Tite Kubo’s Bleach has some of the strongest villains in the anime industry. From Sosuke Aizen to Yhwach, the range of the Bleach antagonists is pretty varied. Among the list of villains, the one that was a particular fan favorite was Ulquiorra, the fourth and strongest Espada in Aizen’s army of Arrancar who wreaked havoc on the Bleach world.
Arrancar are Hollows who gained the strength and powers of Shinigamis by removing their masks. They were primarily created by Aizen to form his army and launch an attack on the world. Among those arrancar, the strongest ten were called Espadas, who served as the primary opponents against the captains of the Gotei 13.
Ulquiorra was a particularly special case within the Espada, and it was only because he had a second release called Segunda Etapa. While some fans argue about the aspects of Ulquiorra’s second release, he was probably the only Espada who deserved it more than any other Bleach villain.
The Speciality of Ulquiorra’s Segunda Etapa
Although Ulquiorra was the fourth Espada, he was the most unique character within Aizen’s army. This is one of the reasons why Aizen trusted him so much and treated him like his most loyal protege. He was incredibly strong and was able to challenge Ichigo to the extreme until he was defeated by him.
Ulquiorra was the only Espada to attain Segunda Etapa, a second Resurreccion that made him even more powerful and dangerous. He pointed out that his Segunda Etapa’s state is called “true despair,” as it fosters despair and sadness in everyone around him. This was his strongest appearance in Bleach, and even Aizen did not know about this.
Segunda Etapa enhanced Ulquiorra’s strength and speed to the point that he was able to easily overwhelm Ichigo within minutes. He took down Uryu, and as he was about to confirm his victory, Ichigo unleashed a full hollow form that was much more powerful than Ulquiorra’s Segunda Etapa. But this doesn’t change the fact that Ulquiorra was the only arrancar in Bleach who was able to push Ichigo to his limit.
Ulquiorra Deserved Segunda Etapa
The Segunda Etapa was a controversial element of Ulquiorra’s character, and fans were confused as to why Tite Kubo only chose him. However, out of all the arrancar and Espada, Ulquiorra was the only one that had the potential to unlock something so powerful. Resurreccion was an innate ability, and it needed a deeper search to unlock its second form in Bleach.
Ulquiorra was the most conscious and interested when it came to understanding his own strengths and abilities. He was the representation of nihilism and was only concerned about becoming powerful enough to serve Sosuke Aizen. Thus, he had the most potential as an arrancar, and he certainly lived up to that potential.
Arrancar’s Resurreccion was quite similar to what Ichigo had to go through while taking control of his inner hollow. And as Ulquiorra was the perfect arrancar rival for him, Kubo drew parallels between the two Bleach characters by helping them achieve their perfect state.
Bleach is available to watch on Hulu.
