Hirako, Shinji
Summary
Shinji Hirako, born on May 10 under the Taurus sign, stands 176 cm tall and weighs 60 kg. He previously served as the captain of the 5th Division, with Sōsuke Aizen as his lieutenant. Suspecting Aizen from their first meeting, Shinji appointed him lieutenant to monitor him closely. However, his lack of social interaction with Aizen allowed the latter to deceive him, ultimately resulting in Shinji’s transformation into a hollow. His personality is often comical, providing levity in serious situations. He frequently annoys Hiyori Sarugaki, earning slaps from her sandals, and has a habit of deadpanningly calling cute girls his 'first love,' a trait he notably avoids with Hiyori. Early design concepts appear in the first chapter’s cover art, indicating early planning for his introduction. In the anime, his attire resembles that of Lupin the III, likely an animator’s homage. His hollow mask mimics a pharaoh’s design. Shinji demonstrates high proficiency with hollow abilities, using a single cero blast to easily overpower Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. Video games also show his ability to split cero blasts into a pyramid-shaped attack. His zanpakutō, Sakanade (逆撫), creates an inverted world through an optical illusion triggered by the scent released upon its shikai. This power reverses an opponent’s sense of direction, flipping up and down, left and right, and forward and backward. It also inverts eyesight and the location of cuts. In its sealed state, Sakanade looks like a standard katana with a red hilt and sheath. Upon release, the hilt transforms into a large ring that Shinji places his hand through, allowing him to control the sword’s movement without holding it directly. The ring connects to a standard hilt with a rectangular hand guard. The first few inches of the straight, slim blade are covered by an extension of the guard, ending in a slanted, razor-like edge rather than a point. Five holes run along the blade’s length. A tattoo is visible on his tongue, as seen in episode 142.
