User blog comment:MrHatNClogs/Shinigami origins???/@comment-1454424-20100518000606

Please do not spread misinformation. Yama-jii said Kyoraku and Ukitake were the first students who graduated from the academy to become captains. NOT they were the first students to graduate period.

Secondly, while Yama-jii did make the Academy 2000 years ago, that doesn't mean there weren't Shinigami before then. It seems clear that the Shinigami and Hollows have existed as long as pulses have, so I very much doubt that Yama-jii was the "first" shinigami. Indeed, if you look carefully, the structure of the "old" Soul Society is evident enough.

Firstly, we have the four (it used to be five before) great noble houses. Then we have smaller noble houses that are affiliated with one of the great noble house (Soifon's with Yoruichi's for example). Then we have a king and royal guards. We also have Byakuya saying how the great noble houses are what they are become their members have higher reiatsu and more chance to gain bankai.

It seem obvious to me that if the story of Bleach was set 2000 years ago, the Shinigami we would meet would all be "born" Shinigami. I.e. they were born in Seireitei like Byakuya, Soifon, Yoruichi, Kira etc. They would all be taught by their parents, i.e. Shinigami parents teaching their children to be Shinigami. In addition, the Great Noble houses might have their special functions/skills. I mean, we know that Yoruichi's family have always controlled the Omnitsukido, so things like Shunko and specialised Hoho skills might have been "secrets" of her clan.

Of course, the king of Soul Society would skill have an active role in governing etc, etc. Basically, what I am saying is that 2000 years ago, if you were a soul in Rokungai with spirit power, all you had to look forward to is death by starvation because their was no way into Seireitei. Remember that Kubo said that everybody in Seireitei was considered "nobles", another relic from the olden times were everybody in Seireitei were nobles born and breed.

What Yama-jii did with his school is somewhat "democratize" Seireitei by opening it up to anyone with talent. Gift people like Hitsugaya and Gin would walk off the streets of Rukongai and walk into Seireitei through the school and becomes Shingaimi, become "nobles". You no longer had to be born into Seireitei to be a Shinigami. Certain given that the education of the school is of a high standard, even Seireitei nobles started sending their kids to Yama-jii's school. But still not everybody goes to the school. Byakuya never did. No evidence that Yoruichi and Soifon did either. Hell, no evidence Urahara (who seems to have grown-up at Yoruichi's house) did either! These people were still home schooled because their clans thought they could do a better job. On the other-hand Kira, whose parents were dead, may not have been able to harness his powers without the school.

So what I am saying is that the first Shinigamis are lost to pre-history. But Soul Society has changed overtime and Yama-jii was the root of many changes. But I don't think he was the "first".