Summary
The newest episode ofBleach: Thousand-Year Blood Wartreated fans to tons of brand-new scenes that weren’t in the original manga, as well as new lore revelations. After a long and intense fight between Ichigo and Yhwach, they find the Soul King to have been stabbed by Yhwach. Ichigo attempts to save him by removing the massive Quincy sword from his chest, but in doing so, Blüt glows on Ichigo’s right side,causing him to slash the Soul King, finally killing the keystone of theBleachuniverse.
Ichigo’s actions during this moment may seem confusing, especially with Yhwach’s dialogue. But it is much easier to understand than it seems. Here’s why Ichigo killed the Soul King with his own hands.
Yhwach’s Connection With the Quincy
The Father of All Quincy
Yhwach is the Quincy King and indirect father of the entire race. He was the first Quincy, and he started the Quincy Empire, the Licht Reich. His blood flows in every Quincy born and to be born. They all come from him, and when they die, they go back to him. Yhwach holds a certain power over their powers and bodies. He can control the energy in them as well as their powers. Through the ritual of Auswählen, he can absorb the power and life energy of any Quincy he chooses, in mass, and strengthen himself or other Quincies he deems more worthy of such power.
“Farewell, Ichigo Kurosaki. I will come for you again. So heal your wounds and wait, my precious son…born in the dark.”
Every Sternritter received a portion of Yhwach’s soul, and he engraved a letter onto their souls, granting them a Schrift. By literally drinking his blood, they gain immense power, but in turn, their connection to their king grows stronger. Once a Sternritter dies, Yhwach absorbs their soul and power and grows stronger. This is seen when Sternritter S - Mask de Masculine dies. Yhwach absorbs him and rests.
Ichigo Under Yhwach’s Control
The Quincy Blood in Ichigo Betrayed Him
When Ichigo pulled Yhwach’s sword out of Soul King Adnyeus, Yhwach’s reiatsu in the sword entered Ichigo’s body, resonating with his Quincy blood inherited from his mother Masaki Kurosaki, a pure-blood Quincy. Again, Yhwach holds power over the bodies of his children, and this sadly extends to Ichigo. Once Yhwach’s Reiatsu entered Ichigo’s right side, the Quincy King could control his movements at will, while Ichigo was still conscious and in control of, well, most of himself. His majesty’s influence over his son can’t be rejected.Ichigo did not willingly kill Soul King Adnyeus, but it was merely Yhwach controlling him like a puppet.Beyond Ichigo’s godly power, he can’t suppress the Quincy blood in him, and so, he’s sometimes vulnerable to Yhwach’s control.
Yhwach also needed Ichigo to deal the killing blow. As he said himself, he needed someone who had the powers of Humans, Shinigami, Quincy, Fullbringers, and Hollows all in harmony in him to kill the Soul King. This is because that is exactly what the Soul King Adnyeus also is. Adnyeus was the one to divide the world into the Three Worlds: World of the Living, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo. He was a Godlike entity that was born into the Primordial Sea. He was special as he was the perfect natural hybrid of all the races, and he birthed a powerful son, the first Quincy, Yhwach.
Ichigo is a perfect hybrid of all the races, just like Adnyeus. He is a Shinigami like his father, Isshin.A Quincy and Human like his mother, Masaki. His mother was infected with Hollow reiatsu, which made him a Fullbringer and manifested his Shinigami powers as a Hollow, Zangetsu. While Yhwach is Adnyeus' son, only Ichigo has this special trait in common with him. Ichigo was groomed to be a candidate replacement for the Soul King by Ichibe Hyosube. His training in Irazu Sando was exactly for this. To kill the Soul King, Yhwach needed a Soul King-like being, Ichigo.
In summary, Ichigo did not kill Adnyeus willingly, he was controlled by Yhwach, who infused his Quincy blood with the Reiatsu from his sword. He was also necessary to deal the killing blow, as he is closer to the Soul King than Yhwach.
