Shonen anime have instilled the fear of painful deaths in fans’ minds, but not Bleach. Tite Kubo spoiled fans by keeping most of the main cast alive. Even Byakuya returned from the brink of death when most of us expected it to be the end for him.
This makes one wonder why the mangaka didn’t even flinch before off-screening the Arrancars. After all, the Espada had great character arcs. A fan on Reddit suggested an interesting way to incorporate them into the main storyline.
This suggestion is perfect for Coyote Starrk given his backstory. All that he desired, along with his chemistry with Shunsui, suggests that he should have stuck around for longer. But, how?
The perfect way for Starrk to stick around until the end
Coyote Starrk was the Primera Espada, placing him at the top of the Espada hierarchy. He spent most of his time sleeping in Bleach, and apart from that we saw his big fight against Shunsui. His powers and personality blossomed in that fight, and he had a strange chemistry with Shunsui.
His conclusion showed that somewhere his only desire in life was fulfilled, but it felt too soon for his arc to conclude. A fan on Reddit suggested an interesting possibility, which would have been a great way to keep Starrk around.
The Espada could have joined forces with Soul Society, especially Starrk, Grimmjow, and Ulquiorra. All these characters weren’t inherently evil and carried tragic experiences with them. Their fights against the Soul Reapers were introspective for them, and they gained a special understanding of their opponents.
For instance, Ulquiorra realized through Ichigo what it meant to love and have a heart. Starrk came to terms with his desire to find strong friends. And Grimmjow was a part of the story beyond the Fake Karakura Town arc.
These characters could have easily adapted to Soul Society, and even forging cordial bonds with the Captains and other Soul Reapers is imaginable. However, in Starrk’s case, there is another challenge that Tite Kubo would have faced if he decided to turn the character into a substitute Soul Reaper.
Here’s why Starrk as a Substitute Soul Reaper wouldn’t have worked
The Hollow that Starrk was a part of lived its life in solitude. The others perished from his immense strength alone. After the Hollow became two separate entities, Aizen asked them to join the Espada. It was the first time Starrk could normally interact with someone besides Lilynette. Even though he was brash and kept to himself, he cared for the other Espada.
After all, he had always wanted strong allies. It’s hard to imagine him changing sides so conveniently. The Soul Reapers weren’t evil and he knew it; however, he still wouldn’t have joined forces with them, as they killed his friends. Overcoming this ideal Starrk had set for himself would have been a great challenge.
Bleach is available to stream on Netflix.
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