Bleach: Who are the Schutzstaffel? The four horsemen of Yhwach explained

Fans worldwide witnessed the introduction of Yhwach, the main antagonist in the Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War arc from Tite Kubo’s famous manga and anime series, Bleach. Yhwach, along with his army of Quincy known as the Wandenreich, takes over Hueco Mundo and conspires to invade the Soul Society to destroy and take down the Soul King, the supreme being in control of the balance of the world.

Yhwach, ‘Father of the Quincy’ and son of the Soul King, aspires to defeat the latter and take over the world to remake it in his own image. He wants to create a world where fear of death doesn’t exist, which he believes is achievable by collapsing the human world, Soul Society and Hueco Mundo into one.

To achieve his goal, Yhwach had gathered a group of powerful Quincy known as the Sternritter, each with a unique set of abilities granted by Yhwach’s blood called Schrift.

---

Bleach: Exploring the Schutzstaffel and their abilities

Among the Sternritter, there exists four Quincy who stand out from the rest, called the Schutzstaffel (Royal Guards). They are Yhwachs strongest and most loyal subjects. The Schutzstaffel can be called the four horsemen of Yhwach because they each present a resemblance to four different eras of war - ancient (Gerard), medieval (Pernida), modern (Askin), and current (Lille).

---

1) Gerard Valkyrie: The Miracle

Gerard Valkyrie became one of Yhwach’s Schutzstaffel due to being the very heart of the Soul King in Bleach. Gerard possesses the Schrift ‘The Miracle,’ which enables him to transform whatever injury he sustains into strength and size. He has the power to frighten or impress people by manipulating their emotions. Gerard can also use his own spirit energy to create a sword and shield.

His most powerful feat is his physical strength, which gives him the power to withstand three captain-level shinigami at once. He can also unleash devastating attacks that can destroy buildings and mountains. He can also regenerate from any wound, even if his body is reduced to ashes.

---

2) Pernida Parnkgjas: The Compulsory

Pernida is a deity that serves as the very left hand of the Soul King, which resulted in her being one of the members of Schutzstaffel. Pernida’s Schrift is ‘The Compulsory,’ which allows it to control anything it touches with its nerves. Additionally, by swallowing its victims, Pernida can absorb their traits and abilities. The deity can also multiply itself by splitting its fingers into new hands.

---

3) Askin Nakk Le Vaar: The Deathdealing

Askin Nakk Le Vaar, a Quincy with the designation “D” - “The Deathdealing” - is a member of Wandenreich’s Schutzstaffel. Askin can determine the exact fatal dose (the quantity of any drug that would always result in death) and then adjust that number as necessary to create a deadly dosage of that poison in those around him.

---

4) Lille Barro: The X-Axis

In Bleach, Lille Barro is the first Quincy to ever receive Schrift from Yhwach, which resulted in his rise to the position of Schutzstaffel commander. He also thinks of himself as Yhwach’s best creation. His Schrift is “The X-Axis,” allowing him to pierce through anything with his bullets as they travel in a straight line without interference. He can also regenerate from any injury and split himself into multiple copies that can act independently.

---

Conclusion

The four members of the Schutzstaffel are some of Bleach's most formidable foes. Each of them has a special talent that practically makes them unbeatable. It should be noted that Gerard Valyrie and Pernida Parnkgjas had their abilities from the beginning of their existence since they are the Heart and Left Arm of the Soul King.

The Schutzstaffel stand as Yhwach's last line of defense against anybody who might resist him. The Schutzstaffel tests some of the strongest characters in Bleach. They showcase their strength and skill in epic battles that push their opponents to their limits.