Who is Shinji?

Shinji Hirako was originally a Shinigami who became a Visored. He is a recruiter and the de facto leader/captain of the Visored, and was previously the captain of the 5th Division in the Gotei 13. [Read the history]

He is obviously somewhat comical, personality wise, mysterious and a humorous guy. He appears to be not only nice and always calm but also to be some kind of a push-over. Knowing the fact that he is the leader of the Visored, Shinji seems to be under Hiyori Sarugaki's sleeve; who in fact, have anger management issues. Whenever angered or in combat, Shinji is fairly calm, serious, and level-headed.

Shinji speaks in Kansai dialect, which is quite comical. Because of this trait, his words sound a bit harsh, and rude in a way it adds a little charm to the character. Shinji appears to have a pierced round ring in the middle of his tongue and many of his facial expressions reveal his upper teeth.

What is a Visored?

Visored are the antithesis to the Arrancar as Shinigami who have obtained Hollow powers. Having begun as Shinigami, the Visored appear entirely Human and bar those times where they are using their powers are indistinguishable from ordinary Shinigami. To gain access to their Hollow powers, a Visored dons a Hollow mask. This allows them to augment their Shinigami abilities with Hollow powers, as well as giving them access to some of the more generic Hollow abilities. Their spiritual pressure likewise changes into a mix of Hollow and Shinigami. This process of donning one's Hollow mask is referred to as Hollowfication.