Interviews with Kubo Tite

[Sariniste]

I wouldn't be surprised if Kubo has plenty of back stories for all of his characters, many of which won't make it into the manga. It's generally well accepted in fiction writing that creating back stories for your characters makes them more complex and believable, even if those details never get published. And we know that character creation is one of Kubo's strengths.

 

[TheMeatPuppet]

Grimmjow isn't dead; we just saw ... part of him at least a few chapters back.

Not every character's backstory may be relevant to the main storyline, but if Kubo can fit things in, he will. He's said before he wanted to do more of Zaraki's backstory, and look what happened... [crack theories]...

Zaraki's backstory was relevant though because it shed more light to the original gotei.

I think UNMASKED confirmed that Harribel was the only suvivor among the espada. Kubo even drew a sketch where she and her fraccion returned to Hueco Mundo and could sense only the fading remnants of Yammy's reiatsu, because he was apparently dead. Harribel and her fraccion (or Nel) can tell us the story of how Hueco Mundo got captured.

 

[Minerva]

I think UNMASKED confirmed that Harribel was the only suvivor among the espada. Kubo even drew a sketch where she and her fraccion returned to Hueco Mundo and could sense only the fading remnants of Yammy's reiatsu, because he was apparently dead. Harribel and her fraccion (or Nel) can tell us the story of how Hueco Mundo got captured.

That's great and all, but you might want to get up to date on current chapters before calling speculation based on the manga crack. Note the uniform of the Arrancar shown:

Spoiler

If that's not Grimmjow, I don't know who it could be. Gauntlet cuffs, no gloves. No other Arrancar has that particular uniform. So .. Grimmjow is with Urahara et al. He's alive somehow. Kubo surely has a purpose for Grimmjow's return. He has said Grimmjow would be Ichigo's ally. Grimmjow is with Ichigo's current allies -- and not as a captive. This is in no way a stretch to say Ichigo has a new nakama.

And that said, the one who has been following Aizen the longest would be in the best position to tell about Aizen's takeover. If we wanted the complete history of Las Noches including under Baraggan's rule on the other hand, we would need someone who was there -- which would not be Grimmjow. The Espada existed long before Aizen set foot in HM. That would open the door for the older Espada if there are more survivors, if Kubo feels that story should be told: Szayelaporro (demoted once and now dead, but there were probably records in his lab), Aaroniero (again, dead), Nelliel (who doesn't remember that time with her amnesia), Nnoitra.

 

[TheMeatPuppet]

That's great and all, but you might want to get up to date on current chapters before calling speculation based on the manga crack. Note the uniform of the Arrancar shown:

Spoiler

If that's not Grimmjow, I don't know who it could be. Gauntlet cuffs, no gloves. No other Arrancar has that particular uniform. So .. Grimmjow is with Urahara et al. He's alive somehow. Kubo surely has a purpose for Grimmjow's return. He has said Grimmjow would be Ichigo's ally. Grimmjow is with Ichigo's current allies -- and not as a captive. This is in no way a stretch to say Ichigo has a new nakama.

And that said, the one who has been following Aizen the longest would be in the best position to tell about Aizen's takeover. If we wanted the complete history of Las Noches including under Baraggan's rule on the other hand, we would need someone who was there -- which would not be Grimmjow. The Espada existed long before Aizen set foot in HM. That would open the door for the older Espada if there are more survivors, if Kubo feels that story should be told: Szayelaporro (demoted once and now dead, but there were probably records in his lab), Aaroniero (again, dead), Nelliel (who doesn't remember that time with her amnesia), Nnoitra.

Sorry, but I've only seen the panel with the arrancar hakama. The glimpse with the arm is so small and squeezed hardly anyone would notice it, so I doubt it's important. But even so, you can't tell who it is for sure, because this is Kubo. The only thing you can be sure about is that the mysterious person in the tent is an arrancar (or someone that dresses as such) and it's someone Ichigo apparently knows. However, taking into account Grimmjow's evil nature (attacking Orihime and Nel, brutally killing Luppi and Loli, etc), I doubt Urahara and the others would just be comfortable around him. Also, that person is comic relief, Grimmjow is not. I've checked wiki and they deny that person is Grimmjow.

Also I'm rereading Kubo's interview in Germany and when the interviewer asked him about Grimmjow, Kubo said his fate will be revealed when the time has come, so it can't be Grimmjow because that chapter was months before Kubo's statement.

I understand you probably like the arrancars and want them involved but it doesn't mean Kubo will do what you want.

If Kubo should write any more backstories for the arrancars it should be Nel and Harribel, the only ones who didn't get their flashbacks finished (Harribel's was anime-only to begin with). All the others went full cycle.

 

[Saiyan5ninetail]

^ I cannot believe that you are using the wiki as a source for your argument.

What little of his uniform we have seen, his overall vendetta with Ichigo, and Ichigo's reaction to hearing his voice are all we need to know for speculating whom this Arrancar is.

I can literally give you a head-count of which Arrancar Ichigo personally encountered during the Arrancar Saga:

D-Roy (killed by Kuchiki Rukia)
Dordonii (killed by Rudbornn)
Grimmjow
Nnoitra
Tesla
Ulquiorra
Yammy
Rudbornn

The personality of the mystery individual and the nature of their uniform all point towards it being Grimmjow, on top of the fact that he is most likely the only one on the list that is still alive.

 

[Minerva]

Sorry, but I've only seen the panel with the arrancar hakama. The glimpse with the arm is so small and squeezed hardly anyone would notice it, so I doubt it's important.

Yeah, no one noticed so much Grimmjow's entire fandom was in an uproar of delight. Sure.

In any case, we don't know Grimmjow's precise fate. He's alive when he was dying last we saw. Clearly there is some explanation due which will come in due time (probably after we finish with Isshin). If Kubo has been thinking about the rest of Grimmjow's backstory, he's going to work it in somewhere.

If we consider that Grimmjow was following Aizen in to the "big city" from the hinterlands where he and his group were, I think that explains a lot about Grimmjow's character. Those Espada already in place would have a much different view from those who came later and had to fight for a place. It would be interesting to see more of his backstory.

 

[TheMeatPuppet]

Yeah, no one noticed so much Grimmjow's entire fandom was in an uproar of delight. Sure.

[Not interested in speculation]

[Not interested in speculation]

Sorry for being a casual reader and not trying to find where Grimmjow's arm might be hiding in the next page.

Grimmjow's fans can think whatever they want. Fact is that interviewer in Germany doesn't know if Grimmjow's alive or not, so there are people who didn't actually 'see' Grimmjow in that chapter. Kubo didn't say "Hey, we already saw him in chapter 518" either. He's not even trying to give them hints. Instead he says we will learn if he's dead or alive when the time has come. Kubo doesn't shed any light regarding Grimmjow's fate. That's "unconfirmed" at its finest.

Watch how that person in chapter 518 is not Grimmjow and remember what means "Kubo will always go Kubo on us".

 

[Saiyan5ninetail]

All we got was a small peek at who was it with Urahara and Co that was looking for "that bastard Kurosaki". But the personality and the articles of clothing we saw the person wearing AND THE FACT ICHIGO RECOGNIZES HIS VOICE AND WAS WORRIED ABOUT HIM BEING THERE all points towards an Arrancar that Ichigo personally knows. The personality does not match that of any other Arrancar aside from Grimmjow, and he's one of the few Arrancar that Ichigo does know.

Do not get up on a high horse just because Kubo is keeping quiet about Grimmjow officially.

 

[LilyJay]

Sorry for being a casual reader and not trying to find where Grimmjow's arm might be hiding in the next page.

Well, I'm sorry you don't notice the obvious.

Grimmjow's fans can think whatever they want.

Watch out guys, he's pointing us Grimmy fans out.

Fact is that interviewer in Germany doesn't know if Grimmjow's alive or not, so there are people who didn't actually 'see' Grimmjow in that chapter.

Mm-hmm.

Kubo didn't say "Hey, we already saw him in chapter 518" either.

Have they even reached that chapter yet? If they have, is Kubo aware of that? And that is SPOILERS. He can't spoil them.

He's not even trying to give them hints. Instead he says we will learn if he's dead or alive when the time has come. Kubo doesn't shed any light regarding Grimmjow's fate. That's "unconfirmed" at its finest.

Why would he even give them hints? They are SPOILERS. What is he supposed to say to give them a hint, "Go take a peek at 518?"
You've got it the opposite, mate.
Did you even read how he confirmed Gin was dead? If Grimmjow was dead, he would have obviously confirmed it.

Watch how that person in chapter 518 is not Grimmjow and remember what means "Kubo will always go Kubo on us".

Watch how it is Grimmjow. I hope you'll apologize to us Grimmjow fans when we are simply being logical. I suppose us being Grimmy fans make us all loony and illogical.

Yeah but like he said there's such a story for about every character, so it's not like Grimmjow was a special cookie or something. We never saw Zommari's backstory either. Also why should he start drawing backstories for characters that died ages ago now? He should have included it in a databook like he did with Ulquiorra.

Why does Grimmjow have to be a "special cookie" to have a deeper backstory? That doesn't even make sense! And maybe it's precisely because he isn't dead that it wasn't in UNMASKED? Or maybe it was time reasons? Or possibly Kubo hadn't thought of it then?
I mean, blimey, can't you come up with some logical conclusions of your own?

Sorry, but I've only seen the panel with the arrancar hakama. The glimpse with the arm is so small and squeezed hardly anyone would notice it, so I doubt it's important. But even so, you can't tell who it is for sure, because this is Kubo. The only thing you can be sure about is that the mysterious person in the tent is an arrancar (or someone that dresses as such) and it's someone Ichigo apparently knows. However, taking into account Grimmjow's evil nature (attacking Orihime and Nel, brutally killing Luppi and Loli, etc), I doubt Urahara and the others would just be comfortable around him. Also, that person is comic relief, Grimmjow is not. I've checked wiki and they deny that person is Grimmjow.

1) Compare outfits with all arrancars. It obviously matches Grimmjow. At least try to come up with another so called arrancar it could be that Ichigo knows. Just so you know, he doesn't know many arrancars. Then come back to me.
2) Grimmjow is so hateful and evil that Ichigo just decided to save his life out of pity, I suppose? Did you even read the 3 week omakes where Kubo said that Grimmjow was a possible nakama candidate? I doubt it. Renji and Kenpachi fought Ichigo and look at them now, they're nakama AND used in comedy panels. How about that?
3) A wiki source. How laughable.

 

[Minerva]

Gotta ask: what is the latest chapter released in Germany? I would venture to say he may be trying not to spoil fans who haven't read up to 518 yet. That's nice of him to leave them some surprises.

Anyway:

After Gin and all, I think Kubo is no longer dancing around whether characters are dead or not. If someone in the manga or Kubo himself doesn't confirm someone (particularly a Shinigami) is dead, they're probably still alive. We went through how many chapters of thinking Kensei had died off-panel -- only to have him show up alive with no explanation. Grimmjow was supposed to be dead, and obviously he's up and running. "Dying" does not equal "dead" in Bleach for anyone, even Arrancars now that they're on the good side of the board.

Kira is probably still alive somehow, if that's worth anything. No one has made a fuss over him being dead. Unohana will probably make a miraculous recovery. We may even get more surviving Arrancars come out of the woodwork.