Grimmjow Discussion Thread

[Utae]

Well, from what we last saw of Grimmjow he was indeed still alive, but just barely (since the databook mentioned he was on the verge of death)... My opinion is that Grimmjow did die, but Kubo gave it later on as a retconned event.

I'm still not entirely sure why Kubo went through the trouble to show us that Grimmjow was still alive right after a chapter that we could have very well assumed he was actually killed, but my rough guess is that, at that time during the Nnoitra/Ulquiorra/Yammy fights, Kubo (apparently) felt like keeping Grimmjow around for some possible use in the future, either to pay his debt to Ichigo and open a garganta for the nakama to escape (since Aizen had sealed all the gargantas in HM), or just help in the fights.

Kubo never clarified whether Grimmjow survived or not, because (imo) Kubo himself didn't know whether he would actually apply more development on Grimmjow. So, since Kubo is indecisive and kinda wary of how such a risky development would play out in the general plot, he simply compromises to leave Grimmjow's fate in an aura of ambiguity so in the future he can either announce "He's alive" or "He's dead". Only Kubo knows what really happened to Grimmjow, and since the fans can't say for sure whether Grimmjow survived or not, Kubo has the upper hand in case he finally decides to pick either scenario (dead/alive). Kubo played things quite smartly, so no one accuses him for "killing" Grimmjow because he was surely "alive", but at the same time no one can accuse him for "reviving" Grimmjow because he was surely "dead".

However, Kubo doesn't get the chance to fit Grimmjow anywhere, either because the Hueco Mundo arc had already dragged way too longer than what he had originally planned, or because he deemed that bringing Grimmjow back would create even more inconsistencies (Nobody healed Grimmjow--> how did he survive?) Those sort of authorial hesitations.

So, Ichigo gets to KT, he defeats Aizen, arrancar arc is over, but Grimmjow's possible role never comes to play. Eventually Kubo realizes that at this late point Grimmjow can't possibly contribute to the plot in any way possible, so he decides that Grimmjow is dead. There wasn't any clear indication that Grimmjow was even remotely dead after Nnoitra blindsided him. Kubo just left it at that, "Grimmjow is there, lying on the sand, saved by Ichigo." So, what can Kubo do to change his own mess?... However, the 2nd character databook comes out, having scene clarifications and interviews regarding matters in the Hueco Mundo arc, and it's covering the events up to Nnoitra's death. Perfect opportunity for Kubo to throw us the first hint for what happened to Grimmjow.

"Nnoitra mocks the dying Grimmjow."

That's just it. Nnoitra incapacitates Grimmjow, but in addition to the events we were already aware of (Grimmjow being heavily wounded), Kubo also adds the word "dying". And the fans start to fret because it's actually happening--> Grimmjow is dying. It's the first indication that Kubo has made up his mind, now implying Grimmjow's actual death, and unfortunately, in retcon (and off-panel too).. No death scene, no flashback, just an altered past event because of Kubo's neglectful writing.

On top of that, here comes the Jump Festa interview, which, in my opinion, Kubo intended to ultimately hint Grimmjow's death.

Kubo: I planned Grimmjow to die earlier...
(Fans: Thanks a bunch Kubo...)

I can safely say that Kubo's giving progressively heavier blows on Grimmjow's death in these 4 years, so, going by these "progressive blows", I'll make a prediction for Kubo's next interview that involves Grimmjow.

Kubo: Grimmjow is dead.

I could go as far to call Kubo incompetent for treating his characters like that, because it actually shows that the arrancars were total fodder and could turn dispensable at any time Kubo had a whim. *sigh*

[Aonsaithya]

Well, orihime could technically resurrect ulquiorra at any point she cares to but that would be anticlimatic..... It'd be interesting if his souls gets brought back from the flow of souls which is supposed to exist between worlds though but that would be quite a bit away from now.

Funny, I was playing around with the thought of that, since Orihime has met an enemy clearly stronger than herself. She just might want an indebted errand boy, and I'd say Ulquiorra was far stronger than any of the Fullbringers.

Two problems with that fantasy, though:
1) Ulquiorra turned to dust on the roof of Las Noches, a huge building in the middle of a desert, so he's probably been scattered all over the sands of Hueco Muendo by now.
2) Inoue had trouble rejecting the chest injury Ulquiorra inflicted on Ichigo, even stating "an incredible reiatsu is wrapped up deep within Kurosaki-kun's wounds...I can't reject it".

That being said, I suppose it's the same reason Yamamoto has only one arm now; Orihime isn't nearly strong enough to reject something done/with a huge amount of reiatsu. Including Grimmjow, Ulquiorra and Yamamoto's arm.

[Utae]

Oh, and I overlooked something in my previous post... It's Grimmjow's actual death reference though no one probably noticed it.

[g0dzax]

@Utae: Very interesting.You just made me believe that Grimmjow is dead.

[ShootToKill]

Utae's post certianly does make it look as though he's dead, although it might just be reading a little too much into Ichigo's emotion driven statement.

However, keeping him around wouldn't make too much sense. This isn't DBZ, so I doubt he'll become a Vegeta with Kubo saying "The fans like him, so lets make him a "good guy" so we can keep him around a bit longer". He's still essentially a hollow, so it's unlikely to think of him becoming an ally to Ichigo/SS considering their primary purpose is to slay hollows. However, I doubt he would become the new "King of Hueco Mundo" either, since he's not a "true" hollow any more, so it just seems to be an unlikely scenario. Further, he won't be an antagonist again since he alone wouldn't even be a threat to the stronger Captains, let alone SS as a whole. Unless Kubo devises some way of giving him a lot more power, there doesn't seem to be a suitable excuse to bring him back.