The Mystery of the Soul King’s Death in Bleach TYBW Explained

The Soul King stands as one of the most enigmatic characters throughout the Bleach narrative, reminiscent of a divine entity that emerged from the primal chaos to bring order.

Initially, the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the Human Realm existed as one unified entity. However, they were eventually divided into three distinct planes, with the Soul King serving as the crucial binding force among these worlds.

Without a doubt, the Soul King is portrayed as the most formidable being in the entire series, outclassing even a fully powered Yhwach, an apex Yamamoto, and the Royal Guards. In episode 28 of Bleach TYBW, the Soul King met his demise at the hands of Ichigo Kurosaki, the series’ main character.

Note: This article reveals significant spoilers regarding the Bleach storyline.

Unraveling the Identity of the Soul King’s Slayer

Ichigo ends the Soul King (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Yhwach, the progeny of the Soul King, stands out as the only character determined to eliminate him.

While Yhwach succeeded in wounding the Soul King in Bleach TYBW episode 28, it was Ichigo who, in a moment of lost control, ended up delivering the fatal strike, effectively severing the Soul King in two. Thus, even though Yhwach initiated the Soul King’s demise, it was Ichigo who ultimately brought it to fruition.

Yhwach’s Involvement in the Soul King’s Demise

Yhwach depicted in the Bleach anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Among all beings in the three realms, Yhwach alone pursued the death of the Soul King for centuries, dismantling numerous Shinigami factions with the might of his Quincy army. While Ichigo ultimately played the role of the killer, it was Yhwach’s meticulous planning that orchestrated these events towards a singular goal.

Once Yhwach stabbed the Soul King, he anticipated Ichigo would rush in to save him. The profound animosity that Yhwach harbored towards the Soul King, embedded deep within his Quincy lineage, enabled him to take control of Ichigo when he interacted with the sword lodged in the Soul King.

Since Yhwach himself lacked the ability to slay the Soul King, this task required a unique combination of attributes found in Ichigo: he was a Soul Reaper, a Hollow, a Human, a Fullbringer, and a Quincy. Thus, Ichigo was the sole individual capable of fulfilling this grim requirement. The act of eliminating the Soul King was a coordinated effort between Yhwach and Ichigo, both essential to its completion.

The Motives Behind Yhwach’s Desire to Eliminate the Soul King

Ichigo and the Soul King portrayed in the Bleach anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Yhwach’s motivation for wanting to kill the Soul King traces back to the original sin committed by the Soul Society. This act was executed to shape the various realms into existence, as elaborated in the Bleach: Can’t Fear Your Own World light novels.

The Soul King, one of the first transcendent entities in the primordial world, took on a godlike role among the inhabitants. The forebears of the Soul Reapers, alongside the founding members of the Noble families, conspired to debase the Soul King, reducing him to a limbless, sentient torso, which they enclosed in crystalline confinement to maintain the world’s tenuous stability. This significant event is referred to as the “Original Sin,”known only to a select few within the story.

Ichibe depicted in the Bleach anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

As the Soul King’s son, Yhwach sought his death out of both compassion and anger, driven by the desire for vengeance against a Soul Society that had unjustly treated his father, reducing him to the status of a mere instrument. Yhwach’s act of slaying the Soul King was, at heart, a bid to liberate him from his ‘humiliating existence’ as a mere foundation of all realms.

Although Ichibē’s initial intention was to dismember Ichigo and use him as a replacement Soul King, Yhwach’s remains ultimately served this purpose, becoming the new Soul King and essential pivot of reality after Ichibē’s triumph in the concluding chapters of the series.

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