Gotei 13 (clockwork-hound)


 * "Dying to exterminate great evil.  Know that this is the spirit of the Gotei 13."
 * - Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto  (former Head Captain)

The Gotei 13 (護廷十三隊, Goteijūsantai; 13 Division Imperial Guards, 13 Court Guard Squads in the English dub, 13 Court Guard Companies in the English manga) is the main military organization in the Soul Society. Formerly under the jurisdiction of the Central 46, it gained independence at the beginning of the Soul War, and now contains both the Kido Corps and the Onmitsukido. It is the largest organization in the Tetra Alliance.

Pre-Soul War
Little is known about the history of the Gotei 13. It was founded a few thousand years ago by the previous Captain-Commander, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, although it's function then was far different than what it is today. The Shinigami were greatly feared back then, and understandably so; the first generation of Captains (which included the current Captain-Commander, Retsu Unohana) was by far the most powerful group in Soul Society. Their power was unrivalled by any other beings, which was evident during the extermination of the Quincy. It was only after that genocide that the Gotei began to evolve into what it is today.

Sometime in 1901, Shinigami began to disappear without a trace. Eight higher-ranking Shinigami were sent out to investigate, and were subsequently hollowfied by Sosuke Aizen, Kaname Tosen, and Gin Ichimaru. Rescued by Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin, and Tessai Tsukabishi, they were forced to hide in the World of the Living lest they be executed by the Soul Society.

One-hundred years later, Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tosen defected from the Soul Society and raised an army of their own in Hueco Mundo. This was the start of the year-long Winter War, which ended after the Battle of Fake Karakura Town. After the battle, the hollowfied Shinigami were pardoned from their "crimes" and permitted to return, although none of them did.

The end of the war marked a number of changes for the Gotei 13. The first big change was the introduction of conscription in the hopes that the organization's numbers and strength would return to what they were before the war. Former Captains Yuriko Obara and Mao Kobashigawa were forced by Central 46 to temporarily return to their former positions until they found suitable, permanent replacements for Ichimaru and Aizen. Each division was also assigned a specialty in hopes that it would make the Gotei function smoother, which would lead to better results in future wars.

Soul War
When the Kyuushoku made itself known, the Shinigami readed themselves for war. In the early stages, several small units were sent out to combat the enemy teams that were wreaking havoc in the World of the Living. The Battle of Karakura marked the start of the slaughter, and hundreds of Shinigami were killed in the three-day fight. The Battle of Zaraki would prove to be even worse, and the Gotei's defeat allowed the enemy to take over about one-third of the Rukongai.

It was after that battle that Tier Hallibel and Coyote Starrk proposed an alliance between the Gotei and Hallibel's Army. The offer was shot down in an instant, and the Shinigami fought the Battle of Sabitsura on their own. This was the most crippling battle, and several of the Captains and Lieutenants were killed in action. Among them was the Captain-Commander himself, and his loss threw the Seireitei into chaos.

The Central 46 attempted to regain control, but were met with nothing but angry and scared Shinigami. However, through the combined efforts of the remaining Captains, order was restored to some extent. They appointed Retsu Unohana as the new Captain-Commander, and declared themselves independent from the Central 46 (who were the only ones outraged at the decision). The Omnitsukido and Kido Corps were assimilated into the Gotei, and several new Captains and Lieutenants were appointed to fill the gaps left by the dead.

Shortly after that, Unohana contacted Hallibel and Starrk in order to take them up on the alliance. Within days, Arrancar forces were moving into the Seireitei. The Vizard and a group of humans also joined the alliance and set up home in the Soul Society. The Tetra Council was formed shorlt after in an attempt to make communications between the organizations easier. Several Shinigami and Arrancar were particularly angry over this development, and several rallies and protests were held. Nevertheless, the alliance was not broken.

The Battle of the Northern Gate was the first battle that the Tetra Alliance fought as one, and the first battle they won. The first three days were slaughter due to the fact that no one could seem to cooperate, but halfway through the weight of the situation hit them. The Shinigami pulled their act together, worked with the Arrancar, and managed to drive the enemy back into the heart of the Rukongai.

Mission

 * Defence of the Seireitei and Soul Society
 * Defending the World of the Living
 * Leading souls to the afterlife
 * Cleansing hollows

Even with the start of the Soul War, the Gotei's mission statement has changed very little, only expanding to adapt with the current situation. However, it should be noted that they have ceased killing as many hollows as before at the behest of Hallibel's Army, who wishes to turn the Hollow into Arrancar to increase the size and strength of their forces.

General Operation
The Gotei 13 still does not operate as one cohesive unit, although the Captains have less freedom over their respective divisions. The end of the Winter War brought about several changes, one of them being each division having an assigned specialty. These specialties were decided by the Head Captain, and cannot be changed by the division's Captain under any circumstances.

Captains meetings are now held once a week, and attendance is mandatory. Lieutenants are also expected to attend. They also convene with the other members in the Tetra Alliance on a weekly basis as well. The Central 46 no longer has any kind of power over the Gotei, and that supreme power over the organization has been passed onto the Captain-Commander. The Omnitsukido and Kido Corps have also become involved in the Gotei, with the former officially having been merged into the Second Division, and the latter being absorbed by the Eighth Division.

Structure
The structure of the Gotei 13 remains largely the same, and is made up of the thirteen divisions, with each division having it's own specialty. It is lead by the Captain Commander, who, with the abolishment of the Central 46, has total control over the organization.

With the almost four-times the recruits as they had in the past, the Gotei's ranks have expanded to add ten more seats to each division. There are still no ranks for the unseated officers. A more detailed description of each rank can be found below.

Captains Council
The Captains council is made up of the thirteen Captains in the Gotei. All Captains are considered equal, with the exception of the Captain-Commander who holds the highest rank. Each Captain can run their division as they see fit, although they must adhere to the rules and guidelines that were set out by the Captain-Commander.

All Captains are able to use Bankai, and are expected to be proficcient in Hakuda,Kido and Hohoas well. They are also expected to be good leaders and tacticians, with more and more emphasis being placed on intelligence and competency, as opposed to before when brute strength was the only thing that truly mattered. Captains can also give orders to other members of other divisions, although cannot exact punishment upon them without the consent of that division's Captain.

Due to the Soul War, the killing of a Captain to attain their position has been prohibited. The only two ways to currently become a Captain is to take the Captain Profieciency Test or to be recommended for the position by six current Captains, and have three of the remaining seven agree. All potential Captains must be able to effectively use their Bankai, and are evaluated by the Captain-Commander.

Lieutenants
Lieutenants are the second-most powerful Shinigami in the Gotei 13. As of the end of the Winter War, most, if not all, of the Lieutenants were expected to train and achieve Bankai in order to fortify the Seireitei's defences. As such, the power gap between them and the Captains has become less significant, although there is still a noticeable divide. Lieutenants are appointed and dismissed by the Captain of their division, and more than one Shinigami can hold the position at a time. While this was a fairly rare practice before, the suddent increase in the number of recruits per division has made it far more commonplace.

As of the beginning of the Soul War, anyone nominated for the position of Lieutenant was required to accept.

Seated Officers
Seated officers are Shinigami who hold a position between 3rd-30th seat in their respective division. They are in charge of smaller units of unseated officers in the division. Several Shinigami can hold the same seat, although such a thing is fairly rare in the higher ranks. All seated Shinigami must be able to use their Shikai.

Size and Recruitment
Since the end of the Winter War, the Gotei's numbers have been growing by leaps and bounds. One of the largest factors in this sudden population growth was the modification of the Shino Academy's curriculum, which enabled students to progress at an incredibly rapid pace. Now the average completion time is around two years.

A conscription bill was also placed into effect, and any able-bodied soul with enough reiatsu was forced to enlist in the Gotei. This was initially done to rebuild the organization's strength and size after the battle against Aizen, but it was never abolished.

Currently, each division has upwards of 800 soldiers, which adds up to approximately 10 500 Shinigami overall.

Transfers and Retirement
Transferring out of a division has become an uncommon practice due to the changes that have been made to the Gotei since the start of the war. The Shinigami in each division are trained in a specific area, and most would be more of a hinderance than an asset in any division but their own. Retirement has also become a rare thing due to the toll the Soul War has taken on the Gotei. The only time a Shinigami can retire from now is if they are deemed unfit for duty, in which case they are usually sent to work in manufacturing, agriculture, or some other non-combat job.

Former Shinigami have also been ordered to return to their positions if they are fit for duty, or provide help in other much-needed areas.

Insignia


Each Division in the Gotei 13 has it's own insignia in the form of a flowe r. The flower represents the nature and "unifying trait" of the division.

Uniforms
Since the end of the Winter War, a stricter uniform policy has been put into place. It has been heavily enforced as well, and any Shinigami who does not adhere to the dress code is severely punished. The rules are as follows:
 * All personnel of the Gotei 13 are expected to wear the standard-issue Shihakusho (sleeveless kosode are permitted)
 * Exceptions are made for training and combat purposes
 * Uniforms must be appropriate, and cover the breasts and buttocks fully
 * Uniforms must be in pristine condition at all times when outside of combat
 * Any modifications must not be distracting or be a hinderance in combat
 * Zanpakuto and any other weapons must be carried at all times--even when off-duty