Why did Gin betray Aizen in Bleach? Explained

The former 3rd Division Captain of the Gotei 13 in Bleach, Gin Ichimaru, was perceived as the most conniving, manipulative, and evil person. However, with the release of episode 307 of the first half of the anime, the truth ultimately came to light, where Gin turned out to be the unsung warrior who destined himself to stop Aizen by killing him with his own hands.

Besides Tosen, Gin was one of the most trusted allies of Aizen in Bleach, who betrayed the Soul Society along with the two and defected to Hueco Mundo to prepare for the final act, which was to create Oken by sacrificing the souls of Karakura Town.

However, even someone like Aizen failed to anticipate Gin’s betrayal, which became one of the most unexpected moments in the series that no one saw coming.

Disclaimer: This article contains major anime and manga spoilers for the Bleach series.

---

Gin betraying Aizen in Bleach was devised long before he became a Shinigami

Since his debut in Bleach, Gin had always been an enigmatic individual with a constant smile on his face and a witty personality. He mostly relied on his sarcasm and deliberately mocked people around him, which subsequently made it difficult for others to see through his real thoughts and his true intentions.

Given his habit of toying with others’ emotions for his own enjoyment, most of his accomplices feared Gin, including Rukia Kuchiki, who noted that whenever they entered a conversation, she felt like snakes were strangling her. The only person in the entirety of Bleach about whom Gin was genuinely concerned and cared about was Rangiku Matsumoto.

During his childhood days, after finding Rangiku collapsed somewhere at the Rukongai, Gin offered her his favorite Persimmon to help her recover, and they soon became good friends. Over the course of time, the bond they shared between them strengthened.

However, one fated day, Gin decided to leave, days after he discovered the man who was responsible for putting Ragiku in a near-death state by stealing a portion of her spiritual energy. After enrolling himself and successfully graduating from the academy after 110 years, Gin killed the 3rd seated officer of the 5th Division, which earned Aizen’s respect.

Gin was involved with Aizen in the Hollowfication of the high-ranking shinigami, including Shinji Hiraki and others who got chased out of the Soul Society, causing them to later form the faction called Visored. It still remains a mystery how Gin actually planned to kill Aizen since it seemed to be a spontaneous decision made on a whim.

What prompted him to initiate his ultimate plan was his concern for Rangiku’s safety, as Aizen could have killed her at any given moment. After impaling Aizen by shooting Kamishini no Yari and employing the attack with his never-seen-before Bankai technique, Korose, which inflicted the victim with deadly poison, gin retrieved the Hogyoku from him.

However, Aizen soon took another form and subsequently killed Gin. During his last moments, Rangiku arrived and held him in her arms, crying unstoppably for losing her childhood friend. Before closing his eyes forever, Gin apologized to Rangiku, speaking inwardly to her as if he were saying the actual words aloud:

"If tomorrow, you were to turn into a snake, and you began devouring humans, and with that same mouth, you said you loved me, would I still be able to say I love you, the same way as I do today?"

Although his initial goal was to kill Aizen, he committed many crimes alongside him, and there is no wonder that he would eventually be listed among the long list of villains in the series. Nevertheless, his sacrifice made him a hero at the end, revealing the complexity of his character and his selfless act.

---

Stay tuned for more news and updates on the Bleach anime and manga series.