The Unveiling of Gremmy Thoumeaux's Schrift in BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War

Highlights

Gremmy Thoumeaux's ability to manifest his imagination into reality makes him theoretically unbeatable, but his overpowered nature and lack of stakes make him careless.

Gremmy initially underestimates Kenpachi, but he soon recognizes his opponent's strength and manages to overcome the threat to his own life. However, Gremmy continues to grapple with the conflicting thoughts in his mind.

Due to his lack of tactical understanding and overconfidence, Gremmy ultimately fails to defeat Kenpachi. Witnessing Kenpachi's power alters Gremmy's perception of reality, ultimately leading to his downfall.

Spoilers lie ahead for BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2, Episode 7, "I Am The Edge," currently available for streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

In episode 7 of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 – The Separation, titled "I Am The Edge," we witness the unveiling of the exceptional powers possessed by one of the most formidable Sternritter introduced thus far. Introducing Sternritter V – The Visionary, Gremmy Thoumeaux, who, thanks to his consumption of Yhwach's blood, possesses a special ability that sets him apart as one of the strongest Sternritter. In fact, due to this power, he considers himself to be the mightiest among them.

What does Gremmy's epithet, The Visionary, mean for his abilities and overall character?

Disillusionment

Gremmy Thoumeaux, also known as Sternritter V, is a fascinating character in the BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Episode 7. What stands out about Gremmy is his constant and almost patronizing smile, which gives off an air of emptiness. Despite his facial expression not conveying any negativity, his lifeless eyes reveal a different story. However, during his battle with Kenpachi, we witness cracks in his blasé attitude.

Gremmy's confidence and demeanor stem from the incredible power bestowed upon him by Yhwach. He possesses the ability to turn his imagination into reality, an ability of unparalleled strength. This power even allows Gremmy to give life to his creations, like the fabricated Sternritter V – Guenael Lee. Guenael possesses the epithet "The Vanishing Point," which reflects one of Gremmy's many imaginative abilities. Guenael's power enables him to render himself invisible to his target, and at its highest level, he can erase his very existence from their mind.

Gremmy's power is remarkably formidable, to the extent that his imaginative creation, Guenael Lee, exists as an independent individual. During his battle against Kenpachi, Gremmy even enhances his ability by generating more duplicates of himself, further amplifying his imaginative prowess. At first glance, this type of power seems insurmountable, as Gremmy can effortlessly envision the demise of others or disregard the laws of nature to conjure up various deadly traps or scenarios. However, this overwhelming power also leads Gremmy to be careless, mainly due to the absence of any significant consequences.

A Worthy Opponent

In BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Episode 7, Gremmy Zaraki and Yachiru are pitted against each other. Gremmy, despite barely managing to evade Kenpachi's assaults, assumes a non-combative posture with his hands casually tucked in his pockets. This is because he lacks the ability to sense imminent danger. However, using his formidable power of imagination, he envisions his wounds as already healed while also creating illusions of Kenpachi being trapped in midair within a body of water or even in the depths of the ground. As the battle unfolds, Gremmy experiences a surge of emotions he has never encountered before. The need to demonstrate his strength or seize the opportunity to do so has never arisen in his past. Consequently, his menacing smile takes on a more sinister, sneering appearance, and at various moments, his eyes come alive with a newfound intensity.

The Abyss

As Kenpachi effortlessly obliterates each of Gremmy's manifestations, the true extent of the renowned Shinigami's strength dawns upon him. Alongside this revelation, a vulnerability in Gremmy's seemingly boundless power slowly emerges – the confines of his limitless ability lie within himself. The limitations of his imagination become apparent, as he realizes that envisioning his own demise could inadvertently bring it to life. However, this perilous predicament is swiftly overcome when Kenpachi poses a crucial question – did Gremmy ever imagine himself losing? Prompted by this inquiry, Gremmy rapidly regenerates from his numerous injuries and triumphantly proclaims that he has conquered death itself, as the concept of his own mortality is no longer fathomable to him. This pivotal moment represents Gremmy's victory over the greatest threat to his existence – the potentiality that he could envision his own downfall or failure. Nonetheless, it fails to tackle the potential peril of his own mind acting as a double-edged sword.

Gremmy's Fear of Kenpachi's Blade – BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Episode 7

Gremmy's fight against Kenpachi revealed numerous glaring issues, extending beyond his arrogance. His statement about winning effortlessly without even lifting a finger was intended as a jab, but it showcased his lack of combat intelligence. His powers rendered the concept of "fights" merely nominal, as he could eliminate most adversaries instantly, akin to the immortal or overwhelmingly powerful. Consequently, he suffered from a lack of purpose or consequence, never having to strive for power and existing in a void. However, encountering Kenpachi shattered his illusions and bestowed upon him a goal: gaining recognition for his unmatched strength from the only person he deemed unbeatable. Sadly, Gremmy's absence of genuine danger prevented him from developing true fighting skills. While he could defend against and counter many of Kenpachi's attacks, his complacency caused him to remain stationary during the first assault. After each subsequent attack, Gremmy would dismiss his opponent, convinced that he could not survive the challenging situations Gremmy forced him into. Yet, this mindset became the ultimate limitation of his own powers.

Unconsciously assuming he understood Kenpachi's limits, he was taken aback when he realized that Kenpachi had none, leading to his own downfall. In the initial scenes of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War episode 20, "I Am The Edge," Gremmy showcased his imagination by transforming Yachiru's bones into cookies. Easily breaking her arm, Gremmy predicted that she would mistakenly believe all her bones were cookies, causing her to unintentionally break her other arm when she put weight on it.

Essentially, this scene highlights the impact of reality on perception, which in turn influences one's imagination. Witnessing Kenpachi surpass seemingly impossible situations, Gremmy's perception of him changed. Despite being a monster by Quincy standards himself, Gremmy couldn't help but describe Kenpachi as such after witnessing his power in Shikai mode, following the destruction of the meteor. Gremmy's downfall came from attempting to replicate Kenpachi's strength, an endeavor that ultimately destroyed him because he believed only Kenpachi could possess such power. As Kenpachi succinctly stated, "You created a monstrous image of me in your mind."