Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-27392440-20160214172258/@comment-27802867-20160216095400

Thanks a lot :D

Also remember Shawlong when he was an Adjuchas and what he told Grimmjow. Then asked Grimmjow to eat a part of them all so that they do not regress. Also he said that the one who Grimmjow attacked when they first met, would neither progress nor regress any longer.

So I think that it's fair to say that progress is not possible for an Arrancar and that their state is fixed and is just determined by their starting level. And due to the fact that the Visored (like Lisa) can obtain Bankai to gain more power, it's fair to say that being a Visored is actually better than being an Arrancar because you'd still have room for improvement.

I agree with you about Visoreds. When Ichigo fought with Grimmjow, he was fighting as a Visored, he's mask was shattered bit by bit but he repaired it. So it must mean that a less complete mask equals less power (which seems quite logical).

Even with all these, I still don't think it's possible for Visoreds to permanently break their masks. Because Hollows' masks are like a barrier, when it's broken, their power increases and it becomes part of them. Or they become something new. But Visoreds have a Hollow "inside" them, it's not that when their mask shatters, they lose power or something, because that Hollow is still "inside" them and that mask is just a means for it to show its powers. We've seen Mashiro's mask shatter when she fought Wonderweiss, but it was not like her Hollow was lost, taken apart or something like it (because later on in the manga we see her having it on again).

So I think this is the main difference between the removal of the mask of these two races: • A Hollow's mask shatters, so it changes into an Arrancar, because it gains Shinigami powers. • A Hollow "enters" a Shinigami's soul and it becomes a Visored, because it's got access to a new power which resides within its soul. It's not separable I think.

Now lets guess what can possibly be an answer to your questions: 1. The differences between Arrancars and Hollows are just two things: a shattered mask and the main form being sealed in a Zanpakuto. So, so... just hypothesizing... If an Arrancar releases its Zanpakuto and then... well, by some unknown means... succeeds in repairing its mask, it may regress, huh? But I don't think its possible. I deduce from Shawlong's words that it's not possible to regress (UNRELATED/Some food for thought: Nelliel's mask broke as an Arrancar and she lost some of her powers... what does this mean? :D)

2. I think i've answered this question in what i've said so far. As their Hollows live within them, and as Ichigo is a Visored too, then I don't think that their mask being broken results in their Hollow being somehow weakened or whatever.

You too :D ;)