Information on Arrancar to Espada

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.

Overview


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 the case of Starrk and Lilynette, their Shinigamification separated them into two different souls, rather than an Arrancar and a Zanpakutō, so Starrk releases by touching Lilynette and speaking his release. Although, recently it is suggested through flashback that Starrk and Lilynette separated prior to their Shinigamification, making the means by which their powers were sealed more ambiguous.

The Arrancar under Aizen'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.

Though not elaborated upon as of late, not all Arrancar residing in Hueco Mundo are loyal to Aizen. They prefer not to interfere with his plans, presumably because of Aizen's immense amount of power and army of servants. It is for that reason many naturally-evolved Arrancar felt it necessary to align themselves with him to obtain more power. While some Arrancar choose to follow Aizen in the hopes he will deliver them salvation, others ally with him purely out of respect. As Iceringer put it, Aizen is someone who is fearless, which creatures born out of fear and pain, such as Hollows, find admirable.

Although Arrancar are Hollows who have gained Shinigami powers, most still refer to themselves as Hollows (such as Ulquiorra, Zommari, Grimmjow, etc.) This is similar to how Ichigo Kurosaki still refers to himself as a Shinigami despite his steady evolution into a Vizard.

Espada

The 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 (Grimmjow's is on his lower back, for instance). 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.


Privaron Espada

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" ) As mentioned by Dordonii Alessandro Del Socacchio, these former "naturally-created" Espada were rendered obsolete after Aizen began artificially creating Arrancar to meet his own standards. It is also noted that Aaroniero Arruruerie was one of the original Espada, but his original number was not mentioned since it is possible he was demoted to a lower number in accordance to the arrival of more powerful Espada.

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).

Fracción

The Fracción are a subsection of the Números that directly serve a specific Espada. The number of Fracción for any given Espada varies: Starrk and Nnoitra Jiruga seem to have just one, while Szayel Aporro Granz has at least a dozen. There are a few Espada that apparently prefer to fight alone, such as Yammy Riyalgo, Zommari Leroux, Ulquiorra Cifer and Aaroniero Arruruerie, who seem to have chose not to have any Fracción under their command.

Exequias

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. Their captain is the bull-headed Rudobōn, who can spawn a seemingly infinite amount of the soldiers that form this group using his Zanpakutō.

Las Noches

Aizen's Arrancar reside in Las Noches, a massive, white-colored fortress that resides in the center of the Hueco Mundo desert. When Barragan was King of Hueco Mundo, it was nothing more than a large throne and a few pillars. It wasn't until Aizen took over that the fortress became more elaborate and complete. It is shaped like a large dome with various towers and stands surrounding it, many leading to underground passageways. The inside is filled with huge cylinder-shaped buildings, many of which are destroyed during battles between Ichigo and the Arrancar. The inside of the dome has a day sky painted on its surface, making it seem like a blazing hot desert (even though it's always night in Hueco Mundo). In the center of the fortress is the building where Aizen and his Espada spend most of their time, often having meetings across a long table.