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"Espada" originally meant blade. The current Espada were the elite chosen for their superior killing ability after Hollows were reborn as Arrancar through the Hogyoku, ranked from No. 1 to No. 10 according to their killing ability.
The ten selected Arrancar were called the "Espada." Their assigned numbers were marked somewhere on their bodies, and they held authority over all Arrancar below No. 11. The Espada's strength existed on an entirely different level from ordinary Arrancar. Each Espada had a death aspect that symbolized them—ten factors that led to human death. These represented the Espada's philosophies and the meaning of their existence, as well as the source of their strength. During the war between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society, every Espada was defeated, and most were killed.
Of the current Espada, only Harribel and Grimmjow remained.
In the series, this specifically referred to the ten Arrancar under Sosuke Aizen with the strongest killing ability. Each had a death aspect that symbolized them, one of the ten factors causing human death, and the source of every Espada's power.
—The ten strongest Arrancar selected according to their killing ability. Originally, according to Shawlong, Arrancar No. 11, the Espada had been assigned numbers from No. 1 to No. 10 based on strength. However, in Chapter 354, Yammy, originally No. 10, revealed that the true numbering was actually No. 0 to No. 9. After accumulating power and fully releasing his Zanpakuto, Yammy could become the No. 0 Espada. However, it seemed that reaching this state required him to store spiritual pressure through long periods of eating and sleeping. Whether there was a time limit, and what his abilities were like in this form, remained unknown. All that could be done was wait and see.
The Espada had the authority