ULQUIORRA CIFER - Bleach Character ANALYSIS | A Hollow's Heart

[@MrTommo2304]

Ulquiorra remains one of Bleach's most memorable and popular characters (as we recently saw in our community poll!), but how does the character fare for you? What's your favourite Ulquiorra moment?

[@thewarrior8497]

Ulquiorra is amazing even if hes not my favorite espada. I never understood why people call him overrated while ignoring his entire character arc and battle with Ichigo, as well as his connection with Orihime

[@francoislatulippe7183]

Definitive favorite moment was the reveal that he was number 4. It led to give some quite big expectations for number 1, 2 and 3 that could never be met because of the lack of possible character growth for them by that point. But man the gut punch i felt the first time i saw that 4, when Ichigo seemingly just gave his all for such minimum results. Things got super real, super fast. Yeah you think im powerful? Well guess again, im just the best of the small fries Of course that was proven wrong in the end.

[@jobjimenez5455]

Second resurrection

[@varsoonhks3211]

Was never a fan, glad he died permanently. He was an interesting foil for Ichigo but Grimmjow served that better for me.

[@SupremeKenn77]

I would say his Segunda Etapa transformation. But all his other moments were soo great i would say his interactions with Orihime & Ichigo is a very close second

[@zacmail98]

Food for thought: Ulquiorra could be a portmanteau of the pronunciation of the phrase El Que Llora in Spanish which means “the one who cries” which could explain the teardrops on his face

[@masterofmythology]

Ulquiorra revealing he's only the 4th Espada is one for my favorite moments in the series.

[@orber7057]

i was so shocked that he wasnt the strongest

[@jamesgray5741]

That moment was a close 2nd fav for me, my fav definitely is when Aizen stopped Ichigo's MC music 🤣🤣

[@bluemoon1716]

in terms of ranking reveals, nel's was pretty amazing

[@jamesgray5741]

@@bluemoon1716 facts that threw me off cuz i love Nel

[@masterofmythology]

@@bluemoon1716 Yeah. The wind blowing her hair to reveal the 3 on her back. Very cool.

[@madmurdoch5365]

I've always believed that Ulquiorra's true rival wasn't Ichigo, rather Orihime. Like you've said, he is a emotionless being, perfectly protraying that empty / lifeless hollow being. While Orihime is one of the most emotional characters in Bleach, filled with soo much empathy, she literally heals her enemies and the ones that hurt her and her friends. So Ulqiuorra trying to understand why she's like this, along with the emotional bonds she shares with the ones that have come to save her, "Six Hearts Beat As One". It's this invisible heart that perplexes Ulquiorra to the point he thinks it's something physical, going back and forth with Orihime sets up this emotional debate between the two, which in my opinion, is greater than the physical battles he faces. Ulqiuorra obviously only believes what his eyes can see, so when Orihime emotionally challenges him, he takes this to a much higher offense. Until the very end, she opposed him with this idea of 'heart', and once he started to fade, he understood what 'heart' is, not a physical thing; but rather a emotional bond linking loved ones together.

[@Jude_TheGamerDude]

I would agree, the physical battles between Ulquiorra and Ichigo and the philosophical battle between him and Orihime was a great contrast. In the end his battle with Orihime had a resolution, and he finally realised what the heart means, while his battle with Ichigo was left tragically unresolved.

[@copyninja8756]

His true rival was Grimmjow

[@ShakaZ3D]

Kindred spirits fam. I feel that same way and it also explains why him and Ichigo were never on the same lvl. Ichigo was nothing more than a tool for Ulquiorra to hurt Orihime. In fact you can see the connection between Ulquiorra and Orihime when Yammy was going to kill her but he had his eyes closed compared to the other people Yammy destroyed

[@bloodredblueberry556]

Very well said

[@biiyen8458]

Ulquiorra was drawn to Orihime simply because of his utter disbelief by how a single human is capable of consuming so much bread.

[@RedPandaLesbian]

I feel like Aizen recognizes that Ulquiorra, being entirely empty and literal, doesn't have the capacity to desire power or usurpation, deceit or betrayal in the ways other espada do. So even if he might not be the most powerful in Aizen's circle it would make sense that he would trust Ulquiorra the most out of the espada to be truthful and loyal at any cost and in any situation.

[@diamantemrobinson]

Just made a comment similar to this one

[@stephenschneekloth1535]

I feel Starrk is the same in not desiring any of those, its just he's probably to lazy to be giving all those tasks to.

[@ShakaZ3D]

Tier Harribel embodied that role far better than Ulquiorra

[@atpr3241]

@@ShakaZ3D She valued her fraccion more than anyone and was overly emotional when they were harmed.

[@Grimnoire]

@@ShakaZ3D he cuts her down and she fights back idk if ulq would do the same

[@Youngblood-Pirates]

7:38 I’ve believe this is what Byakuya would have become had he never fought Ichigo. These two characters both share similar traits: stoic, cold, enforcers. Although Byakuya was emotionally torn, he was still willing to let his own sister die, if it meant upholding Soul Society’s law. Kind of disappointed we never got any interaction between the two. It would be interesting for Byakuya to come face-to-face with a mirror image of his former self.

[@biplav32]

Rukia isn't his own sister. She is sister in law.

[@cultureandhistorynerd6739]

@@biplav32 But technically, to everyone else who doesn't know, Rukia *is* Byakuya's sister

[@synysterpain]

I wish I coulda seen them fight a bit too

[@Grimnoire]

@@biplav32 because of her appearance he treated her just the same

[@LathropLdST]

​@@biplav32and Hinata is not Neji's sister, but his cousin. Does it matter?!

[@manuelacosta9463]

There's a very bitter irony that he got to know the heart in his final moments after becoming curious with Orihime's input and her refusal to succumb to the darkness of her situation. His death before her sure was a changing moment for her......

[@TheTroyhalo]

Could not have said it better my self

[@SamsarasArt]

It's beautifully tragic

[@Vini-zv3lr]

I wonder what happens when a hollow gains its heart back. Hollows exist because souls who can't find their way to the afterlife feel horrible grief and abandonment, and then their ''hearts'' turn into masks, and they become hungry wanderers who are never satisfied ( Preta Realm in buddhism basically). Orihime's brother, for exemple, realized she still loved and remembered him, regained his mind, and then decided to let himself be killed and sent to Soul Society, so I do wonder how this Vasto Lorde mass of souls that is Ulquiorra would have reacted to having his hollow hole ''filled''. This also expands to other espada. What kind of development would ''heal'' Grimmjow's destructive urges? Is that even possible? I also feel like Halibel has found her ''heart'' in some sense with her fraccions, since her aspect of death was about self sacrifice, and she treats them like family. I'm also sure that if Stark could have become drinking buddies with a few people his loneliness would've been cured too

[@manuelacosta9463]

@@Vini-zv3lr The brutal Quincy occupation of Heuco Mundo seems to have done it for Grimmjow since he's mellowed out substantially since the war's end, even seemingly discarding his rivalry with Ichigo. In CFYOW he even questions if Orihime is Ichigo's 'mate' and when Nel posits that they'd make a fine couple he silently accepts it before turning back his attention to the events on hand. Starrk could've easily been Shunsui's drinking buddy but alas, at Karakura he had a lethal duty to fulfill due to Aizen's intentions with Karakura and it's people.

[@Vini-zv3lr]

@@manuelacosta9463 Yeah, I can kinda see it. Grimmjow isn't fully healed though, he still has a nasty habit of going face first into very dangerous enemies, so his self destruction is still active in some level.

[@samuelfigueiredox]

Ulquiorra's death was for me one of the turning points of how I see a character's death in any type of media. When I liked a character I used to think of their death as waste, and so I would feel sad or disappointed. But with Ulquiorra, I could see that each character has their own story, and a message to share even with their death. His death was for me a full circle, in the beginning, he is an empty being, he has no feelings and sees it as weakness, he is alive, but he is dead inside. But in the end, he is more like a human, his emptiness is fulfilled with feelings, he is dead but he feels what it is to be alive for the first time. In my opinion, It's a great trajectory drawn by Kubo Sensei and a complete cycle for the character. I can see him coming back in the Hell Arc but as a different being, with a different perspective. He would not be as vibrant as Grimmjow is, but, following the Byakuya's path, he would be less about the duties and more about his bonds, less like a tool and more like a human being.

[@krissjames7276]

Great analysis! Bleach has a wonderful cast of characters, but Ulquiorra is the one character that I feel Kubo truly handled perfectly. I remember thinking right before Ichigo's final confrontation with him that Ulquiorra had been such a cool villain, and that while he probably wouldn't make it past the decisive battle with Ichigo, I really hoped he would go out on a high note - and he sure did! Arguably both the best fight and the best death scene in all of Bleach.

[@papabeer95]

I agree. Ulquiorra always chased the meaning of heart and humanity, and seconds before he died, Orihime showed him that meaning. I would love to see Ulquiorra be born again as a human. Ever since his birth, he chases the concept of humanity. And as he died, he finally found it. It would be cool to see his death be the start of his souls next phase.

[@mermaid_hina2713]

I agree wholeheartedly, but seeing Ulquiorra be reduced to nothing still hurt because he was just that good of character that I didn't want his story to end. Honestly Ulquiorra in my opinion is possibly Kubo's best written character in the series.

[@TheNuclearGeek]

You have to remember that someone that fundamentally has no understanding of emotions cannot emotionally manipulate someone. To be able to do so, you would have to understand emotions to begin with. He does, however, have a need or desire to come to understand them. All his interactions with Orihime are him using unfeeling reason to learn what the opposing emotional response will be. He's not trying to purposely hurt her feelings because he doesn't know what they are. He's trying to learn how emotional responses differ from pure reason. His odd respect and protection of Orihime is because of this. In his yearning way he sees value in Orihime who is showing him what pure emotions are and he respects in an odd way that she can always respond with emotion over reason. She is his antithesis. Her being able to show him feeling at a moment when reason tells him it is impossible for someone to do so is in his eyes the epitome of emotion overcoming all reason and he responds with aww and yearning and respect and desire all within that moment. Whether he actually FELT something, even in that moment, is (and should always be) unclear.

[@Vini-zv3lr]

He genuinely feels is curiositY. He clearly yearns to understand the heart, probably subcounsciously. I do believe his conversations with Orihime where he says her friends will die over and over is an attempt to make her give up, like he does to her before she leaves for Hueco Mundo, and like he does to Ichigo later, but then when she slaps him it turns into a conscious obsession with understanding it. He prods Ichigo to see how he'll react. He shows the number 4 to see him despair. He confronts Grimmjow when he captures Orihime, as in a ''don't mess with my study'' kind of thing. I would also say he started feeling frustration and anger the further he went into his fight with Ichigo. When Ichigo says he's become more human, he gets angry and slams the ground with his sword, then starts fighting more agressively. When Ichigo doesn't give up when faced with Murcielago, he gets angry again, and even screams at him. Later he uses his top secret Segunda Etapa just to try and crush Ichigo's resolve, and then waits for Orihime and Uryu to arrive to kill Ichigo, just to see her reaction. He isn't literally a robot, he has shown surprise on his face multiple times, and I think he was starting to get back a few other emotions from interacting with Ichigo and Orihime. Most of all, he was trying to prove the heart is a silly human delusion all throughout the fight, which was disporven to him in the end. In my personal opinion, he felt a bit of relief as he was dying, because he finally found what he was searching for.

[@TheNuclearGeek]

@@giganotosaur314 why thank you 😊

[@TheNuclearGeek]

@@Vini-zv3lr I don't disagree with you. I do feel he yearns to understand what the "heart" is, what emotions are, and why they drive people to do things that he would deem irresponsible or unreasonable. But, yearning, much like hunger, is not an emotion. Even then I would argue that he also doesn't understand why he yearns for that, he just always has. It's something that has always been there for him. His attempts at trying to "break" Orihime and Ichigo stem from that frustration and yearning, I believe, however. He wants people to understand him just as much as he wants to understand other people. It's the opposite side of the coin that is his desire to understand their emotional responses. That is the fundamental question with him, though, isn't it? By the end of everything, has he come to understand how they are feeling? Is he starting to feel frustration and anger or it just a reaffirmation of his inherent nihilism that at the end of it all he wants them to accept that his way of literally viewing the world was correct? That's the point of his whole character. I also think it's proper that it is left in doubt of what really was the final answer for him in the end.

[@loganlatimer4966]

I disagree heavily the only reason he couldn’t break her is due to having an innate yearning to understand emotions, if he hadn’t had that he fairly easily could have broken her and without remorse, heck you look at a psychopath or sociopath they don’t feel either it’s cold and they can mentally destroy people

[@gammafrost]

I love your ulquiorra breakdown videos. He’s one of the best developed characters of bleach. So much mystery and curiosity in his personality. Truly hope he returns in the future and if not at least he got a good story

[@RedunRedun-c4z]

When I was watching this video, two thoughts came to mind: 1. First, when you mentioned his nihilism and how he doesn’t really believe or relate to concepts he can’t see or fit his reality, I was further drawn to how he related to Orihime. Her powers allow the rejection of reality, and to me it makes a lot of sense why that out of any character that ends up having an effect on him, it’s her. She challenges that both with her literal power, but as you mentioned as well, her being confident in the bond with her friends and despite the odds against them, still kept trying to save her. 2. You mentioned that he is the perfect hollow villain, and I really agree with that analysis. For starters, despite being humanoid in appearance, he has many classic hollow features/powers. For instance, his hollow hole location (at least the second iteration) is close to the heart, which many normal hollows have. Secondly, he retains the regeneration feature. However, something that is interesting to me is that despite being in many ways being the ultimate hollow, he lacks the desire and wants that drive the rest of the hollows/arrancar. And in that lacking, he unlocked something the rest of them didn’t, the second form. This had me thinking that I partially wonder that a hollow’s existence is forever going to be a cursed one. Ulq became the ultimate hollow and felt nothing/and nothing changed for him, but the moment he understand bonds and connection, he died. I wonder if that is what ultimately destroys a hollow, the moment they find what their is existence is lacking, their existence must end.

[@ryanfeddeler2516]

My time has come! Literally my favorite character in the entire series! Thank you for giving me an hour of QUALITY ulquiorra content

[@ryuzakisimms1019]

My favorite hollow Ulquiorra. Intelligent, cold hearted but searching to fulfill the emptiness within ironic given the hole in his chest.

[@andreaodessa9181]

Baby wake up, Tommo taicho just dropped a 1 hour Ulquiorra video essay.

[@andreaodessa9181]

This is my new favorite video of yours. What a ride to our angsty edgy days.

[@Chronoflation]

I always enjoyed theorizing what the the espadas' human lives were like before they became hollows, as I imagine that affected how they developed as hollows. I always imagined Ulquiorra was a socially reclusive kid who either was killed while being bullied or committed suicide after being bullied, hence the tears on his face and why he just couldn't grasp connections with other people, because he never had any in life and it was in fact the very opposite that led to his death, then his soul went through a breakdown where it gave up on hope of feeling any kind of connections and the hollow Ulquiorra was born. Well, that was just my headcanon, but it's interesting to think about. Like, what would happen to a hollow who managed to move on past the mindless beast stages, become cognizant of themselves and their surroundings and managed to fill that missing piece that led them to their hollowfication? Would they turn into a normal soul again, transform into a shinigami? Or maybe they'd just die and their soul would move on. It'd be a fun concept to see developed in Kubo's future work or maybe the work of some Kubo sponsored canon light novels

[@SamsarasArt]

Ulquiorra embodied emptiness and it was portrayed really well. He really is the most hollow hollow.

[@s.b.decompressionchamber9688]

Second release. IE 2 Hollows

[@stefangirbea982]

One thing I always found as quite a nice subtle detail is the significance of Ulquiorra’s number in relation to Ichigo, and how he is the only character in the series that “killed” Ichigo twice. In Japanese, the number four can be written in two distinct ways, the first is “よん” or “yon”, and second is “し”, or “shi”. The second pronunciation has gained negative connotations and superstitions, because coincidentally, that pronunciation of “shi” is the exact same as the one for “death” (死). The belief that the number four is unlucky, similarly to the number 13 in the west, has grown so large in Japan to the point where there are many (older) buildings that outright don’t have a fourth floor button on elevators, skipping from floors three to five. Some might already understand where I’m going with this, but to clarify further the relation of the number four to Ulquiorra: Ulquiorra, as the fourth Espada appears before Ichigo every time he is at his most unlucky and unfortunate moment, or perhaps his appearance is what dictates those factors. He is present alongside Yammy when Ichigo gets beaten due to his uncontrollable Hollow powers, he is present when Ichigo is about to be massacred by Grimmjow and Orihime disappears, and most importantly, he is present before Ichigo when Rukia is believed to be dead, serving as an obstacle. Ulquiorra’s appearance before Ichigo always heralds disaster for him, which is why I personally believe that his number was intentionally given to him in order to narratively counteract Ichigo and any action he could take to turn the tide of battle in his favour. There is no better example of this than the two times Ulquiorra outright “kills” Ichigo, living up to the reputation that the deadly number four has been given, while also being the only character in the series capable of such a feat. I always found this subtle but consistent detail about Ulquiorra incredibly fascinating and I’m surprised that not many people observe it, in fact I don’t think I’ve seen anyone talk about it.

[@Jude_TheGamerDude]

Masterfully done MrTommo2304, I loved this video. It gave a great insight into Ulquiorra's character, and hopefully may have changed the opinion of some who would say Ulquiorra is a blank and uninteresting character. It was very obvious to me from a thematic perspective that this character has had a multitude of depth put into his writing, and arguably has one of the most impactful deaths in anime history. I love this character, I'm glad you share that love and you're able to see things about this character that I felt alone in seeing.

[@michaeldoukas4444]

I also found it very interesting that Ulquiorra has those green lines going down from his eyes. I think they were green. Anyway, they look like tears (to me anyway) and they always reminded me of sorrow and sadness that might have been inside this character. And I haven't watched the entire video yet, I am about half way through. But, I am sure you talked about his second release. He claims that Aizen does not know about it and I believe him. That alone would put him higher than 4 IMHO. He is a fascinating character and I am glad you spent so much time on him.

[@mheilig]

In some strange parallel universe, Ulquiorra is the protagonist of Kingdom Hearts.

[@AJ-kt5zo]

Your smarter then me😣💛

[@alexvaughan1013]

He's L after he died!

[@zerobarge718]

I too would like to see Ulquiorra return, but unfortunately it would just be fan service if he did. We just have to live with the sting of saying goodbye to him and remembering him in the pages.

[@sk8ateight]

It's better that way

[@slipherthevic3910]

He could show up in the Hell arc 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@TheartofThorns]

Sayel aporro reappeared from hell. We know hollows can go to hell if they committed unforgivable sins as a human and are vanquished by a zanpakuto. However Ulquiorra died from a cero blast to his internal organs. I would absolutely love him to return, but it's likely he disintegrated to dust and is no more.

[@__Theta__]

@TheartofThorns *spoilers* We also find out that anyone with the spiritual pressure equivalent of a captain gets sent to hell via soul society. Wonder how it works with hollows that don't get purified or menos that have captain class equivalent yet get purified anyway.

[@drigondii]

It's also interesting that Ulquiorra is the embodiment of the pure hollows in some sense. Perhaps, to Aizen, Ulquiorra embodies that ultimate goal of usurping the soul king, and he represents Aizen's vision in more ways than one.

[@Draygonessa]

The last scene between Ulquiorria and Ichigo is the moment I absolutely declared Bleach as my favorite anime. The emotional depth in that moment is so intense and has so many layers that I couldn’t even imagine writing. It truly is the most impactful scene I’ve ever seen.

[@Wintersage_Ice]

Ulquiorra has always been my favorite Bleach character when I started watching the anime when I was 12 (I'm 24 now). I was obsessed with his character design at the time and it was so nostalgic seeing him again as I've been rereading the manga. Thanks for making this!

[@HogoshaAndImbachi]

If I remember correctly, the translation I originally read stated they were ranked by deadliness. With that in mind, it always made sense to me why Stark and Barrigan were ahead of Ulquiorra, with Barrigan able to essentially kill with almost no effort and Stark killing literally without even trying or wanting to kill.

[@manuelacosta9463]

True. Among the Arrancar Starrk, Harribel and Nel were against killing of any kind as a moral cause. Ulquiorra was more a goal driven killer who'd eliminate threats perceived by Aizen or if they got in his way but would also test enemies strength without killing if ordered.

[@SupremeKenn77]

Ulquiorra is definitely one of my top favorite Bleach characters like his character arc design abilities and death were so beautiful like it really made want to see more of him. That's why back when Bleach was still going I was truly hoping he would comeback in the TYBW but unfortunately he didn't. I really felt like he should've had a second chance you know like it would have been so cool to actually see how his character would go after the Arrancar arc. I'm honestly hoping he does comes back in the New Hell Arc ( if this arc somehow gets a continuation).

[@cult.leader]

Ulquiorra is absolutely my favourite character. He reminds me of my past self, I was very violent, apathetic, and lacked passion and agency. I still relate to him during those long periods of time I fall into a state of depression I do anything to forget the fact that I don’t feel real and incredibly stale and blank My favourite Ulquiorra moment is ironically his death, he starts to understand emotions. For so long he has been surviving, now he can fathom (a wee bit) the vitality of life, and now he is dying. In another life Ulquiorra would definitely be Orihime’s younger brother

[@papabeer95]

I think Ulquiorra embodies the psychopaths inner struggle with humanity and emotions. He sees emotions and humanity in others, yet he doesn't know what these are. He longs for a connection, but never seems to grasp the concept of what connections are.

[@RobbYarber]

Not gonna lie Ulquiorra's death makes me teary eyed every time. I actually wish he had survived because just imagine how badass it would've been if he could've teamed up with Urahara and Grimmjow to fight the Wandenreich!

[@skyrogue1977]

The world wasn’t good enough for Ulquiorra

[@flareinc7413]

Amazing video as always. The scene where Ulquiorra reveals himself to be "only" number four was amazing.

[@joshuakhaos4451]

Ulquiorra has been my favorite villain since I first saw him appear on my TV as a teen way back in 08. from the first hint of him being insanely strong, by him striking Yammy in his stomach(sending him back a few feet and looking inconvenienced), taking a Getsuga point blank and stopping it briefly with one hand, wreaking Ichigos shit with barely trying, to him eventually showing some emotions at the very end and having a sympathetic look as his eyes went back to normal. as well as him just resigning himself to death as he fades to dust. I also just loved his design, I grew up around a few emo kids back when he first appeared and I guess that made him just take root in my mind. While theres been other characters like him in anime, He just seemed to give me definite emo vibes, and that view of him was really cemented in his backstory. He's one of the few characters that really fit his design and its similarity to what someone in the real world would give the impression of. Though it was sad to see him go, i felt a hole/sinking feeling in my stomach the first time I saw his wings rip and him turn to dust. I wish he had stayed around, more so than Grimjow(even though I was hoping he'd stay around back when I thought he was dead).

[@damiang7542]

Personally I loved ulquiorra's first release. I greatly enjoyed the dark rain thing that his release causes.

[@in-craig-ible6160]

Ulquiorra's backstory would be worthy of an episode when the anime returns, in my opinion.

[@jach6393]

It would make for an awesome and not tiresome filler ep. And with the quality on the anime. It would prob look gorgeous even if it's mostly black and white.

[@shinababes]

Ulquiorra's VA also did an awesome job in portraying the character.

[@LouisRMichael]

You sir, are a storyteller. The way you explain this story with so much eloquence and appreciation for the themes and symbolism makes you yourself a storyteller. You give us all the gift of falling in love with the story of Bleach all over again, thank you so much for that 🙏

[@pgww_pnkmlks]

I think ulquiorra puts a hole on his enemy's chest because that's where his hollow hole is. Just like how grimmjow pierced rukia on her stomach (where grimmjow's hollow hole is)

[@kylestakes1439]

Thats actually so interesting, do u think that was a retcon? Or like an idea Kubo had and just forgot as he was writing?

[@Scrubtile]

In my opinion, Ulquiorra is the perfect foil to Ichigo out of all the villains that Ichigo faces. Ulqiorra had a solitary, terrifying, and overwhelming feeling to his character. He dominates Ichigo to a ridiculous level. But, we watch him slowly start to understand human emotion a tad bit as the arc goes on. And then, when Ichigo is goes into his vasto lorde form we watch their roles completely flip. Ulquiorra becomes literally the last thing standing between us watching our hero destroy everyone(and potentially everything) that he holds dear for the sake of the power needed to protect Orihime. I still think to this day what would happen if Ulquiorra didn't break the mask. Ulquiorra for me was the best Villain of the series due to his complete contradiction of Ichigo's ideals. I wish we could have spent more time with him as a character to see how much his character changes with his newfound understanding of Human emotion.

[@Scrubtile]

Lol I typed this at the beginning of the video and we basically agreed on everything lmao.

[@aliasv6964]

Love the work I cannot watch this one myself, as Ulquiorra and Orihime hurts my soul and a few lines said hit me too closely to past experiences early on when he talks to her. Still I wanted to share I left not cause bad content and love your work. Thanks for the videos

[@kingleepz]

recently came across your channel and went down a rabbit hole of all your content to get ready for the new anime and give myself a refresher on the manga as well, and I have to say, your content is absolutely amazing man, you do a great job with your analysis and it's clear how much love and passion you have for the source material and the world of Bleach, I consider myself an avid Bleach enthusiast and even I came to understand so much more after after watching your videos, makes me want to do another rewatch/read before the TYBW anime comes out.

[@kamatari1220]

I remember way back when getting into an argument with someone about whether or not Ulquiorra's segunda form was 1. Stronger than the top 3 Espada and 2. If Aizen knew about it or not. We already know he at least hasn't seen it. I really like Ulquiorra and his journey to understanding the heart. I'm really glad in his final moments, he got a small glimpse of what the heart is! Before this video, I did wish there was a way for him to be reborn so he could experience all kinds of bonds but you're right, it would really do a disservice to his character.

[@jrgenvellesen7800]

One of the most Iconic character’s in the series.

[@wimvangeffen4528]

I love your channel and I’m so happy someone still talks about bleach

[@oddsamurai1]

I loved from the get go, his design, voice and the way he carried himself are so cool. Then the way he interacted with Orihime was so interesting, only saying things as matter of fact and wanting to understand emotions subconsciously. Ironic he didn't believe in things he couldn't see yet people without reiatsu can't see him and he still exists. The last fight with Ichigo cemented him as one of my favorite so much so that I was annoyed at Ichigo for destroying him the first time I watched the anime lol His death is still the saddest moment for me in the series, and like you said it would feel a little cheap to see him again but that doesn't mean wouldn't like it at all depending how its done.

[@sethtone8634]

I always loved Ulquiorras spear cero. Looks kinda flimsy till he tosses it and it goes off like a nuke.

[@permeus2nd]

26:05 also because Ulquiorra dosnt really want anything Aizen doesn't have to worry about him doing anything silly like trying to take something for himself.

[@SuperSilver316]

I feel like the trope is Ulquiorra is closer to Byakuya, as Grimmjow is closer to Kenpachi, though lame that we never got that fight. Renji isn’t really chaotic, in the way Kenpachi is anyways.

[@94nat16]

Hands down favorite character in all of bleach. Nice job 👍

[@worzelgambino2030]

Best character in the series imo. So much depth and time put into him and always the one that stood out as a complete barrier to ichigos progression, an unstoppable force that just wouldn’t let him pass. Always will be my number 1.

[@Max-zg6ld]

I would have loved for his backstory chapter to be animated as like a stand alone OVA released in the blu ray releases or something

[@zephyr1249]

Ulquiorra is my favorite character in the series, so much so that I have his number tattooed on my chest. My favorite moment is actually the reveal of Murcielago. The music that plays, the reishi that literally rains down in Ichigo, it’s such an amazing moment. I also love when Ichigo is trying to defend Orihime from Loly, and they do the split screen shot of him rushing past Ulquiorra after firing a Gestuga, only to drop the bottom of the split screem to reveal him charging a Cero that blasts Ichigo away.

[@Karda_Nava]

I have always thought & still think to this day that Ulquiorra’s second release “Segunda Etapa” is genuinely the absolute coolest character design for an antagonist to ever be created in all of anime. It’s so simple in its design as a stereotypical demonic bat-like being, but Kubo also adds such depth & edginess to it, like none other! It just looks so badass, sinister, & utterly powerful af, that I always loved it! I was always glad that Kubo gave him very large wings in that form as well, & a really long tail & horns as well. I always hated when a character design had wings like that, but the wings were WAY to small in proportion to their body, & a short stubby like tail, & small horns, but with massive muscles & body size (where the small wings would obviously not be big enough to lift such a jacked body of a character to flight!.. lol..) etc etc.. I always hated that design trope, cause it looked silly to me, lazy, & unrealistic/not practical ha.. So I always loved Ulquiorra’s SE form having a very lean, lanky, long & slender cut body shape, with oversized (much more practical & realistic) massive bat-like wings, & a very long slim tail, with the big long horns etc etc. just such an iconically cool & practical design for a villain & ultimate demonic-like being. Probably still to this day as my favorite character design ever. Just so badass & cool lol

[@howardhavardramberg333]

Ulquiorra finds his purpose slowly but surely from the moment he encounters Ichigo and Orihime. From there to where he meets his end, it is neatly tied together imo.

[@ButtersID]

I really love the way his character died off and ended with finally knowing what a heart somewhat means. However, i do feel like he was killed off too soon. ((personally)) Really hoping he gets brought back in the Hell Arc.

[@CharlieWilson2345]

Me Tommo your video essays have become an essential part of my work schedule/ life I appreciate it man.

[@bluefeather8101]

I absolutely love Ulquiorra. He's so complex and interesting. My heart aches at his death scene.

[@cuervogk7939]

Ulquiorra my favorite character on bleach and on my top 5 of all anime .

[@synysterpain]

He's one of my all time favorite characters in general.

[@SemekiIzuio]

Omg the colored manga is so beautiful. Yeah I've seen the entire anime series and read the black and white manga but omg the manga art from Kubo is incredible compared to the anime and now that is was colored is just in awe. Ulquiorra looks amazing.

[@SpookyStu]

I wonder if his being number 4, outside of rank, was for the significance of the number in Japanese with its relation to death?

[@introvertstoner]

@🃏Chewstié 🃏 well yeah but kudo could of still picked him to be 4 because out of all the Espada he the one who seems the closest to death

[@generaljoe3447]

@🃏Chewstié 🃏 Bruh, his aspect of death is Rage. His number is, apparently, 0.

[@introvertstoner]

@🃏Chewstié 🃏 not really if death had a personality it would be Ulquiorra if anyone came close of being an aspect of death it would been him

[@sacredgear]

Yeah it was probably intentional

[@JohnA...]

Because of his backstory and the themes of the show, especially the Espada, his name Cifer is probably a play on the name "Lucifer" in some way.

[@s.b.decompressionchamber9688]

Bill Cipher

[@SunGodNika-bi2jr]

​@s.b.decompressionchamber9688 Which is funny since Bill Cipher and Ulquiorra Cifer are as different as night and day

[@daisy2387]

Ulquiorra was by far my favorite Espada in the Arancar Arc. I hated the part when he faded away into dust after reaching for Orihime, which was very emotional to the viewers. Would love to see him come back in future Bleach episodes.

[@jprudej]

That moment when ulquiorra flew by and palmed ichigos head is the best moment in all of bleach and maybe one of the best in all of anime!

[@EvilM0nkeyRules]

The chapter where Ulqiorra is revealed to be #4 blew my mind. I thought he was #1 adleast and to be 4 just made my mind go blank

[@ziegfeld4131]

He 100% is stronger than #4 hes just hiding his power from his allies

[@EvilM0nkeyRules]

@zieg feld I could see him being even with Harribel. But the other two no starks mere soul caused hollows to die miles out. And barragon radiates death

[@austinchuilli3652]

I always saw Ulquiorra becoming more human with the discussions with orihime but he doesn't notice it until Ichigo hollowfies because of witnessing the sheer pain Ichigo was willing to endure for orihime. However he sadly died before he could fully understand.

[@Emilstekcor]

It's kinda scary to think how strong Ichigo would be if his powers weren't clashing...

[@jameyhowley7903]

Listening to your channel changed my whole view of bleach and gave me a way better understanding

[@schizoreze]

Among all of the Espada, I truly resonate with Starrk and Ulquiorra alot. I'm very introverted, mostly nihilistic, and overall very monotonous. I also happen to be a lazy guy who just does not want to step up to anything unless it's insisted upon me. They're also both longing for something which I also happened to be searching for after life changing occurrences changed me and my world views on a much larger scale. Those being the meaning to have a heart and the never-ending quest to satiate this feeling of solitude and isolation. So them being the embodiment of those traits really resonated with me on a spiritual level.

[@leonslaw5722]

You put so much time and effort into these videos. You deserve every sub you get.

[@ezimakom]

I think Aizen gave Ulquiorra the number 4 intentionally to toy with Ichigo (and even the other espada), especially sense he planned for them to fight from the get go. I feel like it’s a conceivable concept especially considering just how much trust he seems to place in him. Ulquiorra, more so than any other espada feels like an extension of Aizen’s group (Gin and Tosen). Ulquiorra mentions not having shown Aizen that segunda etapa, but it’s not far fetched to believe that Aizen knew Ulquiorra was hiding an even greater power and allowed him to believe that he’d kept this a secret and thus gave him the number 4. Thoughts?

[@ezimakom]

@🃏Chewstié 🃏 Aizen did toy with the other espada though, on more occasion than one. I know they were numbered based off their spiritual pressure, but that takes into account their maximum spiritual pressure once they’ve gone into their release state (at least that’s how I perceived it, I could totally be wrong lol). With Ulquiorra having that second stage I’m sure it bolstered his riatsu to surpass the likes of Stark. All of that said, Ulquiorra did confirm he never showed his 2nd release to Aizen, I know this; I was merely stating that it’s perfectly conceivable that Aizen knew Ulquiorra was hiding something more about himself and was perfectly okay with that. Having that knowledge that he’d be hiding something more would explain why Aizen entrusted so much responsibility to him. That’s is the only case I’m trying to make. I also have a tough time believing that Hitsugaya or Soi Fon (might’ve misspelled that) were both stronger than Ichigo with his Hollow Mask or at all for that matter during that period of time. Their fights suggest they were.

[@thewonderblunder3421]

I love this character. Probably my favorite overall Bleach character in terms of potential. Kubo ended him beautifully but the potential for a better written storyline was there too. I feel like Stark and Ulquiorra represent what true hollows are like. There's a neutral darkness to them and the thing they hunger for most is to find others who can understand them.

[@KpaxKenpachi]

I think the number system is broken on purpose, Ulquiorra is definitely stronger than #4 if u ask me it would go Barragan, Stark than Ulquiorra but cuz i think Barragan got #2 as Aizen was putting him down from being the previous king, Stark was definitely strong af but putting Ulquiorra as 4 instead of 3 plays into the whole dispare thing cuz just the thought of him only being #4 broke Ichigos spirit which was the point cuz you can see after their fight in hueco Mundo he's different, almost afraid. "All according to plan" haha

[@cloudhealer]

@🃏Chewstié 🃏 Did Ulquiorra's rank take into account his Segunda Etapa, since he said noone knew he could do that

[@ezimakom]

I also feel like Ulquiorra and Grimmjow are more akin to Byakuya and Kenpachi more so than Byakuya and Renji; Partially because they operate more like captains of different divisions and are the two characters for this arc that 1) push Ichigo to the brink and 2) force Ichigo to undergo his hollow transformation/takeover. I love the vids!!!

[@rdchris6556]

I absolutely loved Ulquiorra from the first time I saw him, and I was further in love (and also dismayed) when I saw his resurrection because as a kid I wanted to be a fantasy writer, and the main villain/rival to the hero had a transformation EXACTLY like that

[@brandenapexo604]

When this man revealed he had a second release and proceeded to show it, gave me absolute chills

[@lex33122]

Its taken over a decade to get to this point; but I can safely say (FOR MYSELF, that is), Ulquiora is the best character I have ever experienced in anime/manga.

[@lilyminer9164]

Oh yeah he’s definitely one of my favourites, it’s fun to see what someone can do when there’s no sense of “too edgy”.

[@MultiCread]

the only other espada who was close to Ulquiorra was Stark.Kubo did us really dirty, both died but will remain the favorites

[@Infernoblade1010]

Probably my favorite villain of all anime! I love everything about him!

[@Cirex2118]

HE NEEDS to return through the Hell Arc, would be an amazing rebirth to his character! ESPECIALLY reuniting with Orahime!

[@MickPalmer15]

Bro he disintegrated how is he coming back

[@ethannn4067]

@@MickPalmer15 well he died fighting vasto lorde ichigo, he probably got reincarnated in the depths of hueco mundo, but vasto lorde ichigo still used a zanpakuto so he could be in hell. it's one of the two we'll never know unless kubo decides to bring him back.

[@mia3033]

Why would he need to reunite with someone's wife 😂

[@Cirex2118]

@mia3033 cause she showed him what a heart is, and they have a dynamic and can grow a friendship in Hell arc theoretically 🙂

[@mia3033]

@@Cirex2118 well thats true and sorry i misunderstood your words lol.

[@henry5274]

the best part of the dub is listening to Yami say Ulquiorra

[@lasthopelost9090]

Over the last couple of years I can really relate to Ulquiorra even if he isn’t my favourite character

[@dino2064]

Your timing is absolutely impeccable! Thank you mr tommo

[@trifectaofchris]

Great character analysis. Ulquiorra really is such a special character, the dynamic between him and Ichigo is masterful. The only other series that comes to mind that shares a similar dynamic with the protagonist and their enemy is HxH. Gon and Mureum during Chimera Ant arc share a similar arc of losing/gaining humanity.

[@tonystark_oyo]

This is fr one of your best works yet. Cheers!

[@DrunkenMonkeyFighter]

THIS is the video Ive been waiting for. Thanks, Tommo!

[@jonathanguy9291]

Just wanna put out there this guys intelligence compared to all other hallows is un matched The fact that he understood that he couldn’t devour things to just fill that hole So instead he looked at the ideals of a human heart and tried to understand that idea as a way to fill his hole Which he did understand fully right before he died

[@fateunleashed9680]

I also loved the play on that Espada 4 which in Japanese culture is a unlucky number as it's sounds similar to death. Then Ulquiorra essentially kills Ichigo twice. To me it's a really nice nod of the irony of Ichigo being a death god and being killed by death. Only for Ichigo to be reborn a bigger demon than Ulquiorra is in his segunda etapa and gets dog walked.

[@michaeldoukas4444]

His character was perfect. Just his philosophy on life is just outstanding. My favorite. Just so stoic. He is almost sympathetic. Trash. I thought that was great. And his conversation with Orihime talking about a heart is just outstanding.

[@screwaccountcreation]

Ulquiorra is my favorite villain in the entire series. The drawn out character development, the perfect dialogues he has to highlight his character and foil Ichigo's struggles, the immense power and cool transformations. The only thing that bothered me was moving his hollow hole. Awesome analysis! Thanks!

[@zephirol4638]

I never understood why people said he was an Edgelord character. An Edgelord "tries" to be cool and over the top. Ulquiorra was quite literally someone who had their emotions ripped from them throughout their transformations. He is a logical killing machine, much like an AI. and his forms just further show that more of his emotions are gone and ripped from him. Edgelords to me seem more like Grimjow or granz. They both tend to go out of their way to try and set an impression.

[@TheTroyhalo]

Oh man I've been waiting for this and an hour long to you never disappoint

[@0eyes]

This video bout to do numbers

[@umbradomini]

Excellent interpretation and explanation. Your style is so direct and fascinating to listen to.

[@tavelharris6632]

You want to know something I'm never subscribed to you or even hit the like button but I always watch your shows for a long time you know you you're really good.... And I've been watching your shows and stuff for quite some time they're very good very insightful.... Spot on

[@ladrellhart2063]

If Ulquiorra went back to his base form it may be safe to say that the helmet half of his hollow mask wouldn't be coming back after using his second form. I'm ready for that new hell ark to come back out. Hopefully Tite Kubo isn't rushed this time. I wander if the Stark and Ulquiorra is there. Well Ulquiorra could be gone for good.

[@GammaRingHunter]

Well I mean the fact we haven't seen anything more after that hell one shot means Kubo isn't being rushed. But he is also involved in the anime production

[@5acred7]

First off, great video🔥💚. I would say that Ulquiorra is definitely the strongest Espada because of his Segunda Epsada being directly below Vasto Lorde Ichigo. I would also like to point out that his number disappears when he transforms while the other Espada keep their numbers on their bodies. Barragan turns into a skeleton which is not indicative of the same type of power transformation to me. Starrk also still has his one but even if maybe he didn't, he still can't stop Cero Oscuras. His attack in that form has the ability to generate is potency by orders of magnitude which is equal to that of the amp from going Bankai on top of being 10x stronger than his Resurrection which is supposed to be relative to Bankai, which is a 10x amp itself

[@relicdad88]

Hes number 4 but really the strongest the others were nowhere near him closest was barrigan cuz of respera being op but other than that it was ulquiorra hands down if he fought any of them he wudve mopped the floor with them

[@5acred7]

@🃏Chewstié 🃏 Okay but what about the rest of my points power scaling him and defining his attack potency? All of Starrk's fight are against Shikai captain-level shinigami and then, does he have anything to suggest that he could imagine cutting off Vasto Lorde Ichigo's horn(therefore depowering him) or anything that could stop Cero Oscuras? If Starrk or Yammy have feats comparable to 2nd release Ulquiorra than I would be more on your side.

[@5acred7]

@🃏Chewstié 🃏 fair. I was wrong about the Visored it's been awhile since I read that chapter I forgot they did actually use their hollow masks but what I'm saying is that essentially, Lanza Lampago is blowing Yammy and Starrk away. If them stopping a CO is contentious then Lanza is out of the question because again, this attack happens with 2nd form Ulquiorra who is beyond Bankai atp. Bankai=Ressurecion, Segunda Etapa is 10x that making him 100x stronger than base. He can then generate an attack that has orders of magnitude, which increases the 100x base attack potency Ulquiorra already has with his 2nd form by another 10x. Also let's remember that base Ulquiorra gives orders to Yammy who follows Ulquiorra around because he likes his strength. This same Ulquiorra decimates a Full Hollow Mask Ichigo who is equal to or possibly stronger than the Visored(it took all the Visored fully masked to stop Ichigo from killing one of the weaker members). Yammy loses to a nerfed Kenpachi who was above Noietorra and Bankai Byakuya who is shown to be similar to Kenpachi in power at least, both of which are weaker than Shunsui who defeats Ressurecion Starrk in shikai with kageyoni. Shunsui should be stronger than them both as he was first choice for captain commander after the death of Yama(this happens during TYBW Arc where pretty much every captain got an amp from training for the Quincies return. This position denotes him as the strongest of the Gotei 13 which consistent because he scales to holy form Lily Barro who is above everyone in the first division except Ichibei.

[@5acred7]

@🃏Chewstié 🃏 Full power Hollow Mask Ichigo is above Bankai in his own right as he stacks this power on top of Bankai giving him another amp. Ulquiorra stomps this Ichigo twice and the 2nd time is more humiliating than the first. If base Ulquiorra can block a hollowfied Getsugatensho with one hand then Ichigo is already nothing to him and his later forms scale multiple times above that. Ichigo only wins when he becomes White who is his true zanpaktuo(White scaling to Ichigo's father Isshin who is a royal family Shinigami) & has achieved Vasto Lorde which to me makes him the strongest Hollow to exist. This is based on the fact that he scales way above an Ichigo who is on Byakuya & Kenpachi's level atp and who with half a shihaksho was equal to or greater than Unohana😂. An Unohana who is stronger than Kenpachi & 2nd to Yama before she goes Muken with Zaraki. Either way you look at this points can be made imo and that's partially due to the way Bleach was written. It has high levels of potential and has statements that are contradicted by certain feats and vice versa which can give them unique situational interpretations of power.

[@5acred7]

@🃏Chewstié 🃏 kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4fRqoWnfN5lhLM There are literally multiple videos from credible Bleach content creators that speculate on Ulquiorra's strength and the link I just gave talks about Ichigo's Vasto Lorde form with data book and manga statements, as well as anime representation. All of which are canon. Your reliance on certain statements is a bit of a fallacy bc of the fact that the author himself writes the manga with room for interpretation. This is the reason why in many instances, characters make certain statements that do not match with what is shown(and these events that contend with statements seem to be heavily downplayed only by people who don't want to interpret the data books and manga with a little more true understanding in terms of intent and representation from the author himself). Therefore we can see how statements aren't always accurate. An example of this being that Soi Fon has "mastered" Shunko and is called the fastest by her lieutenant despite the fact that the lieutenant simply isn't at authority to make such claim when she does not have complete knowledge of every Captain's abilities or combat exp. Obviously Yamamoto is the highest skilled shinigami in his tenure as Captain Commander. SethTheProgrammer also made a video ranking ranking the Captains and uses the Hueco Mundo events for power scaling. I'm using these videos not because I haven't seen where their info comes from personally or haven't watched the series, it's because debates of this nature are not effectively ran through text. People like to look for technicalities and use semantics as crutches within text debates so I won't be adding to this any longer. I'm giving direct sources to my reasonings and where I'm getting my info from. These people also show and explain where they get their info from for all fact checks. Everything I have discussed up until this point hasn't been refuted by actual multiple streams of evidence but rather statements from people like Yammy who are regarded as having little to no intelligence overall but yet can all of sudden make concrete statements bc he just knows better, right? That's why Aizen entrusted everything to him and sent him on missions, not Ulquiorra, who trades blows from a weakened Vasto Lorde Ichigo who can still destroy Las Noches multiple times more than any Espada to exist. Please refer to Clyde's multiple videos on the Espada, as well as Seth's videos(his research for the video(s) was accompanied by people who regularly talk about and scale Bleach if you wanna make the argument that this isn't his lane or something weird) on the contentious subject of who's actually the strongest and how they scale based on not just statements but multiple cross-references of evidence that consistently support Ulquiorra as being the strongest or top 3 often over Yammy due to him literally killing the main protagonist multiple times with no difficulty. Meanwhile Yammy gets off-screened like an NPC and full power Starrk couldn't make Shunsui go Bankai nor anyone else for that matter lol, regardless of how they chose to fight him and in what way. It was therefore simply not a Bankai level fight in respect to who he was facing. Plus these Visored fighting Starrk are weaker than Shinji who isnt stronger than Shunsui atp in the story and can't even go Bankai bc of the situation.

[@GustavoVenturaJr]

Amazing Character analysis keep up the good work. Stay safe 🙃👋

[@Lucy_Luuu]

The scene where Uyruu and Orihime fly up towards the battle and see Ichigo go full hollow is what got me into bleach. So that will always have a special place in my heart