The climactic final arc of Tite Kubo’s BLEACH is an intense rollercoaster for its various character introductions, battles, character arcs and, in the anime, its elevated direction and animation production. During the Quincy’s invasion of Soul Society, many Shinigami lost their lives as they were unable to stand up against Yhwach and his Sternritter. During the first skirmishes, Captains had their Bankai stolen from them via the Quincies’ medallions, and one of the first to suffer the consequences of having their trump card removed from their arsenal was 6th Squad Captain, Byakuya Kuchiki. Absolutely devastated in his battle against Sternritter F – The Fear, Äs Nödt.
His heartrending request to Ichigo Kurosaki as he supposedly lay dying was a turning point in the early stages of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, but despite his apparent demise, Byakuya was not killed off. Here’s why Byakuya’s death should have stuck.
As a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, I could not take out those who trampled all over the Seireitei. I led many officers to their deaths. I brought sorrow to their men and families. Only to lose miserably and die after all that. I am deeply embarrassed. On the other hand, you are a human. Not only should you not be involved in this fight, you should not even be here in the first place. So, forgive me for the audacity of asking you this favor: Please… Protect the Soul Society, Ichigo Kurosaki.
– Byakuya Kuchiki, “Born in the Dark”
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The Near-Death of Byakuya Kuchiki
The Most Compromised We’ve Ever Seen Him
In the first Quincy invasion during BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War, the special knights under Yhwach were introduced, with many of them devastating the forces of the Gotei 13 and instantly killing many of the unfortunate Shinigami who came across them. The victims weren’t just swathes of unseated officers, but many seated officers were either gravely wounded or killed, including 3rd Squad Lieutenant, Izuru Kira, who had a chunk blown out of his chest from one of Bazz-B’s Burner Fingers.
When the Sternritter came across Captain-level Shinigami, they revealed their medallions, which were capable of stealing Bankai, defeating many Captains after removing their ultimate abilities. Byakuya’s match-up against Äs Nödt proved to be fatal, as his fear inducement ability intefered with Byakuya’s usually keen edge. Plagued with visions of Rukia’s and his own decaying body, Byakuya’s sword failed to reach the Quincy, who finished the match by wielding Senbonzakura Kageyoshi against him. When Ichigo found Byakuya, he was holding on by a thread, holding on just to make one last request before breathing his last. It was the most vulnerable we had ever seen him throughout the series, and if he had died, the gravity of the invasion and his “last words” would have been far greater.
Why Byakuya’s Death Would’ve Been a Major Development
He Could’ve Been a Much More Significant Martyr
Byakuya’s death would have shown the terrifying power of the Quincies and just how far the stakes have been raised from previous arcs, as Byakuya is one of the strongest officers of the Gotei 13. Losing 1st Squad Lieutenant, Chо̄jirо̄ Sasakibe; a character that other characters joke about not knowing, a number of named officers we see once before they are eviscerated, and the swathes of unseated Shinigami, just isn’t devastating enough for the kind of ruthlessness the Quincies displayed in the early parts of the arc. It is also a strange choice to keep him alive when he thought himself to be a goner.
Losing Byakuya in the early parts would also have given a whole new layer of significance to Rukia’s achievement of Bankai and the use of it to defeat the very foe who “killed” her brother. While his growth and change is evident over the course of this arc and after his recovery from his wounds, it is specifically the loss of a character who has changed so much over the course of his life. Many Captains wind up dead or something close to that over the course of the final arc, but none of those losses could have left as much of a mark on the Thousand-Year Blood War arc as much as the death of Byakuya Kuchiki could have.
