In Bleach, most Soul Reapers belong to one of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. These squads form the military branch of the Soul Society, and each squad typically has at least 100 members. At any given time, there are 20 seated officers, but the rankings can change at any time. Each of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads is valuable in their own way, but certain squads are stronger and more effective than others.
All of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads in Bleach are led by a Captain who possesses immense spiritual power and a Bankai release. Each squad also has at least one Lieutenant who supervises the day-to-day operations. Every squad possesses fighters, but certain squads specialize in other fields. Other squads are far more combat focused. The Thirteen Court Guard Squads may not be equal in terms of power, but they are all essential.
13 Squad 4 Specializes In Healing & Support
Unlike most of the other Court Guard Squads, Squad 4 serves a very specific role within the Seireitei. They are the medical and supply division, which means that they do the majority of the manual labor within the Seireitei. They keep the Seireitei clean, and they typically handle deliveries and repairs. That being said, healing is their specialty, and each squad member is expected to train daily in order to provide quick and precise medical treatment.
Squad 4 is not known for combat, but there are a few squad members who have assigned combat roles. Ironically, Squad 4 was led by Yachiru Unohana - the original Kenpachi. She was regarded as the worst criminal in the history of the Soul Society, but she was also the Seireitei's best healer. Isane Kotetsu is the new Captain of Squad 4, and under her leadership, the squad continues to fulfill its duties.
12 Squad 3 Has Had Its Share Of Problems
There is no doubt that Squad 3 has been the most unstable Squad in Bleach. A century ago, they suddenly lost their Captain when Rojuro Otoribashi was turned into a Visored against his will by Aizen. Gin Ichimaru succeeded him years later, but he went rogue and left Squad 3 leaderless again. In the New Captain Shusuke Amagai Arc. the new Captain and 3rd Seat both turned out to be evil.
Luckily, Rojuro Otoribashi was reinstated after Aizen's defeat, but he was nearly killed by Mask De Masculine. During the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc, the top-seated squad members were wiped out during the Sternritter's first assault. It is hard for a squad to function properly with so much chaos and upheaval.
11 Squad 13 Was Hindered For Most Of The Series
For the most part, each squad is responsible for multiple areas in the Human World, and Karakura Town falls under Squad 13's jurisdiction. Unfortunately, Squad 13 has been hindered quite a bit in recent years. Jushiro Ukitake was the Captain of Squad 13 for more than a century. He was very strong, but he dealt with a terrible illness that kept him sidelined for long periods of time.
Kaien Shiba was a Soul Reaper prodigy and Squad 13's former Lieutenant, but he was killed during battle. Rukia was the second-strongest officer, and she lost her powers for a time. During the Thousand-Year Blood War, Squad 13's weakness was shown when Sino Madarame and Ryunosuke Yuki were overpowered by Hollows. Rukia becomes the Captain after Ukitake's death, but the squad's other members have shown very little promise.
10 Squad 7 Suffered A Major Blow When Komamura Fell
Squad 7 is mainly comprised of modest and sincere Soul Reapers who live life with a lot of enthusiasm. It was once led by Love Aikawa, but he was forced to leave the position when he became a Visored. Sajin Komamura eventually took over, and he named Tetsuzaemon Iba his Lieutenant. They were able to turn Squad 7 into a squad that valued morality and compassion.
Captain Komamura was the backbone of the entire squad. During the first Quincy assault, he rallied his squad members to keep fighting even though many of them were injured. During the second assault, he used the Humanization Technique to defeat Bambietta, but in doing so, he sacrificed his Soul Reaper powers. Tetsuzaemon succeeds him, and Squad 7 continues to live by Komamura's ideals, but the squad's combat power plummeted when he was forced to retire.
9 Squad 8 Lost Much Of Its Power During The Quincy War
Squad 8 has no known special duties, but for more than a century, it was led by Shunsui Kyoraku. It experienced a significant blow when Lieutenant Lisa Yadomaru was forcefully turned into a Visored, but she was replaced by Nanao Ise - a Kido master with limited combat ability.
During the events of the Thousand-Year Blood War, Shunsui was promoted to Head Captain, and he brought Nanao with him. This effectively left Squad 8 leaderless for at least a year. Fortunately, Lisa returned to the Soul Society and became Squad 8's new Captain. Her Lieutenant seems to be a competent melee fighter. Even with these new additions, Squad 8 still misses Kyoraku, his power, and laid-back attitude.
8 Squad 12 Mainly Focuses On Developing Technology & Scientific Research
In the span of 100 years, Squad 12 has had three different Captains, and it is no longer a full-time combat division. Kirio Hikifune was promoted to Squad Zero, but she was quickly replaced by Kisuke Urahara - who created the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. Squad 12 and the S.R.D.I. have been permanently linked ever since. When Urahara was sent into exile, Mayuri Kurotsuchi was named Captain, and he has no problem sacrificing his own subordinates.
Squad 12's main focus is scientific research & development. As a result, Kurotsuchi has managed to upgrade his Zanpakuto, Ashisogi Jizo several times. He also created Nemu Kurotsuchi. The majority of Squad 12's members are in fact scientists with minimal fighting experience. Unlike the other Squads, Squad 12 is basically a one-man unit because Kurotsuchi is not a fan of opposing opinions. During the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc, it was revealed that Squad 12 has its own special combat unit, which is made up of resurrected Arrancar.
7 Squad 10 Is Led By The Youngest Captain
Squad 10 has no known special duties, but it is responsible for Naruki City, which is located to the west of Karakura Town. Rangiku has been the Lieutenant for at least two decades, and its previous Captain was sent into exile. Toshiro has led Squad 10 ever since, and he is the youngest of the Thirteen Court Guard Squad Captains.
If Squad 10 did not have Toshiro and Rangiku, they would be in serious trouble power wise. Rangiku can fight high-level Arrancar on her own, and she can realistically achieve Bankai in the future. Toshiro has the skills and power to one day become Head Captain. As of now, no other Squad 10 member has been able to make a name for themselves.
6 Squad 9 Is Supposed To Protect The Seireitei
The members of Squad 9 carry out normal Soul Reaper assignments, but they also protect the Seireitei. It is the security force of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and its members are always on standby in case there is an enemy attack. Squad 9 also oversees all of the art and culture within the Seireitei. The Lieutenants from the other squads must submit all of their reports to Squad 9.
It lost its Captain and Lieutenant a century ago when they were both forcefully turned into Visored. Tosen became the next Captain, but he turned out to be a traitor who followed Aizen. Fortunately, Kensei Muguruma was reinstated as Captain after Aizen's defeat, and Mashiro was again named his Lieutenant, but she now shares the position with Shuhei Hisagi. Squad 9 is now led by strong fighters, which is great considering its security role.
5 Squad 6 Is Considered The Strictest Division
Squad 6 has been associated with the Kuchiki Clan for some time now. Byakuya has led it for a few decades now, and be ore that, his father was the Squad's Lieutenant. His grandfather Ginrei was the Captain for more than a century. Elite members of Squad 6 typically wear a white, sleeveless haori with purple edges.
Most oul Reapers view Squad 6 as a model division because it is known for being strict and following the rules of the Seireitei. Byakuya exemplified this behavior when he did nothing to stop Rukia's execution, even though he wanted to. During the initial Quincy attack, many of Squad 6's members were killed by As Nodt, but they have rebuilt since. Squad is one of the only squads that have a Captain and Lieutenant who can both use Bankai.
4 Squad 5 Is Made Up Of Highly Skilled Soul Reapers
Squad 5 typically has highly skilled Soul Reapers because the Captain trains them themselves. It had to deal with the sudden departure of their Captain 110 years ago when Shinji Hirako was forced into exile along with the other Visored. The squad was then taken over by Souke Aizen and Gin Ichimaru - who went on to defect from the Soul Society. Momo Hinamori has been the Lieutenant for some time now, and at one point, she was unable to serve - which left the squad leaderless for a few months.
Following Aizen's defeat, Shinji was reinstated as Squad 5's Captain. Many Squad 5 members survived the initial Quincy assault, but many members died during the second attack while fighting alongside their Captain. Shinji revealed his Bankai after his allies were killed, and in doing, he proved that Squad 5's leader has the power to destroy the Seireitei.
3 Squad 2 Is Soul Society's Special Ops Division
Squad 2 and the Stealth Force were once different entities, but the two organizations have been linked for more than a century thanks to Yoruichi Shihoin - who was once in charge of both groups. As a result, Squad 2 is now a combat-centric division that only recruits individuals with impressive stealth skills.
Because of the permanent link, members of Squad 2 are expected to carry out several types of covert assignments - including intelligence gathering and assassinations. They are also responsible for detaining criminals and delivering messages. The top five seated officers of Squad 2 are in charge of a different division of the Stealth Force. The Captain runs the Executive Militia, and the Lieutenant handles the Patrol Unit. The 3rd Seat leads the Detention Unit.
2 Squad 11 Is Basically The Combat Division
Squad 11 is considered the strongest of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads because each and every member is a highly skilled fighter who specializes in sword-only combat. Since its inception, Squad 11 has been led by someone holding the title of Kenpachi - which is only given to the strongest Soul Reaper. Kenpachi Zaraki certainly lives up to the title because he is without a doubt one of the best fighters in Bleach.
Squad 11 is a direct-combat division, and every member can be seen carrying their Zanpakuto at all times. Due to the popularity of the current Kenpachi, an unofficial rule dictates that all Squad 11 members must have a melee-type Zanpakuto. For the most part, each member believes that fighting is the only thing that makes life worth living. Squad 11 held their own during the first Quincy assault, but many members died during the second battle. Like Squad 6, both the Captain and Lieutenant now possess Bankai.
1 Sqaud 1 Is The Highest Ranked Division
Squad 1 is directly under the command of the Head Captain, and for that reason, it is recognized as the highest ranked Squad. While under the command of Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, each member of Squad 1 was considered to be a model Soul Reaper. They were trained to deal with emergencies in a quick manner. They could mobilize faster than any other Squad, and they were used to making quick decisions.
Most of Squad 1 was killed during the Sternritter surprise attack - including Lieutenant Chojiro Sasakibe. The squad suffered an even greater blow when Head Captain Yamamoto died in battle. No one can replace Yamamoto's power, but Shunsui Kyoraku has led the division well since his promotion to Head Captain. Traditionally, Squad 1 kept the standard division hierarchy, but it now has two Lieutenants. Nanao is always by the Captain's side, while former 3rd Seat Genshiro handles all the practical matters.
