Gotei 13

:"Dying to exterminate great evil. Know that this is the spirit of the Gotei 13."
:- Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto
The Gotei 13 (護廷十三隊, Goteijūsantai; 13 Division Imperial Guards or 13 Court Guard Squads) is the primary military branch of Soul Society and the main military organization most Shinigami join after leaving the academy.
==History==
Although the history of the Gotei 13 remained largely unknown, recently, its history has been unearthed by the impromptu returns of many of the founding members of the original Gotei 13, members such as Blake Mardyn, Nora Maeda, Aya Nishi, Akira Tachibana, Izumi Nomiya, and Olivia Miyazaki. Most of these memebrs had been promoted to Royal Guard, but after witnessing the Royal Guard's inaction against Aizen, they subsequently branched off to create what becomes the Ghost Squad. 
The Current Organization was founded by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who has stood at the head of the group since its inception. 
The first generation of the Gotei 13 consisted of Shigekuni Yamamoto (1st Division), Akira Tachibana (2nd Division), Zetsubo Wantanabe (3rd Division), Aya Nishi (4th Division), Nora Maeda (5th Division), Ginrei Kuchiki (6th Division), Izumi Nomiya (7th Division), Shin Kyozetsu (8th Division), Blake Mardyn (9th Division), Ichirou Shiba (10th Division), Kenpachi Unohana (11th Division), Takashi Komatsu (12th Division), and Olivia Miyazaki (13th Division). The original founder of the Kidō Corps was Takeo Maeda. 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku considers this generation to be the strongest version of the Gotei 13.
According to Olivia Miyazaki, the original Gotei 13 were "defenders" in name only, comprised of the most dangerous criminals of the Seireitei, and still are a force to be reckoned with. Amusingly she admits that Yamamoto "used" to be a ruthless and pragmatic leader who held even his subordinates as expendable, as was evidenced when he sentenced Izumi Nomiya to prison for the supposed death of Akira Tachibana, but has long since softened up due to June Kuchiki's influence. Olivia notes that the Gotei 13 underwent a dramatic change after the extermination of most of the Quincy and the departure or death of many of its captains. Olivia also notes that the organization mellowed out in the ensuing peace, having now found a sense of justice upon discovering things to protect and treasure. 
==Mission==
The Gotei 13 serves as a military force with its primary responsibilities consisting of:
*The defense of the Seireitei, the center of Soul Society.
*The deployment of Division members into enemy territory for combat operations.
*The deployment of Task Forces as defensive measures in the Human World.
*The guiding of souls to Soul Society.
==General Operation==
The Gotei 13 does not normally operate as a cohesive unit. The command of the divisions are generally left to the discretion of its particular Captain, who commonly runs it whatever way he or she sees fit, allowing for the change of a division's traditional duties to an entirely new set and even the creation of a separate institution connected to the division. The Gotei 13's main duty is to defend the Seireitei, but they are allocated districts in Rukongai to defend. In addition to these duties, Shinigami have to deal with the business of being assigned to the Human World.
The only general authority to call forth a combined front is an edict from the Central 46 Chambers, or more often the Captain-Commander. It is not uncommon for captains to not see each other as a whole group for long periods of time, except for cases involving a threat to all of Soul Society, a captain's punishment, or, to a lesser degree, a captain's promotion. On a regular basis, the captains are spread out all across Soul Society doing their divisions' duties, whatever those duties may be. They are so far spread out that getting the captains together as a group, or even getting their lieutenants together as a group, could normally take a day to accomplish.
Unless specifically ordered by the Captain-Commander, captains can choose whether or not to attend meetings (at their own risk) or not even involve themselves in the daily situations of Soul Society. Captains are not allowed, without permission however, to carry out activities outside of their normal jurisdiction or their division. The captain of one division cannot punish the subordinates of another captain.
Officially, the Kidō Corps and Onmitsukidō are not part of the Gotei 13, but since Yoruichi Shihōin is both the captain of the 2nd Division and the head of the Onmitsukidō, the Onmitsukidō is effectively under the control of the Gotei 13. Additionally Lady Yuna Ukitake, the former captain of the Kidō Corps before Tessai Tsukabishi and after Takeo Maeda, as well as the Ghost Squad, has been known to obey summons and orders from the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13. 
==Organization==
===Structure===
The Gotei 13 is made up of thirteen divisions, with several divisions having certain specializations.
The Gotei 13 is led by the Captain-Commander, who has the statuary authority to conduct all the affairs of the Gotei 13 while deferring to the authority of the Central 46 Chambers in matters involving Soul Society.
As with any army, the Gotei 13 has ranks. There are 20 ranks for officers, but no ranks for non-officers. The lower the number is, the higher the rank. The ranks and their descriptions are below, from highest to lowest in terms of strength. The Gotei 13 is an organization with a merit-based hierarchy. It has disposed of the system of rank based on seniority. Abilities and efficacy to obtain results are the only criteria used to determine one's rank
===Captain's Council===
The captains congregate in the main hall of the First Division Headquarters to discuss important issues involving their specific divisions and matters which affect Soul Society. This council is highly formal, with the captain-commander leading its proceedings. All captains are considered equal (with the exception of the captain-commander), and determine the course of their individual division unless dictated otherwise by the captain-commander. Votes are carried out via a unanimous consensus.
*The Captain-Commander (総隊長, Sōtaichō; Viz "Captain-General"; Captain-Commander, Head-Captain) is the supreme leader of the Gotei 13. The position requires the Captain-Commander to oversee the overall operations of the Gotei 13, Onmitsukidō and Kidō Corps when the well-being of the Seireitei and Soul Society is at stake. The only power the Captain-Commander answers to is the Central 46 Chambers, who elect the successor of the current Captain-Commander in the event of their death. The current holder of this title is Captain Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto of the 1st Division, who had held this post for the last 1000 years.
*A Captain (隊長, Taichō; lit. Unit Commander) is the leader of one of the thirteen divisions (with the special case of the Captain-Commander).
Captains are generally the most respected Shinigami within the Soul Society, with the leaders of the Kidō Corps and Onmitsukidō possibly being on equal status. With one exception, all captains are able to utilize the final stage of their Zanpakutō, and are far more powerful than even their lieutenants. Knowing Bankai gives captains an average of five-to-ten times the strength of Shinigami who are unable to perform it. They have extensively trained, if not mastered, their Bankai, allowing them to use the enormous power effectively in battle. Most captains are skilled in the use of Shunpo and Kidō, and generally have extensive knowledge of Shinigami history and battle tactics. All of these factors create a vast power gap between captains and lower-ranked officers.
They function as Chief executive officers and they determine the course, organization, tactics, and policy of their division. The power a captain has over his/her division is absolute and cannot be questioned by subordinates or the captains of the other divisions. A captain can choose to change the division specialty (which Kisuke Urahara did upon becoming captain of the 12th Division). Due to captains having supreme authority in their respective division, the divisions are separate entities and not a cohesive military. In this way, they only have the right to punish the actions of their subordinates and not those of other divisions unless the division in question has no current captain or the subordinate's actions are against the laws or rules of Soul Society.
The true power of Soul Society lies in the captains of the Gotei 13, as they are the leaders of its military arm. With them at full strength, Soul Society is safe and almost unbeatable. If they are broken, their strength dwindles, making them highly vulnerable.
There are three different ways to become a Gotei 13 captain:
#Captain Proficiency Test (隊首, taishu): A test which requires the ability to perform Bankai. Nearly all Shinigami become captains using this method. At least three existing captains, including the Captain-Commander, have to witness the test.
#Personal Recommendation: To have personal recommendations from at least six captains and approval from at least three of the remaining seven.
#Trial by Combat: To defeat a captain one-on-one with at least 200 witnesses from the captain's division. This method is seen as being the exceedingly rarest and the least refined of the three. The method is commonly looked down upon by some captains as barbaric compared to the other refined methods. This method allows one to bypass having the mastery of Bankai or other possible abilities which a captain would otherwise be required to have knowledge of, for it allows no judgment from captains who would require those skills as a prerequisite to join their ranks. Though rare in other Divisions, the 11th Division has been set up to exclusively utilize this method, with each captain attaining their rank by killing the predecessor.
===Lieutenant===
*A Lieutenant (副隊長, fukutaichō; Viz "Assistant Captain"; vice-unit commander, often translated as vice-captain) is the 2nd seated officer in a division. Because captain describes the unit commander, vice-captain is the most literally accurate translation some have used. The translation renders the rank as the similar, but somewhat longer "assistant captain", while the English uses the term "lieutenant". Although this does not apply to modern armies, in historical real-life armies the lieutenant has been the adjutant of the captain, as is the case for fukutaichō and taichō in Bleach. Therefore, lieutenant is a correct real-life equivalent of this rank. Holders of this rank in Gotei 13 have also been called adjutants.
Lieutenants function as executive officers for their division, taking care of or supervising day-to-day operations. Along with their captains, they are not assigned to one specific squad. They generally only know the Shikai of their Zanpakutō but they are still the second strongest in their division. In the case of a division captain's death, departure, or other circumstances making them unable to perform their duties, the lieutenant acts as the "substitute captain" until another can be assigned.
The authority to appoint or dismiss a lieutenant lies solely with the captain of the respective division, a privilege which was granted to them with the support of the Central 46 Chambers. Captains reserve the right to appoint multiple lieutenants at a single time, though this is rarely done due to it being both considered highly unorthodox and heavily frowned upon by the Central 46 Chambers. Though rarely exercised, any potential candidate retains the right to decline the nomination.
===Seated Officers===
Seated officers are the remainder of the officers in the Gotei 13 which hold ranks at or below 3rd Seat. Captains and lieutenants have the ranks of 1st and 2nd Seats, respectively. Next to that, there are 18 more seats (3rd-20th). In the Gotei 13, only one person can hold a senior officer rank (such as 3rd or 5th seat), but there are several holders of junior officer ranks (e.g. 20th seat). This varies from division to division, for there are two 3rd Seats in the 13th Division. Seated officers often lead sub-units within each division (for example, 3rd Seat Hanatarō Yamada is leader of the 4th Division's 14th Advanced Relief Team). 
===Divisions===
1st Division 	1st Division 	1st Division
Captain 	Lieutenant 	3rd Seat
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto	Chōjirō Sasakibe 	N/A
Insignia 	Insignia Signifies 	Division Color
Chrysanthemums 	Truth and Innocence	Deep Purple
2nd Division 	2nd Division 	2nd Division 	2nd Division
Captain 	Lieutenant 	3rd Seat 	
Yoruichi Shihōin	Suì-Fēng 	Mitsuki Oda 	
Insignia 	Insignia Signifies	Division Color	
Pasque flower 	Seek Nothing 	Dark Orange 	
3rd Division	3rd Division 	3rd Division
Captain 	Lieutenant 	3rd Seat
Gin Ichimaru	Rangiku Matsumoto 	N/A
Insignia 	Insignia Signifies	Division Color
Marigold 	Despair 	Spring Green (Magic Mint)
4th Division 	4th Division 	4th Division
Captain 	Lieutenant 	3rd Seat
Retsu Unohana	Isane Kotetsu 	Hanatarō Yamada
Insignia 	Insignia Signifies 	Division Color
Bellflower 	Those Who Grieve Are Loved	Puce (Dusky Pink)
5th Division 	5th Division 	5th Division
Captain 	Lieutenant 	3rd Seat
Renji Abarai 	Yujiro Ishii 	Keiko Kojima
Insignia 	Insignia Signifies 	Division Color
Lily of the Valley	Sacrifice, Danger, Pure Love, Humility, Sweetness	Pale Turquoise
6th Division 	6th Division 	6th Division
Captain 	Lieutenant 	3rd Seat
Byakuya Kuchiki	Riku June Kuchiki 	N/A
Insignia 	Insignia Signifies	Division Color
Camellia 	Noble Reason 	Cobalt Blue
7th Division 	7th Division 	7th Division
Captain 	Lieutenant 	3rd Seat
Rukia Kuchiki	Emaya Kuchiki 	N/A
Insignia 	Insignia Signifies	Division Color
Iris 	Courage 	Dark Tan
8th Division 	8th Division 	8th Division
Captain 	Lieutenant 	3rd Seat
Shunsui Kyōraku 	Nanao Ise 	Kotaro Kyozetsu
Insignia 	Insignia Signifies 	Division Color
Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise)	Everything is Obtained	Raspberry Rose
9th Division 	9th Division 	9th Division
Captain 	Lieutenant 	3rd Seat
Kensei Muguruma	Shūhei Hisagi 	Kimiko Kojima
Insignia 	Insignia Signifies	Division Color
White poppy 	Oblivion 	Tenné
10th Division	10th Division 	10th Division
Captain 	Lieutenant 	3rd Seat
Faye Nakatomi	Kiyaru Kase 	N/A
Insignia 	Insignia Signifies	Division Color
Daffodil 	Mystery, Egoism 	Dark Green
11th Division 	11th Division 	11th Division
Captain 	Lieutenant 	3rd Seat
Kenpachi Zaraki	Yachiru Kusajishi 	Ikkaku Madarame
Insignia 	Insignia Signifies	Division Color
Yarrow 	Fight 	Lavender
12th Division 	12th Division 	12th Division
Captain 	Lieutenant 	3rd Seat
Kisuke Urahara	Kirei Kaizoku 	Ryu Komatsu
Insignia 	Insignia Signifies 	Division Color
Thistle 	Vengeance, Strictness, Independence	Olive Green
13th Division 	13th Division 	13th Division
Captain 	Lieutenant 	3rd Seat
Jūshirō Ukitake	Izuru Kira 	Kiyone Kotetsu & Sentarō Kotsubaki
Insignia 	Insignia Signifies	Division Color
Snowdrop 	Hope 	Maroon
==Transferring to Another Division==
Officers do not necessarily serve in their assigned division for life. It is customary to be transferred to another division after gaining some experience, an event which often coincides with a promotion.
==Size and Recruitment==
Each Division is made up of just over 200 Shinigami, with the Gotei 13's standing force being just around 3000 total enlisted troops. The Shinigami are typically recruited through the Shin'o Academy, but it must be noted not all graduates make it into the Gotei 13. Graduates from the Academy are required to take an entrance exam for the Gotei 13, and only those who pass are allowed to join. This exam can be taken multiple times. The influence of the Noble Families can somewhat undermine this process, as Rukia Kuchiki graduated early and was placed into the Gotei 13 from Byakuya Kuchiki's workings. Riku June Kuchiki was allowed by the Captain-Commander to join the Gotei 13 since she'd studied under his tutelage and had displayed exlemplary charater and strength. Also, the Captains and Lieutenants seem to have influence as Kirei Kaizoku was saved from possible expulsion from Shin'o by Lieutenant Kusajishi and brought into the 11th Division to fill the void of 4th seat. Also, Keiko Kojima was taken out of Shin'o in her last year by Captain Renji Abarai because of her sheer skill in kidō to become the 3rd Seat of the 5th Division. 
==Insignia==
Each of the 13 divisions in Gotei 13 have their own symbol which represents the division's primary role. When a power limit is placed on a captain or lieutenant, their symbol appears on a certain part of their body until the limit is lifted. Each symbol has a specific meaning. 
==Uniforms==
Most Gotei 13 personnel wear the standard Shinigami uniform, called Shihakushō (死覇装, Garment of Dead Souls) - a white shitagi (下着, under clothing), a black kosode (小袖, small sleeve), a black hakama (袴), a white hakama-himo, white tabi]] (足袋, foot pouch), and waraji (草鞋). The black kosode has its owner's division insignia emblazoned on the inside. Lieutenants sometimes wear an armband which carries their division symbol and its number, usually on their left arm. They are required to do this when they are summoned to a meeting, but apart from this, it is rarely compulsory.
Captains wear a white haori (羽織) over the usual black Shinigami clothes, with the number of their division on the back inside the Gotei 13 symbol (a rhombus). Some captains have long sleeves, while the others do not. The color of the underside is division — or at least captain — specific, for every captain has a different color of it. The haori is meant to signify a captain's status, and Yamamoto was furious when Captains Kuchiki, Kyōraku and Zaraki lost theirs in battle and acting indifferent about it.
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Category:Gotei 13
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