In the realm of Bleach, Ryuken Ishida stands out as one of the most intriguing figures, often referred to as “The Last Quincy.”As the offspring of Soken Ishida and the father of Uryu Ishida, a key character and rival to Ichigo Kurosaki, Ryuken’s role transcends mere family ties. He works as the head of Karakura Hospital throughout much of the narrative.
Although he claims to have little interest in his Quincy lineage, Ryuken is undeniably a pure Quincy with the potential for immense combat strength. His abilities are dramatically showcased when he effortlessly dispatches Hollows that threaten his son, Uryu. Every appearance reveals a character who exudes confidence and fearlessness, reinforcing his intimidating reputation.
This tough exterior is not simply for show; Ryuken possesses formidable fighting proficiency. Yet, he tends to remain an observer during critical moments, such as Aizen’s siege on Karakura Town, making it a complex task to evaluate just how powerful Ryuken Ishida truly is in the Bleach universe.
Disclaimer: Spoilers for Bleach TYBW ahead.
Ryuken Ishida’s Power Remains a Mystery in Bleach TYBW
Understanding Ryuken Ishida’s Role
Ryuken Ishida’s character is layered and captivating. Despite an aloof demeanor, he harbors deep-seated conflicts with both his father Soken and his son Uryu. Notably, Uryu does not refer to Ryuken as his father, instead viewing his grandfather Soken as a parental figure.
Despite his aversion to all things Quincy-related, Ryuken’s surroundings—his hospital and even his attire—are steeped in Quincy symbolism. This duality reflects his complicated relationship with the Quincy legacy; he carries pride in the lineage while simultaneously resenting it for the tragedies it has wrought upon his life.
The Quincy, a race of spiritually sensitive humans, possess the ability to absorb and control the Reishi around them. Their powers trace back to Yhwach, and they historically employed these abilities to eliminate Hollows. However, about two centuries prior to the Bleach timeline, the Shinigami decimated most Quincies in order to maintain the worlds’ balance.
In his youth, Ryuken held a sincere affection for the Quincy, but this changed dramatically following Yhwach’s ruthless actions, which ultimately led to the deaths of both Kanae Katagiri and Masaki Kurosaki. Masaki, the last of the Kurosaki lineage, was taken in by the Ishida family with the intent of marrying Ryuken.
Masaki’s fateful encounter with the Shinigami Isshin Shiba culminated in her Hollow infection, an affliction that spelled doom for a Quincy. To save her, Isshin bonded their souls, sacrificing his Shinigami powers in the process. Soon after their nuptials, tragedy struck when Masaki died, having faced a Hollow to protect her child, Ichigo, unable to utilize her Quincy powers against it.
Her inability to defend herself was a direct consequence of Yhwach’s technique known as “Auswahlen,”which stripped power from any Quincy deemed unworthy, causing the demise of Kanae, Ryuken’s first wife.
Kanae, who worked for the Ishida family, initially accepted her role without contesting Ryuken’s arranged marriage with Masaki, aimed at preserving Quincy purity. However, after Masaki departed, Kanae and Ryuken found love together. The devastation of Kanae’s death, also due to Yhwach’s actions, triggered Ryuken’s disdain for Quincy culture.
Upon losing his father Soken, Ryuken cautioned Uryu to steer clear of the Shinigami to safeguard him. When Uryu depleted his Quincy powers using Letzt Still, Ryuken intervened to help him regain them, yet their bond remained strained, largely due to Uryu’s traumatic memories of his father’s actions during Kanae’s autopsy.
In the climactic moments of the Quincy-Shinigami conflict during Bleach TYBW, Ryuken entrusted Uryu with a silver arrowhead, instructing him to use it against Yhwach when the moment called for it. Through his autopsy on Kanae, Ryuken discovered a silver clot within her heart, which he linked to her death.
Quincies affected by Yhwach’s Auswahlen formed silver clots in their hearts that would ultimately lead to their demise. Interestingly, exposure to this silver caused Yhwach to lose his powers temporarily. Ryuken forged Kanae’s clot into an arrowhead, setting his sights on revenge against Yhwach.
Uryu successfully shot the arrowhead into Yhwach, enabling Ichigo to deal the final blow, turning the same silver clot that was a source of tragedy into a means of retribution for Ryuken, symbolizing poetic justice for the loss of his wife and Masaki.
The Implication of Ryuken’s Strength
Determining Ryuken’s true strength is challenging since creator Tite Kubo chose not to showcase him in extensive battles. As a descendent of Soken Ishida and known as “The Last Quincy,”Ryuken has access to a wide array of techniques passed down through Quincy lineage.
His command over Quincy spiritual weaponry is impressive, enabling him to create and control a bow with one hand, alter its size, and unleash multiple Heilig Pfeil simultaneously. Notably, his marksmanship is so precise that he can hit a target mere millimeters from the heart without causing damage.
In one of his few notable appearances, Ryuken dispatched Menos Grande Hollows, which rival Gillian-class Hollows in power—an impressive feat since Visored members had to don their masks to engage these creatures effectively.
Ryuken possesses a considerable cache of Seele Schneider blades, indicating a proficiency that allows him to enhance his capabilities, damage opponents, and utilize the Sprenger technique effectively.
Ryuken’s father, Soken Ishida, was exiled from Wandenreich due to his ideology of achieving harmony between Quincies and Shinigami, suggesting he had once been a Sternritter given his possession of a Sun Key—exclusive to Sternritter members.
Ryuken himself may have also been affiliated with the Sternritter, as indicated by his Wandenreich uniform, and the novel “Bleach: Can’t Fear Your Own World”suggests he possessed a Schrift ability. Furthermore, this novel mentions Ryuken’s use of Sklaverei, a technique linked to the Vollstandig transformation.
As an Echt Quincy, or pure-blooded Quincy, it’s logical that Ryuken possesses access to these formidable abilities. Given how Ryuken is often praised throughout Bleach, one can assume he has mastered these techniques to a significant degree.
Uryu Ishida demonstrated immense power using Letzt Still during the Soul Society Arc, overtaking a Shinigami of Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s tier with ease. Ryuken noted this power as weak and insignificant, indicating that his personal strength was of an entirely different magnitude and exponentially harder to eradicate.
This signifies that Ryuken likely possesses the capability to utilize Letzt Still devoid of the typical drawbacks, or he might utilize it permanently without needing to accumulate energy via the Sanrei Glove.
In conclusion, Ryuken’s potential far exceeds that of an average Gotei captain. In fact, most Gotei captains, Espada, or Sternritter would likely succumb to Ryuken’s prowess, which stems from his inherent Quincy attributes and formidable spiritual potency.
Ryuken acts as a guiding figure for Uryu, comparable to Isshin’s mentorship of Ichigo, whose strength allowed him to challenge Sosuke Aizen until his powers underwent transformation due to the Hogyoku.
When all is said and done, Ryuken’s combat abilities likely align with those of a post-Royal Guard trained Byakuya, who showcased immense strength against multiple Sternritter. Thus, Ryuken’s power might rival that of Yhwach’s elite Schutzstaffel.
While he often maintains composure and rarely reveals his true might—driven by his disillusionment in the wake of personal tragedies—Ryuken is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. Fans of Bleach TYBW are eager for the opportunity to witness the full extent of his abilities in action.
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