My Ranking of the Espada in Bleach

The Espada is a powerful group of Arrancar’s who serve lord Aizen in Hueco Mundo. Each one was a powerful Hollow even before becoming an Arrancar and ultimately an Espada.

I have always wondered how many were actual Vasto Lorde.

Toshiro did say that if gathering enough of them would be the end of the Soul Society.

And since it wasn’t I am guessing the actual number was not that high.

Much like the many factions in Bleach I love the diverse characters that make up this awesome group.

While some got more screen time/ development than others, collectively they are all awesome.

In today’s list, I am going to go over my favorite Espada from least to most favorite.

While I will take into account abilities, accomplishments, and overall design most of this will be subjective.

Obviously, spoilers alert.

Also, this list only contains the members during the Arrancar invasion arc so it will not include former Espadas like Nelliel

I will be basing my analysis on the anime only.

First Appeared in episode 145. Nnoitra is really tall and lanky, unlike Yammy who is tall and muscular.

He wears the traditional Espada outfit but with a spoon shape covering for his head.

This is why I used to call him spoon head. Nnoitra always seems to be smiling and is kind of a prick to the other Espada.

His main motivation is to be the strongest and he can’t handle it when someone else is better than him.

This is why he hates Nel and worked with Szayelaporro to kill her.

It’s really interesting how his weapon changed from his past self to now.

You can see the progression in his power as it went from two crescents to four.

Nnoitra mentions to Kenpachi Zaraki that his Hierro is the strongest among all the Espada and that no blade can cut it.

Obviously, Kenpachi Zaraki proved this to be false wrong by killing him.

But it is still quite strong and took a while for Kenpachi to damage him

Nnoitra can fire Ceros from his tongue which is quite unique for an Arrancar.

He is able to sense the power abilities of others. One example was when he analyzed Kenpachi’s abilities during his fight against Tesra.

Nnoitra can throw his Zanpakuto across long distances pull it back using the chain connected to his uniform.

Santa Teresa his Zanpakuto, is a long staff that has four large crescent blades at the end.

This is unique considering most Zanpakuto are swords.

His overall resurrection power is that it enhances his base abilities.

Also, each arm gets a staff that has one crescent blade.

Also, he gains the following powers:

• The ability to create more copies of his weapons
• He can regenerate his limbs at a fast rate
• Nnoitra can grow an extra set of arms.

Nnoitra major accomplishments include:

• Defeating Nel
• Rising to the ranks of Espada number 5
• Giving Kenpachi an excellent battle

The problem that I have with Nnoitra is that he is an Espada version of Kenpachi.

If you don’t believe here are their similarities.

• Both live to fight
• Both barely use any special abilities associated with their groups
• Their skins are very tough and shown to be hard to cut
• They both have a yellow aura that surrounds them
• Something covers one of their eyes.
• Even their fighting style is similar in that both utilized their strong skin. For example, both of them grab Ichigo’s blade ignoring the sharpness
• Both have long black hair and a tall body.

The only major difference besides appearance is that Kenpachi and Nnoitra reasons for not killing off weak opponents.

Kenpachi will not do it because it’s no fun and Nnoitra needs people alive to acknowledge him as the strongest.

My other gripes with him are that he is an annoying sore loser. It’s really hard to like a character that has a strange obsession with those who defeated him.

This brings me to another similarity both characters are obsessive over those who beat them.

For Kenpachi it’s Ichigo and Nnoitra it’s Nel. The only difference is Kenpachi’s is played for laughs where Nnoitra is downright creepy.

Beyond his fight with Kenpachi, there is nothing else about this character that I enjoyed.

First appeared in episode 145.

Szayelaporro is the scientist among the Espada. He seems quite calm and methodical when you first meet him.

However, during his battles with the shinigami, he can become crazed and psychotic.

But normally he is cold and calculated and even shows no emotions when learning about his brother’s death.

Interestingly Aizen demoted him from being an Espada sometime in the past.

So he is one of the only Espada to return to his position.

Szayelaporro is a brilliant scientist who has shown to create very interesting devices.

For example, he created a device that tricked Nel into attacking a Nnoitra that was merely an illusion.

But his best invention is his Fraccion which he can consume to heal any injuries received in battle.

While not much of a fighter he has some competency with a sword but he prefers to rely on his intelligence.

For example, he is able to create power traps and analyze his opponents Reiatsu.

But his best invention is his Fraccion which he can consume to heal any injuries received in battle.

While not much of a fighter he has some competency with a sword but he prefers to rely on his intelligence.

For example, he is able to create power traps and analyze his opponents Reiatsu.

Fornicarás is the name of his Zanpakuto.

• When in his released form he gains the following abilities
• The ability to protect his bodies with the newly grown tentacles
• He can create clones of his opponents
• He can liquefy his body to control a target that eats him
• If his wings consume an opponent he can then create a voodoo doll that contains the organs of that person.
• If he breaks the organ that organ in that person’s body will break for real.
• His final ability is similar to the Xenomorphs from the Alien movie franchise. When injured Szayelaporro can impregnate an enemy using part of his own body. That part will then consume the victim until he bursts from the body.

Szayelaporro major accomplishments include:

• Helping Nnoitra defeat Nel
• Helping Mayuri posthumous find a way to escape Hueco Mundo
• His awesome scene where he fights Shuren in hell
• Being really unique and having a cool resurrection power.

The problem with Szayelaporro and other Espada is that they seemed forced to me.

Because the soul society has a scientist so should the Espada. I noted the same issue with Nnoitra

They definitely made him different than Mayuri not different enough.

From a personal standpoint, I just forgot about this character altogether.

True I remembered that the Espada had a scientist but that’s about it.

I had to rewatch the episodes with him and look up stuff on Bleach wiki simply because of much I forgot about him.

His character just seemed forced.

First appeared in episode 145.

Zommari is really cool Espada both in terms of his design and abilities.

He has white horns and skull earrings almost witch doctor like.

Compared to other Espada he is more refined and professional for a Hollow.

Although he changes that towards the end of the fight with Byakuya when it clears he is going to die.

Even the way he berates Aaroniero was rather respectful all things considered.

Also not like it matters but I enjoy his English dubbed voice over the Japanese voice. But weirdly he has two voices and it really messed me up.

Because one moment I heard a deep accent and the next it sounds like Yamamoto (which it was).

We don’t get a flashback and limited to a couple of scenes with him.

Which is a little disappointing when you consider how cool of a character is.

He is quite chatty and among all of the Espada fights his might have more dialogue than actual fighting which is a stark contrast to Grimmjow’s.

I mean he argues with Byakuya about who is arrogant it became very annoying.

Zommari likes to pass judgment on others and cannot take losing too well.

Also Zommari has no fraccion

Zommari is very fast in fact he claims to have the fastest Sonido which is the Arrancar version of the flash step among the Espada.

But after watching Stark and Ulquiorra Cifer in action I highly doubt that to be true.

But that does not take away from his speed which is still impressive. Zommari is so fast that he can create clones of himself.

Unlike other Arrancar’s he does not use techniques like Bala

Brujería is the name of His sword release and is might one of the coolest sword releases among the Espada.

To release his sword he floats the sword above the ground and then claps his hands and turns his head until it is completely sideways.

His appearance changes significantly after his resurrection. Zommari’s torso is not inside of a bulb and covered by many eyes.

He can actually go inside the bulb for protection. His 58 eyes can each control one object per eyes.

If he controls a body part like the head he gains control of the entire body.

The ability is like Hado as Byakuya figure out.

Besides fighting Byakuya there is nothing that Zommari does in Bleach,

And that fight against Byakuya was the worse of all the Espada battles.

I mean why did Zommari not use all of his eyes on Byakuya. He has this broken ability and does not use it.

But my main issue is a lack of impact. I think his abilities and design are interesting but they do not much with this guy.

First appeared in episode 145.

Due to his long name and it being a pain to type I am going to refer to him as Aaron for the rest of the article.

Aaron is the most mysterious of the Espada because we never see his face until much later.

He is the only Gillain level Menos member in the Espada and the last of the first generation of Espada.

Aaron does not have Fraccion or the ability to use the typical Espada powers like Gran Rey Cero or Bala.

Aaron is actually two hollows in one with two heads in a glass container.

Apparently, they do not want to have to explain their appearance which implies that they get asked about it a lot.

Side note how did Rukia not know that Aaron was not Kaien Shiba before exposing them to sunlight?

After all Kaien Shiba is six feet tall and Aaron is six feet 8 inches that is quite a difference.

Aaron is able to absorb hollows and it was due to the unlimited potential of this he was able to join the Espada.

He absorbed Metastacia a hollow who took over Kaien Shiba’s body.

So, by absorbing him Aaron gained Kaien’s powers and memories including his Zanpakuto.

He is also quite fast able to dodge Rukia’s attacks and move across the battlefield with ease.

Aaron can absorb hollows and gain their abilities and memories. He absorbed 33,650 by the time Rukia fights him.

When in disguise he can change his appearance to match any hollow that he has absorbed.

Glotonería is his Zanpakuto sword release.

His release form is a large manifestation of his body with each head in the glass becoming one half of the monstrosity.

Besides the appearance, Aaron does not gain any extra abilities from this release.

Aaron’s Major Accomplishments includes

• Being the only Gillain to become an Espada
• Absorbing over 33,650 hollows

Aaron is really unique among the other Espada especially the concept behind his abilities.

I also enjoyed from a plot point of view of how he connected to Kaien’s Shiba’s death.

But why he ranks lower than others is due to a couple of things.

• While his design is interesting his Zanpakuto release was disappointing
• Much like Zammuri we do not see much of him but at least we learn more
• He never uses any abilities that he absorbed other than Kaien and Metastacia

I don’t hate the character but he is the highest in my book

First appeared in episode 113.

Ulquiorra is one of the Espada with the most amount of screen time and plot relevance in the series.

He is very cocky but also emotionless and calculated. His devotion to Aizen is absolute.

His appearance has often been joked to being quite similar to L from Death Note.

He is also able to remain calm in most situations.

Aizen has respect for his intelligence which says something considering how smart Aizen is.

Ulquiorra is has an impressive Sonio and Hierro.

Ulquiorra is very cocky and one of the ways he shows this is by using hands over his Zanpakuto.

His Hierro is so strong that he could block Ichigo’s Tensa Zengestu with one hand.

In fact, Ichigo takes pride in forcing him to draw his blade.

Most hollows give up their regenerative abilities in exchange for powers when they become an Arrancar.

But Ulquiorra kept his and showed this when his eye regenerated after removing it.

He does this to show the other Arrancar what he has experienced.

He can use Bala and Descorrer which allows him to open a path between the human world and Hueco Mundo.

His Zanpakuto is call Murciélago

When Ulquiorra releases it his appearance resembles a bat.

• He can create green spears that can be used as a projectile or for close combat.
• All of his base abilities are enhanced
• In this form, he can fire a cero Oscuras

Ulquiorra is the only Espada with a second release form and in this form, his uniform is completely gone and becomes more beast-like.

• His wings and tail are very fast and can be used as shields and offensive weapons
• Much like his first release he can create a lance that can be used as a projectile or used for close-range combat. The name is Lanza del Relampago. When this projectile hits it’s target it is almost like a nuclear bomb just went off.

Ulquiorra Accomplishments:

• He successfully got Orihime to go with him to Hueco Mundo
• Defeated Ichigo Twice

Before going over the negative let just say his fight against Ichigo is one of the best in anime history.

If I was just going off that then he would rank much higher.

But I am looking at everything and Compared to others higher on this list he just did not leave the same impact.

It was hard to latch on to something that made me like him. I really could not stand him and enjoyed his death at the hands of Ichigo.

He first appeared in Episode 113.

Yammy is a physically imposing individual who is over 7ft six inches and packed with muscles.

For some reason, I am always drawn to the largest characters in stories like these.

It’s one of the reasons why I like Kenpachi so much other than his cool character.

Yammy early on in this series does not appear to be a big threat.

Ichigo was able to stop him from just using Bankai.

Kisuke made a fool out of him when he returns to the world of the living.

I think even Ulquiorra someone who Yammy respects probably does not take him seriously.

However, Yammy is a major threat and is far more intelligent than he comes across.

The issue is that he is impatient and prefers to overpower his opponents instead of relying on strategy.

Yammy’s Hierro was able to tank some of Uryu’s strongest attacks.

He was unharmed by Loly Aivirrne’s ressurection with erodes anything she touches like acid.

Yammy can use most of the Arrancar abilities including Bala, and Cero. I do not recall ever seeing him use Sonido though.

But his most unique ability Gonzui which allows him to suck the souls from people.

He is in the only Espada who can store energy while he sleeps.

This is the only way he can store enough energy to use his resurrection.

His Zanpakuto name is Ira and when he releases it Yammy pulls a great reveal that he is actually Espada number 0 making him the strongest member.

I am confused about why he was able to release his Zanpakuto in Las Noches when Ulquiorra said it was forbidden because it could destroy it.

Anyways in this form, Yammy is gigantic and takes the form of a Centaur only replace the horse half with a centipede with ten legs.

You really have to see it to really comprehend his size.

All of Yammy’s powers are enhanced and obviously, he is much stronger.

Much like the Hulk Yammy grows strong as his rage increases.

When pushed really far he can grow even larger to a form that is one of the largest creatures in Bleach.

Yammy’s Accomplishments:

• He is the strongest Espada
• It’s hard to really come up with anything else because he loses to everyone.

This list is subjective and I just liked Yammy more. Maybe it’s his size and impressive strength.

It could be his lazy attitude. But regardless I enjoyed his character more than others so far.

Ulquiorra is great but Yammy was a character that I connected to more.

Because I also happen to be a lazy guy who sleeps a lot. But if you piss me off I can become a six-foot mountain of rage.

All jokes aside Yammy is a really cool character and like the Hollow version of the Hulk.

First appeared in episode 145.

He is the former king of Hueco Mundo after Aizen de-thrones him but privately still views himself as the king.

Baraggan was originally a skeleton and when he became an Arrancar he gained skin.

It is interesting how he looks around the same age as Yamamoto.

Because he still considers himself king Baraggan does look down on others and expects to be treated like a king.

For example, his Fraccion brings his throne with them when they arrive at Fake Karakura Town.

He also takes control of the Arrancar after Aizen, Gin, and Tousen are caged in fire.

Baraggan is very intelligent and was able to successfully lead the Arrancar against the Shinigami.

His main abilities revolve around aging and time. For example, he can create a field around him that slows down time for anyone who enters it.

This is why Suì-Fēng one of the fastest Shinigami moves slowly around him.

Baraggan is an old school Hollow so you won’t see any Balas or Ceros. He does use Sonido.

His Zanpakuto is an ax called Arrogante and much line Nnoitra is not a typical sword.

After releasing his Zanpakuto Baraggan returns to his skeletal appearance.

He gains a new weapon that looks like his ax called Gran Caída but it’s dark and larger and more lethal.

But his strongest ability is Respira which is a smoke that he releases which ages everything. This includes both beings and even Kiddo.

Baraggan’s Accomplishments

• He was the king of Hueco Mundo for a long time
• He is one of the oldest known hollows

Baraggan is a very interesting character who I wish got more time with.

I also wished his anger toward Aizen was more plot-relevant than just a reveal at the end.

He got very unlucky that Hachi showed up because Baraggan would have killed basically everyone.

As far as I know, no one else besides Yamamoto has the ability to combat his power.

I love his character and design. His resurrection reveals looked even better in the anime.

He first appeared in Episode 116.

Grimmjow is the most popular with fans among the Espada and for good reason.

This guy is awesome from the appearance with the cool blue hair and his attitude.

Grimmjow is not really a villain more like an anti-hero. He can’t stand Aizen and unlike Baraggan he openly admits it and acts on it.

He does not really share the goals and vision of the other Espada. Grimmjow only wishes to be the best by defeating the best.

He also grew an obsession to kill Ichigo (who doesn’t) which led him to find any means to fight him.

I always wished they made filler episodes where he joins Ichigo’s group on an adventure.

Grimmjow is a master swordsman and hand-to-hand fighter. Even with just one hand, he could handle a hollowed Shinji.

He is very smart in combat for example he fired a small Cero to stop Shinji’s large one which saved his life.

I was amazed with his plan to trap Ulquiorra so he could fight Ichigo.

Grimmjow has a very fast Sonido and strong Hierro that can tank a lot of damage.

Ceros and even Gran Rey Ceros are not off-limits to him.

His Zanpakuto is called Pantera.

This is one transformation where after watching it I feel obligated to watch the whole fight for the like the millionth time.

Grimmjow’s’ Accomplishments:

• Defeated Ichigo twice
• Was able to outsmart Ulquiorra
• Does not die which is impressive because every other Espada besides Harribel does
• Regained his rank as Espada number six

I love his fight against Ichigo it’s one of the best in the series. My favorite aspect is how it has almost no talking and mostly action.

Grimmjow has my respect for being himself and caring what others think. Unlike Baraggan he was openly against Aizen.

Unlike Nnoitra Grimmjow actually worked to be the strongest. He really believed in it.

He is really cool and one of the most memorable characters in Bleach.

First Appeared in Episode 138.

Harribel has an interesting outfit that covers the top half of her body all the way to her eyes.

This makes sense as her mask is on her breasts and the outfit is critical to the later reveal of her number.

Harribel maybe is the only Espada who cares about her Fraccion. When they lose to Yamamoto she is noticeably upset.

I am going to assume that this leadership quality is one of the reasons why she took over Hueco Mundo at the end of Bleach (okay I lied this is from the Bleach Official Character Book 3 UNMASKED).

Harribel is probably the calmest among the Espada and has a great poker face.

It’s not that she does not have emotion rather it’s the same expression.

Also, she is quite tall and might be the second tallest female in Bleach besides Isane Kotetsu who is six feet two inches.

Harribel is very powerful which makes sense she is the number three Espada.

She has a very fast Sonido and an excellent sword fighter.

Toshiro was on the defense for most of the fight especially early on before she released her Zanpakuto.

Her Hierro is impressive considering she barely took any damage from Toshiro attacks.

But what is more impressive is that she survived not one but two slashes from Aizen with the intent to kill.

She was able to figure out that Toshiro was not fully concentrating on the fight.

Harribel exploited this as a way to fight Toshiro mentally.

Before going into Zanpakuto I just want to point how it’s very cool when she flung out of the sheath, it was both stylish and a great way to show off.

Tiburón is a small sword but Harribel is able to close the gap with Sonido or with Ola Azul where she fires an energy projectile from her sword.

Her Zampakuto release completely removes her outfit and replaces it with a bony dress with a skeleton shark head on her hand.

It reminds me of Megatron’s first form in Beast Wars if anyone is familiar with the show.

The bone dress is quite revealing compared to the other resurrections among the Espada.

One of my favorite things she does is fire a Cero. Most Espada first it from their hand or mouth.

Harribel fires it from her shark arm and the size of it is impressive and quite unique.

That makes only her and Ulquiorra that have a unique Cero that can only be fired in their release form.

Her resurrection’s main power is water manipulation which makes sense given the shark themes.

• Trident which is when she fires a highly powerful slash from her sword.
• Hirviendo where she can boil any form of water including ice
• La Gota which is high pressured water that she can fire as a shark tooth projectile
• Cascada is when she launches a huge surge of high-pressure water at her opponents.

Harribel’s Accomplishments Include:

• Surviving Aizen
• Projecting her Fraccion in the flashback

I will not lie that Harribel’s looks factored into the decision of ranking her this high.

Besides Isane Kotetsu I do not find any other female character in Bleach to more attractive than Harribel.

I am not into the whole Wifu culture but if I were Harribel might be on that list.

But now that I got my bias out of the way let’s get serious.

Harribel is one of the strongest Espada in Bleach and needed more screen time.

She never lost to anyone and I would argue was on the verge of victory again Toshiro, Lisa, and Hiyori.

I like her unique skill set and leadership qualities that she brings to the table.

Overall an awesome character that needed more time to shine.

It’s a mere coincidence that my number 1 pick would also be the number 1 ranked Espada.

Stark is like the relaxed version of Grimmjow besides the Aizen loyalty part.

He is apathetic about the Espada and the cause to fight the Shinigami.

I think he only joined because of Aizen but he shows little interest in fighting.

He hates fighting strong opponents.

I love his laid back attitude because it’s a “starrk” (I will see myself out now) contrast to his fighting abilities.

Starrk is the only Espada and probably Hollow that can fire Ceros from different parts of his body and without any gestures.

He is a Sonido master and I think he has the fastest Sonido of any Espada.

He can separate his soul which is who Lilynette Gingerbuck turns out to be.

Starrk does not have a Zanpakuto instead he combines with Lilynette to release his powers.

Which makes him the only one to seal his powers in an Arrancar instead of a Zanpakuto.

Starrk’s resurrection form is so cool everything from his appearance to the actual power he possesses.

I love how he sits in the clouds after releasing his power.

Starrk’s main power is his Cero guns. He has two and both fire Ceros if you were curious.

One can fire rapid weak Ceros while the other fires stronger Ceros.

Starrk can use Colmillo which when he creates two energy swords.

His final ability is the wolves where he can split Lilynette’s soul into wolves that explode on contact.

These are much stronger than Ceros and even Shunsui comments that the wolves almost killed him.

It’s hard to come up with some accomplishments because Starrk does not do anything in the series.

He barely gets any screen time.

The only note worth things he does is having an awesome battle and recapturing Orihime.

Much like Harribel Starrk is quality over quantity kind of thing. We don’t much but what do get is terrific.

Among all the Espada I had actual empathy for Starrk. I related to him the most.

I wanted him to win against Shunsui so much so that after his defeat I rooted for Aizen to kill Shunsui.

He of course didn’t but Shunsui got beat pretty bad.

I wish they had switched Stark with Yammy in terms of screen time.

So, for being the coolest and most interesting Starrk is my number one Espada in Bleach.

Well, we reached the end of the list. If you have made this far thanks for reading. You may not agree with any of my ideas but you can’t deny that I put a lot of effort into these articles.

I now ask you is your ranking of the Espada do you have Ulquiorra higher or lower than me.

Let me know and if I got something wrong please do not hesitate to point it out.