Aizen is a character written in an iceberg-like way, meaning that what we directly see him say and do in the plot of Bleach is far less explicit than the subtext and themes beneath the surface. Examples: We never learn about his past or his Bankai, and even most of his inner thoughts remain concealed. However, this absence creates room for interpretation regarding the thematic and symbolic elements surrounding him, particularly his environment and his interactions with other characters.
Today, I will examine Aizen’s character through the lens of the Espada.
The Espada are a group of individuals handpicked by Aizen. They are his army: he assigns them their numbers and names their aspects of death. In a way, this hierarchy tells us more about Aizen than about the Espada themselves, because it reflects his mindset.
Aizen is shown sitting together with the Espada at the same table. He deliberately surrounds himself with them, and this is not without meaning. They function as mirrors of his psyche. He surrounds himself with these mirrors in an unconscious attempt to confront aspects of himself. One by one, the Espada die under his command, as though he is gradually trying to erase the parts of himself reflected in them. This aligns with his journey toward becoming a god-like being: someone no longer bound by death, its aspects, or any attachment during his ascension.
I will look at each Espada individually, beginning with:
Espada No. 9 - Aaroniero Arruruerie
Aaroniero is a grotesque, two-headed Arrancar, trapped inside a jar of fluid and hiding from sunlight that burns him. His ability allows him to devour other Hollows and absorb their powers, turning him into a monstrous amalgamation of over 33,650 Hollows. His aspect of death is Greed, and his Zanpakutō is named Glotonería (“Gluttony”).
So how does this connect to Aizen?
In this context, greed is clearly not about wealth, but about power — power taken from others, absorbed, and integrated into oneself. Just as Aaroniero devours other Hollows in order to evolve and grow stronger, Aizen sacrifices the souls of Rukongai civilians, and Soul Reapers to feed the Hōgyoku, which he later merges with himself in pursuit of evolution.
The Hōgyoku, much like Aaroniero, is perpetually hungry and never truly satisfied until Urahara’s Hōgyoku is fused with it. There is a symbolic “two-in-one” parallel here, reminiscent of Aaroniero’s two heads. In both cases, this greed for power manifests as arrogance.
Aaroniero’s Zanpakutō, Glotonería, further reinforces this theme. His released form becomes a grotesque monster, visually echoing Aizen’s own monstrous dead butterfly transformation.
Aaroniero can not only use the powers of those he devours, but also take their physical forms and memories. This strongly parallels the way Kyōka Suigetsu and Aizen’s manipulation function together. Aizen constructs false identities for himself — first as a harmless lieutenant, later as a kind and trustworthy captain — using those façades to manipulate the people around him for his own benefit. Likewise, Aaroniero psychologically manipulates Rukia by taking Kaien’s appearance in order to weaken her emotionally. Both rely on predatory deception and the exploitation of emotional attachment. And just as sunlight painfully exposes Aaroniero’s true nature, the truth threatens Aizen's deception. That is why he continually hides behind metaphorical masks: lies, illusions, and carefully constructed roles performed for others. The fact that Aaroniero is trapped in a jar also makes me think of Aizen's isolation from the outside world.
Thematically, Aaroniero’s battle with Rukia is resolved through the concept of kokoro — emotional connection. Rukia is able to kill Aaroniero because she realizes that she carries Kaien’s heart within her own heart. This serves as subtle foreshadowing for Aizen’s eventual downfall, as his character is defined by the absence of kokoro: he lacks genuine connection, and the Hōgyoku itself visually replaces his heart at the center of his chest.
Aaroniero’s greed and gluttony reveal Aizen’s power-hungry nature and his willingness to sacrifice anyone in pursuit of transcendence. They also suggest that Aizen’s evolution is fundamentally unnatural. It does not emerge from inner growth, but from forcibly fusing himself with external power. The Hōgyoku itself is an ever-hungry amalgamation of countless soul fragments, and it imposes a monstrous transformation upon him.
Ultimately, Aaroniero represents the all-consuming ambition within Aizen — an ambition that can never truly be satisfied because it originates from a place of absence, specifically the absence of human connection. Aaroniero becomes a reflection of compulsive consumption of power as compensation for inner emptiness.
Hello =w=/ Do you think Espadas would act much differently if they were fraccions of a espada SO? (I like Luppi very much,if you make it a scenario, can you include him?)
This is going to be headcanon format instead of scenario, but yep, Luppi can absolutely be included! >:D
. . .
Starrk
He's perfectly content being subordinate to someone stronger. Existing as the weaker one, for once, is almost peaceful. He's not the best about actually getting up and following orders, but the lack of any rebellious or power-hungry tendencies makes up for those faults. So long as Lilynette can stay by his side (which is all but guaranteed, with a matched set like them), this role is bearable.
Halibel
So long as Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun are under your protection as well, she can swallow her pride and accept a superior. For the most part, as a Fraccion, Halibel stays out of the way. She does what she's told and tries to make herself useful, but doesn't seek recognition or praise. She just wants to fill this role properly, and not have to deal with unnecessary complications.
Ulquiorra
He's the picture of silent, apathetic obedience; following orders quickly, efficiently, and without complaint. However... that dead-eyed glare certainly doesn't seem fond of you. Internally, Ulquiorra is willing to accept a superior when one is assigned to him, but he finds the whole farce of authority just as ridiculous as most of Aizen's commands. He'll comply, but he resents every second of it.
Nnoitra
Nnoitra might very well be the worst Fraccion possible. Having someone stronger bossing him around hits his fragile, volatile ego like nothing else— and as you'd expect, he responds to that perceived slight with violence. Constant threats against his superior's life quickly become routine; you can either accept this, or put him down in battle and wipe your hands of the mess.
Grimmjow
Horrendous. He's a slight step up from Nnoitra in that he's capable of some pro-social behavior, but Grimmjow vehemently despises being anyone's subordinate— and he makes his feelings on the matter frequently and violently known. Much like how he rebells against Aizen's authority, whoever he's Fraccion to gets a nasty attitude and creative interpretations of orders, at best.
Szayel
On the surface, he's an enthusiastically loyal subordinate who goes above and beyond to be helpful to you! ...too far, sometimes, especially when his excuses for the latest self-directed incident don't quite hide his scheming. Szayel, of course, is plotting against you all the while; either to take you down and rise in the ranks, or to exploit your power for his own benefit.
Aaroniero
He's another out-of-the-way sort of subordinate who would just as soon never have to interact with you for more than a few moments at a time, if he can help it. At the same time that Aaroniero is wary of someone so much stronger than him, he can't help but envy your position of authority— emotions that make it safer for him to keep his distance and plan ahead for every encounter.
Luppi
He's an absolute brat— simultaneously fishing for praise and promotions at every turn, and snarking about every little order that doesn't match his idea of a good plan. Luppi is the kind of Fraccion that you'll often have to bail out of trouble; he takes a risk (or annoys the wrong person), fucks up, and then relies on you to intervene before his own mistakes catch up to him.
**CW: Sex trafficking, past sexual abuse, general criminal activity, past child neglect
Synopses: Aizen runs a mafia with a bunch of goons he found in a trashcan, recruiting most of them by saving them from a bad situation or just giving the ones who need work, work.
In order from rank:
SOSUKE AIZEN
AKA: Boss/King (of Hueco Mundo)
6'0", 150 lbs, 30
He/him, AMAB, "Straight" (closeted bisexual)
Used to be a part of the police department in Karakura town, helped out in local soup kitchens, donated his bonuses to charities in need, and everyone loved him. Aizen was the type of guy you could go to after a breakup, and he'd make you feel better and take you out to dinner. He used to be one of the best detectives around, along with his partner; Gin. They were practically inseparable. They always seemed to be together, whether it be in the office or out in the field-sometimes even when they weren't supposed to be working on the same project.
When he was found out to be the ringleader of the Arrancar gang out in Hueco Mundo (a town next to Karakura), everyone was shocked, and they were even more appalled at the way he went out. He took both Gin and Tosen with him after they broke into the interrogation room and got Aizen out, smuggling him into Hueco Mundo.
As much as Aizen is willing to do, he's against human trafficking, and his gang is known to "shut down" any trafficking operations. Some of his gang members were even recruited by being "saved" from being trafficked.
His crimes include: resisting arrest, first and second degree murder, attempted murder (Momo, Ukitake, Toshiro), kidnapping (Orihime), organized crime (arms smuggling, extortion), and more.
GIN ICHIMARU
AKA: The Snake/Aizen's pet (lovingly given by the police force)
5'10", 130 lbs, 26
He/him, AMAB, Bisexual (preference for men)/Asexual
Originally, he just agreed to join Aizen's little gang for some extra money, but as it turns out, he was really good at his job. He earned the nickname "Snake" for both how he looks and how he operates. He's excellent at worming information out of people. As him and Aizen are very close (knew each other before
TOSEN KANAME
AKA: The Silent Killer/ God-Damn-Mother-Fucking-Traitor (lovingly given by the police force)
5'8", 130 lbs, 34
He/him, AMAB, Gay
Tosen used to be a very diligent police officer, putting in more effort that the typical officer in order to "enforce justice". This was another case where they were shocked when it was revealed that he was actually intertwined in a gang.
The main reason he joined was because Aizen convinced him to after telling him how his "group" shuts down sex trafficking organizations, convincing him that it's quicker and more efficient.
He's in a secret relationship with Komamura, who struggles with lying to the force that he "doesn't know where Tosen is".
COYOTE STARRK
AKA: The Wolf
6'1", 147 lbs, 36
He/him, AFAB, Pansexual/Transgender (although not open about it)
Literally only joined to support his daughter; Lilynette. Still pretty lazy, and doesn't even like being involved in this type of crime, he's ranked surprisingly high pretty much just for his gun expertise. He typically sticks with Harribel when he's assigned to deals, as he lets her be the tough talker so he can just stand there with a gun if needed.
BARRAGAN LOUISENBARN
AKA: (former) King (of Hueco Mundo)/Louis
6'2", 212 lbs, 69
He/him, AMAB, Straight (allegedly)
The former gang leader of "The Arrancars" until Aizen stepped in. Aizen was able to take control so quickly because of his supporters as well as his job in the police force. Barragan still has his own gang, but they're under the control of Aizen. Due to Aizen stealing his title, he's very bitter against him and is plotting to overthrow him as a side project.
His gang used to specialize in mainly human trafficking, and was actually the one to catch Harribel and her girls. He wouldn't admit it, but now that Harribel has been working under Aizen for 4 years and she's back to her full strength, he's scared of her, especially when she has the girls with her.
TIER HARRIBEL
AKA: Shark
5'11", 163 lbs, 36
She/her, AFAB, Lesbian/Asexual
Was "saved" along with her girlfriends (Apache, Mila Rose, and Sun-Sun) from being trafficked by Aizen, who raided the area and offered her a job after seeing how strong she proved to be. She had been kidnapped when walking out at night, and when the others went looking for her, they were taken as well.
She hates Barragan more than anything, and more often than not is trying to beat him up when she sees him. Because of what happened when they split up, they now tend to stay together, and Tier still blames herself for what happened.
She now works under Aizen, and she's extremely loyal to him. Her girlfriends work with her, although at a lower position.
ULQUIORRA CIFER
AKA: Emo (lovingly given by his colleagues)
5'5", 117 lbs, 24
He/they, AMAB, Aromantic/Grey ace (due to past sexual abuse)
He's mainly ranked so high because of how smart and quick he is. He doesn't have much in terms of muscle, but he knows how to fight very well, and is an extremely quick thinker when in a high-stakes situation.
He was another one that was "saved" by Aizen from sex traffickers, after falling into prostitution at a young age (13), he was severely depressed and had no reason to live, he had completely given up on life. He has no family, or so he says. The last he saw of them was when they had sold him off for prostitution due to lack of money, and he hasn't seen them since.
Currently, he sits at a nice high position in Aizen's gang, and always has a huge guard dog (Yammy) following him around. At first, it was just because Aizen had assigned Yammy to Ulquiorra on a whim, having nothing for him to do at the time, and it ended up being a surprisingly good idea. Yammy and Ulquiorra get along very well (although it might not seem like it all the time), Yammy holding more respect and loyalty to Ulquiorra than Aizen.
Ulquiorra acts like he doesn't care for Yammy, but he does. He also gets along with Starrk, although he thinks he's lazy and doesn't deserve his position.
Has an ongoing rivalry with Nnoitra, who's mostly subdued when Yammy is around.
NNOITRA GILGA
AKA: Misogynistic-piece-of-shit (lovingly given by his colleagues)
6'5", 130 lbs, 21
He/him, AMAB, Gay (hates women so much he turned gay)
He used to work under Barragan, starting when he was young (17), and was the one to catch Nelliel (2) after being sent by Barragan (to get revenge on her mother, who had previously dated Barragan but broken up with him after realizing all that he was really doing). Barragan had immediately tried to sell her off, but they were caught in the middle of a deal by Ichigo (who ended up adopting Nel) and Uryu, who were "freelancing" police work.
He had a rough childhood, being exposed to hate women at an early age after living with his abusive step mother, and he projected his mom's personality onto any woman he met, leading to him being extremely misogynistic.
Currently, he works under Aizen after he took over the Arrancars. 4 years after working for Aizen (21 at this time), he realized that Tesla (20) had been following him around like a puppy, and was extremely devoted to him for seemingly no reason. He lets it happen, although sometimes it bothers him. (Tesla is a relatively new recruit)
He victim blames the people who've been trafficked.
GRIMMJOW JAEGERJAQUEZ
AKA: Couger Chaser (likes older women)
5'9", 140 lbs, 20
He/him, AMAB, Gay
He grew up basically all on his own after his mom died, leaving him to an orphanage where he struggled to survive. He grew up in a very poor area, and due to not receiving ANY counseling after his mom died, he became a "problem" child. He's always been very, very attached to his female teachers if they were nice to him, and he sometimes comes back to visit them even now, giving them any extra cash he has.
He was recruited into Aizen's gang a year after Nnoitra was, and he had just turned 17 (Nnoitra would be 18 by then). He was kicked out of school as a junior for his aggressive behavior and had been living out on the streets for almost a year when he was found by Starrk, who felt bad and decided to recruit him.
He's very close to Tier, who became a mother figure to him after he wad brought into Aizen's gang. He looks up to her a lot.
ZOMMARI RUREAUX
AKA: The Psychic (he's very good at hypnotizing people, and his predictions of the future tend to be correct)
6'3", 154 lbs, 43
They/he, AMAB, Gay/Grey aro/ace
He was recruited a lot earlier than most, and at at a much older age as well. He had just turned 37 when he joined, and had previously worked in a childcare center. He quit at 34 due to mental health issues, and went through a really rough patch in his life until he met Aizen at a bar, who told him that he could do something good with the rest of his life.
Currently, he works as sort of an advisor for Aizen, as he's not much of a fighter. He tends to not like violence unless it's being used against someone he believes deserves it.
He needed absolutely zero convincing to join, just the prospect of being able to be an unsupervized doctor alone was enough to make him join of his own free will.
He used to be a doctor, but had his medical license taken away only 2 years after having it for medical malpractice. After that, he started a small underground operation where he'd do surgery on you for free, as long as you just trusted him...
No one trusts him as their doctor, but he's really all they have. He especially proved his worth when he was able to save Grimmjow's arm, beginning to reattach it less than a few minutes after it was cut off, and miraculously helping it to work again.
Lowkey gay for Nnoitra, but Nnoitra does not give a shit.
AARON & YIERO (Aaroniero) ARRURUERIE
AKA: Twin-freaks (lovingly given by their colleagues)
She (Aaron)/He (Yiero), Intersex, Aro/ace (Aaron)/Bisexual (Yiero)
As conjoined twins, they've naturally had a hard life. Not with just medical problems, but they were bullied by just about everyone. It wasn't until they were just about 20 that they decided to change that, turning to mugging their old bullies. As they lived in Karakura town, they were caught pretty quickly after messing with the wrong person and ended up serving a bit of jail time. But when they got out, they started an acting career, gaining a decent amount of popularity. They were both very good actors, being able to throw their voice like a ventriloquist and mimic just about anyone they heard.
They joined Aizen's gang after being tired of not getting enough recognition, and being tired of being "good citizens".
They're typically used to trick people over the phone, but they're also relatively skilled fighters. Yiero is better with his fists, and Aaron is better with her guns, although they both prefer to use guns.
**I'm sorry I don't have a good image for them, but that picture is what I imagine Yiero looking similar to**
YAMMY RIYALGO
AKA: Yammy Llargo/Big Yammy
7'6", 436 lbs, 23
He/him, AMAB, Gay (for one man and one man only)
Yammy is a huge, muscular man. He's extremely dangerous when aggressive, and it's really not that hard to make him angry. He's almost always been working for Aizen, as he was another "troublesome" child. He used to live with his physically abusive, hyper-masculine dad, which lead him to grow up angry. He did weight lifting in school, and later took up boxing.
He currently boxes in the basement of a bar part-time, currently, but just for money. He has Ulquiorra bet tons of money on him winning (after hours of begging) so he can earn double back.
After being randomly assigned to be Ulquiorra's bodyguard by Aizen, he never left his side. From the moment they met, he's been infatuated with him (but just thinks of it as friendship). When he heard about Ulquiorra's past from Aizen, that only made him respect Ulquiorra more. He's so obsessed with Ulquiorra that he invited him to crash at his place (Ulquiorra currently lives in a motel), but after seeing how small and gross it was, he quickly declined. Yammy isn't the best at managing a house, it's mostly just that he basically just has a couch and a bed, and the rest of the furniture are actually just dirty clothes and beer cans. He probably has, like, one super old poster.
He has a tattoo on his right (HIS right) cheek that says 10, and his left says 0. It's meant to be "100," but it just looks like 10 and 0, so people make fun of him for that a lot. ("On a scale from 0-10...")
He has a kitten at home that's named Lana Pequena, and the stuff he bought for her is basically the only stuff he has.
((They are ranked just like they are in the show, but it's less based on strength))
I plan to make lore for people who aren't in Aizen's mafia; like Ichigo and his friends. Maybe even give the Quincies their own thing. Also, the picture that I provided aren't exactly what they look like in my AU. I did a drawing of how Yammy and Ulquiorra look. I do want to draw all of them in this AU, though.
Feel free to ask any questions/make any requests about this AU!!!!!!
**DISCLAIMER: these are all my headcannons, so if you're thinking "Hey, that isn't the right height!!" or something, then you can know these are just my ideas for this AU.
Also, I don't think any of these crimes are hot, and I am in no way sexualizing or promoting them.
ALSO; I might change some of these later, and if I do, I'll just reblog it and say what I've changed.
