Aaroniero Arruruerie (Zawazambe)

Aaroniero Arruruerie (アーロニーロ・アルルエリ, Āronīro Arurueri) is an in  army, and the noveno (9th).

Appearance
He usually covers his face with an elongated white mask covered with eight holes while in the light. In place of a normal head, he has a large, glass cylindrical capsule filled with red liquid and two small, floating Hollow heads. The two heads are both tattooed with the number 9 and tend to talk in tandem when revealed, giving the effect of two people speaking in turn. The upper head speaks with a deep voice while the other speaks in a high-pitched, child-like voice. The heads appear to have a level of individuality. His outfit, like that of most Espada, is customized; he wears a dress garb that covers his entire body as opposed to the normal jacket and hakama. He also wears a frilly nobles' coat that acts as his replacement jacket and a single white gentleman's glove. The remains of his Hollow mask fragments are on both of his heads, the upper head having three-quarters of his head covered with the mask, and the lower head covering only half of it. His Hollow hole is located in the left thigh area.

Personality
Everything that Aaroniero is can be defined in very few words; cruel, manipulative and sadistic. Aaroniero is a being who takes steps to ensure that he stays ahead of his opponent(s) and even his allies, gathering as much information as he can to discover the strengths and weaknesses of those who prove to be a threat to him. Aaroniero will utilize his "unique" abilities to manipulate and trick his opponents into a relaxed state before killing them mercilessly. Over the years, Aaroniero has gathered the memories and abilities of over 200,000 Hollows who in turn carry images and memories regarding hundreds upon thousands of Shinigami and Humans. Aaroniero has been able to gather "a collection" as he calls it, priding himself on the masquerade that he has kept up for so long. Very few among the Espada have seen his real face, as he is either hidden behind his mask or presents himself behind the face of a Shinigami or lost soul who was devoured by a Hollow.

This need to hide behind different faces and to constantly devour "lesser beings" comes from a long standing inferiority complex within Aaroniero's psyche. Among the, Aaroniero was the only one who had previously been a Gillian, although it was not by choice. His inability to evolve past Gillian, despite constantly feeding and devouring off of every Hollow in his path sparked this inferiority within Aaroniero's mind. To escape the pain and agony of feeling weak, constantly overwhelmed by the notion that he would never evolve past his current state, Aaroniero fractured his mind into two different beings. One, overly brash and callous while the other was scared and epitomized everything Aaroniero feared. When came to Aaroniero and promised to free him from a life of being weak, and in return Aaroniero would pledge his loyalty to Aizen. For Aaroniero, such an offer was something he could not deny.

As the noveno Espada, Aaroniero is constantly plagued with being mocked and ridiculed for his standing. The other Espada look at him as inferior while Aaroniero believes that numbers do not mean anything. Aaroniero is not a sole being, but a single unit which stores thousands of souls within his very being. Millions of memories exist within Aaroniero's mind, kept at bay by his fragmented and twisted conscience and personality. Aaroniero is a one-man-army, although he is not one to act flashy, which is why he has chosen to remain deep within the confines of where he can maneuver through the shadows unseen.

The aspect of death that Aaroniero is built on is Greed. The normal ideology of somebody who is greedy normally pertains to money or land, but what Aaroniero is greedy for is something unique and different all together. He is greedy for power, he constantly feels the need to gain more power and to evolve farther past what he currently is. 200,000 Hollows later and Aaroniero still feels the need for more.

History

 * For Aaroniero's full history, see his entry on the Bleach Wikia 

Powers & Abilities
His speed is not as astounding as some of his fellow Espada, although Aaroniero has shown to move with astounding levels of speed. Aaroniero's utilization of Sonído is rather unique as it is completely silent, allowing him to skilfully move in the shadows undetected. Aaroniero's unique Sonído is commonly referred to as Sonído Sordo (平穏音響, Japanese for "Quite Voice"; Spanish for "Muffle Sound") due to its unique power.

Reconnaissance & Stealth Master: Constantly lurking in the shadows, Aaroniero is a master of reconnaissance and information gathering. Due to his unique powers, Aaroniero takes his time to evaluate his opponents and allies from a distant so he can coherently evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. For somebody like Aaroniero who grows stronger through devouring and absorbing others, evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses coupled with making sure they are prime candidates is a major part of Aaroniero's strive towards perfection and ultimate power. Aaroniero does not like to deal with beings who prove to be no benefit to him and will rather focus on beings whom boast physical or spiritual prowess and/or have a unique ability. Aaroniero has also shown to spend a majority of his time, spying on his supposed comrades, whom he has gathered a large amount of data and information on over the years.

Since his days as a Gillian, Aaroniero has devoured and absorbed the powers of over 200,000 Hollows which has enhanced his own spiritual power levels to grand heights. An interesting trait of Aaroniero is his ability to mask his overall spiritual power with that of one of the many beings he has devoured, allowing him to hide the true extent to his power. At first sight, most come to the conclusion that Aaroniero is at a level equal to a Lieutenant in the Gotei 13 yet his power rivals that of a Captain. When assuming his true form, Aaroniero's spiritual power takes on a maddening dark-purple, almost magenta color. Similar to Aaroniero's own abilities, his spiritual power acts as a leech to spiritual beings who come into contact with him when he exerts his power, resembling Aaroniero's Aspect of Death, Greed. It absorbs everything it comes into contact with without a second thought, never satisfied and ready for more. Aaroniero is a master at hiding and masking his own spiritual power, utilizing it to a great degree when maneuvering through the shadows of and across. For Aaroniero, it is better to remain hidden then to charge into battle ready to die, as some of his associates have taken to.

Enhanced Senses: Although he is almost always hidden behind his mask, or beneath the face of another, Aaroniero has a complete 360° field of vision due to the nature of Aaroniero's "true" heads. Aaroniero has also developed techniques similar to echolocation in which he exerts his spiritual energy into the air around him, sensing the presence of anything that may be within reach of him. Aaroniero prides himself on evaluating the situation he is in, and acting accordingly, as he must always remain steps ahead of his opponent if he wants to survive and continue to evolve. Keeping aware of his surroundings, via his senses, is a skill that Aaroniero has honed although he is far from the likes of fellow Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez in this field.

Broadcasted Sight: Granted to Aaroniero by Aizen as a means to further gain some usage out of him, is an ability that allows Aaroniero to further expand his reconnaissance prowess. Aaroniero can act as a transmitter, utilizing a form of telepathy to communicate with the other and that of Aizen himself. Another unique trait of Aaroniero's is his ability to act as a transmitter, allowing two other members of the to communicate with each other, with Aaroniero acting as the line between the two. A fail safe was integrated into Aaroniero that would automatically transmit his final moments to that of the Espada if he were to die, as an alert that Las Noches has been successfully invaded.

Evolución (進化 (化育); Japanese and Spanish for "Evolution"): The true power of Aaroniero that is further expanded upon when he releases his zanpakutō. By making contact with the Hollow, purple tendrils will outstretch from Aaroniero's being beneath his clothes and quickly dig into the skin of whomever he is in contact with. The process will continue until these tendrils have expanded throughout the opponents body, to the point where even movement is impossible. Aaroniero will proceed to crush them from the inside, killing them. The devouring process is a unique one as he does not physically eat the Hollow. The tendrils act as a corrosion device, burning at the targeted Hollow until they slowly form into spirit particles that Aaroniero promptly absorbs into his being.

Although he is only the noveno Espada, Aaroniero's spiritual power rivals that of a Vasto Lorde and as a result, a well aimed and charged Cero has shown to be quite destructive. Like his spiritual energy, Aaroniero's Cero takes on a magenta color with a white outline. Aaroniero has shown to utilize two methods of firing Cero; one being charged directly in front of him with his hands cupped around the charging attack, which has shown to be very precise and destructive. When removing his garbs, revealing his grotesque and deformed figure, Aaroniero begins to charge a Cero within the gaping, jagged-tooth filled maw at the center of his chest which has been deemed "too powerful" to utilize while in.

Hollow Possession: A minor ability of Aaroniero's that packs quite a punch is his ability to possess smaller and weaker Hollows for a short period of time. By removing his glove and making contact with them, Aaroniero can "infect" them with a highly potent parasite which stems from his own being. Aaroniero gains the ability to see, hear, breath and move through the Hollow while also maintaining his own body. According to Aaroniero, he cannot "infect" beings who have ascended to due to their complex minds. Aaroniero utilizes this ability quite often as it is his alternative method of feeding. Ordered to stay within the confines of Las Noches, Aaroniero utilizes his ability to possesses Hollows to have a taste of the outside world.

Zanpakutō
Glotonería (喰虚 (グロトネリア), Gurotoneria; Spanish for "Gluttony," Japanese for "Eating Hollow") is sealed not in the form of a sword, like most zanpakutō, instead it is sealed within the deformed and grotesque body that lies beneath Aaroniero's white cloak. His chest is replaced with a deformed and mutilated purple flesh with a large gaping maw filled with serrated and jagged teeth somewhere in the hundreds. Aaroniero's right arm is marked with several inhuman appendages, similar to tentacles.
 * : It is activated by the command Devour (喰い尽くせ, kuitsukuse). When released, it turns Aaroniero's lower body into a huge, purple blob-like mass resembling an incredibly bloated invertebrate, with dozens of stubby tentacles and large mouths complete with teeth all their own.
 * Enhanced Evolución (進化 (化育); Japanese and Spanish for "Evolution"): The signature ability of Aaroniero's resurrección which is a much more powerful variant then what he can utilize while in his sealed state. Just as before, Aaroniero has the ability to break down the very essence of Hollows by turning them into spirit particles. The major difference between his sealed form and Resurrección is that now Aaroniero's powers cross over onto that of other spiritual beings such as Shinigami and other Arrancar. Also like before, Aaroniero has access to all of their spiritual energies as well as their memories and most importantly their powers.
 * Aspect Manifestation: When sealed it allows Aaroniero to perfectly manifest any aspect of those he has absorbed using his Zanpakutō, including their knowledge, muscle memory (and thus their battle styles), physical form, and powers. He is only shown to be able to manifest the aspects of one individual at a time while in sealed form. When released Aaroniero can manifest as many of the absorbed powers as he wishes.

Assimilated Powers
Body Melding: It allows Aaroniero to merge his spirit body with other beings, including Shinigami. By merging with others, Aaroniero can "plant" himself within their spiritual energy, using their own energy instead of his. Aaroniero has also shown to "hide" within the bodies of others, a trait made perfect for a Reconnaissance master such as himself. This ability originally belonged to.

Zanpakutō Destruction: A highly dangerous ability that, like Body Melding, came from the Hollow that allows Aaroniero to destroy a Zanpakutō through physical touch. This ability can only be used once a day, yet it is a power that should be feared by both enemy and ally alike. During a confrontation between Aaroniero and the sexta Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, when the latter threatened to kill Aaroniero, Aaroniero mentioned how if Grimmjow continued that Aaroniero would surely die but Grimmjow's zanpakutō would be destroyed in the process. Such a loss of power would be unsettling for a being like Grimmjow, and may give some others among their group who dislike Grimmjow incentive to take him out when he is weak.



 (捩花, Spiranthes; Viz "Twisted Flower"): The Zanpakutō of, a Shinigami who Aaroniero had unknowingly absorbed through a Hollow has become a major part of Aaroniero's fighting style. The Zanpakutō is sealed in an average katana with a rectangular cross guard with smooth rounded edges and a dark blue hilt.
 *  Its Shikai command is "Rankle the Seas and the Skies" (水天逆巻け, suiten sakamake; Viz "Rankle the Seas and Heavens"). Aaroniero holds Nejibana upside down and begins to twirl it in his hands as it glows, transforming it into a cross between a trident and a ji (a Chinese halberd) with a crystalline appearance. Like the ji, it bears a horsehair tassel, although it is blue instead of the traditional red; similarly the two side blades are straight with concave edges as opposed to the usual crescent blade. The end of Nejibana turns into a corkscrew/drill shape. Water flows freely from both the trident and the end.
 * Shikai Special Abilities: Nejibana's ability lies in the manipulation of water. Being hit with it is reminiscent of being hit by crashing waves, as water constantly flows from it and the surrounding area. Nejibana's tip is constantly flowing with water with every arc and slash, and each crushing blow creates large waves.
 * Junsai (蓴菜, Water Shield): By gracefully spinning Nejibana in a diagonal fashion, rhythmically from right to left, water will cascade up into the air and constantly flow in the shape of an arc directly in front of Aaroniero. Junsai acts as a potent shield, capable of absorbing the combined Cero of several Gillian head on. The movements in which Aaroniero spins Nejibana is highly complicated and requires dedication and quick wrist movements to keep the shield going.
 * Yabukōji (薮柑子, Spearflower): One of the more focused and blunt techniques of Nejibana that requires a hardened stance in which Aaroniero will hold Nejibana as if he is ready to thrust it forward. Giving a twist to the neck of the zanpakutō, water will flow forward and Aaroniero will quickly give a spin to the trident as he thrusts it forward. The attack carries great force and is a quick method of breaking through an  due to its precise aim.

Kidō Expert: Although Aaroniero is an he has one leg up on the rest of the  due to his unique ability to absorb a spiritual being and assimilate their powers and energies as his own. In the case of his Kidō skill, Aaroniero's absorption of who had absorbed the Shinigami  who was quite apt in the field of kidō. Due to his own unnatural levels of spiritual energy, Aaroniero is capable of surpassing Kaien Shiba's former boundaries regarding Kidō and can further improve what once was a Lieutenant leveled power. It is arguable that Aaroniero's kidō prowess is on a level with that of a Captain level Shinigami. Well versed in both Bakudō and Hadō, Aaroniero can only utilize Kidō while assuming the form of Kaien Shiba. His keen sense of spiritual manipulation coupled with his precise movements and senses allow Aaroniero to initiate high leveled spells with a level of control that even some Shinigami do not have. Among his arsenal of Kidō, Aaroniero has proven quite fond of Hadō #90. , as it is tool of torture that Aaroniero did not perceive Shinigami as capable of properly creating it. Through the power of Kaien Shiba, Aaroniero is also versed in an array of Kidō-based attacks that Nejibana is capable of that are centered around the manipulation of water. A myriad of quick movements and precise timing, Aaroniero has the skill to drown his opponents beneath a constant onslaught of spiritually enhanced water.
 * Bakudō Expert: Despite his skill in the field of Hadō, Aaroniero is much more associated with that of Bakudō. For Aaroniero, avoiding combat is one of his higher priorities. Keeping opponents at bay and slowing them down with a wide array of Bakudō techniques is a skill that Aaroniero has mastered and is often seen utilizing simplistic spells such as Bakudō #9: to completely paralyze his opponents while also utilizing much more complex spells such as  and  which are used for recon and information transmitting respectively.

Trivia

 * He is the only Arrancar with actual Shinigami powers.
 * His aspect of death is greed.
 * He is the last of the first-generation Espada.