Bleach: Gin Ichimaru’s Betrayal of Soul Society, Explained
Although Gin Ichimaru was a monster and a traitor, the motivations for his defection provide a very different impression of the disgraced Soul Reaper.
At first glance, Tite Kubo’s Bleach seemed to be a series where the distinction between good and evil was very obvious. Characters, however, consistently shown throughout the series that this was in fact not the case.
Characters in Bleach repeatedly toe this line while breaking fans’ expectations of them, sometimes literally. One of these characters is Gin Ichimaru, a favourite of the audience, who, along with Kaname Tosen, betrayed Soul Society and his previous “good guy” persona. What caused Gin Ichimaru’s treachery?
Why Gin Ichimaru Became a Soul Reaper
Gin betrayed Aizen by leaving the Soul Society, but his treachery goes beyond that. In truth, it was all a front to conceal his genuine intentions. Before Aizen entered their life, Gin and Soul Reaper Rangiku Matsumoto had an extremely strong friendship that dated back to when they were kids. Gin came upon Aizen and several other Soul Reapers plotting with regard to the Hogyoku…and Rangiku’s lifeless body—one day while out collecting wood. Gin, furious that they had used the Hoguoku to take a part of Rangiku’s soul, resolved to turn become a Soul Reaper himself and get revenge on Aizen for what he had done to her.
Why Gin Betrayed Aizen In Bleach
Gin thought that the best method to kill Aizen would be to approach him as closely as possible after transforming into a Soul Reaper. By murdering one of his fellow Soul Reaper members, he won Aizen’s trust and maintained it with his snake-like demeanour. Although Gin detested Aizen, he obeyed his orders and played the loyal pawn to the point of betraying the entire Soul Society, including Rangiku, the victim of his vengeance.
Over the years he spent with Aizen, Gin carefully observed his actions and abilities and eventually discovered a significant flaw in his master’s zanpakuto. When he and Aizen reached the genuine Karakura Town in Soul Society, Gin made his move. Rangiku confronted them there, and Gin offered to fight for him in place of Aizen. Before finally striking Aizen and punching a hole in his heart, he pretended to have killed her. However, this was insufficient to dissuade Aizen. While killing Gin, he patched up the wound in his chest.
Bleach’s Gin Ichimaru Betrayed Soul Society to Save It
Gin probably had a further motivation for pursuing Aizen besides seeking personal retribution. When he fought Aizen, Gin said that he was the only one who could defeat Aizen since only he was aware of the Reaper’s vulnerability. Perhaps Gin had foreseen that Aizen would grow to be a far greater menace to the planet and that no one would be ready when the time came. Gin spent years getting to know Aizen personally in order to achieve this goal, knowing facts about him before the ideal opportunity to act presented itself. But when his plan eventually fell through, he was obliged to hand over the remainder to Ichigo, who had only just developed new skills.
In the end, Gin had excellent intentions but went too far with his strategy. To defend Soul Society, he betrayed it, but in the end, he was left facing death.
Bleach: Gin Ichimaru’s Betrayal of Soul Society, Explained
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