Gotei 13

The Gotei 13 (護廷十三隊, Goteijūsantai; 13 Division Imperial Guards, 13 Court Guard Squads in the English dub, 13 Court Guard Companies in the English manga) is the primary military branch of Soul Society and the main military organization most Shinigami join after leaving the academy. It is the most important faction of the Bleach franchise.
==History==
While the history of the Gotei 13 remains largely unknown, the 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 Yamamoto, Yachiru Unohana and 11 other captains. Shunsui Kyōraku considers this generation to be the strongest version of the Gotei 13.
==Overview==
The Gotei 13 serves as a military force with its primary responsibilities consisting of the defense of the Seireitei. It is also responsible for the deployment of Division members into enemy territory for combat operations, the deployment of Task Forces as defensive measures in the Human World, and the guiding of souls to Soul Society.
The Gotei 13 does not normally operate as a cohesive unit. The command of the divisions is generally left to the discretion and oversight of its particular captain, who commonly runs it whatever way they see 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 from hostile threats, 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 division 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 required unified efforts, 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 they may be. They are so far spread out, 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, to carry out activities outside of their normal jurisdiction or their division. The captain of one division also cannot punish the subordinates of another captain.
Officially, the Kidō Corps and Onmitsukidō are not part of the Gotei 13, but since Suì-Fēng 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, the captain of the Kidō Corps has been known to obey summons and orders from the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13.
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 Shinigami 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.
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