Anonymous ASKED:

AIZEN vs MADARA

I am certain that you already know the answer to that question:

AIZEN.

SOUSUKE.

AIZEN SOUSUKE.

For a few of you, you may have been caught by surprise. Why would someone with the blog of Madara’s brother state Aizen as the answer? Are you joking with us?

I will tell you in the greatest honesty: For the first time in my life, I stopped being a lazy, biased ass and actually went online and researched about Aizen before making my statement.

Sure, I knew he is Bleach’s main antagonist. And that Bleach and Naruto are supposedly “rivals”. And that the Naruto fandom just wants to hear Madara > Aizen for no apparent reason other than that Madara is a character in their fandom.

I will tell you now: There is much more to this guy named Aizen Sousuke than “the antagonist of a rival series”.

I will divide my statement into two parts, in which the first part will be based on the fandom, while the second part will be based on the mangakas’ viewpoints of their two characters.

I. The Fandom

The first point of interest I will mention is this diagram.

As comical as you may believe it to be, it goes to show how much the Naruto series switches antagonists, each time replaced by a more powerful manipulator. From the bottom to the top, the list goes as follows: Nagato, Obito, Madara, Black Zetsu, Kaguya, Kishimoto, Marijuana, Bob Marley , (and you guessed who’s as the top of the hierarchy) Aizen Sousuke. Aizen is at the top of this puppet master hierarchy, even without being in the Naruto series. In contrast, Madara is 3rd from the bottom in this list. That does not even make a worthy challenge to Aizen’s influence of manipulation within the fandom.

The second point will focus on this post made in the Naruto Subreddit. Source.

Again, should you be in denial, you will simply ignore this as a joke. However, what is interesting is the location where is this post is made: Naruto Chapter 679 - Links and Discussion. This is the chapter where Madara swells, blows up, and literally disappears from the main story altogether. Yes, it is that chapter.

Many people were expecting Madara to return in epicness and follow Obito’s path in taking over Kaguya. In all honesty, I also thought as such. Yet, that did not happen in the slightest. Madara was literally spit out of Kaguya like a piece of gum and died shortly after. There was not even a flashback for him. And we all know how much was devoted to Nagato’s and Obito’s flashbacks.



Returning to the main point, right on the chapter where Madara dies (away from the main plot), someone in plain words brings up Aizen stabbing Kaguya. Another comment even brings up Aizen mindfucking with “Shatter, Kyouka Suigetsu”; all the Naruto world is merely an illusion created by Aizen. The second comment dismisses the Naruto world as a joke created by Aizen on a whim. However, what is more interesting is the first comment, where Kaguya (the antagonist who killed the previous antagonist Madara within seconds) is placed on the same level as Hinamori Momo (a character who is often associated with getting stabbed by Aizen). Placing Kaguya (who killed Madara) on the same level as Hinamori SAYS SOMETHING.

Following the image and the text, I went to YouTube and searched through the most recent videos that would mention both Aizen and Madara in it. Here is one I found after hours of searching, though there could be more that I have yet to find. Source.

Around 1:15, he states: “You can name one character, and everybody loses their shits. And I’m telling you, it definitely ain’t fucking Madara. maybe back in the day. But AIZEN CONSISTENTLY, EVERY TIME you hear that motherfucker’s voice, EVERYONE LOSES THEIR SHITS.”







II. The Mangaka

This part will focus on the respective mangakas’ method of introducing these two characters.

This is Madara’s first formal appearance (outside of flashbacks) in the manga chapter 559:

Despite the chapter being titled “Uchiha Madara”, Kishimoto closes the chapter with not a major cliffhanger from the actual Madara, but the question of who is the man in the mask.

Madara makes his second return in Chapters 656-657 as a human being. Just as Kishimoto misled the fans into believing that Sakura was Naruto’s true love, Kishimoto misleads us into believing that Madara is the “most vile threat”, when that threat is Kaguya.

The above is the official title given by Kishimoto: The Return of Uchiha Madara. Other than that one time Gaara mentions/asks if Madara’s power is that of a God, Kishimoto never directly (e.g., through titles) mentions that Madara is God. It is simply “Madara’s Return”.



The final time Madara returns is in Chapter 690, where Kishimoto does not even give him a mention. To be honest, other than a few incomprehensible words, this page has no dialogue. In addition, Madara dies shortly after.

The below image details Kubo’s re-introduction of Aizen as the mastermind. However, even before we find out his true intentions, Kubo introduces the gentle and affectionate Aizen with a full page. He has yet to reveal himself, though his extremely kind nature certainly gives a mysterious atmosphere, as we wonder about his “death”.

Following Aizen’s introduction as the most manipulative being known to anime/manga, Kubo appropriately gives Aizen a color page in Chapter 170, alongside his subordinate Ichimaru Gin. If you read/watched Bakuman, you will know that anything in color means something big for the manga and mangaka. Recall that Kishimoto does not give Madara a color page dedicated to his return.

Next is the color spread (yet again) of Aizen’s Second Return. Appropriately, it has Aizen’s image and is titled RETURN OF THE GOD.

AIZEN IS BACK, AND EVEN KUBO KNOWS IT! Kubo once again gives Aizen a color page for Chapter 617. Aizen’s return is confirmed in Chapter 616 where only his name is mentioned. And, even then, a massive shitstorm starts in Chapter 616 simply at the sound of his name.

In comparison with Kishimoto who never (or rarely if you are desperate) refers to Madara as God, KUBO EVIDENTLY DESIGNATES AIZEN AS GOD. There is an entire series of chapters named Deicide, which means Killing God, or much more like Soul Society’s attempts to kill God. Ichimaru Gin’s Bankai, which’s sole purpose is to kill Aizen, is appropriately named Kamishini no Yari, the God-Killing Spear. Yet again in Chapter 617, Kubo titles it RETURN OF THE GOD, complete with Aizen’s image above it.

Aizen is never called “God of *Something*”, as opposed to how Yoruchi is the God of Flash, Baraggan is the God of Hueco Mundo, or Juhabach is the God of Quincies/Christians. For Aizen, it is purely God. (and God of Trolls does not count FYI because it is not a named element in Bleach).

In contrast, Kishimoto has not even given Madara the title of “God of Shinobi”. That title is reserved for Hashirama, Hiruzen, and Hagoromo.

A special note I would like to make is how Kishimoto and Kubo introduced Aizen and Madara respectively.

Kishimoto has Madara debut through such a fierce way.

Madara first appears in Chapter 370. Note that more than ½ of the series has passed. Kishimoto introduces Madara this late into the series. Despite being much earlier than Kaguya, more than ½ of Naruto’s 700 chapters are completed before Madara appears as a named character rather than as a statue. Trivia that 370/700 = 0.528571.

Kishimoto built up too much praise for the Uchiha clan as being a powerful and prominent family in Konoha. They were the strongest clan, as well as one of the founders of the Hidden Leaf. They have powerful eyes which grants their members similar abilities. Kishimoto tops it off with claiming that Madara is the founder of that prestigious clan. Kishimoto falsely gives Madara a sense of power and authority that falters soon after. This is especially true when we find out that the start of the Uchiha bloodline is Otsutsuki Indra. In addition, the person Jiraiya mentioned to have summoned the Kyuubi turns out to be Obito, a contemporary of Kakashi.

Now, unto how Aizen debuts:

Aizen debuts in Chapter 79, and 79/617 = 0.128039. (Chapter 617 is Return of the God). 12.8% into the Bleach series, Kubo introduces Aizen.

The below details how Kubo chose to introduce Aizen, whom would later be referenced as God.

Kubo does not give Aizen an aggressive or powerful persona until the actual Aizen appears. In fact, Aizen does not even appear to be powerful. Aizen literally debuts as the least threatening of the entire Gotei 13. Compared to Soifon, Ichimaru Gin, Kuchiki Byakuya, Hitsugaya Toshiro, Kaname Tousen, Zaraki Kenpachi, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, Kyouraku Shunsui, etc, Aizen even appears to be the weakest of the captain class. What else would be expected through these panels? Aizen literally debuts as an unassuming, smiling nerd. The entire page after his actual debut is him smiling.

It is also important to note that Aizen does not come from a “high expectations” family as Kishimoto introduced Madara. Unlike Kishimoto’s pattern of introducing Uchiha as “members of this powerful family with powerful eyes”, we still do not know anything about Aizen’s family. Even upon the time this post was made, hundreds of chapters after Aizen’s debut, we do not even know if Aizen even has a family, much less about his background or upbringing. All we know is that the name “Aizen” is not listed upon the main families in Soul Society. Wherever Aizen is from, he was certainly not born into nobility or prestige.

Who would have expected that someone who debuts as a weak-looking scholar from nowhere would become the God who cuts down the captains we previously classified as more powerful than him.

Kubo evidently devotes more space for Aizen to grow as a dominating presence instead of straight off mentioning him as someone from a high-ranking, powerful family with a threatening face to “back it up”.

Madara starts out as someone from the powerful Uchiha family, the founder of his clan, the sole summoner of the Kyuubi. All this SHATTERS when we find out that he was banished from his clan, the Uchiha were founded by Indra, and Obito summoned the Kyuubi as well.

While Kishimoto uses Madara’s family to “back up” his character as powerful, Aizen is powerful not because of a family, BUT BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS.

Aizen probably knew about this all along. Even before he leaves Soul Society, he says something a bit too fitting for the situation:

Madara is basically written out “just like any other Uchiha, only more powerful” even before he gets any development as a person. He is EXPECTED to be powerful, aggressive, dangerous, vengeful, the founder of Sasuke’s and Itachi’s clan, etc. There is just too much false expectation placed on his character even before he says a word. Death (after a long line of supposed deaths) becomes the end of Madara’s story.

Exactly the opposite, Aizen’s story starts with his “death”, which does not even count as an actual death as a result of the Perfect Hypnosis.

Kishimoto has Madara introduced as one of the most powerful characters, only to have his death executed in the worst possible way.

In contrast, Kubo introduces Aizen as an innocent, weak-looking, unassuming character who rises to the top of his series, with the ability to command total attention with merely his smiles.