Summary
Despite only make their appearance duringthe final arcof the story, the Zero Division still plays an especially important role in the plot ofBleach. However, this would be a little hard to believe upon meeting them for the first time as they initially seem to be little more than a group of comic relief characters, but this is simply a ruse to hide their immense power and fascinating personalities.
Ichigo will interact with each member of the Zero Division occasionally throughout theThousand Year Blood War, and while they do discuss their purpose within the Soul Society hierarchy, it can be very easy to miss out on a few key details because of how much is going at that section of the story. They’re actually an extremely fascinating bunch though who shed a lot of light on how the world ofBleachactually works, so let’s take a deeper look at the mysterious Squad Zero to see why exactly they’re so important.
7Kirio Hikifune Created Substitute Souls
“Substitute souls” were used a lot during the early episodes ofBleachwhenIchigo and Rukiawould use them to occupy their real bodies while they would go to take on their Soul Reaper duties. While it was explained how they worked in Season 1, it isn’t really touched upon again, but the characters do still constantly use them. The most recognizable character to come from a Substitute Soul is Kon, the small and irritable bear character who follows Ichigo everywhere he goes.
The master chef of the Royal Realm herself, Kirio Hikifune, actually reveals that it was she who created these devices, but the reason this is shocking is that it was initially assumed that it wasKisuke Uraharacrafting these pieces of “candy” early on, so this came as quite the reveal.
6Nimaiya’s Own Sword Is A Failed Experiment
Despite being the legendarycreator of the Zanpakuto, Nimaiya actually considers his own sword a failure. Anyone would have expected that the man behind the most-used weapon in the Soul Society would have a devastating sword of his own, but Kubo decided to subvert expectations by revealing that Nimaiya’s sword is seen as barely usable by the owner himself.
The issue is that it’s a little too sharp for its own good, meaning it literally can’t be sheathed since it would cut right through. Nimaiya also dislikes that the blood slides off the blade so quickly since this would be more like fighting a Hollow than a human. It’s even revealed that Nimaiya’s blade is often unstable because of how much time passes since he’s last drawn it out which gives fans an idea of the disdain he has for it.
5Each Member Was Acknowledged By The Soul King
to be promoted to the mythical Squad Zero, a Soul Reaper needs to be acknowledged bythe Soul King himselffor some deed, invention, or contribution to the realm. While Nimaiya was clearly a master at creating efficient weaponry, for example, Senjumaru’s clothing and textile manipulation abilities also made her stand out.
The reason this is such a massive deal is that fans barely even hear about the Soul King throughout much of the series, and despite Kubo always reminding them that he’s there, they never get an insight into him as a person. Even Aizen,the most iconic villain in the series, could only dream of getting close to him, which just goes to show how special these promotions really are.
4They Were First Mentioned In The Arrancar Arc
It was at the very beginning of the Arrancar arc when Yamamoto is addressing Orihime and the others aboutAizen’s planthat Squad Zero were first officially mentioned, which was literally hundreds of chapters and episodes before they would be finally revealed in person. Because Aizen wanted to infiltrate the Soul Palace, Yamamoto suddenly mentioned the Soul King’s royal servants, and Rangiku even discussed them with Orihime a little later on.
The Zero Division have, therefore, been known about for a while, but some fans actually speculate that Kubo was dropping hints for them much earlier, as far back as the first few episodes. There’s an episode wherea Menos suddenly appearsin Karakura Town, causing Rukia to say that this would usually only be dealt with by a “Royal Special Task Force” or simply “Elite Forces” in some translations. This could just be referencing Captains, but considering fans learn later that Squad Zero are tasked with specifically hunting Menos, this could have been some clever foreshadowing.
3They Can Cheat Death
Because the members of Squad Zero are infused with the Oken, this means their life essence is literally fused with the Soul Palace as a whole. This is extremely important because, as Ichibe explains in theCan’t Fear Your Own World light novel, so long as the Palace remains intact, then it means Ichibe can instantly revive his squadmates by calling out their names.
It doesn’t just stop there, though, as fans also come to see that Ichibe himself can be revived, so long as the person who calls out his name possesses enough power to bring him back. This literally makes Squad Zero completely immortal which is how they can occupy their positions for so many years without needing to be replaced.
2It’s Hinted That Ichibe Has Changed The Story
Ichibe is probably the most unique, and certainly the most powerful member of Squad Zero. He has the power to manipulate language, or more specifically, the names of objects and people, since he is the creator of all language in the Soul Society. This is undoubtedly themost overpowered abilityin the Soul Society, but it’s heavily implied that Ichibe has actually already used it to drastically change the story, before we even see it appear.
When Ichigo first speaks to “Zangetsu” for the very first time, he’s confused as to who the older man actually is, and wonders where he’s ended up. Upon asking who the man is, Zangetsu initially seems confused but goes on to say “It’s me…” before a dark blob of dark paint covers the name. The confused expression on Zangetsu’s face, and the fact that fans knew Ichibe has the ability to use a black paintbrush to erase names, signifies that he’s most probably responsible for ensuring Ichigo doesn’t find out this information too early in the story.
1They’re Much Stronger Than The Gotei 13 Combined
The whacky and comical introduction of Squad Zero is incredibly misleading as this group of ancient warriors are actually the strongest beings in all the Soul Society, with their combined power being stronger than the entire Gotei 13. Considering that fans had seen ruthless Captains, likeZaraki Kenpachi and Byakuya, flaunting their tremendous powers earlier in the series, it’s pretty incredible just how strong the Squad Zero members actually are when taking this into account.
This does make sense, though, considering that they are the servants of the Soul King himself. This can also be a detriment as their loyal duties can sometimes get in the way of them actually coming to the assistance of the Captains. Still, it’s great to see the Zero Division getting some much-needed extra screen time in the anime, especially for their fights.
