Is Kirio Hikifune the weakest Zero Squad member in Bleach? Explored

Modified Sep 26, 2024 05:00 GMT

In Bleach, five members of the Zero Squad, also known as the Royal Guard, are responsible for protecting the Soul King and maintaining balance in the worlds. These elite warriors surpass the Gotei 13 in strength and influence.

The strongest member of the Zero Squad is undoubtedly Ichibe Hyosube, master of names and spiritual power. However, the attention is usually centered on Kirio Hikifune, a former Gotei 13 captain known for her nurturing abilities and unique contributions to the Soul Society.

While powerful with her energy-absorbing abilities, Kirio Hikifune is the weakest member of the Zero Squad.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinion and includes spoilers.

Exploring Kirio Hikifune's strength and abilities in Bleach

Kirio Hikifune as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Potent with her energy-absorbing ability, Kirio Hikifune is the weakest member of the Zero Squad in Bleach. Her strength lies in unique cooking methods to further spiritual energies and her ability to manipulate life through the creation of her Cage of Life. But with that strength comes many constraints.

Hikifune's powers mainly rely on her Reiatsu. Once all of it is used up, she transforms back into her slender appearance, losing part of her effectiveness in combat. Her dependence makes her fragile in battles that drag on for a long time. This is especially true when compared to the other members of the Zero Squad, who maintain better conditions and are more consistently ready for combat.

While initially powerful, her Cage of Life technique doesn't keep her safe from attacks of pure energy, leaving her vulnerable to such big and significant foes as the Sternritter.

Kirio Hikifune's Cage of Life as seen in anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Other than the limitations of her own Reiatsu, her fighting style emphasizes support over direct engagement. This places her at a disadvantage in the combat strategies of the Zero Squad, where other members, such as Ichibe Hyosube and Oetsu Nimaiya, are true offensive forces.

Regardless of her expertise in enhancing the strength of others, her direct combat abilities fall short, especially in the face of overwhelmingly strong enemies.

Her reliance on preparation and replenishment between battles further reduces her possible threat level. Since she channels extremely strong spiritual energy, the continuous depletion of it and her necessity to top it off hinder her from being more reliable in battle. Combining this with her comparative inability to attack, it makes Kirio Hikifune the weakest member of the Royal Guard.

Final thoughts

Kirio Hikifune is the most feeble member of the Zero Squad in Bleach. Though she can enhance spiritual energy through her food and command control over living beings using the Cage of Life, her focus solely on Reiatsu makes her inefficient for extended combat. While her supportive role is valuable, Kirio lacks the traits of combat capability that have been proven by her comrades in the Royal Guard.

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Edited by Rachith Rao