Tier Harribel - Chain of Sacrifice (284)
Anime Lore We Did Not Get in the Manga (about Tier, the Tres Bestias, hollow evolution, feat. Grimmjow, Baraggan and more)
!! Anime, Manga and CFYOW Spoilers Below and a Very Long Post !!
Please keep in mind that anime and novel sources are not always considered to be canon material versus manga. Fact sources here are cited. Take or leave what you will.
((reblog this visual by itself))
'Chain of Sacrifice' - anime [only] episode 284
In Bleach's anime while part of Aizen's forces invade Fake Karakura for war, we are given a flashback that is anime only, episode (284) starring Tier Harribel, Emilou Apacci, Franceska Mila Rose and Cyan Sung-Sun. This flashback prominently shows Tier and the Tres Bestias before they were a part of Aizen's army.
Episode 284 contains many interesting things... As a vasto lorde Tier was forming a hollow ladies' pack of which Mila Rose and Sung-Sun were already members. Tier saves Apacci from a male hollow so Apacci joins their pack. Something about Tier is quite nurturing as she looks after her pack with vigilance and strength. The pack was formed with Tier's stated intention of banding together as female hollows. Tier and her future fracción strive to overcome their rough existence in Hueco Mundo. Their whole backstory in episode 284 is based on surviving as a group. It is an interesting model of pack dynamics.
Devouring / Sacrifices
During episode 284 Apacci asked Tier a very interesting question: why she (Tier) DOESN'T devour the hollows that she defeats.
Sub: “Why don’t you kill or devour the guys who attack you? In Hueco Mundo, if you want to protect yourself you must become stronger. That’s why everyone devours lower-ranked hollows and adjuchas to make themselves bigger.” - Emilou Apacci
Dub: “Why don’t you ever kill or devour the guys that attack you? In Hueco Mundo, if you wanna survive you have to keep getting stronger. Everybody knows that. It’s the law of this world. That’s why lower ranked hollows and adjuchas get devoured.” - Emilou Apacci
^ Quotes from Bleach anime episode 284
It's interesting to imply that a vasto lorde class hollow hasn't been devouring other hollows...anymore? If you want to be really specific Apacci says 'guys' in both these versions. Tier says she does not want to devour them but she will kill serious threats, like when saving Apacci. “I don’t want to become stronger through the power I [would] gain by {killing and} sacrificing another [being].” ([dub] and {sub}) Tier then mentions alternatively winning as a group if she can’t do it alone and weighs in on how she feels sacrifice works.
^ Bleach anime episode 284
Sub: “No world is without sacrifices. But if we produce casualties we would also sustain casualties of our own.” - Tier Harribel Dub: “No world is without sacrifices. But it works both ways, if we produce casualties we’re likely to sustain casualties of our own.” - Tier Harribel
^ Quotes from Bleach anime episode 284
Regression and Nourishment
In CFYOW III there is dialogue by Tier stating the world 'requiring' sacrifices and her using them for 'nourishment', not 'playthings' (page 35 - eng. translation). Before this we're already told in Bleach (manga 284; episode 167) if an adjucha does not continue to consume other hollows they will regress and forever lose their ability to become an adjucha again. While adjuchas are definitely still susceptible to regression what about vasto lordes? None of Tier's pack appear to have regressed including Tier. Tier could have automatically been a vasto lorde (we don't know how though), but taking CFYOW into account makes it seem more likely that Tier consumed other hollows to get there.
- Can vasto lordes regress? Do they regress more slowly? - Do vasto lordes need to consume less hollows to avoid regression? - How much do the adjuchas need to eat? And how often? - Does the strength of the prey consumed matter? (it seems to)
The timer on hollow regression is never quite given to us in a rolled up all-in-one package. It might be universal or unique per hollow, but Tier's state and evolution are definitely worth considering for answers.
- Did Tier completely stop consuming other hollows? When? Why exactly? - What about the rest of her pack, the adjuchas?
Do note this anime only episode and the manga chapter which talks about hollow regression are both numbered 284. Unsure if that was intentional but maybe it's worth noting.
Other Future Espadas in Episode 284
Opposing Tier in anime episode 284 we have Baraggan, who is already seen as a leader/king in his skeletal form with many soldiers obeying him. Baraggan has a group...but they act more subservient than friendly. We'll talk more about Baraggan's role in this episode later. We have one other future Espada featured in episode 284 to consider: Grimmjow as an adjucha. This episode comes well after Grimmjow's backstory in the anime (166). His backstory in the manga starts in chapter 282. Per these we know what Grimmjow's adjucha form looks like and it matches episode 284's depiction.
Grimmjow's presence is particularly interesting, even more than Baraggan, here's why...
Adjucha Grimmjow and Primal Fear
In this episode (284) while Apacci and Tier have above quoted dialogue (about sacrifice, to devour or not devour) as Apacci talks we are shown examples of hollows attacking and devouring each other...finalized by showing adjucha Grimmjow. Grimmjow stands atop a cliff overlooking piles of hollows that appear dead. He may have killed these hollows but we do not actually see him do that. However, since his first showing in Bleach we're already given the impression that Grimmjow is a killing machine. In this anime episode (284) Grimmjow appears to be given again as a prime example of killing to get bigger and stronger, fighting against fear of regression and causing primal fear.
During Grimmjow's third battle with Ichigo (manga 279; episode 165) the Tres Bestias, excluding Tier, seemed frightened of Grimmjow when he assumes resurrección (manga 282; anime: 166). Resurrección's form is likened more to an arrancar's hollow-self before being changed into an arrancar. There is immediately dialogue from Tier to her spectating fracción about feeling 'primordial/primal fear' as they witness this battle. Even the manga chapter this comes from is named after this fear. From anime episode 284 we've learned that Tier formed her pack to stand against an existence made fearful and rougher in part by creatures like Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
The adjuchas in Tier's pack have good reason to be frightened of Grimmjow- but was Grimmjow just a neat example for the subject of this dialogue, or did Apacci actually see Grimmjow at some point and live to remember it? ...or perhaps he saw her [with her pack]?
^ Bleach anime episode 284
The King of Nothing
It's not made clear if the above depiction of adjucha Grimmjow was before, during or after events with his own pack, but while future Espadas like him and Tier were still scattered around the sands of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan held substantial status and had an army. Nothing great happened to Baraggan later but he did have real status and power. Grimmjow had a taste of this [and liked it] on his own when he joined a small pack (future fracción) (manga 284; anime 167). They wanted him to be their king after they recognized his strength but these other hollows gave up on evolving. Grimmjow was going to leave them but Shawlong tells Grimmjow that he should eat them before leaving. Even a portion of these hollows' bodies would benefit Grimmjow's evolution while theirs would stop. So they sacrificed themselves for their king. Surviving to join Aizen's army, Grimmjow's fracción are all killed later after being overpowered fighting in the Human World (manga 206, 210; anime 119, 121). Only Grimmjow survived to see the end of Aizen's rein...
Even Ichigo Kurosaki tried to make it plain to Grimmjow...if he just devours or kills everyone he'll be alone, king of no one, and that's no good (manga 286, anime 190). Grimmjow was a sore loser...but perhaps his constant fighting for a kingly status is as much for himself as the sacrifices his former fracción made? A part of CFYOW III gives us a moment where Grimmjow reflects on memories of his 'friends' as he faces off with Hikone and Ikomikidomoe (page 90 - eng. translation). Hikone had stated that they would be king so Grimmjow confronts them. 'He (Grimmjow) was not doing this for the sake of his friends. However, the part of them that had become his own flesh and his own blood stirred Grimmjow's instincts as a beast.' (page 93) Almost an answer.
Grimmjow has never been recognized as a king by anyone other than his fracción. He is strong, but he is the king of nothing substantial... So it is very interesting to have this guy, who by devouring and killing made it his obsession to be king, featured in an episode focused on Tier who achieved a kingly status without vicious behavior.
- Is it 'king' or 'queen' of Hueco Mundo?
It very much feels like 'king' is the universal term for Hueco Mundo's leadership (this is very heavily implied in CFYOW) but perhaps it can be either, since this is a word that can easily be lost/skewed in translation.
What If... / A Theory
According to sources like episode 284 Tier was a vasto lorde before Aizen got to her so he didn’t give her that power and she could have acquired it herself or...
Theory: We don't see sacrifices quite like Grimmjow's fracción made with any of the other Espadas...but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. They selected Grimmjow based on his strength. Tier has been put in positions of import for her strength before also. What if someone sacrificed themself for her evolution too?
Hollow Relations
Tier and Baraggan are shown to have interacted before they joined Aizen's army. Baraggan, having a king's status and being so long-lived could have met plenty of hollows that we know about. This is easy to figure. Even Ikomikidomoe knew Baraggan from long ago (CFYOW II page 233, 298, 299 - eng. translation) and classed himself and Baraggan as different than hollows like Grimmjow (CFYOW III page 90 - eng. translation). However...would Grimmjow (since he's shown in episode 284's flashback) ever have interacted with Tier or Baraggan prior to Aizen's army? We don't know!
Theory: Given Grimmjow's usually violent tendencies I think it's unlikely that he interacted with hollows like Tier and Baraggan...because he's still alive. Baraggan wouldn't stand for Grimmjow's attitude and they would have probably gone to war over who was in charge. Tier already seemed to hate aggressive male hollows and Grimmjow was an adjucha that attacked all sorts. So it seems unlikely that Grimmjow had any significant interaction with Baraggan or Tier without serious conflict - and we probably would have read about that if it was a thing. I think it's more likely that some of the future Espadas were just [somewhat] aware of each other prior to the army being formed.
The Rest of Episode 284 / Aizen and Baraggan
Tier's pack are confronted by Baraggan who tries to get Tier to bend a knee to his sovereignty or die. This doesn't seem to work. Just as this interaction ends though we see Aizen, Gin and Tosen discretely watching the hollows. Tier goes off seeming unaware of shinigami around. Aizen overtly decides to talk to Baraggan and the manner Aizen talks implies that this could have been the first time Aizen and Baraggan met. After this there is dialogue in episode 284 that Baraggan has soldiers with cracked masks, cementing his involvement with Aizen. Relating to this, near episode 284's end Tier and her pack have to fight a hollow who was shown as Baraggan's solider that now appears to have a cracked mask. While Tier's pack fight this hollow Aizen appears. He slashes and defeats that hollow - who seems confused (as a pawn might). Aizen then apologies to Tier. Tier and her pack's flashback ends there.
Theory: Did Tier and her pack decide to side with Aizen and join his army because he protected them or...because Aizen perhaps said something? The promise of a strong group? Or maybe cracking their masks and using the hogyoku on them would mean that they no longer had to fear regression [would never have to eat another hollow ever again]? We're plenty aware by this point in Bleach that Aizen is cunning and clever enough to know what to say to win people over.
Whatever the offer, joining Aizen's army must have seemed worth it...
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I couldn’t help myself and dug into the manga for- Oh right. None of this stuff in episode 284 of the anime exists in the manga. ARGH.
Have a scan for your troubles?
^ Bleach manga chapter 358
It's pretty frustrating that Tier and the Tres Bestias' backstory in Hueco Mundo doesn’t exist in the manga because of how informative and important it seemed from what episode 284 gives us. Adding backstory may have just been an afterthought [of the anime team].
^ Bleach manga chapter 335
Fortunately for us themes about sacrifice and being strong in a pack are still expressed by the Tres Bestias in other ways in both manga and anime. The best example being the Tres Bestias having the ability to make a chimera or 'Kimera Paruka/Quimera Parca' (Ayon) by removing and combining parts of their bodies - their arms (manga 335, 336; anime: 224, 225). This chimera flattens a handful of Gotei shinigami before succumbing to Yamamoto's strength and being slain. Ayon is also used against Quilge Opie (manga 492, 493; anime - TYBW 3), a quincy, but this is far less successful initially. It's worth noting though that Quilge absorbing the hollow juiced him up before its nature as a poison warped his Vollständig. Tier and the Tres Bestias do survive into the events of the CFYOW novels! Despite defeats, Tier's fracción are stronger together than alone. Which is definitely a point shared across anime, manga and novels.
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^ Bleach novel Can't Fear Your Own World III page 76 (eng. translation)
Better Together / Grimmjow's Inclusion
Much of the post-army interaction we have for arrancars comes from the CFYOW novels. The CFYOW novels open with Tier's rescue from the defeated quincies and Grimmjow being unkind about rescuing Tier (CFYOW I page 17 - eng. translation). He's still allowed around after this. In CFYOW II Grimmjow runs off without a word. This ends up being discussed by Tier, Nelliel and Rudbornn, with Tier and Rudbornn being particularly fair in their assessment (page 91 - eng. translation). Afterward Tier and Nelliel go to find Grimmjow (page 296). Grimmjow is found in conflict with Luppi and there's also conflict with Ikomikidomoe - a lot of characters are present. When it feels like it's been enough Tier calms things down and puts Grimmjow and Luppi in place civilly (page 364). They don't fight her on that. Hell...Tier even avoids calling herself the king/queen of Hueco Mundo because she knows it would cause a fight to the death with Grimmjow (CFYOW III page 93, 94 - eng. translation). Nelliel is fun around Grimmjow but there's a unique level of civil communication from Tier to Grimmjow. Surviving hollows in Hueco Mundo seem to form communities or colonies... At the end of CFYOW III Tier goes to Grimmjow just to ask if he is going to join the others during a meal (page 369 - eng. translation). Grimmjow is too single-minded about fighting to appreciate this gesture but he doesn't lash out at her. Tier has a level-headed way with others, very calm and effective no matter how she feels about them, clearly.
It speaks volumes that a problematic arrancar like Grimmjow is allowed around this group at all. At the very least they seem to acknowledge the trade-off of someone adding strength to the group despite being a pain in the ass to keep track of. I would like to credit Nelliel for her efforts to wrangle Grimmjow, and she is somewhat effective, but she also gets him worked up. Tier calms things down and makes sensible assessments [about Grimmjow and others]. If not fellowship then civil understanding. Nelliel doesn't seem to understand Grimmjow as well as Tier does but Nelliel listens to Tier's thoughts. Most people seem to want to listen to Tier. I would pose that this train is largely on the tracks due to Tier's good judgement and desire to minimize conflict.
She recognizes and supports that they do better together.
If you will, consider at the end of all of this: Tier’s dream perhaps… Wanting a world better than the way she experienced it.
How many sacrifices forged Tier Harribel?
And what is strength if not enduring the falls to stand up again?
^ Bleach manga book 42 cover
ALL anime and manga images are © Bleach - Tite Kubo
Notes from the post author: This took FOREVER to research, but I'm fond of this lore! What a long post but I hope it has been interesting and inspiring. *bow*
Ever wonder about Grimmjow's new duds? Lemmie break it down for ya!
This is really interesting
