Bleach Fantasy Round 12: Toshiro Hitsugaya vs. Terra Bradford (A Song of Fire & Ice)

VS.

Opposites attract, don't they? In this week's Matchup, a song of Fire & Ice will be played, but which is better suited - The warm flame keys or the freezing ice strings? Both, at first, were unclear on how to control their powers, but it wouldn't be long before learn the gravity of its power in order to utilize it completely. The power of Fire & Ice truly is a frightening thing, but I believe in the right hands ~ it can be used as a means of bringing forth peace & humility not just to everyone, but to one's self. Let's start off our week by comparing Bleach's Toshiro Hitsugaya & FF VI's Terra Bradford. The following will be compared: Backstory/Role in Story, Powers/Abilities, and Verdict (By MechG). FF currently lead 7-4 against Bleach. As said before, my portions will be noted in Blue and MechG2994's in Purple. The titles are noted in Yellow. MechG will be deciding Monday's verdict due to ME having midterms this week. I will be choosing and deciding the victor for Friday's 13th BF post. 

Backstory/Role in Story (Toshiro Hitsugaya)

Toshiro Hitsugaya is a pivotal character in Tite Kubo's Bleach and is one of the main allies of our protagonists, Ichigo Kurosaki. However, way before Hitsugaya was part of the 10th division, he was spending time with childhood friend Momo Hinamori & his grandmother. Sometime after Momo Hinamori left to join the Gotei 13 in pursuit of serving under Aizen Sousuke, Toshiro's powers awakened. He met, in his youth, Rangiku Matsumoto, who noticed that the boy needed to join the Gotei 13 to control & harness his power of Hyorinmaru (Ice Ring) or else his own power will end up ending his grandmother's life. Hoping to learn the truth behind Hyorinmaru, Hitsugaya enlists in the Gotei 13 and becomes part of the 10th division starting off as 3rd Seat and making his way up to Captain. Coincidentally, the very person who told him to enlist in the Gotei 13, Rangiku Matsumoto, is his lieutenant, and his previous superior was Isshin Shiba, Ichigo's father. Often, Hitsugaya & Rangiku would bicker about, much like a older sister and younger brother. Isshin, the father-figure & Captain of the 10th division, sensed that something was amiss with the deaths and disappearances of Shinigami in Naruki City and went forth in pursuit of this tragedy, leaving Hitsugaya & Rangiku behind due to their inexperience and wanting to protect them from harm's way. Sometime after Isshin disappears during that fateful day, Toshiro becomes the next Captain of the 10th division with Rangiku Matsumoto, his former superior, now his Lieutenant. [It is also noted that during his training and taking classes at Shin'o Academy, he befriended a man names Sojiro Kusaka, who, coincidentally, possessed Hyorinmaru. The two had to battle it out since it was unheard of of two of the same Zanpaktou appearing together and wielded by multiple people. Hitsugaya ended up the victor, which led Sojiro Kusaka to be killed right before his eyes ~ his friend now wanting to extract vengeance against the very people who put him to death after his fateful fight against the true wielder of Hyorinmaru, Toshiro Hitsugaya] The last component of Hitsugaya's backstory is based off the 2nd Bleach Movie - Diamond Dust Rebellion 

Hitsugaya makes his first appearance when then 1st Division Captain, Genryusai Shigeukuni Yamamoto, summons them about the invading Ryoka (Ichigo, Orihime, Uryu, Chad, & Ganju). It is during this time where Hitsugaya suspects something is amiss with former Captains of the 3rd and 5th divisions ~ Gin Ichimaru & Aizen Sousuke. It wouldn't be long before Aizen Sousuke is "dead" and his lieutenant, Momo Hinamori, is in complete shock and horror at the death of her Captain & admirer. Momo begins to strike down the 3rd Division, Gin & Kira, as she presumes it was Gin's doing. Just as Momo & Kira fight out of a misunderstanding surrounding Aizen's death, Toshiro intervenes and imprisons them. Hitsugaya, like Momo, believes this was Gin's doing since it appears that the two have a history together and it unaffected by a Captain's death. By trying to put the pieces together surrounding Aizen's death, Hitsugaya firmly believes it was Gin's doing and challenges him Captain-to-Captain. However, just as the two were about to fight, Momo Hinamori intervenes and points her blade at Hitsugaya, her childhood friend and "brother." Hitsugaya, not wanting to put Hinamori in harm's way, easily knocks her out only to have his confrontation with Gin, who proves to be quite a handful. Sometime after this fight, Hitsugaya & Rangiku notice the corpses surrounding the Central 46; wanting to help resolve stopping Rukia's execution from taking place and forewarning Gin Ichimaru's possible involvement. However, Kira baits Hitsugaya into giving chase as Momo Hinamori stumbles across the Central 46 where she is met by Gin. She follows Gin and sees a very-much-alive Aizen Sousuke, who murders her coldly before Hitsugaya himself discovers this. Finally seeing that Aizen's death was planned and Gin & Kaname were pawns in his schemes, Hitsugaya personally goes rampant on the 2 Captains not only for betraying the Gotei 13, but for nearly killing Momo Hinamori and using Kira as their pawn, Hitsugaya is brutally defeated by Aizen, but is seen later recovered and awaiting the fate of Momo Hinamori. Sometime later, Hitsugaya, along with Rangiku, Renji, Ikkaku, & Yumichika, go to Karakura Town in their Gigai bodies to forewarn Ichigo of Aizen's growing army of Arrancars and of the 10 Espada who are said to be just as strong/stronger than Captain-class Shinigami. Hoping to preserve Karakura Town, Hitsugaya's team & Ichigo are o the look-out of potential threats and it wouldn't be long before 6th Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and his fraccion, appear wanting to challenge anyone who has spiritual power. Hitsugaya & Rangiku challenge Shawlong & Nakeem and it seems that these Arrancars prove to be a handful. However, a limiter is put on Hitsugaya's group, which allows Hitsugaya to easily deliver the final blow against Shawlong, who, at first, was doing considerable damage despite being a Fraccion. After debriefing with Captain Yamamoto with the enemy's power and plan, Hitsugaya & Hinamori finally have their talk on how things are and a question comes to boggle Hitsugaya's conscious - Is he going to kill Captain Aizen? This greatly upsets Hitsugaya to no end because his childhood friend's life is at stake and Hitsugaya and Aizen once were acquaintances. Hitsugaya and his group would find trouble once more as Luppi Antenor, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Yammy Llargo, and Wonderweiss Margera invading Karakura Town in hopes to cause more damage (later revealed as bait to kidnaa Orihime for her powers). Upon hearing of Orihime's "defection" and Aizen's place in this, Captain Yamamoto orders Hitsugaya's group to return to Gotei 13 to prepare for the upcoming war. During the war, Hitsugaya and the Gotei 13 face off against the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Espada with Hitsugaya personally facing the 3rd Espada, Tier Harribel. In a battle of Ice & Water, it seemed as if they were evenly matched up until Hitsugaya used Hyoten Hyakkaso (Frozen Heaven Hundred Flower Funeral) where anything the ice touched froze anything in its path (in this case Harribel). However, Wonderweiss appears and breaks the Ice confining Harribel and Hitsugaya has to now battle alongside the incoming Visored, who bear a grudge against Aizen. As Tier Harribel is betrayed and cut down by her superior, Aizen Sousuke, Hitsugaya challenges him alongside the Shinigami & Visored. With some teamwork, it seemed as if this was it ~ Hitsugaya impaled Aizen from behind. However, it was revealed that Hitsugaya impaled Hinamori, sending him into a furious rage. Soon after, everyone fell one by one and 10 days after Aizen's confinement, Hitsugaya relentlessly trains ~ wanting to become stronger as he was unable to protect Hinamori despite her surviving. During the Fullbringer Arc (time-skip), Hitsugaya appears once more with a new look and helps Ichigo fight the Fullbringers, challenging Yukio. Yukio didn't prove to be much for Hitsugaya as he easily defeats him and forewarns Ichigo of Ginjo Kugo's place as the 1st Substitute Shinigami. He, alongside Byakuya, Kenpachi, Ikkaku, Renji, & Rukia, leave Ichigo to find Ginjo one-on-one. Hitsugaya, just as we first met him, is in a Captain's meeting forewarning them of the Wandenreich's invasion. Just as the Captains were facing this new menace (Thousand Year Blood War Arc), Hitsugaya, along with other Shinigami, had their Bankai stolen from them (Cang Du stole Hitsugaya's Bankai). This puts the Shinigami at a complete disadvantage as Hitsugaya was unable to summon Daiguren Hyorinmaru (Grand Crimson Lotus Ice Ring). Afterwards, he relentlessly trains with a handicap and hopes to still be an asset during the war. Hitsugaya & Rangiku then face-off against Bazz-B, only to be interrupted by Cang Du, the man who originally stole his Bankai. Kisuke Urahara & Mayuri Kurotsuchi initially find a way for the Shinigami to retrieve their Bankai and Hitsugaya ends up freezing Cang Du before any more damage can be done. It is noted that they are currently active and are weak due to Bazz-B's attacks. 

Backstory/Role in Story (Terra Bradford)

Born as a half human, half esper in the Esper World, Terra’s childhood was short lived when Emperor Gestahl and the Gestahlian Empire invaded the Esper World and took her away from her parents. Gestahl became so intrigued by Terra’s potential considering her half-esper lineage and raised her to become a live weapon. Other than that, that’s pretty much the details surrounding Terra’s life because there’s not much detailed emphasized on Terra when she was brought up by the Empire since being separated from her parents. However, she did come to know some of the Empire’s figures such as General Leo and Celes, developing affection for moogles, and became skillfully good when it comes to magic, earning her the title of Magitek Elite. She was brought under control by the mad Gestahlian figurehead, Kefka via the Slave Crown, causing her to obey his every command and notably, under Kefka’s command, killed 50 imperial soldiers as means to demonstrate her potential with her powers and the effectiveness of the Slave Crown.

During a mission in Narshe to uncover a frozen esper, the esper awoke and knocked Terra out as well as killing her imperial companions, Biggs and Wedge. She was taken into hospitality by a Narshe resident named Arvis and helped freed her from Kefka’s control by removing the Slave Crown. Without the Slave Crown, Terra suffered symptoms of amnesia and struggled to recuperate some of her memories. She became wanted by Narshe authorities before Locke Cole, an agent of the returners, rescues her and takes her to Edward Figaro’s castle. While staying there, Kefka was already on the search to reclaim Terra, reaching Figaro’s castle, and burning it to the ground, but Terra, Locke, and Figaro successfully escape, pissing off Kefka because his “toy doll” got away from him. During one battle, Terra displayed her magic abilities, surprising her companions and it left her questioning whether or not she is human. They head to the Returner Hideout, meet up with Figaro’s twin brother Sabin and the leader of the returners, Banon. Banon convinces Terra to join their cause in hopes to overthrow the Gestahlian Empire. Terra agrees to do so and Banon plans for her to go back to Narshe to somehow communicate with the frozen esper to counter the Gestahlians’ use of magic and they head down to the Lethe River as soon as their hideout was discovered. With Terra, the returners at full strength, and Celes defecting from the empire, they successfully halt Kefka’s advance in hopes to reacquire the frozen esper. While trying to communicate with it, Terra transforms into an esper herself, causing her to go wild and fly away from the party. While hiding in Zozo, she encounters another esper, Ramuh, who tells her that she is scared and has no idea how to control her abilities as an esper. When the party found her, they agreed to retrieve her father so that Terra can recuperate. After the infiltrated Vector and showed Terra the magicite shard of her father, she begins to regain her memories and starts to understand her esper lineage. While trying to gain access to the Esper World, Terra and the party were ambushed by Kefka and later an army of espers, which prompts them to escape to the Blackjack, the party’s main airship. Landing in Vector, they find the city up in flames and Gestahl seems to have surrendered. He asks Terra and her party along with General Leo to meet with the espers hiding in Crescent Island to negotiate a peace treaty. Terra successfully convinces the esper leader, Yura to make peace, but Kefka intervenes again, killing Yura, the espers, and General Leo to acquire more magicite to activate the Warring Triad on the Floating Continent.  When the party makes their way to the Floating Continent, they were too little too late as Kefka kills Gestahl and puts the Warring Triad out of place, destroying the world. A year later, Terra is in the village of Molbiz, but became demoralized seeing children being orphans and towns being destroyed by the Light of Judgment. When the village was attacked by Humbaba, Celes and Sabin tries to convince Terra to fight on. The second time Humbaba attacked the village, Terra kills it in her esper form and starts being an inspiration to the children. That convinces Terra to fight on and she rejoins the party towards Kefka’s Tower to defeat him once and for all. With Kefka as the god of magic, he and Terra exchange words on the outlook of the world and in life and Terra tries to restore Kefka’s sanity. Kefka refuses Terra’s help and engage her and her party in battle, but he eventually loses the battle. With Kefka’s death, magic vanishes and though magic is the source to the espers’ survival, Terra’s father convinces her to live on as a full-fledged human. Without magic, Terra’s esper power fades out and she becomes fully human due to her love for the children of Molbiz.

Powers/Abilities (Toshiro Hitsugaya)

Toshiro Hitsugaya, being a Captain-class Shinigami, possesses incredible spiritual power, is a master swordsman, can use Bankai, Shunpo (Flash Step), Kido (Demon/Spirit Way), Hakuda (White Hits ~ Hand-to-Hand), and to top it all off - is a child prodigy, being the youngest person to graduate from Shin'o Academy within a year and shortly after becoming 10th Division Captain (Gin Ichimaru is also said to have been a child prodigy). Knowing this, Captain Hitsugaya is highly tactful, perceptive, and strategical in combat. As I said above, Hitsugaya's sword, Hyorinmaru, is a Ice-based Zanpaktou in which he has complete control of water & ice just from slashing his blade in any direction, forming water & ice Dragon. He has a limit, however, which, like a timer, is how long he can fully utilize Hyorinmaru. Some of his Shikai Techniques include Tenso Jurin (Subjugation of the Heavens) which allows Hitsugaya to take control of any surrounding water or weather in the vicinity, Shinku Taso Hyoheki (Multilayer Vacuum Ice Wall) which allows him to form a Ice wall + blades in conjunction with Rangiku's Haineko (Ash Cat), Ryojin Hyoheki (Woven-Ice Wall) which is pretty much a wall of ice as defense, Rokui Hyoketsujin (Six-Clothed Ice Binding-Array) which allows Hitsugaya to form a snowflake-shaped ice crystals in a pentagonal formation and, when stepped on, encases anyone in a large pillar of ice. In his BANKAI form, not only is his Zanpaktou more durable and stronger, but it also has the abilities to: regenerate, use Hyorinmaru's tail as a weapon, Zanhyo Ningyo (Lingering Ice Puppet) which is pretty much a Ice clone, create wings from Ice, Ryusenka (Dragon Hail Flower) which allows Hitsugaya to stab an object and that object is then encased in ice, Sennen Hyoro (Thousand Years' Ice Prison) which envelops anyone in a large LARGE pillar of Ice when forming Ice pillars that crush and come together, Hyoten Hyakkaso (Frozen Heaven Hundred Flower Funeral) which allows snow to come down from the ice and freezing anything it comes in contact with, Guncho Tsurara (Icicle Flock) which allows Hitsugaya to freeze water into ice and use that as a weapon, and finally Hyoryu Senbi (Ice Dragon Swirling Tail) which allows Hitsugaya to swing in a linear direction that creates overflowing ice that represents his blade in the form of a crescent.

Powers/Abilities (Terra Bradford)

Alright so it’s a given that Terra is exceptionally good in the use of magic and she can transform into an esper. Also what makes her so unique in her own right is that she can be equipped with a variety of sword, shields, light armor and heavy armor, specifically she can fight with a dagger, sword, or a mace. Terra’s has one of the best magical stats of the game (because of her excellent magical abilities) and she has decent physical stats, making her versatile knowing she can fight with either physical combat skills or with magic. Her magical spells emphasize on fire (of course), so she is natural to learning all three tiers of the fire spells (fire, fira, and firaga) as well as other magical spells. She has the ability to ride Magitek Armor and when using it in battle, she has four Magitek abilities: banisher, confuser, bio blast, and magitek missile. As mentioned in the FF6 story, she has the ability to transform into an esper and her esper form can be used in the battlefield making her stats powerful for a limited period of time. Her Limit Break (known as a Desperation Attack) is called the Riot Blade in which she fires four crescent-shaped energy blades at an opponent, dealing critical magic damage.

Verdict (By MechG)

And the winner is...

MechG2994 here for a third time to decide to outcome because Stillmattic has midterms, after quickly evaluating the two (and was it a short evaluation), by unanimous decision, Captain Hitsugaya wins this matchup. Despite Terra’s occupation as the main protagonist of FF6 and having more story, she is completely overmatched by Hitsugaya’s capabilities and his proven combat prowess throughout his story arc. Obviously, it took Terra time for her to understand and overcome her weaknesses as where I feel that Hitsugaya has already acknowledged his weaknesses and carries on to become stronger and overcome that certain weakness and that’s one of the categories in which Hitsugaya dominates Terra. What I’m trying to say is that Terra is more passive in honing her magical abilities and her esper form  and in the midst of adversity, she loses the will to fight on as displayed prior to the final battle with Kefka while as Hitsugaya is more active, I feel as if he wants to know how to control his powers, do whatever is necessary to protect those he is close to, and if he is defeated, he goes back to training, gets stronger and make sure he doesn’t lose again. Hitsugaya has seen a lot of action from the get go in his storyline fighting against Sojiro, Gin, Aizen, the Espada (especially Harribel), Bazz-B, and Cang Du while Terra, not so much, although she did kill 50 soldiers and defeat Kefka in god form, but that doesn’t compare to fighting against the best of the best like what Hitsugaya did. In terms of powers/abilities, Hitsugaya destroys Terra in that category because ice/water extinguishes fire any day of the week and Hitsugaya has a handful of very powerful ice/water powers and abilities. This was not a fair fight, they could make a cute crossover fan couple for all I care, but at the end of the day, Toshiro Hitsugaya wins in dominating fashion without question.

So who do you think would win a fight? Toshiro Hitsugaya from Bleach or Terra Bradford from FF VI? Comment below and let us know. As always, look forward to Bleach Fantasy posts every Monday & Friday all throughout May posted between 8am-11:59pm. The next 2 BF Rounds (13 & 14) will be chosen and decided by yours truly. Until then, stay classy Bleach fans! FF leads 7-5 against Bleach (As of May 19th, 2014).