Recaps

Araki positioned his disciples to take control of the Gotei 13 while preparing to challenge Yamamoto for the Captain-Commander position. When Central 46 and the noble clans moved against Kyoraku’s sister-in-law, Araki killed Hokage and departed with Yamamoto to duel.

• Araki trained Kenpachi until he mastered Bankai, then brought Yoruichi, Kyoraku, Ukitake, and Tokinada back to Soul Society and tested them as his disciples.
• Araki forced the captains of the 8th, 9th, and 13th Divisions to give way, and Kyoraku, Ukitake, and Tokinada passed Yamamoto’s assessment and took their captaincies.
• Yoruichi became commander of the Onmitsukidō and captain of the 2nd Division, while Tokinada began challenging the Tsunayashiro Family Head and Araki arranged for Senjumaru to establish the Department of Research and Development.
• After Kyoraku’s elder brother died, Kyoraku’s sister-in-law chose to go with the Ise Family, but the Ise Family could not find her and the noble clans’ scheme implicated the Tsunayashiro head.
• Kyoraku and Tokinada learned that Kyoraku’s sister-in-law had been sent to Sokyoku Hill for execution, while Yoruichi stalled the clan heads and Ukitake tried to delay the execution.
• Kyoraku freed his sister-in-law at the execution platform, Tokinada used the Shihoin Clan Divine Class Item against Hokage, and Araki killed Hokage with one slash before entering a Garganta with Yamamoto to duel.

After defeating Genryūsai and becoming Captain-Commander, Araki reshaped the Gotei 13, trained Aizen, and sent an expedition into Hueco Mundo. The arc ended with Kenpachi defeating Kuruyashiki and Araki preparing to recruit Hueco Mundo’s Vasto Lordes.

• Araki defeated Genryūsai in Hueco Mundo, became Captain-Commander, and persuaded Genryūsai to join Division 0.
• Araki consolidated his authority in Soul Society, appointed new captains, and secured funds for a Hueco Mundo expedition led by Kuruyashiki.
• Kuruyashiki returned after a century in Hueco Mundo with records of powerful Menos, then challenged several captains and defeated Yoruichi, Soifon, and Arimura.
• Araki trained Aizen for a hundred years, after which Aizen joined the 5th Division and began investigating Araki’s weaknesses.
• Kuruyashiki fought Kenpachi in Hueco Mundo and unleashed his Bankai, but Kenpachi overcame the Abyss and won before both fighters collapsed.
• Araki healed the fighters, learned that Dihyera had become a Vasto Lorde, and prepared to recruit him, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, and Tier Harribel.

Araki expanded his influence across Soul Society and Hueco Mundo while Aizen built the Arrancar and secretly engineered the Hollowfication incident. The arc ends with Isshin sacrificing his Soul Reaper powers to save Masaki, as Araki watches from Urahara’s shop.

• Araki recruited Nelliel, Halibel, Cien Granz, and Roka Paramia, then broke Arturo Plateado’s seal and made him his servant.
• Araki trained Azashiro Sōya, who led the Quincy Special Assault Squad into Hueco Mundo, where Aizen began seeking allies among the Hollows.
• Araki resolved the Kasumioji Clan’s Bakkōtō crisis, while Urahara Kisuke became captain of the 12th Division and recruited Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
• Aizen and Kaname Tosen Hollowfied Kensei Muguruma, Hiyori Sarugaki, and other Soul Reapers, then framed Urahara and Shinji Hirako for the incident.
• Araki allowed Urahara, Yoruichi, Shinji, and the Hollowfied captains to escape to the Human World, while Aizen became captain of the 5th Division and recruited Ichimaru Gin.
• Araki trained Gin and later took Byakuya Kuchiki and Kūkaku Shiba to the Soul King Palace, where they completed ten years of training before Byakuya became captain of the 6th Division.
• Aizen used the Hogyoku to transform his Hueco Mundo allies into Arrancar and formed the Espada, while Araki prepared for the end of the Three Worlds’ long peace.
• Aizen, Tosen, and Gin brought White to Karakura Town, where Masaki Kurosaki defeated it and Isshin Shiba agreed to give up his Soul Reaper powers to save her.

Araki revealed the hidden connections between the Quincy, Ichigo, and Yhwach while Ichigo regained his powers and Soul Society overturned its old order. As Aizen moved to create the Oken, Ichigo and the Soul Reapers entered Hueco Mundo to stop him.

• Araki revealed his Quincy origins and his role in the Ishida family’s lineage, then saved Masaki from Yhwach’s Auswählen as Isshin’s exile and Urahara’s assignment sent the family histories down separate paths.
• Masaki and Isshin married and had Ichigo, whose Soul Reaper, Quincy, and Hollow powers became entangled, while Araki and Aizen watched his birth and Yhwach began to stir.
• Ichigo met Rukia and Uryu, awakened his Soul Reaper powers, and joined Uryu to defeat a Gillian after Aizen sent Hollows to Karakura Town.
• Byakuya and Renji took Rukia to Soul Society, so Ichigo trained with Urahara and entered the Seireitei with his friends and the Visoreds to rescue her.
• Ichigo learned that the Quincy power within him was Yhwach and recognized White as his Zanpakuto, then clashed with Kenpachi as Aizen took the Hogyoku from Rukia and revealed his betrayal.
• Araki stopped the fighting, cleared the Visoreds and Rukia, and reorganized Central 46, then took Ichigo and Uryu to the Soul King Palace to restore their powers and ordered Uryu to infiltrate the Wandenreich.
• Uryu gained Yhwach’s favor and defeated the Sternritter challengers, while Ichigo returned to the Human World and learned that Aizen’s Arrancar had taken Orihime to Hueco Mundo.
• Araki sent Rukia and Renji to gather allies, and Genryūsai led the Soul Reapers through Hueco Mundo to join Ichigo, Uryu, and Sado as they advanced toward Las Noches to attack Aizen.