AIZEN’S INSANE PAST | HOW AIZEN BECAME EVIL | BLEACH Theory

Sosuke Aizen is the most iconic BLEACH villain, having left a huge impression upon all of anime and manga. In this video I breakdown everything that has been revealed about Aizen’s backstory, and then theorise about what made Aizen into a villain. Why made Aizen oppose the current system of the Soul Society? Why does Kubo not want to reveal Aizen’s backstory to us?

#BLEACH #Bleach2023 #BleachAnime

[bobowon]

My favorite part of Aizen was that he never once says he wants to destroy the world. He doesn't say he hates soul reapers or hollows, He just hated that the world was built on what he seen as an unjust act. The soul king was no king but just an object to facilitate the souls reapers order. At no point did aizen say he would even change the way the world was, he just didn't view the soul king as a legitimate means to get the world the way it is.

[emeraldpichu]

Kubo: I don’t want the audience to sympathize with Aizen.

Also Kubo:”Urahara how are ok with that thing on the throne” and Ichiho: “His sword was full of loneliness.”

[danielneverloses]

Aizen unironically reminds me of an evil Superman: both were aware of how much more powerful they were at a young age, and both felt isolated because of it. But where Clark's upbringing led him to understand how much he could learn from those weaker than him, Sosuke decided he wasn't meant to find equals and embraced holding power over everyone else. Plus, there's the little aesthetic choices like Aizen's mild-mannered glasses-wearing persona and his hairstyle when he fully reveals himself.

[tigerlegacy]

The ending of Bleach and CFYOW kinda make you feel some sympathy towards him.. and I also felt the same when Ichigo talks about how he could feel Aizens feeling trough each clash of swords and how he felt loneliness.

[GoatAmv]

He was tired of obeying the Soul King and considered himself a higher being capable of making decisions and creating a world out of his own vision. His hate for the Soul King was evident from his argument with Kisuke Urahara during his fight against Ichigo as he was seen shouting at the former Squad 12 captain.

[KadaEklund]

I dont think Aizen is evil for his objectives, but for his methods. Also i really like the concept of his Bankai showing the truth, but Urahara also saw the body of the soul king, this is something that i really hopes they explain in the anime.

[husseinrose]

When you understand who he is as a person, all the dots connect. He was a prodigy who couldn't foster relationships with others, so he was alone. When someone who's very intelligent becomes lonely and stays that way, they become angry, arrogant, and forgo real relationships as a whole. He comes to find there is a being in this world who has the power to and ability to stop all hardship but just chooses not to. And so aizen acts, for he believes only he has the ability to become a God to those who don't have one. Be a friend to others, one he desperately needed. And though it may have been a "fascade" in his eyes. The way he acted during his tenure as captain was what he really needed all along to be happy, but of course he gets in his own way. Pretends as if it's all a lie, when subconsciously we know there's more.

[schindler]

Being highly gifted from a young age could have potentially made it difficult for him to connect with those around him, leaving him isolated despite being surrounded by people. Unlike the others that you compared him to, he never had a place where he truly belonged--he merely transitioned from one mask to the next as he attempted to push forward. Despite all his gifts he apparently never found anybody with whom he could share them. That is loneliness.

He wanted to take over the soul king because he knows something about it and that is what makes him stand alone.throughout his life noone has been on the same perspective as him, in a combination of power and intellect. hes perfectly alone.

[Atticus-Catnipp]

I find it great that in the light novels Aizen's and Ichigo's action are always present. Even though neither of them is present. But truth is we really don't need a sad backstory to him. Aizen is someone who values bravery and to step out of a system. That's why he despises Urahara who is such a genuines and was treated unjustified by Soul society still wants to live by the status quo. Aizen is the Gellert Grinderwald of Bleach.

[manuelacosta]

Unpopular opinion: we don't really need Aizen's backstory given he has already told and shown us who he is and what he's capable of. Him discovering the truth about the Spirit King, and how such an omnipotent being was subjugated by comparable greedy weaklings with the ancestors drove his god tier ego mad and set him on the path to godhood regardless. Ironically his prediction of Soul Society's downfall due to it's corruption, hubris and secrecy will likely occur.

[rsmith]

Aizen’s bankai: The all knowing Mirror
similar to the Magic Mirror from Snow White. It would explain how he knew everything all the time, how he predicted future events, how he knows about seemingly everything about the world even knew about the Quincies and Ywach.

[GoatAmv]

Aizen’s strength comes from two places, his birth and his mind. He has incredible reiatsu, so much so that even Yhwach acknowledges it and places a caution out for it, making him one of the five Special War Potentials based on his Reiatsu. He is also born incredibly smart. Too smart for his own good. This made him unsatisfied with himself and the world, seeking greater heights leading him to greater power.


Another part of his birth would be his personality, characteristic leanings and his resultant Zanpakuto. It’s abilities are still one of the most powerful powers in anime and able to even effect beings who have the ability to see the future and have greater Reiatsu than him, which almost breaks the rules of Bleach by how hax it is.


Then he has an incredible mind. This makes him strong by giving him great mastery at Kido. He also has conceptualized and created the Hogyoku. This is a part of his power as he created it, like how Iron Man’s armor is a part of his power. The Hogyoku’s “true power lies in its ability to sense the hearts of those around it and materialize their deepest desire”. And he made something that did that. I actually think this is what enabled him to become so strong while keeping it a secret from the everyone else. On top of all of this he is great strategist, making so many bold moves in complete secrecy, flying under the radar of Yamamoto and all the other Captains until his preparations to invade the Soul King’s Palace where complete.

Finally Aizen has a very calm and charismatic demeanor. This enabled him to get the fear and respect of his followers, both in the Soul Society and in Hueco Mundo. It enabled him to make people who would be obstacles for him his allies, like Gin and Tosen while knowing their true intentions (Gin). This gives him an edge in battle by giving him the ability to calmly take in his surroundings and instantly make decisions. As well as giving him an actual army that is very powerful

[crisgon]

Aizen has has slowly become one of my favorite characters of all anime. He is right on what he told Urahara, Urahara should try to change the world. Aizen shows the limitations of stoicism, we must use our will to power.

How Aizen vs Yhwach is animated will be so important for power scaling purposes. I cannot wait.

[jrgenvellesen]

I think a key element of Aizen, is his reluctance to confront himself. He is so great in many ways, but never truly manages to be the one at the top.
Be it Kisuke being smarter, Yamamoto being stronger or Ichigo being a true transcended being, while Aizen only become one due to artificial means (the Hogyoku).
That is why Ichigo feeling loneliness from the manifestation of Aizen’s soul, is such a important fact. In the end, Aizen’s quest of trying to become God, only leads to him being further isolated and alone, which he himself acknowledges with his speech about courage in the TYBW.
I do think leaving his past as something ambiguous is for the better, I think the air of mystery really adds to the appeal of Aizen.

[lulus.]

I think Aizen and Uhahara are two in the same coin. Very promising soul reapers who learned the same information, but had drastically different reactions to it.

[bacd-nnlg]

"Yhwach, the world that you desired to create may indeed have been devoid of fear. However, in a world without the fear of death, men could not face that fear and seek out hope. Certainly, they could keep walking onward by merely living, but that would be very different from walking onward while conquering their own fears. That is why we give the act of walking onward a special name. We call it 'courage'."

[jlr]

I have a theory where aizen saw the same vision ichigo and yhwach saw.
"So you've seen it" from urahara made me recall the soul king visions.

[SwagimirPutin]

The way Kubo went with Aizen was right. Don't make a villain an anti-hero until near the end of the story if you're going to do that at all.

[nothingness]

"Bankai is the opposite of shikai"




Meanwhile senbonzakura in the corner:

[Holywind]

It always surprised me that Kubo couldn’t think of a back story for Aizen that couldn’t make him sympathetic and then we eventually got Tokinada in the light novels. It seems like nowadays there are numerous well written villains that aren’t motivated by dead loved ones.

P.S. Aizen having a Bankai that dispels lies and illusions is probably the best theory I’ve heard yet. Not only is thematically on point for Aizen but it could also explain both why he’s never needed it against the Gotei 13 (he knows more about the hypocrisy of the Royal Guard than they do) but it gives way to the Zero Squad, particularly Ichibe, as the time he’d mostly likely use it to dispel the biggest lies and secrets. Make Ichibe a situational antagonist in the Hell Arc and you’ve got a climatic battle with him and Aizen, bankais included.