27. Shinji Hirako

Shinji Hirako (平子 真子 Hirako Shinji) is the captain of the 5th Division, preceding his lieutenant Sōsuke Aizen. He distrusted Aizen from the day they met, and thus made him lieutenant so he could keep an eye on him. Because Shinji never socialized with Aizen, however, he was easily deceived by Aizen's actions, culminating to his conversion into a hollow. He has also grown an unknown relation with Ichigo: when asked by Captain Yamamoto which side he was, Shinji answered by saying he was on neither the Gotei 13 nor Aizen's side, but on Ichigo's. Shinji's character is somewhat comical, adding a bit of levity to situations that are otherwise serious. He seems to like annoying his associate, Hiyori Sarugaki, which usually earns him a slap from one of her sandals. He also appears to have a history of referring to cute girls he meets as his 'first love', complete with a deadpan look on his face despite the obvious lie. An early design of Shinji can be seen in the first chapter's cover art, making it clear he was planned well before his introduction. After the 17 month time-skip, Shinji is reinstated as the captain of the 5th Division again.

Shinji's zanpakutō is named Sakanade (逆撫, lit. Counter Stroke). When released by Shinji's command "collapse", five holes line the blade's length, and a large ring forms at the bottom of the hilt. The blade releases a scent that inverts and reverses the enemy's visual perception. Shinji claims that it is impossible to comprehend the attack directions, as the more experienced one is, the more one relies on instinct to fight, causing one to inevitably fall prey to Sakanade. Shinji is quite skilled with his hollow powers, using a single cero blast to easily overwhelm Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. His Hollow mask resembles a pharaoh's mask