume 3: Page 162
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 422: "the silent victory"
- ↑ 74.0 74.1 Bleach, Chapter 223: "The Scarlet Creation"
- ↑ 75.0 75.1 Bleach Databook, Official Character Book: "Masked"
- ↑ 76.0 76.1 Bleach, Chapter 103: "Dominion"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 129: "Suspicion [of Assassination]"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 397: "Edge of the Silence"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 175: "end of hypnosis7 (Truth Under My Strings)"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 266: "Hide Away from the Sun"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 565: "GOD LIKE YOU"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 377: "Shout at the Dark"
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 400: "Deicide 2"
- ↑ 84.0 84.1 Bleach, Chapter 531: "EVERYTHIHNG BUT THE RAIN OP.4 "DARK OF THE BLEEDING MOON""
- ↑ Bleach, Chapter 316.2: "Let's Stop the Pendulum"
Notes/Explanations
Whilst Aizen having Passive Existence Erasure is undeniable, whether or not it possesses specific in verse weaknesses is still in dispute and as such, a possibly rating was granted. This should not affect VS battles.
Discussions
| Discussion threads involving Sosuke Aizen |