The following contains spoilers for "The Blade Is Me," Episode 13 of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War now streaming on Hulu & Disney+.The fantastic finale of the first arc of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War concludes with episode 13, "The Blade Is Me" which follows immediately after episode 12's hard June truths, in a thrilling double-feature for Bleach fans new and old. Episode 13 picks up right after stunning revelations about Ichigo's background, and the real reason his mother died, at the very moment when he has once again taken up his responsibility as a Soul Reaper.
Just as Ichigo accepts his Soul Reaper badge again and his father wonders how he's going to get back to the Soul Society, Mera appears out of thin air and poofs him back to the Soul Kings palace, or more specifically Nimaiya's Hooden, where once again Ichigo is surrounded by grey Asauchi. As the Blade God Nimaiya predicts, this time is very different. The Asauchi sword spirits assemble themselves in formation before Ichigo, turning black as he walks through them. Ichigo confidently approaches one which kneels before him, recognizing it as "the one". He extends his hand, and as the Asauchi takes it, it turns white, resembling Ichigo's Hollow form. Satisfied, Nimaiya promises to personally forge Ichigo's blade.
Preparing for War
Meanwhile, in the Soul Society proper, the battered Soul Reapers collectively make preparations for the Quincy attack that is guaranteed to come. After losing his Bankai, Toshiro Hitsugaya showns exceptional grace and humility by returning to the academy to practice the basics with the students there and strengthen his sword work. Shuhei Hisagi is brought to the forest by Captain Kensei Muguruma and trained by a fierce Mashiro Kuna in her Hollow form to master his own Bankai, since so many were stolen in the Quincy attack.
Deep in the Research and Development Department, a barely recovered Akon has noticed that several monitoring devices are turned off and that Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi has not left his office or been seen in 24 hours. Either a crisis has occurred or he's engaged in some research he does NOT want to share. Akon uses a secret camera he planted to observe what's going on and is shocked by what he sees. In a nod to Bleach fans who might know that particular anime-only, not-yet-cannon story, "Ashisogi Jizo" is mentioned. Whatever it is, it will have to wait until the next arc to be fully revealed. Unlike everyone else, but perfectly in character, Marechiyo Maeda is not preparing but instead lounging around and playing ball with his little sister Mareyo while his captain, Soi Fon does a brutal workout in the mountains to hone herself for war.
In one of the more delightful and eagerly awaited scenes in the episode, there is further background on Sajin Komomura, the dog-like giant with a heart of gold. Sajin goes to a large cave near Seireitei where he greets an enormous, elderly dog whose giant body fills the cave. This is the Great Elder, and he's not particularly pleased to see Sajin. Apparently Sajin left his people to join the Soul Society and committed the sin of initially hiding his face (to fit in) and thereby birthright.
Saijin begs to learn his clan's secret technique to help the Soul Society against their enemies, but the Great Elder doesn't care. Sajin feels the world has changed enough that their people no longer have to worry about hiding but the Great Elder disagrees. The world itself will not change and their clan will be fine if the bearer of the world changes hands in this fight. If Sajin can't keep the peace, the Elder will crush him. "Bring it on!" is Sajin's only response, but again, this is a fight that will have to wait for the second arc to be resolved.
Forging A Soul, Forging A Blade
Up in the Soul King's heights, Ishigo has been brought to the forge of Nimaiya where the guardian spirits of his Zanpakuto in the form of beautiful women gather around to help the great master forge Ishigo's Asauchi into a blade. Surrounded by the endless waterfalls needed to forge the blades, Nimaiya tells Ishigo that he needs to say goodbye to his old Zanpakuto Zangetsu.
In what seems a direct contrast to their title of "Bodyguards", Nimaiya's assistants crash into him before begin their tasks. Curly haired Nonomi Nomino carves the forge, The fierce red-haired Mera Hiuchigashima stokes the flame with a blazing beam from her own hands. The lachrymose Tokie Tonokawa tearfully provides water for the whetstone to hone the blade, while buxom and cheerful Hasuka Hashihara grabs Ishigo's Asauchi spirit to hold it in place for forging. The masked Tsumiko Tsuchimiya pulls out a tooth and molds it into a great black hammer, which Nimaiya takes up and begins to work the soul into a blade.
As Nimaiya works he asks Ichigo if he recognized the Asauchi as his own Hollow? The Hollow White was created by overlaying many Soul Reaper souls together, much like how Nimaiya creates his own Asauchi. As such, it has become his Zanpakuto. "Old Man Zangetsu" is not exactly White though. There is another who's been pretending to be his Zanpakuto within his own soul.
Ishigo confronts Zangetsu within his mindscape and discovers that the "Old Man" looks an awful lot like a young Yhwach. Zangetsu is not his Soul Society powers but his Quincy powers, and he has been secretly limiting Ishigo's abilities. While the Old Man is not an enemy per se, it is the Hollow within Ichigo that's saved his life repeatedly. The Quincy in him represented by the Old Man did not want him to become a Soul Reaper and therefore repressed his powers in an effort to keep him "safe". However, Ishigo's persistence has caused the Old Man to have a change of heart. Ichigo has become strong, and the Old Man will release Ichigo's full potential to do with as he likes. Satisfied, Zangetsu fades away leaving behind a flaming Quincy style sword as the credits roll.
Forging Oneself
But wait! In what is now typical fashion, Bleach leaves the best for the post, or in this case during credit sequence. The voice of Zangetsu tells him he's been fighting with a fraction of his true power, the part the Old Man couldn't suppress and to take up the flaming blue sword and fight under his own power as this is his true Zanpakuto.
Ichigo declares that both his Quincy and his Hollow are part of him and his Zanpakuto, his Zangetsu. He steps into the forge which explodes into gigantic curling flames and begins to forge his own Zanpakuto. Nimaiyu agrees, as this will only work if Ichigo genuinely pours his soul into it. When Ichigo pulls his blade out of the forge, it is not one, but TWO blades, each representing an aspect of himself. The seas dry up around the Hooden and the water in the forge evaporates. Nimaiya asks if he can get alone with those Zangetsu, but of course Ichigo can. He no longer needs to ask these spirits to fight alongside him or help him out, because quite literally, the blades ARE Ichigo.
Betrayal!
After a title card declaring episode 13 as "The Blade Is Me" there is one more treat in store. In Yhwach's throne room, Haschwaith returns with "the subject." Uryu Ishida, Ishigo's erstwhile Quincy friend who previously had fought alongside him appears before Yhwach in full Quincy garb and is welcomed into his army. The juicy drama saved for the next arc! Enjoy Episodes 12 and 13. As the quarter ending of the final season, it's certainly a treat and there's much to chew on before Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War begins its next arc "The Separation" in July 2023.