Yamamoto appreciates Eastern cultures, and is a master at the Japanese tea ceremony.
Yamamoto felt particularly furious when Driscoll Berci utilized his lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe's stolen Bankai, considering the inferior power to that of the original wielder as an insult to Chōjiro's memories and hard work Yamamoto brutally burned Driscoll to cinders, showing his immense respect for a longtime friend and subordinate. He commended the Tres Bestias for their bravery of attacking him with only one arm each, and struck them down without killing them. ĭespite his stern and steadfast personality, it is not to say he has no compassion and admiration, even for his enemies, as he was reluctant to strike down Wonderweiss Margela for his childish form and personality (only managing to get through this when Wonderweiss' Resurrección makes him no longer look like a child), and felt pity for him that Sōsuke Aizen stripped him of all his higher mental capacities except emotions (mainly fear of death). Inversely, he prefers not to involve allies who are not part of the Gotei 13 (particularly humans), as he requested Ichigo Kurosaki to move to safety, and did not request for Orihime Inoue to repair the left arm he sacrificed for Ittō Kasō. Yamamoto becomes visibly angry when Shunsui, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Kenpachi Zaraki lose their haori and show little regret: to him, the haori represents their status as captains. His loyalty is so great, he is willing to sacrifice himself and the Gotei 13 in order to defeat Aizen, believing it to be their duty to lay down their lives for the sake of the Soul Society if necessary. Yamamoto is very loyal to Soul Society, and takes his duties very seriously, expecting the same from the rest of the Gotei 13. Due to years of experience, Yamamoto very rarely shows any sign of distress or surprise, usually responding by opening one or both of his eyes, which are partially closed slits for the majority of the time. When in a state of peace, he carries himself with an air of frailty, to the point where he fell asleep standing while awaiting Shunsui Kyōraku's arrival for a meeting. He has a habit of referring to those he faces in battle as " youngster", and he refers to a battle as a " beating" or " punishment". He is quick to anger in the face of possible betrayal and can be quite aggressive in combat. He is not a man to tolerate insubordination, and is vocal with those who attempt to act in such a manner.
The embodiment of conviction, Yamamoto follows the laws and regulations of Soul Society to the letter, and expects the same of others. Īs the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto is highly respected by most of the Shinigami, most notably Sajin Komamura, who views Yamamoto as a benefactor who saved his life. He wore the typical black outfit of a Shinigami, with the addition of a sleeveless captain's haori worn appropriately. He had a prominent crease on his forehead and beneath his eyes, and shallow cheeks. He had a single large scar on his forehead, which earned him the nickname " Eijisai" due to its shape. He had thick but more manageable eyebrows and mustache with no beard. He had a tuft of hair sticking up at the back of his head in a topknot. When he was much younger, Yamamoto had black hair on the sides of his head, and was bald on top. After his brief confrontation with Sōsuke Aizen, Yamamoto lost his left arm. Despite his old and frail demeanor, often standing in a hunch, he in fact has a very muscular and well-defined built, which he only reveals when serious for battle, something which Shunsui Kyōraku claims is not seen too often. In addition to the standard Shinigami uniform, he wears a captain's long-sleeved haori draped over his back instead of actually wearing it, with its size being greatly exaggerated. He has many scars on his body, with the two most prominent being a pair of long scars crossing above his right eye, one of which was left by his battle with his lieutenant. He has red eyes, long eyebrows, long mustache, and a hip-length white beard secured by a purple band crossing down it. The oldest captain in the Gotei 13, he has aged into a elderly man with a bald head, visible wrinkles, hooked nose, and pronounced cheekbones. Yamamoto is a fair-skinned man of average height.