List of Hollows in Bleach

The Bleach anime and manga features an extensive cast of beings known as hollows (虚（ホロウ）, horō), the central antagonists of the series. These are malevolent deceased souls of formerly normal humans in the Bleach universe. Much of the series focuses on arrancar (破面（アランカル）, arankaru), a more powerful variant of hollow. The arrancar make up the army of Sosuke Aizen, the primary antagonist, and have a system of ranking based on strength. The most prominent arrancar in the series are the ten most powerful, known as the Espada (十刃（エスパーダ）), and their direct subordinates.

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 arrancar also have Spanish-derived names.

Overview

In the Bleach universe, a hollow is created when a dead human soul (known as a plus or a whole in the English translation) is corrupted into a malevolent soul, a hollow. When a plus has many regrets or a strong emotional connection to a location or person, their chain of fate (因果の鎖, inga no kusari), which links their soul to their body, becomes attached to the emotionally important object or person. After some time, their emotions eventually corrupt the soul, which then transforms into a hollow. Hollows want to eat other human souls in an attempt to fill the void left in their hearts, which is why they are said to first attack the people that they had loved the most in their past lives.

There are two main duties of ordinary Soul Reapers are to perform a ritual known as a soul burial (魂葬 (こんそう), konsō) on pluses before they become hollows, and to slay hollows to purify their souls of all sins committed while in that form, so that they become pluses once again. When either of these duties are fulfilled, the plus goes to Soul Society.

Additionally, a broken chain of fate can eventually corrode completely, which also leads to the transformation into a hollow. It is also possible for a spirit to use their abilities as a Soul Reaper to avoid turning into a hollow, instead becoming a visored, as happens to the protagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki.

Ordinary hollows have very varied character designs, though most are designed with a monster-like appearance, a skull-like mask and a large hole somewhere through their body. The hollows reside in the desert world of Hueco Mundo when not searching the human world for souls to consume.

Some hollows consume other hollows, eventually evolving into menos. As hollows evolve, they gain access to unique skills and abilities, fueled by the souls they have consumed. The most common of these abilities is cero (虚閃（セロ）, sero, Japanese for "hollow flash," Spanish for "zero," called both "cero" and "doom cero" in the Viz manga), a high-powered energy blast that can be fired from various body parts, such as the mouth or hand. If a hollow has its mask removed, it becomes an arrancar, and gains additional abilities and a more humanoid appearance.

Menos

Menos (メノス, menosu, Spanish for "minus" or "less") hollows have an unusually strong thirst for souls, which leads them to consume other hollows and evolve into a stronger state of being. Within the menos, there are three levels of evolution, each with superior strength, speed, and intelligence compared to its previous form. The first of these is the gillian (最下大虚（ギリアン）, girian, Japanese for "least of the great hollows"), which is large and powerful, but possesses very little intelligence and no individuality as a result of the merging of hundreds of hollows. If one of the hollows that now make up the gillian retains its consciousness, that consciousness takes over, and the gillian can continue to eat other hollows (including other Menos) and eventually evolve into an adjuchas (中級大虚（アジューカス）, ajūkasu, Japanese for "intermediate great hollow"). Adjuchas act as leaders for groups of gillians, but if an adjuchas stops eating hollows, it will revert back in evolution, turning into gillian once again, permanently. From the adjuchas state, some have the potential to evolve into vasto lorde (最上大虚（ヴァストローデ）, vasuto rōde, Japanese for "great king of the hollows", Spanish for "vast", pseudo-Spanish "lord"). Vasto lorde are more humanoid in size and appearance and posses battle strength comparable or superior to a Soul Reaper captain, to the point where captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya speculates that Soul Society would be doomed if Sōsuke Aizen managed to get ten vasto lorde under his command.

Arrancar

Arrancar (破面（アランカル）, arankaru, Japanese for "broken mask", Spanish for "to tear off") are hollows that have had their masks almost completely removed and--through this process--gained the powers of a Soul Reaper, a more humanoid appearance, as well as strength, speed, and intelligence beyond the level of a normal hollow.

In addition to those improvements, arrancar also gain hierro (鋼皮 (イエロ), iero, Japanese for "steel skin", Spanish for "iron"), skin so hard that it allows them to fight against sword-wielding opponents bare-handed, but is by no means impenetrable. In order to travel at extremely high speeds across short distances, arrancar use a technique known as sonido (響転（ソニード）, sonīdo, Japanese for "transfer effects", Spanish for "sound"). Stronger arrancar have been shown to possess proportionally harder hierro and faster sonido, among other abilities, either unique or based on common techniques, such as the several existing variants of cero.

Like Soul Reapers, arrancar possess zanpakutō (斬魄刀, lit. soul-cutting sword). Unlike Soul Reapers, whose zanpakutō are manifestations of their owner's soul, arrancar's zanpakutō are manifestations of their former hollow selves. 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, Japanese for "returning blade," Spanish for "resurrection"), part of their original hollow form is restored, changing their appearance, giving them greater strength, and granting them access to their original abilities.

Arrancar become major antagonists during the second part of the series as they start being led by Sōsuke Aizen, who uses the Hōgyoku to create and perfect the arrancar. According to Tite Kubo, many of the arrancar are named after real life architects and designers.

Espada

The Espada.
Top row from left to right: Nnoitora, Barragan, Grimmjow, Aaroniero, Harribel.
Bottom row from left to right: Yammy, Starrk, Ulquiorra, Szayel Aporro, Zommari.

The 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, and each of them represents an aspect of death. They are ranked in order of their strength and have their respective number tattooed somewhere on their body as proof of their superiority. While originally thought to be 1 through 10, with 1 the strongest and 10 the weakest, the ranks are later revealed to be 0 through 9. The Espada are also allowed to choose any ordinary arrancar and have them appointed as their direct subordinates, referred to as fracción (従属官(フラシオン), furashion, Japanese for "subordinate official," Spanish for "fraction"). The members are listed according to their rank.

Starrk

• Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama (Japanese); Keith Silverstein (English)

Starrk (スターク, Sutāku) is the Primera Espada, signified by the "1" tattooed on the back of his left hand. Starrk has an overall lazy and laid back personality as he is seen sleeping when the Espada learn of Aaroniero Arruruerie's death, and does not appear overly concerned by the news. Lilynette (リリネット, Ririnetto), his young female fracción, typically shows the concern that Starrk does not. 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. He 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. The remains of Starrk'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. He is very fast, easily kidnapping Orihime Inoue while Kenpachi Zaraki and Ichigo Kurosaki are only a few feet away. His laziness also manifests itself in his fighting style, as he refuses to fight Shunsui Kyōraku at full strength when asked to. Just the same he shows himself to be a very capable fighter, observing that Kyōraku is ambidextrous and is trying to correct the speed of his swing to hide that fact.

Unlike the rest of the Espada, Starrk's power is not sealed inside his zanpakutō, but in his fracción Lilynette. When they combine they become Los Lobos (群狼 (ロス・ロボス), Rosu Robosu, Spanish for "the wolves," Japanese for "wolf pack"). Upon release, Starrk resembles a gunslinger, gaining fur on his clothes, a pair of bullet belts, and an eyepiece covering his left eye, resembling Lilynette's mask fragment. He wields two ornamental guns able to fire off ceros in rapid succession, one of these guns actually being Lilynette. Starrk also takes on some of Lilynette's personality quirks, becoming more vocal and short tempered.

Barragan Luisenbarn

• Voiced by: Shōzō Iizuka (Japanese); Steve Kramer (English)

Barragan Luisenbarn (バラガン・ルイゼンバーン, Baragan Ruizenbān) is the Segunda Espada. He is a stout, older and grumpy arrancar, and 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. Despite being the second Espada he exploits Starrk's indifference by assuming leadership over the arrancar once Aizen is trapped, giving orders from a skull-adorned throne, even instructing Harribel to "not underestimate him". Only after all his fracción are dead does he engage in battle against Soi Fon personally. Barragan has six male fracción; 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, Avirama Reddā), Findor Carias (フィンドール・キャリアス, Findōru Kyariasu), Choe Neng Poww (チーノン・ポウ, Chīnon Pō), Ggio Vega (ジオ＝ヴェガ, Jio Vega), and Nirgge Parduoc (ニルゲ・パルドゥック, Niruge Parudukku).

As the Espada representing death due to "Aging", Barragan is able to age his opponent, such as when he slows down Soi Fon's kicks and ages the bones in her arm to the point that they break. Due to this ability, Barragan is particularly arrogant and believes he is virtually superior to every form of life, declaring at one point that he is the "God of Hueco Mondo", his own fracción referring to him as a king. Prior to becoming an Espada, he was the ruler of Hueco Mondo, ruling from Las Noches, but was effectively dethroned by the arrival of Aizen before he betrayed Soul Society, Barragan vowing to kill him eventually.

His zanpakutō is Arrogante (髑髏大帝 (アロガンテ), Arogante, Spanish for "arrogant," Japanese for "great skull emperor") and it takes the form of a giant battle-axe. When released, Barragan's body becomes a skeleton and becomes covered in dark robes, bearing resemblance to 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 hand, it makes the latter decay down to its bones and then starts spreading, forcing her to get Omaeda to slice off her arm before it could reach her body. Barragan's Respira also has the power to deteriorate kidō, as demonstrated when he dissolves one of the Visored Hachigen's barriers. Barragan states that his power is absolute and affects everything under the sway of time.

After his fracción are all killed, Barragan engages Soifon and Omeada, temporarily gaining the upperhand until the Visored Hachigen arrives to help them. By creating multiple barriers of kidō, Hachigen is able to contain Barragan's Respira ability to the point that Soifon is finally able to wound the Espada with her Bankai. Furious, Barragan releases his Respira everywhere, managing to hit Hachigen's right hand. Before the aging can spread beyond his fingers, however, Hachigen uses his kidō to sever his own arm and teleport it and the Respira affecting it into Barragan's stomach. Barragan's own ability literally dissolves him from the inside-out, and he shouts his refusal to forgive Aizen for tricking him with power as he dies.

Tia Harribel

• Voiced by: Megumi Ogata (Japanese); Laura Bailey]] (English)

Tia Harribel (ティア・ハリベル, Tia Hariberu) is the Tercera Espada, signified by the "3" tattooed on the inside of her right breast, she is also the only current female Espada. She is very calm and rarely speaks, and when she does it's fairly serious, such as when she tells 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 Harribel'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 completely covered.

Her zanpakutō is named Tiburón (皇鮫后 (ティブロン), Tiburon, Spanish for shark, Japanese for "imperial shark empress"). She carries it horizontally behind her shoulders; the sword itself is notably broad and short compared to those of other Espada, 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 Proyectil Azul (Spanish for "Blue Projectile") 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 Zweihänder, 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. In her released state she has shown the ability to control water.

Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck

File:NellTu.jpg

Nel in her child and adult forms.

• Voiced by: Tomoko Kaneda (Japanese); Colleen O'Shaughnessey]] (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), is a good-natured, child-like arrancar when first introduced. The remains of her hollow mask make up a cartoonish skull on the top of her head. Nel and her companions believe Soul Reapers, not hollows, to be evil, and as such are afraid of them. In spite of this, she develops an attachment to Ichigo Kurosaki and starts following him around after her introduction. She often mispronounces Ichigo's name as 'Itsygo' due to her lisping, and she is a self-proclaimed masochist. Nel's true form is that of a fully-grown woman, her mask appearing less cartoonish with a pair of curved horns. A large "3" tattooed on her back indicates that she was previously the Tercera Espada. Tired of her superiority over him, Nnoitora Jiruga snuck up on and attacked Nel from behind with the help of Szayel Aporro in the past, managing to crack her mask, causing her to turn into her child-form, giving her amnesia, and allowing him to expel her from the Espada. When Nel runs into Nnoitora years later as he begins to torture Ichigo, she turns into her adult form with her memories restored. Though considerably more mature than her child form, she 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, Nel reverts back to her child form, with no apparent memory of what had just occurred.

In her child-state, Nel's vomit (which she believes 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". Nel's zanpakutō, which manifests when she transforms, is named Gamuza (羚騎士（ガミューサ）, Gamyūsa, Spanish for "chamois," Japanese for "antelope knight"). Her released form is that of a 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. 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", Japanese for "green spear of morphism"), 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.

Ulquiorra Cifer

• Voiced by: Daisuke Namikawa (Japanese); Tony Oliver (English)

Ulquiorra Cifer (ウルキオラ・シファー, Urukiora Shifā) is the Cuarta Espada, signified by the "4" tattooed to his chest. His name stems from that of a furniture designer named Patricia Urquiola. 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. The remainder of Ulquiorra's hollow mask forms a broken helmet with a curved horn and covers the left half of his head. His hollow hole has moved since his first appearance; when first introduced it is at the base of his neck, but in later appearances it has been moved onto his chest.

In battle, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez notes that Ulquiorra 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. 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 comparatively very weak and stronger than his own. 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. When he is defeated by Ichigo's hollow form, he goads his opponent into hitting him with a point-blank cero, saying there is no more reason for him to live. 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. While most other arrancar traded defensive abilities for raw strength, Ulquiorra chose not to, and boasts that he is the only one among the Espada to possess high-speed regeneration abilities, shown multiple times throughout his appearances. Ulquiorra is a firm believer in subjective idealism, stating that what his eye cannot see does not exist.

When released his zanpakutō, Murciélago (黒翼大魔 (ムルシエラゴ), Murushierago, Spanish for "bat," Japanese for "giant black-winged demon") creates two large black wings on his back. His hollow helmet centers atop his head, sporting two large horns, and his arrancar uniform appears more form fitting at the top, becoming robe-like towards the bottom. Additionally, Ulquiorra is apparently unique among the Espada in that he has a second release; Resurrección Segunda Etapa (Spanish for "resurrection second stage"). He becomes more muscular with clawed hands and feet, the whites of his eyes turn green, and his helmet is replaced with elongated horns, effectively removing his mask. Ulquiorra's arms and legs from the hip down are covered in black fur, and he gains a long thin prehensile tail. In both forms he can create long "lances" of energy called Lanza del Relámpago (雷霆の 槍(ラソサ・デル・レランパーゴ), ransa deru reranpāgo, Japanese and Spanish for ”lance of the lightning”), and when thrown can cause an explosion. Ulquiorra seems unfamiliar with the technique when he uses it in his second release state, unexpectedly missing Ichigo with his first one. However, to compensate, he can produce more should his first miss the target.

After a long battle in which he is mortally wounded, Ulquiorra asks Ichigo to finish him off. He refuses and Ulquiorra dies. In his last moments he accepts the existence of others, realizing the meaning of "heart".

Nnoitra Jiruga

• Voiced by: Nobutoshi Canna (Japanese); Mike Sinterniklaas (English)

Nnoitra Jiruga (ノイトラ・ジルガ, Noitora Jiruga) is the Quinta Espada, signified by the "5" tattooed to his tongue and was shown to be the Octava Espada in the time Nelliel was still in Las Noches. 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. He is very rude 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, who frequently defeated him in battle though never killed him. With the help of Szayel Aporro Granz, he gave her amnesia and exiled her from the Espada, hoping to be stronger by the time they met again. Nnoitra has stated the only time he feels truly alive is when he's gurgling on his own blood. His sole fracción Tesla (テスラ, Tesura) idolizes Nnoitra and models himself in Nnoitra's image.

His zanpakutō, Santa Teresa (聖哭螳螂（サンタテレサ), Spanish alternative name for Praying Mantis, Japanese for "sacred crying mantis"), takes the form of a giant ax-like weapon bearing two crescent moon blades fused together at their backs. It is shown via several flashbacks that it used to only have one crescent. When released, Nnoitra gains two additional pairs of arms, and each of his hands gains an identical scythe-like weapon. Nnoitra's wounds heal almost instantly in his released state, and he can also regenerate severed limbs.

Noitra is drawn to the site of the battle between Ichigo Kurosaki and Grimmjow Jaggerjack. While he tortures the exhausted Ichigo, his former companion Nelliel Tu Oderschvank returns to what is revealed to be her adult form and attacks Nnoitra to protect Ichigo. Though she almost defeats him yet again, her amnesia returns 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. After a long and destructive battle Nnoitra dies what he believes to be a "warrior's death;" his life ending a split second before his body hits the ground.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez

• Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe (Japanese); David Vincent (English)

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (グリムジョー・ジャガージャック, Gurimujō Jagājakku) is the Sexta Espada, signified by the "6" tattooed to his back. His name stems from that of an architect named Nicholas Grimshaw. 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, 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 the fourth Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer. 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. Grimmjow hates being looked down on, becoming infuriated beyond consolation when he feels that someone does so and has stated that he will readily crush anyone who looks down on him, be it friend or foe. 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, and he eventually met and led a group of other hollows in their mutual quest for power. As time passed and Grimmjow became the only one who grew stronger, he ate pieces of the others' flesh so that their evolution would not regress and so he could become even stronger. These hollows later became his fracción: Arrancar 11 Shawlong Qufang (シャウロン・クーファン, Shauron Kūfan), Arrancar 13 Edorad Leones (エドラド・リオネス, Edorado Rionesu), Arrancar 14 Nakim Greendina (ナキーム・グリンディーナ, Nakīmu Gurindīna), Arrancar 15 Ilfort Grantz (イールフォルト・グランツ, Īruforuto Gurantsu), and Arrancar 16 D-Roy Linker (ディ・ロイ・リンカー, Di Roi Rinkā). Grimmjow, prior to his promotion to Espada Sexta, was Arrancar 12.

When his zanpakutō, Pantera (豹王（パンテラ）, Spanish for "panther," Japanese for "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. This state augments his speed drastically and gives him animal-like agility and movements 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）, Spanish for "laceration," Japanese for "panther king's claw") from his fingertips.

Luppi

• Voiced by: Daisuke Kishio (Japanese); Michael Sinterniklaas (English)

Luppi (ルピ, Rupi) temporarily replaces Grimmjow Jaggerjack 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) rests on the left side of his head. Luppi's zanpakutō is Trepadora (蔦嬢（トレパドーラ）, Torepadōra, Spanish for "climber," Japanese for "ivy girl"), and 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. After Grimmjow's arm is restored (his losing it being the reason for his demotion and Luppi's promotion), he promptly kills Luppi to regain his rank.

Zommari Leroux

• Voiced by: Taiten Kusunoki

Zommari Leroux (ゾマリ・ルルー, Zomari Rurū) is the Séptima 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 Espada, referred to as Gemelos Sonido (双児響転（ヘメロス・ソニード）, Hemerosu Sonīdo, Spanish and Japanese for "sound twins"). He can leave up to five afterimages in his stead when using it.

His zanpakutō is Brujería (呪眼僧伽（ブルヘリア）, Buruheria, Spanish for "witchcraft," Japanese for "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 and Japanese 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 and killed by her brother, Byakuya Kuchiki.

Szayel Aporro Granz

• Voiced by: Kōsuke Toriumi (Japanese); Chris Kent (English)

Szayel Aporro Granz (ザエルアポロ・グランツ, Zaeruaporo Gurantsu) is the Octava 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 that he has personally modified 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 is called Fornicarás (邪淫妃（フォルニカラス）, Forunikarasu, Spanish for "You will fornicate," Japanese for "lewd concubine"), and, in his released state, he grows two pairs of thin wings, and his lower body transforms into a flock of long tentacles. 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 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'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, Japanese for "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.

Szayel engages Renji Abarai and Uryū Ishida in a 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 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, Szayel is effectively paralyzed and left to suffer a slow and painful death by Mayuri shortly after.

Aaroniero Arruruerie

• Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki

Aaroniero Arruruerie (アーロニーロ・アルルエリ, Āronīro Arurueri) is the Novena 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 lower mask speaks in a high-pitched, child-like voice, and they appear to have a level of individuality as the lower head is more afraid of death. He is the last of the first-generation Espada. Aaroniero possesses the ability to broadcast information of whatever he is currently seeing or experiencing to other arrancar, which he does prior to his death at the hands of Rukia Kuchiki.

Aaroniero is the only gillian among the Espada. He 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. 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.

Aaroniero's zanpakutō is Glotonería (喰虚（グロトネリア）, Gurotoneria, Spanish for "Gluttony," Japanese for "eating hollow") and 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. 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.

After a long battle with Rukia Kuchiki, Aaroniero is finally killed when the former impales him. As he dies he screams blasphemy to Aizen for not being able to save him.

Yammy Riyalgo

• Voiced by: Kenji Nomura (Japanese); Paul St. Peter (English)

Yammy Riyalgo (ヤミー・リヤルゴ, Yamī Riyarugo) is the Cero Espada, though he was originally thought to be the Décima Espada, which was 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 most intelligent, of the Espada, relying upon Ulquiorra Cifer 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 suction"). It affects a wide area, but any individual with even slight spiritual power is able to resist it to some degree. As indicated by Yasutora Sado, his size has increased considerably since his first appearance.

Yammy is unique among Espada in that his rank changes upon his release. His zanpakuto is Ira (憤獸(イーラ), Īra, Spanish for "Anger," Japanese for "angry beast"). When he releases, his size increases dramatically, and the "1" on his ranking tattoo flakes away, leaving his rank to be 0. In his release, he resembles a giant humanoid ankylosaurus, complete with tail club.

Yammy is one of the first Arrancar introduced, appearing alongside Ulquiorra when they come to the physical world looking for Ichigo Kurosaki. He returns to the physical world alongside Luppi and is injured fighting Kisuke Urahara. He reappears while Ichigo is battling Ulquiorra in the throne room of Las Noches. Before he's 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 complex, near Rukia and her comrades.

Privaron Espada

File:Privaronespada.JPG

Gantenbainne (left), Dordoni (top), and Cirucci (bottom).

The Privaron Espada (十刃落ち（プリバロン・エスパーダ）, Puribaron Esupāda, Japanese for "fallen from the ten blades," Spanish for "deprived sword", literally "they deprived the sword") are arrancar that were once Espada, but, after Aizen acquired the Hōgyoku, were demoted in favor of his own artificially-created arrancar. They have received a three-digit number in order to separate them from the regular arrancar since their power is still far above average.

Dordonii Alessandro Del Socacchio

• 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, however, he is much more serious in battle. 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 is Giralda (暴風男爵（ヒラルダ）, Hiraruda, referring to Giralda, Japanese for "storm baron," may also refer to the tower of the Cathedral of Sevilla in Spain, also called "La Giralda".) and 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

• Voiced by: Hōko Kuwashima (Japanese); Tricia Pierce (English)

Cirucci Thunderwitch (チルッチ・サンダーウィッチ, Chiruchi Sandāwicchi) has an appearance similar to a gothic lolita; 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. After 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, spinning, Yo-Yo like disk looped into it. When released, Cirucci 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 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 a luminous pink blade of spirit particles at the tip of her tail. Such a change is permanent and she equates it to "cutting off an arm."

Gantenbainne Mosqueda

• 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. 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. 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 Espada. 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.

Other

The following are those arrancar that have never received a position as an Espada.

Grand Fisher

• Voiced by: Chafūrin (Japanese); Paul St. Peter (English)

Grand Fisher (グランドフィッシャー, Gurando Fisshā) is, when first introduced, a hollow that has evaded the Soul Reapers for over fifty years. During this timeframe he killed Masaki Kurosaki in her efforts to protect her son, Ichigo Kurosaki. Grand Fisher's hollow form resembles that of a giant hamster with bird-like hands and feet. A "lure" (similar to the lure, or esca of angler fish) hangs from his forehead, which can take the form of anyone he wishes. He typically uses this ability to lure spiritually aware people into his grasp, making them easy meals, hence his name. In battle the lure can be used to take the form of someone close to the opponent, keeping them from attacking him. To create the perfect lure, he has the ability to use the claws on his left hand to peer into his opponent's memories for the person that they would never attack. This lure also serves as a second body in case his larger one is wounded and needs to recuperate. After Ichigo is able to defeat Grand Fisher in battle he is converted into an imperfect arrancar, giving his hollow-form a more humanoid appearance. He carries a large zanpakutō on his back, which when released transforms him into a huge, monstrous creature with bull-like horns. When he tries to use this form to have a rematch with Ichigo, he is killed by Ichigo's father, Isshin Kurosaki.

Rudobone

• Voiced by: Taro Yamaguchi

Rudobone (ルドボーン, Rudobōn) 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 completely hidden by his mask. He and his subordinates clean up after each battle, collecting data for Szayel Aporro Granz before killing any survivors: they presumably 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, Rudobone and the rest of the Exequias withdraw in order to avoid conflict. Later he and the rest of the Exequias attempt to prevent Ichigo Kurosaki from reaching Orihime Inoue and Ulquiorra Cifer, but they are intercepted and his followers are subsequently defeated by Rukia Kuchiki, Yasutora Sado and Renji Abarai; and is then frozen by Rukia's shikai, only to have an angry Yammy attack and presumingly kill him. Rudobone has expressed disappointment and regret that he was unable to achieve the role of Espada, despite his prodigious ability. Regardless, he expresses great pride and confidence in the Espada that Aizen has chosen to lead.

He carries a zanpakutō with the name Arbola (髑髏樹（アルボラ）, Arubora, Japanese for "weathered skull tree," Basque for "tree"), and in his released state he grows tree limbs that twist around his body, adorned with skulls at the tips. Rudobone is capable of balancing on top of these tree limbs. From these branches, Rudobone gains the ability to generate full-bodied minions with skulls for masks, which he refers to as his calaveras (カラベラ, Karabera, Spanish for "Skull"). These 'calaveras' apparently comprise the entirety of the Exequias, thereby making Rudobone the only real Exequias member.

Wonderweiss Margera

• Voiced by: Hisayoshi Suganuma (Japanese); Thom Adcox (English)

Wonderweiss Margera (ワンダーワイス・マルジェラ, Wandāwaisu Marujera) is an Espada-level arrancar. Wonderweiss is small, thin, and somewhat child-like, and 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 bala energy blast toward Kisuke Urahara 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. He follows Tōsen everywhere when possible and is hostile to what he perceives as Tōsen's enemies. Wonderweiss reappears during Aizen's assault on Karakura Town leading a massive hollow. He is shown to be extremely powerful, being able to easily impale Jushiro Ukitake with his bare hands and to free Harribel from Tōshirō Hitsugaya's ice prison by merely yelling. Wonderweiss appears to hold some special position among the Arrancar as Starrk commented that if Wonderweiss had been summoned to the battlefield, then Aizen is getting impatient. The name and released state of Wonderweiss's zanpakutō, which resembles a large claymore-like sword as tall as he is, have not been revealed.

Pesche Guatiche

• Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (Japanese); Michael Greco (English)

Pesche Guatiche (ペッシェ・ガティーシェ, Pesshe Gatīshe) is a seemingly harmless, humanoid arrancar whose body is covered in a sort of light armor, complete with a mask resembling an insectoid head with a large pair of mandibles. His hollow hole is positioned near his stomach. He was once Nel Tu's fracción, but after his mask fragment was forcefully removed by Nnoitora Jiruga and Nel received amnesia, he accompanied her around Hueco Mundo to keep her safe. Years later, when Nel accompanies a group of humans, Pesche follows her into Las Noches. He starts following Uryū Ishida, having mistaken him for Ichigo Kurosaki (and later on uses it just to irritate him), which upsets him because Uryū's appearance leads him to believe that he is the weakest of the group. Pesche possesses an ability he calls "Infinite Slick" (無限の滑走（インフィナイト・スリック）, Infinaito Surikku), in which he sprays his saliva at an object, severely reducing its friction. Contrary to its name, it is of limited supply, "Finite Slick" having been an uninteresting name. He carries an energy sword he calls Ultima (究極（ウルティマ）, Urutima, Spanish for "final," Japanese for "ultimate") inside his loincloth, but it is unclear if it is his zanpakutō. He and Dondochakka are capable of combining their Cero attacks together to create an even more powerful attack they have named cero sincrético. The only time it has been shown, Szayel Aporro Granz renders the attack ineffective, making the full extent of its power unclear.

Dondochakka Bilstin

• Voiced by: Daisuke Gōri

Dondochakka Bilstin (ドンドチャッカ・ビルスタン, Dondochakka Birusutan) is a large, spotted humanoid arrancar with a tiki mask and compound eyes. Despite his menacing appearance, he is prone to tear-filled outbursts at the slightest provocation, usually when he's worried about something. He frequently inserts the phrase "don'tcha know" (ヤンス, yansu) in his speech. He was once Nel Tu's fracción, but after his mask fragment was forcefully removed by Nnoitora Jiruga and Nel received amnesia, he accompanied her around Hueco Mundo to keep her safe. Years later, when Nel accompanies a group of humans, Dondochakka follows her into Las Noches. He starts following Renji Abarai, whom he frequently irritates with his clumsiness and emotional outbursts. Dondochakka possesses numerous insect spirits within his stomach, one being Bawabawa (バワバワ), an eel-like hollow who acts as both pet and transportation for Nel Tu and her companions, and he can spit these spirits out at will as allies in combat. In addition, he carries a kanabō inside his stomach, but it is unclear if this is his zanpakutō.

Reception

The hollows of Bleach have received praise and criticism from several publications for anime, manga, and other media. Anime News Network praised Kubo's "grasp of character and storytelling" in his creation of hollows who are not "the average monster of the week", but have "strong emotional ties" to their victims. Meanwhile, the later introduced arrancars are described as conceptually interesting.

Of the hollow characters, the arrancar character Grimmjow has garnered the most attention, with ActiveAnime describing him as "the most psycho of them all". Additionally, IGN commented that "it's very difficult to take a book seriously when one of its main characters is named "Grimmjow Jeager-Jacques" [sic] but damned if this book doesn't pull it off". In contrast, Anime News Network lamented that the first battle between Ichigo and Grimmjow was "a lumbering, inelegant mess". Grimmjow is also the most popular hollow character with readers of Weekly Shōnen Jump, placing fourth in its fourth Bleach Popularity contest. Ulquiorra, another arrancar character, was voted into tenth place in the same poll, though he had also appeared in the previous poll in twentieth place.

The visual appearances of the hollows in the anime and manga have also received notice from reviewers. The Los Angeles Times compared the early hollows to "the misshapen fossils of unsuccessful dinosaurs". Of the arrancar characters, Yammy is described as a "stereotypical, muscle-bound anime villain", whilst Ulquiorra is likened to "L from Death Note, with a bone hat and some emo makeup".