An Arrancar (破面 (アランカル), arankaru) is a Hollow that has removed its mask and has gained Shinigami-like powers. The name "Arrancar" is a Spanish verb meaning "to remove" or "to rip off" (the kanji used means "ripped mask"), a reference to an Arrancar's removal of its Hollow mask. Following the retrieval of the Hōgyoku and Aizen's emergence into Hueco Mundo, they have become the main antagonists of the series, in particular the Espada, Aizen's top ten most powerful Arrancar.
Naturally occurring Arrancar do exist within Hueco Mundo. Sōsuke Aizen is able to artificially create Arrancar with the Hōgyoku, which also unlocks much more of their potential than a natural transformation would. The process of turning a Hollow into an Arrancar is called Shinigamification.
Arrancar and ordinary Hollows differ in several ways:
- Humanoid Form: Arrancar assume a humanoid form, as opposed to the animal-like or monstrous forms seen with Hollows. Upon becoming an Arrancar, the chances of a Hollow gaining a humanoid form increase with their intelligence; only Vasto Lorde-class Menos will definitely assume a humanoid form. This new form will retain remnants of their past selves, like fragments of their removed masks and a Hollow hole. While some Arrancar prefer to conceal these remnants, others choose to hide their faces completely to escape unwanted attention. Most also have a colored marking of some sort on their face, though some only gain these markings upon the release of their Zanpakutō. A few cases that include marks visible without the release of a Zanpakutō.
- Zanpakutō/Soul Separation: Arrancar can gain a Zanpakutō although some Arrancar's Zanpakutō don't take the shape of a sword. Unlike with Shinigami, this Zanpakutō is not sentient, but is simply their "true" Hollow form sealed into a sword. Therefore, an Arrancar's release of their Zanpakutō is merely a temporary restoration to their former selves, granting them any powers their Hollow form possesses. The act of release is called Resurrección (Spanish for "Resurrection"), which is activated with a command phrase followed by the name of the sword. The Resurrección of an Espada-level Arrancar releases enough power to be comparable to a Shinigami's Bankai. Few Arrancar do not have a Zanpakutō, being too weak to seal their excess power into a blade, while others prefer to have it constantly released. In some case their Shinigamification separates them into two different souls, rather than an Arrancar and a Zanpakutō.
The Arrancar under Cero Espada's command have a standard theme for their clothing. Their uniforms consist of a white jacket, black sash, white hakama, and black and white boots that bear an opposing similarity to a Shinigami's sandals; in essence, the uniforms are basically inverted Shinigami uniforms.
While most of the Arrancar either develop or retain their own personality traits, the majority (not all) of Arrancar shown in the series appear to be similarly cold, cruel, ambitious, impatient, selfish, overconfident, ruthless, arrogant, impulsive, brutal, relentless, battle-hungry, overbearing, short-tempered, indifferent, and/or egotistical. Although Arrancar are Hollows who have gained Shinigami powers, most still refer to themselves as Hollows.
RanksThe Espada are the top-ranked Arrancar in Aizen's army, and the primary antagonists in the later half of the series. The Espada at the time of the group's introduction consists of nine males and one female. Each Espada member is chosen for their superior combat ability and then assigned a number from 0 to 9 (with 0 being the strongest, while 9 being the weakest) that indicates their rank and relative power level, which is tattooed somewhere on their body. Each Espada embodies an aspect of death, which ties into their personalities, beliefs and powers. The Espada are given control over the Números and are regarded as the strongest Arrancar in existence. Similar to the power gap between captains and lieutenants in the Gotei 13, the strength, speed, intelligence, and power of the Espada far surpasses that of the average Número. As Aaroniero Arruruerie notes, all of the Espada except him were at least Adjuchas-class Menos before becoming Arrancar. The Top Four are Vasto-Lorde Level Arrancar.
The Privaron Espada are former Espada who have officially lost their rank and are assigned a three-digit number. Being former Espada, they are far stronger than normal Números. They reside in the part of Las Noches called Tres Cifras (三桁の巣 (トレス・シフラス) Toresu Shifurasu Spanish for "3 Digits" Japanese for "Nest of 3 Digits" ). These former "naturally-created" Espada and were rendered obsolete or demoted of rank.
Números: These Arrancar are the combat specialists. They are assigned a two digit number at birth from 11 to 99 to indicate their age (Número 11 being the oldest, while Número 99 is the youngest). The basic Número uniform consists of a white-collared jacket and robes held with a black sash. However, the uniform is customizable, giving each Número a sense of individuality. The fighting ability of Números is thought to be superior to all other Arrancar, except for the Espada (current and former).
The Fracción are a subsection of the Números that directly serve a specific Espada. The number of Fracción for any given Espada is unlimited. There are a few Espada that apparently prefer to fight alone.
The Exequias are Arrancar that are part of the execution division, apparently charged with termination of intruders and rebels. They are the equivalent of Soul Society's Onmitsukidō.
PowersLike Shinigami, Arrancar have a multitude of combat skills and abilities, some of which are similar to those of the former, and some of which are variations on ordinary Hollow powers.
Bala (虚弾 (バラ),
bara; Spanish for "
Bullet," Japanese for "
Hollow Bullet") Bala is an Arrancar alternative to Cero. The technique hardens the user's Spiritual Pressure and fires it like a bullet. Although it is weaker than a normal Cero, it moves about twenty times faster and can be fired at a much higher rate, but the damage is much the same. Stronger Arrancar can also fire a more powerful Bala, while retaining its twenty-fold speed.
Cero (虚閃 (セロ),
sero; Spanish for "
Zero," Japanese for "
Hollow Flash," "Doom Blast" in the Viz translation) are high-powered energy blasts that can be fired from various body parts, such as mouth, tongue, hand or fingers. Only Gillians, Adjuchas, Arrancar, and the Vizards have so far been shown to use Cero attacks, and it appears that stronger entities can use it more efficiently. Various Arrancar and Hollow characters display variants of the technique, such as the Espada-exclusive Gran Rey Cero, the Cero Oscuras that Ulquiorra Cifer can use only in his released form, as well as the Cero Sincrético performed by Pesche Guatische and Dondochakka Bilstin.
Garganta (黒腔 (ガルガンタ),
garuganta; Spanish for "
Throat," Japanese for "
Black Cavity") is how Arrancar and Menos-class Hollows move to and from Hueco Mundo. Kaname Tōsen, Kisuke Urahara and Mayuri Kurotsuchi 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),
iero; Spanish for "
Iron," Japanese for "
Steel Skin") 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 generally have proportionally stronger skin than usual.
Negación (反膜 (ネガシオン),
negashion; Spanish for "
Negation," Japanese for "
Anti-Membrane") are energy fields are used to rescue fellow Hollows. Only the Gillian-class Menos have shown the ability to use it. Negación fields surround a target in a square beam of light that isolates the target from the dimension they are currently in, making it impossible to harm them. The field then pulls the target towards the Menos that created the field. Espada have a special cube-shaped device called Caja Negación (反膜の匪 (カハ・ネガシオン), kaha negashion; Spanish for "Negation Box," Japanese for "Anti-Membrane of Negation") meant to simulate Negación fields, which are used to punish their subordinates if necessary. The cube, when used on a subject, traps them in an alternate dimension from which there is no escape; however, this assumes it is being used as intended. More powerful Arrancar, namely the Espada themselves, can escape given enough time.
Pesquisa (探査回路 (ペスキス),
pesukisa; Spanish for "
Inquiry," Japanese for "
Probe Circuit") is the Arrancar equivalent of the Shinigami ability to sense Spiritual Pressure. It functions very similarly to sonar.
Resurrección (帰刃 (レスレクシオン),
resurekushion; Spanish for "
Resurrection," Japanese for "
Returning Blade") Most Arrancar have the ability to seal their power within a Zanpakutō. Upon releasing their Zanpakutō, they gain all of their former unique Hollow abilities back, essentially 'resurrecting' their old selves. When using this ability, they essentially combine their human form and their Hollow form, incidentally increasing their power considerably. As another note, when an Arrancar uses his or her Resurrección, it heals all minor wounds.
Sonído (響転 (ソニード),
sonīdo; Spanish for "
Sound," Japanese for "
Sound Ceremony") 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 caused by Flash Steps.
"Some information borrowed from the Bleach.wikia.com, and altered to fit the roleplaying standards of Bleach Online."
Thu Dec 10, 2015 8:47 pm by 
