Bleach TYBW: Why Yhwach called Ichigo his son, explained

Quincy king Yhwach left Ichigo Kurosaki very confused in the most recent episode of the Bleach TYBW.

During a brief skirmish in the seventh episode, Born in the Dark, Yhwach confirmed his suspicions that Ichigo is a Quincy, just like his close friend Uryu Ishida. Some viewers will likely share the Shinigami's bewilderment since it's a major bombshell to casually drop in the Bleach TYBW anime.

The best way to describe a Quincy is by calling them spiritually aware humans. However, their role in the story was mostly limited to side plots before the Bleach TYBW anime. Of course, it turns out that Uryu has more in common with Ichigo than he ever truly realized.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's personal views. It will also contain a few spoilers from the manga.

---

There's a reason why Yhwach called Ichigo his "son" in Bleach TYBW anime

Ichigo is revealed to be a Quincy

Born in the Dark is a very appropriate title for episode seven of the Bleach TYBW anime. It refers to Yhwach's parting words for Ichigo shortly before he made his exit from Soul Society. It should be noted that Ywach's use of the word "son" is more figurative than literal.

The anime hasn't gotten into it in full detail yet, but Yhwach is known as the "Father of the Quincy" since his very own blood can be found in all of them. Therefore, it makes sense that Yhwach would call Ichigo his "son in darkness" because the latter is part of the same race.

Ichigo has much to process with the seventh episode of the Bleach TYBW. There is a dramatic irony with him being part Shinigami and part Quincy, considering they are natural-born enemies. He needs to consider what this means for him going forward.

---

The Bleach TYBW anime left behind several clues

During their epic clash from the most recent episode, Yhwach quickly figured out why Ichigo could survive as long as he did. He displayed special powers that only belonged to members of the Quincy race. The Bleach TYBW anime dropped a trail of breadcrumbs along the way.

When he was still in Hueco Mundo, Ichigo was forced to deal with Quilge Opie and his strange powers. The Sternritter carried the Schrift, known as "The Jail," which meant he could trap anybody in a prison of spiritual energy. However, this ability will not work on fellow Quincies.

Furthermore, when Ichigo finally got to fight Yhwach after arriving at the Soul Society, he used Blut Vene to block a killing blow. It's a defensive power exclusive to members of the Quincy race. This ultimately gave away Ichigo's true heritage to Yhwach.

---

How did Ichigo become a Quincy in the first place?

Sooner or later, the anime will go into further detail about Ichigo's mother, better known as Masaki Kurosaki. She was supposed to marry Ryuken Ishida but fell in love with Isshin Shiba after a fateful encounter.

She was infected by a Hollow, but with some help from Kisuke Urahara, he connected her soul with Isshin's. However, this forced the Shinigami to give up his ways and become a human. They would marry and have three children, but Masaki would later die at the hands of a Hollow.