Recaps

He-El survived Aizen’s assault and entered the Central Spiritual Arts Academy with Ichimaru Gin and Rangiku, while Soul Society chose not to provoke him. As Gin set out to join Aizen’s division and He-El sought access to the Great Spirit Library, He-El drew Shunsui Kyoraku into a dark sphere.

• He-El fought Aizen with Universe, survived the destruction of his body, and escaped the Hell Gate’s pull by stopping his Shikai from absorbing Reishi.
• Aizen left for the Seireitei after returning Ichimaru Gin and Rangiku, and Kensei Muguruma and Kukaku Shiba found them in the devastated forest with He-El asleep.
• He-El admitted killing Urahara Ichiro and taking his Asauchi, and the captains accepted his account of Urahara’s experiments after Ukitake investigated the laboratory.
• Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni ordered that He-El be allowed to study at the Central Spiritual Arts Academy, and Shunsui Kyoraku enrolled He-El, Gin, and Rangiku.
• He-El defeated the Academy’s instructors in Zan Ken So Ki and focused on library research, while Gin awakened Shinsō and damaged a teaching building.
• Gin decided to leave the Academy and join Fifth Division to learn from Aizen Sōsuke, and He-El gave him an ancient tome to have placed in the Great Spirit Library.
• He-El planned to enter the Great Spirit Library himself, and Shunsui challenged him to a fight so he could claim he had been unable to stop him.
• He-El asked Shunsui why the Soul King had been dismembered, said the Soul King had been willing, and summoned a dark sphere that swallowed them both.

He-El entered the Great Spirit Library and clashed with Tokinada Tsunayashiro, then attacked the Tsunayashiro residence and drew the captains into a battle that opened Hell Gate above the Seireitei. After defeating several captains, He-El fought Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, who shattered his Zanpakuto, but He-El regenerated and copied Yamamoto’s blade as the fight continued.

• He-El brought Shunsui Kyoraku into the Great Spirit Library, where they encountered Tokinada Tsunayashiro.
• Tokinada threatened to expose Shunsui’s unauthorized entry, so He-El tore off Tokinada’s arm before Shunsui intervened and sent He-El away.
• He-El left to kill Tokinada, and Rangiku admitted she feared he would leave her before he departed for the Tsunayashiro residence.
• He-El’s Senkai absorbed Reishi across the Seireitei as he flew toward the Tsunayashiro residence, and Shunsui confronted him before Hell Gate appeared above Shin'ō Academy.
• He-El defeated Shunsui, Shinsuke Hirako, Kenpachi Zaraki, Kensei Muguruma, Juushiro Ukitake, and Love Aikawa as the captains tried to stop him.
• Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni challenged He-El and fought him with Ryujin Jakka, then unleashed Scorching Hell as He-El protected Senkai and gathered its Reishi.
• He-El absorbed Senkai’s Reishi while Yamamoto activated Bankai and shattered He-El’s Zanpakuto, but He-El regenerated in the gorge and formed a blade like Yamamoto’s.

He-El was defeated by the True Name Calling Monk’s Bankai and sent to Hell, where he lost his memories and became Black Ant. He returned to the Seireitei, fought its defenders, and agreed to stay with Yamamoto so he could continue learning.

• He-El battled Yamamoto and the captains before the True Name Calling Monk renamed him Black Ant and opened the Hell Gate, which drew him into Hell.
• Black Ant lost his memories, explored Hell, and fought the Gatekeepers before a dark sphere brought him back to the Seireitei.
• Black Ant encountered Orihime Inoue and Uryu Ishida, helped them evade Soul Reapers, and watched Uryu defeat Jirōbō Ikkanzaka.
• Rangiku Matsumoto fought Uryu and Black Ant, but Black Ant defeated her and was stopped from striking her by Yamamoto.
• Black Ant blasted Kenpachi Zaraki through buildings, then Yamamoto ordered the other captains to stand down and invited Black Ant to speak with him.
• Yamamoto offered Black Ant any knowledge he wanted, and Black Ant agreed to remain in the Seireitei while Ichigo Kurosaki was carried away.

Aizen’s staged death led to his attack on Rukia and his attempt to recover the Hogyoku, while Black Ant fought through Tosen and confronted Aizen. Aizen escaped after Black Ant agreed to give him three years, then awakened in an unfamiliar space and killed the people who claimed him.

• Black Ant exposed Aizen’s corpse as a fake, and the captains learned that Aizen had betrayed the Gotei 13.
• Aizen and Gin moved toward their plans as the execution of Rukia was brought forward, while Tosen confronted Black Ant in the First Division Library.
• Black Ant survived Tosen’s Bankai, restored Tosen’s sight, and left him behind as the Sōkyoku execution began.
• Ukitake, Yoruichi, and Ichigo stopped the execution, but Aizen revealed himself, incapacitated the defenders, and removed the Hogyoku from Rukia.
• Aizen recovered memories of He-El and absorbed Urahara’s Hogyoku, but Black Ant advanced with the Sōkyoku Spear and drove him to flee.
• Black Ant grievously wounded Gin and pursued Aizen, who used Hollowfied Ichigo as a diversion before Black Ant shattered Ichigo’s mask and burned half of Aizen’s body.
• Yamamoto attacked Black Ant as Aizen proposed a fight in three years, and Black Ant accepted before striking Aizen with Byakurai.
• The Hogyoku began rebuilding Aizen in an unfamiliar space, where Aizen killed the white-uniformed people and left, saying he was waiting for someone at the White House.