Highlights
- In BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2, Episode 11, the battle between Giselle Gewelle and Mayuri Kurotsuchi intensifies, with Mayuri revealing his modifications to his Zanpakuto.
- Zombie Hitsugaya, despite being mindless, displays his powerful ice abilities and inflicts brutal attacks on his former allies.
- Mayuri reveals a drug that resets the scenario each time Hitsugaya reaches a certain checkpoint, causing frustration and confusion for Hitsugaya, while Mayuri gains the upper hand.
The following contains spoilers for BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2, Episode 11, "Marching Out The Zombies 2", available on Hulu and Disney+.
The 11th episode of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2, the battle between Sternritter Z – The Zombie, Giselle Gewelle and 12th Squad Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi continues. In the previous episode, Giselle unveiled her secret weapon, a zombified Toshiro Hitsugaya, and he quickly dispatches of two seated Shinigami officers before trying to defeat the mad scientist who once again has a counterplan.
The action in this episode is fluid but rather brutal as the zombie Hitsugaya has no access to most of his higher-order function, but retains very lifelike movement and reaction speed. However, the real development comes at the very end as Yhwach, Uryu and Haschwalth finally arrive at their destination.
Ice-Cold
Zombie Hitsugaya displays the kind of ice in his veins that is reminiscent of the brutal first-ever set of Gotei 13 Captains, and after being summoned to the battlefield, he summons a huge ice wall that Yumichika tries to counter with another Hado; however, Ikkaku is quick with his read of the situation and quickly pushes him out of the way, at the cost of his own leg. Frozen in place by Hyо̄rinmaru's powerful ice, Ikkaku is left helpless as Hitsugaya stabs him through his right shoulder before slashing at his back. Yumichika intervenes before another powerful slash is inflicted on his friend; however, that only makes him the target. Hitsugaya materializes an ice shard on his knee before jamming it into Yumichika's abdomen, following the brutal knee with a headbutt and a huge slash across Yumichika's torso.
Within seconds, the zombie had dealt deeply damaging blows to his former allies. Charlotte jumps into the fray after the 11th Squad's 3rd and 4th Seats are knocked out, but he's also swiftly dealt with as another slash from Hitsugaya lops off one of his arms and inflicts a deep gash that may have also taken out his lungs. Kurotsuchi tried to warn Charlotte that he's severely unmatched, which seems rather out of place for a mad scientist who could quickly replace the Arrancar that he's constantly berated and treated like merchandise (in a manner reminiscent of his treatment of Nemu during the Soul Society arc). With everyone around him taken out, Mayuri finally engages Hitsugaya, who unleashes a torrent of attacks, but all of them are blocked by the scientist, who reveals modifications to his Zanpakuto, Ashisogi Jizо̄. With its current specifications, Ashisogi Jizо̄ is capable of blocking any and all attacks from a sword that approaches him at angles of 60 degrees or more, from a radius of 2 Shaku (about 60cm/24 in).
With Science
Hitsugaya's zombification took place not too long after his death, which means that his cells still retain a very lifelike kind of movement, and his abilities are just as powerful as they'd be in life. With his curiosity piqued, Mayuri tells Hitsugaya that he's just itching to try all kinds of drugs on him. After learning of the sensor Mayuri installed on his Zanpakutо̄, the zombie tries to knee him like he did Yumichika, but Mayuri also blocks the attack, noting that his explanation of the upgrades to his sword were just to bait Hitsugaya into attacking through other means.
Mayuri blocks the knee with a strange cloth-like contraption that wraps around the knee before exploding. The zombie then activates the Bankai Daiguren Hyо̄rinmaru, inflicting a fatal bisection of Mayuri with a wall of ice before stabbing him through the chest in a motion that also sends a huge wall of ice through the scientist's chest. The combo quite clearly kills Mayuri, but before the death is confirmed, the screen fades to black and the situation inexplicably resets to the moment when Mayuri mentions wanting to test all manner of drug on Hitsugaya.
Endless Ten
While it's assumed that this current state of Hitsugaya has rendered him mindless, he can very quickly understand that something is amiss, as the situation plays out exactly as it already did once. Due to the fact that he was already dead, the zombification manages to completely benefit Giselle, whose minions are much easier to manipulate if they are already dead at the time of their zombification.
When Mayuri explains the modification on Ashisogi Jizо̄ a second time, the zombie is able to tell him that he's already said that, and asks what is happening. Activating his Bankai again, Hitsugaya defeats Mayuri a second time, but the situation is reset again, and again, and again. Despite the zombification, Hitsugaya grows increasingly confused and frustrated by the situation, so Mayuri explains that he's fallen victim to a certain drug that the scientist synthesized.
The drug affects the hippocampus, the brain's memory center, and each time Hitsugaya's reaches a certain checkpoint (Mayuri's death), the drug kicks in and resets the scenario; meaning that if Hitsugaya does not kill Mayuri, his future can continue unabated. Due to its effects on short-term memory, the victim cannot recall how many resets there have been, and after 10 resets, they are rendered paralyzed for 30 seconds, which is fatal in combat. He then applies Ashisogi Jizо̄'s signature effect before administering another drug to the zombified captain; however, three more powerful zombies arrive: 3rd Squad Captain Rо̄jūrо̄ Ōtoribayashi; 9th Squad Captain Kensei Muguruma and 10th Squad Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto are dispatched to the scene.
I'll Take That
Elsewhere, Byakuya effortlessly dispatches Sternritter N, T, and U as Liltotto and Meninas watch, surprised by his abilities after his loss to As Nodt. Hisagi Shūhei arrives to report a victory against another enemy. Suddenly, he begins attacking Byakuya, affected by the abilities of Sternritter L – The Love, PePe Waccabrada. Mind control is the theme yet again as PePe's love hearts cause him to gain control over the target who develops an intense "love" for him. The ability even affects Senbonzakura, who falls into Shūhei's hands as he attacks armed with two Zanpakutо̄. Byakuya is pushed into a corner, but PePe is sent flying by a zombified Muguruma and Rose, who now have been reappropriated by Mayuri.
His genius is the star of the show again as he uses the same drug he administered to Hitsugaya seconds before the arrival of Giselle's other zombies, revealing that he has analyzed the blood of his allies and has therefore created synthetic blood that slowly replaces the blood contaminated by Giselle. He defeated them through the use of the Arrancar, whose blood he spiked with the same drug that paralyzed Hitsugaya before administering another dose of the mysterious drug that alters the composition of blood, replacing it with a blood-like substance that gives Mayuri control over the zombies. Gigi is killed by Muguruma and Mayuri arrives in time to help Byakuya, who is disgusted by the scientist's actions. PePe soon meets the jaws of death as an angered Liltotto metes out punishment for his earlier betrayal, which is reminiscent of Pride from Fullmetal Alchemist. After the end credits, Yhwach and his closest minions arrive at the Soul King's Palace.