Nnoitra Gilga

is the Quinto (5th) Espada in Sōsuke Aizen's army.

Appearance
Nnoitra is the tallest Espada, excluding Yammy Llargo (whose height varies under certain circumstances), dwarfing even Chad by half a foot. This fact is emphasized by his very thin and lanky body. His face is frequently set in a huge smile which reveals his upper teeth, similar to Shinji Hirako. His black hair hangs past his shoulders, concealing the left side of his face and a large white eyepatch with one exposed dark gray eye. The eyepatch hides his mask fragments, consisting of a small set of jawbones and teeth surrounding his Hollow hole. The tattoo signifying his rank as 5th Espada is located on his tongue. His clothing consists of a modified Arrancar jacket with an overblown spoon-like hood and an opening starting at the neckline, showing most of his midsection, and closing at his waist. He wears the standard hakama, but the ends of his pant legs close inside extended and curved boots. When he was the 8th Espada, Nnoitra's hair was shorter and messier, he lacked the spoon hood, and he wore his jacket's collar upturned.

Personality
Personality-wise, Nnoitra is extremely rude and lecherous, accented by his snake-like eyes and perverted attitude towards Orihime, rudely referring to her as "pet-sama". He even went as far to ask Ulquiorra Cifer how well he "disciplined" her. He is an extremely foul-mouthed man, and is also a firm believer in male chauvinism and openly insults (and regularly attacked) the former 3rd Espada, though it's unknown if he holds the same grudge toward Tier Harribel. His overall goal is to prove himself to be the absolute strongest of the Espada, not wishing to waste his time killing those he dubs "weak". However, he has no qualms attacking stronger opponents who are already injured, a trait both Ichigo Kurosaki and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez berate him for. He also loathes looking weak, and thus, will refuse all forms of assistance offered to him during an ongoing battle, striking his lone Fracción, Tesra Lindocruz, for running over to his side (and releasing Orihime Inoue in the process) after Nnoitra was blasted by Nelliel's Cero Doble. He does, however, have at least some amount of concern for his sole Fracción's well-being, having attempted to warn Tesra to withdraw from battle after he determined via his Pesquisa that Kenpachi Zaraki was stronger than he had initially anticipated.

One of Nnoitra's most notable characteristics is his insatiable bloodlust and hunger for battle. Nnoitra's idea of a fulfilling end to his life would be to die on his own two feet while drowning on his own blood. Because fighting is his way of life, he continually strives to be stronger, and he considers himself indebted to Aizen for allowing him to exceed his natural fighting limits. To appease his craving for a good fight, he even defies a direct order from Aizen to patiently lie in wait for Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends when they try to infiltrate Las Noches in a bid to free Orihime Inoue.

In his later moments during his battle with Kenpachi Zaraki, he begins to show signs of weakness and desperation, and becomes increasingly frustrated over his inability to overcome the powerful captain. This stems from an inferiority complex he developed while serving as 8th Espada, due to his apparent inability to beat his opponents. Whenever his opponents refuse to kill him during a battle, particularly Kenpachi and Nelliel, Nnoitra takes it as a direct affront to his pride, because in his mind, neither Nelliel nor Kenpachi seem to think of him as their equal or superior, proving he wishes to be treated as equally as every other opponent he has treated. Ironically, he treated virtually everyone of his opponents the same way, unfairly and through dishonorable methods. He also does not hesitate to use any means - even unfair ones - in order to prove his superiority on the battlefield.

Arrancar arc
Nnoitra's watches the creation of Wonderweiss Margela, his back facing Ulquiorra and Yammy Llargo as Aizen explains to the Espada present the process of awakening the Hōgyoku from its inert state.

Hueco Mundo arc
Nnoitra attends Aizen's meeting about Ichigo Kurosaki, Yasutora Sado and Uryū Ishida entering Hueco Mundo to save Orihime Inoue. After Aizen warns the Espada to treat the intruders with caution, Nnoitra comments that they look weak. Tier Harribel warns him that if he had listened to what Aizen just said, he would have heard him state that they should not take the intruders lightly. Nnoitra tells her that is not what he meant and tells her not to get testy before asking her if she is scared. Harribel just gives him a cold stare. Grimmjow interrupts the brewing confrontation by attempting to walk out against Aizen's orders. He, alongside the other Espada, sits silently while Aizen subdues Grimmjow with his Spiritual Pressure to keep him in line.

Later, he attempts to start a conversation with Ulquiorra about Orihime Inoue. Nnoitra asks how he is handling her, stating he knows Aizen put him in charge of her. He asks how he is doing "taming" her, but Ulquiorra ignores him and walks away, calling him degenerate scum. Undeterred, Nnoitra uses Sonído to move in front of him and asks Ulquiorra to not get so testy as he is only asking if everything is going well. Ulquiorra can't comprehend why Nnoitra really cares as it's trivial, but tells him not to worry as Orihime has been under Aizen's spell even before she arrived in Hueco Mundo. Nnoitra then questions if Aizen has used Kyōka Suigetsu as usual, though Ulquiorra assures him that this situation was not that big of an issue to warrant its use. He further explains that the moment that she was invited there, multiple psychological cages were put in place, by putting her friends in danger she was forced into a situation where she couldn't refuse and made her surrender. Following that, they gave her the 12 hour period to say goodbye to one of her friends. Nnoitra still doesn't get the significance of the psychological cage that is being spoken about. Ulquiorra further explains that she is basically set to believe in her own mind that they are not the enemy and then she will follow them of her own free will. He also makes note that allowing her to say goodbye to a friend of her own choosing will allow her to leave evidence of her free will in the event so she will be looked as a traitor to her friends. Finally understanding, Nnoitra states that plan is well thought out and he would expect nothing less of Aizen, though Ulquiorra corrects him stating that such things to Aizen are nothing more than a game. If she is trapped then that is good, if she is not then that is okay as well, as either way she does not have the power to escape from Hueco Mundo or even the will to turn against them.

Nnoitra intercepts Sado after he defeats Gantenbainne Mosqueda, wondering if he is the first one to get there. Sado immediately charges at him, despite Gantenbainne's attempts to tell him to run. Nnoitra lets Sado punch him, but is unaffected, asking if that is his best shot. Nnoitra cuts Sado several times, calling him a weakling. Afterwards, Nnoitra sits down and rests until he is interrupted by Tesra, his Fracción. Tesra asks him if he is going to finish Sado off, but Nnoitra tells him no, saying that if he kills a thousand nobodies then nobody is going to admit that he is the strongest. He begins to explain that there is no value in taking a nobody's life, but is interrupted when he senses something. He tells him they are leaving as he has found a huge Reiatsu and that he is going to go crush it. As they leave, he senses Sado is alive. Sado tries to attack, but Tesra blocks for him. Tesra asks if they should go, but Nnoitra holds his blade to his throat, asking who told him to get involved. Tesra apologizes, noting his reasoning, but Nnoitra interrupts, stating there is no one who could beat him. He tells Tesra not to forget that, as he is the strongest Espada.

Nnoitra later watches Ichigo Kurosaki fight Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, silently watching the battle; studying Ichigo's attacks until they finish. When Grimmjow is defeated, Nnoitra attacks him, seriously wounding the 6th Espada. Ichigo questions Nnoitra, who does not respond, but rather attacks Grimmjow, who Ichigo blocks for. He then asks Ichigo his name, telling him he will remember it for the short time he will be alive. He throws his Zanpakutō and Ichigo dodges. Nnoitra then attacks relentlessly and has Tesra restrain Orihime when she tries to intervene. Nnoitra then reveals he is the 5th Espada and states all of Ichigo's opponents before him were weaker. The fight continues as Ichigo manages to hold his own against the Espada. Orihime pleads with Nnoitra to stop, but he tells her to shut up. He states that fights are not fair and that he has already seen everything Ichigo can do.

As Ichigo attacks, Nnoitra grabs Ichigo's blade and demonstrates the strength of his Hierro. He throws Ichigo before noticing Nel and commenting how weak she has become, prompting Ichigo to ask how he knows Nel. Nnoitra explains that Nel is actually Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, the former tercera Espada. Nel tries to deny this, but Nnoitra attacks her and Ichigo defends before Nnoitra sends him flying with a kick. Nnoitra comments that she seems to have lost her memory after he broke her mask. Ichigo yells and attacks Nnoitra, slashing him to no effect. Nnoitra sends Ichigo flying once more before doing the same to Nel. As he goes over to a wounded Ichigo, he states that it's time to end this. He grabs Ichigo's sword arm and breaks his wrist. Seeing Ichigo hurt triggers Nel's transformation into her original form much to Nnoitra's surprise.

Nnoitra states that she has returned to her original form. Before he realizes it, she uses Sonído to move Ichigo a safe distance away from him. Nelliel rushes to attack Nnoitra and cuts him across the chest before he can react, surprising him entirely. He tries to attack, but Nel easily counters everything, including his Cero. She sucks in the blast, firing it back as a Cero Doble, causing a huge explosion. Nnoitra stands back up, injured and asks Tesra why he let Orihime go. Nnoitra then smiles at Nelliel, saying that he was able to survive the blast due to how much stronger the Espada have gotten since she has been out. The two Arrancar continue to battle with both facing each other evenly. Nnoitra taunts Nelliel, asking how it feels to be beaten by the man she once called a beast. Nelliel then kicks his Zanpakutō away before releasing her own. Nnoitra tries to stop her, but is forced back by the release of Reiatsu. He is quickly overwhelmed as Nelliel uses her "Lanzador Verde" which slams him against a slab of rock. Nelliel prepares to finish the battle, but reverts to her child form, causing Nnoitra to laugh and kick her. Ichigo tries to attack, but is fended off. After getting bored with fighting Ichigo, he commands Tesra to finish him off, to which Tesra releases his Zanpakutō and proceeds to beat Ichigo mercilessly. Nnoitra then forces Orihime to watch as Ichigo is brutalized.

Kenpachi comes to Ichigo's aid as he blocks one of Tesra's attacks. After finishing Tesra, Kenpachi moves to Nnoitra. Nnoitra attacks, exchanging blows, ranks and names with Kenpachi. Nnoitra taunts Kenpachi, saying Kenpachi will never be able to cut through his Hierro. Kenpachi, undeterred, continues to fight Nnoitra with even more ferocity, much to the Espada's surprise. Nnoitra attacks as Kenpachi counters, forcing Nnoitra to dodge. Kenpachi questions why he dodged his attack, deducing that if he moved, it must mean the attack was dangerous. Kenpachi states that though Nnoitra claims that he can't be cut by Shinigami swords, he still seems to have some soft spots on him. Dismissing it entirely, Nnoitra jumps up and attacks him from above, though Kenpachi catches his blade with his bare hands then states that he has met a lot of annoying people and they all said that his sword can't cut them. But he has never met anyone whose eyes and throat can't be cut and he stabs his sword into Nnoitra's covered left eye and out the back of his head. Unaffected, Nnoitra grabs Kenpachi's wrist, much to his surprise, as the Espada moves himself in closer and thrusts his hand into Kenpachi's chest.

Nnoitra retracts his hand and uses the tip of Kenpachi's Zanpakutō to lift up his eyepatch, revealing his Hollow hole and mask remnants. Nnoitra explains Kenpachi's attack went right through him. When Kenpachi starts to laugh, he enrages Nnoitra who attempts to kick him, but Kenpachi grabs his ankle and apologizes for laughing. Kenpachi begins to take joy in the fact that Nnoitra can be cut and thus die. The two then clash and Kenpachi finally succeeds in cutting Nnoitra's forearm. They continue fighting on, fiercer than before, until Kenpachi cuts him again, as well as taking off a piece of the Espada's sword. Kenpachi then states he has warmed up to Nnoitra's Hierro and thanks him for the practice. The two continue and Nnoitra manages only to rip off Kenpachi's eyepatch, leaving himself open to be cut across the chest. Kenpachi then explains what his eyepatch does. Infuriated, Nnoitra finally releases his Zanpakutō. Nnoitra then asks how it feels seeing an Espada release their Zanpakutō for the first time. Though all he gets in response to his question is a smile from Kenpachi, who tells him that he has nice Reiatsu and that it's been a long time, as it was like the Reiatsu itself is sharpening his blade. Undeterred, Nnoitra tells Kenpachi to come at him. Kenpachi complies only to be dealt a grievous wound across his chest, for which Nnoitra mocks him.

Noticing that there is no movement from an unresponsive Kenpachi, Nnoitra sets his sights on Yachiru, but Kenpachi recovers and manages to cut off one of his arms. When Nnoitra comments on Kenpachi playing dead, Kenpachi states he was just thinking about how to deal with Nnoitra's arms. Nnoitra calls Kenpachi crazy and regenerates the lost arm. Continuing, Kenpachi manages to pin Nnoitra down, but Nnoitra reveals his two hidden arms and pierces Kenpachi's abdomen. Nnoitra then tells Kenpachi that he is going to use all six of his arms to take him out. Nnoitra generates another weapon, but Kenpachi only laughs, saying he is enjoying their battle. The two go at it again with Kenpachi continuously being cut. Kenpachi realizes that if this continues, he will die and states he does not want to die. He then reluctantly decides to use kendō. When Nnoitra expresses confusion, Kenpachi explains that the Captain-Commander made him learn it when he first joined the Gotei 13, but he never liked it, and asks Nnoitra if he knew a sword is more powerful when you use two hands instead of one. Nnoitra becomes bored with the conversation and charges at Kenpachi, who grips his sword with both hands and swings it down.

Kenpachi manages to land a powerful blow, dealing Nnoitra a fatal wound to his chest almost severing him in half. He is surprised that the Espada is still alive and then turns to walk away. Nnoitra yells at him, asking where he is going as the fight isn't over. Kenpachi explains he doesn't know what he is talking about, as the blow finished him and he is not about to be bothered with finishing off someone who can't even fight back. Undeterred, Nnoitra gets up and tells him the fight isn't over and taunts him to come back and continue fighting. Finally, Kenpachi gives in as Nnoitra moves to attack him, but Kenpachi lands another blow to his chest and Nnoitra falls to the ground. As he dies, Nnoitra makes eye contact with Nel, who awakens in time to see him die. Kenpachi stands over Nnoitra's corpse victorious, thanking him for the good fight.

Powers & Abilities
Master Swordsman: Nnoitra is highly masterful with his unique Zanpakutō. He used his skill to become somewhat of a savage brute, as the lack of true law in Hueco Mundo allowed him plenty of opportunity to engage in battle against Hollows and other Arrancar alike. He effortlessly wields his large Zanpakutō with ease, taking advantage of its unique shape to maximize his attacks. He is equally capable of using it as a ranged projectile as he is using it as a melee weapon. He is commonly seen using brute strength to hack down an enemy's defense.

Enhanced Hierro: Nnoitra holds the self-proclaimed title of the strongest Hierro of all Arrancar (including the Espada past and present), allowing him to withstand almost any attack with no sign of injury. However, Kenpachi Zaraki eventually found the necessary requirements to harm him after a brief trial-and-error duel; sharpening his Reiatsu in order to cut through Nnoitra's Hierro. This shows that while his Hierro is strong, all the opponent has to do in order to overcome it is "adapt" to its density with their own Reiatsu.


 * Nnoitra is capable of using an advanced version of Pesquisa (ability to sense people with Spiritual Pressure). While the technique normally works by entering a meditative state and functioning like sonar, all Nnoitra needs to do is put his hand to a grounded surface. His Pesquisa is even able to gauge the amount of spiritual power an enemy has, which he uses to identify potentially strong opponents.

Cero: His Cero attacks are uniquely golden, and are fired from the tip of his tongue as opposed to using his hands or fingers like most other Arrancar do.

Immense Spiritual Power: Nnoitra has an incredibly high Reiatsu, and is able to fight on par with Kenpachi Zaraki, a captain well known for high Reiatsu. It is because of this high spiritual power that Nnoitra has strong Hierro. He is just below the power level of the top four Espada, who are strong enough to destroy Las Noches simply by releasing their power. His Reiatsu is yellow.

Enhanced Strength: Despite his thin and fragile appearance, Nnoitra is frighteningly strong, and can put a lot of destructive power behind his large Zanpakutō with devastating results. By spinning his Zanpakutō by the chain-link, he can create whirlwinds.

Sonído: Nnoitra has been shown to use Sonído when discussing Orihime Inoue with Ulquiorra Cifer. He has also been shown using it in battle, but his skill level with the technique is unknown. He is fast enough to overwhelm a battle-worn Ichigo using his Bankai.

Zanpakutō

 * Nnoitra's Zanpakutō is uniquely different from the Zanpakutō of many of the other Espada since, unlike the basic sword shape of most Arrancar, Santa Teresa takes the form of a giant axe-like weapon bearing two crescent moon-shaped blades fused together at the backs, with a large looped chain connected to the shaft at the end of the handle. The chain is connected to Nnoitra's waist, allowing him to perform long-ranged attacks. During flashbacks to Nnoitra's time as the 8th Espada, it had only one crescent moon blade, as opposed to the two that it features now.


 * Resurrección: The release command is . Nnoitra gathers spiritual energy, forming a yellow aura around him and creating a small shockwave. He then lifts Santa Teresa over his head and says the release command, which causes spiritual energy to flow out from the empty space of the top blade. In this form, Nnoitra gains an extra set of arms, which take on an insect-like carapace and clawed hands, with each hand holding a large scythe-like weapon as well. The scythes themselves resemble the appendages of a praying mantis, and have a small golden tassel at the end of each staff. He also gains a golden marking extending from his forehead to below his right eye, as well as a pair of horns on his head resembling a crescent moon, with his left horn longer than his right. He gains several white, tendril-like appendages around his torso which extend over the sides of his abdomen. His Hollow mask also changes, becoming torn, with the teeth extending over the hole itself. The weapons are used by him to both defend and then rapidly attack his opponent, as seen in his fight with Kenpachi.


 * Resurrección Special Ability: In this state, Nnoitra's physical abilities are enhanced.


 * Instantaneous Limb Generation: Nnoitra can grow an extra set of arms for a total of six. He keeps one set hidden, which he can grow out instantly to perform surprise attacks.


 * Weapon Generation: Nnoitra can grow his scythe-like weapons out of the folds of his wrists, allowing him to replace lost or damaged weapons easily.


 * Enhanced Strength: In this state, his strength is enhanced even further, allowing him to overwhelm Kenpachi Zaraki during their battle.


 * High-Speed Regeneration: Nnoitra has the rare ability to instantly heal injuries while in his released from. The power also allows him to regenerate severed limbs. However, the weakness of High-Speed Regeneration is that it cannot heal injuries to his internal organs or the brain, and will cease working once either scenario occurs.

Fracción

 * Tesra Lindocruz - A male Arrancar who assists Nnoitra wherever he goes. He seems to idolize Nnoitra to a degree, shielding Nnoitra against Chad's last assault, despite criticism from Nnoitra himself. When Tesra attacks Kenpachi without assessing his strength, Nnoitra screams at him to get away, before Kenpachi deals Tesra a single, severely damaging blow, showing that despite his behavior, Nnoitra has some concern for Tesra's well-being.

Appearances in Other Media
Nnoitra appears in a few Bleach games. He first appears in Bleach: Heat the Soul 5 without his Resurrección. He is also playable in Bleach: Versus Crusade with his release state this time. He is also playable in Bleach: Heat the Soul 6 and Bleach: Heat the Soul 7 with his Resurrección; Santa Teresa. His Resurrección is fully playable in Bleach: Soul Resurrección.

Censorship
The injuries Nnoitra sustained from Kenpachi Zaraki's Kendo attack are portrayed differently in the anime. In the manga, three of his arms are severed and his body is nearly cut in half, whereas in the anime, he only receives a cut through his clothes.

Trivia

 * Nnoitra's aspect of death is Despair.
 * In the Bleach best bout poll, Nnoitra's fight with Kenpachi came in tenth place.

Quotes

 * (To Tesra Lindocruz) "If I kill a thousand nobodies, who's gonna admit that I'm the strongest? There's no value in taking a nobody's life."


 * (To Tesra Lindocruz) "There is not a single person in heaven or on earth that can break me. Don't forget that I am the strongest Espada."


 * (To Orihime Inoue) "This is a battle. Of course it's gonna be unfair. That which is called 'battle' was a monster originally born of unfairness and intolerance. I can't stand that guy. I can beat that guy. I can't forgive that guy. We make enemies for all sorts of reasons, and from the moment you make an enemy, until one of you draws his last breath - you're in a battle."


 * (To Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck) "We've only been separated for a little while, but it looks like you've got annoying in a totally different way. You're just pathetic."


 * (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "Ya know, I hate idiots who keep on comin' at ya even though there's no way they're gonna win."


 * (When asked why he hates Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck) "I just can't freakin' stand it. On the battlefield, a woman standin' above the men. That's all it is."


 * (To Kenpachi Zaraki) "Hah! What the hell're you blathering about?! Dodgin' attacks is a pure battle instinct! And there ain't nowhere you can cut me! That sword of yours can never cut me! That's all there is to it!"


 * "Every fuckin' one of 'em, they have the gall to take pity on me. And they don't even know how much they're hurtin' me by doin' it. I don't do "mercy". Strong, weak, infant, monster. I just smash 'em all to pieces. I don't give 'em the chance to get up a second time."


 * (To Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck) "Oh, I've got purpose all right. I fight for the sake of fighting."


 * (To Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck when asked why fighting is so important to him) "Cause I wanna die. I want to die in the heat of battle. That's why I wanna get stronger. The stronger I get, the more battle will surround me. I want to be able to live and breathe the heat of battle."


 * "Ain't no chance of salvation for us. Never has been. With or without Aizen, that's never gonna change. If there's one thing I'm grateful to that guy for, it's the fact that he gave me power. Thanks to that I've been able to savor greater battles than ever before. I'm gonna be strong. Stronger than anyone. If I'm gonna fight the ultimate enemy, then there can't be anyone else stronger than me. I'll take 'em all out. No matter what it takes."


 * "I wanna be cut so that my breath is gone before my body hits the ground. That's the kind of death I wanna have."

Battles & Events

 * Kenpachi Zaraki vs. Nnoitra Gilga
 * Ichigo Kurosaki & Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck vs. Nnoitra Gilga
 * Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez: Final Fight
 * Yasutora Sado vs. Gantenbainne Mosqueda
 * Enter The Home of Hollows
 * Invasion of Hueco Mundo
 * Visored Training

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