Bleach Explained: The Reason Behind Ichigo’s Decision to Kill the Soul King

Main Insights

Ichigo was manipulated by Yhwach to assassinate the Soul King due to his heritage as a Quincy and the resonance of his powers.
Yhwach’s affiliation with the Quincy lineage empowers him to absorb the energy of Quincies upon their demise, thereby increasing his strength.
Ichigo’s extraordinary hybrid identity, encompassing Shinigami, Quincy, Human, Fullbringer, and Hollow traits, positioned him uniquely as the ideal slayer of the Soul King.

The latest installment of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War delighted audiences with a plethora of new scenes not present in the initial manga, alongside significant lore developments. Following an arduous battle between Ichigo and Yhwach, the Soul King is found fatally wounded, having been pierced by Yhwach’s Quincy blade. In an attempt to rescue him by extracting the massive sword from his chest, Ichigo inadvertently triggers Blüt on his right side, resulting in a fatal strike against the Soul King, thereby extinguishing the cornerstone of the Bleach universe.

While Ichigo’s actions may seem perplexing, especially in light of Yhwach’s statements, the reality is much simpler to grasp. Here’s an explanation of how Ichigo ended up taking the life of the Soul King.

Yhwach’s Connection to the Quincy

The Progenitor of All Quincy

Yhwach emerges as the king of the Quincy and the indirect progenitor of the entire Quin race. As the first Quincy, he founded the Quincy Empire, known as the Licht Reich. Every Quincy inherits his blood, and upon their death, they revert back to him. Yhwach exerts considerable influence over their abilities and physical forms. Utilizing the Auswählen ritual, he has the capability to absorb the life force and abilities of any Quincy at will, thereby bolstering his strength or that of other chosen Quincies.

“Farewell, Ichigo Kurosaki. I will revisit you. Heal your wounds and prepare, my cherished child…born in the shadows.”

Every Sternritter is gifted a fragment of Yhwach’s soul, marked with a letter that signifies their Schrift. By literally consuming his blood, they gain formidable powers, augmenting their bond with their king. Upon the death of any Sternritter, Yhwach absorbs their essence and gains strength, as shown when Sternritter S, Mask de Masculine, dies and is absorbed.

Ichigo Under Yhwach’s Influence

The Betrayal of Ichigo’s Quincy Blood

When Ichigo extracted Yhwach’s sword from the Soul King, the reiatsu from the sword flowed into Ichigo, resonating with the Quincy blood he inherited from his mother, Masaki Kurosaki, who hailed from a pure-blood Quincy lineage. Yhwach’s dominance over his offspring extends to Ichigo. This infusion of reiatsu gave Yhwach the ability to manipulate Ichigo’s actions, even as Ichigo remained aware and largely himself. The Quincy King’s influence is inescapable; Ichigo did not intentionally kill the Soul King, but rather fell victim to Yhwach’s control, acting like a marionette despite his overwhelming power. Unfortunately, Ichigo’s Quincy blood made him susceptible to Yhwach’s grasp.

Moreover, Yhwach needed Ichigo to deliver the lethal strike. He explicitly required someone embodying the powers of Humans, Shinigami, Quincies, Fullbringers, and Hollows in perfect unity to eliminate the Soul King. This necessity arises because the Soul King Adnyeus himself is a similar being. Adnyeus was responsible for partitioning existence into the Three Realms: the Human World, the Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo. He is a divine entity descended from the Primordial Sea, perfectly merging all races and fathering a powerful offspring, the original Quincy, Yhwach.

Ichigo embodies this ideal hybrid, mirroring Adnyeus. He is a Shinigami through his father, Isshin; a Quincy and Human thanks to his mother, Masaki; and his mother’s exposure to Hollow reiatsu granted him Fullbringer traits, surfacing as his Shinigami powers through the Hollow Zangetsu. Unlike Yhwach, who is merely the son of Adnyeus, Ichigo possesses a rare connection to him. Ichigo was specifically earmarked to be a potential successor to the Soul King by Ichibe Hyosube, with training designed for this very purpose. Yhwach required a Soul King-like entity, making Ichigo essential for the deed.

In essence, Ichigo’s act against Adnyeus was not a product of his own desire; he was manipulated by Yhwach’s infusion of reiatsu into his Quincy blood. Furthermore, Ichigo’s existence positioned him closer to the Soul King than Yhwach ever was.

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