In *Bleach*, Hollows are often human souls that have been corrupted after death, usually due to their strong attachments to the living world. This fact was initially used to justify a specific method of killing them—a method with dramatic potential that the story soon abandoned.
Hollows are monstrous beings that consume humans and other souls, including Soul Reapers. They wear masks made from the hearts they once had. While not all Hollows were human, most of those in the living world were. This makes it easier to feel sympathy for them.
This becomes particularly relevant in chapter 3 of the manga when it’s revealed that a Hollow targeting Orihime was once her brother, Sora.
Rukia’s Advice on Killing Hollows Revealed as Ichigo Confronts Orihime’s Deceased Brother
In this chapter, Rukia emphasizes the importance of killing Hollows from behind. Ichigo initially dismisses this as unsporting, but Rukia insists, explaining that Soul Reapers are taught to attack from behind to avoid seeing the Hollow’s human face. Seeing the face might make a Soul Reaper hesitate or feel sympathy, which could put them in danger.
The reveal that the Hollow following Orihime is actually her deceased older brother, Sora, is very effective. Ichigo, going against Rukia’s advice, sees Sora’s face, which affects his ability to fight. This proves Rukia’s point about the importance of not seeing a Hollow’s human face, even though her advice seems cold-hearted.
Although this dramatic element adds complexity to battling Hollows, it doesn’t come up again in the series, which is disappointing given its potential for adding more drama.
Bleach’s Forgotten Drama in Killing Hollows Could Have Mirrored Attack on Titan’s Battle Complexity
The idea of killing Hollows from behind is similar to the Titans in *Attack on Titan*, which can only be killed by striking a specific spot on the back of the neck. That series used this limitation to add complexity to its battles.
Hollows could have exploited a Soul Reaper’s emotions by removing their masks, forcing the Reaper to confront the fact that they are fighting a former human. This would be even more interesting with advanced Hollows like the Arrancar, who are more human-like.
While *Bleach* is enjoyable as it is, it’s a missed opportunity that this aspect of fighting Hollows was quickly forgotten, as it had the potential to add more drama to the series.
