Bleach: The Thousand Year Blood War Arc The Zero Division
Countless fans were ever so patient and resilient in awaiting the return of the Bleach anime to the small screen and now it’s finally back. Coming back in full power, Anime-goers can now experience the Final Arc of the Bleach Manga as Author Tite Kubo wrote it. If you’ve been watching the series up until now, you already know that this chapter focuses on the epic fight between the Soul Society and the Quincy army, led by Yhwach.
When Yhwach launched his first attack on the Soul Society, the Gotei 13 and nearly its inhabitants faced a one-sided slaughter and decimation. After the fall of Commander Genryusai Yamamoto, the Soul Reapers had no choice but to accept whatever help they could obtain and this included the first appearance of the Zero Division.
The Zero Division (Zerobantai), also known as The Royal Guard (Ōzokutokumu), are the Royal Special Task Force within the Soul Society. What sets them apart from the Gotei 13 is that they are dedicated to the protection of the Soul King, the Royal Family, and the Soul King Palace instead of the Soul Society itself. Led by Ichibē Hyōsube, this Squad is one of the most powerful organizations in the series now.
This special organization performs its esteemed duties towards the Royal Family owing to its fearsome amount of fighting, organizational, and executive powers. Oddly enough, they are also in charge of slaying Menos class Hollows, but we have yet to see them do that. Since their primary goals vary greatly, Squad Zero hardly ever interferes with the Gotei 13's business. This held true even during the threat of Aizen and his Arrancar army as well as the Quincys’ first attack. They will, however, take any and all orders from the Soul King and carry them out adequately. Possessing authority above all those within the Soul Society, each of its members have had the power of the Ōken imparted onto their bones by the Soul King himself and possess a city of their own at the Palace.
From what we already know, the Royal Guard promotes former captains of the Gotei 13 into their ranks. While it has no soldiers, consisting solely of its 5 members, its combined power easily overtakes that of the 13 Divisions altogether. How does one become a Royal Guard? Well, a Shinigami must be acknowledged by the Soul King himself to have made a massive contribution to the history of the entire Soul Society.
The members and the details we know so far are: (MILD SPOILERS AHEAD)
- Ichibē Hyōsube - Leader of the Zero Division a.k.a. The “Monk Who Calls the Real Name” who created Names.
- Tenjirō Kirinji - Divine General of the East / Zero Division 1st Officer a.k.a. The “Hot Spring Demon” who manifested the Healing Springs.
- Kirio Hikifune - Divine General of the South / Zero Division 2nd Officer a.k.a. The “Ruler of Grain” who spawned the Artificial Soul.
- Ōetsu Nimaiya - Divine General of the West / Zero Division 3rd Officer a.k.a. The “God of the Sword” who actually forged the Zanpakutō.
- Senjumaru Shutara - Divine General of the North / Zero Division 4th Officer a.k.a. The “Great Weave Guard” whose Creation is unknown.
That’s about it for the Zero Squad right now! There’s going to be so much more revealed about them in the upcoming episodes and we hope you’re just as hyped as the rest of us to see these powerhouses in action. Thanks for reading!
Image links:
https://twitter.com/animetv_jp/status/1566338699339730944
https://www.deviantart.com/bodskih/art/Senjumaru-Shutara-Soul-King-s-Royal-Guard-833467588
https://www.tumpik.com/tag/tenjiro%20kirinji
https://www.peakpx.com/en/hd-wallpaper-desktop-ktuxy
https://bleach.fandom.com/wiki/Royal_Guard