Ulquiorra Cifer is one of the most important characters in the Bleach Anime and Manga. His relationship with Inoue Orihime has been a subject of interest for fans and they keep asking this question, Was Ulquiorra in Love with Orihime?
This article will try to explore the nature of number fourth Espada Ulquiorra with Inoue Orihime and try to shed more light on this controversial Bleach series topic.
Ulquiorra Cifer was initially assigned to guard Orihime by Aizen Sosuke. Although the powerful Espada was initially hostile towards Inoue, over time, he started to become fascinated by her way of thinking and thoughts.
Some Bleach fans believe that this fascination later developed into love while other groups of fans argue that Ulquiorra’s feelings were developed because of his admiration or curiosity towards Orihime.
It is also worth noting that out of various layers of characters in the Bleach Universe, Ulquoirra wasn’t the one known for expressing his emotions be it love or hate. So his relationship with Orihime is no exception. Therefore it is kinda difficult to determine his feelings toward her.
Despite the lack of more clarity or transparency surrounding his relationship with Orihime, it is very clear that their interactions had impacted both of their respective characters.
Orihime being the kind and forgiving soul she is, the compassion and kindness she showed Ulquiorra helped him understand humans in a bit more depth. One thing for sure is, the interactions between these two are one of the most fascinating as well as complex aspects of Bleach Anime and Manga.
Also Read: Yoruichi Cat Form in Bleach: How Powerful Is It?
Was Ulquiorra In Love With Orihime?
Although Ulquiorra had a special relationship with Orihime, he wasn’t in love with her, nor did he have romantic feelings in his heart for Inoue.
It is for sure that Ulquiorra Cifer was interested in Orihime, but not just in a romantic way. The fact is, Ulquiorra didn’t like her as a love interest, nor did Inoue see him as one. The Espada did find her interesting in a lot of ways. He wanted to understand Orihime, and through her, he wanted to know what it feels like to have a heart.
For the kind-hearted soul Orihime is, she felt sorry seeing Ulquiorra in pain and loneliness despite being under his captivity. The fact that Orihime was willing to share Ulquiorra’s pain and sorrow despite being on the verge of death herself made Ulquiorra intrigued and fascinated. And this is the main reason why Ulquiorra was invested in Orihime.
Throughout the course of the Arrancar Arc where Ulquiorra was first introduced, he was portrayed as a cold and lone character who wasn’t driven by emotions even in the slightest. He followed Aizen’s orders carefully and carried out all of them without causing any interference to other Espadas. He neither asks for aid in his fight nor does he aid other Espada in their battles.
We have established that Ulquiorra was a very cold and lone character who didn’t particularly care about others and just followed Aizen’s orders diligently. Even someone as cold as him displayed a lot of interest in Inoue. His interest in Orihime was because of her personality, character, and thought process.
He was fascinated by Orihime’s belief in her friends even in such a dreadful situation. She was kidnapped under Aizen’s command and brought to the Hueco Mundo. She didn’t even know if she was going to live or not, but still, in such a desperate situation, Orihime didn’t lose hope.
Ulquiorra wasn’t able to decipher this optimism seen in Orihime. She was faced with utter despair but yet she was hopeful, and this for Ulquiorra was the Embodiment of heart in a metaphorical sense. Of course not in a literal sense as he doesn’t have a heart.
Ulquiorra wanted to understand through Orihime what it felt like to have a heart that is so interesting that even in such a dire situation, it allows a human to be hopeful. It just could be that, he saw a light in Orihime to get out of his darkness, loneliness, and emptiness.
In the end, just before Ulquiorra died at the hands of Vasto Lorde Ichigo, he understood what it means to have a heart.
