Bleach TYBW reveals the hidden connection between Auswählen and Uryu Ishida

Bleach TYBW episode 14 brought a hitherto unknown connection between Uryu Ishida, the deuteragonist of this arc, and Auswählen, the event that killed Kanae Katagiri and Masaki Kurosaki nine years ago. The revelation was made by Ywhach, the Father of the Quincies.

Auswählen has been a point of interest ever since the truth about Masaki’s death came forward in Bleach TYBW Part 1. The second cour only complicated the mystery by mentioning how it is the reason behind Uryu’s current standing in the Wandenreich and amongst the Sternritters.

---

Bleach TYBW episode 14 gives Uryu’s survival of Auswählen a new meaning

In Bleach TYBW episode 14, after he proclaims Uryu Ishida as his successor to the collective Strenritter, a flashback reveals Yhwach telling the boy why he was chosen. It appears that Yhwach had an eye on the boy since nine years ago when Auswählen happened.

Without going into too many details that may spoil it for anime-only fans, Auswählen is a Quincy event triggered by Yhwach that causes mass death among the Quincies and is inescapable for everyone who falls under its jurisdiction. Nine years ago, an occurrence of this event killed Kanae Katagiri, who was physically frail, and Masaki Kurosaki, who lost her powers during a fatal battle.

Auswählen is known for singling out the Quincies thought to be “impure” or “useless” by Yhwach and taking their powers. In relation to this, Quincies follow a strict hierarchy of Blood-purity, dividing them into two sections: Echt or Pure Blooded and Gemischt or Mixed Blooded. It can be concluded that the event targets all Gemischt Quincies and only selected Echt Quincies.

The mass grave after Auswählen (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Masaki Kurosaki was a pure-blooded Quincy who gave birth to Ichigo, a half-blood. Uryu’s father, Ryukjen Ishida, is an Echt Quincy, while his mother, Kanae Katagiri, was a Gemischt Quincy. This makes Uryu a Gemisht Quincy as well. In the Auswählen nine years ago, Masaki was targeted arbitrarily, while Kanae was targeted because she was a mixed-blood.

However, Uryu, despite being a Gemischt Quincy, survived the event. Yhwach reveals in Bleach TYBW episode 14 that Uryu was the only Gemischt Quincy to ever survive Auswählen, making him both special and a mystery. This unusual event brought Yhwach’s attention onto Uryu, and he later selected the boy as his successor.

---

Final thoughts

Uryu Ishida, while important to the story throughout the series, becomes the deuteragonist properly only in the Bleach TYBW arc. However, while being a Quincy and discovering the truth about his kind can be taken as enough reason to go against his Shinigami friend and Ichigo’s enemy, it never explained why Yhwach was too focused on Uryu.

However, Bleach TYBW episode 14 gives a hint as to why Yhwach went so far as to send Haschwalth to recruit Uryu. Auswählen, which literally means 'holy selection,' truly selected Yhwach’s successor for him. The reaction from other Sternritter indicates that the choice will not go unchallenged. As of now, it remains to be seen how Uryu Ishida deals with the opposition to his status.

---

Be sure to keep up with more anime news and manga updates as Bleach: Thousand- Year Blood War – the Separation progresses. A detailed review of the first episode of the cour can be found here: Bleach TYBW episode 14 breakdown.