10 Things 'Bleach' Fans Missed If They Didn’t Finish The Series
If you can believe it, it has been more than five years since Bleach's anime closed. The [...]
The Soul Society Is Destroyed
The impossible happens in the final arc of Bleach, and the Gotei 13 never saw it coming. When a powerful army rises from the depths of the Seireitei, the Soul Society finds itself crumbling as hundreds - if not thousands - of foot soldiers are killed defending the city. In a few short chapters, everything the Gotei 13 stood to protect falls apart, leaving readers to wonder if (and how) to institution could be revived.
prevnextQuincy Definitely Aren’t Dead
As for those people who destroyed the Seireitei, you have the Quincy to thank. When the anime ended, fans had learned the super-powered race once destroyed Hollows alongside the Soul Reapers, but they were culled by the Shinigami long ago. However, it turns out the Quincy weren't as extinct as thought. A hoard of Quincy survived, living out their life in the Seireitei as they plotted their revenge, and they got it when their leader Yhwach sent his fearsome Wandenreich to attack.
prevnextYhwach Is The Strongest Villain
Anime fans will have no clue who Yhwach is, but it would be an understatement to call him over-powered. The character is the most terrifying villain to grace Bleach and overshadows Aizen's nefarious plots with ease. As the son of the Soul King, Yhwach is a powerful Quincy with unlimited spiritual powers. He can see into the future, tap into an actual divine power, and it would not be incorrect to compare his omnipotence to a god.
prevnextZangetsu Is Not Ichigo’s Zanpakuto
With a bloody war waging in the Seireitei, Ichigo finds himself blindsided when a big secret unfolds before him. As the hero trains to help defend the Soul Society, he learns Zangetsu is not his actual Zanpakuto. Ichigo learns about his own Quincy heritage on his mother's side, and Zangetsu explains he's been posing as Ichigo's Soul Reaper persona to steer him away from their side. As it turns out, Zangetsu is actually the hero's Quincy persona, and White Ichigo is his actual Zanpakuto.
prevnextA Lot Of Captains Are Killed
If you aren't ready to bury some of your favorite Soul Reaper captains, then this final arc is going to hurt. The entire story kicks off when the Wandenreich invading the barracks, and Squad 1 goes to battle. Not only is the division's lieutenant Sasakibe brutally murdered, but Captain Yamamoto is sliced in half by Yhwach. Other characters like Captain Unohana and Captain Ukitake are killed as well while others such as Captain Byakuya brush death before being miraculously revived.
prevnextHueco Mundo Is Overtaken
It looks like the Quincy have more grudges than you might imagine. Not only do the Wandenreich decimate the Soul Society, but the group goes after Hueco Mundo for good measure. The soldiers overtake the world to enslave Arrancar warriors, leaving Espada favorites like Tier Harribel captured. However, Grimmjow manages to escape the slaughter, and he chooses to blame Ichigo and the Soul Reaper gang for Hueco Mundo's demise.
prevnextUryu Sides With The Quincy
After years of being hero, Bleach stunned fans with its final arc by turning Uryu Ishida into a bad guy. Sure, the Quincy has had some bad blood with Ichigo over the years, but the series brought that to new extremes before it ended. With Yhwach looking for a successor, Uryu decides to side with the Wandenreich and become its leader's protege.
prevnextAnd Then Uryu Reveals He’s A Double Agent
Of course, Bleach doesn't let Uryu end his time as a villain. As fans find out, the Quincy was acting as a double agent this entire time, and no one was the wiser. In the final battle, Ichigo finds himself unable to kill Yhwach as the man's absorption of the Soul King's powers made him immortal. However, Uryu manages to shoot a silver arrow at Yhwach, a weapon that would make the baddie temporarily mortal. Ichigo takes the window to cut down the man, leaving Uryu as a hero.
prevnextIchigo Discovers His True Bankai
For years, Bleach told fans Ichigo has a certain Bankai, but its final arc changed all that. After the boy learned Zangetsu was not his actual Zanpakuto, he comes to terms with his Quincy and Soul Reaper heritage. The acceptance leads him to gain a two-sword Zanpakuto, and Ichigo unleashes their true Bankai in his final fight with Yhwach. However, the baddie stops the reveal midway through, leaving fans to wonder just what Ichigo can do nowadays.
prevnextEveryone Gets Married In The End
As expected, Bleach does end on a rather happy note. A lot of people were killed when the Wandenreich attacked, but the Seireitei recovers, and the manga ends with a short epilogue. In the future, Ichigo has married Orihime, and the couple has a son named Kazui. As for Rukia, the heroine became the captain of Squad 13, married Renji, and had a daughter of her own named Ichika.
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