The Royal Guard (ロイヤル・ガード; roiyaru gādo) was the military force that governed the Soul Society of Britannia. The guard was divided into twelve units, led by a lord and his or her adjutant, each in charge of guarding their respective district of the Heaven Districts. Each district was named in accordance to the division who governed it and the districts were occupied by the souls that departed from the World of the Living to the Britannian society.
Ranks[]
Lord[]
Each of the twelve divisions was led by a single individual known as a Lord (ロルド; Rorudo). The lord was an equivalent to the Japanese Captain, though a Captain-Commander position was non-existent in the organization. The Chancellor acted as a "thirteenth" member of the Royal Guard, keeping the other lords in check with the Guard Division. The Chancellor held absolute authority over the Royal Guard.
Promotion to Lord[]
Aspiring lords follow similar promotion methods as that of the Gotei 13, though the ability to release bankai was a requirement to be eligible. Potential lords could be recommended by four existing lords, though a vacancy was required for this method to occur. They could also be promoted by defeating an existing lord in a one-on-one duel where the absolute majority of the division's members and three lords were present.
Adjutant[]
The closest equivalent to a lieutenant would be an Aide-de-camp, often erroneously referred to as an Aide by outsiders, which was an individual who was personally selected by the lord to assist him or her in administrative activities. Although the official term is Aide-de-camp, Adjutant was more commonly used to refer to the rank. There was no title that an aide-de-camp would go by to distinguish him or herself from other members of the division. However, they wore division badges to allow others to identify his or her status. They usually took over the position of lord unless the aide refused or was considered ineligible for the position. When a new lord assumes leadership, the aide-de-camp usually was replaced by another aide that the new lord held more trust in.
Aide[]
An officer beneath the Aide-de-camp, was the Aide. The number of aides varied with division, with no standard minimum or maximum. However, they were considered to be capable officers. The strength of an aide compared to an aide-de-camp had the potential to be of equal strength, due to the lack of specifications regarding the prerequisites to becoming an aide-de-camp. Aides commanded small sub-units within the division, micromanaging a division on the scale that a lord could not possibly manage alongside other duties.
Divisions[]
- Guard Division* (led by Karlest Yates)
- 3rd Division (led by Dante Portinari)
- 5th Division (led by Damon Leyt)
- 7th Division (led by Elizabeth Ainsworth)
- 8th Division (led by Joshua Snyder)
- 9th Division (led by Drake Marvolo)
- 10th Division (led by Beatrix von Bähr and Adjutant Edward Marwick)
- 11th Division (led by Ilyana Ashworth)
- 12th Division (led by Artephius Flamiel)
*Although named a division, the Guard Division is officially separate of the Royal Guard.
Size and recruitment[]
Each division of the Royal Guard, including the Guard Division, consisted of at least 300 enlisted personnel, bringing the overall manpower to over 4000 men.
Distinguishing from other societies[]
Although technically shinigami, a Royal Guard distinguishes himself from the other regions' soul societies by calling himself a Seraph (セリフ ; Serifu). Otherwise, they use soul reapers and shinigami interchangeably among themselves. However, the custom was rarely followed on a consistent basis.
Some of the divisions have specialties, such as the dragoons of the 10th Division.
Uniform[]
Varying degrees of plate armor is the dominant uniform of the Royal Guard. They distinguish themselves from others based on the color of their armor. It should be noted that helms are not part of standard uniform.