Gin Ichimaru

".......grinning, an act of intimidation." - Tite Kubo

was the Captain of the 3rd Division of the Gotei 13 until he betrayed Soul Society, alongside Sōsuke Aizen and Kaname Tōsen. His lieutenant was Izuru Kira. Although Ichimaru is also a major antagonist of the series, he does provide a fair amount of amusement throughout the series, usually through random appearances at the end of most episodes of the Arrancar, Hueco Mundo, and Captain Amagai arcs, where he outlines various facts about the Arrancar.

Appearance
Gin is fairly ordinary in terms of clothing, and doesn't wear any unique items. His overall appearance, however, is not as normal. Strangely he keeps his eyes constantly narrowed to slits (earning him the nickname "foxface") and he has only opened them fully twice (once during a flashback in battle with a group of Huge Hollows and again during battle with 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya). The color of his eyes is portrayed somewhat inconsistently, being light blue on the cover of manga volume 20, but blood-red in the anime (the manga volume wasn't released prior to this however, which explains this discrepancy). Physically he is unusually thin and very tall with very sharp features giving him a very skeletal appearance. He bears unusual silver hair which has a purple tint to it in the anime (his name refers to his hair color; gin [銀] is Japanese for silver). He also keeps his face set in a wide mocking smile, which he only wipes off on rare occasions of annoyance, surprise, or confusion.

In Hueco Mundo, His outfit, like Aizen's and Tōsen's, has been modified since the three abandoned Soul Society. He now wears a long, white robe over his normal Shinigami hakama. The hilt of his Zanpakutō is visible sticking out from under the robe through the opening down to his waist. Later Gin is seen wearing a white hakama like the Arrancar, instead of the black ones he was last seen in. Gin wears his robe open in a narrow 'V' down to his waist, closed to below the hips, then open again to the hem, which falls about mid-calf. His robe has long bell sleeves, into which he hides his hands like one does with kimono sleeves. The lining of the robe and edges or layers of the under-robe(s) appear to be black. From other examples, it is likely he is also wearing black tabi with white waraji. His Zanpakutō is not visible with this outfit.

Personality
Gin is one of the most mysterious beings in the series since his permanent smile and slitted eyes combined with his heavy use of sarcasm and mocking politeness make it very difficult to discern his thoughts. Many find his demeanor and appearance rather unsettling and there are very few who were willing to trust him even before he was revealed as a traitor. Gin seems to be fully aware of the effect he has on others and more than once has been seen toying with peoples emotional states for his own amusement. Both Rukia Kuchiki and Wonderweiss Margera have shown to be rather frightened of him, Rukia noting to herself that she felt like she was being strangled by snakes whenever he spoke, even if it was not to her. In the anime, Gin speaks with a distinct Kyoto dialect, which is polite but indirect. His English dubbed voice is also formal and polite, but with a rather mocking and facetious undertone.

Ever since he was a child, dried persimmons have been his absolute favorite food. Gin planted and raised many persimmon trees around the 3rd division offices, and makes the dried persimmons himself, then he distributes them to other divisions. Once he wound up eating a dried sweet potato, thinking, "Oh, it's a dried persimmon!" and he hated it. When he has free time, Captain Ichimaru goes on walks around Seireitei. Although his hobby is people-watching, it seems like maybe he's hunting around and searching for an opportunity to create mischief with some poor victim... The gentlemen of the 3rd division are contrary, and they have the kind of attitude that enjoys that mean-spiritedness. He also has incredible skill at needle threading.

History
Not much is known about Gin's prior history, except that he once saved 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto's life when they were younger, as she almost died from hunger. They have been friends since then. Hence, Matsumoto is one of the few people Gin seems to truly care about.

Over a 100 years ago before the current time, when Gin was a child he was considered a genius graduating from the Shinigami Academy after just 1 year, and was already to become a seated position in the 5th Division. When he had met Aizen for the first time he already killed the 3rd seat of the 5th Division, calling him worthless, showing that even as a child Gin's powers approached Lieutenant level, and also that he could kill anyone in cold blood, if it served his interests. Aizen immediately gave him the 3rd seat of the Division after the incident, about which they both kept secret.

It was around this time that Gin became involved in Aizen's plot and pledged his full loyalty to him. Becoming a part of his plans and assisting in the hollowfication of high ranking Shinigami.

Sometime later Gin served as the lieutenant of 5th Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen before becoming captain of the 3rd Division around the same time as Byakuya Kuchiki. Gin even as a captain of his own division was still a loyal subordinate of Aizen.

Soul Society arc
Gin appears right after Rukia is brought back to the Soul Society, he stopped an upcoming fight between Kenpachi and Byakuya.

After Ichigo Kurosaki defeats the gatekeeper, Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, in his quest to save Rukia Kuchiki, Jidanbō lifts the gate to give Ichigo Kurosaki and his companions access to the interior portion of Soul Society. Upon opening the gate, Ichigo finds Gin Ichimaru waiting for him on the other side. Gin purposefully exerts just enough effort to keep them from entering instead of killing them as he should have.

Later, a meeting of the thirteen division captains is called for him to explain his suspicious actions. Gin, being one of the thirteen captains, should have had no trouble destroying them. Gin merely chalks it up to a mistake on his part.

Upon dispersal of the meeting, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya overhears a scripted exchange between 5th Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen and Gin, which is meant to further increase his suspicions of Gin's foul play; more specifically, the exchange hints that Gin intends to kill Aizen.

As a result, Hitsugaya later warns Aizen's lieutenant, Momo Hinamori, that Aizen's life might be in danger due to Gin and that Gin's lieutenant Izuru Kira, on good terms with her, might also be tainted. The next day, Aizen's impaled body is discovered by Hinamori, who immediately suspects Gin is the murderer; his appearance at the crime scene shortly after the fact and carefree attitude despite the seriousness of the situation only seem to confirm this. Hinamori subsequently decides to attack Gin in a rage but is intercepted by Kira. Lost in her rage, Hinamori proceeds to release her Zanpakutō and fire an energy blast at Gin, which harmlessly curves away from its intended target. Kira also releases his Zanpakutō in an attempt to stop her, but both are stopped by Hitsugaya and arrested. After they are taken away, Hitsugaya notes that Gin was preparing to kill Hinamori. Gin calmly denies it, and Hitsugaya threatens to kill Gin if even one drop of Hinamori's blood should be shed on his account.

After Gin releases Kira from his cell, Hitsugaya becomes suspicious and confronts the lieutenant and captain together. He is interrupted by Hinamori, who now thinks that Hitsugaya murdered Aizen and subsequently tries to kill him. She grips her sword so tightly that her hands bleed. Hitsugaya acts upon his earlier threat and attacks Gin, releasing his Zanpakutō and warning Kira to get out of the way (he suggests at least a twelve-kilometer gap). During their fight, Hitsugaya successfully freezes Gin's left arm, causing him to open his eyes and drop his smile for the first time. Upon being trapped by Hitsugaya, he attempts to kill Hinamori as a distraction, but his attack is blocked by Rangiku Matsumoto, who threatens to fight him if he doesn't stop; Gin relents and disappears without saying a word. Matsumoto remembers that Gin has also disappeared in such a way in the past, leaving her to wonder what he was up to.

Later, as Rukia is being led to her execution, Gin briefly appears on the bridge to tease her by giving her hope that he would stop the execution if she asked, only to admit he was lying after doing so, thus destroying Rukia's hard-built peace over her coming execution and showing just how sadistic he can be. It is at this point that Rukia mentions her fear of him. This serves only to increase suspicions that Gin was the orchestrator of her execution.

When Aizen is revealed to be the mastermind behind the entire conspiracy, Gin is revealed to be nothing more than a subordinate and decoy. As Aizen extracts the Hōgyoku from Rukia's body, he instructs Gin to kill her. He releases his Zanpakutō, but Byakuya Kuchiki appears and rescues Rukia, taking the hit in her place. Aizen, Gin, and Kaname Tōsen are then cornered by most of the other lieutenants and captains. Gin is captured by his friend, Matsumoto. The three escape to Hueco Mundo with the help of the Menos Grande and are deemed traitors to Soul Society. Before leaving, Gin tells Matsumoto he would have liked to be held by her a little while longer, and also apologizes to her (this being another rare moment where he is seen without a smile).

Arrancar arc
Gin is later shown in Las Noches, jokingly chiding Aizen over his habit of playing around with his subordinates.

Hueco Mundo arc
After Chad's defeat by Nnoitra Jiruga, Gin is seen operating some sort of control panel. Ulquiorra Cifer walks in as he does so, wanting to know about the intruders' progress. Rather than answer the question, Gin comments on the fact that Ulquiorra approached him at all, assuming that Ulquiorra hates him. Ulquiorra denies this, and Gin tells him to act friendlier. It would appear that Gin and Luppi were on good terms, as Gin follows up by saying that he feels lonely after Luppi died. However, in a recent omake, Luppi says that he doesn't like Gin very much. Ulquiorra brings the conversation back on track by asking if Gin has been moving the halls from their original positions. Gin denies it cheerfully, saying that he wouldn't do that to "those kids" and that he also hates sad stories.

Fake Karakura Town arc
He later appears with Aizen and Kaname at the fake Karakura Town to do battle with the Gotei 13. The three are then trapped by the General's Shikai. After Izuru angrily cuts Avirama Redder for lightly mentioning Gin's name, Gin claims that he is pleased that his former lieutenant is doing well in his absence.

Powers & Abilities


Genius Intellect: When Gin was younger, he was hailed as a child genius. He was highly proficient in his classes at the Shinigami Academy and he graduated in one year. His skill was evident at the young age when he gained a seated position in the 5th Division shortly after graduating, ultimately surpassing the previous child prodigy Kaien Shiba, who took one year to become a seat officer. Gin has shown himself to be highly manipulative and deceptive even when its evident, he comes out unscathed due the calm confusion he plays at, which is a testament to his overall strategy.

Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Gin is a highly proficient combatant. In combat, he doesn't seem the least bit taken back by the abilities of his opponent, even when they seemingly have an advantage. He fights with seemingly no effort behind his attacks. His ability to wield his combat skills where evident even when he was a child. He easily defeated and killed the former third seat of the 5th division, who by rank should have been more powerful and skilled than him. He is commonly seen using his Zanpakutō's special ability, allowing him to be quite deadly at a distance, killing a multitude of Hollows in one shot.

Immense Spiritual Power: Gin without putting out any effort easily incapacitated Chad, Orihime, Uryū, Makizō, and Ganju with his spiritual pressure just by facing the direction they were coming from.

Flash Steps Expert: though never actually using this in combat, after his battle with Toshiro, he used an impressive flash step to retreat.

Zanpakutō

 * It looks like a ordinally wakizashi. Its crossguard is elegant, two slim swirls of metal looping around the blade to make an open oval.


 * Shikai: It is triggered by the phrase . He commonly ends the phrase with a personal pronoun (him, her, it) defining who he wants to hit.
 * Shikai Special Ability: In its Shikai, Shinsō's blade glows white and extends at high speed to impale Gin's opponents from a distance. The blade also carries tremendous force when extending, as seen when Gin pushes both Ichigo Kurosaki and the giant Jidanbō out from under the Seireitei gate, despite the latter being firmly braced under it. In addition, Gin can maintain the extension and swing the activated Shinsō in wide arcs, attacking multiple targets quickly and simultaneously.


 * Bankai: Not Yet Revealed

Appearances in other media
Bleach Beat Collection 5: Ichimaru Gin is an album inspired by Gin. It was released in Japan with three unique songs (four total) that include the voice of his seiyū, Kouji Yusa:
 * Track: 01 - Sekai wa Sude ni Azamuki no Ue ni (The World is Already Above Deceit)
 * Track: 02 - Fuyu no Hanabi featuring Rangiku (Winter Fireworks)
 * Track: 03 - Hyōri (Inside and Outside)
 * Track: 04 - Sekai wa Sude ni Azamuki no Ue ni (Instrumental Version)


 * Gin has been a playable character in every Bleach video game to date, except Bleach: Heat the Soul. Several of these games have given Shinso the additional ability to extend into the air, causing swords to rain down on his opponent


 * Though mostly depicted in story, Gin replaces Kon's "Shinigami's Cup: Golden" sketch to host "Arrancar Research Time" starting in the Arrancar arc, where he outlines various facts about arrancar. Each sketch starts with one of the arrancar (or their Shinigami masters) announcing the name of the sketch, at which point Gin will give a short course on a specific Arrancar topic, such as their standard abilities. Once Gin has finished, the person that announced the name shows up to comment on the topic, usually resulting in a humorous retort by Gin. Outside a few exceptions hosted by other characters (such as Kaname Tōsen, Szayel Aporro Granz and Dondochakka Bilstin), all episodes have been directly hosted by him.


 * In the game "Bleach : Heat The Soul 5", Gin displays the ability to plant his sword into the ground, causing many blades to erupt from the ground and skewer the enemy from below. It may be considered as his "Bankai" by some fans, or simply as one of his Zanpakutô's techniques as Bleach: Shattered Blade features an identical attack, albeit, he raises his sword to the sky to call down blades to rain from the sky. No official source, except the video games, ever featured this move. It seems like a way to replace some of his old Video Games' abilities, however, the reason of this change are unknown.

Sealed Sword Frenzy OVA
Gin, Aizen, and Tōsen are the last three people to be seen in the OVA. They appear after the credits in the human world having tea. Gin gets the last speaking role of the OVA, telling the audience to be "careful on your way home."

Trivia

 * Although only heard in two episodes (22 and 52-53), Gin's "Bye Bye" has become very popular with the fans and even became the sound of one of the Bleach Heat the soul 5 Gin's "fast move attack".
 * So far Gin has only opened his eyes three times:
 * In the flashback, when Momo, Izuru, Shuhei,and Renji were attacked by large Hollows.
 * With his battle with Toshiro.
 * In the captains tribute ending to him and Izuru.


 * His eyes were also open on the cover of Volume 20, showing that they are blue in the manga (as opposed to the anime's red). Gin also opened his eyes in a cut scene in Bleach: Dark Souls. In the cut scene his eyes were yellow.
 * Despite being manipulative, Gin admits that he is pleased with his former lieutenant Izuru Kira after seeing him killing an arrancar, this shows that there may be some good in him.
 * In the English Dub Anime of Bleach, Shinso's release command varies ("Impale him", "Slay them","Pierce his flesh", "Shoot to kill", in Bleach: Shattered Blade and the DS series, "Shoot 'em dead").
 * Gin is one of a handful of child prodigies in Soul Society along with Kaien Shiba and Toshiro Hitsugaya.
 * The last of the two kanjis that forms the name of the Zanpakutō of Gin (sō) also means "harpoon" or "gun"(written in other way). In Chinese "sō" wants to say "lance" or "fire weapon".