| “ | As I taught you before, there is no mercy for he who obstructs justice | „ |
| ~ Yamamoto to Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake |
Summary
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto (山本元柳斎 重國, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni) was the captain of the 1st Division in the Gotei 13 and also the Captain-Commander of the whole Gotei 13. His lieutenant was Chōjirō Sasakibe. He was undoubtedly the most powerful Shinigami alive. Even Aizen himself admitted that if he fought Yamamoto and Ryujin Jakka head-on, he would be defeated by the Captain-Commander. Ryujin Jakka, along with being a Fire-type Zanpakuto, is also the Zanpakuto with the highest attack power of any Zanpakuto. This status, along with the highest seen feat displayed by the weapon, makes it equivalent to a fusion bomb, if not even stronger.
Along with the abilities of his Zanpakuto, Yamamoto also possesses astounding physical strength as well as speed. His physical strength is enough to effortlessly punch through the Hierro of a Released Arrancar that was specifically designed to kill him and be on par with the Espada, make a hole in the torso of said Arrancar, and send him flying through several city blocks worth of buildings. When Yamamoto upped the ante, his double punch literally smashed the Arrancar into pieces. In regards to his speed, he is definitely top tier, and able to arrive at a location before two senior Captains with ease, potentially making him the fastest Shinigami in Soul Society.
Overall, Yamamoto was likely the strongest character in Bleach before the timeskip, barring the transcendent versions of Ichigo and Aizen.
Powers and Stats
Tier: At least 7-A in base and with Shikai, Low 6-B with Bankai
Name: Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto
Origin: Bleach
Gender: Male
Age: Over 2100 years
Classification: Shinigami, Captain of the 1st Division, Captain-Commander of the whole Gotei 13
Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Fire Manipulation, Heat Manipulation, Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant, Master Swordsman, Pseudo-Flight, Barrier Creation, Kidō Mastery, Can take his reiryoku and exert it as reiatsu, Spiritual Awareness, Can sense beings with reiatsu, Necromancy (Can call upon the corpses and ashes of the dead who were killed by his flames), Existence Erasure with Zanka no Tachi East and North, Durability Negation with Zanka no Tachi East and North
Attack Potency: At least Mountain level+ in base and with Shikai (One of the most powerful Shinigami in history. Ahead of the senior captains in power and the likes of Post-Timeskip Toshiro. Even Aizen has admitted that Yamamoto is more powerful than himself and came up with strategies specifically to deal with Yamamoto's Zanpakutō), Small Country level with Bankai (Same as the reiatsu used for defence, just directed towards offensive use), ignores conventional durability with Zanka No Tachi East and North
Speed: Massively Hypersonic+ via power-scaling (At least as fast as Shunsui Kyoraku, if not faster)
Lifting Strength: Superhuman
Striking Strength: At least Mountain Class+ in base and with Shikai, Small Country Class with Bankai (Should not be weaker than Hitsugaya)
Durability: At least Mountain level+ by himself (Should be no less durable than base Aizen), Small Country level when using Nishi: Zanjitsu Gokui (His reiatsu cloak in this state is this powerful)
Stamina: Very High. Can continue fighting even after sustaining injuries such as multiple stab wounds in the torso, was still conscious even after taking a blast of his own Shikai's flames and even after being bisected by Yhwach.
Range: Tens to hundreds of meters with Shikai and Kidō spells (can unleash blasts of flame and Kidō spells which stretch across multiple city blocks), tens to hundreds of kilometres with preparation time and Bankai (the heat from Zanka no Tachi's release affected all of Soul Society).
Standard Equipment: His Zanpakutō, Ryujin Jakka
Intelligence: Yamamoto has over two millennia of experience as a teacher, warrior, and commander of the entire Gotei 13. Capable of quickly adjusting to new developments and making quick decisions accordingly. He as able to predict Aizen attacking before the expected time, and thought to use a fake Karakura town to allow his forces to fight at full strength. In combat he is a master of every Shinigami combat style, preferring the use of his Zanjutsu along with his Zanpaktou as well as Hakuda when disarmed.
Weaknesses: He has lost his left arm, his physical strength has diminished with age (although he is still formidable in hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship). He is rather arrogant and prefers to avoid stepping onto the battlefield unless he has to (which led to many of the Lieutenant-class Shinigami to sustain heavy injuries in combat when he could have wiped out most of Aizen's army with ease). He is also stubborn about his opinions and will not heed advice that goes against them unless he sees it with his own eyes (such as Mayuri's warning about the Wandenreich).
Notable Attacks/Techniques:
Hitotsume: Nadegiri (一つ目・撫で斬り, The First: Killing Stroke): A precision cut of extreme force and speed which can slice through large, multi-story high opponents. The opponent is killed with one swift slash so precise, they are not even aware of until after it has taken place.
Onibi (鬼火, Oni Fire): Yamamoto takes his Zanpakutō in its sealed cane form and thrusts it at his opponent, creating a large hole in their body. This technique was effective against a multiple story-high opponent like Ayon.
Hakuda Master: While it is unknown how much his ability has declined from old age, Yamamoto remains a highly skilled and dangerous combatant even without his Zanpakutō. In addition to his skill in swordsmanship, he is a master of hand-to-hand combat. He effortlessly caught a strike from the deceptively fast Ayon. Yamamoto can deliver powerful blows which can smash through Espada-level Hierro, and block the majority of multiple punches from a multi-armed opponent.
- Ikkotsu (一骨, Single Bone): A powerful punch used by Yamamoto against Wonderweiss. Using this technique, Yamamoto destroyed much of Wonderweiss' abdomen and sent him flying along a city street and into a building, destroying it.
- Sōkotsu (双骨, Double Bone): Stronger than Ikkotsu, it is a powerful two-fisted punch used by Yamamoto against Wonderweiss. The attack can completely destroy an opponent with a single blow.
Shunpo Master: Yamamoto is highly skilled and experienced in the art of Shunpo, outracing Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake during a chase across the Seireitei. He overtook both captains, and arrived at their destination first without even being noticed by them.
Master Strategist and Tactician: With his years of experience as a teacher and warrior, along with being the commander of the entire Gotei 13, Yamamoto is a very intelligent man. He can quickly adjust to new developments and make quick decisions accordingly. He has great tactical acumen, proven by his preparations for the battle in the Fake Karakura Town. As noted by Aizen, Yamamoto is very cunning, setting up a trap to kill him while Aizen was focused on the Visored and the rest of the Gotei 13. His skill at battle tactics is undeniable: as captain-commander, he commonly sends the captains and divisions out to engage in battle, be it to relatively small or large threats, and has done so for a number of centuries.
Immense Spiritual Power: Being the oldest and therefore the most experienced Shinigami, Yamamoto possesses an extremely massive and powerful Reiryoku. Even Aizen openly acknowledges Yamamoto's power (via his Zanpakutō) as being so superior that if he were to fight directly against it, it would overpower even him. Yamamoto has served as the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 for over 1,000 years because there has not been a Shinigami stronger than him born in all this time.
Yamamoto's Reiatsu
- Masterful Reiatsu Control: Yamamoto can exert his Reiatsu to induce fear in captain-level combatants, and can physically paralyze and possibly even choke combatants of lieutenant-level and lower simply by gazing in their direction. Yamamoto's spiritual pressure has the same effect as his Zanpakutō, for it is the elemental representative of fire. He tends to glow with a fiery aura, which has the potential to burn and set his surroundings on fire without the use of his Zanpakutō. It is the formidable pressure of his Reiatsu which makes the Reiatsu itself look like flames. When Yamamoto is enraged, his Reiatsu is powerful enough to be felt all around Seireitei with tremendous force.
Zanpakutō
Ryūjin Jakka (流刃若火, Flowing Blade-like Flame): Yamamoto's Zanpakutō is the oldest and most powerful fire-type Zanpakutō, and has greater offensive power than all other Zanpakutō in Soul Society. In its sealed form, Ryūjin Jakka usually takes the appearance of a harmless wooden staff, which can be used like a spear. At any time, Yamamoto can remove this disguise by peeling off the wood, revealing its true form of a standard katana, with a dark purple handle and a circular hand guard. Its power is so great, even the strongest of Shinigami are afraid of it, even in its sealed form. After Yamamoto was killed, Ryūjin Jakka, now scorched and shattered, was returned to the 1st Division barracks.
Ryūjin Jakka
- Shikai: Its Shikai command is "Reduce All Creation to Ash" (万象一切灰燼と為せ, banshō issai kaijin to nase). The release of his Zanpakutō comes with an extreme release of spiritual pressure, affecting all in the area, and can be felt for miles upon miles across all of the Seireitei.
Shikai Special Ability: When released, the blade of Ryūjin Jakka is engulfed in fire. The aura of this weapon disintegrates everything and anything which Yamamoto waves the sword at, changing it into nothing more than ash, and engulfs the surrounding landscape in a blazing firestorm, the heat of which is intense enough to scorch the sky and consume the clouds. Only powerful fighters such as Shunsui and Ukitake can resist it, but even then only indirectly. Even in its Shikai, Ryūjin Jakka is powerful enough to fight against the Shikai of two other captains simultaneously, both of whom had the reputation of being the strongest captains in Soul Society while together. Unlike other known Zanpakutō, resealing Ryūjin Jakka does not deactivate any ability already used against an opponent, proven when Yamamoto imprisons Sōsuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen.
- Jōkaku Enjō (城郭炎上, Fortress Blaze): This technique creates an immense wall of flame, which surrounds the target and forms a huge contained sphere of flame in which to imprison enemies. It is immensely powerful, imprisoning three captain-level Shinigami (namely Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen) for a significant amount of time.
- Taimatsu (松明, Torch): This technique allows Yamamoto to create a great inferno with a simple wave of Ryūjin Jakka. The fire generated by the attack completely consumes whatever is caught within it, until nothing remains, but ashes. The flames created by Ryūjin Jakka can be controlled, with great precision, by Yamamoto to attack only the targets he chooses, and he has power over the intensity of the flames.
- Ennetsu Jigoku (炎熱地獄, Flames of Hell): Creates seven or more immense pillars of flame which surround an area. The intent of this technique is to trap the opponent in the caged inferno and destroy them. The power of this technique can destroy everyone caught in its vicinity, including Yamamoto himself. These flames can incinerate an area much greater than Karakura Town's.
Bankai: Zanka no Tachi (残火の太刀, Longsword of the Remnant Flame): In its Bankai, the blade takes the form of an ancient and worn katana, severely scorched by fire.
Zanka no Tachi
Bankai Special Ability: Upon activation, any flames previously produced by Ryūjin Jakka are absorbed into the blade. Zanka no Tachi incorporates the full power of Yamamoto's flames into the blade: the flames within the blade burn anything it cuts out of existence. Zanka no Tachi has the side-effect of depleting the moisture in an entire area (at least the size of the Seireitei), causing the air and the water to dry up. Even Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, cannot be used, for its ice melts due to the intense heat of Zanka no Tachi. No flames are visible as it cuts. Yamamoto claims releasing his Bankai clads both his blade and his body in the flames of the Sun, and that prolonged use of his Bankai can destroy his opponent, Soul Society, and even himself.
- Zanka no Tachi, Higashi: Kyokujitsujin (残火の太刀 "東": 旭日刃, Longsword of the Remnant Flame, East: Rising Sun Edge): Automatically activated at release, this ability concentrates the intense flames of the sword along the edge of the blade. It neither burns nor erupts, but anything it touches is eradicated to nothingness. Even the defensive power of the Wandenreich's Blut Vene cannot stand up against this technique.
- Zanka no Tachi, Nishi: Zanjitsu Gokui (残火の太刀 "西": 残日獄衣, Longsword of the Remnant Flame, West: Remnant Sun Prison Garb): Automatically activated at release, this ability is unseen by the eyes of anyone else unless Yamamoto wills it to be seen. It engulfs his body in heat which reaches a temperature upwards of 15,000,000 degrees. Therefore, it becomes impossible to even touch him while he is using his Bankai. The level of heat produced by this technique is so high, it would not actually appear in the form of flames.
- Zanka no Tachi, Minami: Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin (残火の太刀 "南": 火火十万億死大葬陣, Longsword of the Remnant Flame, South: Great Burial Ranks of the Ten Trillion Fire Dead): Impaling the tip of his sword into the ground, Yamamoto calls upon the corpses and ashes of the dead who were killed by his flames to come forth and fight on his behalf. They emerge from a rupture in the ground which comes with enough force to decimate Kirchenlied: Sankt Zwinger. Using the heat of his sword on their ashes, he can rouse all the people he has killed, allowing the corpses to become his limbs and attack whomever he deems as his enemy until they become dust. He can bring forth any specific corpse which he wishes, allowing him to inflict psychological damage upon those with connections to those he has slain.
- Zanka no Tachi, Kita: Tenchi Kaijin (残火の太刀 "北": 天地灰尽, Longsword of the Remnant Flame, North: Heaven and Earth End in Ashes): A slash of concentrated fire and heat which incinerates whatever it touches out of existence.
Kidō
Kidō Master: Yamamoto's knowledge of Kidō is so great, he can perform them without calling out their names while retaining their great potential power, whereas most users require a name to do so, if not a full incantation. He cast a level 96 Hadō without incantation, and still used it to great effect.
- Inemuri (威眠, Forced Slumber): As the practitioner holds their hand in front of their victim's face, the victim's pupils dilate several times before they fall unconscious.
- Hadō #96: Ittō Kasō (一刀火葬, Single Blade Cremation): A forbidden offensive technique which the user can only be activate the spell by using their own body as the catalyst. The spell causes a brief shockwave followed by a massive pillar of red fire to erupt from the ground in the shape of a katana's tip. By using this spell, Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto lost his left arm.
Key: Pre-Timeskip | Thousand Year Blood War Arc
Others
Notable Victories:
Notable Losses:
Inconclusive Matches: