Ulquiorra

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Bleach character

Ulquiorra
Occupation	Espada in Sōsuke Aizen's army

Ulquiorra (ウルキオラ, Urukiora^?) is a character in the manga series Bleach. Ulquiorra is an arrancar in Sōsuke Aizen's army.

[edit] Character outline

Ulquiorra is a male arrancar with melancholic looks. He has dark lines descending from his eyes, almost appearing as blue tear lines. He wears typical arrancar clothes; a white jacket, black sash, and a white hakama; however, his jacket seems to have longer coat-tails than others. Like most other arrancar, his hollow hole has moved. It is at the base of his throat as opposed to the chest. The remainder of his hollow mask lies on top of his head, forming a sort of broken helmet (much like Il Forte Grantz). This helmet bears a strong resemblance to the example Vasto Lorde, who was seen as a silhouette during chapter 197.

He appears to be extremely powerful, nullifying an attack from Kisuke Urahara. However, he notes that it may be difficult to defeat Yoruichi Shihouin and Kisuke Urahara's combined strength. Like his subordinate Yammy, Ulquiorra is an Espada. Although his actual number/rank is unknown, as Aizen seems to give Ulquiorra command on many occasions, it is likely he is a high ranking Espada.

Ulquiorra is a very cold and callous figure, impaling his comrade Yammy on his arm in a simplistic effort to get his attention and bring him back to Hueco Mundo. Ulquiorra reports back to Aizen in Hueco Mundo with Yammy still in tow, during which he shows Aizen and the other arrancar what he saw by withdrawing his left eye from its socket and shattering it with his hand, forming a mental link with them.^[1] He is capable of regenerating his eye.^[2]

Ulquiorra is also analytical. During his first visit together with Yammy to the human world, he makes several remarks on the humans who confront them, such as theorizing that Orihime Inoue's healing power is a temporal-spatial ability (this theory is later dismissed by Aizen), remarking how Ichigo's final release (bankai) can easily get through Yammy's defenses, as well as commenting how Ichigo's power fluctuates between very weak and more powerful than his own.

It would appear that Ulquiorra and Grimmjow Jaggerjack are not on good terms. While Ulquiorra allowed Yammy to kill anyone deemed as "trash" (which included Yasutora Sado, Orihime Inoue, and Tatsuki Arisawa), Ichigo (while labelled trash as well) was allowed to live based on Ulquiorra's belief that Ichigo may become useful to Aizen in the future. Grimmjow's conflicting viewpoint was that Ichigo should have been destroyed as well. Despite Grimmjow's argument, Aizen trusted in Ulquiorra's judgment. This disagreement led to Grimmjow's unauthorized assault on the material world.

First image of Ulquiorra in the anime, during the 96th episode's opening credits.

[edit] Synopsis

Ulquiorra's first appearance is when he and Yammy come to the human world seeking to collect information on Ichigo Kurosaki. He watches as Yammy fights Chad, Orihime Inoue, Ichigo, Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihouin, eventually escaping to Hueco Mundo after assessing the situation.

Under Aizen's directive Ulquiorra leads a second attack on the material world in order to capture Orihime Inoue. Acting as a strategist, Ulquiorra had Luppi, Yammy, Wonderwice Margera and Grimmjow Jaggerjack assault Karakura Town in order to draw Orihime Inoue out of Soul Society.

He manipulates her into cooperating by show of force, effortlessly dismembering the two shinigami accompanying her, and threatening to kill her friends. Orihime accepts and Ulquiorra and the other Espada leave, as Ulquiorra proclaims their mission a success. Ulquiorra tells Orihime that she has 12 hours to say goodbye to one person, but that person shouldn't be able to detect her presence. He gives her a bracelet to wear during those 12 hours that not only inhibits anyone but an arrancar from detecting her presence, but it also allows her to go through solid objects. Later, after Grimmjow gets his lost arm back thanks to Orihime and her power, Ulquiorra shuts his eyes as though sighing after Grimmjow impales Luppi.

At a meeting of the ten Espada, he is informed of Ichigo attempting a rescue mission to save Orihime which he later tells her. Afterwards, he leaves her and confronts Noitora, another Espada. Ulquiorra says that he has trapped Orihime in a psychological prison from which her loyalty to Aizen is guaranteed. This proves to be false when Orihime resolves to destroy the hōgyoku by using her power to nullify its very existence.

[edit] Trivia

• Ulquiorra is the first arrancar to be featured in the PSP Bleach fighting game series Heat the Soul. He is voiced by Daisuke Namikawa. He will also be in the Bleach Wii fighting game, along with Grimmjow.
• Ulquiorra is featured on Bleach volume 22's cover, "Conquistadores".

[edit] References

1. ^ Bleach manga; chapter 198, page 1.
2. ^ Bleach manga; chapter 229, page 3.