Spoiler Warning: This post includes heavy spoilers from the Bleach manga by Tite Kubo. So, read it at your own risk.
The Soul King plays an integral role in the Bleach universe. Even though he has been a mysterious character throughout the series whom no one has seen often, he is someone who can maintain the balance between the three worlds — the Human World, the World of Hollows, and the Soul Society. The Soul King first showed up when the Menos terrorized the world. So, he became a godlike entity who would protect every living being from being hunted by these evil creatures.
Being the most powerful entity to ever exist, the Soul King became the most challenging foe for Yhwach, who looked forward to killing him no matter what. Defeating the one who prevented the three worlds from collapsing wasn’t easy, so Yhwach used his brains to take down his most potent nemesis once and for all in the Thousand Year Blood War arc.
However, seeing Yhwach and Ichigo at the time of the Soul King’s demise made fans wonder who among the two is the killer of the spiritual being. Well, here’s all you need to know about it.
Who Kills Soul King in Bleach TYBW?
Ichigo Kurosaki kills the Soul King in the final act of Bleach. Following the awakening of the Almighty Eyes and the battle with Ichibei Hyosube, Yhwach headed toward the Soul King Palace to kill the Soul King. However, after he killed the palace’s Royal Guards, the antagonist encountered Ichigo Kurosaki and his group, who desired to stop him.
So, Yhwach got engaged in a fight with Ichigo for a brief period of time. Initially, the latter had the upper hand, but as the battle proceeded, we saw Yhwach dominating the conflict. Later, he reached the Soul King before Ichigo could and pierced the spiritual being’s chest with a sword, pretending the Soul King was dead already.
However, Ichigo panicked and didn’t realize that it was Yhwach’s clever plan, so he just went ahead and took out the sword from the Soul King’s chest without knowing that it was imbued with the cruel villain’s Reishi. Ichigo’s Quincy blood started reacting, and after that, he lost control of his own body. So, unwillingly, Ichigo became the Soul King’s murderer, as Yhwach’s will pushed him to cut the three realm’s savior into two halves.
What Happened After Soul King’s Death in Bleach?
The Soul King balanced the three worlds, but their stability was shaken after his death. Yhwach absorbed the Soul King and became even more powerful than ever. When this news reached Uryu, Gerald, and the other surviving Quincies, they approached Yhwach, who assured them that they would eventually get used to seeing him in this form.
Meanwhile, seeing the human world, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo crumbling, Askin got scared. He knew someone needed to take the mantle of the Soul King before the three worlds collapsed. So, he pleaded in front of Jugram Haschwalth to convince Yhwach to become the new Soul King in Bleach.
Haschwalth tried to convince Yhwach, who eventually assured him that he would take the position and rebuild their nation.
Ajith Kumar
