Tier Harribel

Origin

Harribel is the only woman and the third most powerful member of the Espada, the top ranked Arrancar in Sōsuke Aizen‘s army. She tends to keep a fairly serious demeanor by speaking little and in serious tones, to express the gravity of whatever she is trying to say. Even with a rather stoic personality, she is a compassionate person in her own way, showing concern for people in battles and in other situations. Harribel has 3 Fracciones, Apache, Mila Rose, and Sun-Sun. Harribel is the Espada Aspect of Sacrifice.

Creation

Tier Harribel (ティア・ハリベル, Tia Hariberu) is an antagonist of the BLEACH series that was created by Tite Kubo, It first began serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in August 2001. She was first introduced during the Arrancar story arc that began in Volume 21.

She first appeared in BLEACH Volume 23, CH. 198 “The Icecold Discord“.

In the Japanese production of BLEACH , Tier’s full name is written in English as “Teir Harribel”. The double “r” is replaced in the VIZ Media version as “Halibel”. The proper spelling of her name can be seen on the splash page of BLEACH Ch. 358.

Character Evolution

“Don’t worry about it. This is the battle of an Espada in his Resurreccion form. It’s not unreasonable for you to be frightened. That’s your primal fear. Value it.”

Tier Harribel “BLEACH” Vol. 32 Ch. 282

Tier Harribel is an Arrancar Hollow that is the third highest ranking Espada, and the highest a ranking female of the Espada. Each of the members represent an aspect of death. Her’s is Sacrificed. She is a stoic and powerful woman who is not easily provoked. She has dark skin, green eyes, and blonde hair, even on her eyelashes. She wears a long sleeved jacket that covers her lower face, but leaves the southern hemisphere of her breasts exposed. The top portion of her jacket covers the Hollow mask that surrounds her face from the nose down. Once her Zanpakuto is released, the mask disappears, but the hole found in all Hollows is never shown on Tier.

Major Story Arcs

Arrancar Arc

Tier was present with other Espada as Aizen created a new member of their ranks. She watches as the young boy gave his name as Margera Wonderweiss.

Heuco Mundo Arc

She attended a meeting for Aizen to inform the Esapda that they were under attack. He sat calmly as he showed them the identity of the intruders. A Quincy named Uryuu Ishida, a human named Sado Yasutora, and a Soul Reaper called Ichigo Kurosaki. They were here to reclaim Orihime Inoue. Tier had to remind Nnoitra of Aizen’s warning to be cautions of these invaders when he mocked them for looking weak. He shot back asking if she was scared, but all he got was a cold stare. Aizen gave them all orders to return to their chambers, behave as normal, and wait for the enemy to come to them.

Tier sensed when Aaroniero was killed. Apache asked what they should do. They followed orders and waited in their area. Some time later n the distance, Tier watched with her Fraccion as Grimmjow fought the Soul Reaper, Ichigo. She calmed her allies to not be afraid since they were watching an Espada in Resurreccion. She told them that fear was natural when in the presence of such power and to value that primal fear they have. Though as she watched, she thought that this fight looked more like two Espada in combat.

Fake Karakura Town Arc

Tier Harribel joined in Aizen’s advance on the Earth realm to Karakura Town to destroy it as part of his plot to create the King’s Key. What they found was the Gotei 13, and the town was a fake. The real one with it’s people had been transported to the Soul Society. Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya decided to fight Halibel in a battle of water against ice. After Yamamoto defeats all three of her Fraccion, Tier retaliates on Hitsugaya and unzips her jacket to reveal the Tres Espada mark on her breast. He doesn’t quite believe that with her power that she’s ranked third, but she sternly warns him that she hasn’t even used her full power. Hitsugaya activates his Bankai, and she rushes and forces him to block.

She releases her Zanpakutō for Resurreccion form and tried to avenge her followers, but Hitsugaya attacked from behind. She countered, but what she hit was an ice clone. He thought her water attacks were useless against his ice. When he tries to strike her with an ice dragon, she boils the water to split the attack in two. She could turn his ice into her water.

Hitsugaya eventually fills the sky in dark clouds for his largest attack. They finally have their formal introductions, and the snow begins the fall above her. When she tries to melt the snow with her sword, she quickly becomes covered in ice flowers then encased in a giant ice obelisk. He expressed his regret that she wouldn’t be able to avenge her allies. This was not the end for Harribell. When Wonderweiss appeared he released a scream that shattered her ice prison and showed no injury. The Soul Reapers were supported by the Visored, and her attack to Hitsugaya was blocked by Lisa Yadōmaru and Hiyori Sarugaki. She fought all three despite them summoning their Hollow masks and releasing their Shikai.

She was the last standing Espada on the battlefield, and Aizen attacked her from behind to strikes her down now since he no longer needed them. She retaliated by stabbing him through the chest. It had no effect since what she hit was an illusion. The real Aizen stabbed her from behind and she falls to the city below.

Harribel Post War

After the real Karakura Town was put back in Earth, Tier was able to return to Hueco Mundo with her Fraccion. Las Noches was destroyed and they could feel the approach of the Adjuchas Hollows. Sun-Sun suggested Harribel rule Hueco Mundo now that Barragan Luisenbarn was dead. She refused saying that a fake sun could not bring light to darkness, and she went to Las Moches with her followers behind her.

The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc

Seventeen months after the defeat of Aizen, an army of Quincy called the Vandenreich invaded Hueco Mundo. They captured Harribel and took her to their base.

Powers & Abilities

Harribel is the third strongest Espada. With this comes a large amount of spiritual power for her to use with many advanced techniques that lesser hollows are incapable of using.

• Cero (虚閃 (セロ), Sero): Cero is an energy blast consisting of large amounts of compressed spiritual energy that is used by powerful hollows, such as Meno Grande and Arrancar. This energy explodes upon impact, and is even more dangerous at close range. Harribel is able to fire off a wide cero from the swing of her zanpakutō.
• Gran Rey Cero (王虚の閃光 (グラン・レイ・セロ), Guran Rei Sero): The Grand Rey Cero is a version of the Cero attach that only an Espada level Arrancar can use. It is created by a mixing of the Espada’s own blood with the spiritual energy of a cero blast. Use of which is forbidden within Las Noches. Harribel has never shown to use this technique, but, as an Espada, she is cantabile of using this technique.
• Sonido (響転 (ソニード), SonÄ«do): Harribel is a master of the Sonido super-speed technique. No knowledge or training is required for an Arrancar to use Sonido. While this technique is similar to the Soul Reaper’s silent Shunpo, it creates a strong booming sound.
• Descorrer (解空(デスコレール), Desukorēru): Descorrer is a technique for traveling through the dimensional barrier between Hueco Mundo and the Earth realm. This forms a tear called Garganta (黒腔 (ガルガンタ), Garuganta) that allows an Espada to pass through.

Weapons & Equipment

Zanpakutō

Harribel’s zanpakuto is named Tiburon (皇鮫后 (ティブロン), Tiburon). It’s a short-wide sword, it is completely Hollow (the Hollow part is used to collect energy and be released as an attack when full) and only consists of its borders. The hilt is as wide as the blade itself and has three holes in the handle which are used to hold depending on the circumstances. Tier Harribel’s release command is Hunt (討て, Ute lit. “Destroy”). Tiburon means “Shark” in Spanish, and the Japanese kanji translates to “Imperial Shark Empress.”

• Ola Azul (波蒼砲 (オーラ・アズール): This is an attack that Harribel uses with her released zanpakuto. She creates a projectile wave of yellow-spiritual energy.

Resurreccion

Resurreccion (帰刃 (レスレクシオン), Resurekushion) is a unique power of the Arrancar. This is similar to the Bankai of the Soul Reapers. Resurreccion is performed by releasing the seal upon the Arrancar’s zanpakutō. Harribel’s release command is “Hunt Tiburon” (討て (皇鮫后 (ティブロン), Ute Tiburon).

In resurreccion form, Harribel’s primary power revolves around water manipulation. Water is generated from the gills on her blade, but she is also able to manipulate the water in the environment and atmosphere.

Resurreccion Attacks

• Trident (トライデント, Toraidento): This technique is created by directing large amounts of spiritual energy to the blade o her right arm, causing a powerful glow. This energy is then released in a series of three burst. Contact with this blast can slice a body in half.
• Hirviendo (灼海流 (イルビエンド) Irubiendo): This technique can instantly boil any form of water and deflect it away from her. She has used this to melt and redirect an ice attack of Captain Hitsugaya.
• La Gota (戦雫 (ラ・ゴータ): Halibel using this technique by condensing water around the blade of her arm and firing it with enough force to demolish an entire building. This can also be fired in rapid succession.
• Cascada (断瀑 (カスケーダ), Kasukeda): This technique can overwhelm and enemy by creating a torrent of highly pressurized water in an area that could cover several square blocks.

Statistics

Birthday: July 25

Hair: Blond

Eyes: Green

Height: 175 cm (5’9″)

Weight: 61 kg (135 lbs.)

Other Media

Data Book Content

The story of what happened to Harribel after Aizen betrayed her and she fell to the ground was never told in the manga. Her story was only later explain by Kubo in one of the BLEACH databooks.

Anime

BLEACH (2004)

The BLEACH animated series is a direct adaptation of Tite Kubo’s original manga. It’s produced by Studio Pierrot and first began airing in October 5, 2004. Tier Harribel’s first anime appearance was in BLEACH – Episode 138 “Second move of Hueco Mundo! Hitsugaya vs Yammy”, which aired on August 29, 2007. Her character in the Japanese series is voiced by Megumi Ogata, and the U.S. dub produced by VIZ Media is done by Laura Bailey.

The story of Tier’s origin of meeting her Fraccion members and discovery by Aizen was only shown in BLEACH Episode 284 “Chain of Sacrifice, Harribel’s Past”. She’s the only member of the top three Espada to not be given a flashback of their origins in the manga upon their defeat.

In the original anime that aired in Japan of Tite Kubo’s BLEACH series, alterations were added to Tier Halibel’s design. When her top was open to reveal her Espada tattoo, clothing was added to the bottom of her breasts, and her breasts were slightly reduced in size. These types of changes were not exclusive to Tier Harribel. Similar changes have been made in the anime to Yoruichi Shihoin and Soi Fon.

Games

Harribel first appears as a playable character in BLEACH: Heat the Soul 6 (2009), without her Resurreccion and appears with it in BLEACH: Heat the Soul 7 (2010). In Heat the Soul 6, Harribel has some moves that were not shown in the anime upon the release of the game.

(For a full list of games that feature Harribel, see her profile on Giant Bomb. HERE)