Arrancar

In the Bleach series there are many characters that are proving to be very powerful. One of these teams is called the Arrancar. Arrancar are Hollows who have given up their masks and used the Orb of Distortion to gain a Soul Reaper's powers. During the series Arrancar show up in many forms and have various power levels.

Appearance and Behavior

Jeagerjaques, and Espada and five of the weaker Numero Arrancar. Most Arrancar look like Soul Reapers, but still have fragments of their masks on their heads. Since the Arrancar are suppose to be the Hollow equivalent to Soul Reapers they wear a uniform similar to the Soul Reapers, only they have various jackets and their uniforms are white. Most of the Arrancar carry a Zanpaku- to and display a Hollow's hole on their body. All the Arrancar have very independently defined personalities, but they are all very fierce and dangerous in battle.

The first Arrancar that is revealed in the series is Grand Fisher after he comes back to earth to destroy Ichigo for having been defeated by him earlier. Grand Fisher looks like a giant human who is wearing his Hollow mask half off and has his Hollow body draped over himself. Grand Fisher is an enormous monster, but he is no where near as powerful as a full Arrancar. The first fully powered Arrancars that show up are the Espada class.

Ranks

There are several classes set up for the Arrancar, the strongest being the Espada, and the weakest being the Numero. Also in the classes is a list of Arrancar that were once Espada, but have lost their rank because of more powerful Arrancar coming into existence. These are called the Privaron. Also, there is a class of Arrancar that basically servants for the Numero, much weaker than the other arrancars in comparison. These are the Fraccion.

Fraccion

The fraccion are weak and only exist for the sole purpose of serving the Numero. The number of Fraccion varies depending on the Numero and how much they feel that they need servants.

Numero

The Numero are the middle ground for the Arrancar ranks. They are weaker than the Privaron and Espada, but have never lost their rank. Some of the Numero are at a lieutenant level of power, but only when the lieutenant's power is sealed in the human world. Grimmjow took a team of Numero to attack Ichigo and the others at the beginning of the Arrancar storyline, and proved them to be very powerful at first. Once the power limitation was removed from the Soul Reapers, however, the Numero proved to be at about the same level as a fifth seat or less. There are many more Numero than there are Espada but have the same abilities usually. All Numero's rank is determined by a two digit number.

Privaron

The Privaron are the unfortunate few that were once Espada but were replaced. When Aizen brought the Orb of Distortion with him to make new Arrancar. The Privaron had their old one digit number replaced by a three digit number that identifies them as being stronger than Numero, but not as powerful as their replacements and former peers. So far there has been three Privaron shown, each in a ridiculous appearance and behavior. The Privaron were once at the top of the hierarchy of the Arrancar ranks but have fallen, now they will do anything to get back to the top of the list.

Espada

The Espada are the comparitive equivalents of a Soul Reaper Captain. The Espada are the top ten Arrancar and have a number to identify their rank tattooed on their body. The Espada are very powerful and are former Vasto Lorde and Adjuchas, with the exception of one who was a Gillain class Menos Grande. The Espada are each very different in their power according to their rank too. The difference between the number one ranked Espada and the tenth ranked Espada is very large. It is mentioned that the Espada are feared to be even more powerful than a Captain level Soul Reaper. Many of the Epsada are replacements for former Espada that were weaker than the ones that were created by Aizen.

List of known Espada members by rank

1. Stark
2. Barragan
3. Halibel
4. Ulquiorra Schiffer
5. Nnoitra Jiruga
6. Grimmjow Jeagerjaques/Luppi Antenor
7. Zomari Leroux
8. Szayel Aporro Granz
9. Aaroniero Arruruerie
10. Yammy

Powers & Abilites

Hollow Powers

The Arrancar have a lot of their original Hollow powers available to them. These techniques include the Cero (Zero) blast. This technique allows the Arrancar to gather energy at their mouths and release it as a concentrated blast at their opponents. The Cero is very powerful but requires a bit of time to build up, making the user a sitting target for attacks when they are building up the attack.

Arrancar Vs Hollow

A menos usually take the shape of a human when it becomes an Arrancar. Those who are Vasto Lorde retain the shape of a full human in size, stature, etc.

A third technique the Arrancar use is the Throat, a teleportation technique that allows them to travel back and forth between their world Hueco Mundo, and other worlds

Soul Reaper Powers

The Arrancar have several of the same abilities as the Soul Reapers, but they have different names than their adversaries. One of these techniques is the Sound, a substitute for the Flash Step. The arrancar also use a technique to sense others Spirit Pressure called the Inquiry.

The Arrancar also have a technique called the Steel Skin. Which is created by compressing large amounts of spirit particles. In this technique the Arrancar has a natural skin that is almost impenetrable to most weaker attacks.

Arrancar also carry a Zanpakuto but with a different release. When an arrancar draw their Zanpakuto they regain their hollow form and powers. Their new form is somewhat different instead of their limbs being black they are white and their strength gain a large power boost.