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It has been widely accepted that Tite Kubo’s magnum opus,Bleach,is a legendary series, and it has inspired many other prominent mangas. However, even a genius like Kubo needs some kind of inspiration to base his work on, and while most of his manga was the work of his creative mind, one aspect of the series was almost adopted fromFullmetal Alchemist.
Many fans might not know this, but one of the most menacing groups of villains inBleach,the Ten Espada, was originally going to be only seven because of the seven deadly sins, the same as the homunculus inFullmetal Alchemistby Hiromu Arakawa. However, Kubo decided to change his mind and went on to create three additional characters.
He even changed the symbolic meaning behind the villains to make them represent something entirely different. This not only helped in making the narrative ofBleachbetter, but especially the Arrancar saga. It not only gave a new look to the Espada characters but also matched the number of Soul Reapers in Soul Society.
Tite Kubo Was Almost Going to UseFullmetal Alchemist’sKey Element
According toCBR, when Kubo was creating Sosuke Aizen’s army, he made a last-minute change, which was quite big for theBleachmanga. Earlier, he was going to introduce only seven Espadas, each representing one of the seven deadly sins. However,Tite Kubodecided to remove the symbolic gesture of sin from the Espadas and introduce three more.
“His series and designs always stuck me as stylish”: Not One Piece But Tite Kubo’s Bleach Got the Credit for Inspiring One of the Best New Age Mangas
Later on, these Espadas were designed around the theme of death and its ten aspects. From rage to madness, every aspect of death became an integral part of Espada’s personality and their way of fighting. Also, at that time, there were only ten Soul Reapers in the Soul Society, which created a balance between good characters and villains.
The concept of the Seven Deadly Sins was quite common at the time, withHiromu Arakawa’sFullmetal Alchemistbeing the first to use it. The main antagonists of the series, Homunculus, were based on the concept of sins, and each member of Homunculus represented a particular sin.
The Espada was One of The Best Groups of Villains inBleach
It is generally believed that Aizen was the one who created the group of Espada. However, the Arrancars had already formed a group before the arrival of Aizen to Hueco Mundo. He just gave them a reason and unlimited powers to fight, used them according to his own will, and even destroyed them if he needed to.
The Espada are given a number between 0 and 9, and the number represents their powers in terms of their spiritual energy. Although Aizen had other factions ready to wage war on the Soul Society, the Espadawere the strongest among them. These Espada stayed in Las Noches in Hueco Mundo, where they also held their meetings.
“This is why I love Bleach over Naruto”: Tite Kubo Doesn’t Get Enough Credit For Getting a Few Things Right in Bleach
Bleachhas witnessed a lot of enemy groups trying to invade the Soul Society or wage war on the human world, but none of them compared to the strength and abilities of the Espada. The Espada had characters like Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, Yammy, etc. who are considered to be some of the strongest characters in the entire series.
You can watchBleachon Hulu andFullmetal Alchemiston Crunchyroll.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2959
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
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BleachFullmetal AlchemistTite Kubo
