Sōsuke Aizen

"The gaze into the sun." - Tite Kubo

is the former captain of the 5th Division in the Gotei 13. He later leaves Soul Society with his followers, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen. His lieutenant was Momo Hinamori. After waging war against Soul Society with an army of Arrancar, Aizen was defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki and sealed away by Kisuke Urahara before later being imprisoned for his crimes.

Appearance
Prior to his departure from Soul Society, Aizen appeared as a mild-featured man with brown scholarly hair enhanced by square glasses, along with soft brown eyes. He wore the standard Shinigami uniform with a captain's haori. During his ascent to Hueco Mundo, he removed his glasses and swept his hand through his hair, revealing menacing eyes and a very different hairstyle; his hair is now swept back, with a strand hanging down his face.

In Hueco Mundo, Aizen initially wears Arrancar clothes over his shihakushō. After Orihime Inoue is taken to Las Noches, Aizen wears full clothing similar in style to the Arrancar, complete with a pink sash around the waist.

Upon his defeat by Ichigo Kurosaki, Aizen loses all of the physical changes made by his transformation and returns to the physical form he had prior to transforming.

Personality
Aizen is a polite, soft-spoken intellectual, often addressing his subordinates by their given names. He rarely shows any sign of alarm or distress, and often has entire situations planned out well in advance. Whenever confronted, Aizen is casual and uncaring, attempting to draw out a conversation and make small talk, which often infuriates those he is talking to.

Aizen initially appeared to be a very kind, well-respected captain and was looked up to by many, especially his lieutenant, Momo Hinamori. However, this was just a mask to disguise his manipulative, and very dangerous, nature. In truth, he cares very little for his underlings, and is willing to use almost everyone around him as pawns to achieve his goals. In his own words, Aizen claims to be unaffected by any form of morals or ethics, as he views them as mere restrictions on his potential. He is, therefore, willing to stop at nothing to further his selfish ambitions, including manipulating or killing anyone if he deems it to be necessary. He frequently appears to toy with his underlings for amusement. Unlike most of the other Shinigami, who generally have some form of honor and kindness, Aizen lacks genuine compassion and honor.

During his time as a captain, Aizen liked tofu, but he disliked boiled eggs. In his free time, he often read, and he gave a special lecture of calligraphy at the Shin'ō Academy because he excelled in this branch of arts. This optional course was immensely popular among the Shinigami students, and many of them felt great sorrow at Aizen's sudden departure.

As the commander of his army of Arrancar, Aizen controls his minions through acquired respect or fear. Ulquiorra Cifer revealed to Orihime Inoue that they are all there to further Aizen's ambitions. Aizen keeps more rowdy individuals like Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez in line through intimidation and mind games. The Arrancar Aisslinger Wernarr claims the Arrancar follow him because he has no fear, something which beings born from fear and despair find inspiring. Other Arrancar occasionally follow him for reasons unique to themselves, such as Szayelaporro Granz, who follows him because he hopes Aizen will eradicate the world of all non-Hollows.

To date, the equally manipulative Gin Ichimaru is the only person who seems to be able to see through Aizen's manipulation. Gin has some sense of Aizen's emotions and feelings, correctly pointing out Aizen was enjoying the invasion by Ichigo and his friends and their successes within Las Noches, and noting Aizen was surprised by the arrival of Momo during the battle of Fake Karakura Town. In contrast, Kaname Tōsen has shown no such understanding, and has fallen victim to one of Aizen's more minor mind games when Aizen subtly manipulated him into punishing Grimmjow for him while Aizen himself kept up his appearance of benevolence.

Aizen's true objective was to overthrow the king of Soul Society. As he and his fellow traitor captains were departing from the Soul Society, he told 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake "no one has stood on the top of the world", not even the gods, but he aspires to "stand on the heavens and end the unbearable vacancy on the world's throne".

According to Kisuke Urahara, since mastering the Hōgyoku, Aizen has become less cautious in battle, for Aizen would not have allowed Urahara to use level 90 Kidō before he subdued the Hōgyoku. Aizen admits his new powers allow him to let his guard down. Due to this newfound power, Aizen has developed an arrogant and overconfident attitude, often not even thinking his attacks or defense through any longer like he used to, or even bothering to find out the effects of his opponents' and his own attacks. In his newest form, he has developed a severe superiority complex, believing he is now above both Shinigami and Hollows. Because of his superior attitude and high intelligence, Aizen is easily enraged when facing something or someone which he does not understand; for example, when witnessing Ichigo Kurosaki use Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō, Aizen becomes furious because he is unable to comprehend how a Human has surpassed him.

Arrancar arc
From there, Aizen changes his clothing style to resemble the Arrancar, and begins to create several Arrancar. At some point, he finds Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerbuck and is impressed by the mountain dead Hollows nearby. When Aizen asks Starrk if the Hollows were killed by him, Starrk tells him the Hollows just died. When Aizen makes an offer to Starrk to join him as an ally, Starrk believes Aizen to be strong and agrees to join him. Later, Aizen sends Grand Fisher and two other powerful Hollows to the Human World. Grand Fisher is killed by Isshin Kurosaki, and the other two Hollows are killed by Ryūken Ishida. Isshin and Urahara theorize Aizen sent these pseudo-Arrancar to the Human World to look for information on Ichigo.

Later, Aizen sends Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo to find Ichigo and report on his progress. They almost kill Tatsuki Arisawa, Yasutora Sado, and Orihime Inoue, and Yammy manages to kill a large amount of people in the park. After the mission is completed, Ulquiorra and Yammy head to a meeting consisting of Aizen and 20 other Arrancar (including fellow Espada members Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Tier Harribel). Ulquiorra uses Solita Vista to show what he has seen to the others and Aizen. After Grimmjow and Shawlong Koufang question Ulquiorra and Yammy on why they just did not kill them as ordered, Aizen states he is impressed with Ulquiorra's work. Later, Grimmjow and his Fracción (Shawlong, Edrad Liones, Nakeem Grindina, Yylfordt Granz, and Di Roy Rinker) invade Karakura Town without orders, prompting Kaname Tōsen to travel there, bring back Grimmjow (his Fracción were killed during their unauthorized mission), and punish Grimmjow himself when Aizen refuses to take action.

Later, after examining Orihime's powers, Aizen decides to initiate another invasion on Karakura Town, letting Ulquiorra pick the members of the invasion force, though Aizen personally sends Grimmjow as well. Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, Yammy, Luppi Antenor, and Wonderweiss Margela go to invade Karakura Town to capture Orihime. Ulquiorra succeeds in forcing Orihime to join Aizen's side and brings her to Las Noches, where he has her display her power by restoring Grimmjow's amputated left arm and reveals to the Arrancar present how Orihime's powers are rejection, meaning she can "reject" anything which has happened.

Hueco Mundo arc
Calling the Espada to a meeting, Aizen invites them to have some tea. As they are drinking their tea, Aizen reveals to them the presence of Ichigo, Uryū, and Sado. When the Espada begin to dismiss the group as not dangerous, Aizen warns them to not underestimate the trio and reveals their exploits in Soul Society. When Aizen identifies Orihime as the missing member of their group and states they have come to rescue her, Grimmjow begins to leave and states he is going to go eradicate the threat in Aizen's name. Stopping him, Aizen resorts to intimidating Grimmjow with his Reiatsu when the latter hesitates to back down. As Grimmjow is brought to his knees by Aizen's immense Reiatsu, Aizen tells the other Espada to return to their palaces and wait patiently. Telling them not to be overconfident, Aizen says they do not to be afraid because no one can defeat them as long as they are with him.

At one point, Aizen has Orihime brought to his room by Loly Aivirrne and Menoly Mallia. After sending the two Arrancar away, Aizen shows Orihime the Hōgyoku. Asking Orihime to interpret him showing her the Hōgyoku as a sign of his trust in her, Aizen asks Orihime to use Sōten Kisshun to undo some minor damage which has occurred to the Hōgyoku from being repeatedly reawakened.

Following the arrival of Ichigo and company at Las Noches, Aizen is informed of Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio's death by a messenger. Unsurprised by Dordoni's demise, Aizen expresses surprise at Ichigo struggling against him. Cornering the messenger by catching him in a lie of omission, Aizen demands to know who sent the Exequias after Dordoni. When the messenger does not answer, Szayelaporro Granz intervenes and reveals he is the one who did so before begging Aizen's forgiveness, which Aizen grants him. As Szayelaporro turns to leave, Aizen tells him to make his reports more thorough next time, shocking Szayelaporro, before asking him if the Reiatsu record he obtained from Dordoni will aid in his research. Confirming this, Szayelaporro leaves. Following his departure, Gin, who had been present in with Aizen the entire time, asks Aizen if he is enjoying himself even though his subordinates are losing, prompting Aizen to confess the emotion he is feeling at the moment is akin to enjoyment.

After Aaroniero Arruruerie, Szayelaporro, Zommari Rureaux, Grimmjow, and Nnoitra Gilga are defeated by Ichigo, his friends, and the invading Shinigami captains, Aizen has Coyote Starrk bring Orihime to him. Telling Orihime to smile and wait where she is while they go and destroy Karakura Town, Aizen has Tōsen use '''Bakudō #77. Tenteikūra'''. Using this, Aizen reveals his true motivation behind the capture of Orihime to Ichigo and the others: by kidnapping Orihime, he inspired Ichigo and his friends to attempt a rescue, thereby depriving Soul Society of a valuable military asset, and when four captains assisted in her rescue, adding to the three which had already defected, Soul Society was left at half its regular strength, so he and his forces are now ready to attack. Leaving with Gin, Tōsen, Tier Harribel, Baraggan Louisenbairn, Starrk, and their Fracción to invade Karakura Town, Aizen leaves Las Noches in the hands of Ulquiorra.

The Thousand-Year Blood War arc
During the Wandenreich's invasion of Soul Society, Yhwach reveals Aizen was being held underneath the First Division, where he offered him a position in their army as a Special War Power, only to be refused by the prisoner. Subsequently, Yhwach discovers he lost track of time during his meeting with Aizen.

Inventions

 * Aizen has stated he arrived at the conclusion of the Hōgyoku before Kisuke Urahara, though it ended in failure. In order to finalize the Hōgyoku, the souls of hundreds upon hundreds of Shinigami and hundreds and hundreds of Rukongai citizens who bore Shinigami potential needed to be sacrificed to it, but it still was not satisfied. According to the experimental data, Urahara's Hōgyoku was also incomplete, so Aizen decided to steal this Hōgyoku and present it to his own. Produced as a result of Aizen's Hollowfication research, this Hōgyoku is what gave the Visored their Hollow powers. This process seems to spread as some form of infection through wounds, which only has the desired effects on souls with high amounts of Reiryoku and not souls with low amounts of Reiryoku. Those infected experience great sickness and fatigue until they vomit up a white liquid, which forms the beginnings of their Hollow mask before proceeding to transform their bodies and warp their minds. Other than this, all which is known is the process is accelerated by aggressive emotions. The conclusive result turns a Shinigami into a primarily Hollow-like humanoid, which is a highly unstable transformation causing mindlessness and aggression.


 * This cube traps a subject in an alternate dimension from which there is no escape; however, this assumes it is being used as intended. More powerful Arrancar, namely the Espada themselves, can escape, given enough time.


 * Hollow Research and Development: During his tenure as a Shinigami and after his defection, Aizen spent much time researching Shinigami and Hollows in order to break down the boundaries between them. Because of this, he was able to create Hollows with Shinigami-like abilities. He created Hollows with the ability to hide their Reiatsu like the ones who attacked Renji Abarai, Izuru Kira, and Momo Hinamori during their training, Hollows, like Metastacia, with the ability to shatter a Shinigami's Zanpakutō and fuse with them, and even a Hollow using a Shinigami's soul as a base. However, according to Aizen, all of these ended in failures. After his defection, he began using the Hōgyoku to create Arrancar who were far more powerful than naturally occurring Arrancar. Aizen gave Hollow powers to a Shinigami, namely Kaname Tōsen, who gained both a Hollow's mask and a Resurrección.

Equipment

 * 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.

Powers & Abilities
Genius Intellect: Arguably, the most fearsome trait of Aizen is his tremendous intellect. He is well-versed in the history, strategy, and tactics of Soul Society, and is privy to knowledge unknown to many, such as the existence of the Ōken, as well as the obscure method in which to create one. He has created several Hollows and Arrancar while avoiding arousing any suspicion from the majority of his fellow Shinigami. For over 110 years, he had been engaging in experiments which involved unique and highly dangerous manipulations of Reiryoku and Reishi, including experiments involving the Hollowfication of Shinigami, something which had never been done before. He has an innate knowledge of the Hōgyoku, rivaling that of its creator, Kisuke Urahara; he even knows how to destroy it. He figured out the true nature of Shinji Hirako's Shikai and deduced it produces an optical illusion, allowing him to counter its effect. He effectively deduces the true nature of the Hōgyoku via trial and error of the situations which revolve around it.


 * Master Manipulator: Aizen has proven himself very crafty and a cunning man since his public betrayal of Soul Society. He can deceive and manipulate others around him in different ways for a variety of purposes. For years, he convinced everyone around him he was a kind-hearted man with the best intentions for Soul Society while performing horrific actions. He has a great talent for analyzing and observing everything in his presence, allowing him to understand a person's pattern of thinking and better manipulate them. He is a master strategist, formulating well thought out plans several steps ahead of others. These plans are incredibly involved and detailed, and are planned out with the long term in mind. His most well-known plan spans over 110 years, a great accomplishment which involved moving people around like pieces on a chessboard and making sure they played the role he had planned out for them.   He is masterful when it comes to plans within plans, such as kidnapping Orihime, allowing him to use her abilities to extend the shelf life of the Hōgyoku, and, after the departure of Gin Ichimaru, Kaname Tōsen, and himself, trapping Ichigo Kurosaki, Yasutora Sado, Uryū Ishida, and four captains in Hueco Mundo, making it easier for him to accomplish the goal of his first plan: creating the Ōken and gaining access to the Royal Palace.


 * Master Tactician: Aizen has proven himself to be a masterful and flexible tactician, adjusting seamlessly to any given combat situation, if not planning out events well in advance. He understands the strengths, weaknesses and mannerisms of his enemies, and creates strategies to achieve victory; this includes modifying an Arrancar for the sole purpose of defeating Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, a Shinigami whose abilities surpass his own. Despite viewing his power as worlds beyond others, Aizen is highly cautious in battle, placing special protections on himself so as to leave no blind spots.

Kidō Master: Aizen has great proficiency in using Kidō spells. He is skilled enough to use Kidō without the use of their incantation; he used '''Hadō #90. Kurohitsugi''', and even though he did not utter its incantation, it was sufficient enough to disable 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura. He has used '''Bakudō #81. Dankū to block Hadō #88. Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō''' from Tessai Tsukabishi, who was captain of the Kidō Corps and logically the most proficient Kidō master in Soul Society at the time, while Aizen himself was only a lieutenant. He can produce powerful protection spells while in battle.

Immense Strength: Aizen is strong enough to stop the blade of Ichigo's Bankai with just one index finger (albeit Ichigo was already battle-worn from fighting Byakuya Kuchiki) and almost cut him in half with a single swing of his sword. He stopped 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai's Shikai with his bare hand and broke it with one swing, injuring Renji in the process. He stopped Komamura's Shikai with his bare hand, proving his strength is more than enough to combat someone of the same level. Aizen further displays his strength by cutting through the sword and wrist of Komamura's Bankai.

Immense Spiritual Power: Even by captain standards, Aizen possesses a tremendous amount of Reiryoku. 2nd Division Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda stated Aizen's mere presence is monstrously overwhelming. A hint of Aizen's level of Reiryoku is given when he turns Wonderweiss Margela into an Arrancar before activating the Hōgyoku; Aizen states in spite of its half-awakened state, the Hōgyoku can be fully activated when temporarily fusing with someone with twice as much spiritual power as an average captain-level Shinigami, referring to himself. The force of Aizen's Reiatsu is great enough to, without any visible effort from Aizen, bring Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the 6th Espada, to his knees. He has stated it takes a lot for him not to "crush an ant" (referring to Renji) in his path. He claims he is more powerful than all of the Espada. Aizen's Reiatsu is powerful enough to nullify abilities, such as when he negated Suì-Fēng's Nigeki Kessatsu. His Reiatsu is violet.

Master Swordsman: While the full extent of his prowess is unknown, Aizen can fight back against an opponent's Shikai and Bankai with his own blade still sealed. Aizen can perform tremendously powerful and precise strikes and cut through very sturdy targets, such as Renji's Shikai. He cut down four captains (two which used their Bankai) and four Visored (with three being former captains of Gotei 13) with ease.

Shunpo Master: Aizen is so fast, one cannot discern even being attacked by him until after it has taken place. Aizen can easily outmaneuver Ichigo's Bankai and Hollow mask-enhanced speed, to the point where he could casually lay a hand on Ichigo's chest and still dodge a point-blank attack. Aizen can dodge simultaneous attacks at close range and evade Bankai-level techniques. Opponents commonly do not know his movements until after he has made them, and Aizen is skilled enough in his movements to evade at high speeds, even when being attacked from behind.

Hakuda Master: While preferring to finish his fights quickly with his Zanpakutō or Kidō, Aizen is a highly capable unarmed fighter. Repeatedly, Aizen has caught his opponent's weapons with a single bare hand. While fighting offensively, he has shown tremendous agility and dexterity, combining both sword and barehanded skills to simultaneously strike with his sword and kick opponents with great force.

Immortality: After being hit by Ichigo's Mugetsu, Aizen somewhat regenerates from the damage, though most of his new form's features have been destroyed and do not return. He is later confirmed by Central 46 to having been left immortal by his interaction with the Hōgyoku.

Zanpakutō
None. Aizen's Zanpakutō eventually disintegrates, for he claims the Hōgyoku has determined he no longer needs it.

Former Powers & Abilities
When Kisuke Urahara's Kidō spell, Kyūjūrokkei Kakafūmetsu, begins to seal Aizen, the Hōgyoku rejects him as its master, which leaves him without the powers it granted him.

{{Hidden|Click "show" to read the former powers.|

Zanpakutō

 * In its sealed form, it resembles a normal katana. The only decoration is the tsuba, which is a hexagon. The two sides parallel to the blade are long, whereas the four sides above and below the blade are shortened, making it into almost a diamond or prism-like shape. It has a green handle.


 * Shikai: The release command is and is used to both activate and deactivate it.


 * Shikai Special Ability: The special ability of Kyōka Suigetsu is . It controls the five senses to the point where it can make the target misinterpret another person's form, shape, mass, feel, and smell to be an enemy's. The initiation condition for the hypnosis is to show the enemy the release of Kyōka Suigetsu. After seeing it just once, this person will completely succumb to the hypnosis. Afterwards, every time it is released, this person will fall under the thrall of the hypnosis. The hypnosis is long lasting; the Visored are still affected by Kyōka Suigetsu even though they were hypnotized at least 110 years ago. Because the spell works when one see the ritual, those who cannot see are consequently immune to the hypnosis. When Aizen turns off the hypnosis by force of will, the image shown melts away or shatters. The complete hypnosis of Kyōka Suigetsu is absolutely flawless; even if the target is aware of being under the hypnosis, they cannot resist its influence. The hypnotic abilities of Kyōka Suigetsu make it a highly useful tool in combat, for Aizen can create simple or complex illusions to deceive his opponents. For example, by creating a decoy of himself, or other illusions to distract his opponents, Aizen can hide his own movements and attack with impunity. His opponent will remain focused on the illusion until it is too late to react. While the illusions Kyōka Suigetsu creates are quite powerful, those with considerable power and skill themselves may be able to note slight differences in the illusions compared to the real thing, even if they are not able to determine what exactly is different. 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana detected something was amiss with Aizen's fake corpse, even though she did not realize what it was until seeing Aizen alive. The Reiatsu of Kyōka Suigetsu gives it away to those keen enough to sense its actual presence past the illusions created by its complete hypnosis. The sole way to escape the ability of Kyōka Suigetsu is to touch the blade itself before complete hypnosis is activated.


 * Bankai: Not Revealed.

Fusions

 * Aizen embeds the Hōgyoku into the center of his chest.


 * Protective Regeneration: By being embedded into Aizen's chest, the Hōgyoku actively protects Aizen by healing his injuries almost instantly. Aizen withstood a point-blank Hadō #96. Ittō Kasō and only suffered slight burns. Immediately afterwards, he took a point-blank Bankai- and Hollow mask-enhanced Getsuga Tenshō and survived the attack. He emerged unfazed after being hurled into several buildings by Isshin Kurosaki.


 * Strength Augmentation: Aizen's already considerable strength is further enhanced by the Hōgyoku's evolution of his body. He can strike through a target's flesh with a single, nonchalant sweep of his bare hands.


 * Durability Augmentation: Aizen's durability is further enhanced by the Hōgyoku's evolution of his body. Because of this, he can withstand Hadō #91. Senjū Kōten Taihō without suffering any damage.


 * After Kisuke Urahara attempts to block the Reiatsu vents in Aizen's wrists with a seal, Aizen emerges from the resulting explosion unscathed as a phantom-like figure. Aizen's face is covered with a white canvas, and his outfit is now a white cloak which is split in four sections near his waist. There is a cross in the middle of the cloak, showing where the Hōgyoku is embedded in Aizen. After a short struggle with Yoruichi Shihōin, Aizen's Zanpakutō becomes fused to his arm. When Aizen is attacked, his body appears to crack and fold under damage, only actually bleeding when an attack is powerful enough.


 * Enhanced Durability: His durability is great enough to block Isshin's Zanpakutō with just his foot and withstand a massive punch from an armored Yoruichi.


 * Enhanced Endurance: Aizen performs in battle as if he were unharmed, even while taking severe damage. He withstands Isshin's point-blank Getsuga Tenshō and remains unfazed by the attack, despite having a bleeding gash on his forehead.


 * Enhanced Strength: Aizen created a shockwave after being knocked down by Yoruichi. This shockwave was fast and strong enough to catch even Yoruichi off guard, and subsequently destroyed the Anti-Hierro armor on her left leg.


 * Enhanced Speed: Aizen's newfound power enhances his speed to the point where even captain-level opponents cannot register his movements. He caught Yoruichi off guard with his speed. He can incapacitate three captain-level opponents seemingly instantaneously.


 * Regeneration: Aizen demonstrates a form of regeneration, as seen when he recovers from Yoruichi's first attack.


 * Enhanced Spiritual Power: After Aizen fuses with the Hōgyoku, both Shinigami and Humans are incapable of sensing his Reiatsu unless he voluntarily lowers it and allows them to interfere. He compares this to how a two-dimensional being is incapable of interfering with a three-dimensional one. Isshin surmises Aizen's Reiryoku can only be sensed by someone who is at the same level as him.


 * After completing his "chrysalis" stage, Aizen shed his sleek phantom-like form to reveal a form similar to his original one, with the addition of long hair and gray eyes with purple sclera.


 * Enhanced Durability: Aizen's durability has been further enhanced. He willingly lets the Kōtotsu collide with him, destroying it, while remaining unharmed.


 * Enhanced Spiritual Power: Aizen's already enormous Reiryoku is further enhanced. Aizen causes a Human soul to collapse and fade away by standing a few feet away from it. By his own claim, if Don Kanonji had come into contact with Aizen, the former would have ceased to exist. When Aizen touched Gin Ichimaru's arm, his Reiryoku caused the area touched to dissolve.


 * After Gin's Korose, Kamishini no Yari creates a hole in Aizen's chest, Reiryoku erupts from his chest, and Aizen emerges from the blast in this new form. In this form, Aizen has a hole in the center of his chest with a cross in the middle of it. The form-fitting white robe which enveloped Aizen in his past two forms lengthens, and flares out at the ends. In this form, Aizen's irises vanish, as well as his eyebrows and the hair curl which usually hangs over his face. There is a diamond-shaped object embedded in his forehead. Aizen has gained three sets of butterfly-like wings. When he faces Ichigo, Aizen's wings become more pointed, rather than rounded.


 * Regeneration: Aizen can regenerate wounds upon his physical form in a matter of minutes.


 * Enhanced Strength: In this form, Aizen can attack his opponent with minor movement or force. He tore off Gin's arm and threw him through a nearby building. He caused the ground to tear open with the sheer force of his sword swing, even when the blow was blocked.


 * Teleportation: In this form, Aizen can de-materialize himself in one place and re-materialize himself a distance away. He breaks down his body into multiple purple shards and reassembles himself. (Unnamed)


 * After Aizen is struck by Ichigo, the Hōgyoku forces another transformation upon him, which Aizen claims occurs because it does not want him to lose to a Human. In this form, Aizen takes on a distinctively Hollow-like form. The diamond-shaped point breaks open, revealing a vertical black third eye upon the center of Aizen's forehead, and the skin on his face splits open down the middle and pulls back around the sides of his head to reveal a blackened, demon-like skull. Aizen gains three holes running vertically down his chest, the Hōgyoku standing at the center of the top hole. Aizen's feet become single claws, and his hands and feet become blackened, with his right hand fusing with his Zanpakutō. Aizen's butterfly-like wings change into a set of six sheet-like wings, with eyes set upon the center, adorned with Hollow-like skulls, and trailing into tendrils. Aizen no longer has any semblance of clothing in this form, and his musculature becomes more defined.


 * Aizen can release bluish-purple energy spheres from the Hollow-like skulls on the top of his wings. One blast is powerful enough to create a large crater, with an accompanying explosion which creates a shockwave which can be felt miles away from the blast site.

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 * Surrounding his target with his wings, Aizen uses the Hollow-like skulls atop his wings to generate a circle of bluish-purple spiritual energy around a target. Upon creation, the ring reverberates with power and solidifies, while forming three more larger solid rings in concentric formation.

Appearances in Other Media
Aizen is an unlockable character in the Bleach video games. Because he is the central antagonist, most games have Aizen as the final boss, such as in Bleach: Soul Carnival. '''Hadō #90. Kurohitsugi''' is one of Aizen's best attacks. In Bleach: Versus Crusade, Bleach: The 3rd Phantom, Bleach: The Blade of Fate and Bleach: Dark Souls, Aizen can use other Kidō spells, such as '''Hadō #33. Sōkatsui and Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō'''. Aizen makes use of his Zanpakutō's abilities throughout most of the games. Aizen does not appear and is not referenced in any of the films; however, in the second OVA, he drinks coffee at the very end with Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen. Aizen has his own Bleach Beat Collection, where he sings Shinsen and Kyōka Suigetsu. In Bleach: Soul Resurrección, Aizen appears in his Second, Third, and Final Fusions, but is only playable in his Third Fusion. In his forms, he can use Kidō and is the final boss in the game. Additionally, he is the only character who can move while blocking, though he is also the only character who walks and does not run. In the game, Ultrafragor, upon completion, creates a massive explosion which does heavy damage. Aizen appears in the Rock Musical Bleach shows, where his actor is Kengo Ōkuchi.

Reception
IGN.com praises the animators for how Aizen was revealed as the primary antagonist, saying "The Aizen that we first knew was the nicest guy ever, he looked it, and now this Aizen actually looks like the most evil jerk we've ever seen. It's just great how the animators haven't changed his animation much, but have managed to give his face this evil thing about it." However, they were critical of Aizen's convoluted plan, calling it "...so planned out was a bit too planned out to believe. He seemed to know that everything was going to happen exactly as planned..."

Concerning his Zanpakutō, IGN.com described it as overpowered, calling it "the most unbalanced sword in Bleach." The site found it "far-fetched for some reason to think that nobody can tell when they're getting hypnotized, even the higher ups."

Trivia

 * The name of Aizen's Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu, hints at its illusionary properties; the moon reflected in water and a flower in a mirror are things which can be seen, but not held. It is a Chinese saying for seeing and desiring something which is a dream which cannot be easily grasped in hand, teaching people about temptations.
 * Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu came 18th in the Zanpakutō popularity poll. Aizen himself came 23rd in the 4th character popularity poll.
 * Aizen had a column in the Seireitei Communication titled The Yin of the Pine Needle, which is now suspended.
 * The Shinigami Women's Association published a Photo Collection showcasing Aizen named The Smile of the Sun, but it was cancelled.
 * Aizen's theme song, as chosen by Tite Kubo, is "Stand Ablaze" by In Flames.

Quotes

 * (To Tōshirō Hitsugaya upon his discovery of an injured Momo Hinamori) "How unfortunate! You found her!? Pardon me. It wasn't my intention to traumatize you. Before you could have noticed, I should have chopped her into unrecognizable pieces."


 * (To Tōshirō Hitsugaya) "You should learn this well, Hitsugaya-kun. Admiration is the emotion furthest from understanding."


 * (To Renji Abarai) "The Sōsuke Aizen you knew...never existed to begin with."


 * (To Jūshirō Ukitake) "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."


 * (To Shinji Hirako) "You should not dwell on the betrayal that you can see. The truly terrifying betrayal is that which lies utterly hidden from your eyes, Captain Hirako."


 * (To Tier Harribel indirectly) " I never even dreamed that the power of the ten Espada I went to so much trouble to gather could possibly be inferior to that of myself alone."


 * (To Shinji Hirako) "To trust in another is the same as to rely upon that person. Reliance is for the weak. It is of no use to us."


 * (To Shinji Hirako) "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."


 * (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "Why do you insist on keeping such distance from me? If you wish to make a decisive strike, you should do so at point-blank range. Or perhaps you are afraid of moving in too close, and letting even a part of my body out of your sight? If so, I am disappointed. Keeping one's distance is only a key factor in a battle between two combatants of equal strength. Between you and myself, distances hold no meaning whatsoever. Observe. I am perfectly capable of reaching your heart at any moment."


 * (To Sajin Komamura) "Did you think that a display of force would be enough to overwhelm me? How foolish. In fact, I would say that the very concept of 'power' itself is different for me than for you. Allow me to demonstrate. This is the true meaning of 'power'."


 * (To Shunsui Kyōraku, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Suì-Fēng, and Shinji Hirako) "I will not take your lives. With the measure of power that you possess, you are unlikely even to lose consciousness from those wounds. Stay there, helpless and defeated, and observe carefully as this battle reaches its conclusion."


 * (To Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto) "Your Ryūjin Jakka is indeed the most powerful Zanpakutō in existence. There is no doubt about that. Were I to fight against it directly, it would likely overpower even me. However, if one abandons all other abilities and focuses his strength entirely on a single specialized skill, then he can overcome even the greatest of powers."


 * (To Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto) "Cruel? Once a soul has become a Hollow, it holds no meaning. It is a being with no purpose beyond idly consuming its fellow souls. Where do you see cruelty in my giving purpose to such a being? Surely the true act of cruelty was your tearing that soul to pieces."


 * (To Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto) "I will not do you the injustice of refusing to take your life. You, who are the very embodiment of the history of Soul Society itself - you alone will die here by my blade."


 * (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "I suppose it is only to be expected. You have my pity. There is no such thing as 'truth' or 'lies' in this world; there never has been. There is only plain, hard facts. And yet, all beings who exist in this world take only those 'facts' that are convenient to them, and take them to be the 'truth'. They do so because they know no other way to live. However, for those powerless beings that make up the majority of this world it is those 'facts' that are inconvenient for their own self-affirmation that make up the real 'truth'."


 * (To Isshin Kurosaki) "The Hōgyoku is able to manifest the desires of those around it. However, this manifestation will not be successful unless the possessors of those desires have the strength to carry it out. In a way, its ability might be better termed a 'guiding force'. However, it is a peculiar quality of living beings that when it comes to achieving those petty desires that their crude hearts enshrine, they tend to have remarkable levels of success."


 * (To Kisuke Urahara) "Why not be careless? I no longer have any need to take care. I can feel it. Now that my body has subjugated the Hōgyoku, it has begun to far surpass even the capacity that I once possessed - a capacity that already held no equal in Soul Society. There is no longer any need for me to evade even a Kidō ranking in the nineties!"


 * (To Gin Ichimaru) "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."


 * (To Gin Ichimaru) "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 Shinigami and Hollows."


 * (To Kisuke Urahara) "Those are the words of a defeated man!! A victor must speak not of the current state of the world, but of how it should rightfully be!"

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