The so-called Shonen Jump Big Three — Bleach, Naruto and One Piece — have so many similarities that even their biggest fans may not have noticed them all. One of the more obvious ones was the fact that each anime had an iconic villainous faction comprised of some of their respective world's heaviest hitters. Specifically, these factions were the Gotei 13 in Bleach, the Akatsuki in Naruto, and the Three Admirals in One Piece. Not only were these groups' power scales off the charts, but they were so well-written that many of their members towed the line between being an anti-hero and a villain. Unsurprisingly, these groups garnered tons of fans.
Naturally, these factions' mere presence sparked a fandom debate about which one was the strongest. In a straightforward battle, these groups were on fairly even ground. But when the bigger picture and each group's implications and histories are considered, the Gotei 13 come out on top. This wasn't just because they were immensely powerful even by their fellow Soul Reapers' standards, but because the Gotei 13's captains were also some of shonen anime's most terrifying empowered characters. The only thing more frightening than the Gotei 13's individual and combined might was the dark reality of their existence that even they never knew until recently.
The Gotei 13's Powers Surpass & Defy Life & Logic
The Gotei 13 Were So Powerful That They Threatened Existence Itself
At first glance, Bleach's Soul Reapers weren't too different from other supernaturally empowered anime characters. Every Soul Reaper's powers came from their sword's Zanpakuto spirit, which had a base Shikai and final Bankai form. They could also perform Kido spells that ranged from basic to destructive. The same applied to the Gotei 13's captains, but to an exaggerated degree.
Every captain was a powerhouse to themselves. They could level entire armies of Hollows with just their Shikai. Their Bankai, meanwhile, were practically superweapons. For example, Captain-Commander Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto's Bankai, Ryujiin Jakka, was so powerful that its mere activation threatened to burn down all of Soul Society. That being said, such scale-breaking abilities aren't unique to Bleach.
Despite these and having a more defined chain of command than other similar anime factions did, the Gotei 13 were seemingly just another group of distinct elite rivals for the heroes to face and overcome. When viewed from a very surface-level understanding, the Gotei 13 were early Bleach's answer to the likes of the Frieza Force from Dragon Ball Z or DIO's disciples in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders. What set the Gotei 13 apart from their shonen contemporaries in terms of brute force was how their powers were theoretically limitless and literally defied logic.
As revealed in the special one-shot Bleach: Howl From the Jaws of Hell, captain-class Soul Reapers were so powerful that their very existence endangered life itself. To keep the circle of life balanced, fallen captains were condemned to Hell since this was the only realm that could contain their strength. Worse, the recently concluded war against the Quincies led to such a surge of captain-class Soul Reapers being sent to Hell that Hell was now overflowing onto the living world.
As seen many times in Bleach and, most recently, through Szayelaporro Granz's brief return, those damned to Hell could still come back. According to the fallen Eighth Espada, this was the price captains paid for pursuing unlimited power in life. In theory, slain captains could live forever while amassing even more strength. Where other similar shōnen anime factions can be permanently killed while their most popular members could be resurrected, the Gotei 13's captains were all fated to become deathless aberrations and monsters in death.
The Gotei 13’s Legacy Was Founded on Blood & Violence
The Gotei 13 Were Only “Heroic” When Contrasted to Bleach’s Worse Factions
With these in mind, it's a miracle that the Gotei 13 are even considered "heroic." Some would even go as far as saying that the Gotei 13 were only heroes out of obligation, especially when contrasted to their more ruthless rivals in the Espada and Sternritter. For one thing, the Gotei 13 were not united when it came to protecting Soul Society. They were really more of a collection of controlled monsters than Soul Society's noble guardians.
Every captain had their own idea of law and order, and how to enforce it. Some captains could barely tolerate their colleagues, and were just waiting for the opportune moment to strike. The bloodthirsty Captain Zaraki Kenpachi and the amoral mad scientist Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, in particular, would've been another anime's villains.
Nowhere was this made clearer than in Soul Society's civil war. Captain Sosuke Aizen exacerbated his fellow captains' strife and made them fight each other to distract everyone from his successful coup. The fact that the Gotei 13 failed to stop Aizen twice proved just how dysfunctional they were, despite their common enemy. This cutthroat mentality, ironically, upheld the Gotei 13's historical roots. As revealed in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, they were originally a violent and murderous gang of Soul Reapers.
The first generation of captains comprised Soul Society's most monstrous and feared killers. They proved their mettle during the Quincies' first failed invasion of Soul Society. Although the current generation was nowhere near as bloodthirsty as their predecessors, they were nothing to scoff at. When pushed to the breaking point, the Gotei 13's current captains can and will use deadly force. They just valued life more than their ancestors did, and exercised more restraint.
This, however, didn't mean that the Gotei 13 were above committing atrocities when ordered to do so. Time and again, the Gotei 13 only needed the flimsiest justification to strike first. Even after Ichigo saved Soul Society countless times, the captains didn't hesitate when orders to kill him came down from Central 46 or Captain-Commander Yamamoto himself.
The Gotei 13 Are Still One of Shonen Anime’s Most Terrifying Factions
The Gotei 13’s Heroic Reputation Couldn’t Hide Their Dark Truths
Even if they're considered heroes and anti-heroes at worst these days, the Gotei 13 are still one of the most terrifying factions in shōnen anime. When compared to the likes of the Akatsuki and the Three Admirals, who are their stories' villains, the Gotei 13 were ostensibly the heroes. The Gotei 13's closest comparison would be the Three Admirals, the oceans' top law enforcers who also answered to a shady higher power. However, the Three Admirals are clearly defined as villains, whereas the Gotei 13 are not.
What really made the Gotei 13 terrifying wasn't just their immense powers or ruthless legacy, but the fact that they really were the lesser evil. Despite never fully agreeing on how to fulfill their duties, the Gotei 13 were genuinely dedicated to keeping the balance between the living world and the afterlife at all costs — even if this meant killing innocents or their own allies. Conversely, the Espada wanted to destroy everything in the name of revenge, while the Sternritter threatened the natural order for their own sake.
Ichigo was lucky that he could consider the Gotei 13 his allies, since they can and will kill him and everyone in the world of the living for the supposed greater good. It's also worth noting that the Gotei 13's more palatable characterizations were more the anime's doing than the manga's. Although the captains had their own quirks and occasionally participated in their subordinates' shenanigans in the manga, they were strict officers and powerful Soul Reapers first.
With the Gotei 13's origins in mind, it became apparent that the current captains were meant to be their ancestors' calmer yet still dangerous successors. Their preference for peace over bloodshed showed how much Soul Society changed for the better in the centuries since the Gotei 13's founding. Bleach's anime-only filler material, especially the Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book shorts, emphasized the captains' sillier sides for entertainment's sake. This, in turn, inadvertently colored their perception in the general audience's eyes.
Instead of vicious killers who just so happened to fight for the side of good, the Gotei 13 were now a bunch of quirky anime heroes who Ichigo spent time with. The more manga-accurate Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War revived the source material's intent with its darker atmosphere and more serious captains. This return to form also brought back Bleach's interest in examining just how clean or morally upright a hero really had to be, and how being on the right side of history didn't equate to being nice.
