The creator of the series, Tite Kubo, uses many Spanish motifs for Hollows. This is most prominent in the names for the various Hollow and Arrancar attack techniques. Many of the Arrancars also have Spanish-derived names.
A Hollow is a spirit that becomes an evil incarnation of itself. When the soul loses its Chain of Fate (因果の鎖, Inga no Kusari?), the link to its physical body, and is overcome with negative emotions, it transforms into a skeletal monster. However, it is possible for a soul to avoid Hollowfication and instead become a Visored by awakening its dormant Soul Reapers abilities, as happens to the protagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki.
One plane of existence in the Bleach universe is the desert-like Hollow world called Hueco Mundo (虚圏 (ウェコムンド), Weko Mundo?, Spanish for "Hollow World," kanji translates as "Hollow Range") where the Hollows thrive on a life force "spirit energy." The Hollows that appear in the human world have a strong desire to feed on human souls in an attempt to fill the void left in their hearts from losing their Chains of Fate, which is why they are said to first attack the people that they had loved the most in their past lives.[2] Hollows generally do not have recollections of their lives as humans. Hollows also have varied character designs, though most are designed with monster-like appearances, skull-like masks, and a large hole somewhere through each of their bodies, usually where their hearts used to be.
There are two main duties of the Soul Reapers regarding souls: to perform a ritual known as a soul burial (魂葬 (こんそう), konsō?) on normal souls before they become Hollows, and to purify the sins of Hollows so they once again become normal. When either of these duties are fulfilled, the soul goes to the Soul Society. If a Hollow committed grave sins as a human, its destruction opens the gates of the underworld, where it is dragged to its punishment.
There are also special case Hollows like Menos and Arrancars, who gain access to unique skills and abilities, fueled by the souls they have consumed. The most common ability is Cero (虚閃 (セロ), Sero?, Spanish for "zero," kanji translates as "Hollow Flash") also called "Doom Blast" in the English manga, a high-powered energy blast that is fired from some part of the body, such as the mouth or hand.
Menos (メノス, Menosu?, Spanish for "minus" or "less") Hollows have an unusually strong thirst for souls, leading them to consume other Hollows and evolve into a stronger state of being. Within the Menos are three levels of evolution, each with superior strength, speed, and intelligence compared to its previous form.
The first level of Menos is the Gillian (最下大虚 (ギリアン), Girian?, kanji translates as "Least of the Great Hollows") class, they are also known as "Menos Grandes" (大虚 (メノスグランデ, Menosu Gurande?, Spanish for "big minus," kanji translates as "Great Hollow"). They are considered foot soldiers to the other Menos,[6][7] and normally reside within the Menos Forest located below the desert surface of Hueco Mundo.[citation needed] The Gillians are powerful giants, masses of countless cannibalistic Hollow identities gathered into one form, each with very little intelligence or individuality.
If one of the Hollow consciousnesses that now make up the Gillian surfaces above the others, that identity dominates the entirety, and through eating other Gillians, eventually evolves to the next level, Adjucha (中級大虚 (アジューカス), Ajūkasu?, kanji translates as "Intermediate Great Hollow").Granted with superior intelligence, Adjuchas give orders to Gillians, and are better able to do combat with Soul Reapers. Adjuchas must continue to eat Hollows to maintain their individuality or they risk regressing to their original Gillian form. There are some cases where Adjuchas will halt regression, since if a part of their bodies are eaten they shall stop evolving completely.
The very few Adjuchas that transcend their limits become Vasto Lorde (最上大虚 (ヴァストローデ), Vasuto Rōde?, Spanish for "complete lord," kanji translates as "Great King of the Hollows") class. They are the closest Hollows in size to humans and have power greater than that of a captain-class Soul Reaper. At one time in the story, Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya speculates that the Soul Society "would be doomed" if their enemy Sōsuke Aizen gets at least ten Vasto Lordes under his command. It is shown in the anime that at least one of the Espadas (Tia Halibel) was a Vasto Lorde before joining the Espadas.[citation needed]
An Arrancar (破面 (アランカル), Arankaru?, Spanish for "to tear off," kanji translates as "broken mask") is a human-like Hollow with its Hollow mask almost completely removed. Arrancars have the powers of a Soul Reaper, including a zanpakutō, as well as strength, speed, and intelligence beyond the level of normal Hollows. In addition to these improvements, Arrancars also have hierro (鋼皮 (イエロ), iero?, Spanish for "iron," kanji translates as "steel skin") skin, hard enough to defend against swords to an extent. Arrancars use a technique known as sonido (響転 (ソニード), sonīdo?, Spanish for "sound," kanji translates as "moving sound") to travel at extremely high speeds across a short distance. Stronger Arrancars have been shown to possess relatively harder hierro or faster sonido among other abilities, either unique or based on common techniques, such as the several variants of the Cero technique.
Like Soul Reapers, all Arrancars possess a zanpakutō (斬魄刀?, literally, "soul-cutting sword"). Unlike a Soul Reaper's, however, whose zanpakutō is a manifestation of its owner's soul, an Arrancar's zanpakutō is a manifestation of its former self. With occasional exceptions an Arrancar's zanpakutō resembles a regular sword in its "sealed state." When "released" through a process called resurrección (帰刃 (レスレクシオン), resurekushion?, Spanish for "resurrection," kanji translates as "returning blade"), the sword combines with and changes the appearance of the Arrancar. In most cases of resurrección part of the Arrancar's original Hollow form is restored and the Arrancar is granted greater strength and access to his or her original abilities. Arrancars are able to discard or remove certain elements of their released forms to better focus their powers. This results, however, in the Arrancars losing those attributes permanently, compared to ripping off one's limb.
Arrancars become major antagonists in Bleach during the second part of the series, as they are led by Sōsuke Aizen, who uses the hōgyoku to create and perfect the Arrancars. According to Tite Kubo, many of the Arrancars are named after real life architects and designers
The Espadas (十刃 (エスパーダ), Esupāda?, Spanish for "sword," kanji translates as "ten blades") are the ten strongest Arrancars in Sōsuke Aizen's army and each of them represents an aspect of death. They are based at Las Noches (虚夜宮 (ラス・ノーチェス), Rasu Nōchesu?, Spanish for "The Nights," kanji translates as "Hollow Night Palace"), which was originally the Espada Barragan's domain, until Aizen acquired it and remodeled it into his palace.[citation needed] The Espadas are ranked in order of their strength and have their respective numbers tattooed somewhere on their bodies as proof of their status. While it was originally thought the Espadas were ranked from 1 to 10, with 1 the strongest and 10 the weakest, they are according to Yammy ranked 0 through 9. The Espadas are also allowed to personally choose any two-digit Arrancar as their direct subordinate, referred to as their Fracción (従属官 (フラシオン), Furashion?, Spanish for "fraction," kanji translates as "Subordinate Official"). Each Espada also possesses a Caja de Negación (Spanish for "Negation Box"), a cube-like item meant to seal away any one Fracción as a punishment, and could possibly be held forever, but stronger Arrancars are able to escape from the Caja de Negación's subspace.
Yammy Riyalgo (ヤミー・リヤルゴ, Yamī Riyarugo?, correctly romanized as Yammy Llargo), as signified by the "10" tattooed to his left shoulder, is usually believed to be the Décimo Espada. Though he only refers to himself to be the Arrancar Diez,[15] Yammy is actually the Cero Espada, as the "1" from his tattoo flakes off through his resurrección, which he claims to allow his power to surpass all other Espadas. What remains of his Hollow mask is the jawbone, which rests on his chin. He is the largest of the Espadas, but relies upon others to explain things to him while in battle. Yammy primarily uses his brute strength and Cero blasts in battle, taking little interest in using his sword unless he is overpowered. Aside from his fighting abilities, Yammy can suck the souls from living humans en masse using his ability called gonzui (魂吸 (ゴンズイ)?, kanji translates as "soul suction"). It affects a wide area, but any individual with slight spiritual power is able to resist death. Yasutora Sado has examined that his stature has grown considerably since his first appearance.[16] He has a pet dog with a Hollow mask that is seen twice in the series: once during Ichigo's battle with Ulquiorra and again after Yammy is defeated by Byakuya and Kenpachi.[citation needed]
His "zanpakutō" is Ira (憤獸 (イーラ), Īra?, Spanish for "Anger," kanji translates as "Angry Beast"). When released, as his true tattoo is revealed, Yammy's size and power increase dramatically, becoming a giant, multi-legged ankylosaurus-like centaur. As Yammy represents rage as an aspect of death, his power depends directly on his anger, allowing his size to increase and to resume to a humanoid form with a pair of large spikes protruding from his shoulders and a row of smaller spikes down his spine.
Yammy is one of the first Arrancars to be introduced, appearing alongside Ulquiorra when they arrive in the human world to find Ichigo Kurosaki. There he gets his right arm chopped off by Ichigo in an ensuing fight before he and Ulquiorra escape. After having his arm reattached, Yammy again accompanies Luppi, Grimmjow, and Wonderweiss to attack the Soul Reapers in the human world. He shortly loses to Kisuke before he falls back to Hueco Mundo a second time. Later, Yammy reappears in front of a battling Ichigo and Ulquiorra in the throne room of Hueco Mundo's Las Noches. Before he is able to kill Orihime Inoue, Uryū Ishida disables him with a special land mine created by Mayuri Kurotsuchi and he falls to the very bottom of the palace complex, near Rukia and her comrades. He then enters resurrección, subsequently defeating Chad and Renji and attempts to crush Rukia, but Ichigo intervenes, saving her and taking over the battle. Ichigo is also overpowered by Yammy, and so Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki intervene as well. When it appears that the latter two have disabled him, Yammy undergoes a second, much larger transformation.[17] He is eventually defeated by both Byakuya and Kenpachi, dying while his pet dog stands beside him.[citation needed] He is voiced by Kenji Nomura in Japanese, and Paul St. Peter in English.
Coyote Stark (コヨーテ・スターク, Koyōte Sutāku?, correctly romanized as Coyote Starrk and Lillynette Gingerback) is the Primera Espada, signified by the "1" tattooed on the back of his left hand. The aspect of death he represents is solitude. His sole Fracción is Lilinette Gingerback (リリネット・ジンジャーバック, Ririnetto Jinjābakku?, romanized as Lilynette Gingerback in the Japanese media), who is actually another part of him. Stark and Lilinette came into being as the result of a Hollow splitting its soul in two out of loneliness brought on by the fact that its spiritual pressure was too deadly for those who get too close, even other Hollows it tried to befriend. Stark does not remember which of them the original Hollow resembled.[18] Some time after coming into being, Stark and Lilinette encountered Aizen, with Stark joining him as an ally as he saw him to be someone who could stay around them without dying.[19] Stark has an overall lazy and laid back personality and is normally reluctant, yet can be serious and willing to do what needs to be done to complete the task at hand. Lilinette Gingerback typically shows the concern that Stark does not, acting like a sister and giving him incentive.[20] The remains of Stark's Hollow mask consist of a bottom jaw that is positioned like a necklace and his Hollow hole is on his sternum, right below the tip of his mask. Lilinette's Hollow mask is in the form of a partial skull with a horn.
Stark also appears to be uninterested in fighting, going as far as to suggest that he and Shunsui Kyōraku pretend to fight until everyone else is finished. His interest in the fight increases however as he sees the bankai of the other captains and asks Shunsui to reveal his. He is very fast, easily kidnapping Orihime Inoue while Kenpachi Zaraki and Ichigo Kurosaki are only a few feet away.[21] His laziness also manifests itself in his fighting style, as he refuses to fight Shunsui Kyōraku at full strength when asked to. Stark is an intelligent combatant with an implied visual perception on a par with a high-speed camera. Stark's visual acuity is fine enough to note that Shunsui's swing with his left hand is faster than with his right, and deduces that Shunsui is ambidextrous and capable of using both the katana and wakizashi at once. In a similar manner, he is able to observe how Jūshirō Ukitake's shikai operates by firing a Cero and then moving to get a side view as the Cero is absorbed into one of Ukitake's swords and then directed out another.[22] Lilinette, while aggressive, is weak and her Cero is described as immature and less powerful than that of a Menos.
Unlike the rest of the Espadas, Stark's power is not sealed inside his zanpakutō, but is released when he recombines with Lilinette. When they combine their release is Los Lobos (群狼 (ロス・ロボス), Rosu Robosu?, Spanish for "The Wolves," kanji translates as "Wolf Pack"). Upon release, Stark resembles a gunslinger, gaining a fur-lined suit, a pair of bandoliers, and an eyepiece covering his left eye, resembling Lilinette's mask fragment. He wields two ornamental guns able to fire off ceros in rapid succession, one of these guns actually being Lilinette with whom he is able to converse. Stark also takes on some of Lilinette's personality quirks, becoming more vocal and short tempered. Stark and Lilinette can also separate portions of their souls to form a pack of wolves that explode upon contact with an enemy as well as form swords for close combat.
Stark takes on the Visoreds Rose and Love after Kyōraku and Ukitake are injured, and is shown to be emotionally affected by Barragan Luisenbarn's death. He gains the advantage over the two until Kyōraku returns to battle. Stark is ultimately cut down by Kyōraku, falling to his death. He apologizes to Aizen for not being able to repay him. As he falls, he remembers Lilinette and the other Espadas and repeats that he is not alone to himself. In the anime, Lilinette takes the form of the wolf spirits and dies before Stark, sacrificing herself to block an attack from Kyōraku.[24] Stark and Lilinette are voiced by Rikiya Koyama and Kiyomi Asai in Japanese, and by Keith Silverstein and Kate Higgins in English.
Baraggan Luisenbarn (バラガン・ルイゼンバーン, Baragan Ruizenbān?)(correctly romanized as Barragan Ruisenbarn) is the Segunda Espada. Before becoming an Espada, he reigned over Hueco Mundo from Las Noches and considered himself the "god of Hueco Mundo". Aizen, before he defected from the Soul Society, arrived at Baraggan's kingdom offering him greater power if he submits to him. Though he refused the offer, Baraggan is forced to accept after Aizen easily killed many of his followers, intending to someday kill Aizen and make him regret ever meeting him.
Baraggan is the oldest of the Arrancars, the remnants of his mask taking the form of a five-pointed crown. He bears large visible scars on the left side of his chin and across his right eye, and wears a large rope-like sash with a sun-crested buckler attached to it in addition to the regular obi sash. Though dethroned, Baraggan still sees himself to be superior to every form of life. Though given the position of Segundo Espada by Aizen, Baraggan asserts his leadership once Aizen is trapped, giving orders from a skull-adorned throne, even instructing Halibel to "not underestimate him".[25] As an Espada, his representation of death is old age, thus Baraggan is able to age his opponent in his unreleased form, such as when he slows down Soi Fon's kicks and ages the bones in her arm to the point that they dissolve completely.
Baraggan has six male Fracciónes who all refer to him as king; Arrancar 27 Nirgge Parduoc (ニルゲ・パルドゥック, Niruge Parudukku?), Arrancar 32 Choe Neng Poww (チーノン・ポウ, Chīnon Pō?), Charlotte Cuuhlhourne (シャルロッテ・クールホーン, Sharurotte Kūruhōn?), Avirama Redder (アビラマ・レッダー, Abirama Reddā?), Findor Carias (フィンドール・キャリアス, Findōru Kyariasu?), and Ggio Vega (ジオ･ヴェガ, Jio Vega?).
His zanpakutō is Arrogante (髑髏大帝 (アロガンテ), Arogante?, Spanish for "Arrogant," kanji translates as "Great Skull Emperor") and it takes the form of a giant battle-axe. When released, Baraggan transforms into a crown-wearing, robed skeleton that resembles the grim reaper. In this form, he can perform Respira (Spanish for "breathe"), which continually ages whatever it touches. When it touches Soi Fon's and the Visored Hachigen Ushōda's hands, it makes them decay down to the bones and then starts spreading, forcing each of them to sever the decayed hands. Baraggan's Respira also has the power to deteriorate kidō, as demonstrated when he dissolves one of Hachigen's barriers. Baraggan states that his power is absolute and affects everything under the sway of time. He has also been shown to retain a weapon in his released state which takes the form of Gran Caída (滅亡の斧 (グラン･カイダ), Guran Kaida?, Spanish for "Great Fall," kanji translates as "Downfallen Axe"). It is essentially a released form of his zanpakutō.
After all of his Fracciónes are killed, Baraggan engages Soi Fon and Ōmaeda, gains the upper hand, and negates Soi Fon's Bankai, until the intervention of the Visoreds. By creating multiple barriers of kidō, the Visored Hachigen is able to contain Baraggan's aging abilities to the point that Soi Fon is finally able to wound the Espada with her Bankai. Furious, Baraggan releases his Respira everywhere, eventually hitting Hachigen's right arm. Before the aging can spread, however, Hachigen uses his kidō to sever his right arm and teleport it and the Respira affecting it inside Baraggan's stomach. Baraggan's own ability literally dissolves him from the inside-out and he makes one last unsuccessful attempt to kill Aizen before dying. He is voiced by Shōzō Iizuka in Japanese and Steve Kramer in English.
Tia Halibel (ティア・ハリベル, Tia Hariberu?, romanized as Tia Harribel in the Japanese media) is the Tercera Espada, signified by the "3" tattooed on the side of her right breast. She is also the only current female Espada. The aspect of death she represents is sacrifice. She is very calm and rarely speaks, and when she does it is fairly serious.
In contrast to the majority of her fellow Espadas, Halibel prefers not to engage in combat and to commit acts of needless slaugther; she is content silently observing the battle between Soul Reapers and Arrancars until it reaches its conclusion, and refuses to fight until she or her Fracciónes are challenged or ordered by her superiors. The remnants of Halibel's Hollow mask are covered by her coat and collar most of the time; her mask covers the lower portion of her face from her nose down, extending down her neck and out to either side of her chest, although still leaving much of her breasts exposed. In the manga, her breasts are partially shown; however in the anime they are mostly covered. In the anime, Halibel's backstory as a Vasto Lorde is revealed, in which she gathers female Menos to work together against more aggressive, male Menos that consider them easy prey. After saving the three Adjuchas—Apacci (アパッチ, Apatchi?), Mila Rose (ミラ・ローズ, Mira Rōzu?), and Sung-Sun (スンスン, Sunsun?)—that joined her campaign, Halibel becomes at odds with Baraggan for defying him. It is only after being saved by Aizen from a berserk Arrancar that Halibel joins his group with her three comrades becoming her Fracciónes.
Her zanpakutō is named Tiburón (皇鮫后 (ティブロン), Tiburon?, Spanish for "Shark"). She carries it horizontally behind her shoulders; the sword itself is notably broad and short compared to those of other Espadas, and the inner portion has been removed, leaving only the "outline" of the sword. The sword can create 'ribbons' of energy from the empty inner portion named Ola Azul (Spanish for "Blue Wave") to be used in combat. When released, she loses the portion of the Hollow mask that covers her face and gains markings on each side of her face, as well as two wing-like protrusions on her back, an armored skirt, and armor that covers her arms, shoulders and legs. She also carries a massive pata, which resembles an elongated shark tooth. Her strength and speed are increased, evident by the blow she delivered to Tōshirō Hitsugaya, cutting a portion of him off before he could even react (though this was revealed to be a clone of Hitsugaya made of ice). She controls water to perform attacks in this form.
Her battle with Tōshirō starts off in her favor, but soon levels to a draw as their powers are opposites. However, as she attempts to avenge her Fracciónes' death by Yamamoto, Tōshirō reveals that Hyōrinmaru can control the weather as then proceeds to trap her in an ice prison with his newly learned Hyōten Hyakkasō technique, and leaving her for dead. However, Wonderweiss arrives and frees her just by yelling. Halibel then engages Tōshirō and the Visoreds Hiyori and Lisa, maintaining her ground, despite being outnumbered. After witnessing the deaths of Stark and Barragan, Aizen interrupts Halibel's battle and slashes her with his sword, stating she "is not strong enough to fight for him anymore". Halibel recalls her past and after an unsuccessful attempt on Aizen's life, Aizen tells her that she "will never raise her sword to him again" and he cuts Halibel down. She is voiced by Megumi Ogata in Japanese and Laura Bailey in English.
Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck (ネリエル・トゥ・オーデルシュヴァンク, Nerieru Tu Ōderushuvanku?), commonly known as Nel Tu (ネル・トゥ, Neru Tu?) or "Nel" for short,[26] is a good-natured, child-like Arrancar when first introduced and has a habit of saying the opposite of what she actually meant. The remains of her Hollow mask make up a cartoonish skull on the top of her head. She is really Tia Halibel's predecessor, resembling a full-grown woman with a ram-horned version of her Hollow mask and bearing a large "3" tattooed on her back.[27] Compared to the other Espadas, Nelliel has a sense of honor and respect for her opponents, sparing those she deems weak. This ideology results with Nnoitora Jiruga attacking her from behind with the help of Szayelaporro, managing to crack her mask, resulting with her current form and amnesia, allowing him to expel her from the Espadas.
By the time she is introduced in the series, Nel and her companions encounter Ichigo Kurosaki's group and help them as their guides in Hueco Mundo, though were originally afraid of Soul Reapers as they saw them to be the bad guys. But Nel develops an attachment to Ichigo and starts following him around after her introduction. As a result, when she encounters Nnoitora as he begins to torture Ichigo, Nel assumed her true form with her memories restored. Though considerably more mature than her child form, Nelliel retains her child-like voice and affection for Ichigo, as she comically hugs him without realizing that her strength is causing him personal injury. As she is about to defeat Nnoitora, Nelliel reverts back to her child form with no apparent memory of what had just occurred, although she seems to recognise Nnoitora upon his death.
In her child-state, Nel's vomit (though she claims it to be saliva) acts as a rather weak but useful healing agent. In both her child and adult form, she can swallow Cero attacks and fire them back. In her adult form, she can also add her own Cero to this blast, doubling its power, aptly named a Cero Doble (Spanish for "Double Zero"). Nelliel's zanpakutō, which manifests when she transforms, is named Gamuza (羚騎士 (ガミューサ), Gamyūsa?, Spanish for "Chamois," kanji translates as "Antelope Knight"). Her released form is that of an ibex-like centaur with longer curved horns, a thick tail, and armor over her shoulders and hands. Her sword transforms into a double-ended white lance, giving her the appearance of a medieval knight or a jouster.[28] One of her attacks in this form is called Lanzador Verde (翠の射槍 (ランサドール・ヴェルデ), Ransadōru Verude?, Spanish for "Green Lancer," kanji translates as "Green Javelin"), in which she throws her lance directly at her opponent. The lance moves at high speed and rotates extremely fast, drilling through anything it hits. She is voiced by Tomoko Kaneda in Japanese and Colleen O'Shaughnessey in English.
Nnoitora Jiruga (ノイトラ・ジルガ, Noitora Jiruga?, romanized as Nnoitra Gilga in the Japanese media) is the Quinto Espada, signified by the "5" tattooed to his tongue, and was shown to have been the Octavo Espada back when Nelliel was the Tercera. The aspect of death he represents is despair. He wears a large eye-patch that covers most of the left side of his face, as well as the remnants of his Hollow mask (a small set of jawbones and teeth) and his Hollow hole, both located around his left eye socket. He has the self-proclaimed strongest hierro of any Espada, both past and present, enabling him to block attacks, even from blade wielding opponents, by his skin alone. As a result, combined with his rudeness and arrogance, he wishes to fight only the strongest and spares the weak as it is a waste of his time. He firmly believes in male chauvinism, hating the idea of a woman being stronger than or outranking a man with intent to give any woman in such a position their "deserved" inferior rank. This mindset led to his attack on Nelliel, who frequently defeated him in battle and spared him for his weakness. With the help of Szayelaporro, Nnoitora cracked her mask, giving her amnesia, and exiled her from the Espadas, hoping to be stronger by the time they met again. Nnoitora has stated the only time he feels truly alive is when he is gurgling on his own blood.[43] His sole Fracción Tesla Lindacruz (テスラ・リンドクルズ, Tesura Rindokuruzu?, romanized as Tesra Lindacruz in the Japanese media) idolizes Nnoitora and models himself in Nnoitora's image.
His zanpakutō, Santa Teresa (聖哭螳螂 (サンタテレサ)?, Spanish for "Praying Mantis," kanji translates as "Sacred Crying Mantis"), takes the form of a giant axe-like weapon bearing two crescent blades fused together at their backs. It is shown via several flashbacks that it used to only have one crescent. When released, Nnoitora gains two additional pairs of arms, and each of his hands gains an identical scythe-like weapon.[44] Nnoitora's wounds heal almost instantly in his released state, and he can also regenerate severed limbs.[45]
Though ordered by Aizen to remain on stand-by, Nnoitora, instead, decides to seek out the intruders in hopes of finding a worthy challenge. After easily defeating Chad, Nnoitora is drawn to the site of the battle between Ichigo Kurosaki and Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. While he tortures the exhausted Ichigo, Nelliel Tu Oderschvank returns to what is revealed to be her true form and effortlessly repels Nnoitora's attacks. Though she almost defeats him yet again, she reverts to her amnesic child-state and is left at his mercy. Before Nnoitora can finish anyone off, Kenpachi Zaraki soon arrives to help them, and he and Nnoitora exchange increasingly more devastating blows, each finding great enjoyment in the fact that they can survive one another's attacks and therefore prolong the battle. After a long and destructive battle Nnoitora dies gratefully by what he believes to be a "warrior's death;" losing consciousness a split second before his body hits the ground. He is voiced by Nobutoshi Canna in Japanese and Michael Sinterniklaas in English.
Grimmjow Jeagerjaques (グリムジョー・ジャガージャック, Gurimujō Jagājakku?) is the Sexto Espada, signified by the "6" tattooed to his back. Before becoming an Espada he was known as Arrancar 12. The aspect of death he represents is destruction. His name stems from that of an architect named Nicholas Grimshaw.[14] Grimmjow is very disrespectful and defiant towards authority figures. He is often openly insulting to such people save for Sōsuke Aizen, and even this respect is quickly abandoned when Aizen is out of earshot. Grimmjow has an overly violent lust for battle, always seeking out the strongest opponent in a given area and he is very confident in his abilities, believing himself to be equal to, or even stronger than Ulquiorra.[46] However, Grimmjow does follow a code of honor and takes offense to anyone who looks down on him and is very disrespectful . The remains of his Hollow mask consist of the right jawbone, and his Hollow hole is located on his abdomen.
Before becoming an Arrancar, Grimmjow was a panther-like Adjuchas who wandered Hueco Mundo and hunting Hollows to devour prior to becoming leader of a group of other Hollows who desire to become Vasto Lordes. As time passed, Grimmjow became the only one who grew stronger, eating pieces of his comrades' flesh at their request when they came to accept their fate as Adjuchas, offering themselves for Grimmjow to continue on in their place and they can maintain their current forms. These Hollows later became his Fracciónes, who were all killed off when Grimmjow brought them to the land of the living in an attempt to exterminate Karakura Town's spiritually enabled people and stationed Soul Reaper alike: Arrancar 11 Shawlong Qufang (シャウロン・クーファン, Shauron Kūfan?, romanized as Shawlong Koufang in the Japanese media), Arrancar 13 Edorad Leones (エドラド・リオネス, Edorado Rionesu?, romanized as Edrod Liones in the Japanese media), Arrancar 14 Nakim Greendina (ナキーム・グリンディーナ, Nakīmu Gurindīna?, romanized as Nakeem Grindina in the Japanese media), Arrancar 15 Ilfort Grantz (イールフォルト・グランツ, Īruforuto Gurantsu?, romanized as Yylfordt Granz in the Japanese media), and Arrancar 16 Diroy Linker (ディ・ロイ・リンカー, Di Roi Rinkā?, romanized as Di Roy Rinker in the Japanese media).
When his zanpakutō, Pantera (豹王 (パンテラ)?, Spanish for "Panther," kanji translates as "Panther King"), is released he regains some of his former feline characteristics such as jagged teeth, feline ears, clawed hands and feet, and a tail that can be used as a powerful whip.[47] This state augments his speed drastically with animalistic agility and movement to match. His roar can create shockwaves in the air, he can also fire a number of largely destructive "darts" from his elbows and create energy claws called Desgarrón (豹王の爪 (デスガロン), Desugaron?, Spanish for "Laceration," kanji translates as "Panther King's Claw") from his fingertips.
Though he developed an interest in Ichigo as a worthy opponent, Grimmjow's actions were against Aizen's order and it resulted with him losing his arm to Tōsen and his rank soon after. However, after Orihime restores his arm and tattoo, Grimmjow resumes his position as an Espada. After saving Orihime from Loly and Menoly to return the favor, Grimmjow takes her to Ichigo so she can heal his wounds before their final rematch. Although he loses this fight, Grimmjow is last seen being protected by Ichigo from Nnoitora. He is voiced by Junichi Suwabe in Japanese and David Vincent in English.
Luppi Antenor (ルピ・アンテノール, Rupi Antenōru?)[49] temporarily replaced Grimmjow Jeagerjaques as the Sexta Espada, signified by the "6" tattooed to his right hip. He has a youthful and feminine appearance, and tends to be rather demeaning to opponents or those of lower ranks. The remains of his Hollow mask (a top row of teeth) rest on the left side of his head.
Luppi's zanpakutō is Trepadora (蔦嬢 (トレパドーラ), Torepadōra?, Spanish for "Vine," kanji translates as "Ivy Girl"). In his released state eight tendrils sprout from a carapace mounted on his back, which he can control independently to fight multiple opponents. The tentacles can also grow spikes to cause additional damage.
Sent on a mission, later learning to his annoyance that it was a distraction, Luppi overpowered Hitsugaya's assigned group personally until he was defeated by Hitsugaya himself. Falling back while learning his role in Aizen's scheme to get her to Las Noches, Luppi saw Orihime to be of no use to them until she regenerates Grimmjow's arm to his shock. After Orihime restores Grimmjow's tattoo as well, Grimmjow kills Luppi to regain his rank. He is voiced by Daisuke Kishio in Japanese and Michael Sinterniklaas in English.
Zommari Rureaux (ゾマリ・ルルー, Zomari Rurū?) is the Séptimo Espada. He is a quiet, reverent figure that praises Sōsuke Aizen and despises Soul Reapers for arbitrarily judging Hollows. The remnants of his Hollow mask take the form of a necklace made out of teeth and a ridge of spikes running down the center of his forehead. Zommari has the self-proclaimed fastest sonido among the Espadas, referred to as Gemelos Sonido (双児響転 (ヘメロス・ソニード), Hemerosu Sonīdo?, Spanish for "Sound Twins"). He can leave up to five afterimages in his stead when using it. The aspect of death he represents is intoxication.
His zanpakutō is Brujería (呪眼僧伽 (ブルヘリア), Buruheria?, Spanish for "Witchcraft," kanji translates as "Sangha of Bewitching Eyes") and in his released state he gains a total of fifty eyes, each of which can be used to gain complete control of whatever or whoever they look upon; this technique is called Amor (愛 (アモール), Amōru?, Spanish for "Love"). His legs are also replaced by a pumpkin-like structure that he can hide within as a defensive measure.
When Zommari tries to avenge Aaroniero Arruruerie's death by killing Rukia Kuchiki, he is stopped by her brother, Byakuya Kuchiki. After Byakuya proves an even match for him, Zommari releases his zanpakutō and gains control over Byakuya's arm and leg. Byakuya severs his own tendons, however, negating the effect. Zommari then takes control of Rukia's body, forcing her own sword against her throat. Byakuya binds Rukia with kidō, and quickly overwhelms Zommari with his Bankai. When it becomes apparent that he will lose, Zommari begs for mercy and accuses Byakuya and other Soul Reapers of aristocratic pride, saying they "slay Hollows as if it were their birthright". Byakuya replies that he will kill Zommari not because of "Soul Reaper protocol", but because Zommari "pointed a dull blade at his pride," referencing Rukia. Byakuya ends the fight with a single stroke and Zommari shouts his praise to Aizen as he dies. He is voiced by Taiten Kusunoki in Japanese and Greg Eagles in English.
Szayelaporro Grantz (ザエル・アポロ・グランツ, Zaeruaporo Gurantsu?, romanized as Szayel Aporro Granz in the Japanese media) is the Octavo Espada. The aspect of death he represents is madness. The remains of his Hollow mask take the form of rectangular-framed glasses. He is an intellectual and the scientist of the Espadas, thinking highly of himself and following his plans down to the finest detail. He is quite sadistic and views others as little more than research material, thinking poorly of non-Hollows with the hope that Aizen would wipe them all out. Previously, he lost a position as an Espada and was forced to aid Nnoitora to take out Nelliel to regain his position. Szayelaporro has a variety of methods for analyzing an opponent's abilities, such as studying the damage done to their former opponents. Once doing so, Szayelaporro can nullify the effects of their abilities, making him virtually immune to their attacks. In addition to the immunities gained from studying his opponents, Szayelaporro has a large number of Fracciónes which were originally Hollows whom he experimented on and personally modified so that he can heal his wounds by eating them. The first of these many Fracciónes were Lumina (ルミーナ, Rumīna?) and Verona (ベローナ, Berōna?).
His zanpakutō is called Fornicarás (邪淫妃 (フォルニカラス), Forunikarasu?, Spanish for "Fornicator," kanji translates as "Lewd Princess"), and in his released state he grows two pairs of thin wings, and his lower body transforms into a flock of long tentacles.[51] He can shoot a stream of blood-like liquid from his body and if even one droplet comes into contact with an opponent a doppelganger of them is created that Szayelaporro can control to use their abilities against them. By wrapping an opponent in his wings, Szayelaporro can create voodoo dolls of them. Any damage done to the dolls' internal organs is done to the original, debilitating them from the inside. Should he be eaten, Szayelaporro's body will fuse with its opponent's nervous system, allowing him to gain complete control of their body. The last of his many abilities, known as Gabriel (受胎告知 (ガブリエール), Gaburiēru?, kanji translates as "the Annunciation"), allows him to be reborn if he is injured beyond repair by impregnating an enemy and absorbing their spirit particles, turning them into his own and killing the victim in the process.
Prior to his introduction, Szayelaporro sends Rudobone to bring him any defeated Arrancars in order to analyze the abilities of those who defeated them. Szayelaporro later engages Renji Abarai in battle, revealing himself as the younger brother of Ilfort Grantz whom Renji killed. Revealing that he had analyzed data on Renji's attacks through the insects he laced on Ilfort's body prior, Szayelaporro had the advantage over the Soul Reaper before unleashing his Fracción Medazeppi (メダゼピ, Medazepi?) on him. Though Uryū Ishida arrives to aid him, Szayelaporro eventually nullifies Uryū's abilities as well from studying Cirucci's corpse and damages both his opponents enough to be in non-combative states. Just as he loses interest in them and is about to finish them off, Mayuri Kurotsuchi arrives to help them. Being of greater scientific and analytical ability than Szayelaporro, Mayuri is able to render all of Szayelaporro's abilities useless. After Mayuri kills him, Szayelaporro reconstitutes himself inside of Nemu Kurotsuchi while ingesting a large dosage of an experimental drug stored in Nemu's body in the process. This drug greatly increases his reaction time to the point where one second seems like a century to him. With his physical body unable to compensate for his over-enhanced mental state, Szayelaporro is effectively paralyzed and left to suffer a slow and painful death by Mayuri shortly after. He is voiced by Kōsuke Toriumi in Japanese and Hank Matthews in English.
Aaroniero Arruruerie (アーロニーロ・アルルエリ, Āronīro Arurueri?)[53] is the Noveno Espada, signified by the "9" tattooed on his two faces. The aspect of death he represents is greed. In place of a head, Aaroniero has a pair of infantile skull-like creatures which float inside a glass capsule filled with red liquid, which is usually covered with a tall white mask. The two skulls speak alternately (one with a deep voice, the other childlike), often finishing each other's sentences, and refer to themselves as "we," suggesting that Aaroniero is to some degree two separate beings.
Aaroniero is introduced as one of the last first-generation Espadas as well as the only Gillian member of the current Espadas.[54] But in spite of being a Gillian, Aaroniero is made an Espada due to his unique talent of devouring other Hollows through his tendril-like zanpakutō, Glotonería (喰虚 (グロトネリア), Gurotoneria?, Spanish for "Gluttony," kanji translates as "Eating Hollow"), a deformed mouthed appendage in place of his left arm which he usually covers with his robes and a glove. Compared to regular Gillians, Aaroniero can completely incorporate those he consumes into himself, giving him access to their memories and special abilities and even allowing him to shapeshift into their physical form if he so desires.[55] Exposure to sunlight, however, nullifies his powers and forces him back into his original form if he was shapeshifted.
At the time of his appearance, Aaroniero claims to have absorbed over 30,000 Hollows. Although the full range of his acquired abilities is never shown, they include "synchronized awareness", an ability to project any information and thoughts to his allies' minds.,[56] and (through a series of events which cumulated with the consumption of the Hollow Metastacia) the powers, memories and form of Soul Reaper Kaien Shiba. Furthermore, his zanpakutō release transforms his lower body into a purple, house-sized octopus-like mass with dozens of tentacles and cartoonish mouth-like mask pieces.[57] With Glotonería released, Aaroniero can access the full range of his acquired abilities at will.[58]
After Ichigo and his friends break into Hueco Mundo, Aaroniero seeks out Rukia and, in the guise of Kaien Shiba, attempts to use Rukia's guilt at Kaien's death to trick her first into allowing him to kill her. However, when he almost attempts to trick her into killing her friends, Rukia senses something is amiss and engages him. Though eventually unmasked, Aaroniero reveals that he was not merely shapeshifted, but actually in control of Kaien's spirit body. As she believes that she had freed Kaien Shiba by killing him those many years before, Aaroniero's revelation shatters Rukia's resolve, enabling Aaroniero to overpower and wound her with his own released zanpakutō. Before he can kill her, however, Rukia, spurned on by memories of Kaien, retaliates by stabbing Aaroniero through his upper skull, shattering his glass capsule and reducing the rest of his body to liquid. As he dies, broadcasting his final moments to his allies, Aaroniero's lower skull screams for Aizen's help whilst the upper skull merely curses Rukia, refusing to accept his defeat, before splitting in half. Toshihiko Seki voices both skulls in Japanese. Keith Silverstein voices the top skull and Wendee Lee voices the bottom skull in English.
The Privaron Espadas (十刃落ち (プリバロン・エスパーダ), Puribaron Esupāda?, Spanish for "Deprived Sword," kanji translates as "Fallen from the Ten Blades") are Arrancars that were once Espadas yet were demoted out of either being a disgrace to the group or replaced by the artificially-created Arrancars Aizen created with the Hōgyoku. They have received a three-digit number in order to separate them from the regular Arrancars since their power is still far above average.
Arrancar 103 Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio (ドルドーニ・アレッサンドロ・デル・ソカッチオ, Dorudōni Aressandoro Deru Sokatchio?) is goofier when compared to other Espadas; however, he is much more serious in battle. During his battle with Ichigo Kurosaki, Dordoni tries to goad Ichigo into using his Bankai and Hollow mask, hoping to earn his former position back by defeating Ichigo at full power. He is defeated once Ichigo complies, and thanks Ichigo for the favor by fighting against the Exequias to buy Ichigo time to escape, dying by their hands with his final thoughts that Ichigo would discard his kindness while fighting future opponents. His death was later reported to Aizen to be the work of the intruders.
Dordoni's zanpakutō is Giralda (暴風男爵 (ヒラルダ), Hiraruda?, kanji translates as "Storm Baron"), and in his released state, Dordoni grows armor that starts at his feet, wraps around his calves, and juts out at his waist with two more spikes. While released, two enormous cyclones come from exhaust spouts on the armor covering his legs, which keeps him hovering in the air and add extra force to his kicks. In addition, two beak-like extensions jut out from these cyclones, which are used to execute long-range strikes, though Dordoni is also capable of manifesting many more if the need arises. He is voiced by Kōji Ishii in Japanese and Peter Spellos in English.
Arrancar 105 Cirucci Sanderwicci (チルッチ・サンダーウィッチ, Chirutchi Sandāwitchi?) has an appearance similar to a gothic lolita; her outfit consists of a frilly dress, large, round sleeves that cut off at her shoulder, short purple-colored hair, teardrop markings on each cheek, and knee-high boots. The remains of her Hollow mask are positioned in her hair right above the left side of her forehead and resemble a spiked hairpin. Despite her rather odd appearance, she has no qualms about pointing out when others have similar fashion, as she does to Uryū Ishida. She also follows a soldier-like ideology.
Her zanpakutō, Golondrina (車輪鉄燕 (ゴロンドリーナ), Gorondorīna?, Spanish for "Swallow," kanji translates as "Wheeled Steel Swallow"), takes the form of a whip with a large, spinning, Yo-Yo like disk looped into it. When released, Cirucci's arms become longer with claws at the end as she sprouts large wings with ten moon-shaped blades in place of feathers. These blades vibrate at a high frequency, making an audible humming noise in the anime. Cirucci can remove these blades and fire them through the air or summon them back at her own will.
Her released state rapidly consumes her spiritual energy, which Uryū took advantage of before she discarded her released state arms and wings, focusing her spirit energy into a luminous pink blade at the tip of her head crest's tail. But Uryū still defeats her, sealing away her power. Even though letting her live may come as an insult to Cirucci, Uryū spares her life with the inability to get revenge on him. But no sooner did he leave than the Exequias arrive and kill her, taking her corpse to Szayelaporro for research. She is voiced by Hōko Kuwashima in Japanese and Tricia Pierce in English.
Arrancar 107 Gantenbainne Mosqueda (ガンテンバイン・モスケーダ, Gantenbain Mosukēda?) has an afro-style haircut with thick sideburns and a goatee. The remains of his Hollow mask are a sunglasses-shaped plate on his forehead with four teeth coming out above each eye.
Gantenbainne's zanpakutō, Dragra (龍拳 (ドラグラ), Doragura?, kanji translates as "Dragon Fist"), takes the form of a pair of two-pronged punching daggers attached to Gantenbainne's wrists by hinges. In its released state, Gantenbainne's arms grow longer and become covered in dome-shaped armor plates, and the punching daggers come to resemble dragon heads. Similar plates also extend down his back and form a tail. He pulls his mask fragment over his eyes at certain points in combat. When attacking, he can shoot various blasts from his fists.
After Yasutora Sado defeats him, Gantenbainne is spared in thanks for fighting at his full strength while risking defeat. As Chad leaves, Nnoitora Jiruga appears wanting to fight the first person to make it out of the domain of the Privaron Espadas. Gantenbainne tells Chad to escape, but Chad attacks Nnoitora and is defeated with a single blow. After Nnoitora senses Ichigo and leaves, the unconscious Chad and Gantenbainne are found by the Exequias. Retsu Unohana intervenes before they can be killed, and heals Chad and the Arrancar's wounds after Rudobone decides to leave and not attack any of them. He is voiced by Masato Funaki in Japanese and Greg Eagles in English.
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