These 2 Bleach Villains Have More in Common Than Ichigo Fans Think

Each character in this series upholds their own moral compasses and sets boundaries for combat against adversaries. Many characters within the narrative opt not to take lives due to various motivations. One such character is Ichigo Kurosaki, who, although prepared to purify a Hollow, finds more intricacies when dealing with Arrancars or other challenging opponents. As a teenager raised in today’s world, it’s understandable that killing others would not be his preference. Nevertheless, Ichigo ultimately ends up taking the lives of Ulquiorra Cifer and Kugo Ginjo once he emerges victorious in their encounters.

In essence, Ulquiorra and Ginjo, despite being adversaries for Ichigo, differ significantly in terms of their abilities, beliefs, and narrative roles. Although Ulquiorra is more widely recognized, it’s Ginjo who has a greater influence on Ichigo’s growth. Both antagonists prompt Ichigo to evolve new forms through their encounters, with many of Ginjo’s interactions serving as training for Ichigo. Unlike Ulquiorra, whose intentions towards Ichigo are not personal, Ginjo does not hold any animosity against him on a personal level. Instead, they both aim at Ichigo’s allies, treating him as a means to achieve their respective goals rather than engaging him directly in battle.

Fullbringers Are Most Similar to Hollows

Fullbringer Powers Come From Hollow Attacks

Ichigo often battles against the simplest foes known as Hollows. These spirits are part of a spiritual reincarnation process, and when purified by a Zanpakuto, they move on to their appropriate afterlife. However, if a Fullbringer’s pregnant mother is attacked by a Hollow, the child can absorb remnants of the Hollow’s spirit energy (Hollow Reiatsu), boosting their power, particularly in the realm of Hueco Mundo. Chad, or Yasutora Sado, commented on how significantly stronger he felt within this land of Hollows.

In the world of Bleach, as hollows evolve, they regain a sense of self. This is particularly noticeable among Arrancar who rise above basic hollow impulses. Despite retaining the hunger common to all hollows, Arrancar are significantly more human-like. Similarly, Fullbringers, another category in Bleach, demonstrate a similar blend of human and hollow characteristics without succumbing to madness as they tap into their latent power.

Character	Technique	Manga Debut	Anime Debut	Japanese Voice Actor	English Voice Actor
Ulquiorra Cifer	Murciélago	Chapter 190	Episode 113	Daisuke Namikawa	Tony Oliver
Kugo Ginjo	Cross of Scaffold	Chapter 424	Episode 343	Hiroki Tōchi	Travis Willingham (Episode 343-366) Christopher Swindle (Episode 374+)

Ichigo possesses the traits of both Fullbringers and Hollows, although he exhibits characteristics more akin to Visored. He belongs to two distinct species, which makes it straightforward to draw comparisons with other Fullbringers and Arrancar. Characters like Ulquiorra present Ichigo with situations that trigger his most primitive hollow instincts, while Ginjo confronts him at the height of his humanity. These contrasting scenarios lead Ichigo to kill his adversaries, yet he feels profoundly different about each loss.

Ichigo Kills Ulquiorra While Out of Control

Ichigo Kurosaki Didn’t Want to Kill Anyone

Ulquiorra effectively stalls Ichigo’s progress during the rescue mission for Orihime Inoe, a task that was put into motion after she surrendered herself to Sosuke Aizen. Being the fourth strongest Arrancar, Ulquiorra uses this opportunity to demonstrate to Ichigo the vast disparity in their power levels against their adversaries.

Ulquiorra embodies nihilism, symbolizing death, and he finds no value in fighting something he sees as predestined. From his perspective, Ichigo’s attempts are futile due to this power imbalance. Moreover, Ulquiorra aims to crush Orihime’s spirit and responds aggressively towards ideas that he fails to comprehend.

During their decisive battle, Ulquiorra erroneously kills Ichigo; however, at that point in the narrative, Ichigo had been battling his inner Hollow but had managed to suppress it enough to use the Hollow mask effectively. The death of Ichigo causes him to lose any semblance of control over this suppression, prompting Zangetsu to take drastic measures to rescue Ichigo and safeguard Orihime. In his new form, Ichigo transforms into a pure Hollow, losing the ability to regulate himself. Although he wields immense power, he is now driven purely by instinct and lacks any remnants of humanity, which most powerful Hollows exhibit.

In their fierce battle, Ulquiorra is defeated by Ichigo severely. Yet, it’s after this confrontation that Ulquiorra plays a crucial role in saving Ichigo from his own destructive impulses. Tragically, in his frenzy, Ichigo not only slays Ulquiorra but also attacks Uryu Ishida. All of Ichigo’s deepest fears have come to fruition. Despite the fact that Ichigo engaged in combat with Ulquiorra, he never truly desired to take the Arrancar’s life. Overwhelmed by these events, Ichigo remains on the rooftop of Las Noches, with no choice but to press on. The anime, Bleach, doesn’t dwell long on Ichigo’s emotional state before Aizen intervenes to reveal how he has been manipulating Ichigo’s life all along.

Ginjo Uses Ichigo’s Powers Against Him

Ichigo is Deeply Affected By the Loss of His Powers and the Time Skip

In the world of Bleach, betrayal isn’t an unusual occurrence, yet Ichigo has never experienced it until now. While Aizen’s machinations in Soul Society caused chaos, Ichigo remained indifferent. However, unlike Ichigo who effortlessly garners loyalty from both friends and foes, Ginjo is an exception to this rule.

Ginjo skillfully manipulates those close to Ichigo into betraying him, and even causes harm. After taking Ichigo’s Fullbring and then restoring his Soul Reaper powers, Ichigo decides to eliminate Ginjo.

Ichigo’s desire to eliminate Shukuro Tsukishima arises from the strain this situation has caused him and his past encounters with enemies. If he had succeeded in sparing Ulquiorra, as he intended, perhaps Ichigo wouldn’t have considered killing as an easy option. The revelation that Ginjo is the true instigator of the horrors in this arc makes it simpler for Ichigo to channel his murderous feelings towards this confrontation.

Despite killing Ginjo, Ichigo feels compelled to give him a dignified burial, showing respect for his adversary and offering some solace in light of their complex past. Though Ichigo has transformed Soul Society and found support from allies who validate his beliefs about them, he recognizes the organization’s troubled history. Unlike Ulquiorra’s demise, Ichigo doesn’t feel remorseful about what transpired with Ginjo, but it’s meaningful that Ginjo didn’t disintegrate into nothingness. Ginjo remains in the cycle of reincarnation, which offers Ichigo a chance to honor his foe in a unique way.

Ichigo Only Has Time to React to One Death

Ulquiorra is Ultimately Overshadowed By Aizen

During the Arrancar Arc, Ulquiorra stands as a formidable adversary for Ichigo, unlike Aizen, who is more of an antagonist in a broader sense. Whereas Ichigo and Aizen have different perspectives on life, Ulquiorra’s beliefs starkly contrast with Ichigo’s to the core. Moreover, Ulquiorra holds Orihime captive, making him the major hindrance for Ichigo as he pursues his objective in this arc. Despite this, Aizen remains a formidable danger that continues to cast a shadow over the story even after Ichigo defeats Ulquiorra. With one battle concluded, Ichigo must quickly move on to the next conflict without much time for contemplation.

Although Ulquiorra was far stronger than Ginjo, Ginjo proves to be an equally formidable adversary for Ichigo. Unlike Ulquiorra, who used his superior power to overwhelm and break Ichigo, Ginjo’s manipulations left Ichigo feeling isolated and despairing in a way no other opponent has managed quite so effectively. While Aizen set the stage for Ichigo’s mental struggles during the Lost Substitute Soul Reaper Arc, even he couldn’t make Ichigo question his beliefs as much as Ginjo did. What makes Ginjo unique among Ichigo’s opponents is that he was able to bring tears to Ichigo’s eyes.

In this story, the tale serves as a conclusion to the Arrancar Arc and a prelude to the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. Following his long battle for equilibrium with them, Ichigo grapples with the aftermath of losing his power. After being treacherously deprived of that power, Ichigo finds himself at his most vulnerable. His confrontation with Ginjo signifies the end of the arc and represents a climactic moment in Ichigo’s personal journey within it. This battle provides him with an opportunity to reflect on his actions and find closure.

Ulquiorra plays a significant role in Ichigo’s character evolution, but not as much as he does for Orihime’s. This is because Ichigo is preoccupied with other emotional turmoil such as losing his powers and battling Aizen, which leaves less room for him to reflect on Ulquiorra. In contrast, Ginjo presents a different scenario, as Ichigo gets the chance to give Ginjo a proper send-off. Although both Ulquiorra and Ginjo are characters that Ichigo has defeated, their deaths contribute differently to the narrative of this anime.

2025-05-18 04:54