This is a list of characters in the anime and manga series Bleach who are antagonists. Most are, by definition, hollows (虚(ホロウ), horō), departed human souls that have not been sent to Soul Society in due time, leading to their corruption, or their former Soul Reaper leaders, most prominently Sōsuke Aizen, the primary antagonist of the series.
Aizen and co.
editHollows (虚(ホロウ), horō), corrupted human souls that have become the Bleach equivalent of demons, Arrancar (アランカル, arankaru, Spanish for "to rip off"), their more intelligent cousins formed when a hollow's mask is removed, and their Soul Reaper leaders are the central antagonists of the series. Led by Sōsuke Aizen, they are based out of Hueco Mundo (虚圏(ウェコムンド), Weko Mundo), a bleak, deserted dimension between the human world and Soul Society.
Unification Officials
editSousuke Aizen
edit- Voiced by: Show Hayami (Japanese); Kyle Hebert (English)
Sousuke Aizen was previously captain of the 5th Division, but betrayed Soul Society, procured the hōgyoku (崩玉, "breakdown sphere")[1], a small orb that dissolves the boundary between a Soul Reaper and a hollow, and used it to create an army of artifically-created arrancar. His true objective is to overthrow the king of Soul Society using the royal key (王鍵, ōken), a tri-pronged golden key that opens a portal to the dimension that the king resides in. While the location of the key is known only to General Yamamoto, Aizen knows how the original was created and how to manufacture another. In order to create the key, Aizen needs to gather 100,000 souls in Karakura Town,[2] which has an unusually large concentration of spirit particles.
Gin Ichimaru
edit- Voiced by: Kōji Yusa (Japanese); Doug Erholtz (English)
Gin Ichimaru (市丸 ギン, Ichimaru Gin) is and has been Aizen's right-hand man since he was assigned to lieutenant position of the 5th Division, although he had been involved in his plans beforehand. As a child prodigy and a seated officer of the 5th Division, Gin killed the 3rd seat of the division with ease, which aroused Aizen's interest in him.[3] He later became Aizen's lieutenant; in Aizen's eyes, Gin was always his lieutenant even after he transferred to the position of 3rd Division captain.
Espada
editThe Espada (十刃(エスパーダ), Esupāda, Japanese for "ten blades," Spanish for "sword") are the ten strongest arrancar in Sōsuke Aizen's army. They are ranked in order of their strength. The members are listed according to their known rank. The first three hold the top three ranks although their specific ranks haven't been revealed.
Stark
edit- Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama
Coyote Stark (スターク, Sutāku) is ranked 1 and appears to be very lazy; he is seen sleeping when the Espada learn of Aaroniero Arruruerie's death, and does not appear overly concerned by the news. Lilinette Gingerback (リリネット, Ririnetto), his young female Fracción ( later revealed to be the other half of Stark's soul and necessary to release his sword, shows the concern that Stark does not on various occasions.[4] Compared to the other Espada, Stark is characteristically shown in a much more comical light, often made the subject of various means of physical abuse perpetrated by Lilinette. When he is shown to be serious, however, his personality changes completely; he comes off as reluctant but nonetheless willing to do what needs to be done to complete the task at hand. The remains of Stark's hollow mask consist of a bottom jaw that is positioned like a necklace. His hollow hole is on his sternum, right below the tip of his mask. While his combat abilities have not been shown, he is at the least very fast, as he manages to kidnap Orihime Inoue while Kenpachi Zaraki and Ichigo Kurosaki are only a few feet away.[5]
Halibel
edit- Voiced by: Megumi Ogata
Tier Halibel (ハリベル, Hariberu) is the only current female Espada and ranked 3. She is very calm and rarely speaks, and when she does she's fairly serious, such as when she calmly explains to her three female Fracción Apache (アパッチ, Apacchi), Mila Rose (ミラ・ローズ, Mira Rōzu), and Sun-Sun (スンスン, Sunsun) that being afraid of an Espada's released form is a natural reaction. The remnants of Halibel's hollow mask are partially covered by her collar, but it is clear that she at least has pieces of mask on both sides of her cheeks. She carries her zanpakutō on her back; the sword itself is notably broad and short compared to those of other Espada.
Barragan
edit- Voiced by: Shōzō Iizuka
Barragan Ruizenban (バラガン, Baragan) is a stout, older, and grumpy arrancar and is ranked the segundo (2nd) Espada. The remnant of his mask takes 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. He appears to think somewhat highly of himself, as he begins giving orders from a skull-adorned throne once Aizen is trapped and tells Halibel "not to underestimate him." His sword release is called "Arrogante" and changes his appearence to that of a skeleton with a jeweled, golden crown. his weapon dissappears and he is insted able to age to dust anything he comes in contact with. He has four Fracción, Pō (ポウ), Charlotte Coolhorn (シャルロッテ・クールホーン, Sharurotte Kūruhōn), Abirama Redder (アビラマ・レッダー, Abirama Reddā), and Findol (フィンドール, Findōru).
Ulquiorra Schiffer
edit- Voiced by: Daisuke Namikawa
Ulquiorra Schiffer (ウルキオラ・シファー, Urukiora Shifā) is the fourth Espada, signified by the "4" tattooed to his chest. His name stems from that of a furniture designer named Patricia Urquiola.[6] He has a largely stoic appearance, rarely even changing his facial expression, and does not allow the actions of others to impede the tasks set to him by Sōsuke Aizen. He will attack his comrades to get them to pay attention to him, and deems anyone he does not find of particular interest to be "trash" and therefore expendable.[7] The remainder of Ulquiorra's hollow mask lies on top of his head, forming a broken helmet. His hollow hole has moved since his first appearance; when first introduced it is at the base of his neck,[8] but in later appearances it has been moved onto his chest.[9]
Though Ulquiorra has yet to fight with his full power, he has displayed a number of unique tendencies. He usually keeps his hands in his pockets when in a combat situation, only bringing them out to deflect attacks. Grimmjow Jeagerjaques notes that he tends to stab opponents in the chest, the same location as his hollow hole, whenever he is particularly interested in a battle, though it is unclear if Ulquiorra is conscious of this habit.[10] He is very analytical; he almost accurately theorizes the means behind Orihime Inoue's abilities, and recognizes that Ichigo Kurosaki's power constantly fluctuates between weaker and stronger than his own.[11] He also seems to refrain from killing a person unless necessary, twice sparing Ichigo and proclaiming he would not harm Orihime because he had not been ordered to. He can replay events he has seen to others by removing and crushing his left eye, which then turns into dust and flows around those Ulquiorra is relaying information to.[12] Ulquiorra fights under the philosophy that his eye observes everything. What it cannot see, does not exist. The name and released state of Ulquiorra's zanpakutō have not been revealed.
Nnoitra Gilga
edit- Voiced by: Nobutoshi Canna
Nnoitra Gilga (ノイトラ・ジルガ, Noitora Gilga) is the fifth Espada, signified by the "5" tattooed to his tongue. 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. He is very rude and lecherous, and firmly believes in male chauvinism. Nnoitra hates the idea of a woman being stronger than or outranking a man, and longs to give any woman in such a position their "deserved" inferior rank. This mindset led to his attack on Nel Tu, whose condescending attitude towards him during his time as the eighth Espada ultimately led to his inferiority complex, and kicked her from the Espada, hoping to be stronger by the time they met again. Nnoitra longs to be able to prove his strength as the strongest Espada, and takes advantage of any weakness he sees in an opponent to achieve this end; however, he generally does not bother attacking opponents who appear unconscious or incapacitated.[13] He does this so that he can experience the artificial high of near death experiences more often; saying the only time he feels alive is when he's gurgling on his own blood. [14] His Fracción, Tesla (テスラ, Tesura), idolizes Nnoitra to some degree, shielding him from attacks and performing various other deeds to ensure Nnoitra's well-being despite receiving criticism for doing so.
Having the self-proclaimed toughest skin of any Espada, Nnoitra can deflect powerful attacks without any sign of injury.[15] He also has the ability to track and measure sources of spiritual power by touching his fingertip to the ground.[16][17] His zanpakutō, Santa Teresa (聖哭螳螂(サンタテレサ), Spanish alternative name for Mantis religiosa, Japanese for "sacred crying mantis"), takes the form of a giant ax-like weapon bearing two crescent moon blades fused together at their backs. Its release command is "pray" (祈れ, inore). When released, Nnoitra gains two additional sets of arms, and each of his hands gains an identical scythe-like weapon.[18] He grows a pair of horns on his head, one longer on one side than the other, mimicking the crescent shape of his sealed zanpakutō. Nnoitra's wounds heal almost instantly in his released state, and he can also regenerate severed limbs.[19]
Nnoitra is drawn to the site of the battle between Ichigo Kurosaki once the latter has defeated Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. After he tortures Ichigo for a while Nel Tu, who is in Ichigo's company, overcomes her amnesia and attacks Nnoitra to protect Ichigo. Though she almost defeats him yet again, her amnesia kicks back in and she is left at his mercy. Kenpachi Zaraki soon arrives to help them, and he and Nnoitra 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. Nnoitra, however, is eventually no longer able to endure Zaraki's attacks and dies what he believes to be a "warrior's death;" his life ends in a split second before his body hits the floor in recoil from Zaraki's blow.
Grimmjow Jeagerjaques
edit- Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe
Grimmjow Jeagerjaques (グリムジョー・ジャガージャック, Gurimujō Jagājakku) is the sixth Espada, signified by the "6" tattooed to his back. His name stems from that of an architect named Nicholas Grimshaw.[6] Grimmjow is very disrespectful, never using honorifics and having little respect for authority figures. He is often openly insulting to such people save for Sōsuke Aizen, though he returns to his usual attitude when Aizen is out of earshot. Grimmjow has an overly violent lust for battle, always seeking out the strongest opponent in a given area. He is confident in his abilities, believing himself to be stronger than the fourth Espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer.[20] Though he shows little regard for his allies or anyone who would get in his way, Grimmjow has some sense of honor; he rescues Orihime from two arrancar torturing her in return for healing his arm, and first has Ichigo's wounds healed before their final rematch.[21] 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-class menos who wandered Hueco Mundo with his would-be Fracción, Shawlong Koufang (シャウロン・クーファン, Shauron Kūfan), Edorad Leones (エドラド・リオネス, Edorado Rionesu), Ilforte Grantz (イールフォルト・グランツ, Īruforuto Gurantsu), D-Roy (ディ・ロイ, Di Roi) and Nakim (ナキーム, Nakīmu). As time passed and Grimmjow became the only one who grew stronger, he ate the others so that their evolution would not regress and so he could become even stronger. When his zanpakutō, Pantera (豹王(パンテラ), Spanish for "panther," Japanese for "panther king") is released with the command "grind" (軋れ, kishire), he regains some of his former panther appearance.[22] He takes on more animal-like features such as jagged teeth, feline ears, clawed hands, and a tail that can be used as a powerful whip.[23] This state augments his speed drastically and gives him animal-like agility and movements to match. His roar can create shockwaves in the air, and he can also fire a large number of "darts" from his elbows and create energy claws called Desgarrón (豹王の爪(デスガロン), desugaron, Japanese, "panther king's claw"; Spanish, "big tear") from his fingertips.
Luppi
edit- Voiced by: Daisuke Kishio
Luppi (ルピ, Rupi)[24] temporarily replaces Grimmjow Jeagerjaques as the sixth 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) rests on the left side of his head. Luppi's zanpakutō, Trepadora (蔦嬢(トレパドーラ), Torepadōra, Spanish for "climber," Japanese for "ivy girl"), is released with the command "strangle" (縊れ, kubire).[25] In his released state eight tendrils sprout from a carapace mounted on Luppi's back, which he can control independently to combat a group. The tentacles can also grow spikes to cause additional damage. After Grimmjow's arm is restored, the reason for his demotion, he promptly kills Luppi to regain his rank.
Zommari Leroux
edit- Voiced by: Taiten Kusunoki
Zommari Leroux (ゾマリ・ルルー, Zomari Rurū) is the seventh 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 sonído among the Espada, referred to as Gemelos Sonído (双児響転 (ヘメロス・ソニード), Hemerosu Sonīdo, Spanish for "twins sound"). He can leave up to five afterimages in his stead when using it. His zanpakutō, Brujería (呪眼僧伽(ブルヘリア), Buruheria, Spanish for "witchcraft," Japanese for "sangha of bewitching eyes"), is released with the command "suppress" (鎮まれ, shizumare). In his released state he gains a total of fifty eyes, each of which can be used to gain complete control of whatever they look upon. 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 and killed by her brother, Byakuya Kuchiki.
Szayel Aporro Grantz
edit- Voiced by: Kōsuke Toriumi
Szayel Aporro Grantz (ザエルアポロ・グランツ, Zaeruaporo Gurantsu) is the eighth Espada. He is an intellectual and the scientist of the Espada, 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. He thinks poorly of non-hollows, and hopes that Sōsuke Aizen will someday eliminate all entities that aren't hollows. Szayel has a variety of methods for analyzing an opponent's abilities, such as studying the damage done to their former opponents. Once doing so, Szayel can nullify the effects of their abilities, making him virtually immune to their attacks. In addition to the immunities gained from studying his opponents, Szayel has his own group of Fracción. He has personally modified each so that he can heal his wounds by eating them. Those so devoured can be recreated later. The remains of his hollow mask take the form of rectangular-framed glasses.
Szayel's zanpakutō, Fornicarás (邪淫妃(フォルニカラス), Forunikarasu, Spanish for "You will fornicate," Japanese for "Lewd concubine"), is released with the command "sip" (啜れ, susure).[26] In his released state, Szayel grows a pair of wings, his lower body transforms into a flock of long tentacles, and a blood-like liquid drips from all over his body. If one of these droplets comes into contact with an opponent a doppelganger of them is created that Szayel can control to use their abilities against them. By wrapping an opponent in his wings, Szayel 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, Szayel can gain control of the opponent's nervous system, allowing him to gain complete control of their body. The last of his many abilities allows him to be reborn if he is injured beyond repair by impregnating an enemy. He then devours his way out of their body, killing them in the process.
Szayel engages Renji Abarai and Uryū Ishida in battle, during the course of which he nullifies each of their abilities and damages them enough to be in a non-combative state. Just as he loses interest in them and is about to finish them off, Mayuri Kurotsuchi arrives to help them. Being of equal scientific and analytical ability as Szayel, Mayuri is able to render all of Szayel's abilities useless. After Mayuri kills him Szayel reconstitutes himself inside of Nemu Kurotsuchi, ingesting a large dosage of poison stored in Nemu's body in the process. This poison greatly increases his reaction time to the point where one second seems like a century to him.[27] With his physical body unable to compensate for his over-enhanced mental state, Szayel is effectively paralyzed. Mayuri stabs him through his hand and heart and breaks the blade off, leaving Szayel to suffer for what seems as an eternity to him, while begging for a quick death.
Aaroniero Arruruerie
edit- Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki
Aaroniero Arruruerie (アーロニーロ・アルルエリ, Āronīro Arurueri)[28] is the ninth Espada, signified by the "9" tattooed to his two faces. He has an unusual glass capsule filled with red liquid and two floating masks in place of a head, which he usually covers with a tall white mask. The two masks tend to talk in tandem when revealed, giving the effect of two people speaking in turn. The upper mask speaks with a deep voice while the other speaks in a high-pitched, child-like voice. Each mask seems to have a level of individuality, and both refer to the Aaroniero entity as "we". He is the last of the first-generation Espada.[29] Aaroniero possesses the ability to broadcast information of whatever he is currently seeing or experiencing to other arrancar,[30] which he does prior to his death at the hands of Rukia Kuchiki.
Aaroniero is unique in that he can absorb other hollows in their entirety, not only giving him their power but their unique abilities and memories as well. Once a hollow is absorbed in this fashion, Aaroniero can manifest any aspect of them at will, including their physical form.[31] Through an unusual series of events, he also absorbs the Soul Reaper abilities of Kaien Shiba. The weakness of this power is sunlight, which nullifies it on contact and reveals Aaroniero's true form.[32] Aaroniero's zanpakutō, Glotonería (喰虚(グロトネリア), Gurotoneria, Spanish for "gluttony," Japanese for "eating hollow"), is released with the command "devour" (喰い尽くせ, kuitsukuse).[33] It is unclear what its sealed form is, but Aaroniero seems to imply that it is a deformed tentacle-ridden appendage that replaces his left arm. In his released state the lower half of his body turns into a huge, purple, octopus-like mass with dozens of tentacles and cartoonish mouth-like mask pieces. This form represents the combined form of the 33,650 hollows he has absorbed. With Glotonería released, Aaroniero can access the full range of his abilities at will, as opposed to the single ability limit imposed on him when it is sealed.[34]
Yammy
edit- Voiced by: Kenji Nomura
Yammy (ヤミー, Yamī)[35] is the tenth Espada, signified by the "10" tattooed to his left shoulder. What remains of his hollow mask is the jawbone, which rests on his chin. He is the largest, but not the brightest, of the Espada, as he relies upon Ulquiorra Schiffer to explain things and give him orders while in battle. Yammy relies primarily on his brute strength and cero blasts in battle, taking little interest in using his sword until he is overpowered. Aside from his fighting abilities, Yammy can suck the souls from living humans en masse using gonzui (魂吸(ゴンズイ), Japanese for "soul breath"). It affects a wide area, but any individual with even slight spiritual power is able to resist it to some degree.
Privaron Espada
editThe Privaron Espada (十刃落ち(プリバロン・エスパーダ), Puribaron Esupāda, Japanese for "ten fallen blades," Spanish for "deprived sword") were once Espada, though after Aizen acquired the Hōgyoku they were demoted in favor of his own artificially-created arrancar.
Dordonii Alessandro Del Socacchio
edit- Voiced by: Kōji Ishii
Dordonii Alessandro Del Socacchio (ドルドーニ・アレッサンドロ・デル・ソカッチオ, Dorudōni Aressandoro Deru Sokacchio) is more goofy when compared to other Espada, being similar to Don Kanonji. He is much more serious in battle, however. During his battle with Ichigo Kurosaki, Dordonii 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. He is implied to have been killed by the Exequias. Dordonii's zanpakutō, Giralda (暴風男爵(ヒラルダ), Hiraruda, referring to Giralda, Japanese for "storm baron"), is released with the command "whirl" (旋れ, maware). In his released state, Dordonii 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 Dordonii is also capable of manifesting many more if the need arises.
Cirucci Thunderwitch
edit- Voiced by: Hōko Kuwashima
Cirucci Thunderwitch (チルッチ・サンダーウィッチ, Chiruchi Sandāwicchi) has an unusual sense of style; her outfit consists of a frilly dress, large poofy 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. Once Uryū defeats her, she is implied to have been killed by the Exequias. Cirucci's zanpakutō, Golondrina (車輪鉄燕(ゴロンドリーナ), Gorondorīna, Spanish for "swallow", Japanese for "wheeled steel swallow"), takes the form of a whip with a large yo-yo-like disk looped into it. When released with the command "rip off" (掻っ切れ, kakkire), Cirucci sprouts large wings with ten moon-shaped blades in place of feathers. Cirucci can remove these blades and fire them through the air or summon them back at her own will. Her arms also become long and she gains sharp claws on each hand, and she forms a long, thick tail. Her released state rapidly consumes her spiritual energy, but she can get around this problem by ripping off her wings and long claws, instead fighting with an energy blade at the tip of her tail.
Gantenbainne Mosqueda
edit- Voiced by: Masato Funaki
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. After he is defeated by Yasutora Sado, Gantenbainne is spared in thanks for fighting with all of his strength. As Chad leaves, Gantenbainne warns him of an approaching Nnoitra Jiruga who easily silences him with one hit. After Chad is also defeated, both he and Gantenbainne are found by the Exequias. Retsu Unohana intervenes before they can be killed and heals their wounds. Gantenbainne's zanpakutō, Dragra (龍拳(ドラグラ), Doragura, Japanese for "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. His strongest attack involves him gathering and concentrating energy from his tail tip to his fists and firing a large blast. Dragra does not appear to have a release command; Gantenbainne simply releases it by saying its name.
Other Arrancar
editRudobon
edit- Voiced by: Taro Yamaguchi
error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help) is the leader of the Exequias (葬討部隊(エクセキアス), Ekusekiasu, Japanese for "funerary attacking force," Spanish for "funeral rites"), a group responsible for dealing with rebels and intruders in Las Noches. Unlike most arrancar, his face is hidden. He carries a zanpakutō, but its name and released state have not been revealed. He and his subordinates clean up after each battle, collecting data for Szayel Aporro Grantz before killing any survivors: they kill two of the three Privaron Espada off screen for failing to beat their opponents, and prepare to do the same with the third before being stopped by Retsu Unohana. Surprised by the arrival of a Soul Reaper captain, Rudobon and the rest of the Exequias withdraw in order to avoid conflict. Later he and the rest of the Exequias attempt to bar the progress of Ichigo, but they are intercepted by attacks from Ichigo's comrades.
Wonderweiss Margera
edit- Voiced by: Hisayoshi Suganuma
Wonderweiss Margera (ワンダーワイス・マルジェラ, Wandāwaisu Marujera) is an Espada-level arrancar, though he has not received an actual place among them.[36] Wonderweiss is small, thin, and somewhat child-like. What is left of his hollow mask remains on top of his head, and resembles a tiara or small crown. Wonderweiss's personality is also child-like and even autistic; when sent on a mission to kill, he instead plays around with a dragonfly. He shows some hostility during this instance, firing a retaliatory energy blast at one point, but quickly reverts back to his regular state after doing so. He isn't able to speak clearly, only saying a few syllables at a time. Kaname Tōsen says that Wonderweiss, like himself, is a pure being (though he makes a point of wondering whether he is pure good or evil). For this reason, he follows Tōsen everywhere when possible and appears to be hostile towards what he perceives as Tōsen's enemies.[37] The name and released state of Wonderweiss's zanpakutō have not been revealed.
Bounts
editIn the anime's Bount and Bount Assault on Soul Society arcs, the Bounts[38] (バウント, baunto) are a group of humans with special Soul Reaper-esque abilities. The Bounts live by consuming human souls, which potentially gives them everlasting youth; according to Kisuke Urahara, they have historically been known as vampires. Like Soul Reapers, they each have a unique weapon known as a doll, a familiar equivalent to the Soul Reaper zanpakutō. Like a zanpakutō, a doll is its creator's power given physical form. However, instead of taking the form of actual weapons like zanpakutō do, dolls are mostly self-sufficient creatures when released, although they tend to be used as weapons in various ways; for instance, Gō Koga can mold his metal-based doll Dalk into a large battleaxe, and Ryō Udagawa uses his doll Frieda, who takes the form of a snake, as a sword and whip.
Bount arc
editHō and Ban
edit- Voiced by: Daisuke Sakaguchi (Japanese); Sam Riegel and Brian Beacock (English)
Hō (鵬) and Ban (磐) are child-like twin Bounts who work together telepathically and use their dolls (Hō controls Guhl and Ban controls Günther) to manipulate water. They attacked Karakura Hospital in an attempt to kidnap Uryū Ishida. They were defeated by a combined effort from Noba (whose plush form at the time afforded him immunity against the Bount Doll's power) and the newly arrived Ganju Shiba. After Noba used repetitive short distance teleports to knock Ban unconscious, forcing Hō to control both dolls simultaneously, Ganju destroyed their dolls with fireworks, killing the twins as a result.
Guhl (グール, Gūru) and Günther (ギュンター, Gyuntā) are Hō and Ban's twin dolls, respectively. Both dolls take the form of bottlecaps. When released, the dolls can control water, making destroying them quite difficult since the bottlecaps are small targets within the large eyestalk-like shape they take. In order to kill opponents, Guhl and Günther form a large stalk around their enemies and restrain them, forcibly drowning them. They also have the ability to force themselves into the human body (as 70% of the human body is water) and tear the enemy apart from the inside out. They are stronger when more water surrounds them. Each control one doll, but both of them can apparently control either if need be, as Hō demonstrates. Ban and Ho can control the dolls to a more devastating degree by merging their large bodies of water. However, Hō and Ban need to be side-by-side with each other in order to coordinate properly the doll's attacks; the twins being more than a few feet away from each other would result their concentration getting broken off.
Ryō Udagawa
edit- Voiced by: Shuusuke Sakino (Japanese); Tony Oliver (English)
A man who looks much like the traditional depictions of a vampire, Ryō Udagawa (宇田川 稜, Udagawa Ryō) is Kariya's former right hand man and views all humans as food. His doll is Fried, a snake-like creature that can copy itself. He secretly plots to overthrow Kariya as leader by stealing his seal, but is killed by Maki Ichinose.
Frieda (フリード, Furīdo, Old German for "protection") is Udagawa's doll. When sealed, she takes the form of a small, gold pocket watch that Udagawa keeps on his person. When unsealed, it takes the form of a gold snake with a forked tail and is usually wrapped around Udagawa's shoulders. She can be used as a sword, shield, and whip. Frieda also grants Udagawa the power to turn objects in the shape of lines such as pipes, ropes and cracks on roads into snakes. Frieda also has the ability to create seals all around an area that Udagawa is standing. These symbols disappear and reappear wherever his enemy steps causing massive pillars of snakes to appear like a spike from the ground. This is presumed to be a trap-like ability to narrow the field of battle and keep them in offering only two options: attack or retreat.
Ugaki
edit- Voiced by: Katsumi Suzuki
Ugaki (宇柿, Ugaki) is a male Bount who has the appearance of a professional middle-aged man. He wears a shirt and tie, glasses, and has his hair combed to one side. He fights using guerilla tactics, using his light-projecting eyes to create shadows for his doll to attack from while he remains away from the fighting. Apparently a scientist of sorts, as his appearance suggests, Ugaki helped Kariya to develop the bitto. His doll, in its true form, was severely injured in combat by Renji Abarai's use of his bankai and went out of control, a turn of events implied to be at least partially influenced by Kariya.
Gesell (ゲゼル, Gezeru, German for "pupil" or "companion") is Ugaki's doll. It is sealed within a pack of cards resembling tarot cards, which Ugaki uses to control the doll's actions. In its normal state, Gesell takes the form of many small, mouth-like eye creatures. Ugaki can see what the eyes see through his glasses, allowing him to control them from a safe distance. Though they are used to spy on people and act as a lookout, the true purpose of the eyes is to project light, which in turn creates shadows. From the shadows, Gesell can manifest its true form, that of a giant, eyeless monster. It can also manifest single limbs and create various melee weapons from them. Gesell's actions are controlled through Ugaki's placement of the cards on a small mat marked with German incantations. The mat bears a resemblance to the Sephiroth, Tree of Life, as the words on the mat, written by the lines on it, correspond to tarot cards and the "paths to God" found between the Sephiroths. The words written by the lines are also the names of tarot cards in the Major Arcana. The primary card is "Wachter" (German for "Guardian") which allows Gesell's eyes to flash a strong light onto objects and create shadows. After "Wachter" is initialized, other cards are chosen which summon Gesell's limbs or morph them into weapons. The card "Dämon Kraft" (German for "Demon Power") summons a giant purple hand that can capture and injure opponents, one card summons spears to impale, and another summons ropes to immobilize.
Bount assault on Soul Society arc
editJin Kariya
edit- Voiced by: Toru Ohkawa (Japanese); Troy Baker (English)
Jin Kariya (狩矢 神, Kariya Jin) is the leader of the Bounts and the chief antagonist during the Bount arc. His real name is Eugene Currier, but he adopted a Japanese-style name later in his life. He has white hair, a scar on his chin, long upward-curving eyebrows, and bright red eyes, and is the most powerful member of the Bount group. Initially, according to Yoshino, his goal was to consume living spirits and gain massive amounts of power. However, this had a 50% chance of ripping open the barrier between the mortal world and the world of hollows. As the series progressed, however, he revealed that his plans were to invade Soul Society. Unlike the other Bounts, Kariya can use the abilities of his doll without it being called out, explaining earlier instances of Kariya deflecting attacks using wind manipulation. Although he unlocked the Jōkaishō, bomb-like devices buried under Soul Society, and apparently gained the ability to annihilate Seireitei, he was defeated after a tremendous fight with Ichigo.
Messer (メッサー, Messā, German for "knife") is Jin Kariya's doll. Unlike most other dolls, Messer doesn't seem to be capable of speech. When called, Messer causes the sky above Kariya to turn dark and the clouds to swirl towards him. Wind from this release can be felt from very far away. Kariya's raised hand and the swirling clouds meet in a massive tornado, after which his forearm and hand cover in metal. Messer is a wind elemental that takes the form of a liquid metal sword hilt in the shape of the Bount crest. The blade is made of a spinning column of wind, resembling a drill bit. It can also use air friction to electrify the blade.
Gō Koga
edit- Voiced by: Tohru Furusawa (Japanese); Richard Epcar (English)
Gō Koga (古賀 剛, Koga Gō) is a large and muscular man who resembles a punkish biker with spiky orange hair. Even without using his doll, Koga has impressive physical strength, able to easily overpower Ichigo with just his bare hands. His real name is Claude Gauguin, and he lived in a European country in years past. He has lived for over 12 generations, though the toll of living those years among short-lived humans has taken a notable effect on him. After a falling out with Kariya over his plan to destroy Soul Society, which Koga found too extreme, Koga attempted to find and stop Kariya himself. He ended up fighting and losing to Tōshirō Hitsugaya instead, as neither he nor Dalk could contend with the extreme cold and long-range nature of Hitsugaya's zanpakutō. He did not die, however, and was secretly taken by Yoruichi Shihouin to Rantao's home, where he was nursed back to health. Upon discovering that he was the last Bount, he apologized for the actions of his race, and Kariya in particular. He was last seen living with Rantao. No mention is made of Dalk's fate; however, considering that Bount are supposed to die with their dolls, it can be assumed either she either still exists in some form or Koga is merely an exception to conventional Bount rules, like Yoshino.
Dalk (ダルク, Daruku) is Koga's doll. She takes the form of a metal sphere with the Bount seal upon it when sealed. When released, she forms into a rather flirtatious, semi-humanoid/spider-like shape and can control the metal that makes up her body, reforming it into any shape she wishes. She is able to split herself into tiny spheres no bigger than a ball bearing, making it very difficult to destroy her. She uses a variety of attacks in combat, such as creating metallic webs to entrap her opponent, firing pieces of her body as projectiles, and even turning her arms into machine guns to fire makeshift bullets through. After Koga drank the bitto's soul elixir, Dalk became even more spider-like, retaining only her humanoid torso. She also gained much more metal to work with. Dalk has trouble with cold-based attacks, which make it difficult for her to split her body apart. As a heavy, metal-based creature, she is also vulnerable to Izuru Kira's zanpakutō, Wabisuke, which doubles the weight of anything it cuts. In contrast, Dalk seems to be nearly invulnerable to heat. After Dalk's original form is defeated or otherwise destroyed, it can reform into a large battle axe that Koga wields. Koga calls this her "core form."
Mabashi
edit- Voiced by: Daisuke Ono (Japanese); Keith Silverstein (English)
A redheaded male Bount, Mabashi (馬橋, Mabashi) wears sleek blue clothing, has a tongue-stud, and seems to be quite cocky in his speech and manners. Unlike the other Bounts, Mabashi isn't afraid to speak his own mind, even if his opinion and ideas do not correlate with Kariya's. His doll is Liz, a small, mouse-like creature that can possess others. Mabashi is initially resistant to drinking the purified soul elixir created by the bitto, but is forced to by Kariya, and he quickly becomes addicted to it. Once the Bounts enter Soul Society, he uses Liz to turn the Soul Reapers on one another. While doing so, he finds Soifon and is defeated and killed when she strikes him in the chest twice using Suzumebachi.
Ritz (リズ, Rizu) is Mabashi's doll. When sealed, she takes the form of a seed that hangs on Mabashi's necklace. When the seed is dropped onto the ground, it sprouts into a small, flower-like, mouse creature that has the ability to possess others. The possession can be resisted to a small degree, as shown when Rukia was able to temporarily regain control over her body while possessed. Ritz is also capable of moving at lightning-fast speed and traveling through the ground. After going to Soul Society, Ritz gained the ability to make clones of herself, which she can use to attack and take control of large groups of people. Her ability to possess others also became more apparent due to the sudden darkening of the upper portion of the person(s) that her clones happen to be possessing at the time. Ritz speaks like an elevator operator when moving, as she announces her direction before each move.
Maki Ichinose
edit- Voiced by: Susumu Chiba (Japanese); Sam Riegel (English)
Maki Ichinose (一之瀬 真樹, Ichinose Maki) is not technically a Bount, rather, a former Soul Reaper that left the 11th Division after Kenpachi Zaraki killed the previous captain and swore loyalty to Jin Kariya after Kariya saved him from a hollow. He helps the Bount infiltrate Soul Society, though is turned on by Kariya once his purpose is fulfilled and killed. His zanpakutō later helps in Kariya's defeat, acting as a lightning rod for Kariya's attacks. Maki's zanpakutō is called Nijigasumi (虹霞, literally "rainbow mist"). It is released by the command "flash and burst" (光華閃け, kōka hirameke). In its released state, Nijigasumi glows with rainbow colors and has the ability to control light for various purposes. It can make Maki turn invisible or douse the area in light, playing havoc with opponents' counterattacks. It can also use light offensively, creating blades of light to cut an opponent or crushing him with a compressed orb of light.
Sawatari
edit- Voiced by: Yuzuru Fujimoto
Sawatari (沢渡) seems to be the oldest Bount, but this is merely a by-product of his eating habits. He has been consuming living souls for far longer than any other Bount, causing him to age. Like Udagawa, doing so was part of his secret plot to overthrow Kariya as leader of the Bounts. Sawatari is much like the stereotypical "cranky old man," looking down on younger people. He is usually seen sitting in a large chair that appears to be made of stone.
Sawatari's chair is actually his doll, Baura (バウラ), which takes the form of a whale that can swallow opponents whole; its stomach is a link to another dimension, and anything caught inside is eventually dissolved, leaving the soul for Sawatari to absorb. Being a fish-like entity, Baura travels around by "swimming" through solid objects by means of phasing through a different dimension that only he can access. To emerge, however, the exit point must be large enough to accommodate him. In Soul Society, his power is enhanced, allowing him to move to his dimension in midair. While in his dimension, his and Sawatari's spiritual pressure is effectively concealed until Baura chooses to resurface.
Yoshi
edit- Voiced by: Yoko Soumi
Yoshi (ヨシ, Yoshi), a female Bount, has dark green hair and wears a purple traditional Chinese-style pao with beige pants. She seems to be somewhat masculine and intimidating. Yoshi appears very eager to gain power when Jin offers it to her, but she is also somewhat reluctant to be blindly following him. Her doll, Nieder, is a sword and fan connected by a chain, both of which are capable of speaking independently. Yoshi also utilizes her feet for kicking opponents in movements that suggest she is a wushu fighter. During the Bount invasion of Soul Society, Yoshi encounters Rukia and Ririn and tries her best to maim Rukia in her weakened state. However, Byakuya Kuchiki stops her from delivering the final blow. While fighting Uryū, she reveals that she likes to risk her life fighting to get what she wants, but seems irritated by the fact that she can't do so in the modern world; thus, she followed the other Bount into Soul Society, where she could fight as she liked. Her overconfidence proves her undoing, as Uryū exploits a weakness in her transforming doll to fire an arrow through her chest at point-blank range. Shortly before dying, Yoshi mentions that she had fun.
Nieder (ニーダー, Nīdā, German for "down") is Yoshi's doll, a combination of a jian and fan which are connected with an extending chain. Both the fan and sword have separate personalities. The jian end has a male voice (although high pitched) and the fan end has a female voice. The fan acts as a shield while the jian is the main weapon. Nieder can transform itself into two different forms: defense and offense. In its defensive form, the fan part of Nieder becomes dominant, enlarging to a size bigger than Yoshi herself and growing armor over Yoshi's left arm. In its offensive form, the jian part of Nieder becomes dominant and armor extends over Yoshi's right arm. Several energy swords trail behind the main sword, which can be thrown or used to slash from a distance. In either transformation, however, Yoshi can only use one of the weapons, effectively crippling her defenses when in 'jian form' and disabling her offense in 'fan form'. Also, when changing forms, she has to return to her normal form first, which causes a small lag time in which she is defenseless.
Amagai arc villains, whatever
editGyōkaku Kumoi
edit- Voiced by: Masaharu Satou
Gyōkaku Kumoi (雲井 尭覚, Kumoi Gyōkaku), introduced during The New Captain Shūsuke Amagai arc, is one of the clan leaders serving the Kasumiōji noble family and the main antagonist of the arc. He is also the steward who handles most of the family affairs. However, when Rurichiyo's father passed away due to illness, he has planned to usurp the head family seat, gathering supporters and creating an assassination squad for his own purposes. He often adopts a smiling and benevolent expression in front of public appearances, which belies his evil and cunning nature. He has his assassins kill off the clan leaders in the noble family who disagree with his views or discover his plans. His main goal is to kill Rurichiyo, the last true descendant of the Kasumiōji family, which he has failed to on several occasions back in Seireitei. He has his assassins pursue her and her bodyguards to the real world, but Ichigo and his friends defeat them.
Hanza Nukui
edit- Voiced by: Yoshikazu Nagano
Hanza Nukui (貫井 半左, Nukui Hanza), also introduced during The New Captain Shūsuke Amagai arc, is the leader of the assassination squad under Gyōkaku Kumoi's orders. He was formerly part of a clan that served the Kasumiōji clan, but agreed to assassinate Rurichiyo because he believes that she is not strong enough to lead the clan. He does not seem to possess a zanpakutō; he and his assassins instead wield interchangeable organic weapons that bond to their arms, known as bakkōtō, developed by the Kasumioji clan for his and his fellow assassins' use. After seeing Ichigo successfully defeat his assassins several times, he becomes impressed with his strength, and decides to fight him himself. He is forced to withdraw due to Yoruichi's intervention the first time, and later tries again with his subordinates. He uses a variety of his bakkōtō's abilities while fighting Ichigo, but in the end pushes himself too far and is killed when he attempts to completely merge with his bakkōtō.
Hanza primarily wields the bakkōtō Saiga (サイガ), a longsword that attaches to Hanza's hand. It has the ability to momentarily paralyze opponents by reflecting moonlight into their eyes and can create an alternate dimension in which the opponent is left conscious but unable to move. If he channels more reiatsu into the weapon, he can create illusions based on the targets' memories, trapping them until their souls are crushed. At full power, it is able to shoot energy bolts similar to getsuga tenshō blasts.
Makoto Kibune
edit- Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa
Makoto Kibune (貴船 理, Kibune Makoto) is added to the 3rd Division with Shūsuke Amagai. He bears a strong resemblance to the arrancar Szayel Aporro Granz, but with brown hair and a calm, collected personality. He wears the standard Soul Reaper uniform with a purple sweater underneath and purple-rimmed glasses. Before his assignment to 3rd Division, he was in Shūsuke Amagai's patrol group; as a result, he and Amagai know each other well. While he is generally calm and friendly towards his subordinates, he is highly intolerant towards failure, calling those who fall in battle "trash". He appears to be in the employ of Gyōkaku Kumoi, though his exact role in Kumoi's plans is unclear. His zanpakutō is Reppū (烈風, literally "gale"), and is released with the command "rage violently" (荒れ狂え, are kurue). When released it takes the form of a large, three bladed weapon, which he can telekinetically control, allowing him to attack enemies from any direction.
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- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 223, page 9.
- ^ Bleach manga; Chapter -105 page 18-19
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 269, pages 11-12
- ^ Bleach manga, chapter 313, pages 15-17
- ^ a b Shonen Jump. Volume 6, Issue 6. June 2008. Viz Media. 12.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 191, page 16.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 190, page 19.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 272, page 02.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 277, page 13.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 193, page 21.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 198
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 263, page 4.
- ^ Bleach Manga Chapter 312, page 4
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 306, page 17.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 298; page 5.
- ^ Bleach anime; episode 160, next episode preview.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 311, page 3.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 310, page 10.
- ^ Bleach manga, Chapter 278, pages 8 & 9
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 279, pages 18 & 19.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 281, page 6.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 282, page 13.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 233, page 4.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 232, page 7.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 287, page 17.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 305, page 18.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 267, page 2.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 297, page 11.
- ^ Bleach manga, chapter 270, page 8.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 267, page 9.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 267, page 18.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 267, page 11.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 267, page 14.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 231, page 2.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 231, pages 1, 3.
- ^ Bleach manga; chapter 250, page 15.
- ^ Bleach Original Sound Track 2, CD Jacket, page 6