RBT #33: Dem #3 Eyez

One of the most weirdest faces Orihime has made is when her eyes took on the form of a #3. Seriously, how in the f*ck did she do that? According to Tatsuki, Orihime has improved on making faces. First off, why go there? The immaturity behind making stupid faces is reserved for little kids, not Big-Beewbed hotness Orihime Inoue. However, Orihime, as I said previously about her, can be both serious and immature. This is one of those times where Orihime is acting like a child ~ she's being herself with the goofiness, denseness, and overall silliness. Like I said, Bleach has some pretty funny moments, but dem #3 eyez ~ that's plain weird and sporadic. I just like how Ichigo is like WTF the whole time ~ What's with your face and why do your eyes look like the number 3?

I hope you enjoyed this brief RBT. Look forward to RBTs every Thursday. Until then, you all stay classy + look forward to back-to-back-to-back posts tomorrow ~ Throwback #51, Bleach Kombat Round 13 (Verdict by MechG), & one of the BCC Profiles.

Big-BEEWBED Catfight Month (August 25th-September 29th)

What's good everyone, hope you're enjoying my weekly posts + frequent collaborations with MechG. MechG and I have worked so far on a few Bleach & FF Affinities, Bleach Fantasy Month, and currently Bleach Kombat Month. After BK Month, what could possibly come after? For many months now, I've compared to Bleach to Yu Yu Hakusho, Final Fantasy (w/MechG), and currently Mortal Kombat (w/MechG). However, a idea sparked in my head about the next Fight Night posts. This time, it'll be a little different since this kinda of Matchup has never been done before on our blog. So I would like to introduce what I'd like to call BCC Month starting August 25th and ending September 29th. What is BCC? Well, it's three words: BIG-BEEWBED CATFIGHT. Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, as you are well aware, I use the word BEEWB a lot on this blog. It even got your guys' attention since some of the Best of the Best posts are BEEWBED related. It's all thanks to you that they're there.

BCC Month won't focus on story, powers, or even who'd win in a fight between the two. The focus on BCC Month is this ~ Whose hotter, cuter, and more likely to have $$$ put up in their Bikinis and Panties? The following will be main subject: Personality, Appearance, HCA Level (Hotness, Cuteness, & Adorableness), &.....BEEWBZ. Here is the matchups (in no particular order). I kept it so Bleach girls are going up against one girl per franchise. The next BCC (and yes there'll be more) will focus on Bleach vs. a single Franchise (Ex: Bleach vs. Naruto):

1) Orihime Inoue vs. Hinata Hyuga (Bleach vs. Naruto)

2) Rangiku Matsumoto vs. Lucy Heartfilia (Bleach vs. Fairy Tail)

3) Tatsuki Arisawa vs. Rin Kujou (Bleach vs. To-Love-Ru)

4) Sui-Feng vs. Satsuki Kiryuin (Bleach vs. Kill La Kill)

5) Yoruichi Shihoin vs. Mana Tatsumiya (Bleach vs. Mahou Sensei Negima)

6) Karin Kurosaki vs. Fuuka Saitou (Bleach vs. Cyclops Shojo Saipu)

7) Candice Catnipp vs. Nami (Bleach vs. One Piece)

8) Ikumi Unagiya vs. Izumi Curtis (Bleach vs. Full Metal Alchemist)

9) Bambietta Basterbine vs. Ryoka Hakubi (Bleach vs. Tenchi Muyo)

10) Nozomi Kujo vs. C.C. (Bleach vs. Code Geass)

11) Kukaku Shiba vs. Revy (Bleach vs. Black Lagoon)

12) Momo Hinamori vs. Subaru (Bleach vs. .Hack/SIGN)

13) Nanao Ise vs. Yuki Nagato (Bleach vs. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)

14) Rukia Kuchiki vs. Yozora Mikazuki (Bleach vs. Boku Wa Tomodachi Ga Sukunai)

15) Lisa Yadomaru vs. Kagome Higurashi (Bleach vs. Inuyasha)

16) Tier Harribel vs. Motoko Kusanagi (Bleach vs. Ghost In the Shell)

I know some of you probably haven't heard of all these series, but let's see. Bleach vs. Anime Hotties Coalition (AHC). The first BCC Post will be posted the day of the final BK post. Until then, you all stay classy now + send me suggestions on who you think would be perfect candidates. I will be posting specific facts about these girls all throughout August to give you a clue on who they are.

Bleach Kombat Round 12: Baraka vs. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (Tarkatan vs. Arrancar)

VS.

Wanna know what these two have in common? They got nasty-@$$ attitudes, have sharp blades, evil smiles, and will cause you nightmares. Yeah, if you blink for a second and see of these two ~ I'd probably sh*t my pants. What else can be said about these inhuman beings, one is a Tarkatan and the other is an Arrancar. Both are loyal to their masters and fight with ferocity in battle ~ like true scary-@$$ Mofos. Our 12th Round is MK's Baraka vs. Bleach's Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. The Scoreboard for Bleach vs. MK is 7-4 with Bleach still leading. The following will be incorporated as always ~ Backstory/Role in Story, Powers/Abilities, & Veridict (By Stillmattic). Let's jam! 

Backstory/Role in Story (Grimmjow)

Before Grimmjow had any affiliation towards Aizen, he was an Adjuchas-class Menos. Roaming about the land of Hueco Mundo, he attacked and ate just about anything that stood in his path in pursuit of power and wanting to become a Vasto Lorde-class Menos. It wasn't long before he became affiliated with what would become his Fraccion - Shawlong Koufang, Edrad Liones, Yylfordt Granz, Nakeem Grindina, and Di Roy Rinker. These then Adjuchas-class Menos were in awe of Grimmjow's abilities and just like Grimmjow, wanted to become Vasto Lorde-class Menos in pursuit of power. However, it would be awhile for all of them combined to go through such lengths for power and it seemed as if the the 5 Adjuchas-class Menos were about to give up. That is, however, until they asked Grimmjow to devour them so that he could become a Vasto Lorde. Grimmjow called them cowards, but reluctantly ate a portion of the 5 who then would become his Fraccion later on.

Grimmjow is first introduced in his Vasto Lorde form when the 4th and 0 Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer & Yammy Llargo, came back to inform Aizen of the events that took place in Karakura town against Ichigo, Kisuke, Yoruichi, and especially Orihime. Grimmjow and his Fraccion commented that leaving Ichigo & the group alive is a sign of weakness and if it were him, Grimmjow would've mopped the floor with them. However, Ulquiorra states that it was sort of a test to see if Ichigo truly was a threat to Aizen and it seemed like Ichigo wasn't "yet" at the peak of his performance. Grimmjow, angered by this, set out towards Karakura town in hopes to do collateral damage on the enemy side - only to lose his Fraccion and be summoned by Kaname to Aizen for his disobedience and recklessness in losing his Fraccion and attacking Ichigo without permission. Grimmjow was stripped of his title and temporarily replaced by Luppi Antenor. Luppi, Yammy, Wonderweiss, & Grimmjow set out again on order to Karakura Town. Ichigo was beaten badly by Grimmjow, but it wouldn't be long before Grimmjow fights him once more only to lose again because Ichigo's Mask broke and thus he lost the momentum. However, Grimmjow & co were bait for Aizen's true purpose - Orihime. Grimmjow's arm is healed by Orihime (upon Ulquiorra retrieving her) and he kills Luppi and earns back his title as 6th Espada. So far Grimmjow has beaten Ichigo twice and came to a draw with Shinji, but he fights Ichigo once more and this time, it seems as if Ichigo will prevail this time around. But before Grimmjow could fight Ichigo a 3rd time, Ulquiorra interrupted because of Grimmjow's rescuing of Rukia and hurting Loly & Menoly for his amusement. Grimmjow temporarily traps Ulquiorra and in the meantime, he has his final battle with Ichigo ~ finally releasing his Resurrecion. However, Grimmjow was beaten badly and just as Ichigo was telling Grimmjow to not fight anymore, Nnoitra attacks Grimmjow out of nowhere and that is (as of now) the last we see of Grimmjow. BUT - some speculate that Grimmjow was the one who saved Kisuke in the current Arc and he'll definitely appear in this arc - this time, as an ally.

Backstory/Role in Story (Baraka)

Baraka role is the equivalent that of a journeyman or a mercenary in the MK storyline having serve from one master to another, but had ambition to overthrow each and every one of them. At first, Baraka served under Shao Kahn and under orders, attacked the Wu Shi Academy in Earthrealm to force the realm’s fighters to venture into Outworld and compete in a false tournament. As the Outworld tournament occurred, Baraka and the half-bred Tarkatan, Mileena were discussing a ploy to overthrow Shao Kahn’s rule, but it never came to be as Mileena was killed by her half-sister, Kitana and Baraka was exiled away to the deepest of Outworld and of all the other realms. While wandering into Edenia after Kahn’s failed invasion of Earthrealm, he came across the necromancer, Quan Chi, who offered Baraka a chance to serve under Shinnok and the Fallen Elder God’s Netherrealm forces. Baraka agreed to do so, but at the same time, had ambition to overthrow both Quan Chi and Shinnok. His opportunity once again failed when the Fallen Elder God was defeated by Liu Kang, thwarting Netherrealm’s invasion of Edenia and a potential invasion of Earthrealm. Baraka’s story would resurface again in Deception, serving under Onaga. He freed Mileena from prison during the Dragon King’s invasion of Edenia to pose as Princess Kitana to gain full control of the Edenian army and trick them into fighting a Tarkatan Horde. However, Mileena would give control of the Edenian army to the Bo’ Rai Cho and thanks to Liu Kang’s spirit, he was able to drive the Tarkatan Horde away. This event angered Baraka. Mileena had agreed to meet with Baraka in the Beetle Lair, but Baraka grew suspicious and instead sent one of his Tarkatan doppelganger. This would prove to be a wise move as Mileena killed the Tarkatan. During the Armageddon battle, he was seen fighting with Kung Lao, before Shao Kahn batted him away with his hammer during the race to the top of the Pyramid of Argus.

Powers/Abilities (Grimmjow)

When first seeing Grimmjow's fight with Ichigo, he is seen being an expert hand-to-hand combat and Sonido as he blocked all of Ichigo's attacks and did a number on his face. As an Espada, he possesses incredible Spiritual energy, enhanced strength, hierro (Steel Skin), and is perceptive in his fight against as Ichigo as he was able to easily discern Ichigo's movements just from observation. With any Espada, he is capable of two things - Cero & Resurrecion. However, Grimmjow showcases an even upgraded version of Cero called Gran Ray Cero - a attack that is forbidden in Hueco Mundo because of the damage it could do to Las Noches. Grimmjow's true power lies in his Resurrecion - Pantera. Taking on the form of a Pantera-like being, Grimmjow's agility, hierro, and strength are greatly amplified. Grimmjow's attacks include firing bomb-like projectiles and his trademark Desgarron (Panther King's Claw) - his claws composed of Reishi representing a blade that can hurled at a maximum of 10 at a time. This attack acts as a ranged claw attack pretty much. 

Powers/Abilities (Baraka)

As a Tarkatan, Baraka possesses great stamina and fighting prowess. His trademark weapon of choice is the Tarkatan blades. Think Wolverine from X-Men where his Adamantium claws can extend from his forearms, the same can be said for Baraka’s Tarkatan blade minus the Adamantium (of course) and he is able to heal up from a devastating attack (he survived Kung Lao’s vertical slice fatality). One of Baraka’s greatest abilities is his sense of smell; he is able to smell his opponent’s true scent even if the opponent is disguised as someone else. Baraka doesn’t have too many notable or recognizable gruesome fatalities such as the Blade Decapitation where he approaches his opponent and swiftly slices his opponent’s head off with his Tarkatan blade, the Blade Lift, where he uses both blades, stabs his opponent in the torso and raises him/her up until death.

Verdict (By Stillmattic)

And the winner is...

After quickly evaluating these two, it's very VERY clear who the winner is. He got a mean-@$$ attitude, is like a wild animal in battle, and is loyal to their master. You guessed it ~ Grimmjow. In terms of story, I felt pretty bad for Grimmjow ~ lonesome panther that roamed the deserts in a eat-or-be-eaten world. He rose to the top, got shat out, but never gave up as he still is one of the remaining Espada alive. The gravitas of his character in Bleach is one of the central focuses surrounding Ichigo (alongside others such as Renji, Byakuya, & Kenpachi). He is one of those characters that despises Ichigo, but at the same time admires him (much like Renji, Byakuya, & Kenpachi). Even in his Shikai form, he was able to do considerable damage to our hero. I think Baraka with his claws extending from his forearms don't really stand a chance against Grimmjow, who is just as fast as Baraka's sense of smell + is more deadlier. However, a deciding factor for Grimmjow is that he still has a 2nd form ~ Pantera. In this form, not only are his abilities amplified, but he is fast as sh*t. Grimmjow's story is more tragic and he plays a pivotal role as a central rival to Ichigo whereas Baraka.....does not. GRIMMJOW WINS....FLAWLESS VICTORY! 

So who do you think won? Baraka from MK or Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez from Bleach? Comment below and let us know. As always, look forward to Bleach Rounds every Monday, Wednesday, & Friday throughout July 4th-August 25th. Friday, Monday, & Wednesday's Rounds will be handpicked by MechG. Until then, you all stay classy now + LOOK FORWARD TO SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT COMING UP! Here's the current Scoreboard for BK Month:

1) Jax Briggs vs. Yasutora "Chad" Sado ~ MK (July 4th)

2) Jade vs. Yoruichi Shihoin ~ Bleach (July 7th)

3) Johnny Cage vs. Mask De Masculine ~ MK (July 9th)

4) Sonya Blade vs. Sui-Feng ~ Bleach (July 11th)

5) Kenshi vs. Byakuya Kuchiki ~ Bleach (July 14th)

6) Mileena vs. Bambietta Basterbine ~ Bleach (July 16)

7) Kung Lao vs. Uryu Ishida ~ Bleach (July 18th)

8) Reptile vs. Sajin Komamura ~ Bleach (July 21st)

9) Sektor vs. Renji Abarai ~ Bleach (July 23rd)

10) Sindel vs. Tier Harribel ~ MK (July 25th) 

11) Sub-Zero vs. Rukia Kuchiki ~ MK (July 28th)

12) Baraka vs. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez ~ Bleach (July 30th) 

Bleach currently leads 8-4

WBCR - Zombie vs. Zombie (Grade: B)

The opening color page for this week's chapter was beautiful ~ our heroes standing side by side ready to enter a war of demise. Cloaked in black & white, they're just about ready to kick some major tutelage. Aside from this stunning page, the chapter was straightforward w/one exception (we'll get to it). The Graded Meme will be posted at the end, but for now ~ let's talk about the 3 highlights for this week's chapter: The 4, Zombie vs. Drag Queen, & Ice turned Zombie. In the words of KHAN....."Shall we begin?"

Highlight #1 ~ The 4

As soon as these 4 entered the picture, I was baffled by the idea that it was these particular people that were going to aid our fellow heroes. Mayuri was one the one who got these 4 from the former 8th Espada, Szayelapporo, vault. Before the action took place, it seems that Ikkaku & Yumichika remember Luppi & Charlotte, but Yumichika is pissed at Charlotte's return and was even close to ending him again.Both Dordoni & Cirucci had a bone to pick with Ichigo & Uryu whereas Luppi is just kinda there. A Drag Queen, the temporarily 6th Espada, and 2 Privaron Espada ~ Can they stand a chance against the Zombified Shinigami army led by Giselle Gewelle? Well, they comically were arguing with one another and were electrocuted by Mayuri when they wouldn't shut up. It's about time to fight ~ Zombie vs. Zombie. Giselle believes those 4 don't stand a chance, but the 4 easily cut through the Shinigami without having a morsel of regret or sorrow. Despite them being former Shinigami (notably 11th division), they have to be dealt with and no further justification can deny that ~ A threat to the Gotei 13 must be stopped at all costs. Mayuri shows no remorse for the zombified 11th division Shinigami because at the end of the day ~ they must be dealt with.

Highlight #2 ~ Zombie vs. Drag Queen

Why would Charlotte go out of his way to say he resembles Giselle? Why this Matchup at all between these two? Giselle orders Bambi to stop Charlotte, but Charlotte caught her by the face and threw her aside. Bambi, however, doesn't stop there ~ she tries to pursue towards Charlotte. However, Charlotte fires a Cero at Bambi and....that ends the fight. First off, I was so pissed (and still am) that Bambi was already zombified, she had so much potential to be one of the first antagonists that was a woman, but she got swept away by a Wolf and now...A Drag Queen. I have no idea if she'll return, but if she does ~ she'll most likely get f*cked up again. Arrancars are no pushovers and as said by Giselle, Charlotte is strong. Charlotte is no pushover ~ he may be ridiculous, over-the-top, and be downright weird, but he still can kick major @$$ and he delivered. However, that doesn't stop me from wondering if Giselle have some plan up her sleeve to stop Charlotte. Bambi is blown away and all that remains is....

Highlight #3 ~ Ice turned Zombie 

TOSHIRO HITSUGAYA (to finish off the sentence from #2). After Bambi is blown away, Giselle summons her trump card ~ the 10th Captain of the Gotei 13. A worthy adversary, Mayuri admits that it'll be a pain in the @$$ to stop Hitsugaya. Compared to regiment soldiers, Hitsugaya is a special case since he's a prodigy and is Captain. As seen previously in recent chapters, Hitsugaya was never killed, but rather collapses from his previous fight with the Sternritter. Giselle probably found his corpse and is using him to sway the allied forces. Playing dirty in other words is what Giselle is getting at. One of the thought-provoking questions is this ~ Is Hitsugaya really going to die after this? He could just as well be manipulated (maybe Bambi) by Giselle, but I don't think Tite Kubo would kill off Hitsugaya like that. The audience would be pissed and it'd be a stupid-@$$ ending to a lovable and unforgettable character. Hitsugaya is one of my favorite Captains (next to Kenpachi & Byakuya) and if it really is true that Giselle killed the tired-out Hitsugaya, then I and everyone else will be pissed. C'mon Hitsugaya ~ you gotta wake up from the matrix. This probably leaves Luppi to have his rematch with him now, but will Luppi accept this or does he want to wait til Hitsugaya is no longer zombified? We'll have to wait and see.

Impressions on Chapter. 

Overall, I give this week's chapter a B. It's far from perfect, but it's a set-up chapter. They're so many fights going on, but they're going to emphasize on one for awhile and just as it's getting to the good part, they'll cut to another fight. I'm very skeptical if the 4 Arrancars will prove to be enough, but I'm willing to give them a try. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" comes to mind when the Arrancar are aiding the Shinigami against the Quincy. Although I'd like the chapters to not drag so much, we have to be patient as the author can only do so much. It's now the Zombie vs. Zombie brawl and with Hitsugaya now turned Zombie, what will our heroes do? Turn in next time for another installment of B-L-E-A-C-H.

So what did you think of this week's chapter? Good? Bad? So-So? Comment below and let me know. As always, look forward to WBCRS every Wednesday (unless no chapter). Until then, you all stay classy now + be sure to check out the 12 posted BK Rounds. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT COMING UP MOMENTARILY! 

Affinity #48 - Kotetsu Sisters

One of the Affinities that is overlooked in Bleach are the Kotetsu Sisters ~ Isane & Kiyone. While one is the soft-spoken and big-BEEWBED lieutenant of the 4th division (Isane), the other is the open and excitable co-3rd Seat of the 13th division (Kiyone). As clearly shown in the picture, Isane is the older sister to Kiyone and just look at her ~ She got dem perfect BEEWBS. DAYUM gurl, she so fine that she blow my mind. And Kiyone, she cute. Despite them being in different divisions, they're still sisters and they care for one another. Something that both the Kotetsu Sisters have are loyalty to their Captains ~ Kiyone is firmly rooted to pleasing her captain, Jushiro Ukitake, whereas Isane deeply looked up to then-4th Division Captain, Retsu Unohana (revealed to be First Kenpachi ~ Yachiru Unohana). Loyalty isn't something you can buy, it's earned and these 2 chicks rightfully earned their rightful place alongside their Captains (Though I believe Isane is now considered 4th division Captain).

I hope you enjoyed this week's Affinity. Look forward to Affinities every Tuesday. On the 50th Affinity, I'll be posting my Top 10 Favorite Couples in Bleach. Until then, you all stay classy now + look forward to tomorrow's back-to-back posts ~ WBCR & BK Round 12.

Bleach Kombat Round 11: Sub-Zero vs. Rukia Kuchiki (Ice Ice Baby!)

VS.

In the past couple days, seems like mother nature be trolling us since it's been extremely hot with very little winds to help compensate the fact that its the Summer season. The coolest place to be in would be in a room full of Ice with both our competitors making snowman, popsicles, and Icy(s). The concert would consist of Vanilla Ice, Ice Cube, & Ice-T. Shiiiiet, Penguins & Polar Bears would be up in our crib because it's so damn cold. And let's not forget our special guest appearance from Mr. Freeze himself ~ The Governator. This all wouldn't be possible if it weren't for our Iced combatants ~ Sub-Zero from MK & Rukia Kuchiki from Bleach. The Scoreboard for Bleach vs. MK is 7-3 with Bleach leading. The following will be laid down in our little Ice Rink ~ Backstory/Role in Story, Powers/Abilities, & Verdict (By Stillmattic). Let's jam with Olaf and, in the course of iceskating within an Ice Rink with penguins & polar beats, fueling from adrenaline from our Icy rap artists, and eating popsicles & drinking Icy(s) while listening to Mr. Freeze's one-liners, Let us let it go! 

Backstory/Role in Story (Rukia Kuchiki)

150 years prior to the storyline, Rukia's older sister, Hisana, were brought up together in the 78 District of Rukongai, Inuzuri. Unable to take care of her sister, Hisana abandoned her and so a majority of Rukia's life was spent alone up until she met Renji. Rukia's chance meeting Renji & his friends flourished into a dynamic relationship ~ creating a little family, but things went downhill for the two when Rukia was adopted into the Kuchiki clan by Byakuya, later found out to be Rukia's adoptive brother & Hisana's husband. Rukia enrolled in Shin'o Academy in order to become a Shinigami alongide Renji & other Lieutenants and eventually found herself in the 13th division under Captain Jushiro Ukitake (she was admitted into the 13th division without taking an entrance exam). From here on, she developed a little crush on her lieutenant and admirer, Kaien Shiba. When Kaien Shiba became under the control of a Hollow, Kaien asked Rukia to do the unthinkable - Kill him. Following his lieutenant's request, Rukia killed both Kaien & Hollow controlling him and up until the rescue arc, had to live with the idea that she was Kaien Shiba's killer. Her relationship with Kaien is much like her relationship with Ichigo - Dynamic in the sense that both encouraged one another and have gotten stronger in terms of utilizing their Zanpaktou & becoming incredibly strong Shinigami.

During her stay and commission in Karakura Town, she met with Ichigo (who could see spirits and thus kicked Rukia). Her meeting with Ichigo, as said above, is much like Kaien Shiba's. However, her stay in Karakura Town with helping out Ichigo in fighting hollows & her Gigai body, were in jeopardy as the 6th Division Captain & Lieutenant, Renji (childhood friend) & Byakuya (older brother), took her in for her stay in the Human World. It wouldn't be until later where she learned that her Gigai body that Kisuke Urahara gave her was only a shell to hide Aizen's target - The Hogyoku. Rukia was eventually saved by Ichigo & his friends and though she's grateful for life being saved, she was ready to face execution without any regrets. After Ichigo & Byakuya's intense and badass one-on-one battle, Byakuya explained to Rukia the origins of her past - him being Rukia's adoptive older brother & of Hisana's fate. Soon after, Rukia would play a pivotal role in Bleach as Ichigo's right-hand. During the Arrancar Arc, she showcases her Zanpaktou for the first time - Sode no Shirayuki against D-roy (but was no match for 6th Espada, Grimmjow) and beating the 9th Espada, Aaroniero (who utilized Kaien's Zanpaktou and kept appearance from hollow). She helped out in Hueco Mundo by fighting Rudborrn & Yammy, but later would be saved by Ichigo's friends, Byakuya, & Kenpachi. After Ichigo loses his powers, Rukia is last seen disappearing from Ichigo's sight (this indicates that Ichigo can no longer see spirits). However, it wouldn't be long before Rukia reappears once more when she restores Ichigo's power with a sword imbedded with the reiatsu of the Shinigami from the Gotei 13. She plays a more pivotal role during the bloody war between the Shinigami & Sternritter as she finally achieved Bankai (as well as being Lieutenant of the 13th Division) ~ defeating As Nodt in the process as a result of her stay with the 0 Division & training intensely to help out Ichigo & his allies. She currently, alongside other Shinigami, are fending off against various Sternritter in hopes that Ichigo will thwart Yhwach's plans. 

Backstory/Role in Story (Sub-Zero)

*The name “Sub-Zero” is a codename and in the original timeline, there were two Sub-Zeroes that were actually brothers and in the alternate timeline, there’s going to be a third incarnation of Sub-Zero for MKX considering the second Sub-Zero turned into a cyborg ninja in MK9 and died (I know it’s confusing). So for storyline purposes for this section, I’m going to go with the longest tenured Sub-Zero in terms of appearances in installments and that happens to be the younger, second incarnation of Sub-Zero.*

So this second incarnation of Sub-Zero is identified by his real name, Kuai Liang, who previously went by the codename, “Tundra”, donned the Sub-Zero codename after he found that his older brother, Bi-Han, the original Sub-Zero, who would later became known as the dark, shadowy Wraith, Noob Saibot to distinct the two, failed his task to assassinate Shang Tsung and met death at the hands of the vengeful Scorpion in the first Mortal Kombat. Liang, under the Sub-Zero codename, entered Outworld, along with his Lin Kuei friend, Smoke to fulfill the task that his brother failed to do. When Scorpion found out Sub-Zero had returned, he ascended from the Netherrealm again to best his rival twice only to soon find out that this was not the same Sub-Zero that killed him and his whole Shirai Ryu clan off as he witnessed the younger brother spare his opponent’s life during the tournament. After witnessing such events, Scorpion spared the younger Sub-Zero, promising not to harm him, although it left the Lin Kuei ninja confused as to why the vengeful Wraith didn’t kill him. Unfortunately, Sub-Zero and Smoke didn’t fulfill the task to kill Shang Tsung, they did help their fellow Earthrealm forces defeat Shao Kahn, Emperor of Outworld. Leading up to the events of MK3, the Lin Kuei obtained greater technology to turn their warriors into vicious killing machines. The Lin Kuei volunteered four ninjas in their clan and the younger Sub-Zero was one of those volunteers along with Smoke and two other ninjas, Sektor and Cyrax. Sub-Zero and Smoke refused to volunteer and ran away, breaking the Lin Kuei code and branded traitors. Although Sub-Zero escaped, his friend Smoke was captured and was automated. The three cyborg ninjas were now tasked with a prime directive to hunt and kill Sub-Zero, while at the same time Sub-Zero received a vision from Raiden about the impending invasion Shao Kahn was about to plot. When that time happened, Sub-Zero was among the chosen warriors whose soul was spared to battle Kahn. Instead, he battled Sektor, Cyrax, and Smoke. Sub-Zero managed to help Smoke regain his human consciousness and they fought side-by-side against Sektor and Cyrax. Sektor’s fate was unknown, but Cyrax was reprogrammed by Sub-Zero to hunt down Shao Kahn, though he was never heard from again after he wandered in the Jade Desert. As for Smoke, he was captured again and imprisoned by Shao Kahn and the forces of Outworld.

During Shinnok’s threat, Sub-Zero encountered the Shirai Ryu ninja, Scorpion was again convinced that this is the same Sub-Zero that killed his clan after Quan Chi deceived him to think that idea once again. When Scorpion was about to finish off the younger Sub-Zero, Scorpion turned his attention to Quan Chi and transported him to the Netherrealm to chase him down relentlessly after the sorcerer prematurely admitted that he was the one who killed off his clan. That put the rivalry between Scorpion and Sub-Zero to a halt for now. When Sub-Zero returned to the Lin Kuei, he found out the Grand Master was killed by Sektor and stole the Dragon Medallion (artifact representing leadership in the Lin Kuei). Sub-Zero challenged Sektor in an intense battle and bested the cyborg ninja. With the Dragon Medallion in his hands, Sub-Zero’s cryomancer powers were enhanced and he began reforming the Lin Kuei clan to become a force for good. He held a tournament to recruit the best warriors and was intrigued by a female warrior, Frost. Sub-Zero took Frost in as his apprentice, but the relationship was short-lived as master and apprentice had conflict of philosophies and Frost seemingly butted heads with Sub-Zero’s fellow Earthrealm warriors from the Forces of Light. When the warriors were separated in Outworld, Frost seized the Dragon Medallion from Sub-Zero, but the Medallion used her own power against her, seemingly killing her. Sub-Zero then placed blame on himself for failing to teach Frost his ways and proceeded to search for a burial place for his apprentice. As he ventured into Outworld, he encountered ruins of a civilization that was able to manipulate the ice and the cold, the Cryomancers and that’s when Sub-Zero found out his true heritage. After burying Frost, he then proceeded to rendezvous with Raiden’s forces, donning a new suit that belonged to the ancient Cryomancers and with his powers enhanced. He was ambushed by a Tarkatan horde and was pursued by the Seidan, Hotaru. Sub-Zero came across a wounded Kenshi and saved his life, then Kenshi returned the favor by defeating Hotaru after Hotaru temporarily blinded Sub-Zero. When Shujinko gathered the remaining Earthrealm warriors to venture into Outworld and battle the great threat that is the Dragon King Onaga, Sub-Zero came across Sareena, a Netherrealm native who helped his brother defeat Quan Chi. The two encountered two of Sub-Zero’s known acquaintances, Smoke, his best friend, and his older brother, Noob Saibot, the original Sub-Zero. The Lin Kuei Grandmaster was overpowered by the combined might of his best friend and brother until Sareena jumped in and rescued him before returning to the depths of the Netherrealm. Upon returning to the Lin Kuei temple in Earthrealm, Sub-Zero found his subordinates killed by a conscious, instable Frost. Sub-Zero froze up Frost and locked her ice block deep within the temple. In Armageddon, Sub-Zero challenged the half-blood, Taven after finding out he bested his Lin Kuei warriors as he was searching in the temple for a gift his mother left behind. The two later became allies when Noob Saibot and Smoke arrived, but were bested in battle. Sub-Zero offered his gratitude to the half-blood and gave out the location of the Red Dragon clan, who are continuously attacking Taven for no apparent reason. He joined the forces of Light during the all-out war and battled Scorpion. In MK9, his fate was revealed that he died after being stabbed in the back by Baraka’s Tarkatan Blade while he was battling Scorpion, who was also dead. For a little bonus, Sub-Zero was captured in MK9 in place of Smoke as Raiden allowed it to alternate the timeline to prevent Shao Kahn’s victory during Armageddon. He became Cyber Sub-Zero, but ultimately he was killed when the Earthrealm warriors faltered during the battle against Sindel.

Powers/Abilities (Rukia Kuchiki)

Rukia's Zanpaktou, Sode No Shirayuki, is a ice-based Zanpaktou allows her to bring her body temperature to temperatures below zero and anything her sword comes in contact with freezes. She is able to temporarily fight in a "Dead" state due to her Zanpaktou abilities. Her Zanpaktou has a variety of attacks relating to ice called "Dances" and each has different and unique abilities such as freezing someone within her field of vision or firing ice directly at her opponents. She also has Bankai called Hakka no Togame, which allows her to reach temperatures below zero and everything around her is covered in ice (As Nodt's demise). She is also seen being proficient in Kido, Shunpo, & has gotten exceptionally stronger - going from a lower seat in the 13th Division to eventual Lieutenant. 

Powers/Abilities (Sub-Zero)

Considering Sub-Zero is a descendant of a Cryomancer race in Outworld like his brother, he has the ability to control and manipulate ice in many forms. Though his basic move is the Ice Blast were he freezes up his opponent for a temporary period of time, Sub-Zero has shown that he is able to utilize his ice abilities to the highest degree such as the ability to draw up an ice statue of himself as a trap for the opponents to touch it. Ever since he assumed the title of Lin Kuei Grandmaster and possessed the Dragon Medallion, his powers and abilities enhance significantly and as a Lin Kuei, ninja, he has shown great prowess as a hand-to-hand kombatant excelling in the fighting styles of Shotokan and Dragon. Again, by possessing the Dragon Medallion and later donning his ancestor’s armor in Deception, his hand-to-hand skills and powers increase even more. It is said that Sub-Zero has a mix of transforming his body into a solid state or into a liquid state (T-1000 much) and can pretty much morph it into solid ice as well. According to Raiden, Sub-Zero’s abilities has transcended a lot that he has surpassed his older brother. His weapon of choice is the Kori Blade, which is an ice sword Sub-Zero made himself by frozen water vapor. His notable fatalities? There’s a lot of them: the Snowball Grenade, where he creates a small ice ball and throws it a his opponent, causing half his body to explode after contact, the Ice Shatter, deep freezing his opponent and shattering his/her body with a devastating uppercut, the Overhead Ice Smash, where he grabs his opponent, freezing them and breaking them apart with his own hands, the Spine Rip made famous by his older brother, where he doesn’t use ice powers at all, just shear force to rip out the head and spine, Freeze and Throw, where he freezes the opponent’s whole body up, rips his/her head out and throws it back, shattering the ice stature, and Below Freezing where he freezes up the leg to torso area, sweep kicks it, shattering half of his opponent’s body then proceeding to finish him/her off with a stomp kick to the head. I won’t emphasize Cyber Sub-Zero’s abilities much, but since they’re the same character, I will acknowledge it. As Cyber Sub-Zero, he still has his trademark abilities intact, but cybernetics he is able to have greater strength hence why he is able to match not only against the cyborgs Sektor and Cyrax, but also against the stronger Shokans as he battled Goro and Kintaro at the same time and he’s able to fire ice blasts in his chest cavity.

Verdict (By Stillmattic) 

And the winner is...

In terms of powers & abilities, these two are neck-in-neck and it became rather difficult to decide who'd win in a fight. Both are 8@D@$$E$ in their own right + are pretty much a Mascot from their respective franchises. However, this came down to one element aside from powers/abilities ~ Story. What drives any character is their motivation, but we have to start from the ground up with anyone and that's the fascinating part of literature ~ the element of story is the identity of a character's moral ground. The intrinsic nature of any character's backstory is based on the idea that that person plays a pivotal role and we, as the audience, are being invested with that person as if it were a real person ~ we feel the need for connection in both fiction and nonfiction. Stories are powerful and it's no doubt that these two's backstories are compelling, intriguing, and overall deep. However, which story has more drive? Which story has more intrinsic value to the character's development? In this case, it came down to tragedy (Rukia) vs. complexity (Sub-Zero). With MK's Sub-Zero, there's both an alternative & original storyline to his character ~ diving into the idea of two brothers with the same abilities & same Sub-Zero name. With Bleach, there is no such thing as an alternative ~ only a storyline driven into a character and then developing the gravitas of that character's importance to the current storyline. The complexity of a character's storyline has much more emphasis that a character whose been through tragedy. Despite the tragedy being there, it's built from the ground up so that we may see what may come of him/her as they grow and mature and learn from their backstory. With the complexity, it's more compelling to see this vs that scenario (in this case, original vs. alternative stories of Sub-Zero), it gives the audience a different perspective and showcases the gravitas of that person's actions and decisions made in their story. As I said before, between a blank slate and a full plate ~ A full, yet complex plate could be far more interesting than a blank yet tragic slate ~ it works both ways, but in this case ~ SUB-ZERO WINS! 

So who do you think won? Sub-Below temperatures Zero from MK or Rukia Kuchiki from Bleach? Comment below and let us know. As always, look forward to Bleach Rounds every Monday, Wednesday, & Friday throughout July 4th-August 25th. This following Wednesday's verdict + Round will be handpicked by me (along with WBCR) while Friday, Monday, & Wednesday will be handpicked by MechG. Until then, you all stay classy now. Here's the current Scoreboard for BK Month:

1) Jax Briggs vs. Yasutora "Chad" Sado ~ MK (July 4th)

2) Jade vs. Yoruichi Shihoin ~ Bleach (July 7th)

3) Johnny Cage vs. Mask De Masculine ~ MK (July 9th)

4) Sonya Blade vs. Sui-Feng ~ Bleach (July 11th)

5) Kenshi vs. Byakuya Kuchiki ~ Bleach (July 14th)

6) Mileena vs. Bambietta Basterbine ~ Bleach (July 16)

7) Kung Lao vs. Uryu Ishida ~ Bleach (July 18th)

8) Reptile vs. Sajin Komamura ~ Bleach (July 21st)

9) Sektor vs. Renji Abarai ~ Bleach (July 23rd)

10) Sindel vs. Tier Harribel ~ MK (July 25th) 

11) Sub-Zero vs. Rukia Kuchiki ~ MK (July 28th)

Bleach currently leads 7-4