Many classic battles define the story of Bleach, from Ichigo's final fight against the villainous Sosuke Aizen and his bloody feud with Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, to Rukia's triumph over the shapeshifting Aaroniero Arurruerie. And, of course, Ichigo's final battle against Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. Suppose Byakuya faced the 4th Espada next?
Captain Kuchiki fought and defeated Zommari Rureaux, the 7th Espada, but Zommari took his enemy too lightly. By contrast, Ulquiorra Schiffer goes all out to destroy Aizen's enemies, and he could use his full powers to get the edge on Byakuya. Let's see what would happen if they threw down.
Byakuya Kuchiki's Skills & Abilities
Captain Kuchiki is roughly in the middle of the pack where Captains are concerned since it's a competitive bunch. Captain-General Yamamoto is arguably Bleach's strongest character, and Captains Ukitake and Kyoraku are powerhouses, too. Then there's Byakuya Kuchiki of squad 6, and he has a very diverse set of skills and abilities.
Captain Kuchiki is 2nd when it comes to the Flash Step, being able to rapidly move from one spot to another and deliver an attack in the process. He took Ichigo by total surprise in their first (and very short) clash, and few combatants can keep up with Byakuya's movements. Only the famed Yoruichi Shihoin, the Goddess of Flash, is quicker with that technique. In addition, Byakuya is among the best of the Soul Reapers when it comes to swordsmanship, having trained long and hard with his grandfather Ginrei Kuchiki. He can also perform barehanded combat with great skill, though he doesn't specialize in it as Yoruichi does.
Byakuya's ranged attacks are even more potent. He can perform a wide variety of Kido spells, such as the six-rod restraint Riku Jokoro to lock an enemy in place to make them an easier target, and he can puncture the enemy with the narrow but powerful Byakurai (white lightning) Kido spell. His barrier spell, Danku, can throw up a clear wall that blocks enemy attacks, and it even works on Espadas.
But Byakuya's ultimate power lays with his Zanpakuto, Senbonzakura, which can shatter into a thousand bladed blossoms that can swarm the enemy. His Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, is a larger version of that, and it can trap Byakuya's enemy with him in a huge, circular arena made up of many swords. In that arena, Byakuya might even use his final technique, Shikei: Hakuteiken. It focuses all of Byakuya's energy into offense, allowing him to make an all-or-nothing strike with incredible power.
Ulquiorra Schiffer's Skills & Abilities
Ulquiorra ranks 4th among the ten deadly Espadas, and he is an exemplary Arrancar, making the most of each natural ability his kind has. Ulquiorra's skin is hard like metal, the famed Hierro skin, and he can use Pesquisa to sense an enemy's capabilities and strength so he can respond accordingly. His Sonido, an analog to the Flash Step, is very quick and gets even faster when he releases his Zanpakuto.
Aside from that, Ulquiorra can charge up and fire devastating Cero blasts from his finger, or perform the weaker but faster Bala technique for rapid strikes. His melee attack is powerful enough to punch right through an enemy's flesh with little trouble, and he's been known to favor strong kicks. His sword technique is easily on par with Ichigo's, despite having such a short amount of time to train with one.
Ulquiorra's Zanpakuto is Murcielago, and when he releases it, he gains bat wings and can form powerful energy lances. His Sonido is almost impossibly fast, covering a vast distance in the blink of an eye (it took Ichigo by total surprise). His heightened power is capped off with the deadly Cero Oscuras technique, a black and incredibly powerful Cero blast that can easily overwhelm Ichigo with his Hollow mask on.
But that is not all; Ulquiorra can perform a Segunda Etapal, a second release, and increase his strength and speed yet again. He also gains a tail, meaning he can attack with five limbs instead of four, and he can throw explosive energy spears that can obliterate large buildings. Most important of all is his unusually fast regeneration, meaning he can regrow lost limbs or body parts in a matter of seconds. No other Arrancar can heal like he does.
Ulquiorra vs. Byakuya - Who Wins?
This duel would begin with Byakuya and Ulquiorra testing the waters, using basic Flash Steps, Sonido and swordplay to try and get the edge on each other. Then, Byakuya would use his Kido spells and Shikai to get a slight edge on Ulquiorra, since Ulquiorra's move set isn't as diverse, only really using varying kinds of blasts. Byakuya would make slow progress against Ulquiorra's hard skin, however, so he'd activate his Bankai to get a more substantial lead and deal some damage, especially by forming the Senkei arena.
Ulquiorra would eventually release Murcielago to catch up, and his Cero Oscuras, extreme speed and powerful energy spears would be too much for Byakuya to handle. Byakuya's Danku barrier and Flash Step won't keep up for long, and if Ulquiorra releases again, he'd overwhelm Byakuya with his melee attacks and Ceros. After all, Ulquiorra can handle Ichigo's Hollow mask mode without too much strain, while Byakuya struggled against it. What is more, Ulquiorra is a Vasto Lorde, and such mighty Hollows outclass Soul Reaper Captains in sheer combat strength. Ulquiorra, with his full power, will triumph over Byakuya.