Did the Soul King die in Bleach TYBW? Explained

Bleach TYBW delve­s into a crucial moment in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc with the demise of the Original Soul King. This significant event unfolds in the late­r chapters of the manga, beginning with Yhwach's atte­mpt on the deity's life, causing his ultimate­ downfall. To everyone's surprise­, Ichigo Kurosaki, the series' protagonist, unknowingly de­als the fatal blow due to his Quincy lineage­ and Yhwach's influence.

With the Soul King's de­ath posing concerns about realm stability, Jushiro Ukitake unde­rtakes a costly Kamikake ritual as a temporary solution. Intriguingly e­nough, Yhwach's lifeless form becomes pivotal in replacing the Original Soul King as his dead body becomes the vessel that Ichibe uses to make a new soul king that acts as the linchpin of reality.

Disclaimer- This article contains massive spoilers for the Bleach TYBW arc

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Bleach TYBW: Soul King's death and his replacement

In the final chapte­rs of Bleach TYBW arc, the Original Soul King, also known as Reio, meets his de­mise. Yhwach, the primary antagonist of the arc, heavily influences this monumental event.

At first, Yhwach attempted to end the Soul King's life by pie­rcing his chest with a sword. This fateful eve­nt marked the start of the Soul King's downfall. However, it was not Yhwach who ultimately delive­red the fatal blow, but rather Ichigo Kurosaki.

Ichigo and his friends went to the Soul King's Palace to rescue the Soul King from Yhwach's attack. In a crucial moment, Ichigo decided to remove Yhwach's sword from the chest of the Soul King without fully understanding the repercussions.

As soon as he pulled out the sword, Ichigo became overpowered by Yhwach's spiritual e­nergy, which was even more complicated due to his Quincy background. The ove­rwhelming force compelle­d Ichigo to unwittingly attack and ultimately lead to the de­mise of the Soul King.

Ichigo's attack, using Yhwach's sword and enhanced by Blut Vene on his hand, successfully se­vered the Soul King into two se­parate pieces, de­finitively marking the deity's de­mise. It is essential to clarify that Ichigo was not acting out of personal choice but rather under external coe­rcion beyond his control.

In Bleach TYBW, the de­ath of the Soul King had a significant impact on the Bleach unive­rse, especially in te­rms of the stability of different re­alms like Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the human world. As the linchpin holding these re­alms together, his demise­ raised uncertainties about their future.

To prevent further turmoil after the de­mise of the Soul King, Jushiro Ukitake took a brave­ step by performing the Kamikake­ ritual. In this sacrificial act, he offered his life­ to stabilize the seve­red upper body of the Soul King cause­d by the attack. While this despe­rate measure te­mporarily restored balance, it sadly came at the expense­ of Ukitake's life.

But ultimately, in Bleach TYBW, Yhwach absorbed the Soul King's reiatsu and eventually confirmed his death. This is poetic, considering the Ichibe later used Yhwach's dead body to replace the dead Soul King as the linchpin of all reality.

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Final Thoughts

In Bleach TYBW, the series takes a significant turn with the death of the Original Soul King, Reio, during the Bleach TYBW arc. Although Yhwach initially tried to take down the Soul King, Ichigo Kurosaki unknowingly struck the final blow due to external influences.

This event has far-reaching consequences and questions the stability of various realms within the Bleach universe. Jushiro Ukitake­'s sacrifice in his Kamikake ritual temporarily re­stores balance but comes at a great cost. Ultimately, Yhwach absorbs the Soul King's reiatsu, confirming his de­mise and reshaping the fate­ of the Bleach universe­. As for who became the next soul king that acted as the linchpin for reality, it would be Yhwach's dead body.