Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Finally Introduces the Sternritters

Bleach is back with a new episode, and that means the Monday blues are fading out. After all, Ichigo Kurosaki has returned to anime, and his comeback has been met with little but excitement. This week, the anime delved further into Tite Kubo’s Thousand-Year Blood War arc, and it ended with some major arrivals. After all, some villains just made their debut this week, and our heroes will want to tread lightly near them.

As you can see below, the four villains made their arrival to the Soul Society in episode three this week. The group shadowed Ywach as the Quincy leader invaded the Shinigami Headquarters. And from what we can tell, these Quincy are part of an organization known as the Sternritters. Jugram, Robert, As Nodt, and Bambietta complete this quad… and they are ready to show the Soul Reapers just how powerful they are.

Who Are the Sternritters?

Of course, manga readers know who the Sternritters are and their role in the Wandenreich army. The organization is headed by Jugram, and the Quincy team is made up of extremely powerful fighters blessed with power by Ywach. The god-like villain inducts members through a carving ceremony where he imbues each warrior with power, and when a Sternritter dies, the power is returned to Ywach with interest.

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Of course, these four members we’ve met to date are terrifying, and Jugram is perhaps the most famous of the gang. Bambietta is a close second, and her explosive strength will be made clear in the anime’s next few episodes. With over 20 members, the Sternritters are not to be messed with, and anime-only fans will be shocked to learn one of their identities as Thousand-Year Blood War continues. 

Want to check out Bleach’s new anime for yourself? You can stream the series exclusively on Hulu in the United States, and Bleach’s original anime is also hosted on the service. Disney+ has licensed the series in regions outside of the United States. Will you be watching? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.