Elite! The Four Shinigami

'''Elite! The Four Shinigami''' is the two-hundred-sixteenth episode of the Bleach anime.

As Ichigo confronts Ulquiorra, the battle for the four pillars begins in Karakura Town.

Summary
Ichigo Kurosaki arrives in the 5th Tower to save Orihime Inoue and confronts Ulquiorra Cifer, who tells him that because Sōsuke Aizen has not ordered Orihime killed, he shall not kill her. However, because Ichigo is a threat to Hueco Mundo that must be destroyed, he will kill him. As a result, Ulquiorra finally unsheathes his sword and they begin their battle. Meanwhile, back at the fake Karakura Town, Baraggan Louisenbairn takes command since his boss is locked inside Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's fire prison, ordering both Tier Harribel and Coyote Starrk to not underestimate him. His first plan of action is to destroy the four pillars protecting the real Karakura Town, and he sends out four large Hollows to do the job, unaware that the Gotei 13 did not just leave those pillars completely unprotected. Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Izuru Kira and Shūhei Hisagi each take one pillar, and after defeating the Hollows with ease, are matched up against Choe Neng Poww, Charlotte Chuhlhourne, Abirama Redder and Findorr Calius: four of Baraggan's six Fracción. Each is introduced to the other and the battle for Karakura begins.

Substitute Shinigami Work Diary
Renji Abarai and Ichigo Kurosaki sit in Ichigo's room and Renji flips through various sunglasses magazines. He asks Ichigo which pair he should buy and that he wants to buy some trendy glasses. Renji eventually finds a pair that piques his interest and asks Ichigo what he thinks of them. Ichigo says that they are fine without ever actually looking at the glasses. When Renji returns to Soul Society he shows Byakuya the glasses he bought, which were blue and yellow star shaped glasses. He then reveals a pair of pink and yellow heart shaped glasses that he bought for Byakuya, but Byakuya says he doesn't want them.

Fights

 * Ichigo Kurosaki & Uryū Ishida vs. Ulquiorra Cifer: Final Fight
 * Yumichika Ayasegawa vs. Charlotte Chuhlhourne
 * Izuru Kira vs. Abirama Redder

Powers and Techniques Used
Hollow techniques:

Techniques used:
 * Tenkai Kecchu
 * Tenkai Kecchu
 * Tenkai Kecchu

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai:

Bankai:

Other powers: