Who becomes the new Soul King in Bleach? Explained

Who becomes the new Soul King in Bleach (Image via Pierrot Films) — Who becomes the new Soul King in Bleach? (Image via Pierrot Films)

One of the most terrifying moments in Bleach was the death of the Soul King, who served as the lynchpin of the three realms, the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the World of the Living. In the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, Yhwach used Ichigo Kurosaki to kill the revered being and avenge the near-extinction of the Quincy race.

Yet, as soon as the Soul King perished, the countdown to the end of the world began. His death affected all three realms, as tremors were felt everywhere. Kisuke Urahara and others at the Seireitei thought everything would eventually cease to exist. As such, the only way to save the world was to find a replacement.

So, who becomes the new Soul King in Bleach? Interestingly, the first volume of Ryogo Narita's Can't Fear Your Own World light novel series, which deals with the aftermath of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, has answered the question.

Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers from Bleach: Thousand-year Blood War arc and the Can't Fear Your Own World light novels.

Exploring the identity of the new Soul King in Bleach

Soul King's death (Image via Pierrot Films)

According to Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World light novel series, Yhwach becomes the new Soul King after the previous Reio, Adyneus' death in the Thousand-year Blood War. The higher-ups in the Soul Society used the remnants of Yhwach's body after his final battle against Ichigo and placed them where Adyneus was sealed as the lynchpin.

So, why did the Soul Society choose Yhwach's remnants as the new Soul King? According to the Thousand-year Blood War arc in Bleach, when Yhwach forced Ichigo to slice Adyneus's sealed figure in half, Jushiro Ukitake initiated the Kamikake ritual at the cost of his own life to try and save the lynchpin.

Upon doing the ritual, a large black arm of the local deity Mimihagi, who happened to be the Right Arm of the Soul King, burst out of Jushiro's orifices and ascended to the Soul King's palace, where it grabbed the upper portion of the severed Soul King.

Jushiro Ukitake as seen in the anime (Image via Pierrot Films)

Jushiro's sacrifice momentarily saved the world from its extinction, but soon after that, Yhwach absorbed Mimihagi and the Soul King, thus acquiring the powers of the revered being. Newfound powers coursed through Yhwach's body, as his appearance changed. The Quincy King absorbing the Soul King and Mimihagi somehow stabilized the world.

Yet, Ichigo and others had to stop Yhwach because the Quincy King intended to destroy all three realms and restore the world to its primordial state, where the cycle of life and death was absent. Eventually, in the final battle, Ichigo Kurosaki defeated Yhwach, severing him in half.

Yhwach, as seen after absorbing the Soul King and Mimihagi (Image via Pierrot Films)

However, with Yhwach's death, the world would have been plunged into chaos again. As such, the higher-ups took the remnants of his body and placed them where the previous Soul King was sealed inside the crystal.

Since Yhwach had absorbed the Soul King, his severed body served as the lynchpin to the realms. It's ironic how the man, who wanted to destroy the world, ended up being used as its keystone.

Why didn't Ichibe and others use Ichigo as the new Soul King in Bleach?

Ichibe Hyosube, as seen in the anime (Image via Pierrot Films)

According to the Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World light novel series, Ichibe Hyosube intended to make Ichigo the new Soul King, in case things went haywire. The Manako Osho would have done anything to ensure the safety of the realms, even if it meant betraying the one who saved the Soul Society.

However, Ichibe Hyosube didn't require Ichigo to become the next Soul King, as he had Yhwach's remnants as an alternative. Had Yhwach not been there, Ichibe wouldn't have hesitated in turning Ichigo into the world's lynchpin.

Conclusion

Ichigo is forced to kill Soul King (Image via Pierrot Films)

Soul King Adyneus's death was certainly one of the big moments in the series. However, the Soul Society found a means to replace the keystone and save the world from being destroyed.

Yhwach's death was the key, which led to the higher-ups using his body as the new Soul King. Although it was an abomination, it was the least the Soul Society could do to help the world endure.