Bleach 4: Kingdoms and Fullbring

Dear Readers,

Since I have covered the majority of Bleach lore in my first three posts, which you can find here: Bleach 1, Bleach 2, Bleach 3. I will endeavor to point out some of the fun little details of the series, specifically the kingdoms. I will also include a fun little doctrinal surprise as pertaining to the Fullbringers. This post just implies basic knowledge of the series: what hollows and shinigami are. There are SPOILERS for the Fullbring arc, so consider yourself warned.

I will begin with Soul Society, which is the realm, or dimension that the shinigami reside in. Though the spirit world is technically on earth with us (Gospel Principles Chapter 41) this other dimension or realm could be compared to the Kingdom of God. Some reservation needs to be included to this comparison. Though I am comparing the structure of this kingdom with God's Kingdom, the quality of life, and behavior of individuals in Soul Society do not reflect the glory of God's Kingdom.

In Soul Society, there is a place called Rukongai (wandering soul city) which is divided into districts. This is where those righteous beings and children of God would wind up after death. They exist as individuals in homes and as friends (again using the ideals of the Kingdom of God). Like how Christ said that there are many mansions in the kingdom of God (John 14:2). I would compare the Rukongai, or Rukon District as it is commonly referred to, as the lesser Kingdom of the Celestial glory. For, after the Millennium, the earth will become Celestialized and will be the home to Celestial beings for ever (Doctrine and Covenants 88:19-20). Yet, in the Celestial glory, "there are three heavens or degrees" (Doctrine and Covenants 131:1). The lowest degrees would reasonably include those who live righteous lives and are willing to abide a Celestial law (Doctrine and Covenants 88:22) but may not have entered into the covenants necessary for the highest degree (Doctrine and Covenants 131:2).

The Rukon District surrounds Seireitei (court of pure souls), which is a city that can be compared to the New Jerusalem (Revelations 21:2).

Seireitei is a walled city that houses the armies of the shinigami. These walls are made of sekkiseki (spirit reducing stone walls), which absorb any spiritual attacks, from shinigami and hollow alike. Thus making a city that can never be destroyed (Daniel 2:44).

This wall has four gates, one in each cardinal direction. The west White Road Gate, south Red Hollow Gate, north Black Ridge Gate, and the east Blue Stream Gate. The New Jerusalem has twelve gates, one for each of the tribes of Israel (Revelations 21:12-13). There are three gates in each of the cardinal directions, very similar to these gates of Seireitei.

At each gate there is a gatekeeper, usually portrayed as giants. These I will like unto the angels that stand as sentinels for the Kingdom of God (Journal of Discourses 2:31).

Inside of this walled city, are 13 divisions. Now, I realize 13 is traditionally an unlucky number and quite associated with the Friday the Thirteenth movie franchise, but it is quite close to 12. As in the twelve tribes of Israel. Thus every division or tribe, has its portion for an inheritance.

Then there is the Central 46. This is a group or council that resides within Seireitei and lead them. Making decisions and administering orders. I will admit, my comparison is a slight leap, but 46 reminded me of the 144,000 talked about in the book of Revelations (Revelations 7:4-8). The 144 thousand are High Priests chosen out of the tribes of Israel, 12,000 from each tribe, to be set as rulers and guide the rest of the "multitude" (Revelations 7:9) under the direction of Jesus Christ, who is to rule and reign upon the earth (Revelations 20:6, Articles of Faith 10).

Christ and God the Father will also reside upon the earth. I think that it is significant that the temple is compared and referred to as the House of the Lord. There will not be a temple in the New Jerusalem, for God the Father, and the Son Jesus Christ shall be their temple (Revelations 21:22). The temple could easily be compared to the Soul King Palace in Bleach. The deity in the Bleach universe has the title of Soul King. He is surrounded and protected by the Royal Guard who could be compared to those who will inherit the highest level of the Celestial Kingdom. For, they have power like unto Ichigo. Now, the Soul King Palace does exist in another separate dimension from Soul Society. This can be compared to those in the other degrees of the Celestial Kingdom not having an increase (Doctrine and Covenants 131:4). There is also a special key that is required to enter. This key was sought after by Aizen and was his main purpose for trying to destroy Karakura town.

The "key" is called Oken (Royal Key). The key's location is kept secret, and is only passed on verbally from one Captain-Commander to another. The Captain-Commander is the head captain of the 13 shinigami divisions. I think that there can be comparisons made here with the signs and tokens of the priesthood (Journal of Discourses 2:31). There is another way to enter the "world" of the Soul King Palace. They can create their own Oken. That is why Aizen wanted to destroy Karakura town. Like in the creation of his hogyoku, it would take sacrificing countless spirits of high spiritual strength. It was Aizen's evil plan to try to take over the Soul King Palace and place his thrown above God.

Now, back in Soul Society, the Central 46 distribute orders from the Soul King and the Royal Guard, as well as their own orders via jigokucho (hell butterflies). Now, the translation of "hell" from the name distracts from the point I want to make. I would consider these butterflies as promptings sent from God through His channels of authority unto us. Promptings can be light and gentle as a butterfly landing on your finger or shoulder, and can be ignored or shooed away. Or, they can be listened to, and you can receive and act upon the order or commandment you have been given, thus becoming and instrument in God's hands. Also, though the prompting is given through these means, it often comes by the voice of the Spirit.

These jigokucho also allow shinigami to pass between the Human World and Soul Society. The shinigami use their sword or ausuchi like a key to open a senkaimon (world penetration gate). This doorway allows them to enter the Dangai (parsing world). This "world" acts like a buffer dimension, void, or space between the effectual Kingdom of God and the other kingdoms (Luke 16:26).

Within the Dangai, there are two forces, the koryu (wrestling flow) and the kototsu (wrestling surge). The koryu causes the walls, floor and ceiling to flow and ooze, thus trapping beings who try to enter without a butterfly within its grasp. The flow also has a time attribute, which Ichigo exploited before his fight with Aizen. I will compare this to the time lost, or regret that we will have after this life, if we did not live our lives in a way that would allow us to enter the Celestial Kingdom.

The kototsu is nicknamed The Cleaner. It is almost an entity, more like a machine, that "surges" through the Dangai cleansing it of those beings that were stuck. Some aspects of the Dangai that do not have names include the tunnel system, which acts like a maze signifying the necessity to take the correct path or way back to God (Matthew 7:13-14) and the darkness that fills its corridors. The darkness is particularly significant, because the Cleaner is headed by a bright purifying light, like a charging train. Those who are unworthy, or unready to enter the Celestial Kingdom often fear the light. They fear God's presence because of their shame. Indeed, like Alma in his deepest despair wished that he could become "extinct" (Alma 36;11-15) so does the Cleaner dissolve or disintegrate those it cleanses.

There is also a Dangai for the hollows. Only, theirs is void and black. No ground, no sky, no restraints, just emptiness. This is very similar to the despair of those souls "in prison" (ADD Citation). For I have likened hollows to spirits who have fallen victim to sins and greed in life, and have become consumed by it in death. This Dangai is the void between their world and the Human world, and symbolizes what they pass through to enter their world. Darkness, loneliness, with no sense of direction or purpose.

The only way to cross this Dangai is to create a pathway using your reishi to cross on. Similar to having to use one's own will to cross and escape despair.

Hollows enter the dangai through a garganta (rip portal). Usually like a rip in space, it can represent the rip in their heart and soul. Or, for arrancar, it is almost like a mouth opening up. A great maw representing their hunger.

Now, this is where doctrine gets a little confusing. Though I have compared hollows to unrighteous spirits, and have described the entrance to their world in such a dark way, their world, Hueco Mundo, was originally compared to the moon. Indeed, in the beginning of the series the hollows seemed to manifest out of shadows on the moon's surface. Though Hueco Mundo is in a different dimension, it was continually compared to the moon, in a quite metaphorical sense. the hollows themselves live on the forest floor of Hueco Mundo. The Gillian counterparts wander around reaching the boughs because of their height. The canopy of the forest creates a shell that is covered in sand, creating the deserts and white complexion of the moon. Only the higher level hollows are found on the moon's face, or rather, Hueco Mundo's desert.

Since the Terrestrial Kingdom is compared to the glory of the moon, this is a fitting comparison... though, the requirements are off and need to be more expounded. For the final judgment, those who inherit the Terrestrial Kingdom are good righteous people, who do not accept Christ's gospel in their mortal lives when it is preached to them, but accept it after this life (Doctrine and Covenants 76:72-78). They are morally good people who don't delight in sins, but don't want to live the higher, Celestial law. These have the blessing of receiving Christ's presence from time to time, but not the Father's. Thus people could be in "spirit prison" and receive the Terrestrial glory if they repent.

A good comparison is Nelliel. Though she is technically an arrancar and not a hollow, Ichigo found that despite once being a hollow, and residing in Hueco Mundo, she was still a good person. Thus the hierarchy of hollows, though I compared them to the levels of corruption, can be compared to some kind of hierarchy within the Terrestrial Kingdom.

For those who are familiar with the Plan of Salvation, you might know that next comes the Telestial Kingdom, the lowest of the three degrees of glory. This I will compare to the Ether world, also called Hell or Underworld in this Bleach universe. The spirits who reside here are called togabito. They were once spirits who, because of such sinful unrepentant atrocities such as murder, they became hollows, and upon final judgment, when they should have been cleansed or judged, they are instead dragged into the Ether world.

Indeed, the very Gates of Hell manifest themselves, and a Kushanda, or hell guardian, impales the individual and pulls them into the depths.

The Kushanda also lurk throughout all the levels of Hell, munching and torturing the togabito, only to have the togabito raised again, still trapped. Very much like how spirits we allow to influence and possess us in this life, will do the same in the next life (Alma 34:34).

There are five levels to the Bleach Hell. Similar to the lore of Dante's Inferno and its nine circles of hell. In essence, both are comparisons to the degree in which the individual enjoyed their sins in mortality. The worst in the lower levels, and the lesser in the higher levels. A Satan influenced mirror or counter of power, reflecting the ascending power of Christ. Indeed, there is a diversity in glory, "as one star differs from another star in glory" (1 Corinthians 15:41).

Bleach's first level contains several white blocks, almost like apartment buildings, in which insane togabito wander aimlessly. These have given up fighting, and just live distressful forever. I would like to note that those in the Telestial Kingdom are never truly happy, for they have traded their chance at true joy for other delights. Renji described the reishi or spirit matter of this world as being so "strangled" that those with normal spirit sensitivity would go insane. I would like to compare this with placing a shaolin monk, who has been spiritually guided and sheltered all his/her life, and then place them in a war zone. How out of place they would feel? How horrified by the atrocities occurring around them? Indeed, it would drive them insane.

The second level includes stone lilies upon the surface of a vast ocean. At the center of each lily is the pierced skeleton of a Kushanda. If the Kushanda are the representation of the possessing spirits, then it can represent how the togabito stay dry from baptism with the false, frozen, imitation of beauty presented them by their false gods. For mammon, or the treasures and pleasures of the physical world, can become a cruel master (Matthew 6:24).

From here, the last three levels are rather redundant.
Yellow lava

A fiery stone temple with yellow clouds and rain

And red lava with pedestals and a re-spawning pool.

All of which can be compared to the pride and pains of hell, which have been compared to a unquenchable fire whose smoke ascends forever and ever (Revelations 14:10-11). Though they are in the depths of Hell, they raise themselves upon the mountains, in their holy places, and set themselves upon pedestals to bask in their selfish glory.

Some last few notes about Bleach Hell: the togabito' spirit rot for the light and knowledge they could have had is taken from them and they are left to become stagnant and decay. They are subject to the second death, spiritual death, or rather, they are dead as pertaining to things of the Spirit (The Guide to the Scriptures: Death, Spiritual)

They have chains binding them forever to Hell. They cannot be broken except by the celestial powered Ichigo, though, at that stage Ichigo also was given power over Hell that allowed him to manipulate the chains of hell that he broke. There are chains of Hell, which Satan uses to lead us slowly into hell (2 Nephi 1:13, Alma 12:6).

Lastly, the togabito can have power as well, indeed, compared to the power most of us have in mortality, it is beyond all description (Doctrine and Covenants 76:89).

So, now that I have discussed the different kingdoms, it is time for that doctrinal surprise I promised. The fullbringers are a group of humans that are able to manipulate spirit matter, or reishi. This gives them certain abilities like being able to manipulate water into their mouths (Above).

They can also influence the ground and air allowing them to leap great bounds, and even run in the sky. Interestingly this causes sparks or a flash of green light.

Now, this ability is based upon real laws and doctrines. I went into great detail on the subject of Intelligences in my blog post Glory of God is Intelligence, so if any of you are interested in learning more about this doctrine, I advise you read that post.

 In a quick summary directed for this explanation: Intelligences are described as the light of truth (Doctrine and Covenants 93:21-30) and are essentially raw consciousness. They are the little "I am" inside of each of us. Cogito, Ergo Sum, I think, therefore I am (Socrates). Brigham Young said that, "...matter is capacitated to receive intelligence"(Journal of Discourses 7:2-3). Spirit is matter (Doctrine and Covenants 131:7-8). The earth, and all things were created spiritually before they were physically formed (Moses 3:5).

Thus, all things, the earth, air and water, all have spirit and intelligence. This means that the elements can obey (Helaman 12:7-8). This ability falls under the authority of God, for it was by His authority and His command that the world was organized (Abraham 4:1) and formed by the Son (Moses 1:33). That authority, or priesthood, is called the priesthood key of creation (The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood by Dallin H. Oaks). We will not hold that key in mortality. I am not sure if Christ held that key in mortality, though with His role in the pre-mortal life and the miracles he performed during His ministry leads some suspicion that He did.

It is absolutely clear that He and we can use that authority delegated from someone who does hold that key. For truly He had the ability to transmute water into wine, and multiply fish and bread to feed multitudes.

Thus, it makes a little more sense that Ichigo was able to learn how to fullbring after he comparatively received celestial glory. It is by the same principles, that Fullbringers are able to manipulate matter such a way. Though, they do not seem to need proper authority to do so.

Going beyond the ability of speaking to and influencing matter, they have the ability to awaken spiritual powers of and object. It is usually an object very close to them, that has had a great emotional impact on their spiritual welfare. Thus, the spirit of the object is influenced by the fullbringer's spirit and manifests in a power that is unique to the individual and the object.

For Ichigo it was the Combat Pass he received when he became a substitute shinigami. It was with him through thick and thin, and represented to him the power he had lost.

Now, Sado described awakening this power as having pride in the object, or pride in what it means to the individual. I also did a blog post on Pride, and I find that is a very improper term to use when talking about something you care much for. Indeed, a better term is honor. The fullbringer honors the object for what it has done, and the emotions embedded therein. In return, the object honors the user, and works more efficiently. For Sado, he honored the skin and strength of his body that God blessed him with.

Orihime honored the hairpins her brother gave her.

As Ichigo grew stronger with his fullbring abilities, the powers of the Combat Pass began to reflect Ichigo's former power of a shinigami,

And finally that of his wrapped Final Getsuga.

Then, when Rukia helped him regain his former shinigami powers, the fullbring power added unto him, making him even stronger... because of his honor.

"...honor, which is my power..." (Doctrine and Covenants 29:36)

I hope that you have enjoyed my Bleach blog posts, and that you have found them illuminating to your understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Part of why I have written these posts was to show that we can make those things we find interesting or entertaining into ways to further our understanding of gospel doctrines. I have also written them to invite people with similar passions to come closer to Christ and understand what miraculous blessings and opportunities the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us. If you do not have the gospel in your life; seek, study and learn from the scripture, including the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrines and Covenants. If you truly desire to learn and better your lives, you can also meet with the LDS Missionaries either through a local congregation or through www.mormon.org

I truly hope that the understanding and testimony that I have gained over the years will help bring people closer to Christ, and bring happiness into their lives.

I close with a special thanks to bleach.wikia.com for their detailed information, as well as Tite Kubo the creator of Bleach.

Love,
Jacobugoth

Previous Post: Bleach 3: Aizen

Bleach 3: Aizen

Dear Readers,

I have covered the wonders of the good side of Bleach in my first two posts. Now I feel that I need to complete the main theme by covering the darker side. The side of Aizen. Note: I am writing this under the understanding that my readers have read my first two Bleach posts, and there is a SPOILER ALERT!!!.

This is Aizen Sosuke. He may seem benign and nice, but inside his heart he is conniving and mischievous. He was the captain of the 5th division of the shinigami army. Aizen has high intellect, and his research rivaled Urahara Kisuke, who was the main shinigami scientist operating in the human world.

The research that the shinigami have acquired has allowed them the means of creating items commonly referred to as "soul candy". They are "mod souls" or modified spirits that are encased inside a small candy like sphere. These modified spirits are created from disembodied spirits that are then given special traits. Such as Kon. Kon has the modification of incredible strength in his legs. This causes speed and powerful kicks. Having spirits in candy form could be possible in the same way that spirits can possess bodies not of their form, meaning the same form or shape of the spirit. For example, in Mark 5:9-13 there is the story of Legion. Jesus comes upon a man possessed of about two thousand demons, all of which are able to occupy that one human body, not to mention the man's own spirit is also residing there. Jesus casts them into a herd of swine nearby. Again, swine are not even in the same shape of a human, yet the demons were able to possess their bodies. Therefore, a spirit's influence can be bound inside of something much smaller than the spirit itself.

Kon, and modified spirits like him, were created for the intended purpose of occupying the false body of a shinigami, called a gigai, which are used to allow the shinigami ability to interact with the physical world. The mod spirit can occupy the gigai while the shinigami fights a hollow or anything else as a spirit. As shown above, through happy accidents it was discovered that the soul candy can also animate other objects as well, including a plush doll.

Ichigo uses Kon to keep his body alive and safe when he, Ichigo, has to fight. Thus the reason for the spirits being modified to house powers as well.

While it is also important to note that there was an anime only arc that involved the creation of reigai, artificial spirit bodies, which were used in conjunction with red soul candy. From this arc, though not considered cannon of the series, we can see what might actually fuel soul candy is intelligence. For the red soul candy, they are intelligences that have been organized into personalities, but naked from a spirit body (Abraham 3:22-23) thus their need for a reigai. For the regular yellowish soul candy, they are merely spirits, of course having intelligence and personality, but not being naked intelligence. Intelligence is the light of truth (Doctrine and Covenants 93:29, 36). From this definition, it would make sense why the reigai have "electrical" sparks that emanate from their eyes. If the intelligence, which is now awakened and being used but not permanently bonded to the reigai, is compared or described as light. then that light, which is a form of energy, could be causing that ocular discharge. Especially since the eye is considered the light or portal of the body (Matthew 6:22-23). If any of you have a desire to learn what I mean by intelligence, you can see an earlier post I had entitled "Glory of God is Intelligence":
http://jacobugothbeliefs.blogspot.com/2015/08/facebook-request-3-glory-of-god-is.html

 One might wonder what this has to do with Aizen and his evil plot. Aizen, long before Urahara began to progress in his research field of soul candy, envisioned and created a hogyoku (breakdown sphere).

A hogyoku is created by "sacrificing" the spirits of countless shinigami and normal individuals and encasing them inside of the sphere. Ironically, this reminds me of two items of extreme power.

First, mostly to get it out of the way, there is the "Philosopher's Stone" from Fullmetal Alchemist. In order to create this object of immeasurable power, one has to sacrifice the blood of thousands of people in a three-dimensional alchemy symbol. I do think that this concept was made even more ironic with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

In the original version, it was called the Philosopher's Stone. The book series, nor movies, ever described how it was made, only that it created the elixir of life. Indeed, blood has often been the symbol of life (Deuteronomy 12:23), from vampires drinking it, to Christ's life blood shed (Luke 22:44). If blood is the life of mortality, then light and truth are the life of our spirits. No wonder we are commanded to "feast upon the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 32:3). I also think that it is interesting how both with the concept of vampire's longevity and the healing, restoring powers of the Philosopher's stone, both present false forms of immortality. Immortality meaning the spirit and the body being inseparably connected. Though neither dies from old age, they can still die from other causes, and their lives are on condition of partaking of blood or the elixir of life. While, the Christ's atoning blood, which we partake of symbolically when we take the sacrament on the Sabbath, is the key to returning to our Father in Heaven and obtaining true immortality.

That all being said, doesn't this hogyoku bring to remembrance the galaxy marble from Men In Black? The hogyoku is still the size of a small marble or any of the other soul candy, therefore, with all of the "sacrificed" spirits contained therein, it is very near like unto a galaxy contained within. Indeed the scriptures say that "...there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space...." (Doctrine and Covenants 88:37).

Quick rant.....The Higgs Field and the Higgs Boson. Now, literally within the past few years, physicists have been trying to figure out why particles have mass, whether that is quarks, or electrons and protons. Mathematically, they found that they can calculate the mass of sub-atomic particles as if they were moving through a substance. Thus the Higgs Field theory. This theory involves a field, almost like a liquid, that the particles are constantly moving through, thus constantly giving them mass. This theory was later proved with the discovery of the Higgs Boson. Using a super collider, they smash sub-atomic particles together at high speeds. This was how they discovered quarks, but also, they found that there was occasionally a temporary particle that lasts for only a few thousandths of a second. I compare it to dropping a rock in water. Usually it causes ripples, but sometimes a drop of water will splash up. That "drop of water" which then falls and returns to the body of water is the Higgs Boson. Basically a drop of the Higgs Field that becomes temporarily dislodged and therefore measurable or "visible".

The reason I went on this rant is because before these discoveries, scientists thought that the space between quarks, protons and electrons was empty space. Now we know that it is filled with this Higgs Field, which in turn can have infinite amount of "drops of water" or Higgs Bosons. Truly, there was no kingdom, an atom, without space, and there is no space, without a kingdom, the Higgs Field. Joseph Smith, as the Prophet and the mouth piece of God, recorded that scripture back in the 1800's.

Now that rant is over, I will return to the plot of the movie Men In Black. The reason that the cockroach alien and the Arquillians (the little alien inside the head) were after that little galaxy, was because it both supplied resources and energy. Now, in a similar way, the hogyoku emits energy. As the translated name of breakdown sphere suggests, the energy breaks down bonds. Specifically, the bonds separating shinigami and hollow.

The first account of this taking place was when Aizen stole the hogyoku and used to to turn Shinji Hirako and some other shinigami into visored. The individuals exposed become weak and ill, then begin vomiting and oozing white slime from their mouth and eyes. As the hollow goo spreads and hardens, it creates an inner hollow for the individual to have to deal with. I have likened the inner hollow to the "natural man" (Mosiah 3:19) within each of us. Thus, this hollowfication is giving into the influence of the hogyoku.

To contain this energy, after Urahara retrieved his hogyoku and dealt with the incident with Shinji, he created a shell around it. This shell was supposed to keep its energy from leaking out and infecting others. We could compare this to the banishment of the one third of the host of heaven that followed Lucifer and his plan (Revelations 12:4). These angels of the Devil, or demons, would be contained within the hogyoku. They have the power to tempt us, but have fallen. Urahara later hid it inside Rukia, a shinigami that was Ichigo's first contact with Soul Society.

Now comes the first big scandal of the series. Aizen manages to get Rukia sentenced to be executed. During the days and hours leading up to the event, Ichigo launches an attack, with his friends, to try and rescue Rukia. Aizen uses the ensuing chaos to first, fake his own death. Ironic how one of Satan's greatest lies is that he does not exist. 

Aizen is able to fake his death, because his zampakuto's ability is hypnotism over all five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste. When he became a captain, he used this ability to set the hypnosis into play upon all of the shinigami. They all thought his power was water based, but that was just the illusion he caused them to see. It is also ironic how Satan's main objective is to deceive us and place us under his dominion. Making us his slaves or pawns (Moses 4:3).

Now that everyone believes that he is dead, and that Ichigo and his gang are at fault, he makes preparations to remove the hogyoku from Rukia, ripping it out of her spirit. Having acquired his trophy, Aizen escapes Soul Society with two other captains that he managed to convince to join him, by entering Hueco Mundo (the Hollow World) thanks to some Gillians. There, in Hueco Mundo, Aizen somewhat pronounces himself king and begins experimenting on the hollows.

For example, Grimmjow the adjuchas was transformed into an arrancar (Spanish: arankaru, to tear off or ripped mask in Japanese). His hollow mask was cracked as a sign of the breaking bond between hollow and shinigami, and again, as zampakuto and hollows, when they become stronger, they become more human. So it is with arrancar.

Using Grimmjow as an example, he obtains a sword, like an asuachi for a shinigami. Also, his mask has become merely that half of a bony smile. Once again, his appearance resembles the human he used to be. I will compare this to the battle of good and evil around us. Those who choose to do evil, they usually go about doing their own thing. Yes, they can hurt others in the process, but that is because they don't care who they hurt. They are the hollows. Arrancar, however, would be likend unto those who take whatever power or use of the word of God, the sword of the spirit, and use it to attack the things of God. Even the Devil can quote scripture when it suits his needs. Indeed, if shinigami are the servants of God, who would hold the priesthood of God, then the arrancar would be those who not only do evil, but use the very priesthood of the Devil.

I do think that it is interesting that the priesthood of God is given to man through the laying on of hands, using a physical body. Since Satan has no body, I wonder how he bestows his priesthood.

Then there is the arrancar's powers. Similar to the shikai of a shinigami, they have a stage called their release. In the more common translations it is called resurreccion or resurrection, I prefer to use the term release, because it is more accurate, though the Japanese translation is "returning blade". This stage is a release of their inner animal, the hollow they have become.

(Ulquiorra's release top left, Ulquiorra's second release top right) Now, there is one arrancar, that I know of, who has as second release or segunda etopa. That would be the equivalent of a bankai of a shinigami. As one can see, Ulquiorra becomes more monstrous with this second release.

The most common attack of higher level hollows and arrancar is the cero. If translated from Spanish, it become zero, but the general translation is hollow flash or doom blast. This attack includes the charging or gathering of reishi and compressing it into a point, and then release it in a devastating blast. Most hollows use their mouths to exhale the blast, but arrancar, like Ulquiorra above, tend to either use their fingers or horns as the gathering points. I think that the zero version of the name is significant, for it reminds me plotting a graph. There is the X-axis and the Y-axis. One is going horizontal, the other vertical. Where the two meet, that is the zero point on the graph. all other points are either positive or negative on either the X or Y axis. Go figure, you need to know graphs and point plotting perform a cero.

A very similar attack that was developed by arrancar is the bala (bullet). I have noticed that this ability focuses more on the rotation of the reishi rather than the pressurizing at a single point. Because of the lack of need to charge and build up reishi, it works for a quick, fairly powerful attack.

Another ability, very similar to the use of reiatsu by shinigami, is hierro or steel skin. In case if anyone questioned as to whether or not the Devil's priesthood had equal false versions of the armor of God as I presented in my first Bleach post, it is likely that it does.

Now that I have covered the creations that Aizen was making, let us turn to what he did to himself. He bonded the hogyoku to his spirit body, feeding it his own shinigami powers. This caused him to gain dominion over it.

Because of this connection, its energy began to transform him. Very similar to the hollowfication that created the visored, it formed a chrysalis of the same substance to protect him during the metamorphosis.

Quickly, I think that it is interesting how in Digimon, Lucemon (Lucifer) went from an angel, to a fallen angel, and then to a larva stage before becoming the Satan dragon version.

So it is with Aizen, the example of Lucifer in this series. His cocoon eventually hatched and he became a nearly unbeatable tyrant. As he walked, his reiatsu or spirit pressure is so strong that it could completely disintegrate people who got too close. Yet, as with my comparison in my last post, all of the shinigami could not feel his reiatsu, because it was at such a higher level than their own. I like the comparison of trying to feel rain when you are already under water. They could not tell the difference.

Looking like Aizen was without equal, one of his cohorts betrayed him. The betrayal should have killed Aizen, especially since Gin Ichimaru, the one who tried to slay the beast, stole the hogyoku while doing so. It is here we find that the spiritual connections or bonds, like the reiraku or spirit ribbons I talked about in the first Bleach post, are not effected by distance or space. The hogyoku knew its master was in danger and was dying, and healed or evolved him from a distance. Turning him into what is basically an evil butterfly.

Once again, we see how the powers of darkness, when released, make mankind less human, and more beast. This is when Ichigo intervenes after having learned Saigo no Getsuga Tensho, or the final getsuga. They battle, and because of Aizen's pride, he fails to realize the power difference between righteousness and evil. Ichigo, using his new attack, slices Aizen in half. Yet, Aizen's hogyoku keeps him alive, and he evolves again. Though this new form is more monstrous in appearance, it has come to the point where becoming less human only takes away from his power.

This loss of power allowed a spell or seal that Urahara placed upon him to take effect and bind him, fittingly, inside of a cross or star. Lucifer means "light bringer". Like the light of a star. I think that Aizen's encasement rather looks likes one of the stars that are sometimes placed on top of Christmas trees, and that those stars are interchangeable with angels. On top of that, Satan's greatest achievement, and also his greatest downfall, was influencing the hearts of the children of God enough to crucify their own Messiah. Yet, that act of dying and giving up His life while He hung on the cross enabled Christ to fully become our Savior and Redeemer. With that act, the atonement was finished, and on the third day the very chains of death were broken, chains by which Satan sough to bind the children of men. Indeed, the visual symbols of three crosses, one for Christ, and one on either side representing the thief's that were crucified along with him, acts like a final humiliation upon his head, the greatest height of his dynasty is the cap stone of his tomb. Indeed, the powers of the Godhead, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost will forever be the One True God.

From then, Aizen was bound and locked away. Though, as I stated in my second Bleach post, Satan will not be physically bound, but that he will have no power over the hearts of the children of God any longer, and it will be because of their righteousness.

I will now make my last argument of how Aizen represents Lucifer.
The scriptures describe the mourning over the fall of Lucifer, (Isaiah 14:12-14, 2 Nephi 24:12-14)
"12. How art thou fallen from heave, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13. For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."

The mourning of Lucifer's fall is so much like the mourning Momo Hinamori expressed after Aizen's betrayal, not just of Soul Society, but by also stabbing Momo with his blade.

Aizen himself expressed his motives, which are undeniably similar to Lucifer's as mentioned above. "No one stands on the top of the world. Not you, not me, not even gods. But the unbearable vacancy of the throne in the sky is over. From now on....I will be sitting on it."

Lucifer's greatest sin was the route sin, the sin that begins all others. That is pride. Pride was the cause and downfall of a son of the morning. That same pride he still tries to tempt us with in the hopes that he can drag us down into his dominion, that we may be miserable like him. Misery truly loves company.

I hope that you have enjoyed this post. I know that most of it was dark and sinister, but there is always the light at the end of the tunnel, the silver lining on every cloud. No matter how bad the war for souls gets, we know how it will end, good will prevail over evil. That should make it so much easier to pick a side, and be willing and have confidence for the fight ahead. I will have one more Bleach post, though it will no longer be about the main plot of the series, it will be about gems of knowledge and inspiration that I have not yet covered. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below. Special thanks to bleach.wikia.com for their useful and relevant information.

Love,
Jacobugoth

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