Shinji Hirako

Template:Spoiler Template:Bleach character info Hirako Shinji (Shinji Hirako) is a character in the Bleach manga series featured in Japan's Weekly Shonen Jump. He was first introduced in Chapter 183, overlooking a battle between Ichigo and a Hollow. He made his reappearance in Chapter 184, assuming the role of a student at Ichigo's High School, Karakura High.

Character Outline

Hirako not only seems to share a physical likeness with Sōsuke Aizen's subordinate Ichimaru Gin, but a mental one as well. The two also speak a similar japanese dialect. The relation with the two is at the moment unknown. Whether it is even there, still remains a question to be answered.

His role along with that of the other Vizards (six additional ones have appeared in the material world as of Chapter 214) has still been left in the dark for the most part. However, Kisuke Urahara did mention that they might be valuable allies in the fight against the Arrancar. Also some more light was shed onto Hirako's and Hiyori's characters after escaping from Orihime and Chad, suggesting that their relations with both Humans and Shinigami are far from friendly.

Hirako's character is somewhat comical, adding a bit of hilarity to situations that are otherwise serious, and he seems to genuinely annoy his more mature, yet younger looking associate Hiyori, which usually gets him in trouble with her. It is unknown as of now where Hirako Stands, unlike in Soul Society where the rank is given accordingly to shinigami within a division, and in Hueco Mundo where a number, lower ones being better, is assigned to each Arrancar reflecting his, or her strength, the Vizards have not yet revealed a structure based on hierarchies, one might assume though, that Hirako is as strong as a Captain-level Shinigami, if not stronger.

It is also possible that he is dislexic as he has the habit of writing things backwards (his name as was mentioned by Ichigo's teacher).