Shinji Hirako


 * Shinji redirects here. For the anime-exclusive character from episode 133, see Shinji (Human)

is the captain of the 5th Division in the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Momo Hinamori. He also served as a recruiter and the de facto leader of the Visored.

Appearance
Shinji has brown eyes and jaw-length blonde hair with a straight cut and many of his facial expressions reveal his upper teeth. While attempting to recruit Ichigo, he wears a standard Karakura school uniform, though he usually wears trousers, shirt and tie, often supplemented by a newsboy cap and long-coat. Shinji appears to have a round ring pierced in the middle of his tongue.

During his first stint as a captain, before he left the Soul Society, his hair was very long, reaching down to the lower part of his back. He wore the standard Shinigami robes with a standard, long-sleeved, captain's haori. Seventeen months after Aizen's defeat, Shinji returns to this attire with the addition of wearing his tie tucked under his robes. His hair which he kept in a short, straight-line cut after becoming a Visored has remained basically the same as well, with the exception of the bang now having a more asymmetrical cut with the left side being longer than the right.

Sometime before the Wandenreich's invasion of Soul Society, Shinji adds a further white robe between his haori and uniform, which is fastened at the front. His tie is also replaced by a broader cravat that is tucked under his new robe and is clasped using a small, silver slide.

Personality
Shinji is somewhat comical, adding a bit of levity to situations that are otherwise serious. He has a flippant attitude under normal circumstances and seems to like annoying his associate, Hiyori Sarugaki, which usually earns him a slap from one of her sandals. She, in turn, shows him absolutely no respect and frequently insults and attacks him; his behavior towards her is no better, frequently making faces or quick insults at her expense. He also has a history of referring to cute girls he meets as his 'first love', complete with a deadpan look on his face, despite the obvious lie (though he never did this with Hiyori, further annoying her). He also enjoys listening to jazz music, as he had a phonograph that played his vinyl records in his days as a captain.

Underneath this, though, he is quite perceptive in terms of regarding other people, and during his time as a captain, was one of the few people who appeared suspicious of his then-lieutenant Sōsuke Aizen, and could apparently sense or see through some of his illusions. He also quickly notes parts of Urahara's personality. Aizen even admitted to being somewhat intimidated by him. Whenever angered or in combat, Shinji is fairly calm, serious, and level-headed.

Hueco Mundo arc
Mashiro Kuna brings in a package and Shinji is annoyed as he realizes Ichigo has left to Hueco Mundo, leaving the Visored with only a word: "Thanks".

The Lost Substitute Shinigami arc
When Ichigo regains his powers, he notices that Shinji's power was used to help restore his own. When Ichigo goes to Soul Society to bring back the body of Kūgo Ginjō, Shinji, who is once again the Fifth Division's captain, questions if this is the right thing to do, asking if Ichigo can forgive Kūgo for what he did.

The Thousand-Year Blood War arc
Shinji attends a captain meeting where he is informed about Wandenreich's infiltration, and is ordered to prepare for war alongside other captains.

After the invasion of Soul Society begins, whilst relocating, he receives information from the 10th Division on the Sternritter's ability to steal Bankai, causing Shinji to wonder what exactly that idiot was doing. En route to the battlefield, he and Momo sense Yamamoto's Reiatsu moving onto the battlefield. When Momo remarks that she had never seen the Captain-Commander so angry, Shinji calls her an idiot. He says that while even he has never seen him like that either, they need to hurry, otherwise Yamamoto will take all the fun for himself. Shinji and the other captains are then later shocked to sense that Yamamoto had actually died at the hands of Yhwach. Shinji and the other members of the Gotei 13 are then further surprised to sense Ichigo Kurosaki finally enter Soul Society.

Once the Wandenreich retreat, Shinji is seen relatively uninjured as the Shinigami have their wounds treated by the 4th Division. There, he informs Ichigo that Rukia and Renji are out of surgery and brings him to the intensive care ward of the 4th Division barracks. He encourages Ichigo by reminding him that Yhwach had been forced to leave thanks to his intervention. Once Ichigo leaves, Rukia asks Shinji as to why he had such a sorrowful expression, to which he thinks Ichigo's putting it down to not being able to save anyone and doing so poorly in his fight. Rukia then tells him that there must be more to it. He then attends a gathering of the Gotei 13 as they mourn the loss of the Captain-Commander. He remains silent when some of the other captains break down and squabble among each other until Captain Kyōraku comes in to calm everyone down and remind them that the Gotei 13's purpose is to protect Soul Society.

As the captains await the arrival of the Royal Guard, Ichigo arrives. Shinji asks if Ichigo is there to watch the Royal Guard arrive, which he states he does not really recommend. As soon as the Royal Guards make their entrance, Shinji becomes disappointed as they were not what he had expected, but is then smacked on the head by a plump woman, who then asks if he and Hiyori are doing well. Not recognizing her, Shinji asks for her name and is shocked to learn that it is Kirio Hikifune, noting that she looks nothing like what she resembled before. Soon after, he watches as Suì-Fēng argues with the Royal Guards, as well as when Senjumaru Shutara reveals Byakuya, Rukia, Renji, and Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu inside large orbs to take back to the Royal Palace along with Ichigo.

He gets into an argument with Hiyori on the phone over ordering some package before hanging up. Later, Shinji bears witness to the swift and complete invasion of Soul Society by the Wandenreich. When Urahara begins communication with all the captains, he states that he will introduce himself at a later point. Shinji says to himself that everyone already knows who he is. When Captain Sajin Komamura confronts the Sternritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine, Shinji also arrives to engage her and attempts to provoke her by using Sakanade to confuse and disorient her. He is surprised when she and the rest of the Sternritter all activate their Quincy: Vollständig. As Shinji wonders what the Vollständig is, Bambietta attacks him with an explosion. A badly injured Shinji is knocked to the ground as Bambietta unleashes even more explosions, however he is protected from them by Komamura.

Later, Shinji, having been healed by Hinamori, goes with her to the location of Marechiyo Ōmaeda and saves him from the advancing Soldat. Commending Ōmaeda for carrying both his unconscious sister and captain on his shoulder, he orders his lieutenant to heal the wounded. He talks to Ōmaeda regarding Kenpachi Zaraki's apparently imminent death and how he is their last hope. Saying they need to do everything to save Kenpachi, he is interrupted by Bazz-B who says he is going to stop them and then envelops the Shinigami in lava.

However, Shinji and Marechiyo manage to survive by using the power of Sakanade to redirect the attack, and later have their injuries healed by Momo before heading to the lab that Urahara has appropriated upon receiving an urgent summons. Soon afterward, Renji and Rukia arrive and express surprise upon seeing Shinji, who explains what happened. After entering the building and finding Urahara, Shinji asks him what is going on, prompting Urahara to relay the status of the various divisions. Noting that everyone is scattered, Shinji asks Urahara what he plans to do once all of them are here, and is shocked to learn that Urahara intends to break into the Soul King Palace.

Soon afterward, Shinji notices the display over the medical room shifting and informs Urahara that the operation is over. When Ukitake emerges from the medical room and proclaims that he has treated everyone, a shocked Shinji claims that Ukitake is the one who needs medical attention. After Kenpachi agrees to leave the search for his lieutenant to the rest of the 11th Division, Urahara gives Shinji a sphere to charge with his Reiatsu. Shortly afterward, Shinji is surprised by the arrival of the remaining Visored and briefly trades insults with Hiyori before claiming that she is also insulting Suì-Fēng, who promises to kill him if he is saying that they share a hairstyle.

Powers & Abilities
Master Swordsman: Shinji is implied to be a powerful combatant, being a Shinigami captain and the unofficial leader among the Visored. At one point, when Shinji begins to fight against Ichigo Kurosaki, the other Visored mention that Ichigo is foolish to battle Shinji, proven by the fact that Shinji is not taking the battle seriously (albeit Ichigo was also holding back, because he was trying to suppress his inner Hollow). Shinji is also able to hold off Mashiro Kuna during her Hollowfication without releasing his sword, though it took some effort. He was also able to fend off Kaname Tōsen while also trying to resist his Hollowfication. Shinji takes on the 6th Espada, maintaining his calm in the face of the destruction Grimmjow brought to the battle and pushing the Espada back with little effort, using only his Hollow mask and his swordsmanship skill.

Shunpo Expert: Shinji excels in Shunpo. His skill is great enough to easily outmaneuver Grimmjow, the sixth Espada. As a captain, even before he became a Visored, he was the first to arrive to save Hiyori, even when Lisa had a head-start and all the other captains left later at the same time. Shinji is also very quick at close-range. During his assault on Aizen, he is able to perceive and dodge Tōsen's sneak attack while sustaining only a small scratch above his left eye.

Kidō Practitioner: While never used in battle, Shinji has shown enough proficiency in this skill to, without warning, put Ichigo into a dream state and break Aizen's illusions.

Immense Spiritual Power: As a captain, he has an enormous amount of spiritual pressure. Being a Visored, Shinji possesses a dual-type spiritual energy, part Shinigami and part Hollow. His spiritual pressure is said to be monstrous.

Keen Intellect: Despite his childish attitude at times, Shinji has shown himself to be a very insightful and perceptive man. During his initial tenure as captain of the 5th Division, he was able to see through Aizen's deceptions and some of his illusions. Aizen himself admitted to being intimidated by Shinji's cunning.

Zanpakutō

 * In its sealed form, it resembles a normal katana. The hilt and sheath are red, and its guard is shaped like an hourglass.


 * Shikai: The release command is . In its Shikai state, the pommel becomes a large ring that allows Sakanade to rotate around Shinji's hand without him actually gripping any part of the Zanpakutō. This movement relates to his sword's special ability. The first few inches of the blade are covered by an extension of the cross-guard. Sakanade's blade is straight and slim, with the tip ending in a slanted razor-like edge instead of being tapered to a point. There are five holes along the sword's length.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Sakanade's Shikai ability creates a . When spun, the sword creates a pink mist. Those who smell its pleasant aroma fall subject to an optical illusion. Shinji describes the release technique as something like a trump card. Up and down, left and right as well as forward and backward are reversed. However, it is not just the sense of direction that is changed; the opponent's eyesight, direction of incoming attacks, and injury locations are also inverted. Shinji claims that countering the damage from the inverted directions simply by processing it all within the mind is not possible. No matter how powerful the opponent, especially if one is accustomed to fighting, their body will not be able to adapt due to their reflexes preventing proper reaction, which causes them to continuously succumb to the power's effect. The effect of the Inverted World can be targeted at or neglected from specific opponents, making it ideal for use in group fighting. It also severely affects the equilibrium of those its power is used on giving them vertigo, causing confusion, disorientation and/or nausea. Shinji has further trained in its use to allow it to invert the words that he says as well.


 * Bankai: Not Yet Revealed.

Hollowfication
Hollow Mask: Shinji's Hollow mask strongly resembles a pharaoh's mask, with a short, flowing hood hanging down the back of his neck. When donning his Hollow mask, Shinji's sclera turn completely black, and his irises become grey.


 * Power Augmentation: While wearing the mask, Shinji's Hollow powers supplement his Shinigami powers, giving him a vast increase in both strength and speed.


 * Cero: Shinji gathers energy that is displayed in a horizontal line at his fist. He then releases a crimson Cero with an extremely wide arc and devastating force. The Cero from a distance is powerful enough to cause grievous injury to an Espada of at least rank six, even at minimal power.


 * Enhanced Strength: While wearing his Hollow mask, Shinji has shown that he gains greater strength, which he uses to physically overwhelm Tōsen and Grimmjow.


 * Enhanced Speed: While wearing his Hollow mask, Shinji is able to move much faster, which he uses to overwhelm Tōsen and Grimmjow on separate occasions.


 * Enhanced Endurance: With his Hollow mask, Shinji becomes much more resilient to pain. He even states that when he first underwent Hollowfication that "wearing the mask feels like being in control of someone else's body".

Appearances in Other Media
Shinji is a playable character known in the Bleach: Heat the Soul (series), Bleach: The 3rd Phantom, and Bleach: Versus Crusade. He uses his Visored mask in combat, which is quite powerful. He also appears in other Bleach games as an unlockable character. In Bleach: Heat the Soul 6, when Shinji performs a finishing move with Hiyori, she hits Shinji with her sandals, launching him into the opponent. In Bleach: Blade Battlers 2nd, after Shinji puts on his Hollow mask his EX-Attack changes into a pink, multi-directional Cero that bounces against a surface which lasts around 4 seconds. In Bleach: The 3rd Phantom, he is capable of using Cero without first using his Hollow mask, though, this is because his mask is not available as a transformation stage in the game. In Bleach: Dark Souls, he appears as a Spirit Card, but is not playable in the game.

Trivia

 * An early drawing of Shinji can be seen in the art of the first chapter. This early design of Shinji ranked #103 with three votes in the second Bleach popularity poll.


 * The Viz version of Volume 44, VICE IT, mistakenly refers to Shinji's Shikai as his Bankai.

Quotes

 * (To newly-appointed Captain Urahara Kisuke) "I hate to talk like I'm better'n you or whatever, but I'd like to just give you a little tip, as a guy who's had a little experience at this job. When ya find yourself in a position of command, even if ya sympathize with 'em, ya can't be too sensitive to your subordinates' feelings. You do things how you wanna do 'em. An' if doin' it your own way doesn't work out, then that just means the job ain't for you."


 * (To Misato Ochi) "Pretty good, huh? Doing things in reverse is my specialty."


 * (To Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez) "I swear. I really don't like gettin' involved in Shinigami fights. Oh well. When you hear the sound of fighting so close by you can't just ignore it."


 * (To Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez) "Can't ya hold back a little while you're fighting? If I dodge an attack and the city gets destroyed bit by bit instead, then I can't just ignore it and keep dodging."


 * (Before leaving to fight in the war) "I remember what Urahara said. 'I made no miscalculations. That was my greatest miscalculation of all.' And just like he predicted, the worst-case scenario came to pass. Man, we sure owe a lot to them. To Urahara, and also to Aizen, an' all. Let's go."


 * (To Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto) "Can't say I've got much to settle with you. Although I do kinda wish you guys hadn't gone an' set up that crazy strong barrier before you started fightin'!"


 * (To Yamamoto, after being asked if the Visored were on the Shinigami's side) "Well, ain't the answer to that freakin' obvious? Not a chance. We ain't your allies or nothin'. We're just Aizen's enemies. Oh, an' we're also Ichigo's allies."


 * (To Sajin Komamura) "You sure 'bout that? Jumpin' in to help a bunch of total unknowns like us? Well, not that I'm quite sure what the heck you are either."


 * (To Sōsuke Aizen) "Up, down, left, right, back, front, the directions the damage is comin' from... do you really think you can wrap your head around fightin' with them all flipped around? Not a chance. Ain't no-one can do that. The stronger a guy is, the more used to battle he gets... the more naturally his body reacts to exactly what it sees!!"

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