| Tia Harribel | |
| |
| Professional Status | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Ben Tennyson |
| Previous Affiliation | Aizen's Army |
| Occupation | High School Spanish Teacher |
| Previous Occupation | Tercera Espada |
| Team | Ben Tennyson's Group |
| Previous Team | Espada |
| Partner | Ben Tennyson, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Apacci Emilou, Franceska Mila Rose, Cyan Sung-Sun |
| Base of Operations | Ben Tennyson's House |
| Personal Status | |
| Relatives | Ben Tennyson (boyfriend) |
| Zanpakutō | |
| Resurrección | Tiburon |
- "Ben...I've never believed in gods before. Not even Shinigami, so-called Gods of Death, were gods in my eyes. They saw us as the monsters I've always known us to be. Not caring of our pain, our suffering, just seeing us as something to kill. And Baraggan. His foolish arrogance and cruel nature. I would never acknowledge him as a god. But...if I was to believe that there was indeed a god in this world...then it's you."
- ―Harribel to Ben Tennyson[src]
History[]
Hueco Mundo[]
Meeting Ben[]
At some point in time, vasto Lorde Harribel rescues Adjuchas Apacci Emilou and (unknowingly) Ben Tennyson—whose Ultimatrix was not working at the moment—from being eaten by a snake-like Adjuchas. Ben, having befriended Harribel (even gained her love) in the future, calls her by name, prompting Harribel to threaten him, though he quickly convinces her to spare his life and allows him to accompany her back to her hideout.
Like her future Fraccione, Harribel is not sure what to think of Ben initially, though she is quite surprised when he manages to get the Ultimatrix to function again, transforming into Humungousaur by mistake. Later, Harribel and the others (with Ben using Ghostfreak and being invisible at the moment) encounter Baraggan and his army, with the "God-King" of Hueco Mundo demanding that she serve him or "go to a place he cannot see". One of Baraggan's servants, a Hammerhead Hollow, laughingly states that Harribel had no choice but to serve Baraggan and touches her shoulder, prompting Harribel to slash him across the face and leave with her group in tow.
Bonding with Ben[]
As time goes on, Harribel becomes more and more surprised by Ben's concern for her and her subordinates, and begins to trust him. This trust greatly increases after Ben uses Clockwork to humiliate Baraggan in battle and orders the Vasto Lorde to leave Harribel and her group alone. Harribel, having observed the battle from the sidelines, confronts Ben and asks if he has any forms that would allow him to conquer Hueco Mundo, and if he would try in the event that he did possess such forms. Ben states that he did not care for conquest--only in helping others.
Ben's compassionate nature finally breaks through Harribel's serious demeanor when the former, using various forms and resources, builds a beautiful underground Oasis filled with reiatsu-packed fruits and vegetables that would allow Harribel and her subordinates to sate their hunger without eating other Hollows. Tears flowing down her face, Harribel embraces Ben and thanks him for all he has done for her. She and the others then genuflect before Ben, declaring that they would stand by his side.
Suddenly, Ben begins to fade, due to having been transported to Hueco Mundo by Clockwork. As the group panicks, the Hammerhead, having been transformed into an Arrancar by Sosuke Aizen, attacks them. Despite putting up a valient effort, Harribel and her subordinates are overpowered. Ben, having managed to suppress the fading, confronts the Arrancar, and Harribel tells him to flee. Ben refuses, transforms into Ultimate Echo Echo, and proceeds to easily defeat the Arrancar, much to Harribel's amazement.
Bringing their injured comrades back to the Oasis, the group begins to celebrate. However, their happiness is cut short when Ben begins to fade once again, this time being unable to stop it. Before disappearing, Ben asks the group to seal up the Oasis, and promises that he will return one day. He then disappears as Harribel and the others look on.
Brainwashed by Aizen[]
Following Ben's departure, Harribel and her subordinates seal up the entrance to the Oasis, as per his request, when they are suddenly confronted by Sosuke Aizen and his two minions, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen. Aizen introduces himself, revealing that he had killed the Hammerhead Arrancar. Incorrectly believing that Harribel had defeated the Arrancar, Aizen asks the group to become his servants, but they refuse, with Harribel declaring that her allegiance is to someone else. Aizen, however, is unconcerned, and calmly releases his Shikai, Kyoka Suigetsu, proceeding to hypnotize the group into thinking that Aizen had saved them from the Hammerhead Arrancar, though to his surprise they manage to resist the hypnosis at first. He then turns them into Arrancar using the Hogyoku and makes them his minions, naming Harribel as his Tercera (Third) Espada and making her three subordinates her Fraccione.
Las Noches[]
"Reunion" with Ben[]
As Harribel and her Fraccion were still under the effects of Aizen's Zanpakuto, they did not remember Ben at first upon meeting him again, though he did not remember her either, because in his mind, he had not met them either. Like her fellow Espada, she was surprised by Ben's shape-shifting powers. After Aizen convinced Ben to join him, Harribel introduced herself to Ben, who felt embarrassed by her rather revealing clothing and her beauty, though he managed to avoid staring at her. She complimented him on this, saying that he had good manners. After Ben defeated the Privaron Espada, Harribel critiqued Ben's performance by saying that he demonstrated sound tactics and strategies through his various uses of his other forms. Later, she explained the situation to her Fraccion, who were initially unimpressed, but surprised them when she said that Ben was far from helpless.
Later, Harribel was present when Ben defeated Charlotte Cuuhlhorne and Avirama Redder, and was slightly surprised when he stood up for the pair when Baraggan started to berate them for their defeat. Following this, upon Aizen's inquiry, Ben requested to be one of Harribel's Fraccion, much to her surprise. When she asked why after the meeting, Ben explained that she had the least off-putting aura and that she seemed easy to be around, to which she notes that Ben chose her as a person and not because of her rank, which further surprised her. Ben also explained that he could learn a few things from serving her, saying that, while he would not have minded serving under Coyote Starrk, the latter's laziness made him a less preferable choice, causing Harribel to give a small smile (not that anyone could see it). She accepts Ben's explanation and welcomes him into her Fraccion.
Observing Ben[]
At Harribel's insistence, Ben trained with her other Fraccion in order to help them adjust to his forms. During one session, Harribel noticed that Szayel Aporro Granz, the Octava (Eighth) Espada, and Nnoitra Jiruga, the Quinto (Fifth) Espada, were observing the sparring session as well. When both showed signs of "interest" in Ben, Harribel coldly threatened them. At the time, Harribel still did not know what to make of Ben, but she quickly began to respect him when he stopped Nnoitra from hurting her Fraccion by using NRG. Like them, Harribel was quite surprised to see that NRG's armor was durable enough to be undamaged by Nnoitra's Zanpakuto and that NRG's flame could penetrate Nnoitra's Hierro and injure him. After being informed of the situation, Harribel asked Ben to release Nnoitra and, upon his compliance, slammed the Quinto Espada against a wall and threatened him. She was interrupted by Tosen, who took Nnoitra away for punishment.
After sending her Fraccion away to get their injuries treated, Harribel thanked Ben for protecting her Fraccion, to which the hero shyly replied that he was only doing "what anyone would have done". Thinking to herself that someone as heroic as Ben did not belong in Hueco Mundo of all places, Harribel gravely told him that anyone else in Las Noches would have looked the other way to Nnoitra's actions, much to Ben's dismay. She then explained that this only further emphasized her gratitude, and that he earned her trust.
Falling in Love with Ben[]
Later, when Nnoitra once again went after her Fraccion, Harribel--along with the other Espada, Aizen, Kaname, and Gin Ichimaru--watches in amazement as Ben used Way Big to save them and give Nnoitra a savage beating for his actions while angrily shouting at Nnoitra to never attack them again. This all but cemented Harribel's trust in Ben beyond all reasonable doubt. She confronted him, along with her Fraccion, and admitted that she had witnessed the beating and commended Ben for his actions. While doing this, she subconsciously began to develop a degree of fondness for him, though she did not really comprehend it at the time.
A few days later, Ben brought a little girl called "Nel Tu" into Las Noches, having been spending time with her over the past few weeks. Harribel had confronted him after he had returned from one of these outings, but nonetheless permitted him to continue to do so after he explained the situation. She also allowed him to address her as "Harribel" rather than "Harribel-sama", unlike her other Fraccion (though they did it by choice rather than by her demand). Nel proved to be rather clingy towards Ben, causing Harribel to become a little jealous, though she did not realize it at first.
Invasion of Las Noches[]
Defection[]
After Ben returned from a mission to Karakura Town and got into an argument with the Espada that resulted in an impulsively angry Baraggan striking the young hero, Harribel attacked the former king of Hueco Mundo by stabbing him in the side with her Zanpakuto and coldly threatened him. She then took Ben back to her chamber, leaving Baraggan to be punished by Aizen. After Nel suggested that kissing Ben would make his injuries heal faster, Harribel watched in slight amusement as her Fraccion eagerly "tested" this idea, though she felt slightly tempted to do so herself--again, she did not know why at the moment.
When Aizen realized that Ben would betray him if he learned the truth, he ordered Harribel to keep Ben from leaving Las Noches, threatening Ben's safety if she refused. He also forced Harribel to reaffirm her allegiance to him, much to her fury. Angered by this, and having become disillusioned with Aizen, Harribel decided to help Ben escape from Hueco Mundo instead of keeping him imprisoned. As she returned to her chamber to discuss this plan with her Fraccion, she silently admitted to herself that she had fallen in love with Ben.
After Ben defeated Nnoitra again, he met up with Harribel, bringing along a recently restored Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, much to Harribel's surprise. Nonetheless, she embraced Ben (causing her Fraccion and Nelliel to become jealous, and making him blush) and finally revealed Aizen's true plans. Ben was enraged and initially heartbroken that Harribel had deceived him, but she quickly regained his trust by telling him of Aizen's threats and her intentions of helping him escape from Hueco Mundo.
Battle with Ulquiorra[]
On Ben's request, Harribel confronted Ulquiorra, specifically to "help the person fighting him"; that person turned out to be Ichigo Kurosaki. After convincing Ichigo to step aside (and with the timely arrival of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, who wished for a third battle with Ichigo), Harribel fought Ulquiorra, with the latter calmly mocking her for betraying Aizen over something as 'worthless' as love and saying that he lost his respect for her. Unmoved, Harribel said that Ulqiorra would not understand her feelings. Ulquiorra told Harribel that emotions made her weak, but she countered that emotions gave her purpose.
As the fight progressed, the Quartro Espada noted that Harribel was holding back to a degree and asked if she was doing so out of fear of what Ben would think of her if she killed Ulquiorra. When Harribel does not respond, Ulquiorra again called her weak and foolish for falling in love, especially with a human. Unaffected by Ulquiorra's words, Harribel declared that anymore words would not accomplish anything; Ulquiorra agreed, and their fight continued. They eventually took their battle to the roof of Las Noches, where they unleashed their respective Zanpakuto.
Despite his lower rank, Ulquiorra managed to inflict a slight flesh wound on Harribel with a lance/spear he created, though Harribel still had the overall advantage. Ben arrived--in the form of Jetray--with a recently restored Nelliel and offered his assistance, which Harribel declines. Ulquiorra suddenly unleashes a Cero Oscuras, surprising the trio and saying that he would defeat them at all costs. Declaring that it was time to show Ulquiorra why she was of higher ranking than him, Harribel unleashed her strongest attack, Cascada, and pinned him down, but did not finish him off, deciding that she would allow Ben to decide Ulquiorra's fate. Upon Ben's request, Harribel did not kill Ulquiorra, opting instead to seal him inside a Caja Negacion. After the trio regrouped with her Fraccion, Harribel confessed her feelings for Ben, much to his surprise. They then split up, planning to recruit or in some way neutralize the remaining Espada.
Second Battle with Ulquiorra[]
After Orihime Inoue was taken back to Las Noches by Coyote Starrk, the Primera (First) Espada, Harribel--having regrouped with Ben, Nelliel, Professor Paradox and Ichigo--quickly pursued them, only to be confronted by Ulquiorra, who had escaped the Caja Negacion sooner than expected. They battled again, being briefly interrupted by the arrival of Yammy Llargo. Loly Aivirrne also appeared and threatened to kill Orihime. Harribel coldly ordered Loly to release the girl, but the increasingly unstable Loly scornfully insulted her in response. Orihime was rescued by Paradox, and Loly was knocked unconscious by Yammy before the barbaric Espada was himself incapacitated by Ultimate Humungousaur.
Harribel noticed that Ulquiorra actually seemed to believe that he could win, despite going up against her and Nelliel, causing her to realize that Ulquiorra was hiding something from them. Once again traveling to the roof of Las Noches and releasing their Resurreccione, Harribel and Nelliel were still baffled by Ulquiorra's confidence. It was then that Ulquiorra revealed his secret weapon: a second stage of Resurreccion known as Segunda Etapa, which he immediately unleashed as the group watched in shock. Overflowing with power, Ulquiorra renewed his assault on the group. Harribel attempted to attack him, but this time, he had an overwhelming advantage, and he easily defeated her and severed her right arm.
Battle with Hollow Ichigo[]
Ben turned into Ghostfreak and attacked Ulquiorra. As Harribel struggled to stand, she came to the assumption that if Ulquiorra could achieve Segunda Etapa, then it would be possible for her to do so as well before focusing on watching Ghostfreak fight Ulquiorra. Orihime re-attached Harribel's severed arm, then tried to heal a recently deceased Ichigo, but Ulquiorra appeared and tried to destroy Ichigo's body. Harribel and Nelliel tackled Ulquiorra to stop him, and later Harribel retrieved Ichigo's corpse and took it away from the battle so that Orihime could attempt to revive him unimpeded.
When Ulquiorra, having begun to lose the fight due to his inability to harm Ghostfreak and the Ectonurite's ability to absorb the raw reiatsu in the atmosphere (making him stronger by the second), grabbed Nelliel and threatened to kill her if Ben did not surrender, Harribel tried to attack him but was forced to stop. Ulquiorra took this time to point out that Nelliel's death would benefit Harribel, as she would have less competition for Ben's love, adding that Harribel should have taken Ben by force, but this enraged the Tercera. At that moment, Ichigo, hearing Orihime's screams, awakened in a new, Hollow-like form.
Quickly, the now berserk Ichigo proceeded to effortlessly overpower Ulquiorra while Harribel and the others watched in amazement. When Ichigo's Cero showed signs of damaging Ghostfreak, Harribel and Nelliel covered him with their bodies (much to his embarrassment). After seemingly killing Ulquiorra, Ichigo attacked the group, thinking that they were a threat to Orihime, ignoring Harribel's insistence that they would not harm the girl. Ichigo easily fought of the group's combined attack, even shaking off an attempt by Ghostfreak to possess him in order to stop his rampage. Harribel trapped Ichigo in a sphere of boiling water using Hirviendo, then finally stopped his assault by severing one of the horns on his Hollow mask after Nelliel used Cero Doble to open his guard.
Battle with Yammy[]
After Ichigo regained himself, Ulquiorra appeared and demanded that they continue their battle, but then his body began to disintegrate. Harribel watched solemnly as Ulquiorra's body turned to dust, but was amazed when Paradox resurrected Ulquiorra with ease and commented that Ben had powerful friends. Suddenly, they sensed a battle in the distance, and Harribel informed Ben that her Fraccion and some others were battling Yammy. Leaving Ulquiorra behind, Harribel, Nelliel, and Ben (who turned into Jetray) raced to the scene, with Harribel revealing on the way that Yammy became the Cero (Zero) Espada in his released state, but quickly assured Ben that Yammy's lack of skill would give them an advantage.
Arriving at the scene, Harribel attacked Yammy, but stepped aside when Ben transformed into Way Big and fought him instead. They were interrupted by the arrival of Ben's cousin, Gwen Tennyson, and her boyfriend, Kevin Levin. After making introductions, the group headed to Fake Karakura Town through a portal created by Paradox to stop Aizen's plans.
Fake Karakura Town[]
Battle with Baraggan[]
Arriving at Fake Karakura Town, Harribel and her allies made their presence known and attacked Aizen and his remaining forces. Baraggan angrily ordered his Fraccion to wipe out the group, but this was hampered by the defection of Charlotte Cuuhlhourne and Avirama Redder to Ben's side, enraging the Segunda Espada even further. Meeting up with the Gotei 13, Harribel quickly informed the gathered Shinigami that she and her fellow Arrancar were not their allies, but were Ben's. Captain-Commander Yamamoto reluctantly accepted this coalition, and the battle began in earnest.
After Baraggan's remaining Fraccion were defeated, Baraggan stepped in himself, prompting Harribel, who had watched the previous fight from the sidelines, to get involved. Harribel used Ola Azul against Baraggan, but his chronokinetic powers made the attack vanish before it could hit him. Harribel then released her Resurreccion after Baraggan released his. She shot La Gota at Baraggan, but his time dilation powers had increased significantly, causing the attack to fail. She then launched a Cascada, but as Baraggan was disintegrating it, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya used his Bankai's cryokinetic powers to freeze the remaining water in an attempt to freeze Baraggan himself. He managed to trap Baraggan in an ice obelisk using his strongest attack, Hyoten Hyakkaso, but Harribel knew that Baraggan would break out eventually. She then noticed that Ben was talking to Starrk and his counterpart Lilynette Gingerbuck and realized that Ben was trying to get the pair to betray Aizen as well.
When Baraggan began to break free of the ice, Harribel created more water and slammed it against the pillar, ordering Hitsugaya to freeze it, but this did not slow Baraggan down for long and he ultimately destroyed the obelisk and resumed his assault. Finally, Starrk arrived and, having been successfully recruited by Ben, recombined with Lilynette and thus unleashed their Resurreccion. The pair then proceeded to kill Baraggan with ease while Harribel and the others simply watched.
Battle with Aizen[]
After incapacitating Tosen, who had been fighting Ben during the scuffle with Baraggan, with a combined sneak attack with Nelliel, Harribel and the others, including the Vizards, who had just arrived, approached Aizen himself. Aizen mocked the group and confirmed his view of the Espada as pawns for his ambition, angering Harribel and the other defected Espada. Ichigo arrived to help, and Aizen continued to mock his enemies, telling Ben that he is fighting out of obligation, and that hatred was required to win battles. When Ben angrily countered this by announcing that he had saved the entire universe before and that he had been saving lives since he was ten years old, Harribel, along with everyone else, was stunned.
As the group began attacking Aizen, Sui-Feng asked if Harribel was just going to stay on the sidelines, to which Harribel responded that she would protect Ben at all costs. When Yamamoto attempted to kill Aizen in a kamikaze attack that would have killed all the other Captains (who had been defeated already by the rogue Shinigami) as well, Harribel called it the "sacrifice of the Gotei 13", though it was ultimately stopped by Wonderweiss Margela. After Yamamoto was incapacitated, Harribel, along with Nelliel, Starrk, Ichigo, and Ben (who had transformed into Snare-oh), ambushed the villain and attacked him, with Harribel launching La Gota, but Aizen was undamaged.
Aizen began to undergo a transformation due to the Hogyoku and fled after the arrival of Isshin Kurosaki--Ichigo's father--with Harribel and her allies in hot pursuit. The group made another combined attack on Aizen, with Harribel using Cascada, but due to the Hogyoku's enhancements, the attacks did nothing to Aizen. Kisuke Urahara arrived to assist the group, and they renewed their assault, but once again, Aizen was undamaged. Yoruichi Shihōin arrived as further assistance.
Aizen underwent another transformation and subdued the group again, but the tide finally seemed to turn when Ben transformed into Way Big. Harribel and the others continued to attack Aizen, but he gained a third form and, with minimal effort, overpowered Way Big and fatally wounded Harribel and her fellow Espada. As Ben held her in his arms, Harribel, believing that she would die, tearfully reaffirmed her love for Ben and that she had no regrets fighting by his side before losing consciousness. Outraged, Ben transformed into Alien X and easily defeated Aizen. He then fully healed Harribel and the others,and they immediately raced to the scene where Ben had defeated Aizen and were left in awe of Alien X. The Celestialsapien stripped Aizen of his powers, and the latter was switfly killed by Gin, who revealed that he had planned on killing Aizen from the very beginning.
Aftermath[]
Harribel remained in her Resurreccion, despite the battle being over, in the hopes of sharing a kiss with Ben. She also took an opportunity to bluntly proclaim her love for Ben to the Gotei 13 when asked why she stayed by him. This claim was later strengthened when Ggio Vega attacked her in a fit of rage after learning of Baraggan's demise, only for her to restrain him effortlessly and declare that only Ben was allowed to touch her, surprising everyone within hearing range of this bold declaration. At the insistence of Rangiku Matsumoto, she attempted to share a kiss with Ben, but noticing his nervousness, she simply kissed him on the cheek and told him that she would not force herself upon him, but made it clear that she would be waiting for him when he was ready.
Grimmjow made an unexpected arrival, eager for a rematch with Ichigo. Harribel and the others threatened him, but Grimmjow was not intimidated, despite being momentarily stunned at the sight of Aizen's corpse. Ben managed to appease the feral Arrancar by offering to fight him in Ichigo's place, and when the two went off to conduct their battle, Harribel and Nelliel followed them, determined to ensure that Ben survived regardless of the battle's outcome. Ultimately, Ben overpowered Grimmjow, and Harribel revealed her presence, saying that she would not allow Ben to die. Grimmjow staggered to his feet and insisted that the fight was not over, so Ben offered to fight him once every weekend. Grimmjow tried to alter the deal so that it would involve daily fights, but Harribel told him to accept the deal and not to push his luck, and Grimmjow reluctantly accepted it and left.
Bellwood[]
Move to Bellwood[]
After the last affairs were taken care of, Harribel and the other Arrancar were given gigai by Urahara and taken to a clothing store by Rangiku. Following this, she and the others were taken to Bellwood and were introduced to Ben's parents, Carl and Sandra Tennyson, who were greatly surprised that a fully grown woman like Harribel could fall in love with Ben. Nevertheless, the Tennysons welcomed Harribel and the other Arrancar, and she--along with her Fraccion and Nelliel--ended up lodging at Ben's house.
Beach Party[]
When Sandra and Carl plan to go away for a couple of days, they put Harribel in charge of the house while they are gone. During this conversation, they express some doubt as to whether or not Harribel truly loves Ben and fear that she might use this opportunity to take him by force. Harribel, annoyed, bluntly declares that if her feelings toward Ben were nothing more than lust, then she would have raped him back in Las Noches. Sandra and Carl are shocked by this, but Harribel regains their trust by delcaring that her refusal to rape Ben is proof that her feelings for him are genuine love rather than lust.
After catching Nelliel in bed with Ben (having snuck into his room during the night by sleepwalking), Harribel admonishes them, but secretly begins to feel somewhat insecure. Later, she meets Ben's grandfather, Max Tennyson, who convinces them to go to a beach party. While the group pick out swimwear, Harribel scares off a group of on-lookers. She begins to feel that Ben will not return her feelings, but becomes inspired by a song being played over the store's radio, and decides to confront him.
At the beach, Harribel does not participate in any of the games and stays on Kevin's jet for a while. When she finally emerges, she pulls Ben aside and, after showing him her rather skimpy bikini, asks how he feels about her. Ben embraces Harribel and confesses that he feels unworthy of her, her Fraccion, and Nelliel. Touched by this, Harribel insists that Ben is the only man for her, and when he admits his fear of choosing one of them (for fear of hurting the others), she declares that she will "share" him if it means being with him, much to his shock.
After this, Harribel joins the party and begins to enjoy herself. She is confronted by Nelliel, who had secretly listened to the former's converation with Ben and has concluded that "sharing" might be the best way to go, despite admitting that she would like to have Ben all to herself. Later, when Grimmjow arrives to have his weekly battle with Ben, Harribel has a brief flashback, indicating that Aizen's hypnosis over her is beginning to wear off.
Job as a Teacher[]
With Kevin's help, Harribel secured a job as a Spanish teacher at Ben's high school. Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun were aware of this, but intentionally kep this information from Ben in order to surprise him. He was greatly surprised, but quickly shook it off. Harribel concealed her association with Ben remarkably well, coming off as a strict teacher to him. She later explained the situation to him.
According to Harribel, a number of teachers attempted to court her, but all of their attempts were politely turned down. A number of parents would complain about her after she chastised their children, but Harribel would get around this rather easily.
Public Exposure[]
After school one day, the group went out for smoothies at Ben's insistence. Following this, they were assaulted by Dr. Animo, who tried to take Harribel hostage, only to be swiftly overpowered by the unimpressed Arrancar. Will Harangue arrived with a news crew and tries to use the event as an opportunity to smear Ben's reputation. Unaware of Harribel's affiliation with Ben, he interviewed her. Harribel insults and humiliates a stunned Harangue on live television, ending her mockery with a cryptic question: where would everyone be if Ben was not around to save them? She then returned to the Tennyson home with the others.
Memories Restored[]
Later on, Harribel began training Ben in the art of swordsmanship, presumably on his request. Ulquiorra appeared during one session and declared Harribel unfit to train Ben; due to her feelings for Ben, she would be compelled to hold back. Harribel insisted that she was not holding back, but Ulquiorra stood firm and believed that he would be a more suitable instructor for Ben, and attempted to emphasize this point by defeating her in a sword duel.
They were interrupted by the arrival of a group of Hollows, who wanted Ben to rule Hueco Mundo instead of Grimmjow. After Ben turned into Clockwork by accident, he was suddenly pulled into the past and Harribel collapsed in a coma. Upon awakening, she found her memories restored and silently seethed at Aizen's hypnosis.
Soon after this and Ben's return to the present, the group went to Hueco Mundo and located the Oasis, whereupon Harribel's Fraccion, now calling themselves the Tres Bestias ("Three Beasts") recovered their memories as well. Ben went outside to think, and Harribel approached him and asked what was wrong. Ben confessed that the Hogyoku had now made him semi-immortal, and that he now feared that neither Harribel nor the others would want to be with him, but before he say anything else, Harribel captured his lips in a passionate kiss, much to his surprise.
Following the kiss, Harribel became nervous, fearing that Ben might be displeased by her boldness, but to her relief and delight, Ben shyly admitted that he enjoyed the kiss and asked if they could share another one, a request she eagerly granted.
Date with Ben[]
After class one day, Harribel met with Gwen, who revealed Ben's tragic break-up with Julie Yamamoto, his previous girlfriend. Later, she approached Ben and they agreed to go on a date the following day. After a discussion with Ben's mother, they depart for a lake near Bellwood, with Ben wearing an ID Mask given to him by Paradox that gives him the appearance of his 30-year-old self.
They arrived at the lake and meet Verdona Tennyson, Ben's grandmother, whom, to their surprise, knows about Hollows and Shinigami (but has never heard of Arrancar before), even saying that each inhabited world has its own Soul Society. She makes a few jokes and gives Harribel some advice on romance, much to Ben's annoyance. After eating a lunch that Sandra had packed for them, going for a swim, and having a "splash fight" (which Harribel clearly dominates), Ben and Harribel bask in the sunlight and begin to make out. At one point, Harribel removes the ID Mask and explains she wants to kiss the real Ben, and they resume their kissing.
That night, Harribel goes to Ben's room wearing very skimpy lingerie, explaining to a shocked Ben that she wants to look sexy for her "king". They snuggle up together and fall asleep in each others arms, but were both quite annoyed the next morning when they found that Nelliel has sleepwalked into the bed with them.
Feud with Loly[]
Preparations[]
While Ben was on his date with Nelliel, Harribel is approached by Yoruichi while the latter is in her cat form. After Yoruichi reveals this, she explains that Soul Society might assault Ben in the future due to the Soul King's and the Central 46's fear of the Ultimatrix. Harribel then declares her intention of achieving the Segunda Etapa, and that she will have to train with Ulquiorra in order to do so. Later, after Ben returned home from his date with Sung-Sun, Harribel was outraged to learn that Grimmjow had told Loly Aivirrne where Ben lived and intended to seek retribution against the new king of Hueco Mundo, but Ben talks her out of it.
Ultimate Heroes United[]
Trivia[]
- Harribel is the deuteragonist of Volume I and the tritagonist of Volume II.
- She is the first member of Ben's "harem" to share a kiss with him.
- She is also the first to go on a date with him.
- Harribel is the first Bleach character to fight one of Ben's enemies.
- She is the only member of the "harem" whose date with Ben was not interrupted.
- Ironically, instead of fighting Toshiro Hitsugaya like in the canon, Harribel fought alongside him; in this case, they both fought against Baraggan Luisenbarn.