Elite! The Four Shinigami

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

Statistics

 * Original Airdate: April 21, 2009
 * English Airdate:
 * Opening Song: Shōjo S
 * Ending Song: Kimi wo Mamotte, Kimi wo Aishite
 * Manga Chapters: Chapter 318 & Chapter 319
 * Kanji: 精鋭！四人の死神
 * Romaji: Seiei! Yonnin no Shinigami
 * Arc: Fake Karakura Town arc

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 do it unless ordered to. But 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, Barragan Luisenbarn takes command since his boss is locked inside Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's fire prison, ordering both Tia 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, failing to realize that the Gotei 13 would not just leave those pillars completely unprotected on purpose. Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Izuru Kira and Shūhei Hisagi each take one pillar, and after defeating the Hollows with ease, are matched up against four of Barragan's five Fracción. Each is introduced to the other and the battle for Karakura begins.