OOC: Info Post
Aizen
Full Name: Sousuke Aizen
Fandom/Timeline: Bleach, Manga, Chapter 387
Birthdate: May 29th. Currently age God Only Knows. He appears to be in his late 20s/early 30s, but there's just no way of knowing how old he really is. He was a captain for around a century, and a lieutenant for who knows who long before that, so....
Current Location: A mansion in the Upper Class district, coresiding with Gin Ichimaru
Occupation: None. Well, occasionally he visits the arena and exposes people to his shikai curbstomps a gladiator.
Relationship Status: Single, but formerly involved with Luciela (ladyofthesouth)
Languages Spoken: WHO EVEN KNOWS. His default 'home' language seems to be Japanese though.
Deaths: Zero.
Links: IC Contact, How's My Driving
There is nothing easier to control than a person who reveres you.
This is a good opportunity. You should learn this well.
Admiration is the feeling furthest from understanding.
-Sousuke Aizen-
Appearance and Impression:
Sousuke Aizen is tall and slender japanese man, with dark hair, and a dark gaze. Speaking of that gaze, it's quite penetrating, really - sometimes unnerving, when he chooses to make it so. Note that this depends on his mood, of course - when he cares to, Aizen can look rather mild, even soft, and infinitely friendly. This, too, can disappear in the blink of an eye, melting into that smug, superior and somehow terrifying look one normally sees when looking at him.
He is carefully well-kept, his hair always perfectly arranged, his clothes perfectly chosen. And speaking of his clothes, Aizen prefers white, nearly all the time - though he has been known to dabble in blacks as well, and the occasional pale blue. At his side he carries his zanpakuto, which appears as a normal katana, most of the time.
...he speaks softly, and politely. He rarely, if ever, raises his voice, and makes no use of crude language. Confidence radiates from him like his power - unnerving, overwhelming. And Aizen's hands are fluid, long-fingered, often engaged in graceful gestures.
He has no respect for personal space, and will frequently violate it... if only to throw a person off. Or see how they react.
No one starts at 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 in it.
-Sousuke Aizen-
Powers, skills and notable belongings:
Take a seat, this may be a while.
Physical Prowess: Like any shinigami, Aizen is physically superior to any human, with strength, speed and endurance far beyond human limits. However, in Aizen's case, these abilities surpass even the vast majority of shinigami - the third data book, for example, notes that he is able to overwhelmingly defeat any face to face opponent. His strength was sufficient to stop Ichigo's bankai-released sword with one finger. Notably said sword didn't cut the finger, either. Hm. He's also been known to stop other bankai level attacks with his bare hand. His command of Shunpo (a speed power) is such that he can touch a shinigami and still dodge an attack from that same shinigami, as well as dodge many simultaneous attacks with no apparent effort or strain. He also cut the arm off of a fellow captain's bankai form with no apparently effort.
Reiatsu (Having It and Sensing It): Like all Shinigami, Aizen's powers are fueled by spiritual power, which causes him to radiate spiritual pressure (reiatsu). The greater the power, the greater the pressure released, and if a person's reiatsu is strong enough, it will force lesser beings' bodies to go limp. Furthermore, the greater a shinigami's power, the more resistant he or she is to the spiritual pressure of others.
Aizen's spiritual pressure is immense - his ability to temporarily activate the Hogyoku with his touch indicates that it is, at minimum, twice the strength and size as a normal Captain's. Simply by no longer actively suppressing it, he can force a lieutenant class shinigami's body to become immobile. The slightest active exercise of it is able to force Grimmjow (the sixth ranked Espada - a being with power equivalent to a captain's) to his knees, and he can even nullify spiritual attacks through the use of his own reiatsu. He is described as a singular power - one so great that it can be fairly described as unique, particularly in one of his apparent youth (as reiatsu grows with age and experience).
The possession of reiatsu also allows one to sense reiatsu in others. It also permits one to see hollows, etc.
Kido: Kido is one of the four branches of power available to a shinigami (the others being Shunpo, as well as armed and unarmed combat) - a branch that is essentially a magic/wizardry equivalent. Aizen is also a master of this, able to use the highest level spells without an incantation... and though their power is sometimes reduced in this state, the strength of his kido is such that, even at one-third its normal strength, his Black Coffin spell managed to incapacitate a captain in one hit - testament to his great ability in this field.
Physical combat: Aizen is also a master swordsman, capable of easily battling four captains and four Visored simultaneously. He is also a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant. It is, however, noteworthy that he prefers to fight using reiatsu or kido, and seems to reserve the use of his physical prowess for those foes he deems 'worthy' of his special attention.
Hogyoku enhancements: Since his implantation with the Hogyoku, Aizen has also developed extraordinary regenerative abilities, as well as enhancements to all of his other abilities. :|a If he were to continue to evolve, he would go through several physical stages with increasing levels of power - however in Anatole, the mist will seal him into his shinigami form.
Zanpakuto: A shinigami's primary weapon is their zanpakuto - a sword formed from their own spiritual power. Aizen's zanpakuto is called kyoka suigetsu - Mirror Flower, Water Moon. In its initial form, it looks like a fairly normal katana.
Shikai: Like all captains, Aizen's zanpakuto has achieved shikai - which basically means that he's learned to unlock its first level of cool extra powers. This is done through the use of a command word - in this case, shatter. Once released, kyoka suigetsu can access an ability called absolute hypnosis. This power commands the five senses of any person he chooses - he can make the dead appear to be alive, can make people believe there is a corpse where there is no corpse, can make people misinterpret one person as another entirely. Once someone witnesses Aizen's release of this power, they are forever susceptible to its use, and Aizen can subject them to his illusions at any time. Its ability is such that even if you are aware that he is an illusionist, you are nonetheless compelled to believe his illusions. Note: For the purposes of this game, the mist will be capable of releasing someone from the 'permanently susceptible" condition with player coordination.
Bankai: Aizen's bankai - the second and strongest level of zanpakuto release - is unknown at this time.
Optional invisibility: In Bleach, shinigami are invisible to anyone who doesn't possess sufficient reiatsu to perceive them. In Anatole, this has normally been handled by simply making them visible to the naked eye, but for Aizen I'd like him to be 1. visible to shinigami/those with sufficient reiatsu (or equivalent, i.e. yoki, chakra, etc) at all times and 2. visible or invisible by choice to those without. This is in keeping with his creeper nature. However, he will be considered visible by default and I will specify if he isn't.
Miscellaneous assets: Despite his immense power, Aizen's greatest assets are probably personal - his vast intelligence (said to be second only to Urahara), his tactical and strategic abilities, his acting skills, and his ability to manipulate others. Because of these traits, he is able to quickly adapt to nearly any situation. He is also highly inventive and prone to experimentation in the sciences, often far outside the boundaries of ethics, and often with great success.
Trusting in someone is the same as depending on them. That is something the weak do.
We have no use for it.
-Sousuke Aizen-
Personality:
When he first arrives in the series, Captain Aizen is a rather soft-spoken, mild-mannered fellow - someone whose personality is inherently soothing. His gentle presence and charisma managed to endear him to practically everyone who knew him. For this reason, he was able to inspire nearly fanatical levels of devotion in, for example, his lieutenant as well as great love and devotion from various students and other members of Soul Society. However, it soon becomes evident that this personality is essentially false - a ruse that he put together through his impeccable acting skills.
In reality, Aizen is perhaps best described as a megalomaniacal genius with a God complex. His extraordinary intellect permits him to plan out his moves years or decades (even a century or more) in advance, and his long lifespan (typical to a shinigami) permits him extraordinary patience - what is a few decades to a man destined to live for many centuries? It is because of these things that he is capable of great "vision" one might say. And though it may indeed take decades of acting and navigating obstacles, Aizen never loses himself in his act, unlike lesser men. He never develops emotional attachments those he intends to use. He never lets camaraderie sway him. In fact, when he is disappointed with the behavior or performance of a minion, he will kill them (as he did to Tousen, one of his primary followers) or, alternately, punish them or somehow arrange for their punishment in a quite brutal fashion (as he did to Grimmjow, the 6th ranked Espada). He shows no emotion, no regret, and no hesitation in this.
In part this is because he has little respect for those he tends to surround himself with. He regards them, for the most part, as pawns - and he regards them as well with a healthy dose of skepticism as well. . For example, when his longtime right-hand man, Gin, betrayed him Aizen was neither surprised not thrown, really - he had already discerned that Gin was an enemy and not a true friend. Suspecting a person of treachery, however, does not necessarily imply that he won't keep them around. In fact, Aizen is often known to follow that tenet about keeping your enemies closer than your friends, in part because he knows how to manipulate hatred and distrust as easily as he does love or loyalty and trust.
In fact, it would be fair to say that Aizen is quite capable of manipulating almost anything and shows no hesitation in doing so even to his closest allies. This, in combination with his extraordinary power, makes him quite arrogant and, after his implantation with the Hyogyoku, this arrogance only increases. This leads him to become increasingly sloppy and take greater risks, all because he doesn't truly believe they are risks, seeing himself as powerful enough to survive or surpass any obstacle. Perhaps this is why he is able to, for example, find pleasure in his home being invaded by powerful assailants. Very little seems to sway him, and he has never shown fear (at least... to the point of his showing up here!).
Aizen has a keen interest in powerful beings, and often seeks to ally with them. In one case - that of Ichigo - he even arranged for things to occur in his life that would help to bring out Ichigo's great potential. He goes so far as to repeatedly profess his disappointment at Ichigo's strength. Why he would do something like that is a source of great debate, but there is one theory that is presented in canon itself, and may prove a key toward understanding Aizen the man, as well as many of the things he does.
In any case, it's interesting to note that Aizen does not ask for the trust or loyalty of his minions. Instead, he approaches those who show potential and offers them something they desire in exchange for their service. On the face of it, he offers them a mutually beneficial arrangement. This does not mean he doesn't expect their trust and loyalty, however. To explain, he recognizes that the nature of sentient beings is the grow attachments of loyalty, trust, honor and other such things when they live in the service of one they regard as a leader. One they see as strong. It is this in this way that he achieved the same kind of sway over the Espada as he did over the 5th Division before his betrayal. though the Espada initially joined forces with him in exchange for things they lacked, in the end the majority of them (along with the other Arrancar) became loyal to him in himself, and professed that they served his aims, and not their own.
Despite his, ah, flaws, Aizen manages to come across as quite charming, polite, even soft-spoken. He maintains many of his habits from Soul Society - drinking tea, for example, and has a fondness for reading and for calligraphy. He is interested in academics and science, intellectually curious and fiercely ambitious. His intellectual curiosity can lead him into very interesting places, such as... the creation of hollow-creating shinigami viruses, or an obsessive need to watch the only known offspring of a Shinigami and a human. His ultimate desire seems to be that he stand atop the world as its ultimate power...
...yet, in what may have been their final confrontation, Ichigo observes that the greatest emotion he picks up from Aizen is isolation and sadness. Ichigo's observation is backed up by the third Bleach databook, "Unmasked," which notes that, due to Aizen's immense power, which put him on a different level entirely vs. everyone else, he became isolated and misunderstood. This resulted in a deep loneliness, which served as the motivation in his attempts to supplant God and make the world aware of his presence. It also resulted in a small, and ultimately catastrophic, self-destructive streak: upon Aizen's defeat at Ichigo's hands, Ichigo suggests that Aizen had lost not because he was truly overpowered but because he had given up hope, thus causing the Hogyoku to respond to his desire to be "just" a shinigami again by rejecting him as a host. If this is true, it seems likely that his keen interest in Ichigo arose from what he believed to be the possibility of an equal, or at least someone who could grow strong enough to perceive things from his perspective.
In any case, aside from this exploitable emotional issue, Aizen's greatest weakness is likely his arrogance - particularly his belief in the absolute nature of his own intellect. When confronted with something he did not plan for or cannot understand, he is easily thrown off and even bothered to the point of becoming irrational.
Pardon me. It wasn't my intention to traumatize you.
Before you could have noticed, I should have chopped her into unrecognizable pieces.
-Sousuke Aizen-
Background:
And, in my own words... when we initially meet Aizen, he is the Captain of Division 5. At that time, he is portrayed as a very nice man - beloved and charismatic, soft-spoken and intelligent. He appears to suspect some kind of conspiracy or potential treachery lurking within the Gotei 13, and is apparently killed for his knowledge. He leaves behind a letter indicating that fellow Captain Hitsugaya is behind both his death and recent "odd" behavior within Soul Society (for example, the extreme sentence - execution - handed down to Rukia Kuchiki for a relatively minor infraction).
However, eventually it becomes evident that Aizen himself is behind all these things - that he has already murdered the leaders of Soul Society and has been manipulating the entirety of the Gotei 13, as well as the legal system itself, through the use of his absurdly powerful shikai, Absolute Hypnosis. He reveals that the kind hearted man they knew has not been corrupted, but in fact never existed... and that he has been loyal only to his own interests the entire time. This after he apparently murders his lieutenant and most loyal follower, of course. Well, she recovers eventually anyway.
After the revelation of his true allegiance (...himself) he departs Soul Society with his fellow traitors and "true" lieutenants, 3rd Division Captain Gin Ichimaru and 9th division Captain Kaname Tosen. From this point forward, they reside primarily in Las Noches, a massive (reallyreally massive) castle-like headquarters located within Hueco Mundo.
Over the course of the series from then on, the extent of Aizen's involvement in the series as well as the length of his reach becomes evident. He is revealed to have been the 'father' of sorts to the Visored - a group of powerful shinigami who have developed Hollow-like traits as a result of infection by a virus created by Aizen as one of his experiments with combining Hollow and Shinigami traits. He is also the creator of a number of Arrancar and the leader of the strongest Arrancar - the Espada. Furthermore, it was apparently his manipulations that arranged for the majority of the actions that have taken place over the course of the Bleach series itself. It seems he had been watching Ichigo Kurosaki since his birth and took an interest in the only known child of a Shinigami and a human. This led to his somehow setting Ichigo up to proceed through a series of power-building obstacles. His motive for doing this is largely unknown.
Through all of this, Aizen's goal appears to be the creation of a Soul Key that would allow him access to the home of the Shinigami King, often referred to simply as God. It is his intention to replace, or become, the Shinigami King and thus become the ultimate power - that which is followed not only by man, but by Gods as well. His intention was, then, to remake the world in his image and make those in his domain aware of him. This drive has thus far shown no limits - he is more than willing to wipe out the entirety of Karakura Town in order to fuel the creation of this key, and is stopped from doing so only by the plans of the Gotei 13.
All living creatures place their faith in someone more powerful than them and they cannot survive unless they blindly follow that person. The recipient of that faith then seeks out someone in an even higher position in order to escape from the pressure.
That person then seeks out someone even more powerful that he must put his faith in.
In this way all kings are born... and in this way all Gods are born.
Do not believe in me yet, Hirako Shinji, for now I shall slowly teach you who the God is that you will put your faith in.
Believing in me comes after that.
-Sousuke Aizen-