Did Ukitake Become the New Soul King In Bleach TYBW? What Did He Do?
The latest episodes of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War anime have managed to leave us all reeling.
, sending shockwaves of chaos through the Soul Society.
As the realms teetered on the brink of collapse, Jushiro Ukitake, the ailing captain of the 13th Division, secretly initiated a mysterious ritual.
This has led many fans to speculate: Did Ukitake become the new Soul King?
To put it simply, no, Ukitake did not become the Soul King, nor was he trying to. Instead, he sacrificed himself to allow Mimihagi, the right hand of the Soul King, to ascend to that position.
Remember how the Soul Society was in disarray after the Soul King’s death? That’s because the Soul King acts as a linchpin, holding the different realms together. Without him, everything would fall apart.
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Ukitake, ever the noble soul, decided to take action. He performed a ritual called “Kamikake,” allowing Mimihagi to take over his body and essentially become the new Soul King ().
The reason why he was able to do this ritual is because Ukitake suffered from a terrible lung disease in his childhood, and his parents, in an act of desperation, prayed to Mimihagi.
Mimihagi answered their prayers by taking Ukitake’s lungs, effectively curing him but also creating a permanent link between them.
Kamikake ritual wasn’t about Mimihagi possessing Ukitake, but rather Ukitake offering his body to allow Mimihagi to become whole.
Remember that Mimihagi was only a part of the Soul King, his right hand. By merging with Ukitake, Mimihagi could potentially regain its full power and become the new Soul King.
During the Kamikake, a shadow resembling Mimihagi rose from Ukitake’s back, reaching towards the sky. Darkness erupted from his body as Mimihagi ascended.
Upon reaching the palace, Mimihagi enveloped the shattered remnants of the Soul King’s crystal, shocking everyone present. This act temporarily stabilized the Soul Society, halting the tremors and preventing immediate collapse.
Once again, the short answer is no. Mimihagi too was not able to take the place of the Soul King, thanks to Yhwach’s interference.
While Mimihagi’s arrival at the Soul King Palace and subsequent merging with the Soul King’s remains offered a glimmer of hope, Yhwach was determined disrupt any attempt to derail his goal.
Mimihagi managed to encase the Soul King’s shattered crystal, temporarily halting the tremors that threatened to tear the Soul Society apart.
This gave Ichigo and his allies a chance to regroup and protect Mimihagi, with Yoruichi erecting a barrier around it.
They believed that Mimihagi, as the Soul King’s right hand, was the best candidate to take over and maintain order.
However, their efforts were thwarted by the unexpected arrival of Uryū Ishida, now aligned with Yhwach. Uryū ruthlessly attacked Yoruichi, shattering her barrier and leaving Mimihagi vulnerable.
With Ichigo distracted and his friends incapacitated, Yhwach seized the opportunity. He forcefully ripped Mimihagi away from the Soul King’s remains, preventing it from fully integrating and assuming the mantle of Soul King.
Yhwach didn’t stop there. He absorbed Mimihagi’s power, gaining a distinctive pattern of eyes on his body.
This act further destabilized the Soul Society, and the tremors resumed with renewed intensity. The darkness that had enveloped Ukitake was forcibly made to leave his body and was now within Yhwach.
The battle for the Soul King’s power was far from over, and the fate of the Soul Society remained uncertain. Ukitake’s sacrifice, while noble, ultimately proved insufficient to secure Mimihagi’s ascension.
What are your thoughts on the whole Soul King saga? Let me know them in the comments below!