What's the Deal With Ulquiorra's 'SEGUNDA ETAPA' Form? | Bleach Discussion 

Check out my video on the recent PlayStation showcase right here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-W7qDUnaCTnk.html Meanwhile, what is Ulquiorra's Segunda Etapa? How does it work? How did he achieve it? Let me know your thoughts on the topic down in the comments!

When you think about it, it is weird. A Resurrección isn’t a traditional power up, it’s an Arrancar regaining their powers as a Hollow, which are sealed within their blade. It’s essentially removing a limiter on their body, letting them use their full strength. So Segunda Etapa… if we’re keeping to anime comparisons, it’s like how Frieza transforms to suppress his power, then has 100%. So in this analogy, Segunda Etapa is like the Golden Form for Arrancar.

Undoubtedly one of the biggest flexes in the series.

One of the many things I found interesting was how Ulquiorra’s Segunda Etapa reverts him back into the appearance of his original tribe. He was born in the sands of Hueco Mundo pure white, while his kin were pitch black. When he reveals his second release form, he’s now black. And what was it Isshin said in Everything But The Rain? Black hollows are practically unheard of. Pretty fitting for someone with a power that hasn’t been replicated since its introduction.

I personally think the "bleeding" of Ulquiorra's hole represents his attempts to find the heart. The blood flows in an attempt to fill something. That something is the heart.

To me, Yammy's transformation is a manifestation of his ability. He gets stronger with greater anger, so changing shape is a way for his body to accommodate his increased power.

I love this idea of Segunda Etapa being an arrancar reverting to a hollowdom far beyond that of their original days as standard hollows. I wish Kubo dove further into these ideas. It feels like he’s always developing fascinating concepts only to leave them lightly explored.

On Klub Outside, Kubo was asked if Grimmjow could learn Segunda Etapa if he trained to do so. Kubo's answer to that question was yes. So this brings a new dimension to what Segunda Etapa actually entails.

I have always thought, after seeing the Secunda Etapa, that they had it wrong about Releases being Bankai, and is actually Shikai.

I think it's funny that the Arrancar know more about their Zanpakuto than the Shinigami do Edit: Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Kubo say that Grimmjow could also untain a second release if he trained hard enough

Ulquiorra Ciffer is a kind of antagonist for a specific section of the story that drives the protagonist to the absolute edge of despair only to be taken out in the most brutal way. Other examples I could bring up are Mahito, Neferpitou and old man Piccolo.

In terms of power, given how dominant the first release form was over Ichigo, the second release felt more Like the marginal overkill to an already existing overkill. It is hard to guage how much additional powers it bestowed upon him because let's be frank he would have actually won even with the first stage release.

I think a resurreccion is equivalent to a bankai in power but not in form. In the same way that Yamamoto’s shikai is equivalent (or stronger) to someone like Kensei’s bankai in terms of power, but it IS still his shikai. He still has a stage beyond that. So I’d guess it’s basically an arrancar’s shikai, and Ulquiorra is the only one who achieved arrancar bankai.

I’d always taken Arrancar Ressurection as the equivalent of Shikai, with Ulquiorra being the only Espada to discover his ‘Bankai’

The fact that he kept it hidden from Aizen makes it and him all the more notable. He nearly got the better of Ichigo and in the end it would be a beast taking on another. Still as tragic as it is at least he learned of the heart in his last moments, Orihime not expressing fear and showing sorrowful empathy made it all the more meaningful. A moment of humanity for both in an otherwise nightmarish situation.

Im surprised that you didnt mention that Tite Kubo revealed that Grimmjow could potentially gain Segunda Etapa if he trains more.

My personal theory is that he changed his Reshi to become more like an Ancient Hollow like Barragan. In his origin we see he was made from the sands of Hueco Mundo, and now we know the sand is made up of Ancient Hollows that the Soul King killed. Bleach is no stranger to characters being able to change their Reiatsu structure (The entire Askin fight), even regular arrancars Reiatsu structure changes when they release. Ulquiorra's Reishi looks like Barragan. When Uryu was engulfed by Ulquiorra's Reishi, he said that it felt different and not like anything he's felt before, like an ocean was on top of him. It wasn't just huge amount of spiritual pressure, Uryu is smart enough to decipher what Reishi structure it is, and just like the fullbringers this is unknown to him since he's never encountered an Ancient Hollow before. Also Ancient Hollows are much more powerful in Nature which is why the Reio had to kill them off. To me this explanation has always made the most sense, and why no one else has ever gotten a "second release", b/c they can't. They aren't and Ancient Hollow nor do they have parts of them like Ulquiorra. Also I think people under power Barragan b/c they don't understand his fight. Ill agree that's it's underwhelming for the "king" not to face off against Yama, but instead fight two fat guys. Whenever Kubo writes OP villains he usually has them get taken out by their own power (Lille, Barragan, Yhwach in a sense). Barragan power is Absolute, which is broken. Absolute means no one could protect against it unless they're immortal, a direct counter, since immortals can't age. It mimics the "raw power" term Yhwach says when he transfers power, or when Lille shoots through targets w/ his x-axis deleting everything regardless of how much Reiatsu there is

I believe Resurrección is more akin to Shikai, and segunda etapa is the Arrancar's version of Bankai. Urahara is wrong because he's studying such a small population (there are only a handful of Vasto lords, and an even smaller group remove their masks). Like Shikai, Resurrección is a representation of what the Hollow thinks they are, and segunda etapa is a representation of what they actually are.

VIDEO IDEA: largest power disparity between Shikai(s) and Bankai(s) in Bleach. For example, who's Bankai gets ridiculously OP compared to the power or abilities of their Shikai?

The fact that Kubo confirmed that other Hollows like Grimmjow can unlock the Segunda Etapa, makes me think we will see him, Nel and Halibel use it in the Hell arc. Still, Ulquiorra's second form is definitely one of the most iconic designs in all of Bleach, and one of Kubo's best!

The way I see the pseudo-second forms from the Fraccion is that they were originally able to do the small scale transformations in their original hollow state too, but it's not their default form

It's quite simple. The normal ressurecion is comparable to a shinigami's shikai. Segunda etapa is basically the bankai. And no the ressurecion is NOT a "hollow bankai".

Wait, didn't Tite Kubo confirm in a Q&A in his club that Segunda Etapa is a learned ability? I think someone asked if Hallibel, Nel, and Grimmjow could attain Segunda Etapa if they trained and Kubo said yes.

Regarding Yammi's second transformation, that might have been the first time he actually achieved something like that, making Ulquiorra statement about being the only Espada with a Segunda Etapa, true at that point, since Yammi is a bit special in the sense that he grows stronger with Rage, maybe he doesn't really need to master such form, he just need to be put throuh the ringer like in the fight against Kenpachi and Byakuya.

I always viewed the Segunda Etapa as the Arrancar’s version of the Bankai. I love that the Bleach Brave Souls game created some “what if” forms for the rest of the Espada.

Nobody can tell me Ulquiorra wasn't the strongest espada and there are very few characters in all of Bleach that could've ever killed him. Obviously Ichigo being the main character doesn't reflect how high up in the verse he was

Part of me does wonder if it is as simple as Shikai to Bankai. Given that Arrancar were extremely rare prior to Aizen its completely reasonable to assume that those who compare Ressurećion to Bankai simply didn't know enough about it and only meant in terms of power and not function.

With Barragan's Fraccion that would just imply those were abilities they had as Hollow. That there were just Adjuchas out there who could buff up, grow extra wings or just power with markings and the like. Yammy in particular had to have had some special power pre-Arrancar for Aizen to pick him for such a special spot. I'm surprised you didn't mention Kubo answering that Grimmjow could gain Segunda Etapa if he trained, meaning yes it's that answer - that you train to achieve greater Resurreccion after becoming an Arrancar. Also namely for all this, the Zanpakuto is their "Original power" yes, but the Arrancar still become stronger than their prior Hollow selves upon sealing that power into a sword. So they don't like, get weaker and limit themselves when they become a base Arrancar.

Didn't Kubo say that Grimmjpw could attain a Segunda Etapa if he trained hard enough? Also, while the narrative does compare Resurreçion and Bankai pretty often, most the people comparing the two have no idea about Segunda Etapa, which makes me think that Resurreçion is actually analogous to Shikai, and Segunda Etapa is more like the actual Bankai analog. I mean, the two are quite different otherwise, but I think it works.

I've always had a much simpler theory: Due to the rare actual involvment of Lieutenants and Captains with Hollows, to the point that Findor gets the scaling completely wrong at that level, Resurrección *is* Shikai for Arrancar. The average strength of Arrancar is just so much higher by default. Similar to how Lieutenant Matsumoto and Captain Hitsugaya were comparable to Third Seat Madarame with their Seals on. Think of TYBW Byakuya's Shikai being mistaken for Bankai as a similar example. It's just an universe mistake that, due to them being seals, the Arrancar just have no reason to look further into.

In some ways Segunda Etapa almost feels like Ulquiorra's response to the BBS exclusive 'beyond Bankai' forms that so many characters received, particularly given Resurrection's direct comparisons to a Shinigami's Bankai. In which case his Tercera Etapa Hogyoku form is just a further flex on top of that.

The in world direct comparisons to Bankai don't make sense considering how rare arrancars are and how little they've been studied. Segunda etapa has more parallels to Bankai than the basic Resurrección. For Resurrección, the name is called (just like Shikai) and the Arrancar takes a shape similar to their original Hollow shape Complete with Masks. Also like shikai, it seems it can be summoned (even partially) without calling release (Grimmjow in TTYBW) indicating the presence of a second release form. Segunda Etapa however differs from the original hollow shape and seems to not feature a mask at all being a kind of evolution on the Resurrección showing a good knowledge of self (just like Bankai is an evolution of Shikai brought from self knowledge and was once called an evolved form). Being an Arrancar brings many advantages over shinigami; in TTYBW it's revealed they already have good battle instincts (which makes sense having come from Hollows) as opposed to Shinigami or quincy who have to be taught/trained. Arrancar are supposed to be stronger than their hollow selves. The Espada being able to compete with Bankai in Resurrección makes sense considering they were made up of Menos Level Hollows (the power of multiple Souls fused vs a single soul) I think given time (They spent relatively little time as Arrancar) the Espada would be much more powerful and dangerous, especially if they could all achieve Segunda Etapa (maybe scaling to and above EOS characters)

Wouldn't be that crazy that aside of a first release called "Resurrección" (Shinigami's shikai) they also can achieve second release "Segunda etapa" (Shinigami's Bankai) btw Segunda etapa in Spanish literally means "second phase"

The fact that Ulquiorra calls it second release to me means that it is in fact a second release and not just "the rest" of the first. I think the nature of hollow and shinigami/zanpakto aren't that different. Both are individual or a conglomerate of souls. The Zanpakto is a mirror of one's soul, even if it has its own sentience and identity. I assume that Espada are similar but can't recognize that fact because they are like twice removed from humanity, although they tend to come back to humanity, physically and mentally, like you mentioned. The fact that he has a second release shows that he is more in tune with his "soul(s)" or at least an aspect of them. The soul society arc was amazing because the narrative was that enemies may be just like you, i think the Espada arc was another take on that but didn't really hit the mark narratively. Ultimately i think that the power systems in Bleach are more fluid than people think. Look at Ichibei, Renji, etc

I honestly feel like it’s his version of a true bankai or Ichigo Mugetsu form. They seem like the same type of transformation, but different ways of using it.

if anything segunda etapa is their actual bankai like ability. just because their power is comparable to a bankai at release doesn't mean that's the limit to what they can achieve.

"Segunda Etapa", from spanish, "Second Phase/Stage" could be, as you said, not a whole second transformation but just the second stage of his regular transformation. The first stage serving as as slight boost while the second stage is the full release. SPOILERS AHEAD. - - - - It could also be similar to Daiguren Hyorinmaru, in that Hitsugaya couldn't use the "full release" of the Bankai because he wasn't ready yet, and while Ulquiorra was clearly ready for Segunda Etapa it's possible he has to go through Primera Etapa, being that just the first step of the full release.

With Kubo confirmation long ago that other Espadas would be able to achieve segunda etapa if they trained enough it’s clear that segunda etapa is a new and stronger stage rather than the final version, meaning the point of Ulquiorra first stage being just a devolution and segunda etapa being his atual full powered ressurection is completely wrong. We now have to turn into the only possibility, it’s a stronger and further evolution, just like ichigo obtained transcendence and Yama gained new bankai abilities by training, it seems segunda etapa is exactly that an evolution of an already existing power making Ulquiorra go into trancendace stage for hollows. Personality it seems that segunda etapa is the same of when a shinigami transcends, meaning that they embody what they truly are , for shinigami is the understanding that the zanpakuto is a part of them while for espadas it seems that it’s them accepting fully their aspects of dead to the point of merging with them. Just like yama merging with his fire ichigo horn of salvation form byakuya/ Renji/Rukia wearing their bankais, sunshui literally summoning Katen and unohana using her blood mixed with her sword in hers it seems that the closer a shinigami is to transcend the more their powers will evolve to be something they wear or merge with, and segunda etapa looks exactly like that it feels like Ulquiorra is merging with the despair that represents him meaning the example that Kubo gave Grimmjow getting segunda etapa being possible seems like it would be a form where he would become even more panther like and agressive for his destruction aspect

Correct me if I’m wrong but the illustration that depicts Ulquiorra’s origin also reveals that Ulquiorra came from a den/pit of similar looking hollows, right? Implying that he’s part of a particular species. Those other hollows were black and more beastly compared to Ulquiorra who was the only white one and had a more subdued personality, which suggests that Ulquiorra was some kind of aberration - an exception/mutation, a runt of the litter. With that in mind, I think Ulquiorra’s transformations make a lot more sense - his first form is him returning to what he was like in his original white form, and his second stage is him digging deeper and reverting to what he was ‘supposed’ to be - one of the black ones, truly a more beastly hollow.

I don't think you caught the joke you accidentally made Tommo. His first release is just a "fraccion" of his power.

My theory is less story/lore driven and more meta. I think what happened to Toriyama Androids in DB happened to Kubo. Originally Androids 19 and 20 were the big bads. Then by surveys and editor interference he had to come up with 17 and 18, then Cell. Even Cells transformations can be tied to editorial meddling. So when Ulquiorra's release was shown, most agree it was underwhelming. That luke warm reception caused a "this isn't even my final form" to happened to try to when back reader favor. I mean these series live and die by the reader surveys and reception. And one of the big ones hitting such a flat note would definitely call for creative solutions.

I think of it as if a ressurection is a shikai, then a second one is a bankai or "final" bankai

An interesting topic honestly and I'll go into my pure speculation here. I know you don't like to bring up the Klub Outside stuff in these discussions but I remembered that Kubo answered that Grimmjow could get a Segunda Etapa if he trained. Going off of that, and your ideas, my thoughts on what Segunda Etapa could be is like a shinigami's meditation with their zanpakuto to become closer to it. However, the spin here is that they are becoming more attuned to what their core is, that innate and primal power that makes a Hollow a Hollow. I believe that as they become arrancar, they stray from their Hollow origins by taking on aspects of shinigami. As obvious as that is. But this brings up, what other things can they do that shinigami can do? Could they maybe use kido if they trained in the shinigami arts? The Vizards could use Cero so perhaps. This is just to illustrate that they have growing similarities. So why can't arrancar train spiritually like the shinigami do with their zanpakuto except it's just them regaining their core or something? In Ulquiorra's case, he seemed to never lose sight of his origin which could be why he alone can do this as of right now. Maybe we'll get some answers some day.

We know that shinigami have to meditate and look inward to be able to communicate with their own soul. It’s the only way to learn the name of their zanpakuto, and thus obtain shikai and bankai. It makes sense that of all the arrancar, it’s Ulquiorra that discovers segunda etapa, the arrancar version of bankai. Because he is constantly looking inward, trying to understand what a heart is in the metaphysical sense.

I think Segunda Etapa is a reawakening of the original form and power of all Hollows. Given his reiatsu becomes denser and completely different, it’s likely the original Hollows would be classified more akin to genuine demons than Hollows as we traditionally understand them. This would validate Ulquiorra’s origin of being birthed in the sands of Hueco Mundo, the ashes of the original Hollows, and why he’s able to achieve Segunda Etapa before any other Espada or Arrancar.

I think their first ressurection being akin to Bankai is a mistake. A misconception on the fan's part purely because their power is relative. I think their ressurection IS their Shikai and the Segunda Etapa is their actual Bankai equivalent. If the first release unlocks their true forms and powers, then the Segunda Etapa reveals the essence of what they are. It would even explain why he disintegrated unlike any of the other arrancar. It's the same logic behind why Bankai damage is permanent whereas a Shikai can be repaired

I think that maybe they (the swords) might be more like a zanpakuto than we think, remember Aizen made arrancar through breaking the barrier between soul reaper and hollow, maybe they do have a kind of zanpakuto spirit, they just can't hear it because they view it as a tool, like Kenpachi did, maybe Ulquiorra's segunda etapa was devouring that spirit or something to take him to something beyond what was before. Something interesting as well, confirmed that grimmjow can attain a segunda etapa through training, whether or not that will happen in the hell arc is unknown, but it's nice to add to my crackpot theory tldr: The swords might actually be like zanpakuto spirits, and Ulquiorrra just obtained hollow bankai

More videos about the espada would be nice.

For what hollows stand, being driven by stinct, all the ressurections whe see are basically the arrancar gaining "armor" but never being trully monstruous, second etapa made ulquiorra look like a hollow more than any other resurection, and it is said that vast lords are not much more bigger than a human but still have monstruous aparency.

Yeah, Ulquiorra was definitely the strongest Espada. No contest. Edit: ive always assumed that, despite whats said, Ressurecion was actually just a Shikai equivalent. Sure its as strong as a bankai, but i feel like thats just their spiritual pressure, not a result of release.

I have one of 2 theories about ulquiorra’s resurrection the first transformation is equivalent to a soul reaper’s shikai and his 2nd transformation is an equivalent to a shinigami’s bankai

Since he is a Hollow, I believe It's a Vasto Lord version with a different appearance because he is much more powerful than the Vasto Lords that existed in Hueco Mundo and a exception among the Espadas, he himself said that Aizen did not know about this transformation, probably his true number would be 2, even so it is difficult to say if in this form he is superior to Starkk.

I like the final theory about how he broke his mask and sealed away segunda etapa then his remaining power was sealed into his zanpakuto. But he says even Aizen didn't know about this form. And that seems to indicate that he trained AFTER Aizen. Because otherwise I figure Aizen is brilliant and would know about it. But hiding it away after the fact well I could see him getting away with that. Or perhaps it is the other way around. But anyway I like to think of it as a true bankai like state. As though his first release seems to be a bankai equvalent state then his second resurecction is like a true bankai. Here is something interesting since we simply seen Ulquiorra disappear and no hell gates open, do you suppose he won't return in the hell arc? And if he does do you suppose he will look even more demonic than before? I heard Kubo is working on it but that is a rumor based on a comment he said. I forget if you made a video about it. One theory of mine is that Ulquiorra shattered his mask but that power actually evaporated and so he trained to return to that power and it took a slightly different form.Sorry for the long comment I have a lot to say.

I personally think that it represents something akin to ascendance for a hollow. If I remember correctly the original hollows from the fused world were pure, not humans that had died (Since death did not exist) They were a life form on their own. The hollows that we now know are not true hollows, since they are born from people. I see the Segunda Etapa form as something like Ulquiorra "evolving" closer to a true hollow, a beast from the original world.

Ulquiorra reaching this in of itself showed how superior he was to the other Espada not even getting into his “dumb” feats like stopping Kisuke’s benihime in base with just his arm. Hoping he returns in the Hell arc and interacts with Ichigo Orihime and Grimmjow again. I use to hate the idea of him being revived but the Hell arc gives a perfect justification and lots of potential to evaluate many character’s story

My interpretation at the time was that it was similar to Dangai Ichigo. In their normal state they are more human and civilized, on release they revert back to a more animalistic and savage form, but in either situation neither is a true acceptance of who they are. They mask who they were before release, after release they mask what they are now. Ulquiorra fully accepts who he is and unmasks himself. Considering the show is primarily about identity and actualizing yourself, this is what makes sense to me. This would also make it foreshadowing of Dangai Ichigo where he learned to accept all sides of himself and became far more powerful

I genuinely love when you analyze Kubo's work because it feels like you always take it exactly as far as he wanted you to. Even when you reach heavy theory territory you preface it and its just perfect to watch

What if, since the hogyuko is in Aizens control, that it was like what happened with Orihime and Chad, they developed their powers to help Ichigo as what was said by Urahara I think? What if Ulquiorra developed his segunda etapa via a similar means since like said the hogyuko was under Aizens control so his direct contact with it did something similar in that regards.

Please do a ichigo vs ginjo fight breakdown and their parallels

12:00 My man, don't mean to be rude, murciélago means "bat" (like the car Lamborghini murciélago) in Spanish, Ulquiorra is the "bat out of hell", or the bat of Hueco Mundo, the land of hollows. His wings look like a bat's, black and leathery instead of feathers (except a few feathers at the base, maybe he is a mix of ravens and bats, animals that are associated with black omens and death, ravens signalling the death of someone and a bad omen (like E.A. Poe's Raven poem and superstitions) and bats are the same plus the vampire myths,) But he's definitely more of a hell bat than bird. 🦇

Well, lets start from Ulq calling is still "ressurecion" with adition second stage. Clearly, he sees this as aditional release of his power, not a release of seal that is put with his arancarisation, but a extra release from other source, and key for this theory of mine is his mask. So, let's start 1st of standard ressurecion, what it is, and how to obtain it (naturaly). It is said it is release of arrancar's original form and power, a return of original self, as far as shinigami, even arrancars knew. But, it's apparently it's not realy full retirn, there are still quite a bit human elements there, even tho reiatsu is full hollow. Now, how arrancars come to be naturaly? It's not a training thing, we saw evidence with Ulq and Starrk, and can guess for Barragan and even how hollow become arrancar, even if not perfected one - there is a mental component, a one that have to do something with there aspect of death, i beleave, an arrancar is born when hollow come in to peace with his death aspect, or find a way to cheat out on it. Look Ulq, he felt empty inside, while everything around him didn't, so he felt unsafe, untill he found that spiki tree, that was embodiment of nihilism, exist, but is empty. That's when Ulq felt safe for 1st time, he found something that is like him, he found peace, and instinctivly, he felt no need to wear mask anymore, to hide from world, so mask tear down in that instant of laying in to tree. As of Starrk, he cheated on his death aspect, he splitted, now, he had his companion, someone who could withstand his closure, he was not alone, so he was in peace, and had no reason to wear mask and hide from world. For Barragan, my guess is when he figured he have some controll over power of time, he tought that he cheated a death, so he didn't had to wear mask (beleave it's mentioned in CFYOW that Barri is one of 1st VL arrancars). So, how this lead to segunda etapa? Well, if a arrancarisation is getting in peace with there death aspect, and unmasking to world, then SE must be what happen when arrancan death aspect get chalanged, cause as Barri said, it's a force that drives them, there belleaf, there reason to live. So, what if Ulq nihilism was chalanged? And i beleave it happened when Orihime came in to LN, she was total oposite of Ulq, so what if Ulq started being more humane, and on deep, instinctial level, his hollow instincs kicked in, like imunity response to invading contra ideology, so it showed to Ulq his true form, his true, naked expession of his power, look, ideology, of what he is (also, Ulq is basicly naked in SE). This form also remove WHOLE mask, and as we learned already many times, must is actusly hollows "heart", core and source of there power, and mask, as we learned shield naked instinct, so, in an instance Ulq looked deep in to himself, his hollow instincts kicked in, and gave him answer to what was chalenging his whole being - a remove of mask, and releasing of hollows very soul, his very naked instinct. That's why, Uryu felt weird reiatsu, it was not just thick and heavy, it was different in nature, a reiatsi derived solely form instinct, a instinct of being representing emptiness, and i beleave that is what Ursu felt, heavy, but somehow.. Empty. Ofcourse, i don't think that mental component is enough, i think it's just a key, i beleave that arrancar have to reach some degrie of power 1st.. But mental compoment on a way i described being key, is exact same thing that prevented other arrancars from reaching SE, there aspects never got fundamentaly chalenged.. Some did, but at basicly dying point, which is already too late.

I always loved the idea that his Segunda Etapa is formed because his initial mask shattering and Murcielago was granted by Aizen. But the fact in Klub outside its confirmed Grimmjow could achieve it implies its not that.

I would have to compare it to Daiguren Hyōrinmaru and Daiguren Hyōrinmaru(mature) how they are massive differences but they are the same power or somewhat like how Yammamoto changed what Zanka no tach did or how senkei and senbosakura are kind of separate. based on the whole all objects have souls from fullbring and the fact we see an Arrancar make a full living being as their zanpakuto so we know they are basically separate beings as well as well we see both Aaroniero Arruruerie and Grimmjow, also Yammy somewhat since he has the unique power of storing power able to release some of their powers in Base, Aaroniero might even have been able to learn Bankai since he had a shikai but ignoring that we do see them do a initial release of their powers and they they do a full release of their powers as a Hollow but they are no longer pure Hollow and Segunda Etapa is them training their Shinigami and hollow powers together to create a new evolved true form aka they have tier limited access to powers in base, full access to their normal powers and then this is what happens when two souls work together in full since Kubo did answer yes to if Grimmjow could unlock Segunda Etapa if he trains

The way that I've rationalize segunda etapa is the initial idea of resurrection being a release of the original power. And with that it means its less of a traditional power up and more of a return to base the original base form (kinda like Frieza in Dragonball). From that statement that would imply that segunda etapa is a more traditional power up. And if we add bs third release it makes everythingfit more with the shinigami power ups. Sealed form< Resurrection (original base form)< Segunda Etapa(Shikai)< Third Release (Bankai). At least thats how I see it.

Maybe Vasto Lorde have secondary transformation that they simply never done before, I mean Vasto Lorde seem to be more than regular hollows given that most hollows can’t just turn into one, and that there seems to something like fate or a greater power that decides who gets be a Vasto Lorde so maybe that’s the reason why.

I like to think that segunda etapa exceeds all the espada ranks. Aizen may not even be aware of this form since there's no number at all. And Ulquiorra is presented as far more powerful than the rest of the espada. He was an impenetrable wall

The way I always saw it was that metaphorically, a resurreccion is like a bankai, and has a similar amount of power increase, however in a very literal sense it is like a shikai. In that case, it's supposed to take 10 years to unlock your bankai, so I assumed Ulquiorra was the only one of the group to be skilled enough to unlock bankai in such a short amount of time after Aizen gave them Zanpakutos.

I like all those theory’s, I just want to add that I think it’s what Aizen was trying to do with the hogyoku and I think that Ulquiorra dying the way he did was like Aizen said they were all failed experiments. Ulquiorra did what Aizen wanted but he just turned to dust in the wind 😂. But that’s another theory to add to the list. I like that 1 because at that point in the arc it’s all about Aizen and his experiments to give hollows soul reaper’s powers to get them to go beyond soul reaper and hollow. I think that’s what that was, but I guess unless Kubo tells us all we got is our theory’s

I prefer to think of Segunda Etapa to be an evolution to the resurrection as his regular resurrection has a familiarity with his original Vasto Lorde form.

i always thought segunda was the bankai/volt and the res was the shikai/shrift

One thing that's always interested me: what if Ichigo had stayed dead, and Zaraki Kenpachi had to fight Ulquiorra. Could he pull it off? And if not, could him and Byakuya together pull it off?

If the half release was to be the reason then you'd think all of the aspada ranked higher than him should of had a half release state too. Unless it's really true that ulquiora is actually the strongest aspada

Segundo etapa is def a form that ulqiorra unlocked. Its not that the first form is just a little bit of hos power released. I think that the kudos intent is very clear. First as stateted, resurrecion is a release of their sealed hollow powers. As we have seen with every other arrancar they resemble their former hollow form. In ulquiorras back story he was different then every other hollow around him because he was white. Like his first release form. In Segundo etapa he def has a black theme going. Also there's alot of statements about his power that support it. Firstly that arrancar 4 or above can not release resurrecion I'm Las noches because it would destroy it. Aizen set that rule based on ulquiorras base transformation. And as ulquiorra stated aizen didn't know about Segundo etapa. That means that aizen has seen the power of ulquiorras resurrecion and didn't think anything weird about it like oh that's only part of his power. Also uryu also made some direct statements about how different it feels. Not just that it's more powerful but that it feels alien. Like nothing he's ever felt up to that point. I think kubo intentionally created the narrative that this is something new and dangerous.

I believe someone's already mentioned this but on Klub Outside, Kubo (The author of bleach) was asked whether or not Grimmjow could achieve Segunda Etapa if he trained enough and he said that it is possible. My theory is that 'Segunda Etapa' is purely an evolution to the Resurrección. It would make sense since its a sort of second release like Bankai and from what we see with Ulquiorra it builds on his Resurrección, what do we see with most Bankai? It's a sort of evolution of the first release Shikai or at least still has something to do with it apart from some rare cases. The translation of it 'Second Stage Resurrección' also serves to prove my point as a Shikai is merely the first stage of a Shinigami releasing their 'power' and the Bankai is their 'second stage'. On another note I'm pretty sure everybody knows that Bleach was rushed at a lot of points including mainly through TYBW, we never got to see a lot of things like Isshin's Bankai in action and many including me theorise it was because of the heavy pressure on Kubo and the tight time schedules he had to work with. This could explain why we never got to see Grimmjow in a Segunda Etapa state in TYBW and he kinda just showed up and then dipped instead. It would've been a lot cooler if he was there in the final fight in his own Segunda Etapa. I also have a theory for a possible 'third release' but this is mostly based off non-canon content. We see a 'third release' being explored in Bleach Brave Souls and I believe that it could be achievable especially for Arrancar's. We see some of the captains get a third release in different ways but what interests me is the 'Beyond Resurrección' where we see all of the Espada in flashy new forms. A thing to note is that in these forms they have what looks like Hogyoku's taking place inside of their hollow holes with Starrk having 2. Another thing to take into consideration is that these designs were personally approved by Kubo and I know all of this doesn't really say much but I truly think it would be a cool thought of Shinigami's and Arrancar's having a third release or being able to achieve one via the Hogyoku or other means.

Have you done a video on why Tosen can do resurreccion? Back in the day that seemed to come out of nowhere.

The deal was this: It was AWESOME

I was always under the impression that arrancar gained additional power from their transformation when they voluntarily remove part of their masks. Under this assumption, Ulquiorra in his second release has completely removed his mask with none of it left upon him. To me, this signifies a second full transformation, essentially a double arrancar.

I find it interesting that the only other one with raining black reiatsu is the soul king. Not saying that Ulquiorra is like the soul king, but I think the similarity is worth exploring.

i've always thought of resureccion to be analagous more to shikai than bankai, given how they have release commands, and how ulquiorra enters his second form by saying "segunda etapa" similiarly to show shinigami call out bankai at their activation

From what i remember, i. Kubo's website where he answers question, one about ulquiorra's ressurection was asked, something about what is it and i grimmjow could gain a 2nd resurection too, kubo was short in his answers like always, he said, yes, if he trained enough, grimm could gain it.

I believe that the Segunda Etapa is simply another evolution beyond what hollows were meant to achieve. It always felt weird to me that by becoming an Arrancar the hollow just gets a seal a a quick method to singularity for a gillion. The Segunda Etapa takes an Arrancar who's fully adopted their new Shinigami nature, and used it to evolve beyond their tier among menos.

both is a possibiliy: comparing his resurrection(1) to other espada even the top, his has the least amount of difference from base (in design). indicating it perhaps was originally made as a first release equivalent. and then in his pursuit of understanding the heart he advanced his 2nd (true) release to a new height (maskless). conversely its possible he achieved maskless resurrection first, then to hide that he achieved maskless, created 1st stage resurrection

I always thought that his second release was a limiter similar to Frieza's final form (before golden Frieza) aka Full Power Frieza.

I always just viewed Segunda Etapa as the arrancar version of Bankai, where as the ressurecion or “release mode” is the equivalent of shikai.

something I've been wondering about when it comes to the Espada and the idea of a Segunda Etapa is the rarely mentioned "Aspect of Death" that each one has, Ulquiora's for example is "Nihilism". I never really knew where those aspects of death came from, if Aizen bestowed them upon each of the espada, or if it is something that is a part of there actual hollow nature. According to Kubo, Grimmjow could have obtained the Segunda Etapa if he trained hard enough. I wonder if the way to obtain the Segunda Etapa is to unlock or embody the Aspect of Death. and maybe it's simply that Ulquiorra discovered this along the way, and coined the term himself as a way to rationalize it. So if Grimmjow has tapped deeper into his aspect of death, Desctruction, then maybe pantera would have evolved further? Honestly it's a bit of a stretch, as none espada arrancar are also capable of further physical changes, but these could be simply chalked up too abilities vs an actual, total transformation?

I believe this "segunda etapa form" functions the same as a Shinigamis' "beyond bakai" form, not talking about the BBS exclusive forms, i'm talking directly about something as Ichigo's Dangai "form", where he goes beyond his normal bankai (as if it was his bankai second form), where he is completely fused with his zanpakuto. (Just like the Beyond Bankai forms from BBS) It was also said by Kubo, that anyone, specifically Grimmjow, can achieve Segunda Etapa if they train enough.

The more I watch this video the more it annoys me at how Kubo created such an amazing world just to throw things like this to the side without an explanation. There are certainly other instances of such cool things that give a chance to world build further (even just a peek at what could be, even if the characters in the world are unaware) but we're left speculating. It's so hard to reminisce on growing up with Bleach when it leaves me trying to fill in holes on my own.

So if I have this right, a Menos of any level can become an arrancar via the Hogyoku, but only Vasto Lordes can become arrancar organically right? Since Ulquirra, Stark, (Barrigan and Harribel possible too) are the only know natural Arrancar. A Menos that becomes an arrancar stores their true form/part of their soul into a sword, but still becomes more powerful in the process even though they now have a sealed form. Like they store say 50%, but their new base form is 70% of their old power, so they are 120% of their original forms power or whatever #% lore wise. Soul Reapers having their swords having it's own manifestation, their swords and those personalities are supposed to just be part of the soul reaper since all Reapers are given an Asauchi to pour their souls into to form their Zanpakuto, much like how Menos pour their souls into a sword. I think Hollows being more instinctual with their powers means they don't need to converse with their swords like Soul Reapers do (like how White Zangetsu tells Ichigo it's all about instinct, Ichigo eventually gets to the point where fighting is 2nd nature and instinctual) Some Soul Reapers have "false" Bankai, that with proper understanding and a deeper connection can obtain a "true" Bankai, like Ichigo and Renji. Some, like Byakuya get more powers as they gain more experience and train, but also have multiple stages of Bankai like stated in the video (peddles vs the sword cage vs shukei). With my line of thinking, Resurrection is an untrained or even potentially somewhat "false" but also instinctual version of Bankai for Arrancar, while Segunda Etapa is a trained and true understanding of the Arrancar's soul. While I know the Beyond Res/Bankai from the games aren't canon, it really feels like Segunda Etapa and Byakuya's Senkei, and Shukei (or things like Dangai Ichigo with his "false" Bankai) are really examples of things like Beyond Powers. Seeing as even knowing a name of a power/attack/soul is equal to power and strength I think it's possible. As to why Ulquiorra's 2nd form feels alien, i'm not sure. It could just be because of how immensely strong it is, or it could be because of how primordial he is. And at the end of the day, who knows, maybe the Resurrection is more like their Shikai, and Segunda Etapa is more like their Bankai and that the Arrancar just didn't know of a 2nd stage release because they were either complacent or not old enough to find it out on accident.

I always thought of it as Ulquiorra's bankai and the first transformation as his shikai

Still holding the opinion that Ulquiorra is the only one to achieve hollow bankai, and the hollows just like the shinigami are so used to ubiquity of shikai they can't accurately tell between shikai and base level. The whole concept of Aizen's forces is that they start from hollows who are as strong as court guards, even if that is the lower end. Adding their new shinigami-esque powers. That'd be a base level strong enough to be better than most soul reapers, but still lower seated ranks. Then they achieve their release which gets them to a point like most of the court guard lieutenants. The Vasto Lord start higher and end higher, but I'd say they having not been around in this form as long have nowhere near the court guards mastery. Thus those achieving shikai level ressurection can be top level of the organization. If left a little(relative to the crazy life-spans) longer, the espada organization would have eclipsed the court guards. They were shinigami powers tacked onto hollows, so if allowed anywhere near the same amount of time refining skills they would have had the edge of just starting stronger than base souls. I think the Ulquiorra segunda etapa is just to kind of hint at how scary they could be if Eizen wasn't wasting them in his arrogance. I also think Ichigo in this fight achieves the same thing. We have seen what Ichigo's hollow beast(base) form looks like when he trains with the vizards. We see what his ressurection would look like with his vizard form/the very first time he hints at hollow in very early training. So following how Ulquiorra's segunda etapa pulls him more beastial but not too far from humanoid, Igchigos horns and mane makes him more beastial but not back to hollow beast.

his first Form being just a partial release and his "2nd" form just being his Real resurreccion kinda makes a ton of sense

I don't think the initial release of an arrancar is the equivalent of a bankai, but that of a shikai, the segunda etapa is simply the equivalent of of a bankai. None of the other arrancar were likely even aware of its possibility, hadn't tried to attain it, or had been around long enough to attain it. It is implied that Ulquiorra may have been around for a very long time as an arrancar (and Stark likely would not have wanted the power, as he thought he was too strong already).

Before listening to what he has to say, I thought they were basically saying this was an Arrancar's Bankai. Since they're now half shinigami they get 2/3 stages of power, but all the Arrancar just figured they only had 1 release so didn't even try and train for it.

I always though that the second resurrection was like a “bankai”-esque power

I always thought that segunda etapa had to have something to do with Ulquiorra's regeneration. I'm not really sure how his healing would lead to a second release, but I always thought there was some kind of connection between the two. I mean, Ulquiorra is the only espada with a second release, he's also the only one who kept his regenerative powers instead of giving them up for more power. Maybe his healing allowed his body to achieve and acclimate to higher levels of power than the others, or when they give up their regeneration, the other espada unintentionally gave up something else with it that led to segunda etapa? I know they more than likely have nothing to do with each other, but that line of thought always kinda stuck in my head.

One thing to consider too... if becoming a Arrancar is a "assencion" for the Hollows this means that the meaning of "getting closer" to their "original" form shouldn't be taken literally. High level Hollows have high sapiency and sense of self, but even at their highest level it is clear they arent "whole" and in a way their existence is very "fragile", by becoming an Arrancar i think the first thing you notice is that they become more "compact" you could even call it more "substantial". But they are still Hollows and the power that makes their "core" need to be housed somewhere, there comes the zanpakutos, when they use Ressurrecion they arent really going back to the original form, they are directing it in a new way, they become able to direct that power that was "primal" in a more "higher thought" form. And it is good to keep in mind this too... the power system in Bleach has a very... "interpretative" way, sure you can call bullshit in some cases (looking at you Gerard) but they root of taking a "concept" and manipulating it with "form" is still very clear and well established. So in Yammy's case is less likely that his first form in Ressurracion is his original form (it could be still) but by having the "higher thought" capacity of directing his power of ire he can change his body in correlation to how much his anger wants to destroy something or someone, which would mean... his power isn't a Segunda Etapa. It is possible that Ulqiorra by having access to the "higher thought" of his Arrancar form was able to have a new perspective of his power, coupled with his own "obsession" he achieved this new form by "transmuting" his reiatsu, he could too have some connection to Ancient Hollows or even to Reio. I think Kubo bullshited his way through a lot of things in Bleach, but when I connect things with the themes and possibilities that he established I cant stop thinking... that his mastery of the Art of Bullshitery is second to none. Bleach has weak moment, specially in the end, but the fact that we can still see the strength and that it still can keep is "essence" intact is the proof that Kubo-sensei did a work of art. If you read all of this I thank you for your time.

i once seen a theory that his first release brings him closer to his original hollow form, while his second release makes him closer to the origin of his hollow species, a primordial hollow

The theory that it was something that evolved from the breaking of his mask is interesting. I had always thought that it was a true ressureccion and what everyone else released (apart from barragan) was a bastardized form like renji’s hihio, rushed by Aizen using the hogyoku. But I think it tracks that it’s something ulquiorra obtained before meeting Aizen, because I feel he and Gin understood Aizen better than anyone. I think ulquiorra knows better than to think he can train without Aizen being aware. It would track that now without Aizen’s influence on hueco Mundo that Kubo would say people like Grimjow and Harribel could obtain this form, because they are now able to act like true arrancars. I think given the calendar art of harribel, it’s something Kubo has probably played around with (the shark tooth crown seems a bit foreshadowing to me)

My best explanation/headcanon (kind of the same here) is that the first resurrection releases adjucas power, while the segunda etapa brings forth all the vasto lorde state's power. This would also explain the relatively weak showing of the top 3 espadas in fake karakura.

Kubo has said that Grimjow can get a segunda etapa. Its an ability all of the espada can do. The resurection is actually akin to the shikai release while this is the bankai state.