Is Ichigo related to Yhwach in Bleach? Explained

Bleach fans often ask if Ichigo is related to Yhwach, because of how the protagonist's heritage was revealed during the early portion of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. It is confirmed in this arc that Ichigo is half-Quincy because of his mother's side of the family, thus connecting a part of his powers to Yhwach, which is the state of their relationship.

A lot of Bleach fans have also noticed how similar the Quincy King looks to Old Man Zangetsu, and that is because the latter is the physical manifestation of Ichigo's heritage from that bloodline. Yhwach also called Ichigo "my son born in the darkness" during their first encounter in Soul Society, but is also worth pointing out that the former views all the Quincy as his children.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

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Explaining how Ichigo is related to Yhwach in Bleach

Old Man Zangetsu is a representation of Yhwach's Quincy powers within Ichigo (Image via Studio Pierrot)

It was revealed during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc that Ichigo's mother, Masaki Kurosaki, was a Quincy, which means that a portion of the protagonist's power comes from Yhwach. This man is the son of the Soul King, the king and creator of the Quincy bloodline, and every single Quincy's powers come from him— with Yhwach being capable of enhancing them or taking them away from them if he pleases.

Moreover, as aforementioned, a major reason that a lot of people question if Ichigo is related to Yhwach is because of how similar Old Man Zangetsu looks to the Quincy King. That is due to him being the physical manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy powers in his inner world, which is something that the rest of the race doesn't have, as this is a trait that the Shinigami have due to their Zanpakutos.

This connection goes beyond just sharing the same race and Old Man Zangetsu looking like Yhwach, though. As evidenced during their encounter in the room of the Soul King, Yhwach managed to manipulate Ichigo's arm to cut the former in half, which is a major sample of how far their connection goes. He also calls Ichigo "my son born in darkness" during their first encounter because of the protagonist having blood from different races.

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The ramifications of this connection

Ichigo's parents, Isshin and Masaki, as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The revelation of Ichigo being a Quincy is one of the most shocking twists in Bleach and changes a lot of things moving forward. This moment explained how his father, Isshin Shiba, went from being a Shinigami to a normal human and established that Masaki was a Quincy, adding another context to her death and her character as a whole.

Ichigo's Quincy heritage also changes his own identity, as evidenced by his final discussion with Old Man Zangetsu in the manga, where the latter states that he has been holding back his potential. It is a heartbreaking moment for Ichigo because he saw Old Man Zangetsu as his partner and a part of himself, although he eventually comes to terms with him and Hollow Ichigo, accepting both as one in the process.

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Final thoughts

The question "Is Ichigo related to Yhwach?" is valid since the similarities between Yhwach and Old Man Zangetsu generated a lot of doubts in the Bleach fandom. This twist was pivotal in creating an inner conflict between these two characters, and also gave more context to Ichigo's origin and his true identity, which gives closure to his personal arc in the series.

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