Bleach's Thrilling Finale: Unleashing the True Power of the King!

Highlights

In BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War, Ichigo undergoes intense training with the Royal Guard to gain immense power, and his goal is to become a vessel for the Soul King.

In the post-credits scenes of "Irazusando," the audience witnesses Ichigo's arduous journey and the immense burden he must carry in order to safeguard what he holds dear. As he harnesses the power of the Soul King, Ichigo is overwhelmed by memories and visions that flood his mind. The threads of different hues entwine around him, representing his metamorphosis and the ultimate path he is destined for.

Warning: The following content includes spoilers for episodes of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 and the Can't Fear Your Own World novel series by Ryohgo Narita, supervised by Tite Kubo. These episodes can be streamed on Hulu and Disney+.

In the first four episodes of the second part of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War, the main character Ichigo Kurosaki takes on an intensive training with the Royal Guard to gain immense power. During this time, Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku personally visits the World of the Living to deliver Soul Tickets to Ichigo's friends. There is an implication that Ichigo may not be able to return after the war, although the exact reason is left unexplained. In the post-credits scenes, Ichibe Hyōsube, a member of the Royal Guard, ominously narrates the path that Ichigo has chosen.

Sacred Training

These moments are the result of one of the most abominable incidents in history. It is the very event that fueled Sōsuke Aizen's rebellion against not only Soul Society but also the entire BLEACH universe. The "Irazusando" post-credits scenes offer a glimpse into Ichigo Kurosaki's preparation to serve as a vessel for the Soul King.

In BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Episode 1, Ichigo Irazusando's Zanpakuto has just been reforged in "The Blade is Me". Now, he begins training with Ichibe Hyōsube, who reveals that the Quincies will soon return. Hyōsube explains that in order to defeat Yhwach, Ichigo must surpass the limitations of a Shinigami. This crucial information sheds light on the nature of his training. Equipped with only a wooden sword, Ichigo finds himself in a mysterious alley with a stone path ahead. This enigmatic space is a sacred area accessible only with permission from the Soul King. On both sides of the alley hang numerous white threads in a zig-zag pattern, which have emerged as a recurring motif in this phase of Thousand-Year Blood War. They play a role in Ichigo's training as well as in Rukia and Renji's training, and even with Komamura's Bankai. The objective is simple: reach the shrine-gate located on the other side.

Irazusando

"It initiates, yet does not conclude. Names fade away in silence. Amidst an abyss of swirling clouds, raindrops fill an empty receptacle. Those deemed unworthy become burdened by its weight, as it solidifies into stone. Eventually, it shatters and transforms into gravel. Torrential downpour reduces it to dust. A vessel trapped with no escape. Yet, without entering, there is no pathway. Those on the verge of demise refer to it as... Irazusando".

Irazusando consists of two components: "Irazu", signifying "no entry", and "sando", meaning a route leading to a sacred place. Hence, it signifies "no entry to the path approaching the shrine". Ichigo's advancement feels never-ending, as the destination ahead appears to endlessly stretch despite his progress. Ichigo persists, only to be bombarded by rapid visions, too fleeting to perceive clearly. If one were to slow them down, they may faintly discern a figure submerged in a watery realm, manipulating what resembles a key within one of four swirling whirlpools in the water.

Colourful Thread

The water is filled with various arrows, resembling the aforementioned key, while the silhouette of a person can be seen. Initially whole, the silhouette gradually loses its right and left arms, followed by its legs, all of which are ripped off and thrown into the water. Only the lifeless torso remains afloat. Ichigo's reiatsu experiences a slight fluctuation before the visions reappear, now clearer than before, conveying more information about the fate of the silhouette. Gradually, Ichigo's bewildered eyes become the center of attention as four additional irises emerge within his eye, accompanied by a sense of heaviness. Hyōsube continues his trance-like narration of Ichigo's predicament, explaining that the weight he feels is what he is trying to protect. He also reveals that everything Ichigo sees represents enduring memories and revelations - in other words, the power of the King.

Ichigo Absorbs Rainbow Reishi – BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Episode 4

Upon discovering that the heaviness stems from the Soul King's power, Hyōsube, Ichigo's mind is flooded with more visions. This time, the visions are framed by the distinct four-pointed star shape found in the Royal Guard's insignia, as if Ichigo is perceiving them from a different perspective. It becomes clear that these visions are actually memories flooding into Ichigo's consciousness. In the following frames, shimmering streaks of light in various colors fill the background, interlacing with the threads hanging in the backdrop. Standing in front of one of these vibrant reishi strands, Ichigo witnesses as they start to penetrate his body, intertwining with each other like threads. Four distinct streams of iridescent light, each in a different color, enter Ichigo, causing him to scream in response to the overwhelming power that surges into him.

Can't Fear Your Own World

The entire scene shifts as Ichigo battles to control the overwhelming force before him, plunging the world into an abyss of black and white. His eyes unveil four additional irises, mirroring his internal struggle. His once familiar frame distorts and swells, reacting to the immense power coursing through him. In a blaze of blinding radiance, Ichigo raises his wooden sword, its once mundane appearance transformed into a dazzling, luminous white, casting light upon the surroundings. The colossal white threads at his side now appear as towering pillars, reminiscent of those adorning the esteemed Soul King's palace. With the surge of energy subsiding, Ichigo presses onward, propelled by determination, until he reaches his destination – the chambers of the revered Royal Guard member, Shutara Senjumaru, renowned as the Great Weave Guard. Within these opulent quarters, an exquisite tapestry of diverse and splendid fabrics grace the space.

In the latest episode of BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2, titled "Ichigo Irazusando," a crucial aspect from the first arc resurfaces. Ichigo discovered how to track reiatsu from Uryū, which manifests as threads, typically white in color. However, a red thread signifies the presence of a Shinigami's reiatsu. This significant visual representation carries over into the current arc, with Ichigo's post-credit scene in the 17th episode, "Heart of Wolf." In the novel trilogy "Can't Fear Your Own World" by Ryohgo Narita, the complex history of the Soul King is unraveled. The Soul King, a composite being born amidst primal chaos, was killed and dismembered by a conspiracy orchestrated by the ancestors of the Five Great Noble Clans in Soul Society. His body now serves as the cornerstone of the entire BLEACH universe. The five members of the Royal Guard symbolize the Soul King's limbs and torso, while the five points on the Quincy Starcross possibly reference these crucial components.

During the separation, his body parts and organs gained sentience, but the arms held the greatest significance. The arms governed the concepts of stillness and evolution, with one residing in the body of Captain and the other in a Quincy. The novels reveal that fragments of the Soul King have intertwined with various souls over time. Aizen, aware of the primal assassination of the Soul King, sought to transcend boundaries and create a Hōgyoku. However, the need for the Hōgyoku arose from the fact that an entity like the Soul King, composed of Hollow, Quincy, Shinigami, and Human (Fullbringer) elements, cannot maintain a stable existence due to the conflicting forms of life within. Only one person, the Substitute Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki, is known in the anime to possess the necessary composition to become the next Soul King. Consequently, he would be forced to become the "necessary" sacrifice to uphold the current world structure and would likely be physically incapable of leaving Soul Society.