Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War — Unveiling the Shocking Reality and Its Controversial Consequences

Highlights

The contentious choice regarding the Kenpachi succession in BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War entailed a deadly confrontation between Unohana and Zaraki, resulting in the survival of only one. This act was deemed essential in order to unleash Zaraki's complete capabilities.

Unohana, the original Kenpachi, possessed tremendous strength and sought formidable adversaries. She mentored Zaraki in unlocking his full potential by gradually helping him overcome his self-restraint.

Eliminating Unohana played a vital role in her personal development, enabling her to reclaim her true essence and fulfill her ultimate desire to revel in the exhilaration of combat.

The Kenpachi succession, a highly controversial decision in BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War, involved the original Kenpachi of the Gotei 13 risking her life in a separate deadly encounter rather than fighting against the Quincies.

Captain-Commander Kyoraku determined that Unohana should train Zaraki to maximize his value to the Shinigami. However, the inevitable clash between Unohana and Zaraki would result in only one survivor. Although everyone involved understood this, why was it considered a necessary sacrifice? Were there truly no other alternatives?

Kenpachi

The Kenpachi title, meaning "Sword-Eight" in Japanese, was originally bestowed upon Yachiru Unohana, the first Captain of the 11th Squad in the Gotei 13. Unohana, a former criminal who became a Shinigami, was among the founding members of the Gotei 13 and held immense power. During her time as the 11th Squad Captain and Kenpachi, Unohana sought to learn healing techniques from a member of the Royal Guard, Tenjirō Kirinji, in order to prolong her battles. The kanji used in the title represent "sword" and the number 8, which holds historical and symbolic significance in Japan. Despite being exceptionally strong, Unohana grew bored of fights that ended quickly. However, she encountered a wild child during a mission in the Rukongai who attacked and injured her. Surprisingly, Unohana found pleasure in the battle and believed the child could become an even more formidable Kenpachi than herself. Subsequently, Unohana changed her name from Yachiru, meaning "Eight-Thousand Flows/Styles," to Retsu, meaning "Tempestuous." She then transitioned to become the Captain of the 4th Squad, a non-combat division within the Gotei 13. Initially perceived as polite and kind, Unohana had a mysterious and intimidating aura surrounding her, creating a humorous paradox.

Suppression

Unohana's true identity as the original Kenpachi is revealed in the tenth episode of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War, titled "The Battle." Upon this revelation, she abandons her "Yamato Nadeshiko" persona and embraces her violent nature. Unohana's desire for violence is insatiable, and she takes pleasure in clashing swords with the only person who can withstand her without holding back. However, her intention in engaging in a deathmatch with Zaraki extends beyond enjoyment. She aims to unlock his full potential by pushing him to his limits.

The story emphasizes the similarities between Unohana and Zaraki. Like Unohana, Zaraki has always felt hindered in his fights because they ended too quickly. However, unlike Unohana, Zaraki never learned healing abilities to counteract this issue. Instead, he unintentionally suppressed his own strength, always fighting at the absolute limit against his opponents. This self-suppression resulted in his narrow defeats against strong adversaries over the years. Unohana notices that each defeat only makes Zaraki stronger, and she exploits this pattern to gradually unleash his true power.

Birds of Prey

Zaraki's fear of Unohana stands out because it can only be experienced in a life-threatening situation. This fear pushed him to his limits and ultimately taught his first opponent after Unohana, Gremmy Thoumeaux, about the true essence of battle. On the other hand, Unohana had grown bored as she couldn't find any opponents who could match her skills, until she encountered the young Zaraki. While their meeting opened up Unohana's limited world, it shackled Zaraki in a way. Unohana's sacrifice was driven by personal reasons, and given the instances of fighting for pride and personal satisfaction in BLEACH, it makes sense for her to risk her life to correct her gravest mistake.

Being a skilled combatant, Unohana immediately recognized when Zaraki realized he surpassed her strength. This moment, which she deeply regrets, made her feel inadequate to him and led him to his destructive behavior. She refers to it as her "sin" and it seems to be the main reason why she abandoned her real name and the Kenpachi title. Zaraki weakened himself out of fear of the consequences that victory would bring, in order to avoid losing the only person who could provide him with the battles he longed for. In a visually striking way, during "The Battle," Unohana remembers Kenpachi's suppression of his true power, symbolized by one of his eyes being obscured, resembling his eyepatch.

Wish-Fulfillment

Unohana Passes the Kenpachi Title – BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 10

Rewriting:

Killing Kenpachi was crucial to Unohana's character development as it would validate her worthiness of the title of Kenpachi and allow her to reconnect with her true self. She had become disenchanted with her own strength since her initial encounter with Zaraki. This battle was destined for Unohana, as she believed her power was specifically gained for this fight. Even if it resulted in her death, she would find satisfaction in having nurtured a killing machine more skilled than herself. Unohana's disillusionment with warfare may have been the reason she stayed away from major conflicts, choosing instead to heal the wounded. Thus, it is unlikely she would have become a part of their combat forces even in this dire situation.

Unohana and Kenpachi communicate through violence, and the recurring theme in BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War is the exploration of the origins of character relationships. Kenpachi's anguished cries as Unohana dies in his arms reflect his grief. In BLEACH, characters often reach their lowest, weakest points as it makes them more open to change, a central aspect of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. Killing Unohana signifies Zaraki accepting his own strength and her guilt-free acceptance of the end of her tenure as Kenpachi. This act is the only way for Zaraki to unleash his full power. As Unohana dies, Zaraki finally hears the voice of his Zanpakutō for the first time. Kyōraku asked Unohana to train Kenpachi for the sake of Soul Society, but she did so to fulfill her deep desire to experience the true thrill of battle again. Unohana dedicated herself to honing Kenpachi Zaraki's skills, as he was the only man who brought her joy.

BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War is available for streaming on Hulu and Disney+.