Summary

• Gotei 13, Akatsuki, and Three Admirals – iconic villain factions with immense power and fan followings in anime.
• The Gotei 13's terrifying strength surpasses logic, threatening the very existence of the Soul Reapers in Bleach.
• The Gotei 13's dark past as violent assassins contrasts with their heroic reputation, making them one of the most terrifying anime factions.

The so-called Shonen Jump Big Three – Bleach, Naruto and One piece – have so many similarities that even their biggest fans may not have noticed them all. One of the most obvious was the fact that each anime had an iconic villain faction made up of some of the biggest hitters from their respective worlds. Specifically, these factions were the Gotei 13 in Bleach, to Akatsuki in Naruto, and the Three Admirals in One piece. Not only was the power of these groups off the charts, but they were also so well-written that many of their members straddled the line between being an anti-hero and a villain. Unsurprisingly, these groups gained a lot of fans.

Naturally, the mere presence of these factions sparked a debate among fans as to which of them was the strongest. In a straight-up battle, these groups were on fairly even ground. But when the bigger picture and the implications and histories of each group are considered, the Gotei 13 emerge victorious. This was not just because they were immensely powerful, even by the standards of their fellow Soul Reapers, but because The captains of the Gotei 13 were also some of the most terrifying characters in shonen anime. The only thing more frightening than the Gotei 13's individual and combined power was the grim reality of their existence, which even they were unaware of until recently.

The powers of the Gotei 13 surpass and defy life and logic.

The Gotei 13 were so powerful that they threatened their very existence.

At first sight, Bleach Soul Reapers were not much different from other anime characters with supernatural powers. Each Soul Reaper's powers came from their sword's Zanpakuto spirit, which had a basic Shikai and a final Bankai form. They could also perform Kido spells that ranged from basic to destructive. The same applies to the captains of the Gotei 13, but in an exaggerated form.

Each captain was a powerhouse unto himself. They could destroy entire armies of Hollows with just their Shikai. Meanwhile, his Bankai were practically super weapons. For example, Captain-Commander Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto's Bankai, Ryujiin Jakka, was so powerful that its mere activation threatened to set the entire Soul Society ablaze. That said, such scale-breaking abilities are not exclusive to Bleach.

Despite this and having a more defined chain of command than other similar anime factions, the Gotei 13 were seemingly just another group of distinct elite rivals for the heroes to face and overcome. When viewed from a very superficial understanding, the Gotei 13 was early Bleach answer to the likes of the Frieza Force Dragon Ball Z or the disciples of DIO in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders. What set the Gotei 13 apart from their shonen contemporaries in terms of raw strength was how their powers were theoretically limitless and literally defied logic.

As revealed in the special one-shot Bleach: Howl from the jaws of hell, Captain-class Soul Reapers were so powerful that their very existence endangered their very lives. In order to keep the circle of life balanced, the fallen captains were condemned to Hell, as this was the only realm that could contain their strength. Worse still, the recently concluded war against the Quincy had led to such a large wave of Captain-class Soul Reapers being sent to Hell that Hell was now overflowing into the world of the living.

As seen many times in Bleach and more recently, through the brief return of Szayelaporro Granz, those condemned to Hell could still return. According to the fallen Eighth Sword, this was the price the captains paid for seeking unlimited power in life. In theory, dead captains could live forever while accumulating even more strength. Where other similar shōnen anime factions can be permanently killed off while their most popular members can be resurrected, the captains of the Gotei 13 were all fated to become immortal freaks and monsters in death.

The legacy of the Gotei 13 was founded on blood and violence

The Gotei 13 were merely "heroic" when compared to the worst factions in Bleach.

With that in mind, It's a miracle that the Gotei 13 is considered "heroic". Some would go so far as to say that the Gotei 13 were merely heroes out of duty, especially when compared to their more ruthless rivals, the Espada and Sternritter. For one thing, the Gotei 13 were not united when it came to protecting Soul Society. They were really more of a collection of controlled monsters than noble guardians of Soul Society.

Each captain had his own idea of law and order and how to enforce it. Some captains could barely tolerate their fellow captains and would just wait for the right moment to strike. The bloodthirsty Captain Zaraki Kenpachi and the amoral mad scientist Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, in particular, would have been villains in another anime.

Nowhere was this clearer than in the Soul Society civil war. Captain Sosuke Aizen exacerbated the conflict between his fellow captains and made them fight each other to distract everyone from his successful coup. The fact that the Gotei 13 failed to stop Aizen twice proved how dysfunctional they were, despite their common enemy. This ruthless mindset, ironically, maintained the historical roots of the Gotei 13. As revealed in Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War, They were originally a violent and murderous gang of Soul Reapers.

The first generation of captains comprised the most monstrous and feared assassins in Soul Society. They proved their worth during the Quincy's first failed invasion of Soul Society. While the current generation was nowhere near as bloodthirsty as their predecessors, they were nothing to scoff at. When pushed to their limits, the current captains of the Gotei 13 can and will use lethal force. They simply valued life more than their ancestors did and exercised more restraint.

This, however, did not mean that the Gotei 13 were above committing atrocities when ordered to do so. Time and time again, the Gotei 13 only needed the flimsiest justification to strike first. Even after Ichigo had saved Soul Society countless times, the captains did not hesitate when orders to kill him came from Central 46 or Captain-Commander Yamamoto himself.

The Gotei 13 are still one of the most terrifying factions in Shonen anime

The Gotei 13's heroic reputation could not hide its dark truths

Even though they're considered heroes and anti-heroes at worst these days, the Gotei 13 are still one of the most terrifying factions in shōnen anime. When compared to the likes of Akatsuki and the Three Admirals, who are the villains of their stories, the Gotei 13 were ostensibly the heroes. The closest comparison to the Gotei 13 would be the Three Admirals, the top law enforcers of the oceans who also answered to a dark higher power. However, the Three Admirals are clearly defined as villains, while the Gotei 13 are not.

What truly made the Gotei 13 terrifying wasn't just their immense powers or ruthless legacy, but the fact that they truly were the lesser evil. Although they never fully agreed on how to fulfill their duties, the Gotei 13 were genuinely dedicated to maintaining the balance between the world of the living and the afterlife at all costs—even if it meant killing innocents or their own allies. On the other hand, the Espada wanted to destroy everything in the name of revenge, while the Sternritter threatened the natural order for its own sake.

Ichigo is lucky that he can consider the Gotei 13 his allies, as they can and will kill him and everyone in the living world for the supposed greater good. It is also important to note that the most palatable characterizations of the Gotei 13 were more the work of the anime than the manga. Although the captains had their own quirks and occasionally participated in their subordinates' antics in the manga, they were strict officers and powerful Soul Reapers first.

With the origins of the Gotei 13 in mind, it became apparent that the current captains were meant to be the calmer, yet still dangerous, successors to their ancestors. Their preference for peace over bloodshed showed how much Soul Society had changed for the better in the centuries since the Gotei 13's founding. Bleach Anime-exclusive filler material, especially the Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book shorts, emphasized the captains' sillier side for the sake of entertainment. This, in turn, inadvertently colored their perception in the eyes of the general public.

Instead of ruthless killers who happened to fight for the side of good, the Gotei 13 were now a bunch of quirky anime heroes that Ichigo spent time with. The more accurate I am to the manga Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War revived the intent of the original material with its darker atmosphere and more serious captains. This return to form also brought back Bleach interest in examining how clean or morally upright a hero really should be, and how being on the right side of history didn't mean being nice.