‘Aizen’s closest friend is Ichigo’: Tite Kubo’s Real Genius in Bleach Is Making Us Feel Bad for Aizen, but Don’t Forget His Worst Crimes That Deserve No Redemption

Tite Kubo is a real genius when it comes to giving his characters an edge. Be it Shinigami or Quincies, his series outlines badassery in the most iconic way. The same goes for one of the legendary villains in the series, Sosuke Aizen.

From staging his death to orchestrating Rukia Kuchiki’s execution, he is truly menacing in most aspects. And while his megalomania is partly responsible for this, fans have other things to say about this.

Ichigo Kurosaki in a still from the anime | Credit: Studio Pierrot

While he is famed for his scheming and cunning persona, most fans associate his actions with loneliness. Although it seems partly plausible, it doesn’t negate his crimes and atrocities in any case.

To add to that, his actions and feats are tied to Soul Society’s failure in most aspects. Regardless of its structure and order, Kubo painted the Shinigami society as a hellhole and a living nightmare for its citizens.

Bleach fans empathize with Aizen albeit his questionable actions

Bleach is a remarkable Shonen series in more ways than one. Be it plot or storytelling, it has most fans on the edge of their seats. But most of all, it has to do with the impeccable character-building in the series.

When it comes to character conception, Tite Kubo’s meticulousness and finesse would put other series to shade. This ties in well with his writing of the most menacing yet legendary villain in the series, Sosuke Aizen.

Sosuke Aizen in a still from Thousand-Year Blood War anime | Credit: Studio Pierrot

Aside from being the former captain of the 5th division, he is a cold, calculating, and rather menacing villain. This is especially true for his strength and intelligence which is a lethal combination.

His knowledge and thirst for power put him on par with Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Though he is far-fetched from sadism, the character embodies megalomania as seen with his creation of the Hogyoku. Despite his villainy, though, fans cannot help but empathize with him because of this key factor.

While most Redditors criticized his actions, others empathized with him while pointing out his loneliness.

Arguably, he is one of the most well-written villains in Kubo’s series. And though his loneliness makes sense, it doesn’t exempt the character from his atrocities. From staging his death and framing Rukia Kuchiki to stabbing Momo Hinamori, he represents the problematic aspect of the Seireitei.

Interestingly though, his actions are tied to his need for liberation from the Soul Society’s clutches. And while Kubo’s series is far-fetched from political nuances, he did a great job of portraying the Seireitei as a hellhole.

Seireitei is a hellhole in Tite Kubo’s series

Though it may not be political, Tite Kubo’s series leaves no stone unturned in encapsulating the horrors of the Shinigami world. From hollowfication to execution, the Soul Society is nothing short of a hellhole.

But that is not all, considering its twisted ideas and notions of duty and justice. The hierarchies along with discrepancies mirror realism as most fans have pointed out lately.

Ichigo Kurosaki’s hollowfied form in the anime | Credit: Studio Pierrot

A perfect example of this is Kakyo’s death which was overlooked by the Soul Society. Despite its law and order, the Soul Society is symbolic of divisions and discrepancies. It represents a flawed sense of justice and duty.

Seireitei’s involvement in the Quincy Massacre along with its treatment of its citizens underlines sheer horror. It is almost dystopian sans the post-apocalyptic elements. This also extends to The Four Noble Families and their chokehold on the Soul Society, which is tied with impunity.

Through his writing of villains and morally grey characters, Kubo highlighted the flawed moral compass of most characters. Be it justice, balance, order, or law, most institutions are detrimental to the existence of these characters as fans have pointed out.

Bleach is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Viz Media.