Forum:The Hōgyoku

The Hogyoku is used primarily to create arrancar and espada style hollows. This is more explained when Isshin Kurosaki fights with the evolved form of the Grand Fisher. He and Urahara explained that Aizen was testing his new creation in the real world and seeing how much he has to perfect it before he gets it right. I believe later it is also described that some of the Espada were created by Aizen, while others (Staark and Barragan) were already so powerful that they had their spot already. If someone can please help me with the exact Espada who were created and the ones that were already strong on their own that would be helpful. It would be nice to have a good list of these, ones that we know so far.Bk1217 09:03, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

I cna tell you that Starrk and Aaroneiro are the only two who were arrancar before Aizen met them. Starrk we know from the flashback was already an arrancar, and Aaroneiro was an original Espada who were all natural arrancars. Barragan, despite being probably a vasto lorde and certainly extremely powerful was still just a hollow when he was recruited. And only Aaroneiro was an Espada before Aizen came along. Therefore I would guess that all except Aaroneiro and Starrk were artificial arrancars. BollyW 09:17, October 31, 2009 (UTC)


 * Ah... I don't think that's right. Aizen created the espada. Aaroneiro might have been a natural arrancar but he wasn't an "espada". That concept didn't exist before Aizen. That much I am sure off. 09:21, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Only confirmed espada created with teh Hogyoku is Grimmjow. Starrk was an arrancar before be joined up but might have been "improved" don't know. Nnoitra too was an espada and an arrancar before the Hogyoku was recovered. Since he was no. 9 back when Nel was no. 3 and Aizen still hadn't gotten his hands on the Hogyoku. Aaroneiro was the last of the "original" espada. So we can be fairly sure he wasn't created with the Hogyoku. Here ends my knowledge. I am actually surprised I knew this much given how little I care about the whole arrancar thing. Tinni 09:21, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

I know this was never confirmed, but I always got the impression that Nnoitra and so on were all made into arrancar by Aizen even though it wasn't by the Hogyoku. So I know Grimmjow was the only one that we know was created by the Hogyoku but Starrk and Aaroneiro were both arrancar before Aizen found them. As for him creating the Espada, the Espada have always existed, thats what the Privaron Espada are, the old Espada who were kicked out by Aizen. BollyW 09:35, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

No that's what I mean. He came in created a first group of espada and then continued to play with their ranks until he got the line-up he did now. Before Aizen came to Heuco Mundo there was no espada. The Privion espada were still espada under Aizen. There has never been a group called the espada who have not served Aizen as far I can tell. I.e. Barragan didn't have "the espada", they weren't a group that existed before Aizen but Aizen has gone through several versions of the espada. Tinni 09:54, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Ah see I thoughtthat the Espada had always existed, but they weren't really that great because those like Barragan and Starrk didn't really know about them because of the size of Hueco Mundo. So Aizen recruited more aggressively to really get the most powerful hollows in the Espada. But now that I think about it properly it makes a lot more sense that Aizen has just had several incarnations of the espada ever. Thanks. BollyW 10:08, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Btw, the ONLY way Aizen even turned any of the "created" espada into what they were, was by the use of the Hogyoku. Barragan actually was originally king of Hueco Mundo, once Aizen came and challenged him, he wanted to keep his reign and tried to defy Aizen, however, he lost. That is why in the very end of his life, Barragan said he was sorry he couldn't be the one to kill Aizen. Now for Starrk, he actually was as strong as he could ever be, even after meeting Aizen, i doubt he changed Starrk at all. The one thing Starrk wanted was a home, with "family" and friends, so he wouldn't be alone anymore, since he killed everything around him due to his power. And yes, there was nothing known as "espada" until Aizen came, he created the class, and the system that they ended up living by in Hueco Mundo, before that system there was only a king, and that was it. Aizen already had the idea of creating an army even before entering Hueco Mundo, and upon arrival got started creating powerful beings and recruiting the rest. I believe the best way to tell if they were created by Aizen, is if they are shown as a regular hollow/arrancar, before meeting Aizen, then shown in a different form afterwords. keep the names coming =) and i'd love to have a page with a list eventually. Bk1217 10:30, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

No, that is not right. Aizen took over from Barragan many years before his defection from Soul Society. Notice that during Nnoitra's flash back Las Noches already has a roof and false sunlight (http://www.onemanga.com/Bleach/294/12/, http://www.onemanga.com/Bleach/295/01/). Aizen created both. Back then Nnoitra was no. 9 and Nel was no. 3. Neither were created with the Hogyoku as Aizen didn't have that back then. That was "years" ago. I.e. years before the current story started. Indeed in the anime Dordonii actually explains that he and others who were espada with him were aware that if the Hogyoku was ever recovered, all who were espada before would be useless. He also makes clear that the espada are Aizen's loyal servants(http://www.onemanga.com/Bleach/254/07/), sort of like his royal guards. So really, I am not sure what you are getting at. Aizen came, he saw, he conquered, then he went about forming the espada. Initially it was probably just pseudo arrancars he gathered from around Heuco Mundo, he might have turned a few hollows into arrancar using other methods(http://www.onemanga.com/Bleach/25/19/) or simply perfected the pseudo arrancars and then when he got the Hogyoku he started making arrancars using that and I imagine also strengthening existing arrancars using it. Those who made the cut became the espada we know, those who didn't were either demoted or otherwise disposed off. Final thing to remember, between the time Aizen defeated from soul society (August) to when the war starts (October) is a very short amount of time and even Aizen could accomplish so much in that time. Starrk is the only espada known to have been recruited after Aizen defected and even he may well have been "strengthened" with teh Hogyoku. We don't know. Wonderweiss is the only arrancar we saw being created with the Hogyoku. Tinni 12:32, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

actually u are wrong. Aizen never went to Hueco Mundo at any other time until AFTER he stole the Hogyoku. Then he started creating. and the only way to do this was with the tool the Hogyoku. now about Barragan, and starrk, BOTH of these were recruited without needing to "create" them. You can see Barragan's story starting from http://www.narutowire.com/Bleach-380/manga/67ff3fa72fc6df817125/ and ending with http://www.narutowire.com/Bleach-380/manga/67ff3fa72fc6df817125/. This story tells of how Barragan was the king of Hueco Mundo BEFORE Aizen and company arrived. As well as shows that Las Noches, ALREADY EXISTED. Aizen just took it as his new "castle" so to speak. One of the ways Aizen got his followers was his zanpaktou's special ability, which you see Aizen use during Barragan's story. http://www.narutowire.com/Bleach-380/manga/67ff3fa72fc6df817125/ shows how not all of the espada were completely loyal to Aizen. Barragan was looking to kill Aizen someday and reclaim his rightful place on the throne. Nnoitra's flashback was during some point in which Aizen already came to Las Noches, and created the espada. During that time there were quarrels between seated espada which led to changes. This did not happen "years ago". It happened after Aizen and company set foot in Hueco Mundo. The Hogyoku was a tool to manipulate hollows. created by Urahara apparently for multiple purposes. He created it during research of hollowfication, but it can apparently do much more then that, it can strengthen a hollow as well. There are also the natural ways of strengthening a hollow. Have them absorb enough souls/kill enough souls to move up the chain and become much stronger then the others. http://www.narutowire.com/Bleach-380/manga/67ff3fa72fc6df817125/ as a couple of espada did prior to Aizen gathering them. Bk1217 13:18, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Notice how he was wearing his glasses and had his hair the way he used have it as a captain back when he met Barragan. He had this planned long before. Dude he destroyed his glasses and changed his hair style as he was defecting. Why would he put them back on just before he went and recruited Barragan? Also, are you seriously suggested Aizen did all that in two months? Plus Nnoitra actually said "years" (http://www.onemanga.com/Bleach/292/07/), "How many years has it been since you(Nel) left Las Noches". So, no, Aizen has been operating in Heuco Mundo/Las Noches for years. YEARS not two months. Tinni 14:28, October 31, 2009 (UTC)


 * Also, how could Aizen call Fura to his rescue if THAT's the first time he set foot in Heuco mundo. That's some really muddled logic going on there. Anyway, Las Noche and the espada did not happen in two months, it happened over many, many years and that's just the way it is. Tinni 14:34, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

Aizen started his plan AT LEAST 110 years ago (Turn Back the Pendulum arc) and went to Hueco Mundo after events that happened in TBtP arc seeing as Ichimaru and Tosen are already captains. And Ichimaru was still a kid at TBtP, but when they are seen in Barragan's flashback, Ichimaru looks same as he looks today so I guess they went to Hueco Mundo about 70-90 years ago for the first time. Ergroilnin 21:27, October 31, 2009 (UTC)

As far as I can from what I remember...ALL the current espada and Fraccion were ALIVE (except maybe Wonderweiss) as HOLLOWS before Aizen arrived in Hueco Mundo. However they were only hollows. That includes Starrk and Barragan...then after Aizen's arrival they were MADE (and presumably strengthened into Arrancar by the use of Aizen and the Hogyoku. You need to separate the words arrancar and espada. Espada is nothing more than a ranking system to classify who the strongest is. Presumably to keep them fighting, training, eating hollows, etc to grow stronger (otherwise there would be no need for the difference in numbers). This obviously worked for motivation as it was joked about when Grimmjow was demoted and subsequently when he killed to get his number back, and Nnoitra always trying to become stronger. Arrancar is a hollow that was able to remove their mask, I may not remember but were Arrancar ever seen or mentioned before the arrival of Aizen?