A

A
Quote	"The bell will continue to toll until you fall to the earth, struck by the sword."
TYBW Episode #	27
Overall Episode #	393
Manga Chapters	Chapter 608 (pages 14-17), Chapter 609, Chapter 610, Chapter 611
Arc	Thousand-Year Blood War arc
Chronology
Previous Episode	BLACK
Next Episode	KILL THE KING
Airdate
Japanese	October 5, 2024
English	N/A
Theme Music
Opening	Kotoba ni Sezu Tomo
Ending	Monochrome
Episode 393 Screenshots

For the chapter of the same name, see "A".

A is the twenty-seventh episode of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War and the three hundred and ninety-third episode of the Bleach anime overall.

Yhwach and his Schutzstaffel conclude their respective battles against Ichibē Hyōsube and the rest of the Royal Guard as the former awakens his true power, The Almighty.

Summary[]

Having been overpowered by the revived Schutzstaffel, Ōetsu Nimaiya, Tenjirō Kirinji, and Kirio Hikifune decide to let Senjumaru Shutara handle the group and kneel while pressing their blades against their own necks. After promising to show the Quincy how the Royal Guard get serious, Nimaiya slits his throat with Sayafushi as Kirinji and Hikifune do the same with their Zanpakutō, to Uryū Ishida and Jugram Haschwalth's alarm.

As a smiling Senjumaru is coated in blood, three of the four candles in front of a seal are snuffed out one at a time, with corresponding sections of the seal disappearing simultaneously, until only one is left, causing Senjumaru's Reiatsu to surge around her and forcing the Quincy to shield themselves from the wind it produces. Though Gerard Valkyrie questions what a lone Royal Guard can do when all four of them were not able to defeat the Schutzstaffel, Senjumaru reveals even a brief usage of a Royal Guard's full power would cause the heavens and earth of all three realms to tremble.

Explaining that the Royal Guard linked their Souls to each other to seal away their true power because of this, Senjumaru informs the Quincy that the Blood Oath's Seal has now been broken and orders them to prepare themselves before activating her Bankai, Shatatsu Karagara Shigarami no Tsuji, which produces a gigantic loom from behind her and rolls out a long red cloth as the surrounding area is closed off by rapidly-sewn thread, sealing the confused Quincy inside while intricately-decorated fabrics hang from the top. In the replica Tenchūren, Ichigo Kurosaki and Ganju Shiba are astonished by the pressure they feel.

As Ichigo recognizes Senjumaru's Reiatsu, Yoruichi Shihōin infers that it is her Bankai, and with Ganju astonished at this feeling far more powerful than even a captain's Bankai, Orihime Inoue inquires if Ichigo is referring to the royal guard. Affirming this and noting that his friends have not met them in person, Ichigo explains that his true Zanpakutō, new Ōken clothing, and even his heightened powers came from them because everything they do is on a whole different level from the rest of the Gotei 13. In turn, Orihime suggests that this level of power might allow the Royal Guard to defeat the Quincy on their own.

A delighted Ganju points out that the Royal Guard defeating Yhwach before they arrive would be greatly beneficial to them, but Ichigo can only frown after agreeing with him. Meanwhile, Senjumaru ominously approaches the Quincy and recreates the sounds of shaking and rattling with her voice before initiating Hitokase Tokaba: Banra no Me, which creates eight tall and connected mirrors around Lille. When the image of Senjumaru and dozens of eyes appear in each of them, Lille fires several shots into the mirrors, only to find them undamaged while his own body has holes punched into its torso instead, causing him to collapse.

Having been surrounded by eight mirrors as well and questioning what is happening, Askin sees Senjumaru appear in the mirrors and initiate Futakase Tokaba: Hagane no Yoroi, which produces spikes across the ground that punch through Askin's right foot and shoe prior to the images of Senjumaru peeling off the mirrors to reveal large spiked metal silhouettes of her that fall upon a shocked Askin, leaving him trapped underneath a large pile of crumpled metal. Meanwhile, having been placed in a much larger and more multifaceted hall of mirrors, Pernida sees the ground underneath it spiral and stretch out as Senjumaru begins Mitsukase Tokaba: Kokusa no Harawata.

Though Pernida attempts to twist and crush its surroundings with The Compulsory, the images underneath it flicker out to reveal a large pit of sand that begins dragging it down, with no amount of sand compressed able to free it before it sinks beneath the black soil. Following this, Gerard stands surrounded by patterned blue tapestries and falling sand while Senjumaru begins Yotsukase Tokaba: Itetsuku Shitone, which causes more of the tapestries to bind his legs. Despite claiming that he can easily cut though this, Gerard is startled when a second set of tapestries binds his arms, leaving him immobile in front of a massive glacier.

An icy wind blows over Gerard, freezing him solid as he attempts to move and free himself, as Haschwalth stands in a long hallway with red linens depicting trees on either side. Once Senjumaru unleashes Itsukase Tokaba: Yakenohara, Haschwalth sees the linens and small branches on the ceiling catch fire before a large wall of flame rushes into him, where Haschwalth sees flickering silhouettes of Senjumaru in the dancing flames. Slashing through the silhouettes, Haschwalth discovers that there is nothing within the flames and is set on fire himself, producing a towering pillar of flame that stretches to the ceiling.

Finally, Senjumaru appears behind Uryū in his hall of mirrors and activates Mutsukase Tokaba: Yamiyo no Hoshiyo, creating a large version of the Wandenreich emblem in front of him that begins draining Uryū's power into itself in the form of glowing particles, which ultimately causes him to fall to his knees as his energy vanishes. In the aftermath, Senjumaru glides through the main hall of her Bankai, tells her opponents to take a look while she seals off the threads from the loom, and concludes with Shide no Rokushiki Ukimon no Hata, which causes six tapestries depicting the fates of Lille, Askin, Pernida, Gerard, Haschwalth, and Uryū to fall before her.

On the platform above them, Yhwach turns and begins to walk away from the flaming Ichibē Hyōsube, but stops and looks back in bewilderment when the flames dissipate to reveal an unharmed Ichibē with the black returned to his hair, who reveals that the power of Ichimonji encompasses all of the color black in the world and that beings of all species, living and dead, contribute their black to his power. Slashing Ichimonji at Yhwach and creating a massive splash of ink that covers almost all of Yhwach's body, extending into the air off the sides of the platform and raining down below, Ichibē addresses the man formerly known as Yhwach.

After musing that losing his name must be agonizing for Yhwach, Ichibē decides to give him a new name and activates his Shin'uchi, Shirafude Ichimonji, which turns the blade of his brush back into bristles that emit a white energy, forming a large circle around Ichibē himself. Ichibē observes that the modern term for this would be Bankai, though he does not use it because Ichimonji became the first evolved Zanpakutō long before the term Bankai existed, and informs Yhwach that Shirafude Ichimonji can be used to write a new name on anything that has had its name removed by the ink of Ichimonji.

As he uses Shirafude Ichimonji to write "Black Ant" on Yhwach's body, Ichibē addresses him as such and inquires about how it feels to possess the power of a black ant, which he describes as a frail and fleeting life. When Yhwach admits that he never could have imagined this, Ichibē assumes that he is referring to the gap between their powers and asserts that Yhwach's fate ends here. Demanding that Yhwach atone for all the Shinigami he has killed by being crushed to death, Ichibē uses Senri Tsūtenshō to stomp Yhwach through the platform with a massive leg, bids him farewell, and crushes him between two massive palms.

However, while continuing to hurtle through the air as Ichibē looks up at the Greater Soul King Palace, Yhwach clarifies that he never could have imagined being able to see this much with his eyes closed just before his eyes suddenly gain an additional pupil, pushing both to the corners of each socket. With the fabrics containing the Schutzstaffel glowing with bright blue energy, the platform behind Ichibē is pierced by a thick beam of Reishi, and as he turns around in confusion, Ichibē spits up blood upon finding himself being stabbed in the chest by a Reishi sword held by Yhwach, still covered in ink.

Grabbing the blade with both hands, Ichibē demands to know why Yhwach isn't dead yet and is shocked to see the characters that he wrote on the latter's chest starting to flake off alongside the ink covering his body. Within his fabric trap, Haschwalth recites the Kaiser Gesang and ruminates on Yhwach fighting with his eyes closed this whole time because opening them before the nine years it took to regain his strength elapsed would have risked his power going out of control. Upon rushing at Yhwach with Ichimonji pointed at his face, Ichibē is flabbergasted to find himself stabbing empty air when Yhwach moves behind him with Hirenkyaku.

With Haschwalth observing that Yhwach has now opened his eyes and the nine years of regaining his strength have ended, which means he has access to his true power and can see everything that is about to happen with the power he witnesses being unable to kill him, Ichibē attacks Yhwach three more times and misses with each slash, leaving Haschwalth to conclude that the name of the power befitting Yhwach is The Almighty as Yhwach finishes his sentence. Simultaneously, within Shide no Rokushiki Ukimon no Hata, Uryū's tapestry glows just before he breaks free of it and lands before a bemused Senjumaru.

Noticing Uryū's glasses briefly sparking with Blut as he draws back a Heilig Pfeil in his Heilig Bogen, Senjumaru asks him if Yhwach's awakening caused him to develop new powers, and with Uryū remaining silent as his eyes briefly glow red, sparking with more Blut all the while, and Haschwalth takes notice within his tapestry, Senjumaru promises to help him sleep by sewing his eyes shut instead. In turn, Uryū invites her to try as long as she can move faster than his Heilig Pfeil and fires his currently-nocked one at her, only for Senjumaru to quickly sidestep it behind a roll of fabric as her image appears on the tapestries around Uryū.

Uryū leaps into the air as the dozens of fabric strips surrounding him follow his movements, forcing him to dodge through them with Hirenkyaku before finding the real Senjumaru on the ground below and unleashing Licht Regen. As the barrage of Heilig Pfeil collides with the fabric strips, Uryū flies through the smoke and lands behind Senjumaru, but is alarmed when the floor beneath his feet turns to lava, forcing him to jump back up while his shoes singe and a patch of Blut Vene on his cheek protects him from a droplet of lava. Below Uryū, Senjumaru questions if he can feel it stirring inside his veins.

After clarifying that she is referring to the blue blood that he inherited from Yhwach, Senjumaru drops several swirling tapestries with her image on it around Uryū and mockingly inquires about what a mere Quincy could inherit, as well as what possible legacy one forsaken by the Soul King could leave, prior to surrounding Uryū with flames. With Uryū leaping into the air, evading dozens of large rocks dropped on him from above, and being protected by his Blut Vene when shards of one that he destroys with a Heilig Pfeil strike him, Senjumaru asserts that his kind has outlived their time and promises to eradicate his bloodline.

Looking up in surprise, Uryū finds dozens of Huge Hollows dropping down onto him and blasts through one with a Heilig Pfeil to continue moving upward, but is caught off-guard when several thick threads within the corpse's wounds reach up and wrap around his leg. As dozens more Huge Hollows fall onto him, Uryū is forced to destroy them with another barrage of Heilig Pfeil rather than free himself and crashes into the mound of bodies on the ground, where he is left restrained by and struggling to break out of even more threads just before a smirking Senjumaru raises her hand to summon even more tapestries around Uryū.

When the tapestries separate, Uryū is left hanging by his bound arms from the ceiling, and while approaching him, Senjumaru assures Uryū that she does not like tinkering with dead bodies as 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi does. Though Senjumaru points out that he would not have died a needless death if he had just stayed hidden in the Human World, Uryū insists that he has a reason to fight before Senjumaru, who promises that this will only slightly hurt, reaches around to the back of his neck with one of her artificial limbs and sticks a sewing needle into the base of his neck, causing Uryū's body to begin glowing with a bright light.

During this, an ink-free Yhwach stands before Ichibē and presumes he wants to know why Yhwach is not dead, why his powers are not working, and why he is going to die, only for Ichibē to refute the idea of him losing and ridiculing Yhwach's arrogance following the removal of his "Black Ant" name. After inquiring about how Yhwach intends to win with all the black covering his body, Ichibē reminds the former that all the black in the world still belongs to him and performs a lengthy ceremony to initiate Futen Taisatsuryō, which creates a massive mausoleum around Ichibē with darkness taken from a hundred nights 100 years in the future.

Describing how the skulls and graves here are dedicated to Yhwach and will turn his flesh, blood, and bones black to completely eradicate them, Ichibē concludes that Yhwach's Soul will not even enter the cycle of rebirth and will be obliterated, only to be shocked when Yhwach mirrors his sentence about falling into a pitch-black hell. As he reminds Ichibē that there is no room for comprehension or countermeasures against his power because all that he sees and knows his powerless against him, Yhwach gains a third pupil in the center of each eye, prompting Ichibē to lunge through the air toward him with Ichimonji outstretched.

Yhwach asks Ichibē if the latter still believes him to be nameless and proclaims that he is Yhwach, the one who will rob Ichibē of everything, before raising his hand and blasting Ichibē with enough force to destroy his torso, leaving his head and limbs to bloodily fly through the air and land on the ground near Yhwach's feet. Meanwhile, a newly-freed Uryū floats in the air with the massive wings of his Quincy: Vollständig surging with Reishi behind him, and as Senjumaru wonders if this is the power of a Sternritter, Uryū grimaces and floats to the ground while his wings refine and condense themselves to a more standard size.

Though Senjumaru decries the idea of him being able to overcome her Bankai even with this power boost, Uryū points out that she is the one currently caught up in her Bankai, causing an aghast Senjumaru to realize that she is wrapped up in her own fabrics where Uryū previously was, and he vows to kill her on his honor as a Quincy prior to firing a Heilig Pfeil through the center of her chest. Senjumaru bleeds from the mouth and falls to the ground, to the shock of Ichigo, Kisuke Urahara, 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, and Mayuri as they sense Senjumaru's Reiatsu disappear from far below.

With his eyes glowing red and crackling with even more Blut, Uryū grits his teeth and kneels as his wings surge in size and strength before dispelling his Quincy: Vollständig in a blast of energy. After confirming that his Blut is back under control, Uryū watches Shatatsu Karagara Shigarami no Tsuji disintegrate and is approached from behind by the other Schutzstaffel as Yhwach walks over to the Seal placed by Ichibē, whom he notes died three steps short just as predicted, and destroys it by simply placing his hand on the barrier, opening the path to the stairs approaching the Greater Soul King Palace.

The last candle on the Blood Oath's Seal flickers out, with Senjumaru's portion burned through, while Yhwach declares that the Royal Guard have fallen, prompting Haschwalth to assert that their thousand years of prayer are about to be rewarded. As the Schutzstaffel kneel on either side of him, Yhwach begins walking toward the end of the Vestibule Road and breaks down the pillars lining it to create a long set of glowing blue stairs leading directly to the Greater Soul King Palace, which he begins ascending as he ruminates on his thousand years of life, the losses that he and the other Quincy have suffered, and their first invasion of the Seireitei.

Concluding that all of this will be consummated by the Soul King's death, Yhwach inquires if the latter can hear his footsteps and sets foot in the Greater Soul King Palace before the Soul King, whom he informs that this is the sound of bells tolling for the king of three worlds. Some time later, the replica Tenchūren crashes into the Vestibule Road, where Ichigo and his friends disembark as a confused Sado wonders if the silence means that the battle is over, only for the group to gasp in horror upon seeing Ichibē's severed head lying on the floor. As Orihime rushes over to Ichibē, Ichigo identifies him to the others.

Suddenly, with Orihime attempting to revive Ichibē with Sōten Kisshun, Ichigo hears Ichibē's disembodied voice telling him to call Ichibē's name, and after expressing confusion to his friends, Ichigo says Ichibē's full name aloud, causing Ichibē's eyes to open as a black mass forms underneath his head, raising it aloft and eventually dissipating to reveal his restored body while a startled Orihime falls back. After thanking a terrified Ichigo, Ichibē explains that all power resides in names and having Ichigo call his name let him take a tiny portion of Ichigo's power to restore his body with, to Ichigo's bewilderment.

Laughing uproariously at this since their combined powers make it quite possible, Ichibē calms himself and requests that Ichigo stop Yhwach due to the Royal Guard being defeated and his own power taking too long to be fully restored. While asserting that there is no one else strong enough to do it, Ichibē assures Ichigo that he can stop Yhwach without killing him and emphasizes that the Soul King is the key to the world, meaning that his death will cause the Human World, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo to collapse. Though apologetic over forcing this task upon him, Ichibē beseeches Ichigo to protect the Soul King, which Ichigo accepts.

Ichigo and his friends run toward the Greater Soul King Palace and up the stairs encircling it as, down in Muken, Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku approaches the bound and restrained Sōsuke Aizen, who lifts his head at the former's presence. Back in the Greater Soul King Palace, Yhwach reaches the Soul King in his crystal, bids him farewell, and raises his Reishi Sword before shoving it through the Soul King's chest and identifying the latter as his father, the one who has seen the future.

Characters in Order of Appearance[]

Fights & Events[]

• The Royal Guard vs. The Wandenreich (concluded)
• Ichibē Hyōsube vs. Yhwach (concluded)
• Fall of the Soul King

Powers and Techniques Used[]

Zanpakutō Techniques:

• Shide no Rokushiki Ukimon no Hata (死出六色浮文機, Loom of the Six-Colored Floating Patterns of Death)

• Hitokase Tokaba: Banra no Me (一綛解かば 万朶の眼, Unravel One Hank: Eyes of Many Branches)
• Futakase Tokaba: Hagane no Yoroi (二綛解かば 刃金のよろい, Unravel Two Hanks: Armor of Blade Metal)
• Mitsukase Tokaba: Kokusa no Harawata (三綛解かば 黒砂の腸, Unravel Three Hanks: Bowels of Black Sand)
• Yotsukase Tokaba: Itetsuku Shitone (四綛解かば 凍てつく褥, Unravel Four Hanks: Freezing Bed Linens)
• Itsukase Tokaba: Yakenohara (五綛解かば 焼野原, Unravel Five Hanks: Burning Field)
• Mutsukase Tokaba: Yamiyo no Hoshiyo (六綛解かば 闇夜の星よ, Unravel Six Hanks: Star of the Dark Night)

• Futen Taisatsuryō (不転太殺陵, Slaughterous Mausoleum of Halted Reincarnation)
• Seal (封)

Quincy Techniques:

• Quincy: Vollständig (滅却師完聖体 (クインシー・フォルシュテンディッヒ), Kuinshī Forushutendihhi; German for "Quincy: Complete", Japanese for "Monk of Destruction: Complete Holy Form")
• Hirenkyaku (飛廉脚, Pure Flying Step)
• Licht Regen (光の雨 (リヒト・レーゲン), Rihito Rēgen; German/Dutch for "Light Rain", Japanese for "Rain of Light")
• Blut Vene (静血装 (ブルート・ヴェーネ), Burūto Vēne; German for "Blood Vein", Japanese for "Stilled Blood Guise"; Viz "Calm Blood Dress")
• Heilig Pfeil (神聖滅矢 (ハイリッヒ・プファイル), Hairihhi Pufairu; German for "Holy Arrow", Japanese for "Sacred Destruction Arrows")

Other Techniques:

• Senri Tsūtenshō (千里通天掌, Heavenly Passing Palm of the Thousand Ri)
• Sōten Kisshun (双天帰盾, Twin Sacred Return Shield)

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai:

• Ichimonji (一文字, Straight Line)

Bankai:

• Shatatsu Karagara Shigarami no Tsuji (娑闥迦羅骸刺絡辻, Crossing of Sahā's Gate, Kāla's Corpse and Piercing Entanglements)
• Shirafude Ichimonji (しら筆一文字, White Brush Straight Line)

Spirit Weapons:

• Reishi Sword
• Reishi Bow

Schrifts:

• The X-Axis (万物貫通 (ジ・イクサクシス), Ji Ikusakushisu; Japanese for "Piercing All Things")
• The Compulsory (強制執行 (ザ・コンパルソリィ), Za Konparusorī; Japanese for "Compulsory Execution")
• The Almighty (全知全能 (ジ・オールマイティ), Ji Ōrumaiti; Japanese for "All-Knowing and All-Powerful")
• Antithesis (完全反立 (アンチサーシス), Anchisāshisu; Japanese for "Perfect Anti-Setup")

Other Powers:

• Shun Shun Rikka (盾舜六花, Six Flowers of the Hibiscus Shield)

Music[]

Timestamp	Track Listing
01:55	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 4 - 1130 TYBW full of guitars
04:55	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 22 - Raw breath - orchestra 2022
07:19	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 23 - BLEACH TYBW theme
09:34	Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion OST - Track 24 - Treachery
13:30	No Official Release
15:50	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 11 - 1151 TYBW intro fanfare
16:42	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 6 - 1142 TYBW full orchestra choir
17:50	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 7 - 34 to 74 TYBW full orchestra choir
18:26	No Official Release
21:56	Bleach: The Blood Warfare OST 1 - Track 17 - Soundscape to ardor - harp 2022

Anime Notes[]

Navigation[]

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