Renji Abarai "still on fraud watch" even after Bleach TYBW's latest episode

Modified Nov 19, 2024 15:30 GMT

Renji Abarai "still on fraud watch" even after Bleach TYBW's latest episode (Image via Pierrot Films)

Bleach TYBW part 3, episode 7, released on November 16, 2024, finally showed Ichigo's party and the Gotei 13 reaching the Royal Palace. Unfortunately, they were met with the horrifying view of Wahr Walt, the palace established by Yhwach over the Royal Palace. Leaving all these details aside, the episode was most anticipated because it featured Renji's extended battle with Uryu.

Even though the battle was one-sided towards the Quincy, the Soul Reaper showed his proficiency by using his battle IQ and bankai. The fandom finally considered Renji one of the strongest, but the Soul Reaper was still a "fraud" in the eyes of most fans because of how Uryu outclassed him at the end of the battle.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the Bleach TYBW part 3, episode 7, and has the author's opinion.

Bleach TYBW: Exploring why Renji might still be one of the weakest Soul Reapers

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Bleach TYBW part 3, episode 7, commenced with Ichigo's party arriving at the Royal Palace. Luckily, the Gotei 13 also arrived at the same time, but neither party recognized the place they had arrived at. They expected the visual of the Royal Palace, but they saw a giant castle that a Quincy had built. Later, it was revealed that it was Wahr Walt, the stronghold of Yhwach.

As they were short on time, both parties marched forward. While the Gotei 13 were targetted by one of Yhwach's underlings, Renji crossed paths with Uryu. These two started fighting, and Renji activated his true Bankai (So-Oh Zabimaru) pretty soon. He tried to overwhelm Uryu, who was fighting in his base, and by catching Quincy off-guard, the Soul Reaper managed to stop him.

Unfortunately, to Renji's despair, Uryu activated his Quincy: Vollständig form. In this form, Renji had no choice but to evade attacks rather than go on the offensive. Ultimately, the Soul Reaper was outclassed as Uryu punched his spiritual pressure point. Even though Renji received a spotlight through an extended battle, he still couldn't do much with his powers.

Reactions from the fandom

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Fans ruthlessly criticized the Soul Reaper for his fight. Many mainly criticized the fact that Uryu didn't activate his powers until the middle of the fight, even though Renji was fighting with his full powers. Despite this, Renji lost a few moments after Uryu activated his powers.

If Renji's defeat wasn't enough, a fan claimed that as the extended fight wasn't canon, it was another hint that Renji might be a "fraud," with him receiving backing from the animation studio. However, one fan gave some constructive criticism, saying that Renji needed some training and his Bankai needed a shield to become something that had any potential against a Quincy.

"The dude is going all out using Bankai while iryu hasn't even awakened his vollständig" a fan said

"Still got his a** whooped didn’t he?" another fan said

"Not even canon" another one claimed

"He needs more training with his bankai. He has a very versatile bankai. The only thing missing right now is a shield" another one said

Final thoughts

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Although the criticism against Renji might be true in their own sense, the reality lies in the fact that he wasn't fighting to kill (which was what Uryu also said at the end of the fight). The same flaw was present with Ichigo when he fought Uryu. So, while the Quincies are relying on gorilla tactics, the Soul Reapers are striving for something much better.

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Edited by Shreya Das