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{{Redirect|Aizen|the Buddhist deity|Aizen Myō-ō}}
{{for|the football club that plays in Hong Kong|Sheffield United (Hong Kong)}}
{{Infobox Football club
{{Infobox animanga character
| color = #FCA845
| clubname = Sheffield United
| name = Sōsuke Aizen
| image = [[Image:Bladeslogo2.png|150px|Sheffield United logo]]
| series = [[Bleach (manga)|Bleach]]
| fullname = Sheffield United Football Club
| image = [[Image:AizenAnimeEp60.jpg|250px]]
| nickname = [[The Blades]], [[United]],<br> [[Red and White Wizards]]
| caption = Sōsuke Aizen by [[Tite Kubo]]
| shortname = [[SUFC]]
| founded = 1889
| creator = [[Tite Kubo]]
| voiced by = [[Show Hayami]] (Japanese)<br/> [[Kyle Hebert]] (English)
| dissolved =
| age =
| ground = [[Bramall Lane]]<br />[[Sheffield]]
| capacity = 32,609
| gender = Male
| species = [[Soul Reaper (Bleach)|Soul Reaper]]
| chairman = {{flagicon|England}} [[Kevin McCabe (Sheffield United)|Kevin McCabe]]
| mgrtitle = Manager
| born = May 29
| death =
| manager = {{flagicon|England}} [[Kevin Blackwell]]
| occupation = Former [[Soul Reaper (Bleach)|Soul Reaper]] [[Soul Reaper (Bleach)#Unit Commander|captain]] of the 5th Division; leader of the arrancar
| league = [[Football League Championship|The Championship]]
| title =
| season = [[2007-08 in English Football|2007–08]]
| relatives =
| position = [[Football League Championship|The Championship]], 9th
| divider =
sponsor = [[Visit Malta.com]]
| aux1 = Kyōka Suigetsu
| pattern_la1=_red_stripes|pattern_b1=_whitestripes|pattern_ra1=_red_stripes|
| aux1 name = ''[[Zanpakutō]]''
leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=000000|socks1=000000
| pattern_la3=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=|
leftarm2=000000|body2=000000|rightarm2=000000|shorts2=000000|socks2=000000|</s></s>
}}
}}
{{nihongo|'''Sōsuke Aizen'''|藍染 惣右介|Aizen Sōsuke}} is a [[fictional character]] and major figure in the [[anime]] and [[manga]] series ''[[Bleach (manga)|Bleach]]'' created by [[Tite Kubo]]. He is the [[Soul Reaper (Bleach)#Unit Commander|captain]] of the 5th Division when first introduced, but then he betrays [[Soul Society]] and becomes the primary [[antagonist]] of the series. His former lieutenant is [[Momo Hinamori]].


== Character outline ==
'''Sheffield United Football Club''' is a professional [[England|English]] [[football (soccer)|football]] club based in the [[Sheffield|city of Sheffield]], [[South Yorkshire]]. they currently play in the English [[Football League Championship]] after they were relegated from the [[Premier League]] in 2007 on the last day of the season. They play at [[Bramall Lane]], in [[Sheffield]] wearing red and white striped shirts.
Aizen is a soft-spoken intellectual, accented by glasses during his time as a Soul Reaper captain. While he appears to be very kind to his subordinates, he cares very little for them in truth. According to Aizen himself, he is not bound by morals and will therefore stop at nothing to further his ambitions, including manipulating or killing anyone if he deems it necessary. Tite Kubo stated in an interview that "part of Aizen's appeal is that he's mysterious," and for this reason he didn't think it a good idea to go too much in-depth with the character.


Aizen controls his new minions either through acquired respect, as revealed through [[Ulquiorra Schiffer]]'s conversation with [[Orihime Inoue]] where he tells her that they are all here to further Aizen's ambition, or through fear, such as when he threatened to kill [[Grimmjow Jeagerjaques]] if he attacked [[Kaname Tōsen]]. It was also stated by the arrancar Iceringer that they follow Aizen because he has no fear, which beings born from fear and despair find inspiring. Other arrancar occasionally have reasons for following Aizen unique to themselves, such as Szayel Aporro Granz, who follows Aizen with the hopes that he eradicates the world of all non-hollows.
Their nickname is ''''The Blades'''', which can be seen on the team's emblem that is said to have been designed by former player [[Jimmy Hagan]].<ref>''"Sheffield United - The Biography"'' by Gary Armstrong with John Garrett, ISBN 1-874718-65-2 <!-- and introduced by former manager [[Jimmy Sirrel]]? My copy has a foreword by [[Sean Bean]] --></ref> They have the nickname ''The Blades'' due to Sheffield's worldwide reputation of [[Stainless steel|steel]] production.<ref>There are numerous sources showing the international reputation of Sheffield for metallurgy, and in particular steel and cutlery manufacture. Some examples are: the [[Oxford English Dictionary]], which begins its entry for ''Sheffield'', "The name of a manufacturing city of Yorkshire, famous for cutlery"; and the [[Encyclopaedia Britannica]], which in its entry for ''Sheffield'' states that by 1830 Sheffield had earned "recognition as the world centre of high-grade steel manufacture". David Hey in the preface to his 1997 book ''Mesters to Masters: A History of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire.'' ([[Oxford University Press]], ISBN 0-19-828997-9) states "It (Sheffield) was known for its cutlery wares long before the incorporation of the Cutlers' Company in 1624, and long before it acquired an international reputation as the steel capital of the world."</ref> The emblem was first used for the [[1977-78 in English football|1977–78]] season, replacing the city's coat of arms that had been used since 1966. Like all clubs, Sheffield United have a great range of songs and chants sung by their fans, including the most notable: their unofficial anthem, ''[[The Greasy Chip Butty Song]]'', which is sung before each half,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jA14bKuuSms|title=The Greasy Chip Butty Song|work=[[YouTube]] video| accessdate = 2007-10-16}}</ref> and often after the game if the team has performed well.
Sheffield United won the League in 1898 and the [[FA Cup]] in 1899, 1902, 1915 and 1925. They were beaten finalists in the FA Cup in 1901 and 1936. Their best performance in the [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] was reaching the semi finals in 2003.


It has been conjectured that Aizen's true objective is to overthrow the king of [[Soul Society]]. To do this, he needs the {{nihongo|royal key|王鍵|ōken}}, a tri-pronged golden key that opens a portal to the dimension that the king resides in. While the location of the key is known only to [[Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai|General Yamamoto]], Aizen knows how the original was created and how to manufacture another. In order to create the key, Aizen needs to gather 100,000 souls in [[Karakura Town]],<ref>''Bleach'' manga; chapter 223, page 9.</ref> which has an unusually large concentration of spirit particles. Aside from killing the many souls used in its creation, creating the key will also vaporize most of Karakura Town.
==History==
<!--
Please do not add to this section. Instead, please add history to "History of Sheffield United F.C." article
-->
{{main|History of Sheffield United F.C.}}
{{details|Sheffield United F.C. seasons}}


[[Image:Facupfinal1901-D.jpg|left|thumb|United conceding the third goal in the 1901 FA Cup Final against Tottenham Hotspur in Bolton]]
[[Image:NewAizenGinTosenAnime.jpg|thumb|250px|Aizen, in his new clothing after his defection, alongside Gin and Tōsen.]]
During their ascent to [[Hueco Mundo]], Aizen removes his glasses and sweeps a hand through his hair, revealing menacing eyes and a very different hairstyle. As he had previously revealed to [[Renji Abarai]] that the Aizen they all knew never existed, this would seem to be a visual representation of that claim. Before he leaves, he tells [[Jūshirō Ukitake]] that no one had started out in heaven, not even God.<ref name="TopOfWorld">''Bleach'' manga; chapter 178, page 15.</ref> He then says that he will be the one to stand in the heavens and end the unbearable vacancy on the world's throne. Aizen is later shown in Hueco Mundo wearing clothing similar in style to the arrancar he has been creating; he is also seated on a throne, implying that he has some level of political power.
Sheffield United formed in [[1888-89 in English football|1889]] at the [[Adelphi Hotel (Sheffield)|Adelphi Hotel]], [[Sheffield]] (now the site of the [[Crucible Theatre]]) as a way of keeping the [[Sheffield United Cricket Club]] together during the winter [[close season]], and generating income revenues from [[Bramall Lane]] over the winter. Gradually, as football took off, the football team supplanted the cricket team, such that in 1975, cricket was no longer played at Bramall Lane.


== History ==
Undoubtedly United's heyday was the 30-year period from 1895–1925, when they were champions of England in [[1897-98 in English football|1897–98]] and runners up in [[1896-97 in English football|1896–97]] and [[1899-1900 in English football|1899–1900]], and [[FA Cup]] winners in [[1888-89 in English football|1899]], [[1901-02 in English football|1902]], [[1914-15 in English football|1915]] and [[1924-25 in English football|1925]], finishing runners up in [[1900-01 in English football|1901]], and also eleven years after their cup final win in [[1935-36 in English football|1936]]. United have not won a trophy since 1925, bar those associated with [[Promotion and relegation|promotion]] from lower-leagues, though they did reach both domestic cup semi-finals and the [[Football League First Division|First Division]] [[play-off]] final in the [[2002-03 in English football|2002–03 season]], ultimately losing all three matches.
Aizen spent much of his career in the 5th Division,<ref>''Bleach'' manga; chapter 176, page 6.</ref> eventually becoming its lieutenant under the former captain, [[Shinji Hirako]].<ref>''Bleach'' manga; chapter -108, page 7.</ref> Shinji kept Aizen under his view during this time because he felt there was something dangerous about him. 100 years ago, Aizen experimented on Soul Reaper/hollow hybrids involved using an unknown method to cause spirits to transform into hollows, eventually culminating in the creation of the [[Visoreds]]. He framed Urahara for the hollowfication process and forced him to leave Soul Society.


During that time, Aizen met [[Gin Ichimaru]] and [[List of Soul Reapers in Bleach#Kaname Tōsen|Kaname Tōsen]], and lured them to his side. Aizen became captain of the 5th Division later on, and Ichimaru became his lieutenant and right hand man. Ichimaru and Tōsen later became captains of the 3rd and 9th Divisions, respectively, but remained loyal only to Aizen. According to Aizen, even when Hinamori was his lieutenant, he thought of no one but Gin as his subordinate.
Their darkest days were the [[1975-76 in English football|1975–76]] to [[1981-82 in English football|1981–82]] seasons, where three relegations in six seasons saw ''The Blades'' drop from the top-flight to the fourth division, but this was soon followed by United's best period until [[Neil Warnock]] took the managerial helm, with [[Dave Bassett]] as manager masterminding successive promotions in the [[1988-89 in English football|1988–89]] and [[1989-90 in English football|1989–90]] seasons, to put United back in the top flight in time for the beginning of the [[FA Premier League|Premiership]]'s inception in [[1992-93 in English football|1992]].


At some point, he also saw the potential of [[Momo Hinamori]], [[Izuru Kira]], and [[Renji Abarai]], and took them all into his division. While Kira and Hinamori were obedient and loyal, becoming the lieutenants of the 3rd and 5th Divisions under Ichimaru and Aizen, respectively, Renji proved to be too rebellious and was transferred to the 11th Division (and later to the 6th, where he too became a lieutenant).
==The Ground==
[[Image:Bramall lane1.jpg|thumb|250px|right|the [[Bramall lane#The John Street Stand|John Street Stand]] at Bramall Lane]]


== Synopsis ==
{{main|Bramall Lane}}
When Aizen hears that [[Rukia Kuchiki]] has been spotted in the real world after months of being missing, he kills all the members of the Central 46 Chambers. Aizen quickly manipulates everyone into an elaborate conspiracy. Using the abilities of his zanpakuto, he creates an illusion that Central 46 is still working as usual and controls all the decisions that they are supposedly making. With this, he immediately orders that Rukia be brought back to Soul Society to be executed. She is brought back to Soul Society with the Hōgyoku concealed within her body, and Aizen begins moving Rukia's execution date up, while he does research in the Central 46 Chambers.


He later uses his ''zanpakutō'''s ability to trick everyone into believing that he has been killed and has Gin leading everyone to believe Gin himself is the murderer. He also sets up his lieutenant, Momo Hinamori, to believe that he was likely killed by [[Tōshirō Hitsugaya|Captain Hitsugaya]], her childhood friend, to get her out of the way. Because of the nature of Rukia's sentence and execution method, the Gotei 13 splits into factions and the captains begin to fight amongst themselves. During the turmoil, Gin executes the overt aspects of the plan, which begins to be revealed when 4th Division Captain [[Retsu Unohana]] begins to suspect that there is something wrong with Aizen's supposedly dead body.
''The Blades'' play at [[Bramall Lane]], in a suburb near the centre of Sheffield. Bramall Lane is the oldest major ground anywhere in the world, having hosted its first game in 1862,<ref>{{ cite web|url=http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/FactsFigures/0,,10418~1081166,00.html|title=A brief history|publisher=Sheffied United official website|accessdate=2008-10-07}}</ref> a match between [[Hallam F.C.|Hallam]] and [[Sheffield F.C.|Sheffield Club]]. It was originally a cricket ground and the first important match played here was between [[Yorkshire]] and [[Sussex]] in 1855. A cricket club was formed in 1854 named Sheffield United Cricket Club and Bramall Lane was leased to the club by the [[Duke of Norfolk]]. The ground was opened with a cricket match on [[30 April]] [[1855]]. [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club]] also formed here, and played most of their games in Sheffield at Bramall Lane until the last match on [[7 August]] [[1973]] against their old rivals, [[Lancashire County Cricket Club|Lancashire]]. The ground has seen expansion in recent years, and by 2006, on completion of a 2000 seat corner stand,<ref>[http://www.wcec.co.uk/news/index.php?id=46&SID=26d25ea11287c42c5a51dd166c280e30 2000 seat corner stand, completed September 2006]. Retrieved on [[3 December]] [[2006]]{{Dead link|date=October 2008}}</ref> was an all-seater stadium holding 32,609.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/fun/360/sheffield_united.shtml BBC webpage]. Retrieved on [[3 December]] [[2006]]{{Dead link|date=October 2008}}</ref> The first ever floodlit football match took place at Bramall Lane on the [[15 October]] [[1878]]. The blades are currently building a hotel which is next to the ''valad stand''.


Aizen reveals himself by nearly killing his lieutenant and easily defeating Hitsugaya. He has [[Kaname Tōsen]] bring [[Renji Abarai]] and Rukia to him. [[Ichigo Kurosaki]] teams up with Renji to interfere, but Aizen displays his prowess by effortlessly disposing of them, and later defeats 7th Division Captain [[Sajin Komamura]] with a level 90 ''[[kidō]]'' spell without the incantation. Afterwards, he removes the Hōgyoku from Rukia's body by using information researched by [[Kisuke Urahara]], but does not kill her. Aizen is then brought to [[Hueco Mundo]] by several Menos Grande, along with Gin and Tōsen.
==Kits, colours and crest==
Sheffield United may be known for their red and white striped kits, but ''The Blades'' began playing in white shirts and blue shorts. They briefly flirted with narrow red stripes for the 1890–91 season, before returning to all white the following year. The stripes returned in the 1892–93 season, with black shorts replacing the blue in 1904. The shirts remained largely unchanged until collars were first removed in 1955, replaced by V-necks until the 1966–67 season (when white socks were also used), and from here on the neck style varied hugely.


From there, Aizen begins to make several arrancar, and begins sending them one by one to the material world to gain information on Ichigo and, later, to capture [[Orihime Inoue]], who Aizen takes an interest in due to her healing abilities, which can save the powers of the deteriorating Hōgyoku. However, this is revealed to be a ruse on his part. By kidnapping her, he inspires Ichigo and his friends to attempt a rescue, thereby depriving Soul Society of a valuable military asset. Furthermore, when four captains assist in her rescue, adding to the three that have already defected, Soul Society is left at half its regular strength. As he leaves to destroy Karakura Town, he seals the portals the intruders used to access Hueco Mundo, effectively stranding them there until Aizen returns. Though Soul Society is able to substitute the town for an abandoned facsimile, Aizen only muses that he will have to travel to Soul Society to destroy the real town after he and his forces defeat the remaining captains. As of Chapter 329, Aizen is trapped in Yamamoto's fire prison and is unable to fight.
The traditional red and white striped remained while the 1974–75 season, when elements of black were added, until the 1979–81 kit. This was essentially white with a red breast, and with thin stripes down either side, and was created to accommodate the [[Cantor]]'s{{dn|date=October 2008}} logo, the club's principal sponsor. This was to be replaced by a striped kit, with the sponsor [[Bentley's]] (1981–82) and [[Renault]] (1982–83) written vertically down a white stripe over the left-hand side. Stripes continued while the 1995–96 season, albeit with various aids to accommodate the sponsors, including a yellow square for [[Arnold Laver|Laver]] from 1988–92 (the 1990–92 shirt also featured narrow black stripes through each white stripe) and a black hoop, also for Laver in the 1994–95 season. Then came the diamond kit, which was so badly received that the club reverted to stripes rather hastily the following season. Since then, red and white stripes and black socks with varying trim have been the order of the day, with black shorts for all but the 2002–05 seasons, when white and then red were tried.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Sheffield_United/Sheffield_United.htm|title=Historical Football Kits|first=Dave|last=Moor}} Retrieved [[9 April]] [[2007]].</ref> The club also every few seasons opt to put thin black stripes between the red and white stripes. Sheffield United's home colours have been the inspiration for the kit of [[Ireland|Irish]] club, [[Derry City F.C.|Derry City]]. In 1934, Derry City adopted the stripes, while [[Billy Gillespie]] was manager of the club, in recognition of Gillespie's achievements at Sheffield United.<ref>"[http://derrycityfc.net/history/concise/index.php Derry City FC - A Concise History]", ''CityWeb'', 2006.</ref>
Nevertheless, he claims that such action will be unnecesary, for that the power of his [[List of Hollows in Bleach|Espada]] alone will suffice to defeat the Gotei 13.


== Abilities ==
The first time a crest appeared on the shirt was actually in the 1891–92 season, when a red crest appeared on the white shirt, but this disappeared the following season. United used the city of Sheffield's [[coat of arms]] from 1965–77, when a new crest was used, introduced by former manager [[Jimmy Sirrel]], but designed apparently over 20&nbsp;years previously by former player [[Jimmy Hagan]]. This consisted of two white crossed swords, or blades, the club's nickname, with a [[Yorkshire Rose]] (white) above, on a black background. This is surrounded by a red ring with "Sheffield United F.C." written around the top and "[[1888-89 in English football|1889]]", the year the club was founded, underneath. This had been altered very slightly a few times, with a simple black embroidered crest appearing on shirts from 1987–90, and an all-white crest on a red-edged black shield for the 1992–99 seasons, when shields were in fashion with English football clubs, but from 2000–present it has reverted to its original form.
Aizen is an extremely potent combatant, well above most captain-level Soul Reapers.He goes on to state that the only way for him to advance beyond that would be to gain and master hollow powers. His mastery of the regular skills are such that he is able to stop released ''zanpakutō'', including [[Ichigo Kurosaki]]'s ''[[Zanpakutō#bankai|bankai]]'', with one finger, and he can defeat several captain-level opponents at once. A hint to his actual level of spirit power is given when he turns Wonderweiss Margera into an arrancar. When preparing to activate the [[Kisuke Urahara#Inventions|Hōgyoku]], he states that despite its half-awakened state, it can be fully activated when temporarily fusing with someone with twice as much spirit power as a captain-level Soul Reaper, referring to himself.<ref name="Wonderwice">''Bleach'' manga; chapter 229, page 15.</ref> The force of Aizen's spiritual power is also great enough to bring the 6th [[Hollow (Bleach)#Arrancar ranks|Espada]],<ref name="Grimmjow">''Bleach'' manga; chapter 245, page 11.</ref> [[Grimmjow Jeagerjaques]], to his knees without any visible effort from Aizen himself.


=== ''Kyōka Suigetsu'' ===
The kit manufacturer is [[Le Coq Sportif]], they have been the kit supplier since 2002 and also in 1997–2000.
[[Image:KyokaSuigetsu.JPG|thumb|Kyōka Suigetsu creates an illusory corpse.]]
The 2008–09 season home shirt was designed by a season ticket holder, and the all black away kit was chosen by the players and will be made by [[Le Coq Sportif]]. In August 2008 the club unveiled a new sponsor, the country of [[Malta]] to be represented on the shirts by [[www.visitmalta.com]], the tourism board of the Mediterranean country.<ref>{{cite web
Aizen's ''[[zanpakutō]]'' is {{nihongo|''Kyōka Suigetsu''|鏡花水月||literally "mirror flower water moon"}}. In its sealed form, it looks like a normal katana. Its ''[[zanpakutō#shikai|shikai]]'' command is {{nihongo|"shatter"|砕けろ|kudakero}}. The phrase ''kyōka suigetsu'' suggests its illusory properties; the moon reflected in water and a flower in a mirror are things that can be seen but not held. It is a [[Four-character idiom|Chinese idiom]] for seeing and desiring something that is a dream that cannot be easily grasped in hand, teaching people about temptations.
|url=https://www.sufc-shop.co.uk/superstore/index.php?cPath=81_84&osCsid=e4c3041fd76bdb4628ec380c935d3b29|
|title=Blades Direct - home kit
Kyōka Suigetsu's ''shikai'' has the ability to place anyone who sees it under a state of {{nihongo|"Perfect Hypnosis"|完全催眠|kanzen saimin}}, after which Aizen can make them see, hear, and feel whatever he wants. According to Aizen, the hypnosis is unbreakable, even if the target is aware that they are hypnotized. The only way to avoid the effect is to not see Kyōka Suigetsu's ''shikai'', making the blind Kaname Tōsen immune to its effects. The effect seems to be permanent, or at the very least long-lasting, as Aizen uses it on nearly all of the lieutenants and captains in the Gotei 13 during a ceremonial release of his ''zanpakutō'' years before faking his own death. While the illusions Kyōka Suigetsu creates are quite powerful, they are not 100% accurate; Captain [[Retsu Unohana]] was able to realize that something was amiss with Aizen's fake corpse, even though she did not realize what until seeing Aizen alive.<!-- Please don't add anything about Shinji catching Aizen in the gaiden chapter. There's no mention of that being the direct result of his zanpakuto. -->
|work=sufc-shop.co.uk
| accessdate = 2007-10-16}}</ref>


Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnotic abilities make it a useful tool in combat as well, as Aizen can quickly create simple illusions to deceive opponents. By creating a decoy of himself, Aizen can hide his own movements and attack with impunity; his opponent, meanwhile, will remain focused on the illusion until it's too late to react. The most prominent example of this is his brief fight against [[Sajin Komamura]], where an illusionary copy of Aizen is seen melting away after the real Aizen has moved close enough to use the devastating [[Kidō#Destructive spells|Black Coffin]] spell.<ref>''Bleach'' manga; chapter 176, pages 9-11.</ref>
Their other sponsor is Australian property company Valad, who have their logo on the back of the shirts and on the back of the shorts.

==Players==
:''As of [[3 October]] [[2008]].''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10418~1358420,00.html|title=Squad numbers|work=SUFC|date=2008-08-05||accessdate = 2008-08-05}}</ref>
===Current squad===
{{football squad start}}
<!-- For help using the below template, please see [[Template talk:Football squad player]] -->
{{fs player| no=1 | nat=Ireland | pos=GK | name=[[Paddy Kenny]] }}
{{fs player| no=2 | nat=England | pos=DF | name=[[Greg Halford]]|other=on loan from [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]]}}
{{fs player| no=3 | nat=Scotland | pos=DF | name=[[Gary Naysmith]]}}
{{fs player| no=4 | nat=Wales | pos=MF | name=[[David Cotterill]]}}
{{fs player| no=5 | nat=England | pos=DF | name=[[Chris Morgan (footballer)|Chris Morgan]] | other=[[captain (football)|captain]]}}
{{fs player| no=6 | nat=England | pos=DF | name=[[Matthew Kilgallon]] }}
{{fs player| no=7 | nat=England | pos=FW | name=[[Darius Henderson]]}}
{{fs player| no=9 | nat=England | pos=FW | name=[[James Beattie (footballer)|James Beattie]]}}
{{fs player| no=10 | nat=England | pos=FW | name=[[Danny Webber]] }}
{{fs player| no=11 | nat=England | pos=MF | name=[[Lee Hendrie]] }}
{{fs player| no=12 | nat=China | pos=MF | name=[[Sun Jihai]]|}}
{{fs player| no=13 | nat=England | pos=GK | name=[[Ian Bennett (footballer)|Ian Bennett]] }}
{{fs player| no=14 | nat=Australia | pos=MF | name=[[David Carney]]}}
{{fs player| no=15 | nat=Wales | pos=MF | name=[[Gary Speed]]}}
{{football squad mid}}
{{fs player| no=17 | nat=Scotland | pos=MF | name=[[Nick Montgomery]] }}
{{fs player| no=18 | nat=England | pos=MF | name=[[Nathan Dyer]]|other=on loan from [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]]}}
{{fs player| no=19 | nat=Northern Ireland | pos=MF | name=[[Keith Gillespie]]}}
{{fs player| no=20 | nat=England | pos=MF | name=[[Brian Howard (footballer)|Brian Howard]]|other=on loan from [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]]}}
{{fs player| no=22 | nat=Malta | pos=GK | name=[[Justin Haber]]}}
{{fs player| no=24 | nat=England | pos=FW | name=[[Billy Sharp]]}}
{{fs player| no=25 | nat=England | pos=MF | name=[[Matthew Spring]]}}''(on loan from [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]]'')
{{fs player| no=26 | nat=Ireland | pos=DF | name=[[Derek Geary]]}}
{{fs player| no=28 | nat=Ireland | pos=MF | name=[[Stephen Quinn]]}}
<!-- {{fs player| no=29 | nat=England | pos=FW | name=[[Jordan Robertson]]}} -->
{{fs player| no=30 | nat=England | pos=DF | name=[[Kyle Naughton]]|}}
{{fs player| no=31 | nat=England | pos=MF | name=[[Nicky Law (footballer born 1988)|Nicky Law]]}}
<!-- {{fs player|no=32|nat=Poland |pos=DF|name=[[Ben Starosta]]}} -->
{{fs player| no=33 | nat=England | pos=DF | name=[[Ugo Ehiogu]]}}
{{fs player| no=40 | nat=England | pos=GK | name=[[Jamie Annerson]]}}
{{fs player| no=–– | nat=England | pos=FW | name=[[Nicky Travis]]}}
<!--{{fs player| no=–– | nat=Netherlands | pos=MF | name=[[Kiki Musampa]]}}
{{fs player| no=-- | nat=South Africa | pos=FW | name=[[Quinton Fortune]]}} -->
{{fs end}}

====On loan====
{{football squad start}}
{{fs player| no=29 | nat=England | pos=FW | name=[[Jordan Robertson]]|other=on loan at [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]]}}
{{fs player|no=32|nat=Poland |pos=DF|name=[[Ben Starosta]]|other=on loan at [[Lechia Gdańsk]]}}
{{football squad mid}}
{{fs player|no=––|nat=France |pos=DF|name=[[Maxime Chanot]]|other=on loan at [[Mansfield Town F.C.|Mansfield Town]]}}
{{football squad end}}

===Notable former players===
{{details|List of Sheffield United F.C. former players}}
<!--please see http://en.wikipe"dia.org/wiki/Talk:Sheffield_United_F.C.#Editing_the_Notable_former_players_section"
before adding players-->
* 1890s: [[Ernest Needham]], [[William Foulke (footballer)|William Foulke]], [[Billy Hendry]]
* 1900s: [[Alf Common]]
* 1910s: [[Albert Sturgess]], [[George Utley]]
* 1920s: [[Billy Gillespie]], [[Fred Tunstall]], [[Harry Johnson (footballer born 1899)|Harry Johnson]]
* 1930s: [[Jimmy Dunne]], [[Jock Dodds]], [[Bobby Barclay]], [[Jack Pickering]]
* 1940s: [[Jimmy Hagan]]
* 1950s: [[Joe Shaw (footballer born 1928)|Joe Shaw]], [[Ted Burgin]], [[Graham Shaw]], [[Cec Coldwell]]
* 1960s: [[Alan Hodgkinson]], [[Derek Pace]], [[Mick Jones (footballer born 1945)|Mick Jones]]
* 1970s: [[Tony Currie (footballer)|Tony Currie]], [[Alan Woodward]], [[Len Badger]], [[Eddie Colquhoun]], [[Trevor Hockey]], [[Alejandro Sabella|Alex Sabella]]
* 1980s: [[Keith Edwards]], [[Colin Morris]], [[Paul Stancliffe]]
* 1990s: [[Brian Deane]], [[Tony Agana]], [[Simon Tracey]], [[Alan Kelly, Jr.|Alan Kelly]]
* 2000s: [[Michael Brown (English footballer)|Michael Brown]], [[Phil Jagielka]], [[Paul Peschisolido]]

==Reserve and Academy teams==
* Sheffield United Reserves currently play in the [[Central League (football)|Pontin's Holidays League East]] at the Coach and Horses ground. Sheffield F.C.'s home ground.
* Sheffield United Academy U18s currently play in the [[FA Premier Academy League]] U18s Group D at the [[Shirecliffe]] ground at Firshill Crescent.

==International links==
In January 2006, Sheffield United became the first foreign club to take over a Chinese team<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200601/13/eng20060113_235136.html|title=Sheffield United take over Chengdu football club|publisher=People's Daily Online|date=2006-01-13|accessdate=2007-10-31}}</ref> when they purchased the football club [[Chengdu Wuniu]], based in the city of [[Chengdu]], [[China]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shef.ac.uk/chengdublades/blades.html|title=Chengdu Blades - Sheffield students welcome Chinese Blades|publisher=University of Sheffield|accessdate=2007-10-31}}</ref> The club was re-named the [[Chengdu Blades]], after their new owners. Sheffield United shirts are now sold in China, and Chengdu shirts are now sold in Sheffield, increasing revenue streams for both clubs.

Along with this, Sheffield United also have friendship links with [[Brazil]]ian club [[São Paulo Futebol Clube|São Paulo]], boosted by the visit of [[Pelé]] to Sheffield. Pelé was guest of honour at [[Sheffield F.C.]]'s 150th anniversary celebration match v [[F.C. Internazionale Milano|Inter Milan]], held at [[Bramall Lane]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10418~1163226,00.html|title=São Paulo link is a benefit|work=SUFC| accessdate = 2007-11-09}}</ref>
In February 2008 Kevin McCabe, the club's chairman, finalised an agreement with [[Budapest]]-based [[Ferencvárosi TC#Football|Ferencváros]] to buy its football team, and also negotiated with the Hungarian government to purchase and develop the ground around [[Stadion Albert Flórián]].<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sheff_utd/7243262.stm
|title = Blades chief wins Ferencvaros bid
|work = BBC Sport Online
|publisher = BBC
|date = [[13 February]] [[2008]]
|accessdate = 2008-10-07
}}</ref> The development of a new all-seater football stadium with a capacity of 25,000 has been started. A match was played in Budapest to celebrate the link-up.<ref>{{cite web|title = Chairman Celebrates Win|url= http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/FerencvarosDetail/0,,10418~1275433,00.html|date=2008-03-27|accessdate=2008-10-07|publisher=Sheffield United official website}}</ref>

The Blades also have operating/business and exchange of ideas links with [[Central Coast Mariners FC|Central Coast Mariners]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Blades expand worldwide links with Mariners agreement|url=http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10418~1250361,00.html|date=2008-02-26|accessdate=2008-03-27|publisher=Sheffield United F.C.}}</ref> of [[Australia]] and [[White Star Woluwé F.C.|White Star Woluwé]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Royal White Star Woluwe|url=http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/WhiteStarWoluwe/0,,10418~1185107,00.html|date=2007-12-07|accessdate=2008-03-27|publisher=Sheffield United F.C.}}</ref> of [[Belgium]]. The Australian [[Valad Property Group]] are also sponsors of the [[Bramall Lane#The South Stand|South Stand]] at Bramall Lane.

== Rivalries ==
Sheffield United have numerous [[Sports rivalry|rivalries]]. The most outstanding rivalry is with their city neighbours [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]]. Both teams have chants which aim to berate the other, as with many rivals. United and Wednesday's meeting has come to be known as the [[Steel City derby]]; to date 119&nbsp;matches have been played in the Steel City derby, with United winning 44, Wednesday 38, and 37 draws.<ref>[http://www.soccerbase.com/head2.sd?team1id=2328&team2id=2330 Steel City derby], head-to-head: ''Scoocerbase.com'' website.</ref> Sheffield United's other rivals are mainly other teams from Yorkshire, such as [[Leeds United A.F.C.|Leeds United]], [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]] and [[Rotherham United F.C.|Rotherham United]]. Sheffield Wednesday remain United's main rivals as meetings between United and Wednesday have occurred the most, and most of Sheffield supports one of the two teams. Sheffield Wednesday have not done the league double over Sheffield United for 94&nbsp;years, meanwhile United last did the league double over them in the 2005&ndash;06 season.

Sheffield United, also have, along with many other sports teams across Yorkshire, a strong rivalry with [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]. This can be attributed to the miners strikes of the 1980s, where workers in the [[Colliery|pits]] of [[Nottinghamshire]] [[Strikebreaker|scabbed]], where as miners from Yorkshire were on strike. Another smaller rivalry that has recently developed is with [[Reading F.C.|Reading]] due to their match in January 2007 at the [[Madejski Stadium]] where [[Wally Downes]] attacked United manager [[Neil Warnock]] due to a misinterpretation of words from Warnock to a Reading player. This led to a mutual and bitter dislike between the two clubs that is still evident today. Also in October 2005 at the Madejski, there was an altercation with Blades winger [[Keith Gillespie]], as he thought he should have had a last minute penalty, only to be turned down.

Another rivalry which has recently developed is with [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]]. The Blades have tried to sue West Ham and the Premier League for damages, over their claim that West Ham had an unfair advantage by playing [[Carlos Tevez]] when he was supposedly not a Premier league registered player. The FA fined West Ham a record £5.5&nbsp;million for a third party contract agreement (illegal in the English Premier League) in the deal that brought Tevez to Upton Park. Sheffield United continued to pursue damages, as they believe that West Ham should have been docked points instead of fined. On 23 September 2008 Sheffield United chairman Kevin McCabe announced that an independent tribunal had ruled against West Ham with any compensation being decided at a later date.

==Supporters==
Sheffield United derives support from a broad cross-section of the community. The majority of football fans in the [[S postcode area|S2]] postcode of the city (where the ground is located) are Sheffield United fans, particularly the [[Sharrow]], Heeley, Highfield, Manor and [[Park Hill, Sheffield|Park Hill]] areas of the city. There is also a lot of support in the S3 areas, close to the city centre, S8 and around the [[Gleadless]] area, a strong contingent from the [[Dearne Valley]], with a large supporters club from [[Swinton, South Yorkshire|Swinton]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swintonblades.com|title=Swinton Blades}}{{Dead link|date=October 2008}}</ref> in particular. The club usually run two or three special student deals each season, and so also have a small student following, based in the suburbs of [[Crookes]] and [[Sheffield Central ward#Broomhall|Broomhall]].

===Famous supporters===
Supporters of note include former manager [[Neil Warnock]],<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19991203/ai_n14278380 Neil Warnock], famous supporter: article at [[The Independent]] website, via the ''FindArticles'' service.</ref> actor [[Sean Bean]],<ref>[http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/sean_bean_biog/2 Sean Bean], famous supporter: his [[Tiscali|Tiscali.co.uk]] biography.</ref> the Sports Minister [[Richard Caborn]], MP,<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2005/mar/28/interviews.politics
|title = Interview: Richard Caborn, sports minister | Sport |
|publisher = ''The Guardian''
|date = [[28 March]] [[2005]]
|accessdate = 2008-10-07
}}</ref> the singer [[Paul Heaton]],<ref>[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,946748,00.html Paul Heaton], famous supporter: from a [[Guardian Unlimited]] interview.</ref> rock singer [[Joe Elliott]], television presenter [[Anna Walker (television presenter)|Anna Walker]],<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/content/articles/2008/04/24/the_games_feature.shtml
|title = Sheffield's Anna Walker
|publisher = BBC
|yer = 2005
|month = March
|accessdate = 2008-10-07
}}</ref> author [[Graham Taylor (author)|G. P. Taylor]],<ref>[http://www.shadowmancer.com/shadowmancer_the_film.htm G. P. Taylor], famous supporter: ''Shadowmancer.com'' website.</ref> [[Sky Sports News]] presenter [[Alex Quinn (broadcaster)|Alex Quinn]] and actor [[Tony Audenshaw]] ([[Bob Hope]] from ''Emmerdale''). [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] Laser Class Sailing gold medalist [[Paul Goodison]] has followed Sheffield United since he was a youngster.<ref>[http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10418~1369985,00.html Paul Goodison], famous supporter: sufc.co.uk.</ref> World Superbike champion [[James Toseland]] is also a supporter of the Blades and has followed them since he was a child.

===Chants===
Like many English clubs, Sheffield United supporters have a wide variety of chants and songs, the most famous of which is ''[[The Greasy Chip Butty Song]]''. Many others are intended to berate their local rivals, [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]], the most famous of which are (to the tune of "[[Singing the Blues]]): ''"Never felt more like Swinging a [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|pig]]/from [[Hyde Park, South Yorkshire|Hyde Park]] Flats to [[Wadsley Bridge]]/United! You've got me swinging a pig/As you do, as you do, as you do!"'' and ''"No pigs fans in town/No [[Hillsborough Stadium|Hillsborough]] to sadden my eyes/[[Jack Charlton]] is dead/and the pig's fans have fled/and the year is [[1888-89 in English football|1889]]!"''. They can also be heard to sing ''"Are you Wednesday in disguise"'' to poorly-playing teams—an attempt to undermine both the opposition and Sheffield Wednesday.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swintonblades.com/songs.htm|title=Blades Songs and Chants|publisher=Swinton Blades|first=Sean|last=Aitken|accessdate=2007-10-31}}{{Dead link|date=October 2008}}</ref> A popular chant at the moment is ''"Oh when the Blades go marching in!"'' this is usually sung for a long period of time whilst playing away from home.

==League history==
{{details|Sheffield United F.C. seasons}}

[[Image:Sheffield United league position.PNG|thumb|right|250px|Graphical representation of Sheffield United's historical league standings. Coloured bars represent the tiers of English football]]

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|
*1892–1893 [[Football League Second Division|Division 2]]
*1893–1934 [[Football League First Division|Division 1]]
*1934–1939 [[Football League Second Division|Division 2]]
*1946–1949 [[Football League First Division|Division 1]]
*1949–1953 [[Football League Second Division|Division 2]]
*1953–1956 [[Football League First Division|Division 1]]
|
*1956–1961 [[Football League Second Division|Division 2]]
*1961–1968 [[Football League First Division|Division 1]]
*1968–1971 [[Football League Second Division|Division 2]]
*1971–1976 [[Football League First Division|Division 1]]
*1976–1979 [[Football League Second Division|Division 2]]
*1979–1981 [[Football League Third Division|Division 3]]
|
*1981–1982 [[Football League Fourth Division|Division 4]]
*1982–1984 [[Football League Third Division|Division 3]]
*1984–1988 [[Football League Second Division|Division 2]]
*1988–1989 [[Football League Third Division|Division 3]]
*1989–1990 [[Football League Second Division|Division 2]]
*1990–1992 [[Football League First Division|Division 1]]
|
*1992–1994 [[Premier League]]
*1994–2004 [[Football League First Division|Division 1]]
*2004–2006 [[Football League Championship|Championship]]
*2006–2007 [[Premier League]]
*2007–{{0}}{{0}}{{0}}{{0}} [[Football League Championship|Championship]]
|}

*Seasons spent at Level 1 of the [[English football league system|football league system]]: 60
*Seasons spent at Level 2 of the football league system: 38
*Seasons spent at Level 3 of the football league system: 5
*Seasons spent at Level 4 of the football league system: 1

{| ! width="80%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border:1px solid #000;"
|+ '''Sheffield United: League Standings for last 10&nbsp;Seasons'''
|
{| ! width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"
|- ! style="background:#BBD;"
| '''Season''' || '''League''' || '''Pos''' || '''P''' || '''W''' || '''D''' || '''L''' || '''F''' || '''A''' || '''Pts'''
|- ! style="background:#CCF;"
| '''1998–99'''||Division One|| 8 || 46 || 18 || 13 || 15 || 71 || 66 || 67
|-
| '''1999–2000'''||Division One|| 16 || 46 || 13 || 15 || 18 || 59 || 71 || 54
|- ! style="background:#CCF;"
| '''2000–01'''||Division One|| 10 || 46 || 19 || 11 || 16 || 52 || 49 || 68
|-
| '''2001–02'''||Division One|| 13 || 46 || 15 || 15 || 16 || 53 || 54 || 60
|- ! style="background:#CCF;"
| '''2002–03'''||Division One|| 3 || 46 || 23 || 11 || 12 || 72 || 52 || 80
|-
| '''2003–04'''||Division One|| 8 || 46 || 20 || 11 || 15 || 65 || 56 || 71
|- ! style="background:#CCF;"
| '''2004–05'''||Championship|| 8 || 46 || 18 || 13 || 15 || 57 || 56 || 67
|-
| '''2005–06'''||Championship || 2 || 46 || 26 || 12 || 8 || 76 || 46 || 90
|- ! style="background:#CCF;"
| '''2006–07'''||Premier League || 18 || 38 || 10 || 8 || 20 || 32 || 55 || 38
|-
| '''2007–08'''||Championship|| 9 || 46 || 17 || 15 || 14 || 56 || 51 || 66
|- ! style="background:#CCF;"
|}
|}

<small>Pos = Position; P = Played; W = Won; D = Drawn; L = Lost; F = Goals For; A = Goals Against; Pts = Points</small>

==Honours==
{{details|Sheffield United F.C. records}}
[[Image:ShefU1915.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Captain George Utley leads Sheffield United out for the 1915 FA Cup final.]]
''Note: the leagues and divisions of English football have changed somewhat over time, so here they are grouped into their relative levels on the [[English football league system]] at the time they were won to allow easy comparison of the achievement''

* '''Premier League and predecessors''' (level&nbsp;1 of the English football league system)
** [[Football League First Division|Football League Division One]] ''' Champions''', [[1897-98 in English football|1897–98]]
** Football League Division One '''Runners-up''', [[1896-97 in English football|1896–97]], [[1899-1900 in English football|1899–1900]]
* '''Football League Championship and predecessors''' (level&nbsp;2 of the English football league system)
** [[Football League Second Division|Football League Division Two]] '''Champions''', [[1952-53 in English football|1952–53]]
** Football League Division Two '''Runners-up''', [[1892-93 in English football|1892–93]], [[1938-39 in English football|1938–39]], [[1960-61 in English football|1960–61]], [[1970-71 in English football|1970–71]], [[1989-90 in English football|1989–90]]
** [[Football League Championship]] '''Runners-up''', [[2005-06 in English football|2005–06]]
* '''Football League One and predecessors''' (level&nbsp;3 of the English football league system)
** [[Football League Third Division|Football League Division Three]] '''Runners-up''', [[1988-89 in English football|1988–89]]
*'''Football League Two and predecessors''' (level&nbsp;4 of the English football league system)
** [[Football League Fourth Division|Football League Division Four]] '''Champions''', [[1981-82 in English football|1981–82]]
*'''[[FA Cup]]'''
**''' Winners''': [[1888-89 in English football|1899]], [[1901-02 in English football|1902]], [[1914-15 in English football|1915]], [[1924-25 in English football|1925]]
** '''Runners-up''': [[1900-01 in English football|1901]], [[1935-36 in English football|1936]]

==Managerial history==
{{details|Sheffield United F.C. staff}}

{|
|valign="top"|
* 1889 [[John Wostinholm]] (secretary)
* 1899 [[John Nicholson (football)|John Nicholson]] (secretary)
* 1932 [[Teddy Davison]]
* 1952 [[Reg Freeman]]
* 1955 [[Joe Mercer]]
* 1958 [[Archie Clark (footballer)|Archie Clarke]] (acting)
* 1959 [[John Harris (footballer)|John Harris]]
|width="50"|&nbsp;
|valign="top"|
* 1968 [[Arthur Rowley]]
* 1969 [[John Harris (footballer)|John Harris]]
* 1973 [[Ken Furphy]]
* 1975 [[Cec Coldwell]] (acting)
* 1975 [[Jimmy Sirrel]]
* 1977 [[Cec Coldwell]] (acting)
* 1978 [[Harry Haslam]]
|width="50"|&nbsp;
|valign="top"|
* 1981 [[Martin Peters]]
* 1981 [[Ian Porterfield]]
* 1986 [[Billy McEwan (footballer born 1951)|Billy McEwan]]
* 1988 [[Dave Bassett]]
* 1995 [[Howard Kendall]]
* 1997 [[Nigel Spackman]]
|width="50"|&nbsp;
|valign="top"|
* 1998 [[Steve Thompson (footballer born 1955)|Steve Thompson]] (acting)
* 1998 [[Steve Bruce]]
* 1999 [[Adrian Heath]]
* 1999 [[Neil Warnock]]
* 2007 [[Bryan Robson]]
* 2008 [[Kevin Blackwell]]
|}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book
| last = Matthews
| first = Tony
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = The Official Encyclopaedia of Sheffield United Football Club
| publisher = Britespot Publishing Ltd
| date= [[15 December]] [[2003]]
| location =
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id = ISBN 1-904103-19-7}}
*{{cite book
| last = Clarebrough
| first = Denis
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = Sheffield United Football Club
| publisher = Chalford Publishing
| date= [[30 September]] [[1997]]
| location =
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id = ISBN 0-7524-1059-8}}


== Appearances in other media ==
*{{cite book
Aizen appears in most of the [[List of Bleach video games|''Bleach'' video games]], with the most recent ones with him in his post-Soul Society outfit. He also has his own ''Bleach Beat Collection'', a brief CD of character image songs. The tracks are ''Hanabira'', ''Kyōka Suigetsu'' and a ''Voice Message'' from Aizen's [[Voice acting|voice actor]], [[Show Hayami]].
| last = Armstrong
| first = Gary
| authorlink =
| coauthors = Garrett, John
| title = Sheffield United Football Club - The Biography
| publisher = Hallamshire Publications Ltd
| date= [[1 December]] [[2007]]
| location =
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id = ISBN 1-8747-1865-2}}


==References==
== Reception ==
{{Expand-section|date=June 2008}}
{{Reflist|2}}
[[IGN]] commented that the plot twist in the story and the truth about Aizen was "fascinating and interesting" but also criticized it, saying his Zanpakuto's power was "far-fetched"<ref>[http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/868/868801p1.html IGN: Reality of the Despair, the Assassin's Dagger is Swung Review]</ref> and overpowered, Aizen didn't have any flaws (something every villain has) and that his betrayal was "too planned out to be believable".<ref> [http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/870/870784p1.html IGN: Aizen Stands! Horrible Ambitions]</ref> Despite this, the change in mood accompanying Aizen's revelation as a villain was also praised; IGN praised the animators' job at "giving his face this evil thing about it" without changing anything about the animation itself, citing that "the Aizen that we first knew was the nicest guy ever, he looked it, and now this Aizen actually looks like the most evil jerk we've ever seen."<ref> [http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/870/870784p1.html IGN: Aizen Stands! Horrible Ambitions]</ref>


==External links==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
*[http://www.sufc.co.uk/ Official Site] {{en icon}}
*{{BBC Football Info|BBClinkname=s/sheff_utd}}


{{fb start}}
{{Bleach characters}}
{{Sheffield United F.C.}}
{{Football League Championship teamlist}}
{{English football league system cells | level = 2 | promotion = [[FA Premier League]] | relegation = [[Football League One]]}}
{{Football in England table cells}}
{{Football in Sheffield}}
{{fb end}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Aizen, Sosuke}}
[[Category:English football clubs]]
<!-- Aizen is neither a commander nor a dictator. Do not categorize him as such. -->
[[Category:Sheffield United F.C.| ]]
[[Category:Sports teams and clubs in Sheffield|United]]
[[Category:Shinigami in Bleach]]
[[Category:Premier League clubs]]
[[Category:Fictional mass murderers]]
[[Category:Football League clubs]]
[[Category:Fictional hypnotists]]
[[Category:Sport in South Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Publicly traded sports companies]]
[[Category:Football (soccer) clubs established in 1889]]
[[Category:South Yorkshire football clubs]]
[[Category:FA Cup winners]]


[[ar:شفيلد يونايتد]]
[[ar:آيزن سوسكى]]
[[es:Sōsuke Aizen]]
[[bn:শেফিল্ড ইউনাইটেড ফুটবল ক্লাব]]
[[it:Sōsuke Aizen]]
[[ca:Sheffield United Football Club]]
[[cs:Sheffield United FC]]
[[ms:Aizen Sōsuke]]
[[ja:藍染惣右介]]
[[da:Sheffield United F.C.]]
[[de:Sheffield United]]
[[pl:Sōsuke Aizen]]
[[pt:Sousuke Aizen]]
[[es:Sheffield United Football Club]]
[[th:ไอเซ็น โซสึเกะ]]
[[fr:Sheffield United Football Club]]
[[zh:藍染惣右介]]
[[ko:셰필드 유나이티드 FC]]
[[id:Sheffield United F.C.]]
[[is:Sheffield United F.C.]]
[[it:Sheffield United F.C.]]
[[he:שפילד יונייטד]]
[[lb:Sheffield United FC]]
[[lt:Sheffield United FC]]
[[hu:Sheffield United FC]]
[[ms:Sheffield United F.C.]]
[[nl:Sheffield United FC]]
[[ja:シェフィールド・ユナイテッドFC]]
[[no:Sheffield United FC]]
[[nn:Sheffield United]]
[[pl:Sheffield United F.C.]]
[[pt:Sheffield United Football Club]]
[[ro:Sheffield United]]
[[ru:Шеффилд Юнайтед]]
[[simple:Sheffield United F.C.]]
[[fi:Sheffield United FC]]
[[sv:Sheffield United FC]]
[[tr:Sheffield United F.C.]]
[[zh:谢菲尔德联足球俱乐部]]

Revision as of 20:54, 13 October 2008

"Aizen" redirects here. For the Buddhist deity, see Aizen Myō-ō.
Sōsuke Aizen
Bleach character
Sōsuke Aizen by Tite Kubo
Created byTite Kubo
In-universe information
SpeciesSoul Reaper
GenderMale
OccupationFormer Soul Reaper captain of the 5th Division; leader of the arrancar

Sōsuke Aizen (藍染 惣右介, Aizen Sōsuke) is a fictional character and major figure in the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo. He is the captain of the 5th Division when first introduced, but then he betrays Soul Society and becomes the primary antagonist of the series. His former lieutenant is Momo Hinamori.

Character outline

Aizen is a soft-spoken intellectual, accented by glasses during his time as a Soul Reaper captain. While he appears to be very kind to his subordinates, he cares very little for them in truth. According to Aizen himself, he is not bound by morals and will therefore stop at nothing to further his ambitions, including manipulating or killing anyone if he deems it necessary. Tite Kubo stated in an interview that "part of Aizen's appeal is that he's mysterious," and for this reason he didn't think it a good idea to go too much in-depth with the character.

Aizen controls his new minions either through acquired respect, as revealed through Ulquiorra Schiffer's conversation with Orihime Inoue where he tells her that they are all here to further Aizen's ambition, or through fear, such as when he threatened to kill Grimmjow Jeagerjaques if he attacked Kaname Tōsen. It was also stated by the arrancar Iceringer that they follow Aizen because he has no fear, which beings born from fear and despair find inspiring. Other arrancar occasionally have reasons for following Aizen unique to themselves, such as Szayel Aporro Granz, who follows Aizen with the hopes that he eradicates the world of all non-hollows.

It has been conjectured that Aizen's true objective is to overthrow the king of Soul Society. To do this, he needs the royal key (王鍵, ōken), a tri-pronged golden key that opens a portal to the dimension that the king resides in. While the location of the key is known only to General Yamamoto, Aizen knows how the original was created and how to manufacture another. In order to create the key, Aizen needs to gather 100,000 souls in Karakura Town,[1] which has an unusually large concentration of spirit particles. Aside from killing the many souls used in its creation, creating the key will also vaporize most of Karakura Town.

File:NewAizenGinTosenAnime.jpg
Aizen, in his new clothing after his defection, alongside Gin and Tōsen.

During their ascent to Hueco Mundo, Aizen removes his glasses and sweeps a hand through his hair, revealing menacing eyes and a very different hairstyle. As he had previously revealed to Renji Abarai that the Aizen they all knew never existed, this would seem to be a visual representation of that claim. Before he leaves, he tells Jūshirō Ukitake that no one had started out in heaven, not even God.[2] He then says that he will be the one to stand in the heavens and end the unbearable vacancy on the world's throne. Aizen is later shown in Hueco Mundo wearing clothing similar in style to the arrancar he has been creating; he is also seated on a throne, implying that he has some level of political power.

History

Aizen spent much of his career in the 5th Division,[3] eventually becoming its lieutenant under the former captain, Shinji Hirako.[4] Shinji kept Aizen under his view during this time because he felt there was something dangerous about him. 100 years ago, Aizen experimented on Soul Reaper/hollow hybrids involved using an unknown method to cause spirits to transform into hollows, eventually culminating in the creation of the Visoreds. He framed Urahara for the hollowfication process and forced him to leave Soul Society.

During that time, Aizen met Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen, and lured them to his side. Aizen became captain of the 5th Division later on, and Ichimaru became his lieutenant and right hand man. Ichimaru and Tōsen later became captains of the 3rd and 9th Divisions, respectively, but remained loyal only to Aizen. According to Aizen, even when Hinamori was his lieutenant, he thought of no one but Gin as his subordinate.

At some point, he also saw the potential of Momo Hinamori, Izuru Kira, and Renji Abarai, and took them all into his division. While Kira and Hinamori were obedient and loyal, becoming the lieutenants of the 3rd and 5th Divisions under Ichimaru and Aizen, respectively, Renji proved to be too rebellious and was transferred to the 11th Division (and later to the 6th, where he too became a lieutenant).

Synopsis

When Aizen hears that Rukia Kuchiki has been spotted in the real world after months of being missing, he kills all the members of the Central 46 Chambers. Aizen quickly manipulates everyone into an elaborate conspiracy. Using the abilities of his zanpakuto, he creates an illusion that Central 46 is still working as usual and controls all the decisions that they are supposedly making. With this, he immediately orders that Rukia be brought back to Soul Society to be executed. She is brought back to Soul Society with the Hōgyoku concealed within her body, and Aizen begins moving Rukia's execution date up, while he does research in the Central 46 Chambers.

He later uses his zanpakutō's ability to trick everyone into believing that he has been killed and has Gin leading everyone to believe Gin himself is the murderer. He also sets up his lieutenant, Momo Hinamori, to believe that he was likely killed by Captain Hitsugaya, her childhood friend, to get her out of the way. Because of the nature of Rukia's sentence and execution method, the Gotei 13 splits into factions and the captains begin to fight amongst themselves. During the turmoil, Gin executes the overt aspects of the plan, which begins to be revealed when 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana begins to suspect that there is something wrong with Aizen's supposedly dead body.

Aizen reveals himself by nearly killing his lieutenant and easily defeating Hitsugaya. He has Kaname Tōsen bring Renji Abarai and Rukia to him. Ichigo Kurosaki teams up with Renji to interfere, but Aizen displays his prowess by effortlessly disposing of them, and later defeats 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura with a level 90 kidō spell without the incantation. Afterwards, he removes the Hōgyoku from Rukia's body by using information researched by Kisuke Urahara, but does not kill her. Aizen is then brought to Hueco Mundo by several Menos Grande, along with Gin and Tōsen.

From there, Aizen begins to make several arrancar, and begins sending them one by one to the material world to gain information on Ichigo and, later, to capture Orihime Inoue, who Aizen takes an interest in due to her healing abilities, which can save the powers of the deteriorating Hōgyoku. However, this is revealed to be a ruse on his part. By kidnapping her, he inspires Ichigo and his friends to attempt a rescue, thereby depriving Soul Society of a valuable military asset. Furthermore, when four captains assist in her rescue, adding to the three that have already defected, Soul Society is left at half its regular strength. As he leaves to destroy Karakura Town, he seals the portals the intruders used to access Hueco Mundo, effectively stranding them there until Aizen returns. Though Soul Society is able to substitute the town for an abandoned facsimile, Aizen only muses that he will have to travel to Soul Society to destroy the real town after he and his forces defeat the remaining captains. As of Chapter 329, Aizen is trapped in Yamamoto's fire prison and is unable to fight. Nevertheless, he claims that such action will be unnecesary, for that the power of his Espada alone will suffice to defeat the Gotei 13.

Abilities

Aizen is an extremely potent combatant, well above most captain-level Soul Reapers.He goes on to state that the only way for him to advance beyond that would be to gain and master hollow powers. His mastery of the regular skills are such that he is able to stop released zanpakutō, including Ichigo Kurosaki's bankai, with one finger, and he can defeat several captain-level opponents at once. A hint to his actual level of spirit power is given when he turns Wonderweiss Margera into an arrancar. When preparing to activate the Hōgyoku, he states that despite its half-awakened state, it can be fully activated when temporarily fusing with someone with twice as much spirit power as a captain-level Soul Reaper, referring to himself.[5] The force of Aizen's spiritual power is also great enough to bring the 6th Espada,[6] Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, to his knees without any visible effort from Aizen himself.

Kyōka Suigetsu

File:KyokaSuigetsu.JPG
Kyōka Suigetsu creates an illusory corpse.

Aizen's zanpakutō is Kyōka Suigetsu (鏡花水月, literally "mirror flower water moon"). In its sealed form, it looks like a normal katana. Its shikai command is "shatter" (砕けろ, kudakero). The phrase kyōka suigetsu suggests its illusory properties; the moon reflected in water and a flower in a mirror are things that can be seen but not held. It is a Chinese idiom for seeing and desiring something that is a dream that cannot be easily grasped in hand, teaching people about temptations.

Kyōka Suigetsu's shikai has the ability to place anyone who sees it under a state of "Perfect Hypnosis" (完全催眠, kanzen saimin), after which Aizen can make them see, hear, and feel whatever he wants. According to Aizen, the hypnosis is unbreakable, even if the target is aware that they are hypnotized. The only way to avoid the effect is to not see Kyōka Suigetsu's shikai, making the blind Kaname Tōsen immune to its effects. The effect seems to be permanent, or at the very least long-lasting, as Aizen uses it on nearly all of the lieutenants and captains in the Gotei 13 during a ceremonial release of his zanpakutō years before faking his own death. While the illusions Kyōka Suigetsu creates are quite powerful, they are not 100% accurate; Captain Retsu Unohana was able to realize that something was amiss with Aizen's fake corpse, even though she did not realize what until seeing Aizen alive.

Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnotic abilities make it a useful tool in combat as well, as Aizen can quickly create simple illusions to deceive opponents. By creating a decoy of himself, Aizen can hide his own movements and attack with impunity; his opponent, meanwhile, will remain focused on the illusion until it's too late to react. The most prominent example of this is his brief fight against Sajin Komamura, where an illusionary copy of Aizen is seen melting away after the real Aizen has moved close enough to use the devastating Black Coffin spell.[7]

Appearances in other media

Aizen appears in most of the Bleach video games, with the most recent ones with him in his post-Soul Society outfit. He also has his own Bleach Beat Collection, a brief CD of character image songs. The tracks are Hanabira, Kyōka Suigetsu and a Voice Message from Aizen's voice actor, Show Hayami.

Reception

IGN commented that the plot twist in the story and the truth about Aizen was "fascinating and interesting" but also criticized it, saying his Zanpakuto's power was "far-fetched"[8] and overpowered, Aizen didn't have any flaws (something every villain has) and that his betrayal was "too planned out to be believable".[9] Despite this, the change in mood accompanying Aizen's revelation as a villain was also praised; IGN praised the animators' job at "giving his face this evil thing about it" without changing anything about the animation itself, citing that "the Aizen that we first knew was the nicest guy ever, he looked it, and now this Aizen actually looks like the most evil jerk we've ever seen."[10]

References

  1. ^ Bleach manga; chapter 223, page 9.
  2. ^ Bleach manga; chapter 178, page 15.
  3. ^ Bleach manga; chapter 176, page 6.
  4. ^ Bleach manga; chapter -108, page 7.
  5. ^ Bleach manga; chapter 229, page 15.
  6. ^ Bleach manga; chapter 245, page 11.
  7. ^ Bleach manga; chapter 176, pages 9-11.
  8. ^ IGN: Reality of the Despair, the Assassin's Dagger is Swung Review
  9. ^ IGN: Aizen Stands! Horrible Ambitions
  10. ^ IGN: Aizen Stands! Horrible Ambitions
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