Doing both zanpakutos as a unit since the kanji used seem to indicate they’re dependent on each other.

Kanji first, then notes about the context that it would normally appear in.

祈れ (inore): pray, wish

例 祈念【きねん】prayer ・ 祈祷【きとう】prayer ・ 祈願【きがん】prayer ・ 祈年祭【きねんさい】prayer service for a good crop ・ 祈祷会【きとうかい】prayer meeting ・ 祈祷師【きとうし】medicine man; shaman; faith healer ・ 祈祷課題【きとうかだい】prayer request; request for prayers

聖哭螳螂 : “Santa Teresa”

聖 (sei): holy, sacred, saint

例 聖典【せいてん】scriptures ・ 聖地【せいち】sacred place; holy ground; the Holy Land ・ 聖域【せいいき】sacred precincts; sanctuary; consecrated ground ・ 棋聖【きせい】great master of go (shogi) ・ 神聖【しんせい】holiness; sacredness; dignity ・ 列聖【れっせい】canonization (i.e. establishment of sainthood) ・ 聖職者【せいしょくしゃ】clergyman; churchman; clergy ・ 聖ソフィア大聖堂【せいソフィアだいせいどう】St Sophia’s Cathedral ・ 聖火台【せいかだい】platform (structure) bearing the Olympic flame ・ 新約聖書【しんやくせいしょ】New Testament

哭 (nageku): weep, lament, wail, sorrow

例 痛哭【つうこく】lamentation ・ 慟哭【どうこく】wailing; lamentation ・ 憂哭【うきね】sobbing ・ 鬼哭啾啾【きこくしゅうしゅう】spine-chilling (hair-raising) (like the wailing and weeping of a restless ghost) ・ 鬼哭啾々【きこくしゅうしゅう】spine-chilling (hair-raising) (like the wailing and weeping of a restless ghost)

Note: Kubo used a weird kanji for this. It’s not the normal one for “crying” and my references have it marked as “irregular usage”. From the radicals used, it looks like the context would be “acting as a mad dog (or beast)”.

蟷 (to): mantis

例 蟷螂【かまきり】praying mantis (esp. the narrow-winged mantis, Tenodera angustipennis) ・ 蟷螂の斧【とうろうのおの】courageous but doomed resistance ・ 蟷螂擬【かまきりもどき】mantidfly (any insect of the family Mantispidae) ・ 腹広蟷螂【はらびろかまきり】Indo-Pacific mantis (Hierodula patellifera) ・ 朝鮮蟷螂【ちょうせんかまきり】narrow-winged mantis

螂 (ru): mantis

例 蟷螂【かまきり】praying mantis (esp. the narrow-winged mantis, Tenodera angustipennis) ・ 螳螂【かまきり】praying mantis (esp. the narrow-winged mantis, Tenodera angustipennis) ・ 腹広蟷螂【はらびろかまきり】Indo-Pacific mantis (Hierodula patellifera) ・ 蟷螂擬【かまきりもどき】mantidfly (any insect of the family Mantispidae) ・ 擬螳螂【かまきりもどき】mantidfly (any insect of the family Mantispidae)

The last two kanji are read together as “kamakiri” (lit. “scythe-cut” but also “praying mantis”). Hence, why Nnoitra is wielding a scythe.

打ち伏せろ (uchifusero): crush

打 (uchi-): strike, hit, knock down

例 打順【だじゅん】batting order ・ 打球【だきゅう】batting; batted ball ・ 打点【だてん】runs batted in; RBI ・ 好打【こうだ】(baseball) good hit ・ 乱打【らんだ】hitting; battering ・ 快打【かいだ】clean hit (in baseball) ・ 打ち上げ花火【うちあげはなび】skyrocket (firework) ・ 打算的【ださんてき】calculating; mercenary ・ 打楽器【だがっき】percussion instrument ・ 不意打ち【ふいうち】surprise attack ・ 同士打【どうしうち】friendly fire; killing each other by mistake

伏 (fuseru): prostrate, bend down

例 伏兵【ふくへい】ambush; troops in ambush ・ 伏線【ふくせん】preparation; foreshadowing; underplot (in a novel) ・ 伏目【ふしめ】downcast look ・ 承伏【しょうふく】compliance; consent; submission ・ 屈伏【くっぷく】yielding; submission; surrender ・ 潜伏【せんぷく】concealment; hiding; ambush ・ 伏射濠【ふくしゃごう】sheltered trench ・ 伏流水【ふくりゅうすい】underground water ・ 伏竜鳳雛【ふくりょうほうすう】gifted young person who shows much promise; unrecognized genius; great person whose talent is hidden under a bushel ・ 腕立伏せ【うでたてふせ】push-up (exercise) ・ 腕立て伏せ【うでたてふせ】push-up (exercise)

牙鎧士: “Verruga”

牙 (kiba): tusk, fang

例 牙城【がじょう】stronghold (esp. of an enemy or opponent); inner citadel; bastion ・ 牙保【がほ】brokerage; mediation; fencing (of stolen goods) ・ 牙婆【すあい】broker; brokerage; brokerage fee ・ 象牙【ぞうげ】ivory ・ 爪牙【そうが】claws and tusks; devious design; right-hand man ・ 毒牙【どくが】poison fang; vicious way; evil power ・ 牙関緊急【がかんきんきゅう】trismus; lockjaw ・ 象牙椰子【ぞうげやし】ivory palm (Phytelephas macrocarpa) ・ 歯牙にも掛けない【しがにもかけない】take no notice of; pay no attention to

鎧 (yoroi): armour

例 鎧戸【よろいど】slatted shutter; louver door (window) ・ 鎧球【がいきゅう】American football ・ 鎧竜【がいりゅう】ankylosaurus (dinosaur) ・ 鎧一具【よろいいちぐ】suit of armor; suit of armour ・ 鎧蜥蜴【よろいとかげ】girdle-tailed lizard ・ 鎧袖一触【がいしゅういっしょく】(beating someone) hands down; with a single blow

士 (shi): samurai, gentleman

例 士気【しき】morale (of troops, team, etc.); esprit de corps ・ 士官【しかん】officer ・ 士人【しじん】samurai ・ 義士【ぎし】loyal retainer ・ 文士【ぶんし】man of letters; literary man ・ 居士【こじ】a lay Buddhist ・ 士君子【しくんし】gentleman; man of learning and virtue ・ 士農工商【しのうこうしょう】hierarchy of samurai, farmers, artisans, and merchants in Edo society ・ 士気高揚【しきこうよう】raise (lift) morale; have an inspiring effect on morale ・ 行政書士【ぎょうせいしょし】notary public ・ 四十七士【しじゅうしちし】The 47 Ronin ・ 富士川【ふじかわ】river in Shizuoka Prefecture

What do we get from this?

  • Nnoitra’s command (inore) implies submission to a higher power. Tesra’s command (uchifusero) implies domination or otherwise forcing someone to submit. That answers the question of who is seme nicely, I think.
  • It’s interesting that Kubo chose to include the “mourning” kanji and “holy” kanji in Nnoitra’s release. He didn’t have to, and it’s still readable without it if Nnoitra’s form is just a praying mantis. We only needed the last two kanji for that idea. It’s also interesting that Tesla’s release has the “samurai” kanji. He’s not a knight or ronin who may be of questionable morals. Samurai are supposed to be literate, strong, loyal, all those virtuous things. And the wife of a samurai should likewise be virtuous and know how to defend herself and her virtue. Neither Hollow form is a creature as such (like, say, Grimmjow’s). Nnoitra’s real form is a saint or angel who grieves (probably something close to a banshee). Tesra’s real form is a demon warrior (a good demon, but a demon no less).
  • As “Verruga” is written, armour is indicated, yet Tesra has no armour or Hierro. Nnoitra is the one with the strong Hierro. As “Santa Teresa” is written, Nnoitra will lose both his humanity and his sanity if he causes the death of the one he loves. We see him become fully Hollow just once in canon — when Tesra is cut down. Before this point, Nnoitra is merciful and cannot bear to kill those he defeats (Chad, Neliel, and Ichigo). After that point, his actions are no different from any other Hollow. Guess who is therefore shown to be the one Nnoitra canonically loves? If he wants to keep his humanity, he needs to use his shielding abilities to protect Tesra while Tesra does the actual fighting for both of them.
  • This also provides some insight into just why each of them become Hollow to begin with. Tesra’s human life ended because someone who should have been protecting him wasn’t there. That’s reason enough to become Hollow. Nnoitra is Hollow because the one thing in all the world that can break him is the loss of the one he loves. If he grieved for someone that greatly, he may have ended his human life to follow that person.
  • If their real forms are this dependent on each other, are we sidling toward the idea of soul mates? Maybe. If they fall apart without each other, if they can only be at their best when they’re together, it seems clear that they belong together.

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