Bleach Thousand Year Blood War: What is the Wandenreich? The Quincy Empire, explained

Deep within the dark shadows lay the Wandenreich, the main antagonists of the upcoming Bleach Thousand Year Blood War.

It turns out that Soul Society has more to worry about than Sosuke Aizen and the Arrancar. Seventeen months on from his defeat, a new threat is lurking around the corner. Bleach Thousand Year Blood War will be centered around the conflict between the Shinigami and Quincy.

Led by the powerful Yhwach, the Quincy Empire is given a direct order to wipe out the Shinigami. Anime viewers can expect a very bloody dispute in the Bleach Thousand Year Blood War. The Wandenreich will be one of the most dangerous threats ever seen in the entire series.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views. It will also contain slight manga spoilers.

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Here's what fans should know about the Wandenreich in Bleach Thousand Year Blood War

For context, Quincy have always been at odds with the Shinigami in the Bleach series. They would regularly overhunt the Hollows, which caused a major disturbance in the cycling of souls. Left with no other choice, the Shinigami were forced to fight the Quincy to maintain balance in the world.

Over a thousand years ago, the Quincy lost a brutal war against the Shinigami. The remaining survivors fled the Human World and stayed hidden within Seireitei, the very center of the Soul Society. They manipulated spiritual energy to create space within these shadows.

Yhwach waited over a thousand years to regain his lost powers. His blood flows through the veins of every living Quincy, so the Wandereich Empire owes a great deal to him. After his awakening, Yhwach would then set the stage for the Bleach Thousand Year Blood War.

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How the Wandenreich is structured?

Yhwach is the Quincy Emperor who rules over the Wandenreich. Jugram Haschwalth serves as his personal advisor. Meanwhile, Uryu Ishida will be selected as Yhwach's successor in Bleach Thousand Year Blood War.

The Wandenreich is a strong military force known for their white trench coats and cross medallions. Their main headquarters are set in the secret kingdom of Silbern. Yhwach's elite fighters are referred to as the Sternritter. They carry special medallions that can steal Bankai.

A few Sternritter have also been selected as Yhwach's most powerful guards. They are known as the Schutzstaffel, and they will show up much later in the Bleach Thousand Year Blood War.

The rest of the army is comprised of soldiers known as the Soldats. There is also a special task force that goes by the name of Jagdarmee. Their main goal in Bleach Thousand Year Blood War is to capture the Arrancar and force them to work as mere underlings for Yhwach.

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Each of the Sternritter have "Schrifts"

As mentioned earlier, every living Quincy has Yhwach's blood in their body. He can distribute a piece of his soul to give them special powers. This is known as a "Schrift" in Bleach Thousand Year Blood War. With that said, he can take it away whenever he wants to.

Sternritters have letter designations rooted in the English language. For example, Yhwach has the letter "A" which stands for "Almighty." Each of these letters corresponds to a particular ability. In a way, the Sternritter are the complete opposite of Espada, which used numbers to rank their members.

Of course, not every Shrift was given by Yhwach. Pernida Parnkgjas and Gerard Valkyrie are part of the Soul King, meaning they already had their special powers long before they met the Quincy Emperor. Instead, he gave them a letter designation based on their abilities.

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