Summary
Unofficially the former leader of the Visored and the current Captain of the 5th Division inBleach, Shinji Hirako is one of the greatestassets to the Gotei 13 and Soul Societyas a whole. Known for his snide, sarcastic, and unfiltered persona, as well as his impeccable strength as a Shinigami, Shinji is one of a select few in the Gotei 13 who can transcend the limits of a Shinigami and acquire the powers of a Hollow. This was in part due to his involvement in the Hollowfication Incident, orchestrated by his former Lieutenant Sosuke Aizen.
Praised for his power, charisma, and tactical acumen, he naturally grew into the role of leading the Visored, who offered vitalaid to Ichigo Kurosaki and their former comradesin the Gotei 13, during their victory over Aizen and his Arrancar in the Battle of Fake Karakura Town. Besides his raw strength and proficiency at the various combat skills practiced by Shinigami inBleach, Shinji also possesses a few unique abilities stemming from his Zanpakuto and Hollow mask, which put him in a league of his own. But how strong is he exactly?
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An Elite Captain
Beginning with his skill at Zanjutsu, Shiniji is a master swordsman who can take on strong opponents on the level of an Espada with little more than his sealed Zanpakuto and Hollow mask. This was evident in his fight against Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the 6th Espada, where he was able to keep up with his opponent without putting too much strain on his abilities. Shinji was able to match Ichigo’s own swordplay while training with him, and was even holding back his own strength — althoughIchigo was himself holding back to suppresshis inner Hollow.
He is very accomplished in using Shunpo, and exceeded even Grimmjow’s speed with Sonido while engaging the Espada in combat. Additionally, at the time of the Hollowfication Incident, Shinji arrived on the scenebefore any of the other Captainsand Lieutenants, highlighting how fast he really is. In terms of other Shinigami combat skills, Shinji is fairly adept at using Kido, although it is not his preferred approach to combat.
Shinjialso possesses an immense level of Reiatsu, on par with and even exceeding what is expected of a Captain level Shinigami. He was able to delay the effects of Hollowfication for much longer than most of his fellow future Visored, and continued fighting even as he began to lose control. Lastly, Shinji’s seemingly immature attitude around characters such as Hiyori, is contrasted by his astute judgment and perception, where he can quickly gauge situations and respond effectively, even earning Aizen’s respect due to his ability to see through deception.
Unleashing The Power Of Sakanade
Resembling a normal katana when sealed, Shinji’s Zanpakuto Sakanade, is a complex weapon with extremely powerful abilities. In its Shikai,which was first seen in his fight against against Aizen, the sword takes on a slightly different appearance, where its pommel transforms into a ring that allows Shinji to rotate it around his wrist without actually having to grip it. Additionally, the blade takes on a profile reminiscent of a slanted razor, with five holes along its length.
On deploying its release with the command “Collapse,” Sakanade emits a pink mist which is the source of its fundamental technique. Dubbed “Sakasama no Sekai” or “Upside Down World,” the sword’s Shikai inverts the perception of anyone who inhales the pink mist, which can be spread out further as Shinji rotates his sword.Mainly used as a trump card, this optical illusion is quite intensive in its application, as an opponent’s perception of up, down, left, right, forwards, and backwards are all inverted.
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Furthermore, even an opponent’s eyesight,the direction of incoming attacks, and the body parts on which they receive injuries are inverted, such that it becomes practically impossible for them to process and react to the information they are receiving from their senses. Targets will be severely disoriented and experience vertigo and nausea, among other reactions. In its most extreme application, it inverts the words Shinji speaks. The only real counter to this move is to attack outward in all directions.
Sakanade’s Bankai on the other hand, is an even more fearsome ability: Sakashima Yokoshima Happofusagari. When activated, the blade gains an additional ring on its tip, as a golden flower bud-like construct envelops Shinji, with a pink mist diffusing from its peak. The mist acts indiscriminately on a broad scale, targeting anyone in its path to invert their perception, turning allies into enemies and vice versa, forcing them to wipe each other out in a matter of seconds. Only Shinji is left unaffected by virtue of being enclosed. Due to the danger it poses,deploying this Bankai is quite riskywhen allies are in proximity, which is why Shinji has been shown using it so sparingly.
Leading The Visored
After the Hollowfication Incident, Shinji’s condition was stabilizedwith the aid of Kisuke Urahara’s Hogyoku. On recovering, he gained the power to call upon the Hollow inside him, much like the other members of the Visored. When donning his Hollow mask, Shinji gains a massive increase in strength, speed, and durability, although these affects only last for a short time due to the strain of wearing the mask. He can even fire a crimson colored Cero in this form.
A natural leader who is able to see through subordinates, peers, and enemies due to his keen intellect and sound judgment, Shinji isamong the stronger Captains in the Gotei 13without a doubt. He is the strongest of the Visored by far, which is no mean feat considering that the group included three other Captain level Shinigami among their number. Seldom fazed and always calculating his next move, Shinji is a force to be reckoned with, especially since he has transcended the barrier between Shinigami and Hollows.
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 – The Separationis available to stream onHuluandDisney+.
