Little Weapons

Post Author: ssj sousuke

After reading an interesting comment about the child prodigies in Bleach, I though it would be noteworthy to analyze them a little bit. So here it is…

Kaien Shiba:

Kaien Shiba was undoubtedly a child prodigy. He gew up in one of the great noble households in Soul Society. After deciding to pursue becoming a shinigami, he completed the 6-year curriculum of the shinigami academy and graduated in only one year.  After this it only took him one year to work his way into being a seated officer. He didn’t become a Lieutenant until he was somewhat older and married, but that is most likely due to his stubborness. It is very probable that if he didn’t die so young, he would have soon achieved bankai, and with the right motivation, might have received a Captain position in time. Perhaps one of his strongest attributes is his maturity and intellect, especially for someone so young. After his death the Shiba Clan fell from one of the 5 Great Noble Households.

Gin Ichimaru:

Gin grew up in a rough part of the Rukongai, but even as a kid he displayed the ability to easily fend for himself. Just as most of Gin’s motives are unknown, so is his reason for becoming a shinigami, but for whatever the reason, Gin entered and graduated the academy all in under one year. It was noted that this was even faster than Kaien himself. Strait out of the academy Gin was placed as a seated officer, and almost immediately killed the third seat of that division with very little effort. To put it in perspective, Gin decided to become a shinigame, entered the academy, and advanced all the way to becoming a very strong seated officer all in one year. He didn’t become a Captain for some time though, serving as Aizen’s Lieutenant at least until he grew physically some more. He then must have achieved bankai in this period because he later became the captain of the 3rd Division. I think out of the information available, Gin has this most impressive resume’ for a child prodogy.

Toshiro Histugaya:

Even as a child, Hitsugaya possessed a tremendous amount of spiritual pressure, to the point where he made the environment around him colder because he couldn’t control his rietsu from leaking. After joining the shinigami academy, he quickly surpassed his friend Momo (who had already been in the academy for 5 years), and graduated very early. How long it took him to complete the shinigami academy was never stated, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was close to Kaien or even Gin’s time. His graduation time however is not what makes him such an impressive child prodigy however, but how fast he advanced post-graduation. Toshiro sailed through the ranks becoming the youngest shinigami captain in Soul Society history. Since he is still so young, it is likely that Toshiro, more so than any of the other captains, still has room to grow and reach his full potential…

Ichigo Kurosaki:

Ichigo probably possesses the fastest progress the Soul Society has ever seen; as stated by Urahara and Aizen alike. He obtained his shinigami powers, learned to trace rietsu, achieved bankai, mastered flash step, and discovered and mastered his Vaizard abilities, all within months. These are each things that take years for even some of the most skillful shinigami out there. And even though he may not have started as young as Gin or Toshiro, he still went from zero experience to a Captain level in record breaking time. Perhaps the most impressive fact is that he is a human. At age 15, he may look older than Toshiro, but he is actually way younger since humans age faster than people in Soul Society. Just like our other bright haired friend over in Shannaro, the key to Ichigo’s quick success is  determination.

Some sketchy possibilies -

Byakuya Kuchiki:

Byakuya was around the same age as Gin in the Turning Back the Pendulum arc. and didn’t graduate yet, but was noted by his grandfather to be very strong, and he already had an abnormally good handle on flash steps. Since then he has achieved the same rank as Gin, and (even though we don’t know if it is true since we don’t know just how strong Gin is) he was definitely more feared as a combatant when they were both captains.

Yachiru Kusajishi:

Yachiru is the youngest ranked officer in the Soul Society. To be a Lieutenant alone at her age seems prodiginous. The only question is if she is actually as strong as the other Lieutenants, or if she has her position because of Kenpachi’s influence. She at least has powerful enough rietsu to scare off standard level shinigami as seen when she loses her temper in the Ichigo vs Kenpachi fight. She is seen to be incredibly fast on her feet, and is confident enough in her skills to “take all the strong ones,” when going to help Ichigo on Soukyoku Hill. At such an incredibly young age, she is definitely at least a candidate to be considered a child prodigy.

I’m sure there are other possibilities out there, and if you can think of any worth mentioning, do so here.

-ssj

Released

Post Author: ssj sousuke

An analysis of the Espada’s released forms:

When an Espada, or any Arrancar use the resurrección command, they unlock their released form. It is kind of like a Soul Reaper releasing their sword’s true form, only with an Arrancar, it alters their entire appearance, bringing back some of their original hollow appearances and abilities, only much stronger. When an Espada does this, it is truly a sight to behold. Their strength increases substantially, comparable to a Shinigami’s bankai state; in Ichigo’s case, his Hollow-masked form.

#10 – Yammy:

Yammy, (supposedly the weakest Esapada) has surprisingly never shown his released form in the manga yet. He was recently seen falling down the tower of Las Noches. I doubt however that this killed him, so we may have time to see his released form later. My guess is that it relates to his characteristics, big, strong, and dumb. Since most resurreccións resemble an animal, I think Yammy’s might be something like a bull, a bear, or a rhino. The bear might explain the big piece of jaw hanging below his chin with sharp teeth, but I really have no clue. Do the ridges on his skull hint at anything?

#9 – Aaroniero Arruruerie:

The only Espada turned strait from the rank of Gillian, and the last of the original Espada, Aaroniero was one creepy guy. I honestly don’t know how his appearance was suppose to be more “human-like,” like the transformation to Arrancar is suppose to make him. His normal form looks like a giant tube with two floating heads. His released form looked like a giant blog of tentacles and mouths, with the power to absorb others. Pretty gross either way you look at it. He also has the powers of all those he once absorbed, and can take on their appearances at will. He was defeated by Rukia, obviously not the toughest guy in the bunch.

#8 – Szayel Aporro Granz

“The Perfect Being,” or so he called himself. Szayel was the scientist of the Espada, much like Mayuri Kurotsuchi is to the Soul Society. He has a very human appearance, with pink hair, and the remnants of his hollow mask actually make glasses… how fitting. He is very cocky in his intelligence, and values the lives of others with only the consideration of making them possible test subjects. His released form morphs him into a creepy figure with wing like things sticking out his back, tentacles on the lower half of his body, and a dark liquid oozing out his body. His abilities in this form are to be able to make a copy of his enemy just by touching them with the dark liquid. Also, he can heal himself from fatal injuries, implanting himself into the enemy and eating his way out. All in all, I’d say his released form has a very insect-like demeanor about it. Szayel was defeated by Mayur Kurotsuchi.

#7 - Zommari LeRoux:

To me this was perhaps one of the most disappointing Espada. Zommari didn’t get much screen time until his fight with Byakuya, and I had such high hopes for him. Not to mention his abilities had so much potential. He claims to have the fastest sonido of all Arrancar, but after seeing Stark’s speed, I believe that is a false claim. Still, he does have incredible speed. In his released form Zommari grows a total of 50 eyes throughout his body. His lower half turns into a pink, pumpkin-like figure. If an eye catches part of your body in its sights, that body part is now under Zommari’s control. Byakuya counters this by severing that appendage. He was beat shortly after challenging Byakuya.

#6 - Grimmjow Jeagerjaques:

Grimmjow, to me, is the most like Ichigo out of the Espada. Cocky, obnoxious, and strong as hell. In his released form, Grimmjow’s abilities sky-rocket. He is covered in a white armor, while his hair grows considerably longer. He also gains claws, sharp teeth, and other Panther-like traits. He becomes much stronger, forcing Ichigo to use his Hollow mask to match his strength. After the fight with Ichigo, Grimmjow was attacked by Nnoitra Jiruga, and his condition is still unknown. Other than Stark, for some reason I think if one Espada has a chance of being an ally after this is all said and done, it is Grimmjow.

#5 - Nnoitra Jiruga:

This guy is a pain in the ass. He claims to have the strongest Hierro of the Espada, but like in Zommari’s case, I doubt it is stronger than one of the top 3.  In his normal state, Nnoitra has a long, stringy appearance, with an eye-patch on, a spoon like collar, and a double-crescent blade. After he releases, Nnoitra grows up to six arms, two horns (or antennae) and a sickle-like blade for each hand. His appearance resmbles that of a praying mantis. Like the others, his abilities drastically improve in this form. He was killed by Kenpachi Zarachi.

#4 – Ulquiorra Schiffer:

Ulquiorra – one scary little guy. He has always had this confident, but justly confident presence about him. Not a man of many words, Ulquiorra packs quite a punch. In his normal form, he has very pale skin, green eyes, tear like markings under his eyes, and a half helmit remnant from his original hollow mask. It reminds me of the original shape of the Vasto Lorde. In his released form, Ulquiorra grows a set of wings, and his helmet looks more like a pair of horns, or ears. His Zanpakuto has morphed into a silver spike.  He is supose to resemble a bat. He was strong before, but now, he is approaching a whole new level of power. I don’t know how Ichigo is going to handle him now.

#3 – Halibel:

Halibel is the 3rd Espada, and as such, is probably hella strong. She normally has a zipped up white jacket, but when she opens it up, ther valuptuous remnants of her hollow mask are revealed. She is unbelievably strong thus far in her fight with Hisugaya, and she seems to be just warming up. I don’t really know what her released form will be like, but just as a shot in the dark from looking at her hollow mask, I’m going to guess something reptile like. Her hollow mask reminds me of reptile from Mortal Kombat.

#2 -Barragan Luisenbarn:

Barragan is the strongest Arrancar in all of Aizens army with the exception of Stark. Although he seems to think so highly of himself that he assumes control in Aizen’s absence. His old body is marked with scars, much like Yamamato. The remains of his Hollow mask form a crown above his head, explaining his confidence. The only logical guess I can make on his released form would be to say it would resemble something lion like. That is just to go along with the whole “king” mentality. It would better suit him to be a jackass though.

lion?

#1 – Stark:

Stark – the Primera Espada. One badass mofo. He has one of the most normal appearances of all the Espada. He is extremely laid back, much like Captain Shunsui whom he is fighting at the moment. The remnants of his hollow mask make a necklace. Though he dislikes fighting, he is surely good at it. He analyzed the deceptive techniques used by Shunsui within a few attacks. His speed is incredible, capturing Orihime right in front of Ichigo and Kenpachi. I have a feeling if he tried his hardest, there would be a loss of words to describe his power. I can’t imagine what his released form would look like. It would have to be something cool, like a devil, or a white knight. I don’t know, but I am eager to witness the power of the released Primera Espada!

I’m curious, what do you guys think the unrevealed released form might look like?

How will he grow?

Post Author: ssj sousuke

Here’s a little dilemna I was thinking about, that I’m sure I’ll find the answer to soon, but I don’t feel like waiting. How will Ichigo get stronger? I know there are many ways, but none that I can think of that would get him on Aizen’s level.

Let me start off with where he is at now. Currently in the manga, Ichigo is about as strong as Ulquiorra Schiffer, the 4th Espada.  Personally, even though I think Ulquiorra is a badass, I doubt him to be near the level as the Primera Espada, Stark.  Now this next part is questionable, but it is likely that Stark isn’t as strong as Aizen. From what I have seen, the Espada are not too too far off from the strength of a Captain, and Aizen has claimed his strength has twice the capacity of a normal captain. What I am getting at is, if  Ichigo is having such a hard time with Ulquiorra, how will he ultimately  be able to beat Aizen. (Because lets face it, the main character, Ichigo, is probably going to be the one to take Aizen down.)

Well on a positive note, Ichigo recently went from being able to fight on-par with the 6th Espada, to the 4th. Thats not bad progress. For my question of how he will grow though, there are a few ways I’ve come up with:

-Kido-

Almost all shinigami know some form of kido. There are all sorts of spells out there, and apparently they become quite useful in battle. Ichigo seems like a little too much of a brutish-knuckle-head to recite spells in mid-battle, but I think it can be agreed that knowing some kido would help him.

-A Better Control Over His Hollow Form-

When Ichigo uses his hollow mask in battle, his power increases exponentially. His problem though is being able to hold onto his mask, without losing control to his inner hollow. I think with some more training with the Vaizards he may be able to where the mask as long as he wants. I also think that there is more hollow abilities than just increased strength and speed. I think Ichigo will learn a new Hollow ability that maybe the Vaizards themselves aren’t yet aware of. Maybe powers closer to the arrancar side of things than shinigami. Like a cero?

-New ability with Zangetsu-

I know it appears that Ichigo has maxed out what he can do with Zangetsu, since he has already learned bankai and all, but I think it has more potential. I just don’t the best thing a sword as cool as Zangetsu can do is shoot a black Getsuga. (Which is still pretty cool.)

-Better Control Over His Spiritual Pressure-

If Ichigo could control his spiritual pressure he would gain a number of advantages. For one, he wouldn’t be seeping it out all the time, and if he saved it all up until battle, he’d finally be at 100%. Also, if Ichigo could learn to mask his spiritual pressure, he would have the element of surprise for once. Ulquiorra has said how he can sense Ichigo’s spiritual pressure fluctuating between week and very powerful. That means he doesn’t know how to turn it to the max on command when he needs it. It would be handy.

I dont know how this huge battle between Aizen and the Soul Society will end, but I am pretty sure Aizen won’t die yet. I actually think it might end with Yamamato’s death, or sacrifice. Which would suck, considering most people think he is the only guy strong enough to take on Aizen alone right now, but it would make sense too, becuase it would give Ichigo time to train, and get on his level.

The Paradox of Bleach

First I want to say, compared to the Espada, normal hollows are extremely weak, so I don’t really consider them an enemy of Ichigo any more so they aren’t really important to talk about. This blog is about the paradoxal relationship between shinigami, Vizard, and Arrancar. Why can’t these three groups live in peace? 

Shinigami: In this series Shinigami are seen as the protagonists, they are believed to be inherently good because they kill the evil things that haunt humans, but are they really? As Aizen, Gin, and Tosen proved they can really be just as evil as anyone else. There are also several others that are maybe not evil, but are definitely crazy, such as Kenpachi Zaraki or Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

Vizard: These former shinigami are now exiled, but why? They were the unfortunate victimes of fate. What have they really done? In the beginning of the series, Ichigo is plagued by the thought of what happens to the souls of the victims of hollows, these people are no different than those unfortunate victims. Ichigo himself is proof that the shinigami and the vizard have a lot in common and can live and work in peace.

Arrancar: These beings are a bit more sinister than the other two; these beings were once the baddest of the hollows, the greatest and most vicious Menos Grandes. However with the influence of the Hougyoku they lost their masks and became much more human-like. Because the Arrancar act as antagonists in this series, they are seen as evil. However, some of the Arrancar are good such as Nel, Gantenbainne Mosqueda, Pseche Guatiche, and Dondocahkka Blistin. Others such as Stark are simply doing what is necessary and dislike fighting. Others, still, are simply crazy – such as Wonderweiss Margera.

The Shinigami, especially Shinigekuni Yamamoto Genryusai need to learn to be more philosophically flexible and excepting of others. They need to learn that actions dictate morality and not stereotypical features.

For those of you who say “Wouldn’t that kill the manga?”: Not necessarily, there are still plenty of evil people, like Aizen and Ulquiorra to kill.

Hope you liked thisfirst part series!