Demi-Hollow
This is an earthbound spirit that is decending into being a Hollow. This process usually takes more than a month to complete, unless it is forced by opening the hole located in the spirits chest.
Earthbound spirits
These are ghosts that wander a specific territory of land that had some importance to them in their life. Since they are assimilated with the ground they haunt, Soul Society devices rarely pick up on them.
Hollows
Spirits that are evil. There are several ways one can become a hollow. If you die and are damned to walk the ground that you died or somewhere that is important to you, over time the hole where your heart was will grow and you will eventually be turned into a hollow (the hole can be forcefully opened and turn you into a hollow instantly as well). You can also become a hollow by being eaten by a hollow. Once you are a hollow - you first seek out the souls of loved ones in your human life. This is to help ease the pain and suffering. After that, you begin toseek out to eat souls of high spiritual concentration. The main way to defeat a hollow is by cutting off it's head.
Menos
This is a gigantic hollow formed by many small hollows combining.
Modified Soul
These are artificial spirits that were created to be inserted into dead humans, thus giving them a body and use it to fight off hollows. These mod-souls are gifted with strength that no normal human would be able to have.
Pluses
These are the good spirits! These spirits are ghosts that die but do not become hollows, and are not very harmful to anyone. These pluses are sent to soul society by the shinigami - where they can eternally rest.
Target leeches
These are leeches spit out by ghosts that are able to explode with a mere thought of the ghost.
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, and 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.
The creation of the Espada has long been one of Aizen's most important preoccupation. While it is not specified when the Espada were first brought together as a group, it is implied that the original Espada were already in existence sometime before Aizen's defection from Soul Society and acquisition of the Hōgyoku. Since then, the composition of the Espada has changed, both in membership and position. As far as what kind of arrancar have joined their ranks, only one member of the current Espada was a Gillian-class Menos, the others being Adjuchas or higher, so Espada of the past have more prominently ascended from Gillians. Aizen has stated to Gin that his plans for the Espada include filling up its ranks with Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar, a process which he implies in the same statement as ongoing. Before his death, Aaroniero Arruruerie was the sole member of the current Espada who was also part of the first-generation Espada. Nel Tu was also the 3rd Espada for a time, along with her Fracción. It is possible that Grimmjow is one of the oldest Espadas since most of his Fracción are the oldest Numeros.
Espada
The Espada.
Top row: Nnoitra, Barragan, Grimmjow, Aaroniero, Halibel.
Bottom row: Yammy, Stark, 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. They are ranked in order of their strength and have their respective number tattooed somewhere on their body as proof of their superiority. 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.
Stark
Stark (スターク ,Sutāku) is the Primera Espada, signified by the "1" tattooed on the back of his left hand. Stark 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. Lilinette (リリネット ,Ririnetto), his young female fracción, typically shows the concern that Stark 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 a pacifist, going as far as to suggest that he and Shunsui Kyōraku pretend to fight until everyone else is finished (an offer which the peace-loving Kyōraku almost accepted). The remains of Stark's hollow mask consist of a bottom jaw that is positioned like a necklace and his hollow hole is on his sternum, right below the tip of his mask. While his combat abilities have not been shown, he is at the least very fast, as he easily manages to kidnap 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 Shunshui 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.
Barragan Luisenbarn
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 Stark's indifference by assuming leadership over the arrancar once Aizen is trapped, giving orders from a skull-adorned throne, even instructing Halibel to "not underestimate him".
Barragan has six male fracción; Charlotte Cuuhlhourne (シャルロッテ・クールホーン ,Sharurotte Kūruhōn), Abirama Redder (アビラマ・レッダー ,Abirama Reddā), Findore Carias (フィンドール・キャリアス ,Findōru Kyariasu), Pō (ポウ), Ggio Vega (ジオ·ヴェガ ,Jio Vega), and one who remains unnamed.
Halibel
Halibel (ハリベル ,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 Halibel's hollow mask are covered by her coat and collar most of the time; her mask covers the lower portion of her face from her nose down, extending down her neck and out to either side of her chest, although still leaving much of her breasts exposed. She carries her zanpakutō 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 to be used in combat. In the manga, her breasts are partially shown; however in the anime they are completely covered.
Neliel Tu Oderschvank
Nel in her child and adult forms.
Neliel Tu Oderschvank (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, Nnoitra 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 Nnoitra 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 Nnoitra, 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 (Spanish for "green lancer"), 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 Schiffer
Ulquiorra Schiffer (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.[10] 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.
Ulquiorra displays a number of unique tendencies; he usually keeps his hands in his pockets when in a combat situation, only bringing them out to deflect attacks, and Grimmjow Jeagerjaques notes that he tends to stab opponents in the chest, the same location as his hollow hole, whenever he is particularly interested in a battle, though it is unclear if Ulquiorra is conscious of this habit. 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. 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. Ulquiorra is a firm believer in subjective idealism and has stated that what his eye cannot see does not exist.
His zanpakutō, Murciélago (黒翼大魔 (ムルシエラゴ) ,Murushierago, Japanese for "giant black winged demon," Spanish for "bat") 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. His power, speed and resistance are greatly enhanced, and he is also shown to have the ability to create elongated spikes to use as weapons in combat.
Ulquiorra is also shown to have a second release which he calls Resurrección Segunda Etapa (Spanish for "Resurrection Second Stage"). He becomes more muscular with clawed hands and feet, the whites of his eyes now black like a Hollow's, and his helmet is replaced with elongated horns. The markings draping down from his eyes are now wider and more pronounced, and there is some kind of substance dripping from his Hollow hole. His abdomen is hidden behind a skirt of possibly shadows or black fur from his resurrected form and he also has a very long and slim tail. Ulquiorra claims that amongst the Espada he alone has the ability to perform a second release, and that not even Aizen has seen it.
Nnoitra Jiruga
Nnoitra Jiruga (ノイトラ・ジルガ ,Noitora Jiruga?) is the Quinta Espada, signified by the "5" tattooed to his tongue. He wears a large eye-patch that covers most of the left side of his face, as well as the remnants of his hollow mask (a small set of jawbones and teeth) and his hollow hole, 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 lecherous, and firmly believes in male chauvinism. Nnoitra hates the idea of a woman being stronger than or outranking a man, and longs to give any woman in such a position their "deserved" inferior rank. This mindset led to his attack on Nel Tu, who frequently defeated him in battle though never killed him. 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.
Nnoitra is drawn to the site of the battle between Ichigo Kurosaki and Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. While he tortures the exhausted Ichigo, his former companion Nel Tu 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 Jeagerjaques
Grimmjow Jeagerjaques (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 Schiffer. 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 loyal followers: Shawlong Qufang (シャウロン・クーファン ,Shauron Kūfan), Edorad Leones (エドラド・リオネス ,Edorado Rionesu), Ilfort Grantz (イールフォルト・グランツ ,Īruforuto Gurantsu), D-Roy (ディ・ロイ ,Di Roi) and Nakim (ナキーム ,Nakīmu).
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 appearance 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
Luppi (ルピ ,Rupi) temporarily replaces Grimmjow Jeagerjaques as the Sexta Espada, signified by the "6" tattooed to his right hip. He has a youthful and feminine appearance, and tends to be rather demeaning to opponents or those of lower ranks. The remains of his hollow mask (a top row of teeth) 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 combat a group. 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
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
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, Japanese for "lewd concubine," Spanish for "You will fornicate"), 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
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 mask is more afraid of death, screaming blasphemy to Aizen when he dies while the upper mask merely curses one word. 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.
Yammy
Yammy (ヤミー ,Yamī) is the Décima Espada, signified by the "10" tattooed to his left shoulder. What remains of his hollow mask is the jawbone, which rests on his chin. He is the largest, but not the brightest, of the Espada, as he relies upon Ulquiorra Schiffer to explain things and give him orders while in battle. Yammy relies primarily on his brute strength and cero blasts in battle, taking little interest in using his sword until he is overpowered. Aside from his fighting abilities, Yammy can suck the souls from living humans en masse using gonzui (魂吸（ゴンズイ）, Japanese for "soul suction"). It affects a wide area, but any individual with even slight spiritual power is able to resist it to some degree. The name and released state of Yammy's zanpakutō have not been revealed.
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.
Privaron Espada
Gantenbainne (left), Dordonii (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.
Dordonii Alessandro Del Socacchio
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
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
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, Nnoitra 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 Nnoitra and is defeated with a single blow. After Nnoitra 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
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 those 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
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 and Ulquiorra, but they are intercepted and his followers are subsequently defeated by Rukia, Chad, Renji, and Uryu. 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
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. The name and released state of Wonderweiss's zanpakutō have not been revealed.
Pesche Guatiche
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 Nnoitra 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),[47] 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
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 Nnoitra 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.
| Current Espada | |||||||
| Rank | Espada | Fracción | Zanpakutō | Tattoo Location | Hollow Hole Location | Remains of Hollow Mask | Status |
| 1st: | Unknown | Back Side of Left Hand | Sternum | Bottom Jaw Around his Neck | |||
| 2nd: | Pō, Charlotte Cuuhlhourne, Avirama Redder, Findor Carias, Ggio Vega and Unnamed Fracción | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Crown Above his Forehead | ||
| 3rd: | Apache, Sun-Sun, and Mila-Rose | Unknown | Left Side of Right Breast | Unknown | Entire Upper and Lower jaws reaching as far as and covering her nipples | ||
| 4th: | None | Murciélago | Left Pectoral Muscle | Sternum | Helmet on the Left Side of His Head | ||
| 5th: | Santa Teresa | Tongue | Left Eye | Small set of Jawbones and Teeth Surrounding his Hollow Hole (usually hidden by his eyepatch) | |||
| 6th: | Shawlong Kūfang, Edrad Liones, Yylfordt Granz, Di Roy and Nakeem (all deceased) | Pantera | Right Side, Mid Back | Stomach | Right Jawbone on his right cheek | ||
| 7th: | None | Brujería | Unknown | Unknown | Mohawk-like bone crest along with a pair of skull-and-crossbone shaped Earrings and a Thick Bony Necklace | ||
| 8th: | Lumina and Verona, Medazeppi and numerous others | Fornicarás | Unknown | Unknown | Glasses | ||
| 9th: | None | Glotonería | Both of his heads | Unknown | First head: 3/4 helmet | ||
| Second head: 1/2 of head | |||||||
| 10th: | None | Unknown | Left Shoulder | Chest | Bottom Jaw | ||
Devices and Techniques
- Caja Negación is used to punish arrancar subordinates by trapping them eternally in an alternate dimension. However, should the Caja Negación be used on an Espada, the Espada will eventually break out of the alternate dimension (usually within a few hours), due to their large amount of Reiatsu.
- Cero: Like all other hollows, they can use this blast technique. The Espada user fires a laser blast of great, concentrated destruction. While the color of most ceros is red/crimson, several famous members of the Espada appear to have great color variations in their Cero; Ulquiorra's is green, Nnoitra's is golden yellow, and Neliel's seems to be violet or pink (as she was using Cero Doble; it is unclear if her normal Cero is a different color). As he's the only Espada to have utilized it's power on-screen, Grimmjow's liberal use of Gran Ray Cero, which emits a light-blue color, also counts, though his regular cero is normally crimson.
- Bala (虚弾（バラ）, Bara; Spanish for "bullet") is an arrancar alternative to the Cero. The technique hardens the user's spiritual pressure and fires it like a bullet from their fist. Though somewhat weaker than a Cero blast, it moves about twenty times much faster than a cero and can be fired at a much higher rate. This technique was first demonstrated by Wonderweiss Margera against Kisuke Urahara, and elaborated upon by Yammy during the same battle.
- Gran Rey Cero: (王虚の閃光, グラン・レイ・セロ; Spanish for "grand king zero") is a particular, very strong Cero. To perform this potent variation of the Cero, the arrancar first draws blood from the cero-generating appendage using his or her zanpakuto, then charges the Cero while mixing the blood with it. The result is a Cero with a much greater attack power and speed, as well as a change of color unique to the Espada. This attack was first used by Jeagerjaques in order to incite Kurosaki into donning his hollow mask. Grimmjow refers to it as "the ultimate cero", as Gran Rey Cero is apparently a result of shinigami-hollow hybridization (both arrancar blood and a zanpakuto is required to use this technique). Grimmjow is, to date, the only arrancar that has ever used Gran Rey Cero and Caja Negacion on-screen.
- Garganta (黒腔（ガルガンタ）, Garuganta; Spanish for "throat") is how arrancar move to and from Hueco Mundo. Kaname Tōsen and Kisuke Urahara have also demonstrated the ability to use the technique. It literally tears open the dimensional fabric separating the worlds, revealing a tunnel of whirling, torrential energy that must be focused and solidified to create a discernible pathway.
- Hierro (鋼皮（イエロ）, Hiero; Spanish for "iron") refers to the hardened skin of the arrancar, which is a result of their compressed spiritual power. While their skin is strong enough to block even released Zanpakutō bare-handed, it is by no means impenetrable. Stronger arrancar have proportionally stronger skin. Nnoitra Jiruga claims his Hierro is toughest amongst the Espada; being of higher rank than Nnoitra, Ulquiorra's hierro appears to be much tougher.
- Pesquisa (探査回路（ペスキス）, Pesukisa; Spanish for "inquiry") is the arrancar equivalent of the Shinigami ability to sense Spiritual Pressure. It functions similar to a sonar. Using pesquisa requires most Espada to enter a meditative state; however, Nnoitra has a variation of this technique that involves placing his fingers to the ground to determine an opponent's approximate location as well as the amount of Spiritual Pressure an opponent has.
- Sonído (響転（ソニード）, Sonīdo; Spanish for "sound") is the arrancar equivalent of the shinigami flash steps and the Quincy Hirenkyaku; it allows the user to travel at incredibly high speeds for short distances. Use of Sonído is punctuated by a brief static sound, in contrast to the "swish" sound used for Flash Steps. Zommari claims that his Sonído is the fastest amongst the Espada; Stark and Ulquiorra appear to be faster, however, being the Primera and Cuarta, respectively.
- Cero Oscuro (黒虚閃, セロ・オスキュラス, sero osukyurasu; Japanese for "black hollow flash", Spanish for "Dark Zero") is a black Cero, which can presumably only be used by Espada in their released state. The result of being used in their released state is a much more powerful Cero, possibly rivaling Gran Ray Cero, and has been referred to as a "fully-powered Cero." However, it is too early to tell for sure if it can be accessed by all Espada and not just Ulquiorra, because only Gran Rey Cero, coupled with any Espada above Cuatro releasing their power, are forbidden under Las Noches. Obviously, Cero Oscuro should be forbidden as well, since an Espada ranked below 4th (perhaps Nnoitra) should be able to use Cero Oscura after his/her ressureccion under Las Noches. Ulquiorra also referred to it as "[his] cero," depicting a sense of ownership.
- Interestingly enough, Yammy introduces himself as "Espada Diez, Yammy!" (Espada 10, Yammy! in Spanish) when he fights Captain Hitsugaya during their mission to kidnap Orihime Inoue, whereas all other Espada introduce themself with XXth numbers. This may be a mistake on Tite Kubo's part or Yammy is just a special case.
· Following the pattern set by the other Espada, Yammy's title should be "Décima Espada" (literally "10th Sword" in Spanish).
- "Privaron Espada" literally means "they deprived the swords" in Spanish. "They" could refer to Aizen and the current Espada.
- The Espada's titles are all the Spanish words for the ordinal of their rank (eg., Sexta means "sixth" in Spanish).
· Curiously, all of the (revealed) titles are in the feminine form. Nnoitra and Aaroniero are exceptions; their titles are in the masculine form.
- The tattoos indicating the Espadas' position doesn't seem to be permanent. Example: During the flashback, Nnoitra had his postion as the 8th Espada tattooed on his tongue. However, when he revealed his current position as the 5th Espada to Ichigo, the number 5 has replaced the previous number 8. This might be possible as Aizen is constantly artificially creating arrancars to meet higher standards, and this will be convenient for him to demote current Espadas if those tattoos can be erased. It might be possible for the Privaron Espadas to not reveal their tattoos as their previous rank to their enemies because they might be already erased. Nel is an exception to still have her tattoo despite not being an Espada as she was not demoted, rather ambused by Nnoitra and Szayel Aporro.
· Barragan, Zommari and Szayel Aporro are the only Espada who have not revealed their tattoos.
- So far, the Espada two numbers down from each other have had similar ressurecion tactics or abilities. Whilst this may not be Kubo's intention or if this will continue, from what has transpired so far, it appears to be the case. I.E: Szayel (8) and Zommari (7) were both Espada who had abilities that crippled people in their release states. Grimmjow (6) and Nnoitra (5) are two Espada that are mostly combat driven Espada that don't gain many abilities, but they excel in superior combat and speed.
- Wonderweiss may not be an Espada by rank but Soul Society registers him as an Espada or of equal power to.
- Barragan, Halibel, Zommari, Szayel, and Aaroniero are the only Espada with apparently no Hollow hole.
- Ironically, Stark and Shunsui are the most alike, since almost every Espada has something negative about them, where as Stark and Shunsui are exactly alike.
- Luppi is most likely a promoted numeros or even a Privaron Espada. He seemed to enjoy gloating about his new status even to Grimmjow. What's more, his release was certainly strong but not exactly a current leveled Espada release, i.e: a gross bodily metamorphisis where the Espada literally becomes the creature rather than just adding extra limbs or appendages. Also, Luppi is instantly annialated by Grimmjow when his arm is restored. Both were heavilly patched up so their status in power should have been equal.
- So far, Zommari is the only Espada that has not taken the form of an animal in their released state. Szayel seemed as though he had this in common, but upon further inspection it was found his powers resemble that of a helminth or parasitic worm.
