Ulquiorra x Orihime - they are "it" [Bleach]

Kubo Tite - the writer and illustrator of Bleach.

Canon - official couple/pairing evidenced by manga and anime.

Crack - fan made couple, no substantial evidence from manga/anime.

Manga scans sourced from www.onemanga.com.


The Ulquiorra/Orihime (UlquiHime) pairing from the Bleach manga/anime is indeed a unique one, which is still deemed as "crack" by some fans. As a fellow UlquiHime fangirl I tremble with excitement at the thought of the two of them together. As I watched the anime, it made me wonder what's going on between those two, because they had more chemistry than everyone put together. But the manga made it so much clearer. It is darker, more in detail and explores their relationship a bit further than the anime. Unfortunately, due to the subtlety of their relationship, calling them canon might be still a little too early. But I think that Chapter 354 safely broke through that barrier. And they are at least semi-canon.

The first thing I've noticed about Ulquiorra is his completely uncharacteristic behavior when he is around Orihime or deals with issues surrounding her. One of the first contradictions is in the kidnapping scene, where he confronts her as she travels from Soul Society to the human world. Even before he contradicts himself, his monologue makes little to no sense to me. At first he mentions there only being two guards, and that it would be easy for him "to restrict [their] combined abilities" (Episode 139). Then, he completely switches topics and says that he doesn't like to "rush" when talking to others. Does anybody follow his trail of thought so far? And finally, here comes the contradiction. His sentences become short, straight to the point, and EXTREMELY commanding. Didn't he just say he doesn't like to rush?



Come with me, woman. Silence. "Yes" will be the next word you speak. Saying anything else will result in a swift death. Not for you, but for your friends. Don't ask questions. Don't say a word. You have no rights and no options. [...] I hope you understand, woman. We are not negotiating. I am giving you an order. [...] I will say it one more time. Come with me, woman. (Ep. 139) Although he is not beating around the bush, contrary to his earlier statement of not liking to rush, did he really need to get so chatty to get his point across? (I skipped some of the things he said evidenced by the brackets). Yes, kids, he talks too much.

(Contextually, the choice of words is a bit different between various translations of manga and subs in the anime, but the meaning is the same. Also, in Japanese Ulquiorra always refers to Orihime as "onna" which means woman/girl)

Notice Orihime's face at the top left corner. She is not scared and helpless. She is defiant. That's an interesting twist in her character.

We know that he wanted to put her into a complete psychological trap without a possible way out. But I found his blunt orders and mental domination full of sexual connotations. (In the anime, his voice and manner of speaking made it even more convincing) It was as if he was seducing her. It felt like he wanted her to submit to HIM, instead of Aizen. Come (be) with me, woman.

Even though Kubo said that he doesn't intend to develop romance in Bleach, I don't think it is a coincidence the way he developed UlquiHime. There are just too many details suggesting at the very least Ulquiorra's growing attachment/attraction to her. There are too many closeups of them together, looking at each other. There are too many scenes of Ulquiorra's obvious presence where Orihime is concerned. It's like Kubo went out of his way to show Ulquiorra's growing interest in her.

When Zommari asks about the 4th person who invaded Soul Society with Ichigo, Ishida, and Chad, guess who answers that question? Yours truly, Cuatro Espada. It is Ulquiorra who speaks Orihime's name, and no one else. What a coincidence! No. 4 is silent until the topic of Inoue comes up. And here he is. Why was it specifically Ulquiorra who said Orihime's name? All of these unanswered questions are driving me crazy. And all of this subtle evidence makes me believe that Ulquiorra's interest in her definitely goes beyond the responsibility given to him by Aizen.

Here is another example of Ulquiorra's painfully obvious presence where Orihime is concerned. As Loly and Menoly rushed out of Aizen's room badmouthing Orihime in a jealous frenzy, they just HAD to pass by Ulquiorra. He just HAD to be there to witness their rage. He doesn't just stand there, he glances at the brunette with a loud mouth.

Other examples of uncharacteristic behavior are the compliments. Ulquiorra told Orihime that she looked good in the Arrancar uniform. Then he commented to himself that she is a strong willed woman after she told him, without flinching, that her body and mind belong to Aizen. But he knew that she did not feel that way and that she was still loyal to her friends.

He is also being *gasp* considerate. Because the second time he comes in, during the famous "slap" scene, he actually announces his presence. Before he came in without a word and scared the lights out of her. Where did your nihilistic and apathetic attitude disappear too, Espada-san?













Interestingly enough, Ulquiorra always plays psychological games with Orihime. But his true intentions do not seem to come from Aizen's orders, since Aizen does not order anything other than to keep her safe and healthy. Thus, Ulquiorra's constant visits are not necessary. Then, why is he pushing Orihime to say that her body and mind belong to Aizen? Does he really mean Aizen or someone else? Is Aizen just an excuse?





















Why would Ulquiorra come and report to her that her friends have invaded Hueco Mundo to rescue her? Why would he tell her that Nnoitra acted out of orders to hurt Chad? Really, Espada-san, do you care that much about what she thinks? It was as if he wanted her to know that whatever happened to her friends had nothing to do with him. It was as if he needed a reason for her to (maybe) believe in him and see him differently, other than an...enemy...? This is an absolutely bizarre behavior for someone who is adamant about following orders to the last detail and has a nihilistic attitude towards everything.

The look in the bottom left corner is priceless. Why's he looking away?



















This scene raised way too many questions in my mind. How did Kubo come up with these lines? Ulquiorra is back to his commanding and domineering self. Tying her down, forcing food down her throat... Sounds like he is itching to get physical with her. He is provoking and playing his psychological games again. Is he trying to seduce and submit her to his will...AGAIN?! Aizen-sama...who?

Why does he even bother to try to convince her not to think about her friends? That wasn't in the job description. What is he trying to do? Is it his own dysfunctional way of trying to make her feel better? No offense, Espada-san, but you suck at it.

I am not here to comfort you. You don't say...

















Finally!! The infamous, and epically wonderful slap scene. He doesn't dodge, doesn't catch her hand, doesn't smack her back. The all powerful Espada does nothing. (WHAT?!?!?) He just stands there and takes it. Talk about itching for a physical contact. Tying her down sounded good, but getting slapped from provoking her is so much better, isn't it Espada-san?

And Orihime, the sweet, good natured, won't-hurt-a-fly, Orihime had enough guts to "hurt" someone physically? (WHAT?!?!?) His uncharacteristic behavior is odd enough, but this...?! We've never seen this before. She is angry, she is fearless, she is...dangerous. She is...self-sufficient. She does not need Ichigo to stand up for her. (Score!) Good work, No. 4!

Finally, after Ulquiorra leaves, rambling on that he'll force feed her if she doesn't eat (yeah, yeah...), she bursts into tears and he stands outside of her door listening to her cry. (Ch. 262) Oh what a shame they didn't put it into anime!
















These four pages are not exactly in a consecutive order but I felt they were the best choice to discuss this scene. Aizen did not give any orders to pursue the invaders. Thus, Ulquiorra had no reason to go after Ichigo. Why did he go? But what's more astounding is that he is being very blunt about Rukia's death and he is pretty obvious about provoking a fight with Ichigo.



















After the subject of Rukia does not work, Ulquiorra proceeds to tell Ichigo that it was him who brought Orihime to Hueco Mundo. Talk about a lack of subtlety and a complete out-of-wack behavior. Rushing much, Espada-san?

Ulquiorra does not act on a whim, he does not go around looking for fights, unless Aizen instructs him to. Is this a direct provocation to have Ichigo fight him? Why? The interesting thing is that this scene happens soon after Orihime slaps Ulquiorra when he persuades her to forget her friends. In other words, is this done out of jealousy? Is Ulquiorra trying to get rid of Ichigo? To prevent him from taking Orihime away? Have you found a reason to fight me? This proved to me that Ulquiorra was absolutely adamant about fighting Ichigo. He certainly didn't do it for Aizen, who did not issue any such orders. So that means that he did it for no other than himself.

The oddest thing about Ulquiorra's behavior here, is that he previously criticized Nnoitra for being an idiot and rushing into battle without first receiving orders from Aizen. And here he is doing exactly the same. What happened to the attitude about strictly following orders?

At the end, Ulquiorra impales Ichigo in the chest telling him that he cannot win. But he doesn't kill him. He tells him to leave because there is no chance for victory, or die where he is without any further fruitless struggles. This further proves that Ulquiorra doesn't go around looking for death matches and has no desire to kill just because, this was personal. And perhaps, the reason why he didn't finish off Ichigo is because of Orihime.






After Ulquiorra learns that it was Grimmjow who kidnapped Orihime, he finds them instantaneously in the next scene. Although he doesn't like to rush (now we know that he does when it has to do with Orihime), he certainly doesn't think twice before using sonido and almost gives poor Grimm a heart attack. (pun intended)

Despite trying to maintain his signature poker face, Espada-san looks royally pissed off. That's what you get for taking his woman. Bad, Grimm, bad! And here we go again with the painfully obvious closeups. He looks at her, he expects an explanation. He scowls, she looks guilty. It could be my imagination, but his expression softens after he looks at her. Surprisingly, the girl doesn't get angry or defiant. (Not even a little bit after learning that the big bad Ulquiorra nearly killed Strawberry-kun?) She looks guiltily away. Tsk, tsk, tsk, no fraternizing with the other boy Espada while your man is away.

Orihime's really surprised me. It looks like she feels guilty for going against Ulquiorra. Why would she feel guilty even though Grimmjow took her by force? Can it be that she developed some sort of loyalty towards him or maybe she kinda likes him....a little bit? She certainly never looked like she was ever afraid of him. (Defiance, climatic slap, refusing to eat) The plot thickens.









When Ulquiorra comes back from Caja Negación, guess who is the first person he lays eyes on? No one other than Orihime-chan. And, of course, they have to be alone with more manga closeups.

All of these little nuances cannot be a coincidence. Why did Ulquiorra have to appear in the throne room and nowhere else? He already proved to be a fast traveler when he found Grimmjow with Orihime. Sounds like Kubo purposely gave them the alone moments to emphasize that there is something going on between them.




















Translation: Come, Kurosaki Ichigo, and try to take my woman away from me. I'll kick your ass.

Ok, maybe not like that, but initially Ulquiorra had no beef with Ichigo. Even before their first "Rukia is dead" rumble, they had no conflict. Ulquiorra even prevented Grimmjow from finishing the fight with Ichigo after the kidnapping scene, saying that the mission is over. And now it is an all out war. Why is Ulquiorra so set on fighting Ichigo AGAIN?!?! Sounds more like a personal grudge than anything else. But Ulquiorra is not the type to act on a whim and hold grudges! Can Espada-san be any more obvious?




















Looks like Ulquiorra is back to his old tricks of psychological domination and mind games. But didn't Aizen-sama just say that Orihime is of no use to him anymore and she is free for the taking by her friends? He was even kind enough to give directions of her whereabouts. So why wouldn't Ulquiorra just kill her then? Instead he becomes chatty again. Why does he care if Orihime is scared? Why does he tell her that she would die alone? But he doesn't say anything about whether he'll kill her or not. He just insists to know whether she is scared. It sounds like he wants her to feel completely vulnerable. And, since they are alone together, she will have to rely on HIM. The tension is building and the closeups are back in action. They are standing close to each other, he stares, she has a peaceful look on her face. Can it get any more intimate than this?














In this scene Ulquiorra is trying to understand the idea of a "heart". But since he is a materialist and still hasn't grasped the concept of feelings, it's hard for him to comprehend what a "heart" is. He believes what he sees. This "heart" is not an organ that pumps blood. It's human feelings, emotions, resolve. It's something that cannot be seen. I don't think he is really threatening Orihime by telling her about ripping her chest and cracking her skull. He is just struggling to understand that logic does no apply to understanding feelings. And perhaps he is frustrated that he can't understand something that comes so naturally to humans.

Him touching her chest is unexpected and oh so out of character. You aren't obvious at all, Espada-san.


















This scene just cracks me up. Espada-san is dangerously out of excuses.

Aizen's direct orders are: I'll leave Las Noches to you, Ulquiorra. (Ch. 315) He does not give any other orders such as killing (especially those who are not interested in destroying Las Noches...yes, that would be Ichigo), destroying property, stepping on flower beds, etc. So why would Ulquiorra want to fight Ichigo? Disobeying orders again there, aren't ya, No. 4? I can't find any possible explanation for Ulquiorra's desire to fight Ichigo. Ichigo is not interested in destroying Las Noches, he just wants to take Orihime and the rest of his friends home. If Ulquiorra did not stop him, Ichigo would mostly likely take the girl and leave. He is not a threat to Las Noches, No.4. He is a threat to YOU. Killing you is protecting Las Noches. Admit it, Espada-san, you can't come up with a better excuse to kick his ass because he is about to steal your woman.

For someone who doesn't like to rush, Ulquiorra is pretty quick at drawing his sword. Ichigo notices too. Ulquiorra wasn't this quick even during his first fight with Ichigo. But here, he sees Ichigo as a serious rival. Ulquiorra is dead serious about this.

I see you as someone who must be destroyed. Of course you do, No. 4, he wants to take your onna away from you.







After giving such a painful monologue to Orihime about dying alone, not being of any use to Aizen anymore, and telling Ichigo that he will kill her as soon as Aizen gives an order, Ulquiorra surprises us with yet another gigantic contradiction. That girl is already one of us . WHAT?!? But...didn't you just say...? Doesn't he seem desperate to convince Ichigo to give up? Despite Aizen's orders, Ulquiorra seems to be pretty set on keeping Orihime with him.




















Ichigo reveals something very important here. He notices that he is able to keep up with Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra's defenses are down and his movements are predictable. Did he become more human? Ulquiorra is stunned at the realization. A quick closeup of Orihime makes that revelation even more authentic. She is the only human he's spent time with up till now. She made him more human. (Shock!)




















Why is he talking again? Ulquiorra is in the middle of a fight! Pay attention! It's not like Orihime's shield did anything! Is Espada-san jealous again? (WHAT?!?!) Apparently you also have a need to point out that Orihime...might be in love with Ichigo?! (Shock!) Strawberry, why did you have to interrupt his jealousy fit?





















After Loly threatens Orihime, Ichigo the Turd throws his Getsuga Tensho at her without realizing that Orihime is right there next to her. The fight between him and No. 4 is instantly forgotten as Ulquiorra sonidos in front of Ichigo breaking the attack. Then he turns around and tells Loly that he was not helping HER. Whom exactly were you helping, Espada-san? *wink wink*






















The fight between Ichigo and Ulquiorra is taken to a whole different level. It has a much deeper meaning than the superficial test of strength Ichigo had with Grimmjow. Seems like Ulquiorra doesn't care about winning or even fighting Ichigo. He is telling him to give up. But didn't he initiate this fight in the first place? Does it mean that fighting Ichigo is the only way to show him that Ulquiorra is superior in strength, which would make Ichigo give up and go home? That brings back memories of their first fight, where Ulquiorra impaled Ichigo in the chest without killing him and told him to go home or die right there. But since Ichigo is such a stubborn and righteous hero, he won't give up, although he knows that Ulquiorra is stronger. Ulquiorra knows that too. So why would he release his second form when he is perfectly capable of killing Ichigo without it? This is his last resort to make Ichigo give up, to show him "true despair". Wait a minute, how does he know what despair is? Isn't he supposed to be devoid of all feelings and emotions? As a UlquiHime fangirl, I might be a bit biased about this, but there is a method to my madness. I strongly believe that Ulquiorra DOES have feelings, he just doesn't know them, being a hollow and all. In anime he did tell Orihime that he was annoyed with her, and his eyes widen when he is surprised. Surprise is an emotion, isn't it? So, he isn't completely different from other Espada who throw emotional tantrums all the time: Grimmjow, Nnoitra, Szayel, Nel. It sounds like Ulquiorra is trying to project his own feelings on Ichigo. His despair is that Ichigo won't give up and Ulquiorra will probably have to kill him. Despair is that Orihime is beyond his reach. Ulquiorra is absolutely desperate to keep her with him, and he is running out of ideas to make Ichigo see that he cannot win without getting himself killed. Ulquiorra probably doesn't even want to kill Ichigo if it means upsetting Orihime.










Ulquiorra's monologue sure raises a lot of questions. In his earlier conversation with Orihime, he had no idea what a "heart" was. He denied its very existence since he believed that unless he can see it, it doesn't exist. What exactly does he mean now? From an objective point of you, it could just be his observation that Ichigo's heart will be his ultimate demise, because he won't give up. But could there be a deeper meaning in his words? Could this scene be where Ulquiorra finally realizes what a heart is? (contrary to the popular belief that he acquires one moments before he turns to dust) From UlquiHime's point of view and my personal take on it, Ulquiorra's ultimate pain and despair is Orihime, and this whole fight is about Orihime. He knows that he can't have her and that she will be his undoing. (not to mention that he is awfully chatty again)


















Ulquiorra seems to be pretty obsessed about what Orihime thinks of him. This is not the first time he asks her this question. Are you scared of me? Even though he seems to be talking to both Ichigo and Orihime, when he says that he finds [them] interesting, he looks only at Orihime. She is the last person he sees in his final moments and she (probably) gives him peace by assuring him that she is not scared. He wants to touch her, but in this bittersweet moment, her hand goes right through his as he disintegrates.




















This is the climatic scene that makes us UlquiHime fans so convinced that the pairing is real, but in a very subtle way. There are no fancy confessions, tears, and kisses. But the fact is that a wisp of a girl made a badass Espada feel makes it so much more powerful. Before he died, Ulquiorra found his heart in his hand, the hand that SHE almost touched. Perhaps, she is the heart that he was so much longing for. Perhaps he gave his heart to her. Or perhaps, she only guided him to his heart by simply being human.

Some would argue that Ulquiorra fell in love with Orihime. Others would say that he was only fascinated by her humanity. Maybe both. But the undisputed fact is that he definitely felt for her one way or another. Perhaps, by being an Arrancar, he didn't have enough time to figure out what it was. Nevertheless, their relationship goes far beyond the one of a captor and his prisoner.








Final thoughts:

What fascinates me the most about Ulquiorra x Orihime is their completely uncharacteristic behavior when they are together. When they are by themselves there is nothing special. He is a silent, pragmatic, unmovable robot. And she is a typical damsel in distress unable to stand on her own, a generic shoujo character. Put them together, and we have a chemical explosion. He gets awfully chatty, almost emotional, and starts to give a damn. And she is actually able to stand up for herself without relying on others to do it for her.

"I am acting on Aizen-sama's orders" stopped making sense after the scene where Espada-perv wanted to tie Orihime down and force the food down her throat. Perhaps, Ulquiorra could not deal with his growing attachment (because he is a Hollow who can't understand human interaction), and still tried to convince himself that he was following some imaginary orders. It is even more obvious in the later scenes. How some people don't see it is beyond me. Perhaps, they don't read the manga and just watch the anime for the sake of action.

Overall, I find them the most exciting pair in the entire series. And who said that a villain cannot be redeemed? It happened before in other stories. In his last moments Ulquiorra did get his redemption through finding his heart. I am sad that Ulquiorra is gone, but I am optimistically hopeful that Kubo will bring him back with a boom.

I don't expect Kubo to pair everyone one up and turn Bleach into Marmalade Boy. But his characters and their relationships seem way too complex to just be platonic. I think subtle romance will bring a nice kick to the story.

HOWEVER, Ichigo could really benefit from some toning down. For a human (even though he is half shinigami), he is disgustingly overpowered.


Fin