Recaps

He-El awoke in a drought-stricken wasteland beside a starving orange-haired girl and learned they were near a place called Withered Flower. He decided not to leave her behind and dragged her east toward a city while trying to keep her awake.

• He-El awoke after the girl poked his nose with a branch, and found himself in the body of an exhausted, starving child.
• He-El asked where they were, and the girl identified the place as Withered Flower and pointed east toward a city.
• He-El realized the girl would likely die if he went for help alone, so he pulled her onto his shoulder and began dragging her east.
• He-El asked the girl's name, and she weakly answered, Matsumoto Rangiku.

He-El carried the starving Rangiku through East Rukongai and encountered Ichimaru Gin, who refused to share his dried persimmons. He-El struck Gin with a ricocheting pebble, making him drop the food.

• He-El recognized the starving girl he was carrying as Rangiku Matsumoto and realized she had not yet met Ichimaru Gin.
• Ichimaru Gin watched them from behind a withered tree, wary of giving away the dried persimmons he had gathered.
• He-El asked Gin for two persimmons and offered to owe him a favor, but Gin refused and said he would wait for them to pass out.
• He-El flicked a pebble that ricocheted off the tree and struck Gin's foot, causing him to fall and scatter the persimmons.

He-El stopped Ichimaru Gin from taking Rangiku’s dried persimmons, then learned that nearby villages were controlled by gangs who exploited children. He-El set off to find food, and Rangiku and Ichimaru Gin followed him.

• He-El used precise pebble shots to force Ichimaru Gin out from behind a tree and make him surrender.
• He-El gave Rangiku a dried persimmon and kept another for himself, leaving Ichimaru Gin four persimmons.
• Ichimaru Gin warned He-El and Rangiku that nearby villages were occupied by gangs who trained children to commit crimes and never let them return.
• He-El asked whether the gangs were strong, then invited Rangiku and Ichimaru Gin to follow him in search of food.
• Rangiku and Ichimaru Gin followed He-El as he headed east.

He-El reached the village with Rangiku and Ichimaru Gin, discovered he could sense and manipulate his own spiritual power but could not control Reishi dispersed into the surroundings, and decided to learn established techniques. At the village entrance, he killed a child-catching idler, drawing the attention of the dead man's companions.

• He-El examined his Reishi body and found he could gather and control his own spiritual power, but his dispersed Reishi quickly merged with the world.
• He-El decided to learn established methods of controlling Reishi before attempting to develop his own.
• A horse-faced idler recognized Rangiku and Ichimaru Gin as escaped children and charged He-El, hoping to claim Brother Pu Hua's reward.
• He-El dodged the idler's kick, crippled his knee, and tore out his eyes.
• He-El took the idler's wakizashi and killed him with a strike to the throat as Rangiku and Ichimaru Gin watched in shock.
• Villagers shut their doors and windows, while the idler's companions came out to investigate the screams.

He-El fought off the Fukahana Society thugs who had come to capture him and his companions. After killing Dongdu with a thrown wakizashi, he picked up Cherry Blossom Fall as the remaining hooligans stared in shock.

• Dongdu ordered his men to capture He-El, Ichimaru Gin, and Rangiku and take them to Brother Pu Hua.
• He-El cut one attacker’s Achilles tendon, revealing his skill with the wakizashi.
• Ichimaru Gin and Rangiku threw stones to distract the men, and He-El slashed open two attackers’ abdomens.
• Dongdu challenged He-El with his Katana, Cherry Blossom Fall, but He-El threw his wakizashi through Dongdu’s throat and killed him.
• He-El picked up Cherry Blossom Fall and faced the two remaining stunned hooligans.

Urahara Jiro learned that a naked child had killed Dongdu and waited at headquarters for the child to arrive. After dressing himself in an outfit cut from Dongdu’s clothes, He-El ordered Ichimaru Gin and Rangiku to kill the remaining thugs.

• A thug told Urahara Jiro that Dongdu had been killed by a naked child, and Urahara Jiro reacted with shock and anger.
• The thug explained that the child was coming to attack the Urahara Organization headquarters, and Urahara Jiro chose to wait for him rather than go out himself.
• He-El used Cherry Blossom Fall to cut a martial outfit to fit himself from Dongdu’s clothes.
• He-El put on the outfit, shouldered Cherry Blossom Fall, and ordered Ichimaru Gin and Rangiku to kill the two remaining thugs.

He-El and Ichimaru Gin killed the remaining Urahara Organization thugs while Rangiku showed she could judge when killing was necessary. He-El reached the organization’s headquarters, where Urahara Jiro waited with a sword, and Urahara Jiro asked why He-El was wearing clothes.

• Ichimaru Gin killed the thug whose hamstrings had been severed, while Rangiku refused to approach the dying men and suggested using a stone instead.
• He-El killed the two begging thugs with Cherry Blossom Fall and headed for the Urahara Organization headquarters with Rangiku and Ichimaru Gin.
• Rangiku tried to lift a stone but was too weak, so she asked Ichimaru Gin for another dried persimmon and followed He-El.
• A villager warned He-El and the others that the Urahara Organization’s boss was stronger than Dongdu, but He-El continued toward the headquarters.
• He-El killed the thug guarding the entrance and entered the building, where Urahara Jiro greeted him and asked why he was wearing clothes.

He-El overwhelmed Urahara Jiro with his swordsmanship after learning that Great Long Heaven was not a Zanpakuto. Urahara Jiro revealed that he could use Shunpo and threatened He-El with a deadly technique, leaving their fight unresolved.

• Urahara Jiro tried to intimidate He-El with his murderous aura and boasted about his sword, Great Long Heaven.
• He-El asked whether Great Long Heaven was a Zanpakuto, and Urahara Jiro abandoned his planned introduction after realizing it was not.
• Urahara Jiro slashed at He-El, who dodged and countered with Cherry Blossom Fall, cutting him severely.
• Urahara Jiro escaped the attack with Shunpo, a technique taught by his elder brother Urahara Ichiro.
• He-El advanced on the wounded Urahara Jiro and asked him to use Shunpo again so he could study it.
• Urahara Jiro declared that He-El had angered him and threatened him with a deadly technique only Bleach could possess.

He-El blocked Urahara Jiro’s Shunpo, learned the technique by observing its use, and defeated him. After Jiro admitted he knew no Kidō, He-El killed him and told him to let his brother seek revenge.

• Urahara Jiro used Shunpo to attack He-El from behind, but He-El blocked the thrust with Cherry Blossom Fall.
• He-El copied and improved Shunpo, then appeared behind Urahara Jiro and stabbed him below the heart.
• He-El explained that he had learned Shunpo by studying how Jiro’s Reishi moved through his body.
• He-El demanded that Jiro demonstrate Kidō, but Jiro said he knew none and pleaded for his life by invoking his brother, Urahara Ichiro.
• He-El cut Urahara Jiro’s throat and told him to let his brother avenge him.

He-El killed Urahara Jiro and took command of the Urahara Organization, then shared a meal with Rangiku and Ichimaru Gin. The square-faced subordinate revealed that Urahara Jiro's elder brother, Urahara Ichiro, had ordered the organization to capture children, though he did not know why.

• He-El killed Urahara Jiro, and Ichimaru Gin and Rangiku arrived in time to witness his strength.
• A square-faced member of the Urahara Organization submitted to He-El, who ordered him to prepare food and clean the hall.
• The organization removed Urahara Jiro's body, cleaned the blood, and served He-El, Rangiku, and Ichimaru Gin a meal.
• Ichimaru Gin asked why the organization had been capturing children, and the square-faced man said Urahara Ichiro had ordered it.
• The square-faced man said the children were being kept in the cellar in Back Village and admitted he did not know their purpose.

He-El, Ichimaru Gin, and Rangiku investigated the cellar where the Urahara Organization had taken children. They found a horrific creature made from children’s bodies, and He-El realized someone had been conducting Hollow experiments.

• Ichimaru Gin questioned the square-faced brute, who said about a dozen children had been taken to the cellar and never returned.
• He-El led Ichimaru Gin and Rangiku through Back Village to the cellar, where a foul stench of blood came from below.
• He-El cut through the cellar’s iron gate and found filthy cells lining the passage.
• A spider-like Hollow stitched together from children’s bodies emerged and crawled toward the group.
• He-El recognized the creature as a Hollow and suspected a nearby person was behind the experiments.

He-El fought the child-spider Hollow in the prison cell and discovered that its spider silk was its true body. He cut through its attacks and interrupted its energy blast, then returned to Ichimaru Gin and the others as the energy gathering inside the spider exploded.

• He-El ordered Ichimaru Gin, Rangiku, and the square-faced burly man to retreat while he faced the child-spider alone.
• The spider attacked He-El with a child’s arm, and he severed it and realized the spider silk was the Hollow’s true body.
• He-El advanced through the spider’s swarm of limbs, cutting their threads as he walked through the air toward it.
• The spider gathered a red energy blast, but He-El used Shunpo to close in and slash open its mask before it could fire.
• He-El returned to Ichimaru Gin and the others, and the energy gathered inside the spider exploded.

Urahara Ichiro learned that his younger brother, Urahara Jiro, was presumed dead after an intruder entered the Withered Flower experimental site, but the intruder’s appearance also offered him a chance to earn Lord Aizen’s favor and attain Shikai. He left to investigate Jiro’s fate while Masaki Seinosuke contacted Lord Aizen.

• Masaki Seinosuke told Urahara Ichiro that Urahara Jiro was dead and showed him footage of He-El entering the experimental site and destroying a camera.
• Urahara Ichiro feared Jiro had either been overpowered by the intruder or would be punished for letting the intruder enter.
• Seinosuke showed Urahara Ichiro a red warning triggered when He-El and his companions appeared, suggesting they were important to Lord Aizen.
• Urahara Ichiro watched He-El kill the Composite Spider and believed the discovery could earn him Lord Aizen’s help in attaining Shikai.
• Urahara Ichiro decided to use his family leave to investigate Jiro’s fate, and Seinosuke contacted Lord Aizen after he left.

He-El trained Ichimaru Gin and Rangiku with a breathing technique that drew out their spiritual potential, and Gin quickly learned to control Reishi. He-El told Gin that no matter how strong he became, he could never surpass him, then led them away to show them a Shinigami’s power.

• He-El urged Ichimaru Gin and Rangiku to focus on his breathing method and struck Rangiku when she lost concentration.
• He-El explained that both students had exceptional potential and that the technique could keep developing them as they learned to manipulate Reishi.
• Ichimaru Gin drew Reishi from his body, formed it into a sphere, and moved it between his fingers while Rangiku watched enviously.
• Ichimaru Gin asked whether his potential would let him surpass He-El, but He-El said he would never become stronger than him.
• He-El picked up Cherry Blossom Fall and led Ichimaru Gin and Rangiku away to witness a Shinigami’s power.

Urahara Ichiro arrived at the Urahara Organization’s village and learned that his younger brother, Urahara Jiro, had been killed. He confronted He-El and the children, while Aizen hurried toward the village with Masaki Seinosuke.

• Urahara Ichiro questioned the villagers about Urahara Jiro, and Ishino confirmed that the organization’s leader had been killed.
• Ishino told Urahara Ichiro that he had kept the murderer in the village, but He-El appeared before they could go to him.
• Urahara Ichiro unleashed his Reiatsu, forcing the villagers, Ishino, Ichimaru Gin, and Rangiku down while He-El remained standing.
• He-El told Ichimaru Gin and Rangiku to use his breathing method, and they gradually adapted to Urahara Ichiro’s Reiatsu.
• Urahara Ichiro drew his Asauchi and prepared to fight He-El as Aizen and Masaki Seinosuke hurried toward the village.

He-El fought Urahara Ichiro and proved he could withstand his swordsmanship and Reiatsu. After learning Hadō #1: Shō by watching Urahara Ichiro cast it once, He-El adapted the spell to his blade, leaving Urahara Ichiro horrified as he charged again.

• Urahara Ichiro attacked He-El with his Asauchi, but He-El used Reishi to block and deflect his sword strikes.
• Urahara Ichiro cast Hadō #1: Shō and drove He-El backward, then used Shunpo to attack him again.
• He-El cast Hadō #1: Shō at Urahara Ichiro’s sword hand, disrupting his strike and forcing him to retreat.
• He-El said he had learned the spell by watching Urahara Ichiro and demonstrated it, binding its impact force to Cherry Blossom Fall’s blade.
• Urahara Ichiro disbelieved He-El’s feat, then ignored his injured hand and charged at him again.

He-El overpowered Urahara Ichiro with his swordsmanship and improvised Kidō, then pursued him into the forest. Aizen rejected He-El as the person he needed and ordered Masaki Seinosuke to bring Rangiku to him.

• He-El used Hadō #1: Shō to strengthen Cherry Blossom Fall and overwhelm Urahara Ichiro in their sword clash.
• Urahara Ichiro fired Hadō #4: Byakurai, but He-El countered with Shō and blasted the lightning into the ground.
• He-El copied Byakurai and struck Urahara Ichiro's left arm, forcing him to flee into the forest; He-El pursued him using Shunpo.
• Aizen and Masaki Seinosuke watched the fight, and Aizen dismissed He-El as the person he sought.
• Aizen said Rangiku had something he needed within her soul, and Masaki Seinosuke offered to bring her to him.

Ichimaru Gin watched He-El chase Urahara Ichiro into the forest, then faced Masaki Seinosuke, who defeated him and abducted Rangiku. Left injured and furious, Gin followed them toward the forest, marking his route with blood.

• Ichimaru Gin saw the villagers recover from Urahara Ichiro's Reiatsu and watched Ishino flee the village.
• Masaki Seinosuke appeared before Ichimaru Gin, identified Rangiku as Aizen's target, and prepared to take her.
• Ichimaru Gin attacked Masaki Seinosuke with Great Long Heaven, but Masaki countered with Hadō #1: Shō and sent Gin flying.
• Masaki Seinosuke knocked Rangiku unconscious and carried her away, refusing to answer Ichimaru Gin's questions.
• Ichimaru Gin drew an arrow in his blood and pursued Masaki Seinosuke toward the forest, leaving blood markers along the way.

He-El defeated Urahara Ichiro and claimed his Asauchi, which Urahara entrusted to him with a dying request to see Shikai. Returning to the village, He-El noticed the arrow Ichimaru Gin had left behind.

• Urahara Ichiro fled from He-El, who pursued him and demanded his Asauchi.
• Urahara Ichiro attacked He-El with Hadō #11: Tsuzuri Raiden, but He-El evaded the strike with a Reishi afterimage and stabbed him through the chest.
• As he died, Urahara Ichiro threw his Asauchi to He-El and asked him to see the scenery of Shikai for him.
• He-El caught the Asauchi, felt it respond to his Reishi, and returned to the village.
• He-El noticed the arrow Ichimaru Gin had left behind.

He-El learned that Aizen had taken Rangiku and pursued Ichimaru Gin’s trail through the forest. He arrived just as Aizen reached for Rangiku’s head and confronted him.

• A Urahara Organization lackey told He-El that Aizen had taken Rangiku after defeating Ichimaru Gin, who was pursuing him.
• He-El inferred that Aizen intended to take part of Rangiku’s soul and hurried after Gin using Shunpo.
• Ichimaru Gin followed Masaki Seinosuke through the forest despite his serious injuries.
• Masaki Seinosuke brought the unconscious Rangiku to Aizen, who prepared to reach for her head with his Hogyoku nearby.
• He-El emerged from the bushes and asked Aizen what he wanted to do to his subordinate.

Ichimaru Gin watched helplessly as Masaki Seinosuke prepared to offer Rangiku to Aizen, but He-El arrived before Gin could intervene. He-El faced Seinosuke while Aizen studied the undetectable intruder, leaving Rangiku on the ground and a confrontation about to begin.

• Ichimaru Gin hid in the bushes and watched Masaki Seinosuke hold Rangiku up as an offering to Aizen.
• Unable to bear watching Rangiku in danger, Ichimaru Gin prepared to leave cover, but He-El stopped him and took over.
• He-El stepped out with an Asauchi and challenged Masaki Seinosuke while Aizen was reaching for Rangiku.
• Aizen realized He-El had concealed his presence by harmonizing his Reishi with the surroundings and examined his unusual strength.
• Aizen ordered Masaki Seinosuke to proceed, and Seinosuke set Rangiku down before drawing his Asauchi against He-El.

He-El fought Masaki Seinosuke while Aizen watched, using an improved Hadō #1: Shō to overwhelm Seinosuke in a single exchange. Aizen then ordered Seinosuke to show his Shikai, as He-El remained poised to face him.

• Aizen studied He-El’s unusual ability to control Reishi despite his weak Reiatsu, while Masaki Seinosuke stood between them.
• Masaki Seinosuke fired Hadō #4: Byakurai at He-El, who dodged it and checked that Rangiku was unharmed.
• Masaki Seinosuke attacked with his Asauchi and Bakudō #4: Hainawa, but He-El used his improved Hadō #1: Shō: Wave Amplitude to knock the binding spell aside.
• He-El charged with Shunpo and struck Masaki Seinosuke’s sword guard with Hadō #1: Shō, injuring his hand and blasting him backward.
• Aizen calmly told Masaki Seinosuke to show He-El his Shikai.

He-El defeated Masaki Seinosuke after he released his Shikai, relying on precise Reishi control and silent Shunpo rather than his own Shikai. Aizen praised He-El and asked to see his Shikai, but He-El instead asked to see Aizen's, prompting Aizen to draw his Zanpakuto.

• Masaki Seinosuke released Hangman's Noose, increasing his Reiatsu and sending its three rope-like blades at He-El.
• He-El deflected the ropes and dismissed the voice urging him to call his Asauchi's name, while Aizen realized He-El might be impossible to control.
• Masaki Seinosuke used Hangman's Abyss to trap He-El, but He-El vanished and silently cut off his head.
• Aizen praised He-El's Hakuda, swordsmanship, and Reishi control, then asked him to enter Shikai.
• He-El asked to see Aizen's Shikai instead, and Aizen smiled and drew his Zanpakuto.

Aizen released Kyoka Suigetsu against He-El and explained it as an illusion-type Zanpakuto, while secretly placing He-El under Complete Hypnosis. He-El recognized the true ability and revealed that he could sense when it interfered with his senses, leaving Aizen startled.

• Aizen drew his Asauchi and asked He-El for his name before releasing his Shikai.
• Aizen chanted, "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu," and its release distorted He-El's perception of the world.
• Aizen claimed Kyoka Suigetsu refracted Reishi to create illusions, concealing its power to control its victims' five senses.
• He-El realized his weak Reiatsu prevented him from removing Kyoka Suigetsu's influence, but his precise Reishi control let him detect when it activated.
• He-El identified Kyoka Suigetsu's Complete Hypnosis ability, and Aizen's smile froze.

Aizen confronted He-El after realizing he could detect Kyoka Suigetsu's influence, though it still controlled his senses. He-El walked toward Aizen and began releasing his Shikai, leaving its chant unfinished.

• Aizen realized He-El had identified Kyoka Suigetsu's influence and approached him while radiating immense Reiatsu.
• He-El explained that Kyoka Suigetsu still affected his senses, but he could tell when it controlled each one.
• Aizen challenged He-El to release his Shikai and reveal the source of his confidence.
• He-El raised his Asauchi, walked toward Aizen, and began chanting, “The four directions above and below are space; antiquity and the present are time—”