Every Shonen action anime needs a villain, and Tite Kubo's Bleach delivers the unforgettable, and chilling, Sosuke Aizen. When viewers first met him, this soft-spoken Captain was more like a doting uncle, and he was the last suspect for the chaos enveloping the Soul Society. Until he unveiled himself as the mastermind behind it all!
Aizen is not just a monster of the week. He plotted his scheme for many years, gathering minions and researching the Hogyoku to break down the barrier between Soul Reaper and hollow to unlock the ultimate power. From his declaration of evil at Sogyoku Hill to the final battle in the fake Karakura Town, Sosuke Aizen loomed large over the story of Bleach. Here are 10 essential things to know about this scheming ex-Captain.
10 He's a kido master
It may be safe to say that ex-Captain Aizen has no real blind spots in battle. He's a master of the sword, as Captains tend to be, and he is an expert strategist who can quickly determine the fastest route to victory.
Not only that, but he's a prodigy at kido! Even in his Lieutenant days, he could cast high-level kido without the incantation, very unusual for someone of his station. He can even perform the deadly Kurohitsugi (black coffin) without the incantation! He knocked out Captain Komamura with just one strike.
9 He's deceptive
Sosuke Aizen is adept at deceiving others to his own ends, with or without the power of his shikai (more on that soon). For years, Aizen deftly fooled then-Captain Shinji into thinking that all was well in the world, while a stranger had taken Aizen's place so the real Aizen could experiment in secret.
Aizen also cruelly fooled Momo (his Lieutenant) into thinking he was a kind and benevolent Captain. But that man never existed at all, and Momo nearly paid for it with her life.
8 His shikai and its ability
No one makes it to the rank of Captain without a shikai, and Aizen's shikai, Kyoga Suigetsu, is remarkable. Once he unsheathes it and shows it to someone, he casts a perfect illusion on them. The victim will see, hear, feel, taste, and smell absolutely anything Aizen chooses, and they may spend years under this perfect hypnosis.
This was instrumental in Aizen's schemes both past and present, and makes him nearly impossible to strike in combat. The illusion will simply continue until Aizen declares "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."
7 He's a calligraphy master
This may not be seen on screen very much, but Aizen is a master of Japanese calligraphy. Details like these aren't just fluff; they round out a character and show that they're a person, and not just a fighter.
Aizen has spare time like anyone else, and during his Soul Society days, he would create gorgeous poems with his brush. It's no coincidence that his calligraphy classes proved very popular, especially among the young ladies!
6 He has charisma
No leader gets very far without charisma to impress and reassure their followers and subjects. Sosuke Aizen was once the Captain of Squad 5, and later, the ultimate boss of the arrancars and traitor Captains. Although he's cold and self-centered on the inside, Aizen knew how to exude charisma and draw people to him, most of all Momo Hinamori.
She trusted him with her life, and the other Captains regarded him well, too. Later on, the Espadas seemed more impressed with Aizen's power and confidence more than his gentle charm (and he'd dropped the facade by them anyway).
5 He's one of the most powerful Captains
It is safe to say that Yamamoto is the most powerful among the Captains, but Sosuke Aizen comes quite close. This comes from his combat prowess, his advanced kido, illusions, and knowledge of Soul Reaper lore.
In the final battle, Aizen could take on multiple Lieutenants, Captains, and visoreds all at once, and still have the upper hand. No other Captain except Yamamoto could hope to fight like that.
4 He has a god complex
Aizen didn't relinquish his Captain rank, steal the Hogyoku, and build an arrancar army because he thought it was funny. Rather, Aizen is in despair, knowing that there is no god-like figure watching down all of creation (according to him, the Soul King is too passive and inactive to count).
Aizen believes that there must be such a god, and if no on else will do it, then he will! This is his justification, though, and it's possible that he was simply power-hungry and told the "missing god" story to convince hollows to join his cause.
3 He's cold toward his followers
By now, this fact probably should not come as a huge surprise. Sosuke Aizen, with his god complex, believes that every action he takes is justified, and that includes abusing his subordinates. Aizen claims to care a great deal about the ten Espadas and voices his confidence in them, but it's just for show.
He does not care one whit whenever any of them falls in battle, and he even struck down Halibel himself when she fell short of his expectations (she survived). Eventually, Aizen decided "to heck with the Espadas. I'll do this myself!"
2 He has a long prison term ahead of him
The traitor Captain couldn't get away with all this forever. He made enemies with the entire Soul Society, the visoreds, and the Kurosaki family (plus Yoruichi and Kisuke). Once Aizen was subdued in battle, he was dragged to the new Central 46, and they sentenced him to 18,800 years in Muken, the deep prison under Central 46's building.
Aizen mocked them, saying how silly it is for "lesser" beings like to pass judgement on him. So, they had his mouth covered and raised the sentence to 20,000 years before sealing him away!
1 He believes in hope
For all his villainy, Sosuke Aizen did have on unexpected redeeming trait: his faith in the power of hope! He had hope that he could become a god and make the world complete at last, and later on, his belief in hope put him at odds with the father of the Quincies, Yhwach.
Unlike Aizen, Yhwach wanted to meld life and death into one whole, where no one had to fear death. Aizen argued that resisting death and fighting for something gives people hope, and a gray, deathless world would mean utter despair. In Aizen's eyes, death is a necessary evil to give life meaning.