From her character design to the menace she exuded as a villain, Tite Kubo got everything right with Tier Harribel in Bleach, except for one thing–her potential was never fully utilized. During the Fake Karakura Town and beyond it, Harribel could have easily played an integral role.
Sadly, we didn’t get much of her beyond the fights against Hitsugaya and her flashback. She was one of the few Espadas who survived the battle of Fake Karakura Town. She even appeared during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, and could have easily played a more important role.
That couldn’t happen as the mangaka found himself physically unable to keep drawing, at least at that point in time. Kubo revealed how his medical condition made it difficult to expand the lore of Bleach, and made him cut short the manga’s run.
Tite Kubo can’t be blamed for letting the potential of Thousand-Year Blood War go to waste
Anime fans are well aware of the fact that being a mangaka isn’t easy. Many popular mangaka have suffered serious health conditions to keep up with the strict deadlines. The Bleach manga began its run in 2001, and Tite Kubo released weekly chapters for over a decade.
In the novel Can’t Fear Your Own World, the mangaka revealed (via translations on Reddit) how his health began to deteriorate near the end of the series. He told his editors that he’d like to conclude the story within a year or two. He was then given the timeframe of one year to wrap up the story.
This is probably the reason why the final arc of the manga failed to meet fans’ expectations. The Thousand-Year Blood War arc had a lot of gaps, and there was an evident dip in the story’s quality. If Kubo had the time to expand TYBW’s lore, there was a great way to incorporate Harribel into the main story.
Tier Harribel should’ve played a more elaborate role during the final arc
Harribel had a great personality, and the same was true for her character design. The genuine care she felt for others made her more interesting as a villain. She could rival Aizen as far as the aura goes. During the Fake Karakura Town, Harribel fought against Hitsugaya. But before she could win that battle, Aizen stabbed her. Later on, it was revealed that Harribel was alive, serving as the ruler of Hueco Mundo.
The Wandernreich captured her during the invasion and that was the end of her character arc. Her exit would have been more satisfying if she fought as the leader of Hueco Mundo. She was extremely strong and deeply cared about her subordinates, both of which would have made her involvement interesting.
She had some stake in that fight, and she should have gotten the chance to rebel against Yhwach’s plan. Harribel could have been the representative of Hueco Mundo during the final war. After all, it makes sense for all the realms to be a part of the final war.
Bleach is available to stream on Netflix.
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