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Izuru: weakness versus being weak
A Bleach write up on Kira Izuru. Just something done on a whim, and there be spoilers up to chapter 319.

Topic: Izuru is not weak, but simply misunderstood for the most part. Here I point out some significant and minor details pertaining to what makes up his character, a majority of it focused on the reason for his seeming weakness. I pulled in various sources, even including the manga's noncanonical omake, but it helps and isn't necessarily required to be read to fully grasp this topic.

Note: This is my way of seeing this. If you disagree, then that's your opinion, so no hard feelings. I would actually appreciate it if you pointed out what you don't agree with, so that I can look into it - not to prove you wrong or anything, it is likely that I may agree to your input myself if the reason is logical. And if I have forgotten any major events and the like, please feel free to notify me on that so I can whip up something for it.

This is technically not an essay, but some introspective thoughts put into words. This does not use the proper format that essays normally do.

Warning: There's a lot of text. I suppose I launched into a semi-ramble.

Going Downhill [Gin's Influence]

Izuru's initial appearance gives most people the assumption that he is a rule stickler. In other cases, it can be perceived as loyalty. He is, and that is one of his most prominent traits for the entirety of the Soul Society arc. We see how Sousuke pulls the strings and, while Gin is posing as the main suspect of foul play, it is ultimately shown that Izuru follows through the plan as a medium. Originally he appeared to have been clueless of the conspiracy between the three captains, but it is evident that he never the less stayed true to his undying loyalty.

As to why he would act on the orders of a traitor is a mystery, and there have been various debates and theories on the matter. The most popular beliefs being that he was manipulated by Gin, or was simply too blinded by loyalty to think much of it. It is a legitimate conclusion that he had committed such deeds due to both reasons as a whole. He may be a follower, but he doesn't lack intelligence. To make sure that he does what his captain demands, Gin secured him into that position by using his influence. Furthermore, he was blackmailed into keeping silent and doing what he was ordered in exchange for Momo's safety.

To elaborate on Gin's influence on his lieutenant, Izuru has evidently undergone heavy changes in his personality. Prelude for the Straying Stars shows what he initially was like before becoming a shinigami, and it is far from what anyone would have expected. He was portrayed as arrogant, confident, and generally loud. As Shuuhei failed to enter the Seireitei Academy the first time, and Izuru was the shining star of his advanced class, he had every reason to believe he possessed more talent than the hailed 6th rounder. He also conveyed much more emotion at the time, constantly showing his anxiety with various actions such as repeatedly pulling out and sheathing his sword (which consequently upsets Renji into often hitting him). While he continues to maintain his blunt and short-fused nature, the outgoing side of him is nearly nonexistent in his modern self.

What does Gin have to do with this change? With further analysis, it can be everything.

Taking into account Rukia's dislike for his presence, Gin is noted as having a suffocating atmosphere. He made the adopted Kuchiki member feel as if snakes were coiling all around her, choking her within its hold. And he was not entirely trusted by some of the shinigami - namely Toushirou, the 10th Division captain - for his attitude and ignorant nature. Gin's charisma appears to work in a negative way, but this is questionable as Izuru admits in one of the manga's omake that 90% of his division favored their captain over him. While this sort of source may be deemed unreliable for solid analysis, it speaks a lot about Gin and his way with the people around him. He is capable of making others loathe or adore him as he wills. Izuru, for one, certainly does not hate his captain prior to the betrayal.

It should be noted that Gin's influence on him is powerful. An example would be when the men's version of the Women's Shinigami Association planned to create cell phone designs (with masculinity as the theme) as means of raising their budget. Oomaeda placed his clan's symbol as a way to advertise, Shuuhei gave his design a head towel, and Juushirou came up with a childish and colorful decor. On the other hand, Izuru had poured most of Gin's characteristics into the layout; the cover was the shape of a fox's face, the antenna extended as far as three meters (hand in hand with the knowledge that he was the captain of the 3rd Division), and the general coloring was silver. It was an epitome of Gin.

Casting aside the omake, another look at it is through Izuru's refusal of inquiring. He does not question Gin's orders, not even once. Even the most conventional and professional adjutants would come to hesitate or downright refuse commands that defy who they are working for, yet he himself has never done such things. He obeys as if it were a natural reaction and nothing out of the norm. Such dedication and the like require much trust and a deep connection for both the commander and the follower.

It looks like Izuru’s opinion of Gin is positive for the most part. When Renji was found unconsciousness and in critical condition, Byakuya demanded that he be thrown in jail, whereas Gin interferes and helps the two lieutenants put him in the 4th Division’s care. At that moment, Izuru looked impeccably bright and happy upon the arrival of his captain and the willingness to help, which goes to show how he, technically speaking, looks up to Gin. The man chose to help his schoolmate and friend, and that should be reason enough when another of the same authority ordered him to be jailed. It should also be emphasized that he never speaks bad about Gin, even after the conspiracy is over – the one time he did so does not count, as he was drunk out of his mind with Rangiku at the time (where she promptly crashes her sake bottle on his head, thus knocking him out).

However, despite Izuru’s none too negative perspective of Gin, how he influences the lieutenant is a different story. The man naturally carries around a burdening atmosphere in his presence, and Rukia is more often than not disturbed by this. If this bothers her so much, why would it be any different to Izuru? Simple, he views his captain from a different angle than her. Even so, it’s clear that Gin does pound some fear into his adjutant, as he has the ability to make anything or anyone feel insignificant.

And that is the main point; Gin’s specialty in making any thing or figure seem unimportant is what most likely brushed away his adjutant’s confidence from his schooldays. As his shadow and closest subordinate, Izuru most likely suffered from the case of minor inferiority complex, which in turn resulted in chipping away at his self esteem. He is now seen as self-deprecating (for the duration of the Soul Society arc), aloof, and withdrawn.

His Reason for Treachery [enter Momo]

As mentioned, one of the various reasons Izuru followed the orders of traitors was the fact that he was, by all technical means, blackmailed. Gin had simply reassured him that Momo would not be hurt if he went along with the plan, and he took it to heart. He saw it as a promise, but that was his biggest mistake; assuming. As he tells himself when Isane reveals the truth to Seireitei, they had said that Momo would not be put in harm's way, not promised. The choice of words here was where Izuru was lead astray and ended up tricking himself. Truly a case of severe manipulation.

At this point, one can see that Izuru has a certain affinity towards the 5th lieutenant. During their schooldays, he was constantly worked up and anxious whenever she was present, and even now his dedication is evident. When Momo screamed after seeing Sousuke’s fake corpse, he was the first to arrive at the scene and call out her name in concern. It’s as clear as the sky that he is – or, possible, was – head over heels for her, or simply adores her, and that he would do anything to keep her safe. While Toushirou takes a violent approach to those who would dare to harm his childhood friend, Izuru does his work much more subtly, and Momo herself has no idea that he is obsessively attached. However, Gin and Sousuke knew of his esoteric adoration, and took that to their advantage.

When he was offered Momo’s safety above all else, he took it. The others were not part of the deal, but he accepted what he was told, demonstrating just how far he was willing to go for her. Izuru values her most out of all the shinigami, and would go to her first were he given the choice. It is more than likely that the main reason for his slight depression and guilt grip during the aftermath comes from the knowledge that he had miserably failed her. She had suffered one of if not the most severe casualties and almost wound up dying. It was the utter and complete opposite of what Izuru had fought and been manipulated for, and it certainly did not sit well with him.

The Ways of a Noble [a take on the history]

One may wonder where Izuru’s willingness to please and be obedient may have come from. It is highly unlikely that Gin gave him the trait, and only strengthened whatever bit of obedience he possessed to the point it became a flaw. The most probable origin of this quality is his family history.

The Kira are a family of lesser nobles. Nothing as grand and significant as the four noble clans, but held in a more favorable position than the residents of Rukongai. It is evident that nobles carry burdens of their own that others cannot possibly understand, and Izuru’s weight to haul by himself is obedience. His mother and father passed when he was young, and he was on the road to becoming a shinigami. As he comes from a noble family, it would not be surprising if he pressured and pushed himself to being one of the better students of the academy. He is not a prodigy, but Izuru is blessed with many gifts when it comes to academic and physical activities. After all, he graduated as the top of his class, which was already an advanced course.

A shining example of a student more often than not means someone who is sensible, intelligent, ambitious, and a listener; obedient. It all scales down to the need to live up to his family name and maintain that pride, to not taint his blood with his personal failures and incompetence. This is what Gin took and twisted to his advantage. Izuru had been this way from the beginning, just that his sense of loyalty was not as powerful at the time.

The Aftermath [his guilty road]

Once the captains left, Izuru was not the happiest person in Soul Society. Devastated? Yes. Depressed? No. Depression does not have a play in this, he didn't launch into self harm with words or actions. Instead he straightened himself to go up to Rangiku and apologize for that he did. Contrary to what most think, he most definitely did not fall into a black hole of depression. While his pessimistic side takes reign, he does not go beyond being upset. He understands well that he's not the only affected by all this, and deals with his share of the pain. Instead, he takes to looking at things in a negative perspective, as shown:

The 6th division, huh...? Their captain seems well, I'm a little jealous. It's a good place, isn't it, the 6th division. And there's a captain, too. And Abarai-kun... We have good memories together, he's a really good guy. Not that bright, though.

Izuru means well, but the words naturally come sharp. Blunt is a part of his personality, though the moping sort of undertone is not naturally an aspect of him. The conspiracy has impacted him on this sense, as he doesn't appear to be as optimistic or positive as he somewhat used to be. For a while he is touchy on topics concerning captains, considering his abandoned the Gotei 13 and the subject of his adoration was nearly killed by hers. Therefore he puts up with jealousy towards those like Renji, as Byakuya is faithful and completely devoted to their purpose, whereas Gin was always rather questionable.

Izuru was never depressed in these standards. He gradually got over his shock, trying to stand tall and strong for his division that lacked a captain, because he wasn't the lone victim. This was where his emotional and mental states began to recover; not entirely, but mostly.

A. His Competence as a Combatant [versus Rangiku]

The popular belief that Izuru is not as nearly as strong as half the lieutenants - Shuuhei and Renji, for two - comes from the short battle he and Rangiku were part of during the captains' conspiracy. The fight is not elaborated upon, but the 10th lieutenant comes to mention during their drinking festive how he had not managed to land a single scratch on her (much to his shame). However, this certainly does not give enough reason to brand him as weak and frail. Had the circumstances been different, he most definitely would have been able to put up a better fight.

Wabisuke's shikai is the ability to double the weight of whatever it touches. Izuru had meant to disarm Rangiku, which would follow up with a forced surrender as she would be weaponless. It should be emphasized here that Wabisuke is obviously not meant to be a killing zanpakutou, its specialties focus on subjugation. Though that could easily be invalidated if "whatever" also includes the opponent himself; by exponentially increasing the pressure on the foe's body, the organs will not be able to keep up with the unbearable weight, thus forcing he/she to collapse or die from suffocation and the like. For this battle it was used as means of avoiding the fight, but Rangiku was able to slide past the loophole with Haineko. With her zanpakutou weighing over hundreds of pounds, her shikai flourishes. Rather than swinging around the massive chunk of weight, she threw it back at Izuru in particles (dust/ash), crushing him into a wall.

This battle could be figuratively seen as fire versus water. Izuru was handicapped from the start because of Rangiku's shikai, and his defeat was inevitable. Especially taking into consideration his current mental state at the time, victory did not smile upon him a single time. By this time it should be fairly obvious that he is rather weak minded due to his lack of self esteem, and this ruins his concentration that is already marred by the fact that he was pitted against a fellow shinigami. Izuru is a rule stickler; such a fight would naturally break him apart.

On the other hand, Rangiku is particularly mature and able to cast aside personal feelings from her duties, which made the fight lean more to her favor. This does not mean Izuru is extremely frail, but merely unstable for that time being. He was following orders that contradicted who he was supposed to be fighting with, not against. As Rangiku brings to question, it is clear that even she was able to see that he was clearly not in the best state, both mentally and emotionally. So rather than an actual fight, she left while calling their quarrel a game.

Both were under stress and confusion at the time. However, Rangiku was able to rationalize and sort out her thoughts while Izuru lost himself. This was a battle of their minds, not their physical capabilities. Neither treated this as a real fight, this was not anything like a shinigami versus hollow combat. He is, by all means, not weak.

B. Coming to Terms [versus Abirama]

This proves to be a more accurate source to look at for measuring Izuru’s potential in battle, though there are some factors to keep in mind. He treats Abirama indifferently, choosing not to shout out a battle cry all the while ignoring the arrancar’s yells and screams. He even downright refuses to do as the latter says, thus being labeled a coward by said arrancar. It is shown that Izuru can easily cast aside these verbal insults and continue to focus on the fight itself.

When Abirama came to mention Gin's name, Izuru's concentration immediately wavered. The arrancar claimed that Gin had left him because he was such a coward. The man's name enrages the blond, and he strikes Abirama's cheek, cutting off a piece of his mask as a warning blow. There are several ways to interpret why the mere name of a traitor would cause Izuru to lose his cool and take the initiative:

igniz: "... the arrancar's remark (he left you behind because you're a coward) seems to point out that Kira is not currently on Gin's side because Gin rejected him. In reality, it's the contrary: Kira will never follow Gin any more since he knows Gin is a traitor. Kira is truly loyal to SS, thus implying that he would have liked to follow a traitor (thus betraying himself) is an insult to his honour that can't be overlooked."

Rain: "Izuru was dropped by Gin, if he had the choice, he might've chosen to follow him again, but the turning point was that he hurt Hinamori.

So Izuru is upset with what Gin did, he has lost all respect and desire for redemption of Gin, and Gin saw Izuru as no longer useful and thus dropped him."

Izuru is entirely dedicated to Soul Society. He had followed Gin during the conspiracy because, at the time, he had been a captain (and it should be obvious by now that Izuru is one of the most dedicated shinigami around); his captain, more specifically. What Abirama suggested stomped all over his pride and honor as a shinigami, by claiming that he had only stayed behind since Gin had abandoned him - which is not the case. If he had a choice, Izuru would have most likely still stayed in Soul Society, never mind following a traitor, especially with what happened to Momo. Thus, this required him to take the initiative and silence Abirama's chastises that were probably false.

On the other hand, one may think he is doing this as means of redeeming himself for what he did in the past. After all, he had done what the traitors commanded, and naturally, it should not sit well with him. It's a part of human nature to want to make up for what he did wrong, no matter how little would have changed had he not done those deeds in the first place.

Furthermore, Izuru and the other three elites have been given roughly four months to train for this war. He has had plenty of time to recuperate and organize his thoughts (in other words, strengthening his mind). While he did manage to accept the fact that he had committed treacherous deeds and that Gin was nothing less or more than a traitor, that was the farthest he could go. He couldn't forget it all, and most likely wouldn't allow himself to.

Also, this comes around to prove that Izuru is not entirely weak in battle. The pillars are extremely significant to the Gotei 13, and Yamamoto left four skilled fighters to tend to them. Izuru is one of these “skilled fighters”, dubbed the elites. He was stationed there due to his capabilities in warfare, but an additional reason could be to have him avoid contact with Gin. Shuuhei is there as well, the two may have been ordered to the pillars to keep them from Gin and Kaname, so that they will not have to deal with the emotional and mental stress. This is a mere add-on to the fact that they are capable fighters with potential.
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Conclusion? There's a difference between being weak and having a weakness. Most assume the former for Izuru, but I find the latter to be a more accurate depiction of his character.

I'll probably write something for Szayel Aporro next. Just because of his childish fits.