In Bleach, there are dozens of overpowered characters who could easily take over the world if they wanted. From the protagonist Ichigo to the legendary head captain Genryusai Yamamoto, the series never holds back in its portrayal of such iconic characters. However, the highly anticipated final arc of the series is more than disappointing in terms of fan-favorite or overhyped characters. Whether it’s Byakuya, Unohana, Yamamoto or even the Royal Guard, it’s clear that Tite Kubo didn’t use these characters to their full potential.
Before the final arc, Kubo made sure to highlight side characters, even if for a brief moment by introducing their abilities or power-ups. One good example can be seen in the “Arrancar vs. Shinigami” arc, where the captains and lieutenants are fighting Aizen and the Espada. As such, their powers are talked about in detail, and the former do ultimately win against their respective opponents. The final arc, on the other hand, is chaotic, and with so many new enemies being introduced in such a short time span, the series fails to utilize these characters to their full potential.
The Introduction of the Royal Guard Doesn’t Live Up to the Hype
The most disappointing aspect of the “TYBW” arc is the Royal Guard. As the ones responsible for protecting the royal palace, the royal family and the Soul King, the members of the Royal Guard — also known as Squad Zero or Zero Division — are legends around the Soul Society. Their introduction in the “TYBW” arc is one of the most highly anticipated moments in the entirety of Bleach. The Royal Guard is made up of five members, all of whom appear after the first Quincy Invasion when the Seireitei is already in ruins. Their powers far surpass anyone in the Gotei 13, and each member is known for contributing something significant to the Soul Society to be eligible for such a high position.
Their significance in the story so far was to help Ichigo and other Soul Reapers gain their strength for the battle yet to come. Needless to say, the members of the Royal Guard participate in the Second Invasion themselves, although this isn’t of much relevance in the later parts of the story. The members — Ichibe Hyosube, Tenjiro Kirinji, Kirio Hikifune, Oetsu Nimaiya and Senjumaru Shutara — are all believed to be the strongest Soul Reapers in the Soul Society, but the series fails to back this up. To start with, Ichibe, the leader of the Royal Guard, reveals his powers in an enthralling way, only to end up easily defeated by Yhwach.
Though it made sense that Yhwach is the final villain and should therefore be the strongest, the fact that the Quincy King doesn’t even have to waste his breath to defeat the leader of the Royal Division is a disappointment. The series could have shown him winning against a Sternritter, but that also never happens. Then there’s Tenjiro, who is introduced as the best healer in the Soul Society and a master of Hoho (Flash Steps). However, during the Second Invasion, he doesn’t even put a scratch on Yhwach and gets defeated by the Sternritter Lillie Barro. Furthermore, Kirio was a former captain of Squad 12 and one of the greatest minds in the series who created the Gikon (artificial souls), paving her way to becoming a member of the Royal Guard. However, the series doesn’t so much as mention her Shikai, Bankai or any offensive techniques.
She and Tenjiro lose against Lillie Barro simultaneously. Additionally, the most interesting character in the Royal Guard has to be Oetsu, the man who created the Zanpakuto. All the Zanpakuto in the Soul Society are directly created by the Asasuchi he made. However, as someone who understands the concept of Zanpakuto completely, fans were eager to see his Shikai and Bankai, but the series never reveals them. He is defeated by a Sternritter in a single attack. Senjumaru Shutara likewise never reveals her powers and gets defeated by her enemies far too easily. In fact, the series never mentions exactly what she contributed to the Soul Society to become a Royal Guard in the first place.
Important Bleach Characters Who Failed Fan Expectations
Judging by the fact that the Royal Guard doesn’t reveal all their powers and they’re barely able to touch Yhwach, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Yamamoto is the strongest Soul Reaper in the Soul Society. He has fought and defeated Yhwach in the past and knows about his weaknesses. Nonetheless, he is easily fooled by a Sternritter who impersonates himself as Yhwach. As a result, Yamamoto uses up all his powers, gets his Bankai stolen and dies a horrible death. In the end, he isn’t able to land a single attack on Yhwach.
Other than that, Byakuya Kuchiki, despite being from a noble lineage, doesn’t even know about the basic ability of Quincies, “Blut Vene.” No matter the reason, this lack of knowledge against enemies costs the Soul Reapers heavily, and Byakuya is no different. By the time As Nodt was done with him in the First Invasion, Byakuya was almost at death’s door. Although he manages to become stronger by the Second Invasion, Byakuya lets Rukia defeat As Nodt, who shows off her Bankai. As a result, Byakuya doesn’t get to shine in the “TYBW” arc. There’s also Izuru Kira who, even though not a major character, had an important role to play in previous Bleach arcs.
Even his Zanpakuto has one of the most intriguing abilities. However, during the First Invasion, he didn’t get to release his Shikai before he was cut into pieces. The scene was extremely brief, almost as if Bleach had been showing a very insignificant character, which is not the case. Then, the series later reveals that he is somewhat “alive,” but more like the walking dead after Mayuri’s experiments. Nonetheless, the point of his return is simply to fight Lillie Barro’s clones, which is nonsensical. No matter what, Izuru is strong enough to be a lieutenant, so after all this farce, he should at least have been able to fight with a Sternritter, but that never happens.
Additionally, Jushiro Ukitake, the captain of Squad 13, makes the ultimate sacrifice after the Soul King’s death, and the truth about his connection with the latter is an exciting moment in the series. However, as he is trying to take Soul King’s place, Yhwach interferes and Jushiro dies in vain. He doesn’t do anything significant in the war, and fans never learn about his Bankai. Other lieutenants and captains such as Rangiku Matsumoto, Shuhei Hisagi, Kensei Muguruma, Rojuro Otoribashi and Shinji Hirako, who are all exceptional fighters and could have been extremely useful, likewise don’t get to do anything significant in the entire arc.
Why Were These Characters Wasted in Bleach‘s TYBW Arc?
The Thousand-Year Blood War is the most intense the series has ever been. In a few chapters, Kubo introduces dozens of characters as well as structures an entire storyline, complete with intriguing flashbacks and the full reveal of Ichigo’s true lineage. As a result, many other characters end up getting sidelined.
Even worse is that despite defeating the Quincies all those centuries ago, the Soul Society apparently knows little to nothing about them. For reasons unknown, there were no recordings of the previous war, and the information was never passed down by Yamamoto or Unohana, both of whom actively participated in it. This makes things far worse for these characters, which is why they are defeated far too easily, completely wasting their potential. Moreover, if Kubo’s intention was to create an invincible villain that even the protagonist could not defeat, these characters never stood any chance against Yhwach and his army, making them a wasted resource from the start.
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