Height 176 cm (5'9") Shikai Sakanade Shinji Hirako is the former captain of the 5th Division, preceding his lieutenant Sousuke Aizen. He distrusted Aizen from the day they met, and thus made him lieutenant so he could keep an eye on him. Shinji's character is somewhat comical, adding a bit of levity to situations that are otherwise serious. He seems to like annoying his associate, Hiyori Sarugaki, which usually earns him a slap from one of her sandals. He also appears to have a history of referring to cute girls he meets as his 'first love', complete with a deadpan look on his face despite the obvious lie (he apparently never did this with Hiyori, further annoying her).