Essential Insights
- The realms were established by the Soul King Adnyeus, with five original Shinigami founders sacrificing themselves to uphold the cosmic order through a dreadful act.
- The original sin of the Soul Society pertains to a grave offense against the Soul King, leading to the division of his limbs, which gave rise to significant figures within the BLEACH narrative.
Warning: The following text includes significant plot details from BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War and the Can’t Fear Your Own World novels authored by Ryohgo Narita.
The BLEACH universe’s cosmology is introduced during the encounter between Rukia Kuchiki and the protagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki. It’s explained that the Grim Reaper-like beings central to the story act as “balancers,”ensuring the smooth transition of human souls between the living realm and the afterlife.
This cosmic structure is intentionally crafted by the first entity, the Soul King Adnyeus, reinforced through a horrific act committed by the earliest Shinigami and safeguarded by those present now. What, then, constitutes the original sin associated with the Soul Society?
The Bootstrap of Existence
The Formation of the Realms
In the early stages before the present-world configuration… a tumultuous environment devoid of boundaries between life and death existed, where an initial guardian emerged to mediate between Hollows and humanity for the very first time. The Quincy, Shinigami, and even Fullbringers all trace their lineage back to him. He embodied attributes of both a Quincy and a Shinigami, alongside the capabilities of an ordinary human, becoming a beacon of hope amid encroaching chaos.
– Tokinada Tsunayashiro, BLEACH: Can’t Fear Your Own World Vol. 3
Yhwach narrates about a primordial era lacking a distinct divide between the realms of existence. In the second episode of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3, he reminisces about the time before the separation and weeps for his father, the Soul King Adnyeus, who established the current BLEACH cosmology comprising three principal realms: the Human World (or World of the Living), Hueco Mundo—where Hollows linger when not on earth—and Soul Society, the afterlife where human souls go to await their rebirth in the Human World. Shinigami serve as intermediaries who guide the deceased and exorcise corrupted souls.
The contrast between Shinigami and Quincies is significant; the former purify Hollow souls while the latter obliterate them completely, preventing reincarnation and disrupting cosmic balance. From early on, it’s emphasized that this equilibrium is critical in preventing the realms from merging back into their primordial state. The Soul King not only created the realms and the interstitial Dangai but also divided life from death, thereby initiating the cycle of existence in a universe that once knew no death. Yhwach seeks to revert the universe to this chaotic beginning. Curiously, the role of Hell in this origin narrative remains ambiguous, raising questions about whether Hell existed prior to the establishment of the realms and its possible autonomy from the Soul King’s domain.
The Degradation
Atrocity by the Clan Founders
Subsequent to the realm’s creation, the Soul King faced a horrific fate imposed upon him by the progenitors of the five Great Noble Clans of the Soul Society. These early Shinigami—starting from the first Shihōin, Kuchiki, an unidentified clan member, the inaugural Shiba, and the pioneer Tsunayashiro—conspired against Adnyeus, sacrificing him to maintain a specific cosmic order. They assaulted and dismembered him, removing his limbs, especially his arms, which symbolized advancement and stagnation, effectively rendering him in a state of undying existence within a unique crystal. This crystal can only be shattered by someone possessing the same abilities as the Soul King: a combination of Shinigami, Hollow, Quincy, and Fullbringer powers. The Soul King’s left arm, representing progress, transformed into the Quincy Pernida Parnkgjas, while his heart became Gerard Valkyrie. His right arm, embodying stillness, was worshipped in the Soul Society as Mimihagi, a deity inhabiting the body of the 13th Squad Captain, Jūshirō Ukitake.
Further revelations show that the Soul Chain manifests in XCUTION leader Aura Michibane, a Fullbringer. The essence of the Soul King is linked to the creation of Fullbringers, who were previously viewed as individuals instilled with Hollow reishi in vitro but actually possess fragments of the Soul King known as Nails. Witnessing these events, Ichibē Hyōsube observed the gruesome act. In the novels Can’t Fear Your Own World, it’s disclosed that the first Shiba was hesitant to partake in this malevolence, yet was coerced by the first Tsunayashiro. To this day, the Tsunayashiro family remains a powerful dynasty in the Soul Society, tasked with safeguarding its historical legacy. This balance embodied by the Shinigami is central to the BLEACH storyline, representing the maintenance of the universe’s state and perpetuating the life-death cycle. The reality of the Soul King’s critical role highlights why Aizen lacked reverence towards him, actively probing into the thresholds of various soul types and transcending those boundaries, as demonstrated in his use of the Hōgyoku for creating the Arrancar.
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