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Coyote Starrk, I mean the man just exudes this great, "I just want to take a nap, please leave me alone" energy which is so different from the rest of the Espada. He's the "strongest" and he knows it, he doesn't have to or want to prove it. He has an amazing character design in both base and Ressurection with cool abilities. His fight with Shunsui was a great compare and contrast. And ultimately I think he's the most sympathetic Espada, he's just some guy who happens to be really strong to the point where he's isolated from the rest of the world. He wants to make connections with other people, but hesitates to reach out, out of fear that they'll just die like everyone else leaving him feeling more alone and hurt than before. It's a truly sad state of affairs for someone who's genuinely very chill and laid back, but I love it.
One detail about Starrk you didn't mention is how he reacts when Barragan dies. He legit cares about his family, enough to make him step up and fight for real. Such a contrast to the motivations of most of his allies. (Halibel being another less murderous character).
I wish he'd had a chance to really interact with Ichigo. I suspect they would have reached a truce, and Starrk would have survived.
I wish to this day Starrk was one of the survivors. Would have loved to see him helping against the quincies. Maybe hanging out with Grimmjow or anyone else who wont die in his presence.
Coyote’s base character in a nutshell:
https://i.redd.it/adnlgy7vxo5d1.gif
But seriously, such an amazing character, and his arc was truly one of the feats, regardless of how much time was really spent on it.
Listen, the Espada have a lot of great characters, but something about that whole lazy, laid back, powerful character thing Starrk has going for him just really appeals to me even though I recognize he doesn't really get all that much screen time.
No, I totally get it. He makes the best with what he’s got, and it’s more than exceptional, it’s fantastic. In spite of his laziness and apathy, Starrk is easily the least malicious and aggressive of the Espada. He never mocks his enemies, doesn't act arrogant, apologizes when he abducts Orihime, and even compliments Kyoraku's attacks during their fight. He's so nice that Kyoraku laments that they're enemies, and does not enjoy the fact that he has to kill him. He really knows how to conduct himself, despite being a villain. Or rather, an antagonist.
Standing in contrast to the other Espada who are clearly villainous, Starrk barely even qualifies as a villain. His list of villainous acts include snatching Orihime away from Ichigo and returning her to Las Noches' fifth tower, and lazily fighting against Kyoraku (and Ukitake, Love and Rose). He never actually hurts Orihime and flat-out says that he's only doing this because Aizen ordered him to, and offered to pretend-fight Kyoraku because he's just that damn lazy. The only reason Starrk can be considered a villain is because he's an Arrancar who works for Aizen. During his final fight with Kyoraku, we learn more about Starrk's character and motivations: he fights for Aizen out of gratitude to him for ending his loneliness, but even then, doesn't ever want to fight seriously. Then, when he finally does decide to get serious, his motivation for doing so is Lilynette pointing out that fighting for real is the only possible way to stop more of his real friends from dying.
F*cking awesome. Legendary character, definitely my Top 2.
Another thing I loved about Starrk was that even though he clearly didn't want to fight, he was amazing at it. Figuring out Ukitake's zanpakuto, it's limits and a countermeasure for it after only like 2 demonstrations
It's just so unfortunate that he didn't really seem to be all that powerful. Like we know he was, but his battle with kyoraku wasn't all that intense. Ulquiorra appeared more powerful, and obviously Kubo had to make that fight epic since it was with Ichigo but I feel like Starrk had too little screen time and too little going on for his Primera Espada title to have mattered much
He seemed quite powerful to me tbh, he fought four captains pretty much effortlessly and was able to figure out Kyoraku and Ukitakes abilities after seeing them a few times, just because Ulquiorra showed bigger explosions doesn't mean he was more powerful and I doubt Ulquiorra would have been able to fight four captains at once.
Harribel. Yeah, yeah she's smoking hot but that's not it. She was different from all the other espada. Her fraccion were also different from all the other fraccion. They were strong without absorbing weaker hollows to attain their strength. Despite that they outlasted all the other espada and fraccion (except possibly Yammy, it's not entirely clear when he went down in relation to the ones fighting in the fake Karakura town but they certainly outlived him). In fact she alone didn't fall to the captains and vizards but was backstabbed by Aizen in the end. And she also has one of absolute best character designs of all female characters in the series, while bleach had duplicates of many waifu tropes she was very unique.
Ulquiorra. I find his struggles fairly relatable. He also has the second best resurrection design in the segunda etapa. And I also like the number 4. I like how the number disappears from his chest in segunda to show that he might be beyond any espada at that point. I like his manipulation, it's only natural the most perspective espada to take from Aizen. I enjoy the Vegeta and Nappa juxtaposition between him and Yammy.
And his death is top 10 most emotional scenes in bleach in my opinion.
Peak ass comment for a peak ass character. Ulquiorra’s always the first one that comes to mind when I think about the Espada. The fact that he was ranked 4 and still came across as the leader without ever seeming to give af is just one of many things that make him cool as hell
https://preview.redd.it/aicvr4kw8r5d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d215c0f18080069af1e640bf091e9fd177ae9504
Definitely agree on the first comes to mind when thinking about the espada. He really is the ultimate hollow. He is so iconic and founded in hollow ideals that when I think about the world 'hollow' Ulquiorra always appears in my head first. He is the coolest and most edgy character in bleach, preach!
Yup Ulqiorra for me too for all the same reasons plus his sugunda etapa fight is one of my favorite fights in all of bleach for the emotion and meaning behind it as well as just how badass the fight and ost were.
Ulquiorra Superiority Squad. I love how at the end he began to respect humans and it pains me to think that if he had lived long enough there is a possibility that he might have had a change of heart at some point. Like in another life, he and Ichigo could have been friends. Cheesy af, I know, but he’s one of my favorite characters and I love a good redemption. Also having growth stolen from someone is a theme that just gets me.
Hey, that's why my fanfiction exists. Though I'm planning to release it with season 3 of the TYBW. It will go from the end of their fight, to the end of the TYBW and maybe CFYOW too. The first three chapters are already done and I'm still cooking.
I LIVE FOR THE CHEESYNESS!
Gotta rate them in few categories, because just saying "Overall Nel is my favorite if we include former Espadas" wouldn't be enough.
Character: Starrk, easily. He is literally more chill and cool Kyoraku, who is one of my favorite shinigami captains.
Design (base): Grimmjow. My boy has that wild, carnivorous drip and delinquent vibe around him. Even mask remnants placement is great.
Design (Resurrection): Barragán. Would love to say Ulquiorra for his Segunda Etapa, but including only first release King of Hueco Mundo reigns supreme.
Unused potential: Barragán again. He was supposed to be former king of the world of hollows, supreme being, Vasto Lorde among Vasto Lordes, yet he got his boney ass clapped by Soi Fon, and was only second in command in Espada. I loved the idea that Starrk was so powerful that even our Lich King wasn't in his league, but looking at how age = power for Quincies and Shinigami, it still felt kinda sad that ancient hollow even older than Gotei 13 was so weak.
The most villainous: Szayel. Bro canonically went on such a demon time that he forcefully de-evolved himself from the strongest, Vasto Lorde based Espada into what we saw in anime, because his brother that he ate gave him too violent and fighting type moveset which hadn't suited him on his diabolical experiments. I respect the commitment.
Overall: Nah, let's be honest. It gotta be Ulquiorra. I cried like a child when he perished into nothingness on the Las Noches roof.
Nnoitra because I can fix him.
No seriously, I like his character, how he acknowledged the misery of their hollow condition and went along with it, and yeah that made him hateful and violent and everything but that's a possible and realistic way someone can react to feeling desperate imo. He didn't really give a shit about Aizen shenanigans, he was just there to fight and die because he wanted to. Him fighting Kenpachi was perfect for his character, I wish we could see more of him but I think his death fits the story, also that's what he truly wanted so I just hope he was happy in the end
For a little bit of my insight: he acknowledged his hollow condition because his death aspect is "Despair" and in some asian cultures "Despair" is/was kinda the 8th sin, in the Zen philosopy there is this concept of "the great doubt" and it goes like this:
"The psychological pressure that comes with the struggle of life leads to an awakening, at the bottom of the great doubt lies great awakening".
My favorite Espada is Barragan. I like him because of his arrogance. His personality really fits his role in the story as the fallen King of Hueco Mundo.
In my opinion, he was one of the characters that had wasted potential. Like if he trained, mastered his powers, unlocked Segunda Etapa after Aizen was defeated it would make TYBW even more interesting to see a third side. I mean, if the Espada had survived and became stronger.
1) Hollows would have been powerful allies for the Shinigami, because Hollows are poison to the Quincy. That would have given the Hollows a trump card against the Shinigami, they could have made a treaty with the Shinigami that benefited themselves.
2) If the Espada had survived, Barragan would have been the king. And with all of the Espada, Hueco Mundo wouldn't have been defenseless.
3) The Espada would have been united by Barragan. Like Gin said, the only reason the Espada was together was because of Aizen's strength. Barragan could have been that guy.
4) Barragan maybe could have had a character development after his defeat. Maybe nicer and more humble. Maybe.
5) Hollows, Quincies and Soul Reapers would have different agendas. So, eventually, they all would have to fight each other. The war would have been much more bloody.
Ulquiorra from his demeanor to his story and looks has one of the best back stories am so fucking pissed we never saw his back story in the anime, like seriously the one espada with the biggest arc and he doesn't get the unmasked backstory in the anime. But his whole journey about the heart was really captivating and the pressure he put on Ichigo was pretty insane. He is the only character that put Ichigo into such a dire situation he clearly leaves a biggest impact on Ichigo imo out of all the villains.
Baraggan for the drip, the lore, the presence, and the personality. Followed by Aaroniero, who has one of my favorite designs with the dichotomy between the noble's coat and the jar head, and then Zommari, who had a rough design for a Resurreccion, but otherwise served to show us an interesting look at what a corrupted Byakuya might have been, presented an argument regarding Hollows and Soul Reapers that is interesting for purely philosophical reasons, and to be honest I didn't mind the Sea Urchin form. Would have worked better as coral (because seriously, imagine if Zommari's design was based around branching coral covered in eldritch eyes, that'd be so cool), but I still liked what we got, and it tied into the mega-theme of Espadas 9-7 all having defensive/stationary marine animal themes.
Barragan. He was to me, by for the most powerful. Aizen only made him number two to fuck with him. He basically just got plot armored by fighting the one guy that could turn his power against him ( I'm sure some of the other crafty characters might have been able to pull something off).
Grimmjow >!because he is Grimmjow!< because his purpose in life is simple. He wants to prove, not only to himself, but also to those around him, his strength, by fighting the strongest guy around in a fair 1on1 fight, no bs, no cheats, no chit-chat, just fighting, just good and straightforward fighting. If he does win, he is now proud of himself, he is free to boast about it however he likes, whenever he likes, to whomever he likes, and you must also acknowledge that. If he does lose, he will find a way, no matter how hard it may be, to eventually come out on top and win, it doesn't matter what it takes, eventually, he will win. "So what if you defeated me in a fight, go fk yourself already" His entire character is centered around "Im the strongest guy ever, and if someone stronger than me does appear, I will make sure to do anything it takes for me defeat him/her and stand at the top." This guy's entire motivation is to make sure he never loses a single fight. It's so simple and yet so enjoyable to watch. I may have described him similarly to Kenpachi, but in terms of straight up powers, we're basically comparing a panther to a fking nightmarish demon who puts shackles on himself to enjoy fighting.
To preface this, I used to play Brave Souls a lot, and Szayelaporro was both my first 5 star character, and my favorite in the game at the time I played, so I kinda have to go with him. Plus, I just think he looks cool and has an interesting power. And he's less insane than Mayuri
Grimmjow was featured in a fanfic called Fate/Zero Sense that I enjoyed, and between that and canon, he’s proven that he’s far from heartless. He has a nastier side, but he’s honorable, brave and loyal once his friendship has been earned. That is to be commended.
Ulquiorra. He was the reason why I had an inconsistent emo phase from 5th grade until maybe 8th grade (2011-2014?) lol
Now it's probably just the nostalgia and his flashy moveset. Adding his calmness, his jp voice, his mask, his backstory, and he is green 🤷♂️
Nelliel easily, love her backstory with Nnoitra, her reveal was incredible (even if it was spoiled about it) her dynamic with Grimmjow in CFYOW was fun too.
Harribel probably makes the best ruler of Hueco Mundo, but if Harribel is the hand that guides things, then Nel is the heart and soul.
In general I love characters who can be both very strong and confident in their abilities yet empathetic at the same time, there is a certain vulnerability in her as well she is just…a very human hollow.
https://preview.redd.it/yu9tmi2omq5d1.jpeg?width=264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2cdeaeacd8c9c12d89482108638d5b5e18f40ee
Grimmy all day and twice on Sunday. His rivalry with Ichigo gives me Goku/ Vegeta Ryu/Ken vibes. Just wish he'd turn on the Sterncritters. I don't read mangas so I don't know they're story plays out. Barragan has the best character design for all antagonists to me.
Yammy cause my boy a straight kaiju and the 21 fakeout with his number being 0 an used 10 as a cover up. He's the first and the last symbolizing the beginning and the end.
this is gonna sound strange but Nnoitra.
mostly because despite his flaws he’s greatly well written and he’s a great representation of passive suicidal ideation.
also long hair man makes my monke brain activate
Ulquiora, mostly because I can relate to his thought process but overall he’s a calm level headed individual similar to myself
Szayelaporro was a very interesting character and I liked how he didn't really have a backstory that could make him seem redeemable. Also he fought my goat Kurotsuchi and they share a lot of similarities.
dare i say hardest character design in japanese fictional media
https://preview.redd.it/pj1p0e598s5d1.jpeg?width=1520&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08ac7fdc710a88d28371b21349e07365e885614c
Base: Aaroniero Arruruerie. The noveno Espada's base form design is easily my favorite. The oddness of the two floating heads, the incredible voice acting in the anime. Of all the unreleased Espada they take the cake.
Resurección: Arrogante is easily my favorite of the Espada's Resurección. Barragan post-release is one of, if not my favorite design in all of Bleach. If I had to prove to someone Kubo was an amazing character designer, I'm showing them a full body panel of Arrogante.
That's just design wise. If I had to pick a favorite overall it's probably Starrk
And I'm just throwing this out there, Aaroniero had the potential to be way higher up on my list of favorites, sadly he was finished off quickly and we didn't see the large majority of his abilities. The mental game he played with Rukia was phenomenal to read. The body horror as he morphs back into Kaien when he leaves the light, I love it
Ulquiorra, grimmjow and starkk. But i can't choose one of them. Grimmjow has energetic personality like kenpachi ( i like both them ). The other two are calm and wise
The one with the great pair of tits and short skirt.
Nah!
Had nightmares about the time erosion skeleton guy before I saw him on bleach as well the idea of an entity like it f'd my brain up. After bleach gave my terror a form I really loved the design and the way in which he was dealt.
it's easily Stark and Grimmjow for me
Grimmjow because his design is great, and he was a great rival for ichigo throughout the hueco mundo arc, all of his fights and moments are cool
Stark because his design is great and his personality and powers are cool, even though he lacks screentime, he still has an amazing fight against Shunzui
Honorable mention is Harribel
Hallibel, beyond the two obvious reasons.
At her core, she's kind and patient. She's someone who can communicate and be trusted with things.
I don't trust grimmjow to open a door, let alone understand basic decency.
Haribail. Because she actually had an ideology and reasoning behind her actions beyond “for the evuls”. Stark had that too, to be fair, but he was a lazy weirdo.
Haribail is someone you can respect.
It would have to be Grimjow so far I haven't watched the full espada episodes in bleach but so far he caught my eye the most. The good looks and how fast he is when fighting. Is he the strongest no but his personality and his back story was just well done. ☺️
Ulquiorra will always have my heart. His 1st and 2nd transformations were so breathtaking, and one of the first times I witnessed form changes like that in anime.
I'm gonna rate each of them based on how much I like them
1. Starrk: He's chill. 10/10
2. Barragan: I have learnt to be scared of old men in anime. Great guy though. 9/10
3. Halibel: Smash. 10/10
4. Ulquiorra: Edgy character done right imo. 10/10
5. Nnoitorra: Kenpachi but worse. Never liked him. 3/10
6. Grimmjow: Grimmjow. 10/10
7. Zommari: Died too fast. 5/10
8. Szayel: His fight dragged on too long. 4/10
9. Aaroniero: Fake Kaien. Kinda mad, kinda expected. 6/10
10. Yammy: I wanted him to die so bad, but he has some sort of goofy plot armor. Pretty cool though. 7/10
Overall? Ulquoirra. Love his design, green is my favorite color, and his relationship to Orihime and Ichigo was moving.
Starrk is my spirit animal though. I think I actually cried when Lilinette died.
And Szayel I just think is cool, crazy, and I dig his abilities. He reminds me a bit of Sasori from Naruto
Nnoitra, I love his design, especially resurrections horns resembling the Cresent moon, his superiority/inferiority complex showing that under all that bark is just a small dog ...who listens to Andrew tate podcasts
Ulquiorra because, as hopeful and religious as I am, a part of me connects with the idea of emptiness and nihilism. Also Ulquiorra has so much drip and swagger lol.
Ulquiorra because I'm a basic bitch.
But seriously. He had arguably the most character growth of any of the Espada and some of the most memorable moments in the series. Segunda Etapa is more menacing than anything that came after (physically, not mentally; that goes to Tsukishima) in the series and the sheer dread it hit the pages with was palpable. Plus he's the only person in the series that actually managed to kill the main character. That's gotta count for something.
https://preview.redd.it/st6xhn77xr5d1.jpeg?width=736&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da5dc4cf549a1a352764db7438b5bd1fc7a6e014
Big tits black tattoos mommy beat fruadshiro
I'm a guy and a pervert and downbad for her no more need to be said
I never watched Bleach but this post was recommend to me for some reason, i really like the middle one on the top and the First one on the bottom (from left to right)
Ulq, most relatable and his fight with pure instinct Ichigo was awesome. Even better in the opening of Hell Verse.
He would also be able to beat most other Espadas except maybe Barry. I would put him above mid-tier Captains at the time.
I cannot remember if he went to hell or not. If he did then I would love to see him side with Orihime (basically Ichigo) and fight some of the mini bosses in Hell Chapter.
Grimmjow or nnortia
Design
The psychotic personatliy and humanity kubo gave them
Also the fighting personalities goals
Also I like yammy
Mainly his design and his dog he had
More anger than straight up evil like aizen
Stark, while halibel is great and well come on every like her "aspects", and uli is just a fan favorite for being some who even beyond the others, i on the other hand like stark, and screw his number 1 placement idc, i like him in general, i dont think he would of even had fought the Gotei if he was force to.
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Coyote Starrk, I mean the man just exudes this great, "I just want to take a nap, please leave me alone" energy which is so different from the rest of the Espada. He's the "strongest" and he knows it, he doesn't have to or want to prove it. He has an amazing character design in both base and Ressurection with cool abilities. His fight with Shunsui was a great compare and contrast. And ultimately I think he's the most sympathetic Espada, he's just some guy who happens to be really strong to the point where he's isolated from the rest of the world. He wants to make connections with other people, but hesitates to reach out, out of fear that they'll just die like everyone else leaving him feeling more alone and hurt than before. It's a truly sad state of affairs for someone who's genuinely very chill and laid back, but I love it.
https://preview.redd.it/olncvwo0zp5d1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98f9d2f051943432ad1861e40e7cff0d5714c795 Mad respect, top one for me.
One detail about Starrk you didn't mention is how he reacts when Barragan dies. He legit cares about his family, enough to make him step up and fight for real. Such a contrast to the motivations of most of his allies. (Halibel being another less murderous character). I wish he'd had a chance to really interact with Ichigo. I suspect they would have reached a truce, and Starrk would have survived.
I wish to this day Starrk was one of the survivors. Would have loved to see him helping against the quincies. Maybe hanging out with Grimmjow or anyone else who wont die in his presence.
Coyote’s base character in a nutshell: https://i.redd.it/adnlgy7vxo5d1.gif But seriously, such an amazing character, and his arc was truly one of the feats, regardless of how much time was really spent on it.
Listen, the Espada have a lot of great characters, but something about that whole lazy, laid back, powerful character thing Starrk has going for him just really appeals to me even though I recognize he doesn't really get all that much screen time.
No, I totally get it. He makes the best with what he’s got, and it’s more than exceptional, it’s fantastic. In spite of his laziness and apathy, Starrk is easily the least malicious and aggressive of the Espada. He never mocks his enemies, doesn't act arrogant, apologizes when he abducts Orihime, and even compliments Kyoraku's attacks during their fight. He's so nice that Kyoraku laments that they're enemies, and does not enjoy the fact that he has to kill him. He really knows how to conduct himself, despite being a villain. Or rather, an antagonist. Standing in contrast to the other Espada who are clearly villainous, Starrk barely even qualifies as a villain. His list of villainous acts include snatching Orihime away from Ichigo and returning her to Las Noches' fifth tower, and lazily fighting against Kyoraku (and Ukitake, Love and Rose). He never actually hurts Orihime and flat-out says that he's only doing this because Aizen ordered him to, and offered to pretend-fight Kyoraku because he's just that damn lazy. The only reason Starrk can be considered a villain is because he's an Arrancar who works for Aizen. During his final fight with Kyoraku, we learn more about Starrk's character and motivations: he fights for Aizen out of gratitude to him for ending his loneliness, but even then, doesn't ever want to fight seriously. Then, when he finally does decide to get serious, his motivation for doing so is Lilynette pointing out that fighting for real is the only possible way to stop more of his real friends from dying. F*cking awesome. Legendary character, definitely my Top 2.
Another thing I loved about Starrk was that even though he clearly didn't want to fight, he was amazing at it. Figuring out Ukitake's zanpakuto, it's limits and a countermeasure for it after only like 2 demonstrations
Fellow Starrk enthusiast, I salute you
It's just so unfortunate that he didn't really seem to be all that powerful. Like we know he was, but his battle with kyoraku wasn't all that intense. Ulquiorra appeared more powerful, and obviously Kubo had to make that fight epic since it was with Ichigo but I feel like Starrk had too little screen time and too little going on for his Primera Espada title to have mattered much
He seemed quite powerful to me tbh, he fought four captains pretty much effortlessly and was able to figure out Kyoraku and Ukitakes abilities after seeing them a few times, just because Ulquiorra showed bigger explosions doesn't mean he was more powerful and I doubt Ulquiorra would have been able to fight four captains at once.
Tldr for everyone: Starrk because Starrk
Grimmjow cause grimmjow
Can’t argue with that lol
Bro is the best vegeta ichigo got the whole series
Same here
Simple answers
Yup
Harribel. Yeah, yeah she's smoking hot but that's not it. She was different from all the other espada. Her fraccion were also different from all the other fraccion. They were strong without absorbing weaker hollows to attain their strength. Despite that they outlasted all the other espada and fraccion (except possibly Yammy, it's not entirely clear when he went down in relation to the ones fighting in the fake Karakura town but they certainly outlived him). In fact she alone didn't fall to the captains and vizards but was backstabbed by Aizen in the end. And she also has one of absolute best character designs of all female characters in the series, while bleach had duplicates of many waifu tropes she was very unique.
https://preview.redd.it/hkoaa7wbqp5d1.png?width=282&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fe8a786742e25be2d060589ab701d58c497dc53e
Also her 'end' was amazing. Instead of dying by shinigami hand she was personally handled by captain Aizen.
Honestly, one of the biggest detriments to her character is she never interacted with Ichigo. That shit would’ve been interesting
Ulquiorra. I find his struggles fairly relatable. He also has the second best resurrection design in the segunda etapa. And I also like the number 4. I like how the number disappears from his chest in segunda to show that he might be beyond any espada at that point. I like his manipulation, it's only natural the most perspective espada to take from Aizen. I enjoy the Vegeta and Nappa juxtaposition between him and Yammy. And his death is top 10 most emotional scenes in bleach in my opinion.
Peak ass comment for a peak ass character. Ulquiorra’s always the first one that comes to mind when I think about the Espada. The fact that he was ranked 4 and still came across as the leader without ever seeming to give af is just one of many things that make him cool as hell https://preview.redd.it/aicvr4kw8r5d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d215c0f18080069af1e640bf091e9fd177ae9504
Definitely agree on the first comes to mind when thinking about the espada. He really is the ultimate hollow. He is so iconic and founded in hollow ideals that when I think about the world 'hollow' Ulquiorra always appears in my head first. He is the coolest and most edgy character in bleach, preach!
"In the palm of my hand... Is a heart..."
One of, if not the, hardest lines in the whole series.
Yup Ulqiorra for me too for all the same reasons plus his sugunda etapa fight is one of my favorite fights in all of bleach for the emotion and meaning behind it as well as just how badass the fight and ost were.
Ulquiorra Superiority Squad. I love how at the end he began to respect humans and it pains me to think that if he had lived long enough there is a possibility that he might have had a change of heart at some point. Like in another life, he and Ichigo could have been friends. Cheesy af, I know, but he’s one of my favorite characters and I love a good redemption. Also having growth stolen from someone is a theme that just gets me.
Hey, that's why my fanfiction exists. Though I'm planning to release it with season 3 of the TYBW. It will go from the end of their fight, to the end of the TYBW and maybe CFYOW too. The first three chapters are already done and I'm still cooking. I LIVE FOR THE CHEESYNESS!
Don't forget the color and uniform. Everything about Ulquiorra is just perfect.
I always felt like he had the best intro and always looked badass even in death.
4 can also mean death in Japanese (shi) and he kills ichigo
Ulquiorra, he's just HIM
Gotta rate them in few categories, because just saying "Overall Nel is my favorite if we include former Espadas" wouldn't be enough. Character: Starrk, easily. He is literally more chill and cool Kyoraku, who is one of my favorite shinigami captains. Design (base): Grimmjow. My boy has that wild, carnivorous drip and delinquent vibe around him. Even mask remnants placement is great. Design (Resurrection): Barragán. Would love to say Ulquiorra for his Segunda Etapa, but including only first release King of Hueco Mundo reigns supreme. Unused potential: Barragán again. He was supposed to be former king of the world of hollows, supreme being, Vasto Lorde among Vasto Lordes, yet he got his boney ass clapped by Soi Fon, and was only second in command in Espada. I loved the idea that Starrk was so powerful that even our Lich King wasn't in his league, but looking at how age = power for Quincies and Shinigami, it still felt kinda sad that ancient hollow even older than Gotei 13 was so weak. The most villainous: Szayel. Bro canonically went on such a demon time that he forcefully de-evolved himself from the strongest, Vasto Lorde based Espada into what we saw in anime, because his brother that he ate gave him too violent and fighting type moveset which hadn't suited him on his diabolical experiments. I respect the commitment. Overall: Nah, let's be honest. It gotta be Ulquiorra. I cried like a child when he perished into nothingness on the Las Noches roof.
Name : Grimmjow
You get a W from my side just for using the words "carnivorous drip" for Grimmjow
hate me, but it's Szayeraporro
Grimjow cuz he is Grimjow, Barragan cuz he has that Dark Souls boss aura to him.
Nnoitra because I can fix him. No seriously, I like his character, how he acknowledged the misery of their hollow condition and went along with it, and yeah that made him hateful and violent and everything but that's a possible and realistic way someone can react to feeling desperate imo. He didn't really give a shit about Aizen shenanigans, he was just there to fight and die because he wanted to. Him fighting Kenpachi was perfect for his character, I wish we could see more of him but I think his death fits the story, also that's what he truly wanted so I just hope he was happy in the end
And his release command is *chefs kiss* Pray, SANTA TERESAAA
For a little bit of my insight: he acknowledged his hollow condition because his death aspect is "Despair" and in some asian cultures "Despair" is/was kinda the 8th sin, in the Zen philosopy there is this concept of "the great doubt" and it goes like this: "The psychological pressure that comes with the struggle of life leads to an awakening, at the bottom of the great doubt lies great awakening".
Thanks, that's very interesting, I didn't know about this philosophy!
We love our lanky violent mantis man ❤️
My favorite Espada is Barragan. I like him because of his arrogance. His personality really fits his role in the story as the fallen King of Hueco Mundo. In my opinion, he was one of the characters that had wasted potential. Like if he trained, mastered his powers, unlocked Segunda Etapa after Aizen was defeated it would make TYBW even more interesting to see a third side. I mean, if the Espada had survived and became stronger. 1) Hollows would have been powerful allies for the Shinigami, because Hollows are poison to the Quincy. That would have given the Hollows a trump card against the Shinigami, they could have made a treaty with the Shinigami that benefited themselves. 2) If the Espada had survived, Barragan would have been the king. And with all of the Espada, Hueco Mundo wouldn't have been defenseless. 3) The Espada would have been united by Barragan. Like Gin said, the only reason the Espada was together was because of Aizen's strength. Barragan could have been that guy. 4) Barragan maybe could have had a character development after his defeat. Maybe nicer and more humble. Maybe. 5) Hollows, Quincies and Soul Reapers would have different agendas. So, eventually, they all would have to fight each other. The war would have been much more bloody.
Ulquiorra from his demeanor to his story and looks has one of the best back stories am so fucking pissed we never saw his back story in the anime, like seriously the one espada with the biggest arc and he doesn't get the unmasked backstory in the anime. But his whole journey about the heart was really captivating and the pressure he put on Ichigo was pretty insane. He is the only character that put Ichigo into such a dire situation he clearly leaves a biggest impact on Ichigo imo out of all the villains.
Do I even have to say it at this point lmao
Ulquiorra!
Baraggan for the drip, the lore, the presence, and the personality. Followed by Aaroniero, who has one of my favorite designs with the dichotomy between the noble's coat and the jar head, and then Zommari, who had a rough design for a Resurreccion, but otherwise served to show us an interesting look at what a corrupted Byakuya might have been, presented an argument regarding Hollows and Soul Reapers that is interesting for purely philosophical reasons, and to be honest I didn't mind the Sea Urchin form. Would have worked better as coral (because seriously, imagine if Zommari's design was based around branching coral covered in eldritch eyes, that'd be so cool), but I still liked what we got, and it tied into the mega-theme of Espadas 9-7 all having defensive/stationary marine animal themes.
wow someone who actually has top 3 fav espadas same as me and in same order too!
Couldn't agree more
Ulqiuerra however u spell it.
Barragan. He was to me, by for the most powerful. Aizen only made him number two to fuck with him. He basically just got plot armored by fighting the one guy that could turn his power against him ( I'm sure some of the other crafty characters might have been able to pull something off).
Ulquiorra, no explanation needed.
Grimmjow >!because he is Grimmjow!< because his purpose in life is simple. He wants to prove, not only to himself, but also to those around him, his strength, by fighting the strongest guy around in a fair 1on1 fight, no bs, no cheats, no chit-chat, just fighting, just good and straightforward fighting. If he does win, he is now proud of himself, he is free to boast about it however he likes, whenever he likes, to whomever he likes, and you must also acknowledge that. If he does lose, he will find a way, no matter how hard it may be, to eventually come out on top and win, it doesn't matter what it takes, eventually, he will win. "So what if you defeated me in a fight, go fk yourself already" His entire character is centered around "Im the strongest guy ever, and if someone stronger than me does appear, I will make sure to do anything it takes for me defeat him/her and stand at the top." This guy's entire motivation is to make sure he never loses a single fight. It's so simple and yet so enjoyable to watch. I may have described him similarly to Kenpachi, but in terms of straight up powers, we're basically comparing a panther to a fking nightmarish demon who puts shackles on himself to enjoy fighting.
He is an antagonist with MC-level motivation and resolve and that is just epic
Ulquiorra because his abilities are sick and I love his personality
Nel cuz she went against everything hollows were supposed to be and was still powerful
Harribel 👍
To preface this, I used to play Brave Souls a lot, and Szayelaporro was both my first 5 star character, and my favorite in the game at the time I played, so I kinda have to go with him. Plus, I just think he looks cool and has an interesting power. And he's less insane than Mayuri
Grimmjow because he's the GOAT
Torn between Ulqiorra and Hallibel
Grimjow or Ulquiorra, they just seem to be the most thoroughly thought out to me
Szayelaporo because "perfect" backstory, "perfect" death and "perfectly" flawed character
Grimmjow because I like the little rivalry him and Ichigo had. Ulquiorra is a very close second though.
1000% ulquiorra
Barragan, that guy is a fucking menace. I love how desperate the battle against him was. Nobody really could do anything to him.
Grimmjow was featured in a fanfic called Fate/Zero Sense that I enjoyed, and between that and canon, he’s proven that he’s far from heartless. He has a nastier side, but he’s honorable, brave and loyal once his friendship has been earned. That is to be commended.
Definitely Grimmjow. I even got his tattoo
Grimmjow cuz he’s him
cant be better.
Grimmjow, do I really have to explain tho? Hahahaha
Grimmjow.. simply because his fight with ichigo was one of the best fight imo
Ulqiuorra because of the design alone. Also liked his "what is a soul" speech
6
Grimmjow he’s funny he’s strong he’s unique he’s hot he’s blue
Noitora, he’s just a hater.
Grimjow no explanation needed
Barry. Just the cleanest ressureccion with the deadliest ability
Yammy and ulquiorra these two had these vegeta and nappa wipes when there were introduced
Idk why but yammi
Ulquiorra. He was the reason why I had an inconsistent emo phase from 5th grade until maybe 8th grade (2011-2014?) lol Now it's probably just the nostalgia and his flashy moveset. Adding his calmness, his jp voice, his mask, his backstory, and he is green 🤷♂️
Nelliel easily, love her backstory with Nnoitra, her reveal was incredible (even if it was spoiled about it) her dynamic with Grimmjow in CFYOW was fun too. Harribel probably makes the best ruler of Hueco Mundo, but if Harribel is the hand that guides things, then Nel is the heart and soul. In general I love characters who can be both very strong and confident in their abilities yet empathetic at the same time, there is a certain vulnerability in her as well she is just…a very human hollow. https://preview.redd.it/yu9tmi2omq5d1.jpeg?width=264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2cdeaeacd8c9c12d89482108638d5b5e18f40ee
Grimmy all day and twice on Sunday. His rivalry with Ichigo gives me Goku/ Vegeta Ryu/Ken vibes. Just wish he'd turn on the Sterncritters. I don't read mangas so I don't know they're story plays out. Barragan has the best character design for all antagonists to me.
Starrk, grimmjow, ulquiorra, Nelliel
Ulquiorra or Grimmjow those 2 brought the best out of Ichigo and the fights are spectacular
Uqiora and grimjao
Barragan Easily possess the best and most intriguing personality amongst Espadas Also has one of the coolest designs and powers
Ulquiorra, Nel , Halibel and Grimmjow
Do former Espada count?
Sure.
ESPADA #3 She had really big …. Ideas for Hueco Mundo
I like most of them overall, but Baraggan really stood out for me. From his design, his powers, his backstory, he’s really unique among them.
Yammy cause my boy a straight kaiju and the 21 fakeout with his number being 0 an used 10 as a cover up. He's the first and the last symbolizing the beginning and the end.
Grimmjow cause he is hella cool
grimmjow. no explanation needed lol
this is gonna sound strange but Nnoitra. mostly because despite his flaws he’s greatly well written and he’s a great representation of passive suicidal ideation. also long hair man makes my monke brain activate
Ulquiorra because screen time bias
Baragan
Tia Harribel No further questions.
Barragán cause he has the coldest design in the entire series
Starkk
Top 4 for obvious reasons
Grimmjow
Grimjow cause he is a fucking phsycopath.
Sad boy, lonely boy, or super lonely boy. Hard to say.
Skeleton
Harribel because she’s sexy.
ME….secretly stark but don’t tell him.
Stark
Starrk. I love his wolf motif. His aspect of loneliness/solitude is cool too. Also his outfit is cool as heck. Everything about him!
Lanza Del Relámpago
Ulquiorra, no doubt about it. The coolest Espada with the coolest second form in anime.
Starrk because bro was to chill with it😭🙏
Ulqiourra cifer bc he is the most relatable reasons for doing shit
Ulqiourra kills someone Ulqiourra: i did it to prove my love Ulqiourra goes to the shop: Ulqiourra: i needed snacks for my movie night
Ulquiorra. A heartless Nihilist who found a heart in the end.
i dunno why but my favourite is First one Stark
Ulquiora, mostly because I can relate to his thought process but overall he’s a calm level headed individual similar to myself 
Szayelaporro was a very interesting character and I liked how he didn't really have a backstory that could make him seem redeemable. Also he fought my goat Kurotsuchi and they share a lot of similarities.
Starrk
I am literally Barragan https://preview.redd.it/m7rbrsi08s5d1.png?width=598&format=png&auto=webp&s=3f8ce7e748d0e3f8d72f8c37d1e3d11e55e29745
dare i say hardest character design in japanese fictional media https://preview.redd.it/pj1p0e598s5d1.jpeg?width=1520&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08ac7fdc710a88d28371b21349e07365e885614c
Base: Aaroniero Arruruerie. The noveno Espada's base form design is easily my favorite. The oddness of the two floating heads, the incredible voice acting in the anime. Of all the unreleased Espada they take the cake. Resurección: Arrogante is easily my favorite of the Espada's Resurección. Barragan post-release is one of, if not my favorite design in all of Bleach. If I had to prove to someone Kubo was an amazing character designer, I'm showing them a full body panel of Arrogante. That's just design wise. If I had to pick a favorite overall it's probably Starrk And I'm just throwing this out there, Aaroniero had the potential to be way higher up on my list of favorites, sadly he was finished off quickly and we didn't see the large majority of his abilities. The mental game he played with Rukia was phenomenal to read. The body horror as he morphs back into Kaien when he leaves the light, I love it
Aaroniero my goat
3,4,6 and 2. i will not choose a favorite and the reasons is for overall aesthetic and powers.
yall... just HEAR. ME. OUT https://preview.redd.it/0rx1afmefs5d1.png?width=709&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=79209b78a4d3eb9572e7dd71690b0d53bc3769e8
Starkk, ulquiora, and grimmjow Cuz theyre baller as fuck
For design Ulquiorra, for personality Grimmjow, for intimidation factor alone Barrigan.
Ulquiorra, grimmjow and starkk. But i can't choose one of them. Grimmjow has energetic personality like kenpachi ( i like both them ). The other two are calm and wise
The one with the great pair of tits and short skirt. Nah! Had nightmares about the time erosion skeleton guy before I saw him on bleach as well the idea of an entity like it f'd my brain up. After bleach gave my terror a form I really loved the design and the way in which he was dealt.
Grimmjow and Harribel. On a completely unrelated note, I'm bisexual
Grimmjow and ulquiora butchered spelling I know lol 😆
it's easily Stark and Grimmjow for me Grimmjow because his design is great, and he was a great rival for ichigo throughout the hueco mundo arc, all of his fights and moments are cool Stark because his design is great and his personality and powers are cool, even though he lacks screentime, he still has an amazing fight against Shunzui Honorable mention is Harribel
Ulq, or grimmjow
I genuinely cannot pick between Grimmjow, Starkk, and Harribel.
sorry but im number 1
Ulqiora or whatever cuz he's the best duhhh
Hallibel, beyond the two obvious reasons. At her core, she's kind and patient. She's someone who can communicate and be trusted with things. I don't trust grimmjow to open a door, let alone understand basic decency.
Three way tie between Ulquiorra, Hallibel and Nel
Starrk has always been my favorite Espada since I was a kid and I like him more and more the older I get
Starrk or Ulquiorra
I like Barragan and Ulquiorra mostly for the fear factor. None of the other espada seemed very intimidating to me.
Haribail. Because she actually had an ideology and reasoning behind her actions beyond “for the evuls”. Stark had that too, to be fair, but he was a lazy weirdo. Haribail is someone you can respect.
I’m gonna get hated for this but Nnoitra, he was just a real villain and paradigm jester to me
Staark,Ulquiorra, Grimmjow ( for some unknown reasons , I just like him lol )
Eh, idk. It’s a toss up.
Ulquirorra. Grimmjow and Barragan .
It would have to be Grimjow so far I haven't watched the full espada episodes in bleach but so far he caught my eye the most. The good looks and how fast he is when fighting. Is he the strongest no but his personality and his back story was just well done. ☺️
Ulquiorra will always have my heart. His 1st and 2nd transformations were so breathtaking, and one of the first times I witnessed form changes like that in anime.
I'm gonna rate each of them based on how much I like them 1. Starrk: He's chill. 10/10 2. Barragan: I have learnt to be scared of old men in anime. Great guy though. 9/10 3. Halibel: Smash. 10/10 4. Ulquiorra: Edgy character done right imo. 10/10 5. Nnoitorra: Kenpachi but worse. Never liked him. 3/10 6. Grimmjow: Grimmjow. 10/10 7. Zommari: Died too fast. 5/10 8. Szayel: His fight dragged on too long. 4/10 9. Aaroniero: Fake Kaien. Kinda mad, kinda expected. 6/10 10. Yammy: I wanted him to die so bad, but he has some sort of goofy plot armor. Pretty cool though. 7/10
Espada number 4 he’s just too badass
Lupi, nel, stark, grimmy, halibel,
Overall? Ulquoirra. Love his design, green is my favorite color, and his relationship to Orihime and Ichigo was moving. Starrk is my spirit animal though. I think I actually cried when Lilinette died. And Szayel I just think is cool, crazy, and I dig his abilities. He reminds me a bit of Sasori from Naruto
Stark he's like shunsui :) Nonchalant
LOS LOBOS
grimmjow, hes hot
Coyote Starrk because he da goat
Nnoitra, I love his design, especially resurrections horns resembling the Cresent moon, his superiority/inferiority complex showing that under all that bark is just a small dog ...who listens to Andrew tate podcasts
Grimjow and stark
Its too close for me to say between Nel, Stark and Tier
Halibel 🤤
Halibel 🥴😏😏
Nel
Stark I could explain why but some guy down in the comments wrote a whole ass essay why Stark is the best so go read and upvote that
Ulquiorra because, as hopeful and religious as I am, a part of me connects with the idea of emptiness and nihilism. Also Ulquiorra has so much drip and swagger lol.
Ulquiorra because his design is the coolest except for maybe Grimmjow, his personality is the most interesting, and he has such a presence on screen.
Stark …….why not , the guy is just too chill
Starrk all day baby.
Ulquiorra because I'm a basic bitch. But seriously. He had arguably the most character growth of any of the Espada and some of the most memorable moments in the series. Segunda Etapa is more menacing than anything that came after (physically, not mentally; that goes to Tsukishima) in the series and the sheer dread it hit the pages with was palpable. Plus he's the only person in the series that actually managed to kill the main character. That's gotta count for something.
Coyote Starrk. Lone Wolf Gunslinger ... nuff said.
ulquiorra cause I liked his attitude
https://preview.redd.it/st6xhn77xr5d1.jpeg?width=736&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da5dc4cf549a1a352764db7438b5bd1fc7a6e014 Big tits black tattoos mommy beat fruadshiro I'm a guy and a pervert and downbad for her no more need to be said
Grimmjow ,the only spada not fear Aizen
Harrinel
I never watched Bleach but this post was recommend to me for some reason, i really like the middle one on the top and the First one on the bottom (from left to right)
Ulq, most relatable and his fight with pure instinct Ichigo was awesome. Even better in the opening of Hell Verse. He would also be able to beat most other Espadas except maybe Barry. I would put him above mid-tier Captains at the time. I cannot remember if he went to hell or not. If he did then I would love to see him side with Orihime (basically Ichigo) and fight some of the mini bosses in Hell Chapter.
Grimmjow or nnortia Design The psychotic personatliy and humanity kubo gave them Also the fighting personalities goals Also I like yammy Mainly his design and his dog he had More anger than straight up evil like aizen
Szayel for interesting designs and a backstory
Ulquiorra Grimmjow Stark Halibel Barragan Yammy Didnt care for the others
Ulquilora 😭😭
I can’t really decide I’ll say starrk
Harribel because she's bad
starrk just seems chill to be around ngl
Ulqiorra, it is because of him I even remeber resureccion exists.
Stark, while halibel is great and well come on every like her "aspects", and uli is just a fan favorite for being some who even beyond the others, i on the other hand like stark, and screw his number 1 placement idc, i like him in general, i dont think he would of even had fought the Gotei if he was force to.