Affinity #81 - An Old Man's Wisdom (Part 2)

Captain Yamamoto's profound influence in the series is reflected truly upon his murder at the hands of the villainous foe, Yhwach. Tears were shed, the protection of the Seiretei was at risk, and the great fire that once burned brightly now is but a distant memory. However, sulking over this loss wouldn't do any good as the enemy was still out there ~ hungry to bring more disaster to the Soul Society. In times of desperation, a new leader must take up that mantle of responsibility in order for the sanctity and responsibility of the World to be in order. That man is Shunsui Kyoraku ~ one of Captain Yamamoto's first students to become a Captain and truly is reflected in his strength, laid-back demeanor, and overwhelming spiritual pressure. Upon his Death, Kyoraku did everything in his power to control the state of the Gotei 13. With lives lost and the war ongoing, the last thing that Kyoraku wants is the Gotei finding blindly from this incredible lost. In preparation for what's to come, they have to become strong in times of darkness and destruction (cliche I know). However, he will never be forgotten because he truly was the eternal flame that was both the heart of the Soul Society as well as its downfall ~ a man of such strength and tenacity that he can bridge the gap between power. His very existence alone can destroy the Seireitei ~ that's how gravitas he holds within the Gotei. With his death, it became a stepping stone for Yhwach & his Wandenreich, but it isn't enough to completely topple the Gotei 13 completely. So for Affinities #80-83, I'll be discussing Captain Yamamoto's legacy within the following people:

1) Chojiro Sasakibe (Lieutenant)
2) Aizen Sousuke (Antagonist)
3) Yhwach (Rival)
4) Ichigo Kurosaki (Old vs. New Powers)

Aizen Sousuke, at first glance, was a generally respected Captain of his peers. Kind, gentle, and caring ~ no one ever EVER suspected Aizen of being that one guy who'd turn everything upside down and inside out. However, we were proven quite wrong as Aizen has been hatching plans for 1000+ years. We first saw this when Aizen was pulling the strings behind the Hollowification experiments during the time of Visored's reign as Shinigami Captains/Lieutenants. His ploy was enough to grab the attention of Kisuke Urahara, but for many years afterwards ~ what did become of Aizen? Lurking behind the scenes and yet trying to put on a facade so not to make it obvious of the "bad guy" cliche. Well, it turns out that all we needed to see was a orange-haired teen make a scene and BOOM ~ Aizen had to cast aside his facade and unveil who he truly was from the get-go. Even as a Lieutenant under Shinji and as a Captain, his unforgettable smile was but a reminder of how dangerous he'll become.

His interaction with Captain Yamamoto was brief as he wasn't aware of Aizen's ploy to join the Arrancar(s), build an army, and have them duke it out against the Soul Society. When they fought, of course Captain Yamamoto was enraged. Being outsmarted and overpowered isn't enough ~ claiming their "God" like status with a superiority/inferiority complex ~ that's a step too far. Captain Yamamoto is often quick to notice that he can just as easily overwhelm Aizen, but in this case, all Aizen had to do was wait for the right time ~ strike when least expected. As the two duked it out, it seemed as if Aizen had a plan all along, but he never would've foreseen Captain Yamamoto's other abilities besides his Shikai. Hand-to-hand combatant and Kido master, Captain Yamamoto is more than meets the eye. In a nutshell, these two powerful figures duked it out, but when it came to intelligence ~ Aizen had it all. Yamamoto had the browns whereas Aizen had the brains; however things can happen once you begin underestimating your former superior. Aizen learned that the hard way which eventually lead to his inevitable face-off against the one and only, Ichigo Kurosaki. Captain Yamamoto isn't pleased with Aizen, but his defeat alone was enough to culminate in the rebuilding/restructure of the Gotei 13.

I hope you enjoyed this fairly long Affinity post. Look forward to Affinity posts on Tuesdays. Until then, you all stay classy and I'll see you all next week for the continuation of the An Old Man's Wisdom Affinities (#80-83).