Tier Halibel

Origin

Vasto-Lorde class Tier Halibel

She is the only woman and the third most powerful member of the Espada, the top ranked Arrancar in Sōsuke Aizen's army. She tends to keep a fairly serious demeanor by speaking little and in serious tones, to express the gravity of whatever she is trying to say. Even with a rather stoic personality, she is a compassionate person in her own way, showing concern for people in battles and in other situations. Halibel has 3 Fracciones, Apache, Mila Rose, and Sun-Sun. Halibel is the Espada Aspect of Sacrifice.

Creation

BLEACH Vol. 23 JPN (Aug 2006)

The character of Tier Halibel is an antagonist of the BLEACH series that was created by Tite Kubo, It first began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in August 2001. She was first introduced during the Arrancar story arc that began in Volume 21.

BLEACH Ch. 358 - Tier Harribel

She first appeared in BLEACH Volume 23, CH. 198 "The Icecold Discord", and her first anime appearance was in BLEACH - Episode 138 "Second move of Hueco Mundo! Hitsugaya vs Yammy". Her character in the Japanese series is voiced by Megumi Ogata, and the U.S. dub produced by VIZ Media is done by Laura Bailey.

In the Japanese production of BLEACH , Tier's full name is written in English as "Teir Harribel". The double "r" is replaced in the VIZ Media version as "Halibel". The proper spelling of her name can be seen on the splash page of BLEACH Ch. 358.

Character Evolution

"Don't worry about it. This is the battle of an Espada in his Resurrección form. It's not unreasonable for you to be frightened. That's your primal fear. Value it."
Tier Halibel "BLEACH" Vol. 32 Ch. 282

Tier Hlibell reveals her Espada rank

Tier Halibel is an Arrancar Hollow that is the third highest ranking Espada, and the highest a ranking female of the Espada. Each of the members represent an aspect of death. Her's is Sacrificed. She is a stoic and powerful woman who is not easily provoked. She has dark skin, green eyes, and blonde hair, even on her eyelashes. She wears a long sleeved jacket that covers her lower face, but leaves the southern hemisphere of her breasts exposed. The top portion of her jacket covers the Hollow mask that surrounds her face from the nose down. Once her Zanpakuto is released, the mask disappears, but the hole found in all Hollows is never shown on Tier.

Birthday: July 25

Hair: Blond

Eyes: Green

Height: 175 cm (5'9")

Weight: 61 kg (135 lbs.)

Tier formed her own Fraccion from other female Hollows she met along the desert to Hueco Mundo. Despite Tier's incredible power, Aizen turned against her since she couldn't defeat the Soul Reapers for him. Though at the time, she was the only surviving member of his Espada forces and was fighting three opponents at once. She turned against Aizen when he tried to kill her, but she fell under his hypnotic powers and was defeated.

Major Story Arcs

Arrancar Arc

Tier at the creation of Wonderweiss

Tier was present with other Espada as Aizen created a new member of their ranks. She watches as the young boy gave his name as Margera Wonderweiss.

Heuco Mundo Arc

The gathered Espada

She attended a meeting for Aizen to inform the Esapda that they were under attack. He sat calmly as he showed them the identity of the intruders. A Quincy named Uryuu Ishida, a human named Sado Yasutora, and a Soul Reaper called Ichigo Kurosaki. They were here to reclaim Orihime Inoue. Tier had to remind Nnoitra of Aizen's warning to be cautions of these invaders when he mocked them for looking weak. He shot back asking if she was scared, but all he got was a cold stare. Aizen gave them all orders to return to their chambers, behave as normal, and wait for the enemy to come to them.

Tier Halibel and her Fraccion watch the battle of Grimmjow and Ichigo

Tier sensed when Aaroniero was killed. Apache asked what they should do. They followed orders and waited in their area. Some time later n the distance, Tier watched with her Fraccion as Grimmjow fought the Soul Reaper, Ichigo. She calmed her allies to not be afraid since they were watching an Espada in Resurrección. She told them that fear was natural when in the presence of such power and to value that primal fear they have. Though as she watched, she thought that this fight looked more like two Espada in combat.

Fake Karakura Town Arc

Tier Halibel vs. Toshiro Hitsugaya

Tier Halibel joined in Aizen's advance on the Earth realm to Karakura Town to destroy it as part of his plot to create the King's Key. What they found was the Gotei 13, and the town was a fake. The real one with it's people had been transported to the Soul Society. Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya decided to fight Halibel in a battle of water against ice. After Yamamoto defeats all three of her Fraccion, Tier retaliates on Hitsugaya and unzips her jacket to reveal the Tres Espada mark on her breast. He doesn't quite believe that with her power that she's ranked third, but she sternly warns him that she hasn't even used her full power. Hitsugaya activates his Bankai, and she rushes and forces him to block.

Tier Halibel's Ressureccion

She releases her Zanpakutō for Resurrección form and tried to avenge her followers, but Hitsugaya attacked from behind. She countered, but what she hit was an ice clone. He thought her water attacks were useless against his ice. When he tries to strike her with an ice dragon, she boils the water to split the attack in two. She could turn his ice into her water.

Tier Halibel frozen in ice

Hitsugaya eventually fills the sky in dark clouds for his largest attack. They finally have their formal introductions, and the snow begins the fall above her. When she tries to melt the snow with her sword, she quickly becomes covered in ice flowers then encased in a giant ice obelisk. He expressed his regret that she wouldn't be able to avenge her allies. This was not the end for Halibel. When Wonderweiss appeared he released a scream that shattered her ice prison and showed no injury. The Soul Reapers were supported by the Visored, and her attack to Hitsugaya was blocked by Lisa Yadōmaru and Hiyori Sarugaki. She fought all three despite them summoning their Hollow masks and releasing their Shikai.

Aizen betrays Halibel

She was the last standing Espada on the battlefield, and Aizen attacked her from behind to strikes her down now since he no longer needed them. She retaliated by stabbing him through the chest. It had no effect since what she hit was an illusion. The real Aizen stabbed her from behind and she falls to the city below.

Halibel Post War

After the real Karakura Town was put back in Earth, Tier was able to return to Hueco Mundo with her Fraccion. Las Noches was destroyed and they could feel the approach of the Adjuchas Hollows. Sun-Sun suggested Halibel rule Hueco Mundo now that Barragan Luisenbarn was dead. She refused saying that a fake sun could not bring light to darkness, and she went to Las Moches with her followers behind her.

Final Arc

Several Months after Aizen's defeat. An unknown force invaded Hueco Mundo. Tier was defeated and captured.

Powers and Abilities

Cero

Energy based attack that is released from the hand, power is ranked by color, red - green - purple.

Garganta

The technique used by Espada to travel between realms.

Zanpakutō

Tier Halibel's Tiburon zanpakuto

Halibel's zanpakuto is named Tiburón 皇鮫后 (ティブロン). It's a short-wide sword, it is completely Hollow (the Hollow part is used to collect energy and be released as an attack when full) and only consists of its borders. The hilt is as wide as the blade itself and has three holes in the handle which are used to hold depending on the circumstances. Similar to the Shinigami's Bankai, the Espada and other Arrancar have what is called a Resurrección (帰刃 (レスレクシオン). They are released by a verbal command of the Arrancar. Tia Halibel's command is Destroy (討て, ute).

• Ola Azul (波蒼砲 (オーラ・アズール): This is an attack that Harribel uses with her released zanpakuto. She creates a projectile wave of yellow-spiritual energy.

Resurrection

Tier Halibel's Ressureccion

Halibel's release command is "Avenge Tiburon". Tiburan means "Shark" in Spanish. The kanji means "Shark Empress."

Resurrección Attacks

• Water Manipulation
• Hirviendo (灼海流 (イルビエンド)
• La Gota (戦雫 (ラ・ゴータ)
• Cascada (断瀑 (カスケーダ), Kasukeda

Fraccion

The Fraccion is a group of female Arracar that were all created from Hollows that were formed when they were still in their normal Hollow forms.

Apache

Has a tomboyish appearance, her mask is similar to a unicorn horn being located at the top center of her head, and her Zanpakuto are the bracelets strapped to her arms.

Mila-Rose

Dressing like an amazon woman she has dark skin, her mask is one piece of a three piece crown as well as a thick necklace, and her zanpakuto is a western style longsword.

Sun-Sun

Sun-Sun has long sleeved outfit with two belts that cross across her body in a cris cross pattern, her hairstyle is long and colored green she has three dots below her right eye. Sun-Sun's mask fragments are in her hair and on her right side, and her zanpakuto resembles a sai.

Other Media

Data Book Content

The story of what happened to Harribel after Aizen betrayed her and she fell to the ground was never told in the manga. Her story was only later explain by Kubo in one of the BLEACH databooks.

Anime

The story of Tier's origin of meeting her Fraccion members and discovery by Aizen was only shown in the BLEACH anime series produced by Studio Pierrot. It was shown in Episode 284. She's the only member of the top three Espada to not be given a flashback of their origins in the manga upon their defeat.

Tier Halibel manga to anime comparison

In the original anime that aired in Japan of Tite Kubo's BLEACH series, alterations were added to Tier Halibel's design. When her top was open to reveal her Espada tattoo, clothing was added to the bottom of her breasts and her breasts were slightly reduced in size. These types of changes were not exclusive to Tia Halibel. Similar changes were made in the anime to Yoruichi Shihoin and Soi Fon.

Games

Tier Halibel - BLEACH: Heat of the Soul

Halibel first appears as a playable character in BLEACH: Heat the Soul 6 (2009), without her Resurrección and appears with it in BLEACH: Heat the Soul 7 (2010). In Heat the Soul 6, Halibel has some moves that were not shown in the anime upon the release of the game.

(For a full list of games that feature Halibel, see her profile on Giant Bomb. HERE)