Wandenreich

The is a hidden empire of the Quincy. They are at war with Soul Society.

History
Somehow surviving the Quincy massacre two hundred years ago, the Vandenreich became strong enough to challenge Soul Society. Sometime after the defeat of Sōsuke Aizen, the Vandenreich conquered Hueco Mundo, capturing Tier Harribel in the process. In addition, they conscripted numerous Arrancar into their service and killed many Hollows.

Organization
The organizational structure of the Vandenreich is not yet clear, but there is a central monarch based out of their headquarters. In his service, there are a number of underlings who follow his direct orders.

Stern Ritter
A group of elite Quincy combatants known as the. Members of the Stern Ritter and certain other individuals (including Yhwach) within the Vandenreich military are each assigned a letter of the alphabet and an appropriate epithet by Yhwach in order to designate them.

Jagdarmee
There is a separate hunting unit called the of Hueco Mundo which, in the wake of Hueco Mundo's conquest by the Vandenreich, is entrusted with capturing Arrancar to serve the empire.

The Jagdarmee is separated into numbered groups, and the leader of the first Jagdarmee, the, is Quilge Opie.

Soldat
The military is comprised of a large number of skilled. They can defeat low-ranked Shinigami with ease.

Others
The Vandenreich have forcefully drafted many strong Arrancar into their army, who are considered to be useful soldiers due to them not requiring prerequisite training, but are regarded as expendable, for Yhwach killed two of them once he deemed they had fulfilled their purposes, and claimed that, having annexed Hueco Mundo, he can obtain as many Arrancar as he wishes. There exists a communication unit, which maintains the connection between headquarters and operational units.

Headquarters
The Vandenreich is based out of a large, ice-encrusted building. This building consists of a thick base with a long stairway leading up the front. On top of this are a series of thick columns supporting a thicker second tier of the building. There is a third tier above this, supported by thinner columns. Surrounding the main building are a number of ice-covered round or square towers and two curved structures leaning towards each other, forming an arch-like monument at the front of the building. Inside the building, Yhwach has a floating throne. Behind this lies a series of floating steps leading to a curtained doorway, where Harribel is kept prisoner. Housed somewhere in the place where the Vandenreich reside is a structure called the, which was used to invade Soul Society.

Uniforms
The typical attire of most Vandenreich personnel consists of a long, white, double-breasted trench coat with shoulder straps and a white, button-down bib. This coat is bound at the waist with a black belt, which is further adorned with a decorative buckle, and is worn over both white trousers and trench boots. Many members sport white hats with black peaks and a crest emblazoned on its front, which is reminiscent of the five-pointed variant of the Quincy cross. This insignia is reflected by the buttons of their other apparel. Some higher-ranking members pair this uniform with other additional pieces of clothing, such as capes or cloaks, to distinguish themselves. The Stern Ritter wear a distinctive white, ankle-length cloak over their uniform which features the Vandenreich insignia emblazoned on its back and often a hood attached to the cloak's collar. Apart from the standard uniform, a Soldat's attire consists of a military beret, black goggles with white lenses, a gas mask which obscures their entire face, and a short, collared cloak.

In certain instances, personnel have been observed wearing a simplified version of the usual Vandenreich uniform, which lacks the normal button-down bib and belt. Those who took part in the declaration of war upon Soul Society sported this specific variation, as well as a hooded cape, which featured a black mask in order to obscure their face, and a black band diagonally encircling their body.

Vandenreich Equipment
Medallion: A number of those within the Vandenreich military, including all members of the Stern Ritter, carry on their person a round, unnamed device which is roughly the size of a person's palm and has the Vandenreich insignia etched into its surface. When activated, this device can steal a single currently released Bankai in the immediate vicinity. According to Yhwach, the ability to steal a Shinigami's Bankai depends on the level of the medallion wielder's Reiryoku.

Once stolen, the medallion's wielder can use the stolen Bankai's power at will, even after the original owner's death. They appear unable to exploit this power fully, for according to what Yamamoto experienced, Driscoll Berci's use of Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū was noticeably inferior to that of its true owner, Chōjirō Sasakibe.

In Asguiaro Ebern's case, using the medallion to steal a Bankai requires him to chant an incantation to activate it, but the Stern Ritter, Quilge Opie, and Yhwach can bypass the incantation. The incantation Ebern used is:

German= "Schmelze. Meer zu Wolken, Wolken zu Regen, Regen zu Nebel. Die Form die nicht gesehen werden kann. Nach unserer Feier wird der Kelch umgedreht." English= "Melt. Sea to cloud, cloud to rain, rain to fog. That with shape to that which is unseen. After our jubilation, the chalice will be turned face down!!!" Kanji= 「溶けよ」 海よ雲へ 雲よ雨へ 雨よ霧へ 姿成すものよ 見えざるものへ 我等歓喜の末に 杯を地に伏せる さあ!!!

Terminology

 * The exhaustive data collected by the Vandenreich on the opposition's forces, which has been distributed to all essential personnel. Parts of this intelligence include details on those considered to be Special War Powers and those in possession of Bankai.


 * The process which the Vandenreich uses to steal Bankai.


 * The name given to the letters of the alphabet bestowed to select individuals within the Vandenreich by Yhwach in order to designate them. The exact letter given corresponds to an appropriate epithet reflecting the nature of the person's particular ability.

Special War Powers
In their war with Soul Society, the Vandenreich have placed particular emphasis on five so called, who they believe will play a pivotal role in deciding the ultimate outcome of the war itself. These powers are important enough that the temporary detainment of just one prompted the Vandenreich to begin the invasion of Soul Society, due to their guaranteed absence. Sōsuke Aizen was asked to join the Vandenreich as one of the special war powers, but he turned down the offer. Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was not considered to be a special war power because Yhwach considered him deficient compared to his prime 1000 years ago.

Those known to be classified as the "Special War Powers" are:
 * 1 - Kenpachi Zaraki
 * 2 - Ichigo Kurosaki