Elite! The Four Shinigami

is the two-hundred-sixteenth episode of the Bleach anime.

As Ichigo Kurosaki confronts Ulquiorra Cifer, the battle for the four pillars begins in Karakura Town.

Summary
Ichigo arrives in the 5th Tower to save Orihime Inoue and confronts Ulquiorra, who tells him that because Sōsuke Aizen has not ordered Orihime to be killed, he shall not kill her. However, because Ichigo is a threat to Hueco Mundo that must be destroyed, and will kill him. As a result, Ulquiorra unsheathes his sword and they begin their battle.

Meanwhile, back at the Fake Karakura Town, Baraggan Louisenbairn takes command since Aizen is locked inside Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's fire prison. Baraggan then tells Yamamoto that he believes that he used four pillars to switch the Fake Karakura Town and the real one, and that instead of them infiltrating Soul Society to destroy Karakura Town, he would just bring it back there. He then sends out four large Hollows to destroy them. Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda begins to panic, and Yamamoto calls him a fool for believing that he would leave such important locations unprotected.

At that moment, the four Hollows are slain by 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, Lieutenant Izuru Kira, and Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi. Ōmaeda then expresses shock to see the four Shinigami there and asks Captain Shunsui Kyōraku and Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto if they knew and they both confirm this. He then asks his captain, Suì-Fēng, and she replies that she told him, but he was probably too busy stuffing his face to listen to her. Rangiku then begins to chastise him and they bicker for a short while, and Suì-Fēng thinks to herself that she may have forgotten to tell him.

Baraggan then begins to grin and says that if Yamamoto has four ants protecting the pillars then he'd just send four dragons to crush them, and he orders Choe Neng Poww, Charlotte Chuhlhourne, Abirama Redder, and Findorr Calius to go crush the four Shinigami guardians. Poww confronts Ikkaku, Charlotte confronts Yumichika, Abirama confronts Kira, and Findorr confronts Hisagi. After speaking briefly, the eight begin their battles.

Substitute Shinigami Work Diary
Lieutenant Renji Abarai and Ichigo sit in Ichigo's room and Renji flips through various sunglasses magazines. He asks Ichigo which pair he should buy and that he wants to buy some trendy glasses. Renji eventually finds a pair that piques his interest and asks Ichigo what he thinks of them. Ichigo says that they are fine without ever actually looking at the glasses. When Renji returns to Soul Society, he shows Captain Byakuya Kuchiki the glasses he bought, which were blue and yellow star shaped glasses. He then reveals a pair of pink and yellow heart shaped glasses that he bought for Byakuya, but Byakuya says he doesn't want them.

Fights

 * Ichigo Kurosaki & Uryū Ishida vs. Ulquiorra Cifer: Final Fight
 * Yumichika Ayasegawa vs. Charlotte Chuhlhourne
 * Izuru Kira vs. Abirama Redder

Powers and Techniques Used
Hollow techniques:

Techniques used:
 * Tenkai Kecchu
 * Tenkai Kecchu
 * Tenkai Kecchu

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai:

Bankai:

Other powers: