If you’ve decided to start your VV Ultimatum journey as a Hollow, you’re signing up for one of the longest but most rewarding progression paths in the game. Unlike Soul Reapers or Quincies, Arrancar players don’t simply level up and unlock their powers. You’ll evolve through multiple Hollow stages, build traits along the way, eventually become a Vasto Lorde, and then begin the lengthy Resurrección progression.
The good news is that if you know what you’re doing from the beginning, you can avoid wasting hours on mistakes that force some players to restart builds or create entirely new character slots. After seeing how the progression system works, it’s pretty clear that planning ahead matters far more for Arrancars than any other race.
This guide covers the entire Hollow progression path, from character creation all the way to unlocking Resurrección and preparing for late-game content.
VV Ultimatum Arrancar Guide – Vasto Lorde Route, Leveling
One of the biggest mistakes new players make is randomly spending skill points.
VV Ultimatum’s build system can punish bad planning because certain abilities require specific stat investments. Some late-game skills have surprisingly high requirements, and if you dump points into random stats early, you may find yourself unable to reach the build you actually wanted.
Because of this, it’s worth deciding on your endgame direction before you start investing points.
For example, some Arrancar abilities require heavy Kido investment. The Hero skill path is one example, requiring Bala, Cero, Cero Oscuras, and eventually Hero itself. Reaching that point demands a significant amount of Kido investment before you can focus on other stats.
If you’re unsure about your final build, spend some time looking through skill trees first instead of making decisions on the fly.
Complete the Tutorial Boss
After finishing the tutorial, you’ll have the option to fight the opening boss.
Do it.
Even if you’re eager to start your Hollow progression, the boss serves two important purposes:
- Provides useful experience.
- Rewards you with early loot.
More importantly, it teaches combat fundamentals that become essential later. VV Ultimatum heavily rewards players who understand parries, counters, dodges, and timing.
Learning those mechanics now will save you countless deaths later.
Choosing Hollow During Character Creation
Once character creation begins, choose Hollow as your race.
You’ll then be able to customize several aspects of your character.
Clans
Clans provide small bonuses.
They’re useful but not build-defining.
Getting a rare clan is nice, but don’t feel like your character is ruined if you don’t roll a legendary one.
Hollow Types Explained
Your Hollow Type affects your starting stat profile.
Lizard
- Fast movement
- Agile combat style
- Lower defenses
Perfect for players who prefer mobility and aggressive gameplay.
Centipede
- Extremely quick
- Lower damage
- Lower durability
Best suited for players who enjoy speed-focused builds.
Turtle
- High defense
- Better survivability
- Slower overall performance
Great for newer players who prefer durability.
Gorilla
- Balanced stats
- Good all-around performance
- No major weaknesses
Probably the safest option for beginners.
In the long run, none of these choices completely determine your build. Pick whichever style sounds the most enjoyable.
Understanding Innate Stats
Innate Stats work similarly to talent systems found in other RPGs.
You’ll select:
- One positive modifier
- One negative modifier
This allows you to strengthen certain aspects of your character while sacrificing others.
There isn’t a universal best option here because your choice should support the build you’re planning to create later.
A defensive player might choose survivability bonuses, while aggressive players may prioritize offensive benefits.
Hollow Progression: Levels 1 to 7
After spawning as a Hollow, follow the introductory objectives and begin completing quests.
If you’re unsure where quests are located:
- Press C to view markers.
- Press U to travel between locations.
Focus entirely on leveling through quests until you reach Level 7.
Don’t worry about farming mobs endlessly. Questing is much faster during this stage.
Becoming a Menos Grande
At Level 7, your first major evolution occurs.
You’ll become a Menos Grande.
At this point, normal questing temporarily stops because your massive size prevents you from interacting with many NPCs.
Instead, you’ll receive progression objectives that include:
- Destroying 60 objects.
- Killing 8 Hollows.
Fastest Way to Complete the Menos Quest
For the object objective, head to Fort Adams.
The area contains plenty of trees and environmental objects that count toward the requirement.
Most players can finish this objective within a few minutes.
Afterward, travel to the Soul Society Outskirts and eliminate starter Hollows until the second objective is complete.
Doing so advances you to the next evolution stage.
Becoming an Adjuchas
Once the Menos objectives are finished, you’ll evolve into an Adjuchas.
This is where your build starts becoming important.
Unlike previous stages, Adjuchas progression introduces the trait system.
Understanding Traits
As an Adjuchas, defeating Hollows can grant traits.
These traits significantly affect your future character build.
Different enemies may have higher chances of awarding specific traits, making trait farming a key part of progression.
The ideal trait setup depends entirely on your planned build.
However, one trait consistently stands out.
Exoskeleton
Exoskeleton is one of the most popular traits among Arrancar players.
Benefits include:
- Increased defense
- Additional posture
- Better survivability
The value is difficult to ignore because defensive bonuses remain useful regardless of your build type.
Even many offensive players choose Exoskeleton simply because of how universally strong it is.
Should You Stop at Adjuchas or Become a Vasto Lorde?
Technically, you can remove your mask as an Adjuchas and become an Arrancar immediately.
However, most players should continue progressing.
Why?
Because Vasto Lordes gain an extra trait slot.
Trait Comparison
Adjuchas Arrancar:
- 3 Traits
Vasto Lorde Arrancar:
- 4 Traits
That additional trait gives noticeable long-term value.
For serious progression, becoming a Vasto Lorde is generally worth the extra time investment.
How to Become a Vasto Lorde
To evolve further, you’ll need approximately 70 Hollow Progression.
This is where the grind begins.
Regular Hollows provide around:
- 0.5 to 1 Hollow XP
Bosses provide:
- 4 Hollow XP
Because of this massive difference, boss farming is by far the most efficient strategy.
Best Hollow XP Farming Method
Many players farm easier bosses repeatedly.
The Giant Firefly is particularly popular because:
- It’s relatively easy.
- It can be killed quickly.
- It provides strong progression.
Mission bosses also contribute toward Hollow progression and are worth completing whenever available.
Eventually you’ll reach the required progression threshold and evolve into a Vasto Lorde.
Turning Into a Vastocar
After obtaining all four trait slots, press L to remove your mask.
This transforms you into a Vastocar.
At the time of release, there isn’t much reason to remain in Vasto Lorde form once you’ve secured the fourth trait slot.
As long as you’ve collected your traits, you’re ready for the next phase.
Leveling to 25
Your next goal is straightforward.
Reach Level 25.
Continue completing:
- Story quests
- Regular quests
- Daily activities
Quest markers help identify content types.
Quest Colors Explained
Yellow Quests
- Main story progression
Blue Quests
- Standard quests
Purple Quests
- Daily missions
Red Quests
- Boss encounters
Story quests should always be prioritized whenever possible because they provide strong experience rewards and unlock additional content.
How Resurrección Progression Works
At Level 25, your racial progression truly begins.
Unlike normal leveling, Resurrección progression requires active combat participation.
You earn progress by:
- Fighting Hollows
- Attacking enemies
- Participating in combat
Simply running around the map does not contribute toward progression.
Whispers and Meditation
As you gain progression, you’ll eventually receive whispers.
Whenever a whisper appears, stop what you’re doing and meditate immediately by pressing L.
This is one of the easiest mistakes players make.
Many continue grinding after receiving a whisper and unknowingly halt their progression.
When meditating:
- Your character may glow.
- Your character may fall asleep.
- New progression events can occur.
Always complete these meditation events before returning to combat.
Extra Resurrección Progression From Vasto Lorde Encounters
While exploring, you may occasionally hear an audio cue indicating a Vasto Lorde has appeared.
These encounters provide additional Resurrección progression and should not be ignored.
Every bit of extra progress helps shorten the lengthy grind.
The Marsh Warning
Before entering the Marsh region, craft a Respirator.
Without one, you’ll quickly die from the area’s environmental hazards.
Many first-time players discover this the hard way.
Crafting the item beforehand saves a lot of frustration.
PvP Is Optional
A common misconception is that players are forced into PvP.
That’s not true.
You can disable mission invasions through the mission interface.
Doing so prevents other players from interrupting your activities.
If you enjoy PvP, you can craft an Invasion Bell and invade players who have dangerous missions enabled.
The choice is entirely yours.
Level 40 Progression and Prison Access
At Level 40, you’ll need access to the prison area.
To enter, you’ll need a King Crocodile Scale.
This item comes from the Crocodile Boss found in the Marsh.
The boss is significantly tougher than earlier encounters, so bringing allies is recommended.
After obtaining the scale, deliver it to the gatekeeper to continue progression into the Arctic Plains.
The Weapon Pool Decision
During Resurrección progression, your inner Hollow eventually asks:
“What do you fear most?”
This choice allows you to remove a weapon from your future weapon pool.
Players who strongly dislike certain weapon types can use this opportunity to eliminate unwanted options.
If you don’t mind any weapon, selecting the option that removes nothing is perfectly acceptable.
Entering the Inner World
Eventually, meditation transports you into your Inner World.
This begins one of the final stages of Resurrección progression.
You’ll receive the objective:
Uncover the Strange World
At this point, continue earning Resurrección progress while repeatedly returning to your Inner World whenever whispers appear.
Follow the Red Eyes
Inside the Inner World, red eyes guide your progression.
Always follow them.
Many players become confused here and accidentally stall their advancement.
The red eyes eventually lead you toward the final confrontation required to unlock your powers.
The Final Resurrección Trial
The last challenge involves fighting:
- Two Hollows
- One Menos
You won’t receive health packs during the encounter.
Success depends heavily on:
- Parrying correctly
- Managing damage
- Avoiding unnecessary mistakes
The Hollow enemies occasionally gain hyper armor, making reckless aggression dangerous.
Against the Menos:
- Parry the stomps.
- Block the Cero attacks.
- Stay patient.
If you fail, simply meditate again to retry.
Unlocking Resurrección
Completing the trial grants Resurrección.
Activating it provides:
- A heal when transformed.
- Additional abilities.
- Increased combat effectiveness.
The exact skills depend on the Resurrección you roll.
Each option supports different playstyles, ranging from aggressive damage dealers to support-oriented setups.
Ability Points and Resurrección Upgrades
After unlocking Resurrección, you’ll begin earning Ability Points.
These can be invested into categories such as:
- Damage
- Reiatsu Efficiency
- Range
- Status Duration
You gain one point roughly every 10% progression, eventually reaching a maximum of ten points.
This system is surprisingly important because investing heavily into specific categories can alter how certain Resurrección abilities function.
Rather than spreading points randomly, focus on stats that directly support your chosen Resurrección.