Did Ulquiorra love Orihime in Bleach? Explored

Bleach fans have often wondered if Ulquiorra loves Orihime, especially considering the former's resolution in the series after his battle with Ichigo. Ulquiorra is introduced as one of Aizen's Espada and one of his most loyal underlings while also being incapable of feeling emotions. This is why he tries to understand Orihime's feelings and the nature of having a heart.

Because of this and their final moments together, a lot of Bleach fans have assumed that Ulquiorra developed romantic feelings for Orihime. However, it is something that has been debated to this very day. It is also worth pointing out that there is nothing that suggests that the fourth Espada loved Orihime, although the latter was instrumental in the former's understanding of human emotions.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

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Ulquiorra and Orihime's relationship in Bleach, explained

Ulquiorra was introduced as one of Aizen's Espada in Hueco Mundo during the Arrancar arc. He was tasked with kidnapping Inoue Orihime to lure Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends to rescue since their forces would be divided. While the battle between Shinigami and Hollows was taking place, Ulquiorra kept an eye on Orihime and the two began to discuss the notion of the heart and human emotions, which had many ramifications.

Orihime's emotional and caring nature was a direct contrast to Ulquiorra being incapable of having feelings, which led to them having a connection of sorts. This is highlighted by their discussion regarding what a heart is and Ulquiorra fails to comprehend that and the bonds between Orihime and his friends because he cannot see it.

Ulquiorra represents the nihilistic side of death and cannot understand emotions, which is something that is shown by the time of his death. He asks Orihime if she is afraid of him and she says no, leading to many fans assuming that the Espada had romantic feelings, although the manga doesn't show it in any shape or form.

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The legacy of Ulquiorra's character

Ulquiorra using his Segunda Etapa in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot).

There is no denying that Ulquiorra is one of the most iconic characters in Bleach because of his design, personality, and actions throughout the Arrancar arc. He was the only villain in the series who actually Ichigo's life. This required him to develop his Vasto Lorde form, and the impact of his actions was felt through a large portion of the story, even to the final battle with Yhwach.

The impact of Ulquiorra can be felt through the character of Inoue Orihime since they are direct opposites when it comes to their emotions and how they connect with others. Ulquiorra, in many ways, challenged Orihime's beliefs in a way no one did before and Orihime helped Ulquiorra learn what the heart was.

Ichigo's Vasto Lorde form against Ulquiorra was also pivotal for the protagonist and Orihime as shown during their final battle with Yhwach in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. As Ichigo unleashes his Horn of Salvation form, which is similar to his Vasto Lorde transformation, Orihime has flashbacks of that battle against Ulquiorra, showing that the trauma of that night in Las Noches was still felt.

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Final thoughts

There is no point in Bleach that shows that Ulquiorra fell in love with Orihime. That being said, it is true that he did change and learned a bit more about human emotions because of her. However, that cannot be considered romantic and author Tite Kubo never showed that.

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