Arrancars and Hollows
An Arrancar (破面 (アランカル), arankaru; Spanish for "To Tear Off", Japanese for "Ripped Mask") is a Hollow that has removed its mask and has gained Shinigami-like powers. 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
Arrancar are the result of Hollows removing their masks. However, an average Hollow removing their mask would not be a problem for the Gotei 13. To hold their own against the Gotei 13 the ones removing their masks would need to be Menos or stronger. The Generic term for a Arrancar is Shinigami-Hollow Hybrid.
Psuedo-Arrancar have not developed much in the past few decades. If not for Sōsuke Aizen, who after contacting the pseudo-Arrancar has tried to create full Arrancar by using the Hōgyoku.
The number that the Arrancar have are not the order of their strength, but rather the order of their birth. Though it only applies to those numbered eleven and above. First, via the Hōgyoku, they are reborn from Hollows into Arrancar. Then, according to the order in which they are born, they were assigned a number, starting with eleven.
Arrancar and ordinary Hollows differ in several ways:
Humanoid Form: A Menos usually takes on a human shape when it becomes an Arrancar. The only ones that will definitely get a 100% humanoid form are Vasto Lorde-class Menos. For the remaining two levels, there are many who don't get a completely humanoid form, despite becoming Arrancar. Therefore, the closer one looks to a Hollow, the lower its power of reasoning. Though Arrancar can give up their human forms in order to obtain enormous power. This new form will retain remnants of their past selves, like fragments of their removed masks and a Hollow hole. While some Arrancar (e.g. Nnoitra Gilga and Tia Harribel) 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 (Ex: Nnoitra, Szayel Apporo, and Harribel). A few cases that include marks visible without the release of a Zanpakutō include Ulquiorra's tear marks, Sun-Sun's pink dots, the dashes under Grimmjow's eyes, the marking which runs across Nelliel's cheekbones and nose, and the marks on Yammy's cheek bones.
Physiology: Uryū Ishida theorized Arrancar share not only the powers of Shinigami, but also their anatomy. During his battle with Cirucci Sanderwicci he aimed for the area where the Chain of Fate would be located, and upon striking it Cirucci immediately lost not only her release form and mask fragment, but seemingly all traces of her former power.
Zanpakutō: The Arrancar seal the nuclei of their abilities within the form of a sword. It is entirely different from what Shinigami use. When they release their Zanpakutōs' seals they unleash their true power and their true form. The combat efficiency of an Arrancar with a released Zanpakutō is increased several times over. 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. An Espada's Resurrección is nothing like that of a normal Arrancar.
Soul Separation: In the case of Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerback, when other Hollows evolved to Arrancars, They split their power between their bodies and their swords. But for them they split their power into two bodies, thus creating a different type of Resurrección. When they become one again, their full power is released.
Clothing Style
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. Arrancar uniforms display more variation than those worn by shinigami however.
Personality Traits & Mindsets
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.
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 Aisslinger Wernarr 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 Visored.
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. As Aaroniero Arruruerie notes, all of the Espada except him were at least Adjuchas-class Menos before becoming Arrancar. Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck was formerly the 3rd Espada before she was tricked and exiled by Nnoitra.
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. As mentioned by Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, 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: Nnoitra Gilga has just one, while Szayel Aporro Granz has at least a dozen. There are a few Espada that apparently prefer to fight alone, such as Coyote Starrk, Yammy Llargo, Zommari Rureaux, Ulquiorra Cifer and Aaroniero Arruruerie, who seem to have chosen 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.
Powers & Abilities
Like 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 Visored 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 Guatiche 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 (ペスキサ), 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.
Hollow (虚 (ホロウ), horō) are a race of creatures which are born from Human souls who, for various reasons, do not cross over to Soul Society after their death and stay in the Human World for too long. They are corrupt spirits with supernatural powers that devour the souls of both living and deceased Humans. Hollows are the principal antagonists at the beginning of the story and remain a primary threat beyond that point. Hollows settle in Hueco Mundo, but can cross over to the Human World and Soul Society.
Overview
Hollows are former Pluses (deceased human souls) that lose their hearts to despair or remain in the real world for too long. In the anime, non-human spirits can also transform into Hollows. Any spirit that is not guided to the Soul Society by a Shinigami via Soul Burial may eventually descend into a Hollow.
Transformation Process
The majority of ghosts peacefully move on to the Soul Society after their deaths. Some, however, stay in the living world to fulfill certain goals, such as looking after a loved one, protecting a particular location, or pursuing a grudge from beyond the grave. However, with only limited abilities to interact with the living, and by definition tied to their goals, many ghosts find they are unable to cope when their loved ones move on or old enemies forget them. At this point, some will become dangerously obsessed with fulfilling those goals, even if the means to fulfill them renders the soul empty: for example, killing anyone who comes near a loved one, in order to keep them from hurting that person. In doing so, the ghost warps into a Hollow and, ironically, often makes the focus of their obsession into their first victim, such as Orihime Inoue's brother, Sora, does. This can be prevented if a Shinigami gives the soul a Soul Burial before it descends into a Hollow.
The process by which a soul becomes a Hollow usually takes a year, reflected by the length of the soul's Chain of Fate, which resides in the center of their chest. The Chain of Fate slowly corrodes over time, reflecting the degradation of the soul's ties to the living world. The process can be accelerated under certain conditions, such as being attacked by a Hollow, giving into extreme despair or through the use of certain spiritual powers. When the chain completely decays, they become a Hollow when a hole opens up on their chest, where the chain was attached (signifying that they have lost their heart).
Tendencies
Once a soul becomes a Hollow, it is driven by an eternal and insatiable hunger to devour other souls, living or dead, to fill the void caused by its descent. While their former obsession often becomes their first target, most Hollows will eventually become mindless creatures concerned only with finding the most potent souls to devour. Stronger and more evil Hollows are often able to retain some of their intelligence in Hollow form, making them more dangerous than the average Hollow. While most Hollows are evil, or at the very least mindless, at least a few are not, as is the case with Nel Tu and her Hollow companions. They are also at least partly capable of camaraderie and loyalty, as seen with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and his companions while they were still Hollows: Grimmjow's subordinates sacrificed parts of their bodies, unasked, for the sake of Grimmjow's growth, as well as Harribel, whom cared deeply about her subordinates.
Appearance
Evil souls that vary widely in looks and abilities. Hollows are feared as evil spirits or monsters. Their faces are hidden by strangely shaped masks. These masks are formed to protect the naked instinct that is left in a being after the loss of its heart, and in some ways is the tangible form of the Hollow's madness. The masks of different Hollows can differ greatly in shape and form, but they are always white and skull-like. The masks also obscure the original identity of the Hollows. The mask can be shattered, temporarily allowing the Hollow to regain its original identity, but it will regenerate after a short period once the Hollow takes over again.
Hollows have widely varying physical characteristics and powers, and few of them ever appear the same (the few that do are often clones). In terms of appearance, Hollows can range in appearance from furry (like mammals) through lizard-like to outright demonic. Hollows also vary in size, though it tends to be fairly consistent amongst the various classifications of Menos. In Hueco Mundo, some Hollows are no larger than common pets. Most common Hollows are about twice the size of an adult Human, though it can vary to a degree.
Huge Hollows (巨大虚, ヒュージホロウ, hyūji horō), aptly named for their size, are as large as two-story buildings. Finally, Gillian-class Menos are even more enormous than the largest of common Hollows, standing as tall as a smaller skyscraper.
Destruction
Hollows are usually killed by splitting their mask and head in two, but most wounds that would be fatal for a Human will effectively dispatch them. When this is done by a Shinigami's Zanpakutō, the Hollow is not truly killed; its spirit is purified of the sins it committed as a Hollow. This allows the spirit within to enter the Soul Society as a Plus. In cases where a Hollow committed great sins as a mortal, its purification will summon the gates of Hell, through which the soul is dragged to its punishment. When a Hollow is killed by a Quincy, however, it is destroyed, soul and all, which has potentially disastrous effects on the spiritual balance of the worlds. The effects of other spiritual powers on Hollows, such as those of Orihime Inoue or Yasutora Sado, are unknown, partly due to the fact that such occurrences are rare.
Demi-Hollow
A Demi-Hollow (半虚 (デミ・ホロウ), demi-horō; lit. "Half-Hollow") is a Jibakurai, an earthbound spirit who is evolving into a Hollow. It usually takes a while for the earthbound spirit to fully transform into a Hollow, but this process can be sped up by forcing the hole in their chest to open. The Demi-Hollows are held down by chains, usually to somewhere they consider to be their territory. They are usually only seen when a Human steps on their territory and cannot be easily sensed by Shinigami.
Menos Classifications
Though most Hollows are simply transformed Human souls, a sub-group of Hollows known as Menos (メノス, menosu; Spanish for "Minus" or "Less"), exist. Menos are conglomerations of hundreds of normal Hollows, resulting in a single composite entity of far greater strength than any normal Hollow.
Menos are created when the void within an ordinary Hollow's heart becomes so substantial that Human souls are incapable of sustaining it, at which point it begins devouring fellow Hollows. These cannibal Hollows are attracted to one another, and a mass inter-devouring follows, resulting in a Gillian. Following this transformation, the Gillian can evolve twice more, first into an Adjuchas and finally into a Vasto Lorde, provided certain conditions are met. Menos evolution is not only contingent upon the Menos eating other Hollows, but also upon the Menos' ability to avoid being eaten. If another Hollow succeeds in devouring even a part of their body, evolution becomes impossible for the one which was wounded this way. Menos-class Hollows are considered so dangerous that Soul Society sends only highly trained Shinigami teams to handle them.[2] These incursions seem to be rare, however, as Menos rarely leave Hueco Mundo unless attracted by large sources of spiritual power or encouraged to by other forces. There are three categories of Menos, the first is Gillian, the second Adjuchas, and Vasto Lorde.
Gillian
Gillian (最下大虚 (ギリアン), girian; Japanese for "Lowest Great Hollow"), also called Menos Grande (大虚 (メノスグランデ), menosu gurande; Spanish for "Less Big" or "Big Minus", Japanese for "Great Hollow") are the first and weakest of all Menos. In human terms they would be considered foot soldiers. There are many of them and they all look alike. In Soul Society, they are the "Menos" that are generally referred to in textbooks. Gillians are huge, but they are slow and have beast-like intellect. Any Captain would be able to destroy them with ease.[4] Up to the point when Rukia Kuchiki meets Ichigo Kurosaki, she has only seen them in such textbooks, despite having been a Shinigami for many years. Gillains commonly attack in a group and one is powerful enough to be a challenge for a Lieutenant of the Gotei 13. Gillians typically arrive in the Human World through the use of spatial distortions called Kūmon (空門, lit. "Air Gate").
Appearance: Gillians are huge monster Hollows towering at least 2-6 stories tall, easily dwarfing even the largest standard Hollow. They all have a white mask with an elongated nose. Their bodies are covered from theirs head to their feet with a black covering reminiscent of a cloak. Around their neck is a row of thin white spikes. They have large, pointed feet wrapped in white bandages. They have large white hands with long, sharp, white nails, but they are commonly hidden within their cloak, rarely revealed even in combat. They also have long tongues capable of breaking a fellow Hollow's mask.
Signature Skills: Cero, Kūmon, Negación
Evolution: Though Gillians usually have no personality to speak of, which makes them dangerous since they have no mind of their own, one of the many Hollows that comprise it might gain control over the newly formed entity, reflected in the unique mask it wears in comparison to a normal Gillian. Only these Gillian variants have the potential to evolve into Adjuchas-class Menos. The evolution is facilitated by the continued cannibalization of fellow Hollows, even other Gillians.
Aaroniero Arruruerie is the only originally Gillian-class Menos to have achieved the rank of Espada after his Arrancarification.
Adjuchas
Adjuchas (中級大虚 (アジューカス), ajūkasu; Japanese for "Intermediate Great Hollow") are the second classification of Menos. They are smaller than Gillians and far fewer in number. However, they're much smarter and stronger than Gillians. They're often the ones who lead Gillians into battle Adjuchas are commonly solitary creatures rarely joining into groups. They are powerful enough to challenge a captain of the Gotei 13.
Appearance: Adjuchas can vary radically in appearance; anywhere from bulky humanoids to the jaguar-like form of pre-Arrancar Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
Signature Skills: Cero, Garganta, Unique Individual Powers & Abilities
Evolution: Adjuchas-class Menos are much smaller in population compared to the Gillian class, due to the rarity of any one Hollow being capable of overwhelming the many other Hollows that comprise the body of a Gillian. Furthermore, the Adjuchas must continue to devour Hollows, or its mind will be absorbed by the other Hollows comprising its form and it will revert back into a Gillian. The subsequent lack of an individual will also preclude the reverted Gillian from becoming an Adjuchas again.
Vasto Lorde
Vasto Lorde (最上大虚 (ヴァストローデ), vasuto rōde; Japanese for "Highest Great Hollow") are the third classification of Menos and the highest level of evolution. They are extremely small Hollows, roughly the same size as humans and are extremely rare in number. It is said that you could count their entire number within Hueco Mundo with only the fingers of your hand. The Vasto Lordes' combat capabilities are above that of the captains of the Gotei 13.
Appearance: Unknown.
Signature Skills: Unknown.
Apart from the need to cannibalize even more Hollows, any special requirements for the creation of a Vasto Lorde are unknown.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya states that if Sōsuke Aizen has more than ten Arrancar at Vasto Lorde level, Soul Society would be doomed. Of the Espada, Harribel has been confirmed to being a Vasto Lorde at the time of her recruitment.
Powers
Like Shinigami, Hollows have a multitude of combat skills and abilities, most of which are usually unique to specific Hollows. The more powerful Hollows, however, have access to a range similar techniques of greater power or use than their own unique skills. Hollows usually acquire energy to power their abilities by devouring souls, but smaller ones can also ingest energy from the atmosphere when in realms with high concentration of spiritual energy, such as Hueco Mundo.
Soul-Body Separation: Two middle class Hollow, Shrieker and Acidwire, have been shown using this ability, though presumably all Hollows have the ability. This technique allows a Hollow to forcibly extract a living spirit from his/her body. It is usually not used because Hollows tend to go after Pluses, who have no physical or living body to speak of. Acidwire used this on his younger sister, Orihime, so she could see and converse with him. Shrieker used it for more sinister means, causing the young boy Yūichi Shibata to be trapped within the body of a parakeet for three months while the Hollow chases him. The soul is still attached by the Chain of Fate and can be saved, but if it is broken (in Yūichi's case) then the soul can prevent the Encroachment so long as he/she is placed inside a soulless body or animal. It seems as though Shinigami have reverse engineered this ability, as shown with the Skull Symbol. It may or may not be possible that this ability could also extract a Shinigami from their Gigai, but this would obviously prove harmful to a Hollow.
Acidic Touch: Many Hollows, like Shrieker and Acidwire, have displayed this ability, although Rukia implies that all Hollows possess this power. When a Hollow grabs a Human with their hands, the spot where the person was grabbed is shown to get burned as if acid were poured onto it. This was shown when Orihime was grabbed in the leg, and on the wound on Chad's back. These wounds seem to allow the Hollow's reiatsu to seep into the person, causing great pain to the victim. The wounds can heal if given enough time though, and it is unknown if this ability works on Shinigami or other spiritually powerful beings.
Cero (虚閃 (セロ), sero; Spanish for "Zero", Japanese for "Hollow Flash", 'Doom Blast' in the Viz translation) is a highly powerful and relatively swift energy blast that can be fired from various body parts, such as mouth, tongue, hand or fingers. Only Menos, Arrancar, and Visored have so far been shown to use Cero attacks, and it appears that stronger entities can use it more efficiently and forcefully. Cero also requires some time to be used effectively, so the enemy must be either not moving or busy with something else, or too badly wounded to even simply dodge it, with the exception of a few Cero techniques and users. Additionally, there exists quite a number of variations of Cero, which are usually unique to the Arrancar using it.
Garganta (黒腔 (ガルガンタ), garuganta; Spanish for "Throat", Japanese for "Black Cavity") is how Hollows and Arrancar move to and from Hueco Mundo. Kaname Tōsen, Kisuke Urahara and recently 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.
Negación (反膜 (ネガシオン), negashion; Spanish for "Negation", Japanese for "Counter-Membrane") fields are used to rescue fellow Hollows. Only the Gillian-class Menos have shown the ability to use it. 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") (Caja de Negación in the English dub) meant to simulate Negación fields, which are used to trap and punish their subordinates if necessary.
High-Speed Regeneration is the ability that allows a Hollow to heal most injuries very quickly, with the exception of the destruction of the head or vital organs. Ulquiorra states that most Arrancar gave up Regeneration for far greater strength.
An Arrancar (破面 (アランカル), arankaru; Spanish for "To Tear Off", Japanese for "Ripped Mask") is a Hollow that has removed its mask and has gained Shinigami-like powers. 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
Arrancar are the result of Hollows removing their masks. However, an average Hollow removing their mask would not be a problem for the Gotei 13. To hold their own against the Gotei 13 the ones removing their masks would need to be Menos or stronger. The Generic term for a Arrancar is Shinigami-Hollow Hybrid.
Psuedo-Arrancar have not developed much in the past few decades. If not for Sōsuke Aizen, who after contacting the pseudo-Arrancar has tried to create full Arrancar by using the Hōgyoku.
The number that the Arrancar have are not the order of their strength, but rather the order of their birth. Though it only applies to those numbered eleven and above. First, via the Hōgyoku, they are reborn from Hollows into Arrancar. Then, according to the order in which they are born, they were assigned a number, starting with eleven.
Arrancar and ordinary Hollows differ in several ways:
Humanoid Form: A Menos usually takes on a human shape when it becomes an Arrancar. The only ones that will definitely get a 100% humanoid form are Vasto Lorde-class Menos. For the remaining two levels, there are many who don't get a completely humanoid form, despite becoming Arrancar. Therefore, the closer one looks to a Hollow, the lower its power of reasoning. Though Arrancar can give up their human forms in order to obtain enormous power. This new form will retain remnants of their past selves, like fragments of their removed masks and a Hollow hole. While some Arrancar (e.g. Nnoitra Gilga and Tia Harribel) 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 (Ex: Nnoitra, Szayel Apporo, and Harribel). A few cases that include marks visible without the release of a Zanpakutō include Ulquiorra's tear marks, Sun-Sun's pink dots, the dashes under Grimmjow's eyes, the marking which runs across Nelliel's cheekbones and nose, and the marks on Yammy's cheek bones.
Physiology: Uryū Ishida theorized Arrancar share not only the powers of Shinigami, but also their anatomy. During his battle with Cirucci Sanderwicci he aimed for the area where the Chain of Fate would be located, and upon striking it Cirucci immediately lost not only her release form and mask fragment, but seemingly all traces of her former power.
Zanpakutō: The Arrancar seal the nuclei of their abilities within the form of a sword. It is entirely different from what Shinigami use. When they release their Zanpakutōs' seals they unleash their true power and their true form. The combat efficiency of an Arrancar with a released Zanpakutō is increased several times over. 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. An Espada's Resurrección is nothing like that of a normal Arrancar.
Soul Separation: In the case of Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerback, when other Hollows evolved to Arrancars, They split their power between their bodies and their swords. But for them they split their power into two bodies, thus creating a different type of Resurrección. When they become one again, their full power is released.
Clothing Style
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. Arrancar uniforms display more variation than those worn by shinigami however.
Personality Traits & Mindsets
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.
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 Aisslinger Wernarr 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 Visored.
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. As Aaroniero Arruruerie notes, all of the Espada except him were at least Adjuchas-class Menos before becoming Arrancar. Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck was formerly the 3rd Espada before she was tricked and exiled by Nnoitra.
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. As mentioned by Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, 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: Nnoitra Gilga has just one, while Szayel Aporro Granz has at least a dozen. There are a few Espada that apparently prefer to fight alone, such as Coyote Starrk, Yammy Llargo, Zommari Rureaux, Ulquiorra Cifer and Aaroniero Arruruerie, who seem to have chosen 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.
Powers & Abilities
Like 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 Visored 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 Guatiche 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 (ペスキサ), 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.
Hollow (虚 (ホロウ), horō) are a race of creatures which are born from Human souls who, for various reasons, do not cross over to Soul Society after their death and stay in the Human World for too long. They are corrupt spirits with supernatural powers that devour the souls of both living and deceased Humans. Hollows are the principal antagonists at the beginning of the story and remain a primary threat beyond that point. Hollows settle in Hueco Mundo, but can cross over to the Human World and Soul Society.
Overview
Hollows are former Pluses (deceased human souls) that lose their hearts to despair or remain in the real world for too long. In the anime, non-human spirits can also transform into Hollows. Any spirit that is not guided to the Soul Society by a Shinigami via Soul Burial may eventually descend into a Hollow.
Transformation Process
The majority of ghosts peacefully move on to the Soul Society after their deaths. Some, however, stay in the living world to fulfill certain goals, such as looking after a loved one, protecting a particular location, or pursuing a grudge from beyond the grave. However, with only limited abilities to interact with the living, and by definition tied to their goals, many ghosts find they are unable to cope when their loved ones move on or old enemies forget them. At this point, some will become dangerously obsessed with fulfilling those goals, even if the means to fulfill them renders the soul empty: for example, killing anyone who comes near a loved one, in order to keep them from hurting that person. In doing so, the ghost warps into a Hollow and, ironically, often makes the focus of their obsession into their first victim, such as Orihime Inoue's brother, Sora, does. This can be prevented if a Shinigami gives the soul a Soul Burial before it descends into a Hollow.
The process by which a soul becomes a Hollow usually takes a year, reflected by the length of the soul's Chain of Fate, which resides in the center of their chest. The Chain of Fate slowly corrodes over time, reflecting the degradation of the soul's ties to the living world. The process can be accelerated under certain conditions, such as being attacked by a Hollow, giving into extreme despair or through the use of certain spiritual powers. When the chain completely decays, they become a Hollow when a hole opens up on their chest, where the chain was attached (signifying that they have lost their heart).
Tendencies
Once a soul becomes a Hollow, it is driven by an eternal and insatiable hunger to devour other souls, living or dead, to fill the void caused by its descent. While their former obsession often becomes their first target, most Hollows will eventually become mindless creatures concerned only with finding the most potent souls to devour. Stronger and more evil Hollows are often able to retain some of their intelligence in Hollow form, making them more dangerous than the average Hollow. While most Hollows are evil, or at the very least mindless, at least a few are not, as is the case with Nel Tu and her Hollow companions. They are also at least partly capable of camaraderie and loyalty, as seen with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and his companions while they were still Hollows: Grimmjow's subordinates sacrificed parts of their bodies, unasked, for the sake of Grimmjow's growth, as well as Harribel, whom cared deeply about her subordinates.
Appearance
Evil souls that vary widely in looks and abilities. Hollows are feared as evil spirits or monsters. Their faces are hidden by strangely shaped masks. These masks are formed to protect the naked instinct that is left in a being after the loss of its heart, and in some ways is the tangible form of the Hollow's madness. The masks of different Hollows can differ greatly in shape and form, but they are always white and skull-like. The masks also obscure the original identity of the Hollows. The mask can be shattered, temporarily allowing the Hollow to regain its original identity, but it will regenerate after a short period once the Hollow takes over again.
Hollows have widely varying physical characteristics and powers, and few of them ever appear the same (the few that do are often clones). In terms of appearance, Hollows can range in appearance from furry (like mammals) through lizard-like to outright demonic. Hollows also vary in size, though it tends to be fairly consistent amongst the various classifications of Menos. In Hueco Mundo, some Hollows are no larger than common pets. Most common Hollows are about twice the size of an adult Human, though it can vary to a degree.
Huge Hollows (巨大虚, ヒュージホロウ, hyūji horō), aptly named for their size, are as large as two-story buildings. Finally, Gillian-class Menos are even more enormous than the largest of common Hollows, standing as tall as a smaller skyscraper.
Destruction
Hollows are usually killed by splitting their mask and head in two, but most wounds that would be fatal for a Human will effectively dispatch them. When this is done by a Shinigami's Zanpakutō, the Hollow is not truly killed; its spirit is purified of the sins it committed as a Hollow. This allows the spirit within to enter the Soul Society as a Plus. In cases where a Hollow committed great sins as a mortal, its purification will summon the gates of Hell, through which the soul is dragged to its punishment. When a Hollow is killed by a Quincy, however, it is destroyed, soul and all, which has potentially disastrous effects on the spiritual balance of the worlds. The effects of other spiritual powers on Hollows, such as those of Orihime Inoue or Yasutora Sado, are unknown, partly due to the fact that such occurrences are rare.
Demi-Hollow
A Demi-Hollow (半虚 (デミ・ホロウ), demi-horō; lit. "Half-Hollow") is a Jibakurai, an earthbound spirit who is evolving into a Hollow. It usually takes a while for the earthbound spirit to fully transform into a Hollow, but this process can be sped up by forcing the hole in their chest to open. The Demi-Hollows are held down by chains, usually to somewhere they consider to be their territory. They are usually only seen when a Human steps on their territory and cannot be easily sensed by Shinigami.
Menos Classifications
Though most Hollows are simply transformed Human souls, a sub-group of Hollows known as Menos (メノス, menosu; Spanish for "Minus" or "Less"), exist. Menos are conglomerations of hundreds of normal Hollows, resulting in a single composite entity of far greater strength than any normal Hollow.
Menos are created when the void within an ordinary Hollow's heart becomes so substantial that Human souls are incapable of sustaining it, at which point it begins devouring fellow Hollows. These cannibal Hollows are attracted to one another, and a mass inter-devouring follows, resulting in a Gillian. Following this transformation, the Gillian can evolve twice more, first into an Adjuchas and finally into a Vasto Lorde, provided certain conditions are met. Menos evolution is not only contingent upon the Menos eating other Hollows, but also upon the Menos' ability to avoid being eaten. If another Hollow succeeds in devouring even a part of their body, evolution becomes impossible for the one which was wounded this way. Menos-class Hollows are considered so dangerous that Soul Society sends only highly trained Shinigami teams to handle them.[2] These incursions seem to be rare, however, as Menos rarely leave Hueco Mundo unless attracted by large sources of spiritual power or encouraged to by other forces. There are three categories of Menos, the first is Gillian, the second Adjuchas, and Vasto Lorde.
Gillian
Gillian (最下大虚 (ギリアン), girian; Japanese for "Lowest Great Hollow"), also called Menos Grande (大虚 (メノスグランデ), menosu gurande; Spanish for "Less Big" or "Big Minus", Japanese for "Great Hollow") are the first and weakest of all Menos. In human terms they would be considered foot soldiers. There are many of them and they all look alike. In Soul Society, they are the "Menos" that are generally referred to in textbooks. Gillians are huge, but they are slow and have beast-like intellect. Any Captain would be able to destroy them with ease.[4] Up to the point when Rukia Kuchiki meets Ichigo Kurosaki, she has only seen them in such textbooks, despite having been a Shinigami for many years. Gillains commonly attack in a group and one is powerful enough to be a challenge for a Lieutenant of the Gotei 13. Gillians typically arrive in the Human World through the use of spatial distortions called Kūmon (空門, lit. "Air Gate").
Appearance: Gillians are huge monster Hollows towering at least 2-6 stories tall, easily dwarfing even the largest standard Hollow. They all have a white mask with an elongated nose. Their bodies are covered from theirs head to their feet with a black covering reminiscent of a cloak. Around their neck is a row of thin white spikes. They have large, pointed feet wrapped in white bandages. They have large white hands with long, sharp, white nails, but they are commonly hidden within their cloak, rarely revealed even in combat. They also have long tongues capable of breaking a fellow Hollow's mask.
Signature Skills: Cero, Kūmon, Negación
Evolution: Though Gillians usually have no personality to speak of, which makes them dangerous since they have no mind of their own, one of the many Hollows that comprise it might gain control over the newly formed entity, reflected in the unique mask it wears in comparison to a normal Gillian. Only these Gillian variants have the potential to evolve into Adjuchas-class Menos. The evolution is facilitated by the continued cannibalization of fellow Hollows, even other Gillians.
Aaroniero Arruruerie is the only originally Gillian-class Menos to have achieved the rank of Espada after his Arrancarification.
Adjuchas
Adjuchas (中級大虚 (アジューカス), ajūkasu; Japanese for "Intermediate Great Hollow") are the second classification of Menos. They are smaller than Gillians and far fewer in number. However, they're much smarter and stronger than Gillians. They're often the ones who lead Gillians into battle Adjuchas are commonly solitary creatures rarely joining into groups. They are powerful enough to challenge a captain of the Gotei 13.
Appearance: Adjuchas can vary radically in appearance; anywhere from bulky humanoids to the jaguar-like form of pre-Arrancar Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
Signature Skills: Cero, Garganta, Unique Individual Powers & Abilities
Evolution: Adjuchas-class Menos are much smaller in population compared to the Gillian class, due to the rarity of any one Hollow being capable of overwhelming the many other Hollows that comprise the body of a Gillian. Furthermore, the Adjuchas must continue to devour Hollows, or its mind will be absorbed by the other Hollows comprising its form and it will revert back into a Gillian. The subsequent lack of an individual will also preclude the reverted Gillian from becoming an Adjuchas again.
Vasto Lorde
Vasto Lorde (最上大虚 (ヴァストローデ), vasuto rōde; Japanese for "Highest Great Hollow") are the third classification of Menos and the highest level of evolution. They are extremely small Hollows, roughly the same size as humans and are extremely rare in number. It is said that you could count their entire number within Hueco Mundo with only the fingers of your hand. The Vasto Lordes' combat capabilities are above that of the captains of the Gotei 13.
Appearance: Unknown.
Signature Skills: Unknown.
Apart from the need to cannibalize even more Hollows, any special requirements for the creation of a Vasto Lorde are unknown.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya states that if Sōsuke Aizen has more than ten Arrancar at Vasto Lorde level, Soul Society would be doomed. Of the Espada, Harribel has been confirmed to being a Vasto Lorde at the time of her recruitment.
Powers
Like Shinigami, Hollows have a multitude of combat skills and abilities, most of which are usually unique to specific Hollows. The more powerful Hollows, however, have access to a range similar techniques of greater power or use than their own unique skills. Hollows usually acquire energy to power their abilities by devouring souls, but smaller ones can also ingest energy from the atmosphere when in realms with high concentration of spiritual energy, such as Hueco Mundo.
Soul-Body Separation: Two middle class Hollow, Shrieker and Acidwire, have been shown using this ability, though presumably all Hollows have the ability. This technique allows a Hollow to forcibly extract a living spirit from his/her body. It is usually not used because Hollows tend to go after Pluses, who have no physical or living body to speak of. Acidwire used this on his younger sister, Orihime, so she could see and converse with him. Shrieker used it for more sinister means, causing the young boy Yūichi Shibata to be trapped within the body of a parakeet for three months while the Hollow chases him. The soul is still attached by the Chain of Fate and can be saved, but if it is broken (in Yūichi's case) then the soul can prevent the Encroachment so long as he/she is placed inside a soulless body or animal. It seems as though Shinigami have reverse engineered this ability, as shown with the Skull Symbol. It may or may not be possible that this ability could also extract a Shinigami from their Gigai, but this would obviously prove harmful to a Hollow.
Acidic Touch: Many Hollows, like Shrieker and Acidwire, have displayed this ability, although Rukia implies that all Hollows possess this power. When a Hollow grabs a Human with their hands, the spot where the person was grabbed is shown to get burned as if acid were poured onto it. This was shown when Orihime was grabbed in the leg, and on the wound on Chad's back. These wounds seem to allow the Hollow's reiatsu to seep into the person, causing great pain to the victim. The wounds can heal if given enough time though, and it is unknown if this ability works on Shinigami or other spiritually powerful beings.
Cero (虚閃 (セロ), sero; Spanish for "Zero", Japanese for "Hollow Flash", 'Doom Blast' in the Viz translation) is a highly powerful and relatively swift energy blast that can be fired from various body parts, such as mouth, tongue, hand or fingers. Only Menos, Arrancar, and Visored have so far been shown to use Cero attacks, and it appears that stronger entities can use it more efficiently and forcefully. Cero also requires some time to be used effectively, so the enemy must be either not moving or busy with something else, or too badly wounded to even simply dodge it, with the exception of a few Cero techniques and users. Additionally, there exists quite a number of variations of Cero, which are usually unique to the Arrancar using it.
Garganta (黒腔 (ガルガンタ), garuganta; Spanish for "Throat", Japanese for "Black Cavity") is how Hollows and Arrancar move to and from Hueco Mundo. Kaname Tōsen, Kisuke Urahara and recently 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.
Negación (反膜 (ネガシオン), negashion; Spanish for "Negation", Japanese for "Counter-Membrane") fields are used to rescue fellow Hollows. Only the Gillian-class Menos have shown the ability to use it. 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") (Caja de Negación in the English dub) meant to simulate Negación fields, which are used to trap and punish their subordinates if necessary.
High-Speed Regeneration is the ability that allows a Hollow to heal most injuries very quickly, with the exception of the destruction of the head or vital organs. Ulquiorra states that most Arrancar gave up Regeneration for far greater strength.
