Recaps

Rei rose from a starving wanderer in Rukongai to a powerful fighter, awakened Blood Drink, and survived a Hollow invasion and a battle with Yanis. After gaining the ability to drain Reiryoku, he began taking it from the weak and drew the attention of Soul Reapers, leaving him in combat with three Tenth Division officers.

• Nangong Ling merged with Ling’s soul, survived West District 68 by scavenging, and killed the Three Skinny Fiends before taking control of a village.
• Nangong Ling joined Genji’s group, helped seize West Fallen Silver Town, and became its leader as the Fallen Silver Group expanded.
• After learning that Hollows could be killed by breaking their masks, Ling fought a massive invasion, heard his Zanpakuto’s name, and released Blood Drink.
• Kuruyashiki Kenpachi helped drive back the Hollows, while Ling and Maki survived and traveled onward through Rukongai.
• Rei defeated Kujo, gathered wealth with Maki, and later survived Hollow attacks and a Soul Reaper rebellion before settling in North District 10.
• Rei fought Shinji Hirako and then Yanis, defeated the Hollow, and struggled to contain Yanis’s consciousness as it took hold of his left arm.
• Rei forced Yanis to surrender, gained the ability to drain Reiryoku, and tested it on gangs, Hollows, and starving souls.
• Three Tenth Division officers confronted Rei over his Reiryoku draining, and he wounded Yamada Ryūki before cutting off Furukawa’s right hand.

Rei joined the Gotei 13, led an expedition into Hueco Mundo, and killed Hideaki Tsunayashiro after their duel. Banned from fighting captains and granted leave, he returned to Hueco Mundo, where he recruited Grimmjow to hunt Hollows and pursue evolution.

• Rei fought Kenpachi Zaraki in South District 79, survived the battle with Yanis’s help, and spent months roaming Rukongai while growing stronger.
• Rei learned how to achieve Bankai, trained for a year, then joined the Gotei 13 as the 11th Division’s lieutenant after Kuruyashiki defeated him in a spar.
• Rei led the Expeditionary Force through a Garganta into Hueco Mundo, fought Hollows and Adjuchas, and killed Zommari after rescuing Yuanshan.
• Rei returned to Seireitei and learned the Tsunayashiro Clan had attacked his people, then rejected Hideaki’s offer to join the clan.
• Rei fought Hideaki in a public duel, defeated his Bankai, and killed him, prompting Yamamoto to challenge Central 46 over the clan’s abuses.
• Central 46 released Rei’s subordinates but barred Rei from dueling captains for a hundred years, so Rei took ten years’ leave and returned to Hueco Mundo.
• Rei hunted with Yanis, spared Hidri and Moros as mounts, and attacked a mountain alliance of Adjuchas before capturing several survivors.
• Rei captured Grimmjow after his mounts were killed, then recruited him as an ally by promising to help him evolve and hunt Vasto Lorde.
• Rei and Grimmjow hunted more than a hundred times without finding a Vasto Lorde, while Grimmjow grew angry that Yanis ate most of their prey.

Rei returned to Soul Society, became the 11th Division’s Kenpachi, and pursued both Azashiro and the Bakōtō conspiracy while Grimmjow built his own Hollow group. As the Quincy threat emerged, Rei helped reveal their hidden Holy City and entered battle against its defenders.

• Rei and Grimmjow hunted Yammy, and Rei defeated him with his Bankai before leaving Hueco Mundo to return to Soul Society.
• Rei learned that Azashiro had killed Kuruyashiki, challenged him, and defeated him in West Rukongai, then became captain of the 11th Division as Nangong Kenpachi.
• Rei investigated the Bakōtō experiments, but Kisaragi Shingō died after Kumoi’s men forced him to use one, leaving Kisaragi Shūsuke seeking revenge.
• Grimmjow and Dordoni recruited Ulquiorra into the Blood Panther Group while Rei measured Soul Reapers’ Reiatsu and began teaching Kensei Bankai.
• Rei expanded the 11th Division by recruiting fighters from Rukongai gangs, then attended a meeting with the Zero Division and heard Yama-jii order the captains to prepare for war with the Quincy.
• Rei revealed the Quincy Holy City with Hadō #88 and led the 11th Division toward it as Maki summoned nearby Squads.
• Nangong Ling fought the Sternritter Terrence Toppe and killed him with Hollowfication, then clashed with Billson Jackaston as Quincy reinforcements arrived.

Rei fought the Quincy, confronted Kōga, and built an army in Hueco Mundo after helping Grimmjow’s group defeat Baraggan’s forces. The arc left Rei investigating the army’s captured scientists and their experiments while Aizen began pursuing power and reform.

• Haschwalth used The Balance to turn Rei’s injuries against him, but Rei restored himself, released Bankai, and drove Haschwalth to flee into the Shadow Domain.
• Rei led the Soul Reapers’ campaign against the Quincy and later judged Kōga’s captaincy prospects before Kōga was framed, sentenced to Muken, and stripped of Muramasa.
• Rei defeated Kiganjō, then joined the fight against the Hollows and entered Hueco Mundo to aid Grimmjow’s group against Baraggan’s forces.
• Rei’s side defeated Baraggan’s forces at Las Noches, though Baraggan, Szayelaporro, and Picaro escaped through a Garganta.
• Rei formed the Arrancar Army, put Ulquiorra in command, and brought Ashido back to Soul Society after persuading him to leave Hueco Mundo.
• Rei returned to Seireitei without punishment, and Ashido reclaimed his former seat in the 11th Division.
• Ten years later, Aizen concealed his captain-level strength and began considering how to gain power to pursue reform.
• Rei investigated reports of Hollow attacks and learned that scientists in Hueco Mundo were studying soul bodies and Reiryoku, then went to observe Ulquiorra’s test subjects.