Wandenreich

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

History
The Vandenreich was somehow able to survive the Quincy massacre two hundred years ago and 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 brought 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 leader based out of their headquarters. In his service, there are a number of subordinates 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 within the Vandenreich military are apparently each assigned a letter of the alphabet and an appropriate epithet by Yhwach in order to designate them.

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

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

Soldat
The military is comprised from a large number of skilled.

Others
There also 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 it are a series of floating steps leading to a curtained doorway where a prisoner is kept. 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 also 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 also reflected upon 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 that 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 and a gas mask that obscures their entire face, as well as 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 that 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 that is roughly the size of a person's palm and has the Vandenreich insignia etched into its surface. When activated, this device is capable of stealing a single currently released Bankai in the immediate vicinity. However, as explained by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the medallion is only capable of doing so if the power of the Bankai in question is known and has been analyzed fully, meaning those whose limitations are unknown cannot actually be stolen. This includes Bankai that have only been recently achieved and so, have the capacity to still evolve (e.g. Ichigo Kurosaki's Tensa Zangetsu), as well as those whose full capabilities haven't been openly demonstrated (e.g. Yamamoto's Zanka no Tachi). However, Yhwach corrected Yamamoto upon stealing his Bankai in full saying to him that it was not that they couldn't steal his, it was just that he was the only one powerful enough to do so.

Once stolen, the medallion's owner can then proceed to use the taken Bankai's power at will, even after the original owner's death. However, they appear unable to exploit this power fully, as according to Yamamoto, Driscoll Berci's use of Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū was noticeably inferior to that of its true owner, Chōjirō Sasakibe.

Terminology

 * A word used to define 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.


 * In a clear reference to the Quincy pentangle cross, this term is used to describe the process that the Vandenreich uses to steal Bankai.

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. Such is the importance of these powers that the temporary detainment of just one, prompted the Vandenreich to begin the invasion of Soul Society due simply to their guaranteed absence. Sōsuke Aizen was asked to join Vandenreich as one of the special war powers, but he turned down the offer.

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