Why did Ukitake have Mimihagi in Bleach TYBW? Explained

Bleach TYBW establishes the question of why Ukitake had Mimihagi, since this is a revelation of this arc, and one that ultimately defines the fate of the character for the remainder of the series. Mimihagi is also key for the expanding lore of the series since it's the right hand of the Soul King and governs stillness, which is connected to Jushiro Ukitake.

It is revealed in Bleach TYBW that Ukitake had made a deal with Mimihagi when he was a kid— as he was dying from illness— and the entity fused with him, keeping him alive. This explains a lot of the Captain's insanely high Reiatsu and why he managed to live for so long, which reached its zenith during this arc as Yhwach manipulates Ichigo Kurosaki to kill the Soul King.

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

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Ukitake's origins in Bleach TYBW

Mimihagi and a young Jushiro Ukitake in a flashback (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Jushiro Ukitake was born on the Eastern Rukongai of Soul Society, and has been suffering from a powerful illness since he was a kid. Since his parents couldn't find a way to heal him, they reached out to a deity of the Eastern Rukongai, Mimihagi, who was revealed to be the right arm of the Soul King after the latter was massacred because of the Original Sin.

Mimihagi and Ukitake made a pact and they fused together, keeping the latter alive and giving the former a vessel. Since this arm of the Soul King focuses on stillness, it didn't heal him from his injury but kept it at a level where he could still live, which led to Jushiro eventually joining the Gotei 13 and becoming a Captain because of his amazing fighting abilities.

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What happened to Ukitake and Mimihagi, explained

Mimihagi reaching the Soul Palace (Image via Studio Pierrot)

A lot of fans have questioned why Ukitake had Mimihagi, since is a massive plot twist of Bleach TYBW, which is something that Studio Pierrot has been expanding with the recent episodes of the third cour. It showed more details of how Ukitake and his parents reached out to Mimihagi, and the connection between these two characters.

In the present, since Yhwach manipulated Ichigo Kurosaki's body so the latter could kill the Soul King in Bleach TYBW, the three worlds begin to crumble.

Ukitake decided to sacrifice himself through the ritual known as Kamikake, which allowed Mimihagi to take full control of his body and take the place of the Soul King as the lynchpin of the three worlds, although said ritual ends once the user dies.

Unfortunately for Ukitake and the remaining Shinigami, Yhwach and his men managed to remove Mimihagi from his position, and the Quincy King absorbed its power, along with what remained of the Soul King.

This led to Yhwach becoming the ruler of the three worlds and Ukitake dying in the process, which has led to a lot of fans commenting that his sacrifice was in vain because it didn't move the plot forward in any meaningful manner.

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Final thoughts

Bleach TYBW is introducing this concept at the moment, so it makes sense that the question of why Ukitake had Mimihagi is prevalent. It is a peculiar piece of lore in the franchise, and one that showcases the extent of the power of the Soul King.

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