VS.
Welcome to the 6th Bleach Hakusho matchup between Bleach's 2nd Division Stealth Force Captain Sui-Feng and the returning Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho. Previously, I matched up Byakuya vs. Hiei, but I felt that I could matchup Hiei with another person - someone who excels in agility, has unique abilities, and have had tragic backstories. One is a Shinigami and the other a Demon. One serves under someone and the other is a Captain. This matchup I found captivating not just because I personally find them to be somewhat similar, but that this would be the 2nd time I incorporate Hiei in a Bleach Hakusho matchup. Who knows, maybe Bleach Hakusho 2 (in the near future - hint hint) will have morematchups with Hiei and, perhaps, Uryu or Ulquiorra. For now, I will be comparing the following: Backstory, Strength/Power, & Fights (Record of wins & losses).
Backstory (Hiei)
I went over Hiei's backstory when I matched him up with Byakuya, but as a refresher, I'll explain once more. Hiei is considered a cursed "fire demon" Child and and as result, was cast away forever under orders from the Ice Maidens. Hina was Hiei's mother, but later would take her own life because of her son's demise and abandonment at a such a tender and young age. Ree, Hina's friend, was forced to do the unthinkable - drop Hiei, the fire demon child, from a cliff. From there, he had to endure demons of all calibers, being adopted by bandits and eventually venturing forth for power and revenge for his banishment from his home. As soon as Shigure, the surgeon and friend of Hiei, implanted him with the Jagan eye, Hiei strove to look for the very people who cursed him. It wouldn't be long before he realized they were already dead, met Ree, and soon discovered that he has a sister. From then on, he strove to find an protect his sister, but along the way - he met Kurama and eventually allied with the Spirit Detective, Yusuke Urameshi on his endeavors against various demons of all classes.
Backstory (Sui-Feng)
Sui-Feng is born into the Feng house, a lower class noble family that is affiliated with the Shihoin household. She, at a tender young age, is sworn to protect Yoruichi Shihoin, Captain of the 2nd division & Stealth forces. Her admiration for Yoruichi is unrivaled and it wouldn't be long before she disappeared alongside Kisuke Urahara, Tessai, & the Visored (Captains/Lieutenants of the 5th, 7th, 8th, & 9th divisions). Sui-Feng was unaware of why her mentor had abandoned her, but felt betrayed and a deep hatred resurfaced from Sui-Feng's heart. She devoted her life to becoming stronger than Yoruichi and hopes to end her because of the betrayal and wound she had left on Sui-Feng at a young age. It wouldn't be until later where she became the 2nd Division Captain and was in charge of the Stealth forces - the little girl who served under the 2nd Division now has become the Captain. Later on, Sui-Feng & Yoruichi would reunite and she would uncover the truth - her admiration and love for Yoruichi was simply too strong for Sui-Feng to overcome. Eventually, Sui-Feng took part in aiding Yoruich in fighting off the Arrancars led by Aizen Sousuke. Her siding with Yoruichi is partly due to Yoruichi's friendship to our main hero, Ichigo Kurosaki.
Strength/Power (Hiei)
What makes Hiei such a compelling character isn't just his backstory, but his powers as well. He has the Jagan Eye, capable of telekinesis, memory manipulation, and telepathy. A renowned swordsman, Hiei is unrivaled when it comes to his agility and notably, harnessing the power of the Dragon. During his fight with Zeru, he summoned the Dragon of the Darkness Flame technique and pretty much did a # on Zeru, leaving only a outline behind. Not only that, but he managed to consume the Dragon during his confrontation with Team Toguro's Bui. Hiei relentless training has made him go from wielder of the dragon to becoming the dragon itself. Hiei is also capable of harnessing fire and has combined the Dragon & Fire when fighting Kuro Momotaro. Hiei truly is a force to be reckoned with, being able to stand on par with the strongest fighters in Demon World.
Strength/Power (Sui-Feng)
Sui-Feng has relentlessly trained and tired herself out in hopes to one day surpass her former Captain, Yoruichi Shihoin. Her Zanpaktou, Suzumebachi (translated as Hornet), allows her to pierce opponents, leaving a mark, and when pierced in the same spot as the mark, completely eliminates anyone. The 2-step kill makes it hard for opponents to discern where Sui-Feng will strike and, if marked, will find it difficult to comprehend when she'll strike. Sui-Feng, when fighting Ggio, used this technique and, despite Ggio being a larger opponent, Sui-Feng still did him away with Suzumebachi. Not only is her Suzumebachi strong and fatal, but she has a Bankai - Jakuho Raikoben, which pretty much limits her agility and focuses on eliminating the opponent - firing a missile pretty much, an explosive and fatal attack. Apart from her agility and her Zanpaktou, she has recently mastered Shunko, which is a combination of hand-to-hand combat & Kido. Sui-Feng may be able to finish her opponent quickly, but it's the ability to do in 2-steps that makes her a formidable opponent
Fights (Hiei)
Hiei has a fair balance of wins and losses. His record as followed:
Hiei vs. Yusuke (Loss)
Hiei vs. Seiryu (Win)
Hiei vs. Kuro Momotaro (Win)
Hiei vs. Bui (Win)
Hiei vs. Sniper (Win)
Hiei w/Kurama & Kuwabara vs. Shinobu Sensui (Loss)
Hiei vs. Shigure (Win)
Hiei vs. Mukuro (Loss)
Fights (Sui-Feng)
Sui-Feng has a fair balance of wins, losses, and one undecided battle ~ some are canon and other filler. Her record as followed:
Sui-Feng vs. Yoruichi (Loss)
Sui-Feng vs. Mabashi (Filler - Win)
Sui-Feng vs. Rukia (Filler - Interrupted - Undecided)
Sui-Feng vs. Ggio Vega (Win)
Sui-Feng w/Hachigen vs. Baraggan Louisenbairn (Win)
Sui-Feng w/Allies vs. Aizen (Loss)
Sui-Feng vs. Suzumebachi (Filler - Win)
Sui-Feng vs. Regai-Kenpachi (Filler - Loss)
Sui-Feng vs. BG9 (Win)
Verdict
And the winner is...
Coincidentally, I am using the same picture of Hiei when I paired him with Byakuya. I found Hiei's backstory to be more tragic than Sui-Feng and honestly, his growth over time is developed more than Sui-Feng. His powers are tested, but as each enemy he fights gets stronger, so does he. Sui-Feng's fights I found were uninteresting and unfair because, to be honest, the other fights going on at the time were more interesting. It was cool to see Sui-Feng team up with Hachigen to kill Baraggan, but that's her only impressive victory. Others were notably fillers and, despite her awesome Zanpaktou abilities, it doesn't offer much variety. I found Sui-Feng's Bankai to be laughable because it is so out of character and it may be the Author's approach on her, but I was unconvinced that it did any good other than making her Bankai a missile launcher. Hiei offered more to the table and with the Dragon, he showcased that he can control and muster up the Dragon at his dispense. Hiei's development with his comrades also shows him going from a rogue demon to a ally/rival to Yusuke Urameshi, being one of the 4 main characters in Yu Yu Hakusho whereas Sui-Feng is a side character. Hiei motives are, to be fair, mature and have a reason - he was banished, had to figure out who and what he is capable of, and to top it off - he was content and at peace in the end because he knew Yukina, his sister, was safe. Sui-Feng's backstory I found, well, childish, but it can be argued it is a betrayal of her entire world. Hiei didn't focus on making anything his entire world - his world was his playground, his battle, and his affiliations with humans and demons. Sui-Feng's world was solely focused and revolving around Yoruichi - a pretty damn fine woman with impressive feats, but that's it (Sui-Feng clearly has shown she loves Yoruichi more than just a mentor and Captain). Hiei clearly is the victor and, bias aside, Dragons can devour Hornets (I had to, I just had to, Lol).
Well I hope you enjoyed Monday's 6th Bleach Hakusho post. The following are up now:
1) Hiei vs. Byakuya (Victory - Byakuya)
2) Kuwabara vs. Chad (Victory - Kuwabara)
3) Genkai vs. Urahara (Victory - Urahara)
4) Keiko vs. Orihime (Victory - Keiko)
5) Kurama vs. Uryu (Victory - Kurama)
Look forward to Bleach Hakusho posts Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, & Sundays from February-end of March. Until then, you all stay classy Bleach fans and feel free to leave a comment below on who you think should've won.
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