Nnoitra Jiruga is an Arrancar who serves as the Quinto Espada, the fifth strongest in Sousuke Aizen’s army, and embodies the concept of Despair. He previously held the rank of Octavo Espada before his promotion. Physically, Nnoitra is extremely tall and lanky, with long black hair, a perpetual wide smile that reveals his upper teeth, and an eyepatch that conceals the remnants of his hollow mask. The number five is tattooed on his tongue, marking his current rank. His standard Arrancar uniform includes an oversized, spoon-like hood.

Nnoitra’s personality is defined by his crude, sadistic, and lecherous nature. He is foul-mouthed and openly chauvinistic, harboring a deep resentment toward women he perceives as stronger than men, a sentiment he displayed toward the former Tercera Espada, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. He craves battle above all else, driven by an insatiable bloodlust that rivals only Kenpachi Zaraki’s love of fighting. His primary motivation is to prove himself the absolute strongest among the Espada, and he considers killing weak opponents a waste of time. However, he has no compunction against attacking already injured or exhausted strong opponents, a trait that draws criticism from Ichigo Kurosaki and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Despite his arrogance, Nnoitra harbors a deep-seated inferiority complex stemming from his time as the eighth Espada, when he was unable to defeat his adversaries. He views any refusal by an opponent to kill him as an insult to his pride, as he interprets it as a sign that they do not see him as an equal.

In the story, Nnoitra first appears when he is drawn to the ongoing battle between Ichigo and Grimmjow. He torments the exhausted Ichigo, which provokes the reappearance of Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck in her adult form. She attacks Nnoitra and nearly defeats him, but her amnesia returns, leaving her vulnerable. Kenpachi Zaraki then arrives to assist. The ensuing battle between Nnoitra and Kenpachi becomes a prolonged, destructive exchange, each combatant taking pleasure in the fact that the other can withstand their blows. Nnoitra releases his Zanpakuto and inflicts heavy damage, but Kenpachi ultimately overcomes him. Nnoitra dies standing on his feet, his life ending a split second before his body hits the ground, a death he considers worthy of a warrior. His only Fracción is Tesla Lindocruz, toward whom he shows a rare moment of concern by warning him to retreat from Kenpachi, though his battle lust quickly overrides this.

Nnoitra’s Zanpakuto is named Santa Teresa. In its sealed form, it resembles a giant axe with two crescent-shaped blades fused back-to-back and a chain attached to the handle. The release command is “pray.” Upon activating his Ressurección, Nnoitra transforms into a being with six arms—gaining two additional pairs—each hand wielding a scythe-like blade. In this state, he gains extraordinary regenerative abilities, allowing wounds to heal almost instantly and even severed limbs to grow back. However, fatal injuries remain beyond his regeneration. He possesses the strongest Hierro (spiritual skin hardening) of any Espada, enabling him to block blade attacks with his bare skin. He can fire a golden Cero from his mouth. His technique Santa Teresa Guadaña involves powering up, seizing an opponent, and impaling them with his armblades while twisting, inflicting severe damage and paralysis. Nnoitra is also skilled in Pesquisa (spiritual sense detection) and developed a more refined version called Indice Radar, which he uses by placing his hand on the ground to pinpoint an enemy’s spiritual pressure.