In her true form, Nel is a tall, curvaceous adult with long wavy green hair and hazel eyes. She was, however, turned into a child after her battle with her archnemesis, Nnoitora.
Voiced by Tomoko Kaneda in the Japanese version while Colleen O’Shaughnessey voiced the character in the English dub of the anime, Nel (full name – Nelliel Tu Odelschwank) is a supporting character in the supernatural action manga series titled Bleach. She also appeared in the two-part anime TV series adaptation and many more productions. Nel is a female Arrancar and former Espada with the ability to heal but her troubles with Nnoitora Gilga.
What Is Nel’s Original Form?
Originally, Nel is a tall, curvaceous adult Arrancar with long, waving green hair and hazel eyes. In her original form, she also wields great powers and amazing fighting skills. Nel is a master swordsman which makes sense as she is a former Espada which gives her experience in fighting. When she displays her advanced swordsmanship, her body flows elegantly. She easily defeated Nnoitra, who is a skilled swordsman, on many occasions.
In her original adult form, Nel is also a Sonído master with increased speed. Her speed enabled her to avoid Nnoitra, and she was able to easily move Ichigo to a safe place when he was badly hurt during one of the attacks perpetrated by Nnoitra. Cero Doble is her specialty in her original form. Here, Nel is able to absorb Cero fired by an enemy and create a potent Cero Doble by mixing it with her own before firing back.
Other abilities that Nel has in her original form include enhanced strength, spiritual power, and high intellect.
What Happened to Nel in Bleach?
Nel was turned into a child after her archenemy, Nnoitra Gilga, severely damaged her head. She was an Espada before Nnoitra Gilga betrayed her, throwing her off the side of Las Noches. The incident left her severely injured, and in turn, her body reverted to that of a child. While it limited her Arrancar powers, Nel’s child form came with many abilities that helped her fight the enemy.
In her child form, Nel’s saliva has a kind of healing power that she activates by massaging her uvula to instigate vomiting. What she vomits looks like saliva, which in turn heals. Another ability she possesses in her child form is swallowing an enemy’s Cero and firing it back with her own blast coming with a higher force.
When this ability is displayed, the eyes on her skull mask glow. She used to have this ability in her original form, but unlike her original form, she does not mix the Cero she swallows with her own but just sends it back with more blasts.
Nel’s child form also allowed her to accelerate her movements with a rudimentary form of Sonído called Chōkasoku which she always used to headbutt Ichigo. Whenever Nel activated the Chōkasoku, her mask’s eyes glowed.
On the flip side, Nel’s child form limited her ability to display her Arrancar powers, especially in absorbing a Cero blast. While she can still absorb and redirect a Privaron Espada-class Arrancar’s Cero blast, the action made her tired immediately.
Is Nel Still Alive in Bleach?
Despite claims that the character has died, Nel is still alive in the Bleach anime. In the final arc of the manga, she is portrayed to be alive in Hueco Mundo, which is where the Human World and Soul Society share a dimension.
The last time she was seen, Nel had entered Askin Nakk Le Vaar’s poisonous death bubble in her quest to save Urahara, Grimjoww, and Yoruichi. She is also available in the video game Bleach: Brave Souls, where players can explore the character in different forms. In the video game, she is a ranged character with the Shinigami Killer ability.
