The following contains spoilers for the Bleach manga Volumes 55 to 74, by Tite Kubo.

The Soul Reapers of Soul Society prepared diligently for a confrontation with the Espada in the finale of the "Arrancar" saga of Bleach. Sosuke Aizen’s band of evolved hollows were brought together as predicted powerful entities to rival the fighting capabilities of the Gotei 13 Captains, but their performance showed quite a different story.

It's no secret that the power-scaling in the Bleach universe can fluctuate, making it rather difficult to accurately state which characters are objectively stronger than others. Toshiro Hitsugaya even made a point of stating that the Vasto Lorde-level hollows were of equal power to the Captains. Unfortunately, the series never delivered on this promise. In the following conflict, the Thousand-Year Blood War, the carnage was delivered ten-fold. However, sheer power was not the only contribution to the overwhelming success of the Sternritter. Leadership, intent, planning and a communal ire for the Soul Reapers all fed into the effectiveness of the invading Wandenreich.

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A fundamental difference between both organizations' success was in their leadership. Both Aizen and Yhwach commanded power beyond the capabilities of their followers; Aizen’s 'Complete Hypnosis' and Yhwach’s 'The Almighty' were powers that turned the tides of battle on numerous occasions. The issue arose with the view of the leadership from their respective followers. Aizen rallied together the disjointed Espada with a show of force, ensuring their fragile loyalty with overwhelming strength.

However, while a few Arrancar, such as Ulquiorra Cifer, expressed a sense of duty in their loyalty to Aizen, the majority of the Espada only remained in line due to the likely fate that would befall them should they have revolted against the former Fifth Division Captain. On the other hand, the Sternritter’s loyalty to Yhwach was shown several times to be based on admiration and faith -- for example, Äs Nödt’s devotion for offering him power and stalling his fear of hell, or Royd Lloyd shedding tears from a feeling of honor to have served his Majesty before his demise. Aizen was more likely to have an ax thrown at him in an Espada’s dying breath.

The Arrancar were also held back by their lack of community. While both organizations were plagued with in-fighting and politics, the individual ambitions and unreserved desires held by the Espada were a much higher priority to them than Aizen’s agenda. On the other hand, the Sternritter were united in their vision of a Soul Reaperless world, following Yhwach’s commands without actively questioning their intentions. As the Arrancar are born from hollows, the cluster of souls that shaped their final and unique personality was created from a place of selfishness and an instinct to survive above all else.

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This instinct continued into their existence as Arrancars, reflecting in their interactions with each other and the Soul Reapers. There are exceptions to this rule on both sides, such as Bazz-B’s insubordination for personal gain or Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez’s loyal Fracción, but for the most part, the Espada were lone hunters and the Sternritter were a pack.

The invasion of the Soul Society was not a mission conceived within a small space of time. The revenge of the Quincy had been Yhwach’s plan for a thousand years, even if his final goal was to remove the Soul King and remake the worlds. This singular mission for the Wandenreich allowed them to remain focused on one objective, prepare their troops and await the prime moment to strike. Aizen lacked the same timescale that Yhwach had in place, as well as the opportunity of surprise.

Because of this disadvantage, Aizen relied on empowering numerous hollows with the Hogyoku and formed a relatively inexperienced collection of soldiers. Even if characters such as Coyote Starrk, Tier Harribel and Yammy Llargo had immense spiritual energy and power, their lack of experience on the battlefield left them vulnerable to the Gotei 13 Captains, who were experts in combat with many years of training. Comparing this to the preparation of the Sternritter, who were able to watch in the shadows, wait for the best chance to make their move and perfect their abilities to effectively counter the strengths of the Goeti 13 Captains, the Espada did not stand a chance.

The simple statement that power levels were the only factor in Bleach’s two major conflicts is far too simplistic to truly represent the vast differences in the outcomes. The truth is that the Sternritter were seasoned soldiers prepared for a bloody war, while the Espada were freshly-born powerhouses with no real understanding of just how outclassed they were.