Let’s have an exercise in futility: ranking the Espada. There have been many number theories and mathematical sequences generated in order to create a logical order to the ranking of the Espada but so far none have been correct. Because I’m bored, let’s talk about what you think the ranking of the Espada might be. There might be spoilers below so don’t click if you’re not caught up with the manga. I have included a picture of the infamous tea party table seating for reference (click for bigger).
Here’s my personal prediction on the ranking:
1. Ulquiorra
2. Nnoitra
3. Stark
4. Old Espada
5. Halibel
6. Grimmjow
7. Zommari
8. Szayelaporro
9. Aaroniero
10. Yammy
Bolded names are the confirmed rankings by manga. All the rest are based on gut feeling with no complicated number sequences or formulas, except for Noitora – I think he is #2 based on what he told Telsa. He thinks he’s the strongest Espada but yet he’s not recognised as the strongest, so this probably means he’s #2. And I think Ulquiorra is #1 because he’s so damn intelligent and analytical, and he is Aizen’s pet as well.
This is the current actual rankings as revealed by the manga, together with my new predictions:
1. Stark
2. Halibel
3. Old Espada
4. Ulquiorra
5. Nnoitra
6. Grimmjow
7. Zommari
8. Szayelaporro
9. Aaroniero
10. Yammy
So let me hear all your theories and predictions on the rankings of the Espada!
1940 Comments
1. Old Espada
2. Noitora
3. Stark
4. Ulquiorra (#4)
5. Halibel
6. Grimmjow (#6) // Luppi (was Former #6 Espada)
7. Stone-face dude with skull earrings
8. Zaelapollo (#8)
9. Aaroniero (#9)
10. Yammy (#10)
The Arrankar (Espada) in my list with “#” is from the manga oficial rank release….
As far as I’m concerned, Luppi was never a “real” Espada; he was just an expendable tool. Ironically enough, it looks that way for several of the current Espada. I’m interested in seeing what role the Vasto Lordes will play.
sorry 2 go off the whole topic of ranking i really hope u guys don’t mind..i’m junior i like in the caribbean so bleach dosen’t show here n i hav 2 watch it on youtube but the last bleach episode i saw was 120 i haven’t found any of the others n i’m sure i’m missin alot…can anyone plz send me a site where i can watch from 121- where ever they @ now?
yo. bleach is also on this site
http://www.dailymotion.com/us
Hey junior I know a great site where you can see the show in perfect high quality. Go to http://www.Veoh.com. It works the same way Youtube does except theres no banning of the shows.
thanx alot guys.
It would be nice to know how many of the Espada are vastrodes and how many are adjuchas, since we know that there was only 1 gillian among them.
Well I think that the top 5 espada are Vasto Lordes, and Espadas 6,7,8,and 10 are only high level adjuchas.
Well I’m pretty sure Yammy is confirmed as an adjuchas.
i really think
Stark is rank 1…
man i wish they reveal the ranks already!!!
lolz! ohh man and no manga this week sucks!!
This is my updated opinion on the Espada ranking:
1st Espada- Stark
2nd Espada- Halibel
3rd Espada- Tall Mohawk Guy
4th Espada- Ulquiorra Schiffer
5th Espada- Noitora
6th Espada- Grimmjow Jaggerjack
7th Espada- Oscar Joaquin De La Rosa(Maybe?)
8th Espada- Zaera-Polo Grantz
9th Espada- Aaroniero Arleri
10th Espada- Yammy
Noitora is a confusing Arrancar Its confusing because he can be seen as either the 3rd, 5th, or 7th. The thing is he can’t be in the top 3 because those three are most likely Vasto Lordes and because he’s so freakishly tall he is probaly just an extremely high level Adjuchas. So he is most likely to be the 5th Espada because that’s where he seems best.
Official: Menos type has nothing to do with how human they look, it’s intelligence. Noitora could just be a not so smart vastrode.
Noitora would work well as 3rd or 5th. I know sword size isn’t a real indication of power, but a zanpakuto of his size would be highly disproportional when placed between Grimmjow and Zaera-Polo’s. I just find it hard to see Noitora talking back to Ulquiorra and Halibel if either of them are more powerful. On the other hand, it seemed almost as if Ulquiorra was toying with him in their previous discussion, so who knows. Although he seems pretty careless, I think he’s smarter than he’s letting on. He might be egotistical, but he was still able to hold his own in battle. He’s different than Zaera-Polo and Arroniero, who carelessly rushed out into battle, and are now paying for their mistakes. However, 10 chapters is far too long for him to have not found an opponent; he needs to do something in the next couple of chapters.
if i wanted to have a crazy guess to have the remaining espadas in positions i would least expect, it would be like this:
1. dark skinned-espada
2. old espada
3. noitora
5. stark
7. hali-bel
(this list is to show a mix up ranking to indicate that these could be the rankings since we can’t anticipate them) THERE IS NO REASONING FOR THEM BESIDES THE FACT THAT THEY ARE RESULTS DUE TO OTHER ANTICIPATED VOTES.
basically these rankings are for us to be like “i can’t see those being the rankings.” lol
but if i wanted to be serious and guess, it’s pretty much the same as my older guess:
1. Stark
2. Noitora or dark-skinned espada
3. dark-skinned espada or Noitora
5. Hali-bel
7. old espada
Here’s my updated rankings with the new names:
1st Espada- Stark
2nd Espada- Halibel
3rd Espada- Tall Dark Skinned Guy
4th Espada- Ulquiorra Schiffer
5th Espada- Noitora
6th Espada- Grimmjow Jeagerjaques
7th Espada- Oscar Joaquin De La Rosa
8th Espada- Szayel Aporro Grantz
9th Espada- Aaroniero Arleri (Deceased)
10th Espada- Yammy
My current list:
1. Dark Espada
2. Stark
3. Halibel
4. Ulquiorra Schiffer
5. Noitora
6. Grimmjow Jaggerjack (Boycotting the new spelling; it sucks)
7. Oscar Joaquin De La Rosa (?)
8. Zaera-Polo Grantz (Same as Grimmjow)
9. Arroniero Arleri (Deceased)
10. Yammy
Yammy is officially a pushover; he’s pretty useless, and will almost definately be kicked out once the new Espada is formed. Now, I believe there are three possible scenarios: 1. Yammy is defeated/killed by someone (possibly Chad); 2. Once the new Espada is formed, Yammy will still play a minor role (ex. Ulquiorra’s assistant); 3. Yammy is completely removed from the Espada, and is effectively wiped off the face of the Bleach world.
Now, Zaera-Polo will most likely be killed in his battle against Ishida and Renji. Like Arroniero, he served his role well, but was ultimately a dispensible character. Now that leaves us with the top 7 Espada. I feel it would make most sense for the old one (Chad’s Grandfather?) to be 7th. After all, he made very cocky remarks about Ichigo’s team, alongside Zaera-Polo and Arroniero. Although his dialogue could easily be there to fool the fans, I don’t feel he deserves a place in the top 3. Plus, if he does end up being Chad’s Grandfather (which would most likely indicate a final showdown with him and Chad), he would probably have to be one of the weakest members of the new Espada. However, Noitora also appears cocky. I feel as though their positions in the Espada can be interchangeable. Noitora does look pretty strong from his zanpakuto’s appearance, but Ulquiorra seemed to be almost toying with him in their previous dialogue. This is what leads me to believe that Ulquiorra may outrank him.
Now, this assumption has no real merit, but I would imagine that the only female in the Espada would be one of the stronger ones. As for Stark, I feel that he is just too cool a character to waste on the lower echelon of the Espada. Again, no merit in the assumption, just what I personally want. As for the tall, dark dude, everything about him just seems to scream 1st Espada; from his sitting posture, to his commanding presence. Now, I could be completely wrong with all 5 of my guesses for the remaining Espada, but this is what I currently think. Also, am I the only one that thinks Grimmjow may die in the current arc (possibly at the hands of Ichigo, Aizen, Tosen, or Ulquiorra)? Then again, maybe he’ll suddenly gain Vasto Lorde powers and become one of the top Espada (who knows, anythings possible, and Grimmjow’s cool enough to do it). Either way, I hope some cool Vasto Lordes are thrown into the mix once the new Espada is assembled.
Guest. u got a nice observation there. hmmmmm.
Here is my list that I think is the real ranking, because it really makes sense.
1. Stark
2. Noitora
3. Halibel
4. Ulquiorra
5. Old Espada
6. Grimmjow
7. Stone-face dude with skull earrings
8. Zaelapollo
9. Aaroniero 10.
i really want to know who would win if the arrancars (espada) VS the vizards
and if urahara kisuke was the one who invented H
Well first of all, Guest, that was a good theory right there. You really proved all of your thoughts. Getting back on topic, I firmly believe that the big dark skinned guy is the 3rd Espada. It is true that he appears to have a commanding prescence, but to me, he does not seem to be the top Espada. As said by a guest once, if you look closely at him in the meeting picture, he has 3 markings above his left eye. He has the same 3 markings under his lip on his chin in the Espada picture… Oh and one more thing, I’m with you on the boycotting of the new names, Jeagerjaques sucks!
Ok, I see where you’re going, and for all I know you could be right about the tall, dark dude being 3rd, but think about it; the marks don’t really have to mean anything. I mean, Arroniero’s mask had 8 holes in it, but that didn’t make him the 8th Espada. Halibel has 2 circular things on the top of her arrancar uniform, but that doesn’t necessarily make her 2nd. However, you could easily be right about his ranking. Personally, the only 2 Espada that I feel deserve 1st ranking are the tall, dark dude and Stark. Noitora being 1st wouldn’t be very logical, and Halibel doesn’t seem to fit there as well. The old one could be first as well, but he seems too cocky.
True. The old guy has to be of a lower rank like 7th because like you said, if he is Chad’s grandfather, then they are most likely to have a showdown. Chad really isn’t the strongest out of their group so they’re going to have to make this Espada particulary weak for people like Ichigo but just as strong as Chad.
Also what you said about Halibel could also be true, however the reason why I think shes the 2nd is not because she has those two circles on her collar, but because she bears a striking resemblance to Soifon of the 2nd Division.
Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Though, if you think Halibel should be 2nd because of her resemblance to Soifon, wouldn’t it make sense to put the old Espada at 1st to parallel Yamamoto? And am I the only one that wants the Zaera-Polo fight to be over with; at this point, I don’t even care about his release, I just want to see some more confirmations in the Espada rankings. I want to see more of Grimmjow and Stark, as well as finding out just where the hell Noitora ran off to.
Noitora’s one of my favorite Arrancar, and I’ve been dissapointed at how Tite Kubo hasn’t brought him up again.
I personally love. the Espada. Here is what I base my predictions on what the true rankings will be like.
1. Stark (It seems as though he follows Aizen out of bordom, allthough I don’t beleive it was confirmed he did. His mask is completely removed and the only remains of it are a necklace. Meaning he’s GOT to be the Top Ranked Espada.
2. Halibel (I don’t know why, but Halibel strikes me as though she should be number two in the Espada Ranks. She’s the only female in the Ranks, and the remains of her Hollow Mask are on her cheeks, meaning that her mask was almost completely removed too. It seems to me she should be number 2…)
3. Noitora (As much as I love him, he has allready claimed he’s not the top ranked Espada. However, that hat is kickass, and I beleive that he is defedently tougher than Ulquiorra, by just the way he was talking to him.)
4. Ulquiorra
5. The old Espada (Age dosne’t always nececerily come with power, but usually wisdom. In terms of looks, he couldn’t possiblybe the first ranked Espada. I’d be pissed if he was.)
6. Grimmjow Jaggerjack (God I wish he was ranked higher…)
7. The African American Espada (I could easily rank this guy as number 2, but I didn’t. He doesn’t seem to look all that powerful, but I could be wrong…)
8. Zearra Polo Grantz
9. Aaroneiro Arlei (Hard to beleive a Gillan is stronger than an Adjucas, Yammy. Aaroneiro was pretty cool up until the time he was incapacitated.)
10. Yammy
Rob: Mask fragment size is probably meaningless since that means Grimmjow should be higher ranked than Ulquiorra. And also Edorado only had a tiny nose mask fragment which would have made him the most powerful one.
Rob, i noticed that about Stark as well. i know that everyone has some type of mask remains whether it’s large or small (irrelevant to ranking). However, Stark is the only espada who doesn’t have a hollow mask attached to him. if he wanted to, he could take off his necklace, and u wouldn’t be able to identify him as an espada. i think that this a key factor for him being number 1. i’m not saying that whoever has a smaller piece or less is higher ranked, but i’m saying that since his mask is a necklace, he DOES NOT have remains of a mask on him at all. his is just for charm. my opinion is that he is number 1.
Stark is too cool not to be number 1. Unfortunately, Tite Kubo isn’t going to be inclined to put Stark at the top simply because the fans want him to be at the top. As much as I hope Stark is the top one, I’m bracing myself for disappointment if he happens to be weaker that I’d like (ex. 5th or 7th). Still, if he is infact the top Espada, there must be some reason for it. I think an important clue to accurately guessing the numbers of the remaining Espada members is Noitora. Unfortunately, he’s still a bit of an enigma. For example, he appeared to be talking down to Ulquiorra and Halibel. Ulquiorra retorted by calling him small-minded and later, when Noitora finished off Chad, an idiot. However, Stark was able to stop Noitora from talking at the Espada meeting. Noitora is pretty cocky, but he’s also more careful than some of the others (Grimmjow, Zaera-Polo, Arroniero). Now, no matter how prideful Noitora may be, it would not be wise for him to talk down to his superiors. If Ulquiorra wasn’t as calm and collected as he is, and had a temperament akin to Grimmjow’s, he would have kicked Noitora’s ass (or at least given him a good threat). Also, keep in mind that Noitora had no response for Stark.
Now, I believe, unless this is all purely coincidence and I’m over-analyzing everything, there are two distince posibilities:
1) Noitora did not talk back to Stark because he is clearly outranked. He talked back to Ulquiorra and Halibel because he is stronger than them, and is in the position to do so.
2) Noitora talked down to Ulquiorra and Halibel because they are ranked higher than him; this is because of jealosy and resentment, as well as his constant pursuit of the highest rank. So, basically, he hates them because Aizen placed them at higher ranks; Stark is weaker than him and, therefore, poses no threat for Noitora.
Now, this may mean nothing at all. I could easily be over-analyzing everything, but I just figured I’d throw that out there for further discussion.
both explanations sound reasonable. i might agree from both pieces. lol the only thing that i would keep in mind always is that, i think that MAYBE Stark DID shut Noitora up. lol just wat i think. Stark is starting to get some character development, which is good. we should find out soon. i have my eyes on the dark espada as well. he’s very mysterious. he seems like the strong silent type, but sophisticated and intelligent.
1. Stark – Lazy, uninterested, and just sorta resembles Aizen in the way he rests on his hand. Seems more of the commander type than someone who would actually go out and fight.
2. Halibel – Soi Fong meets Yoruichi? 2nd Squad Captain = Number 2 in Espada
3. Noitora – If he was second, he probably wouldn’t have made such a fuss over being first. He’s gotta be around 3rd to make him feel unnoticed.
4. Ulquiorra – Never thought he would be the top anyways. He does too much field work to make him the leader.
5. Stone-face dude with skull earrings – Not enough character development to feasibly add him in as the strongest espada.
6. Grimmjow – He’s awesome, but he’s doesn’t beat Ulquiorra. And frankly, the number 6 suits him a lot better than 5 anyways.
7. Old Espada – Looks weak, and is probably there for “wisdom” purposes unless he goes Yamamoto Genryuusai on us, but that would make it way too resemblant to the Gotei 13.
8. Szayelaporro – The Mayuri of the group. Useful, but at the same time, who cares?
9. Aaroniero – pwned. just…pwned.
10. Yammy – Weak even when you compare him to the Privaron Espada. Ichigo could own him with just his normal bankai.
1. Halibel
2. Stark
3. Noitora
4. Ulquiorra Schiffer
5. Old Man/Studs
6. Grimmjow Jeagerjaques
7. Old Man/Studs
8. Szayel Aporro Grantz
9. Aaroniero Arleri
10. Yammy
I’m going to try to rationalize this with logic.
-Noitora at #3-
He has said he isn’t the first, but thinks himself to be just as strong. Usually those who brag about such things have something to back it up. Ulquiorra seems to direspect him, which could mean they are very close in power, possibly only a single digit.
-Stark at #2-
Being the lazy one, Stark wouldn’t probably be a low ranking Espada. Its not a good character idea for him to be lazy and weak, however lazy but powerful makes for a good setup. However, those in positions of highest rank, usually must put up with being a figurehead, which generally means one can not be lazy. Being in second in command however put him at just the right spot to be carefree enough to slip in naps and oversleep.
-Halibel at #1-
Due to her attitude, appearance she seems well off enough to be ranked in the top 5. My thought is that since the Espada are a backwards version of the Soul Society, a female would be in power.
-Old Man/Studs at #5 and #7-
The old man seemed to be cocky and, due to his fairly small size, wouldn’t seem to be high up on the list. Even the leader of the 1st Division is tall, even though he is hunched. Studs seems too straight up, obedient and bland to be too powerful. However, the lack of character definition in both these two makes it hard to place them.
From what Lillinet said to Stark, it seems almost implied that Stark is at the top. She asks him if he’s “ok with that,” in reference to Arroniero’s death; that would insinuate that he should care, even though he doesn’t show it. If anything, I think the top Espada would be in command of the lower ones, and part of his job may entail making sure the lower ones don’t go out and get themselves killed. Stark doesn’t really seem to care about much, though. If we were going by behavior only, the old man and Noitora would be the 5th and 7th Espada, respectively. Since Bleach isn’t always predictable, that may not be the case. Also, according to the most recent spoiler (which may or may not be correct), it appears that Zaera-Polo fled; if true, very disappointing, as I had hoped that 3 Espada would be disposed of during this arc.
i think that stark is number one since his very name in german can mean “strong”
i also think that stark is number one since his very name in german can mean “strong” also manga hints
Yeah, I noticed that when his name was introduced. The word stark means completely or entirely, so maybe. I’d like to see him be the strongest Espada, but the dark one could work too. I really don’t want the old one to be the top though, and I can’t see Halibel or Noitora as the top one. I think Noitora is in the top 5 though. It’s a bit difficult to compare his rank to Ulquiorra’s though; we don’t know who’s superior. According to one translation I read, Noitora is incredibly rude to Ulquiorra, and goes as far as telling Ulquiorra to stop being a little bitch. In both translations I’ve read, Ulquiorra suggests that Noitora is small-minded for his behavior. Obviously, Ulquiorra knows alot more about Aizen’s plans than Noitora (or any other Espada, for that matter), but he turned out to be only 4th. And the outcome of the Zaera-Polo fight was interesting. Sure, I’m disappointed that only one Espada was taken out so far, but Zaera-Polo eating his subordinate sure was an interesting twist. Strange that his number and hole aren’t visible. Perhaps they’re on his legs, perhaps he doesn’t even have a hole. After all, we never saw a hole on Arroniero; maybe he didn’t have one either. Zaera-Polo could have also removed his hole as well, he seems crazy enough to do that. If the spoilers I read for chapter 277 are correct, it appears that we’ll see a bit of Grimmjow and Ulquiorra (with Orihime and Ichigo’s body) in that chapter, maybe even an eventual fight between the two Espada. Now, all we need is for Noitora to crash the party.
Honestly, I think Ichigo’s team made an incredibly stupid mistake by just walking in and assuming they had a chance against even the lower level Espada. Spliting up was bad enough, but they didn’t even investigate before they went out into battle. I mean, they have Nell and the other two hollows accompanying them (who, living in Hueco Mundo, must know a bit about the Espada), and they didn’t even think to ask about the specific Espada members. I’m sure Nell has some idea of who Ulquiorra and Grimmjow are; Pesshe even knew who Zaera-Polo was, along with his number. Something tells me that Noitora is very powerful though. After Chad defeated Gantenbein, Noitora appeared. Now, it wouldn’t be too much of a problem if it was someone like Yammy or Arroniero, but Gantenbein told Chad to run. Obviously, because he knew Chad had no chance in hell of winning. Still, Gantenbein seemed to know who Noitora was, or at least recognized him.
ya. that was some sort of signal of how powerful Noitora could be. i DO remember that. he knew that Chad was out of his league, so he told him to run. good point. as for Aaroniero, he might have had his hole hidden under his clothing. if not, he was an experiment anyway. as for Szayelaporro, i was shocked by the fact that u didn’t see his tatoo or hole. since he’s a scientist, maybe he found a way to cover up his hole or something, and as for his tatoo, maybe it IS on one of his legs.
I decided to devise a new ranking system based on resemblance to the captains of the 13 divisions. I noticed many similarities to the captains when looking at the Espada. For example:
Ulquiorra= Byakuya
Stark= Shunsui
Halibel= Soifon
Zaera-Polo= Mayuri
Noitora= Zaraki
Old Espada= Yamamoto
Then, I decided to order the unranked Espada in order of strength of the respective captains. Now, the old Espada could also be Chad’s grandfather (which would invalidate the resemblance of the old Espada to Yamamoto), but I figured I’d make this list since I was bored. I’m sure it doesn’t have too much relevance to the story, it’s just an interesting topic. Anyways, here’s my Espada rankings based on the captains:
1. Old Espada
2. Stark
3. Dark Espada
4. Ulquiorra
5. Noitora
6. Grimmjow
7. Halibel
8. Zaera-Polo
9. Arroniero
10. Yammy
Stark is number 1 – no doubt about it lolz he doesnt seem to care about whats already goin on n shit! lol! and the way he acts haha!
No, he doesn’t really seem to care at all. All he really wants to do is sleep. I get the feeling that he’s not really all that bad, but could kick nearly anyone’s ass if provoked. Noitora didn’t even respond when Stark told him to shut up at their meeting. He really reminds me of Shunsui; he could easily defeat anyone in Ichigo’s team, but he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy that would just kill for the sake of killing.
Anyways, I’ve been thinking about Noitora; I’ve always felt that the 3rd and 5th spots suited him best, but now I’m leaning more toward the 5th. Think about it; Ulquiorra seems really powerful for only 4th place, so I’d expect that the top 3 would be even more observant and intelligent. Now, Noitora doesn’t strike me as a pushover (and for all we know he really could be the strongest Espada), but at the same time he doesn’t seem very careful. Look at the 4 we know the least about: Stark, the black guy, and the old guy all appear to be inside their respective rooms, and by the looks of it Halibel is outside somewhere. Meanwhile, Noitora goes out looking for a fight (alongside Arroniero, Zaera-Polo, Grimmjow, and Ulquiorra). To be fair to Ulquiorra and Noitora, they were far more prepared than the others; Arroniero and Zaera-Polo were just careless, and if things go according to plans, Ichigo just may finish Grimmjow off for good. Now, I honestly do want to see a final showdown between Ichigo and Grimmjow. It’s about time. I mean, what else did everyone expect? He’s Grimmjow. I’ve been reading crazy theories on other sites, even insinuating an Ulquiorra vs. Grimmjow fight. While that would be cool, it’s obvious that Ulquiorra would wipe the floor with Grimmjow. At this time Ichigo’s powerful enough to take Ulquiorra down, so all he really needs is an extra push and Grimmjow’s done. Grimmjow is currently my favorite Espada (though Stark will probably change that when we find out more about him), but I feel that he’s already served his role in this story. He doesn’t appear to have a backstory of any significance, he’s just obsessed with power. Now, I just want to see a good fight, and Grimmjow going out with a bang.
One thing that’s interesting is Gin’s corridor manipulation. We don’t know what exactly he did, but we can assume that he led Rukia, Renji, and Ishida to weaker Espada. Chad wasn’t as lucky and ended up with someone way too difficult for him to handle. Somehow, Noitora strikes me as more powerful than just 7th. Right now, I’m thinking 5th might work best. He seems powerful enough, but he has a real bad attitude. Ulquiorra even went out of his way to call Noitora an idiot for rushing out to fight against orders. Ulquiorra sure doesn’t seem to think too much of the weaker Espada, but by his demeanor I would assume that he’d treat the stronger Espada respectfully, just like he acts toward Aizen. Plus, the way they were talking together makes it seem as if they are closely ranked. I could be wrong, and Noitora could be 3rd, but I get the feeling that they are close in power. Having said that, Ulquiorra went out of his way to immediately answer a question from the dark Espada. He didn’t even hesitate; so maybe the dark Espada is one of the top 3 (hopefully along with Stark).
Here’s wut i think:
1. The old guy cuz hes old!
2. STARK. cuz he just looks like it!
3. Noitora cuz he claims hes at the top of the espada and if he was below ulquiorra hes stupid for saying those things.
4. Ulquiorra
i’ve already kept a ranking prediction, and it stil remains until proven, but i have been wondering about the old man with the crown mask. he could be #1 to represent being the “king” of the espadas, but i just thought something. wat if he is not in the top 3, but his crown means that he is the king of adjucha level hollows? just something to think about. i could imagine that since vasto lordes are so rare and superior, maybe it’s like a privelage to be the strongest adjucha right below vasto lordes. the reason why i think it would be important to be recognized as this is because, i would think that vasto lordes are on a whole different level from what i know, so they wouldn’t have to be included or compared to any other form of hollows. being the highest level adjucha can be something that that hollow can take pride in. others may look up to him below the vasto lordes of course. this is just just a thought though.
Interesting prediction. If that were true, it would place the old Espada at 5th. Hopefully we’ll get some more ranking confirmations soon. I’d personally like Stark to be at the top though; after all, the most powerful arrancar are also said to be the most human. And Stark seems pretty human. Not just in appearance; he doesn’t seem all that bad.
Now, one thing about Noitora that people may be overlooking is his claim of being the strongest Espada. It may seem like a bluff, but for all we know he may actually be telling the truth. Now, keep in mind strongest doesn’t necessarily mean top ranked. He may physically be the most powerful, but there could be a couple of others that, while not quite as powerful as Noitora, are more skilled in other areas. A key in determining where he falls ranking wise is figuring out his relationship with Ulquiorra; does he view Ulquiorra as an inferior, or as competition?
yea. Stark is #1 material. Noitora might be telling the truth at the same time though. i could see the old espada at 5 for the break point dividing the vasto lordes from adjuchas as well. but i could also see him as number 7 meaning that Aizen’s plan for having only vasto lordes espadas is almost done. but about stark. i might have mentioned this b4. i don’t remember, but i recognized something different from him than all other espadas. everyone has made a point about the amount of hollow mask appearing on an arrancar. the conclusion was that it didn’t matter who had more or less. i agree….but…..Stark’s case is different. he does not have a hollow mask attached to him period. his is jewelry. everyone has some type of fragment of a hollow mask. if he decided that he didn’t wanna wear his mask, you could mistake him for a different being. i think this could be a factor in him being number one, because it isolates him from everyone else. his hollow remain is only a necklace, and nothing more.
Hmm..good points. Here’s what I’ve put together about the espada:
1. Stark – Carefree attitude towards the killing of a comrade and generally doesnt care what’s going on around him probably because he is the strongest.
2. Halibel – While Noitora was rambling on about how Aaroniero Arleri was killed, Halibel and Stark seemed to me the calmest out of everyone else.
3. Noitora – He claims that he’s the strongest but goes out and picks fights to prove he is which leads me to believe he really isn’t and just wants to get noticed.
4. Ulquiorra
5. Dark Man – I was thinking of how to differentiate whether the dark guy should be here or the old man and I felt it more likely that the dark man is the 5th espada. Being the oldest doesn’t always make you the strongest hence why I make the old man number 7.
6. Grimmjaw
7. Old Man – Seeing the crown as his remaining hollow mask I naturally assumed he was the number 1 espada, but I think he may have more influence over the Adjuchas. Or actually being one of the most powerful out there.
8.Zaera-Polo Grantz
9.Aaroniero Arleri
10. Yammy
Hmm sorry bout that. Meant to say under 2. Halibel – While Noitora was rambling on about how Ichigo and the others entered Las Noches, Halibel and Stark seemed to me the calmest out of everyone else. And while Noitora tried to start something with Stark and Halibel, he was shut up by Stark meaning there is a gap of power between the three and that attitude that Noitora had was probably resentment for being below them.
One thing that strikes me about Stark is just how human he seems. He seems pretty normal compared to some of the others. One interesting thing that I observed was how he treats Lillinet; Noitora and Zaera-Polo aren’t exactly nice to their subordinates. Out of all 4 of the Espada shown with their fraccion, Starks was the only one that didn’t refer to the respective Espada as -sama. Honestly, it seems like Stark treats her as an equal; something most likely very uncommon within the ranks of the Espada.
As far as Noitora goes, he’s most likely the 3rd or 5th Espada. I can’t see him as the top one, and the same goes for Halibel. If the old man turns out to be Chad’s grandfather, then he’ll probably be 7th. Noitora sure is a confusing character though; we can’t tell if his treatment of Ulquiorra and Halibel is because he resents their superiority, or if it’s because they are inferrior to him. Stark did seem to shut him up, so I’ll assume at least Stark is above him. One thing that’s troubling me is that more often than not, the most powerful enemy is the last revealed. Seeing as there are still 2 unnamed Espada, I have a feeling that the big black dude is definately up there in the power ranks. Still, I hope that Stark does end up as the strongest Espada.
ya. i guessed old man was 7 too. at the meeting those that were lower or made cocky remarks were grouped with certain espadas. those that remained quiet were grouped with the others. old man was talking cocky along with Szayelapporro. Aaroniero was grouped with them and he’s already dead. now Yammy is left with him. the other group that kept quiet was Ulquiorra, the dark espada, Hari-bel, and Noitora (with the exception of him). Aizen told the cocky group not to underestimate Ichigo. while the 2nd group did not receive a lecture. when i tried to narrow it down. i can see Hari-bel at 5. She does seem to have some superiorty, but to me, she seems a little bit more inferior than a couple of others. maybe she’s not, but waiting outside looking over the building seems kind’ve worried to me. maybe she wasn’t, but just gave me the impression. the dark espada didn’t react to anything so far. i can see him as 2 or 3. as for Noitora, i can see him as 2, so then he’s not far from number 1 making him envy not being the first. if he’s 3, maybe that seperates him better from number 1 because if he was 2 rankings away, maybe that sets up Stark better, because he shut up Noitora like nothing at the meeting. if he was 1 rank away, maybe he wouldn’t look at it as such a big difference. as for slot 5, if he somehow ended up there, that means when Ulquiorra talked to him, he was talking down to Ulquiorra. If not,Ulquiorra had a reason to be the way he was.
And this is what leads me to believe that Noitora is below Ulquiorra:
1. Their conversation. On the one hand, Noitora told Ulquiorra to stop being a little bitch. But after that Ulquiorra seemed to dominate the conversation. It seemed that Noitora wasn’t even able to grasp some of the concepts Ulquiorra was talking about.
2. Think about it. Ulquiorra, fourth in all of the arrancar under Aizen, practically killed Ichigo with just his bare hand. Now Chad, who is much weaker than Ichigo, was slashed by Noitora’s zanpakuto; keep in mind it was his sword, not his hand. If Ulquiorra were to impale Chad on his arm, he would have been even worse off than Ichigo, but after being sliced by Noitora, he still had the energy to stand. Tesla even seemed afraid for Noitora’s safety, which may indicate that Noitora isn’t as tough as he thinks he is. Now, I’m sure Noitora was just playing with Chad, but I would imagine that the top 3 Espada would have left Chad alot worse off than Noitora did.