Highlights
- Ichigo returns to the battlefield, facing off against various Quincies who try to overwhelm him with their numbers. He quickly defeats them but is shocked to see his friend Uryū on the enemy's side.
- Ichigo showcases a new devastating move, the Getsuga Jūjishō, and displays incredible combat skills as he effortlessly dodges attacks and counters his opponents. He prioritizes the mission to stop Yhwach without wanting to kill or let anyone die unnecessarily.
- The battle intensifies as other Sternritters join the fight, and Ichigo is surrounded. Yhwach reveals that Ichigo's arrival is part of his plan, and the sight of Uryū unleashing a powerful attack surprises and confuses Ichigo. Chad and Orihime protect him, and a bright light catches his attention as Yhwach awaits him.
The following contains spoilers for BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2, episode 8, "The Headless Star", available on Hulu and Disney+.
The 21st overall episode of the BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War arc, titled, "The Headless Star", saw the return of series protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki to the battlefield. Dubbed the single biggest threat to the Yhwach's plans, Ichigo is immediately accosted by various Quincies, starting off with the Quincy ladies (minus 1) who use numbers to try to overwhelm him.
Much like he did the Lieutenants during the Soul Society arc, Ichigo makes quick work of them, but struggles to shake off the numbers as he rushes off to catch Yhwach, whose plan somehow hinged on his return from the Royal Palace. While extremely confident in his abilities, the shock of seeing his friend Uryū draped in the uniform of the enemy throws him for a loop, and he can only watch in horror as Yhwach, Haschwalth and Uryū ascend to the Royal Palace.
Special War Powers
Soon after Kenpachi's defeat of Gremmy, he searches the ruins looking for Yachiru. As he surveys the area, Kenpachi accidentally steps on her lieutenant badge and shihakusho on the ground, with Yachiru nowhere to be found. After Kenpachi sends his men to search for her, the Sternritters Liltotto, Meninas, Candice and Giselle launch a surprise attack on the heavily injured captain. Sternritter T – The Thunderbolt, Candice Catnipp's hot-headed nature has her throwing all manner of powerful attack at Kenpachi, who can't escape the onslaught despite unleashing attacks of his own. While the 11th Squad members attempt to protect their captain, their lack of wits makes them easy fodder not just for the Quincy's resident Raijin, but for perhaps one of the most terrifying among the remaining Sternritter: Schrift Z, Giselle Gewelle. The four go on a romp as they decimate the 11th Squad, and just as they prepare to finish off Kenpachi, Ichigo arrives.
The highly ambitious Quincies want to gain favour with their king, but none of them are quite as gutsy as Candice, who feels galvanized by her onslaught on Kenpachi and throws the most attacks at Ichigo. Liltotto, Meninas and Giselle contribute their fighting power, but Ichigo deftly evades his opponents' attacks and returns effortless yet devastating counterattacks. Most of his movements are succinct yet deal damage to multiple foes at once. The combat sequence between Ichigo and the Quincy ladies is dazzling and even humourous at times as their dynamic takes centre-stage, and their personalities together can have quite comedic consequences. Ichigo is always confident after a training arc, but this is the kind of self-confidence is unlike any other as the freshly powered-up protagonist coolly tells Kenpachi he's come to save him. During the battle against the four who activate their Vollständig forms, which differ from the rest in that they have Magical Girl-esque transformations, and the fight itself is beefed up from the manga, with more of an exchange between Ichigo and the four.
Friendly Fire
Ichigo reveals a devastating brand-new move – the Getsuga Jūjishō, a cross-shaped variant of his signature attack, the Getsuga Tenshō. While the four try their best, they are clearly outmatched, even as they use the Quincy Sklaverei ability to forcefully absorb reishi from the environment. Upon unleashing the Getsuga Jūjishō, Ichigo immediately tells the hot-headed Candice to dodge despite sending it her way and even protects Giselle from an attack from Liltotto that threatened them both. Evidently, Ichigo doesn't want to kill anyone or let them die unnecessarily because his main objective is to stop Yhwach. Combat against the Number 1 Special War Power leaves all four Quincies weakened, and in their vulnerable state, Sternritter H – The Heat, Bazz-B attacks his own allies with his Burner Finger special move, taking Liltotto, Meninas, Candice and Giselle out of the picture for a while.
Like them, Bazz-B believes he can claim the glory for himself; however, several remaining Sternritters pile on Bazz-B's effort, each getting in his way as he tries to approach Yhwach. Luckily, Rukia, Renji, Byakuya, Kyoraku and various other high-ranked Shinigami opt to hold off the Sternritter force so that their strongest combatant can face the enemy leader. As Ichigo is surrounded, a bright light catches his attention as Yhwach stands atop a tall building with his second-in-command and his successor, delighted that Ichigo has returned because now he can enact the next step in his plan. When Ichigo approaches, the sight of Ishida shocks him out of his earlier confidence, but when Uryū unleashes a hail of Licht Reigen, Ichigo is so taken aback he barely defends himself, but Chad and Orihime hop out of the Garganta just in time to protect him.
100 Minutes
As Yhwach tells Ichigo that his arrival is exactly what he'd hoped for, Kurotsuchi explains to his squad members that the Shakonmaku Membrane that protects the Seireitei from invaders (and keeps people in the Seireitei from randomly heading off to the Royal Palace) takes a very long time – 6000 seconds, to regenerate fully. Ichigo's entry point leaves a huge hole in the membrane enabling one to see the real sky and not the ominous red that has been a constant, and the light he sees emanating from Yhwach's position is a huge pillar of reishi that will carry him and his allies directly to the Royal Palace. Kyōraku and Kurotsuchi are both aware that this development is not only the desire of Yhwach, but a deliberate opening left by the Royal Guard themselves, who constructed the clothes Ichigo wore on his way back out of their own bones and hair. Essentially, Ichigo leaving the Royal Palace draped in the same substance that is the key to entry is what has granted Yhwach entry to the single most important space in all of Soul Society.
Dog Days
During the encounter, a strange 6-pointed star appears on the building Yhwach stands on – the same shape created by the Vollständig transformation. When Ichigo uses the Getsuga Jūjisho, it is to intercept Candice's Electrocution, which summons a huge column of electricity. Shapes are used as storytelling devices throughout the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, and the shape resulting from the Jūjisho hitting the column would be a six-pointed star. Given the Christian inspiration behind Yhwach, the Wandenreich and Sternritter, the six-point star shape shown on the building is possibly the IX Christogram – a combination of Greek letters "Chi" (X) – Christ, and "Iota" (I) – Jesus, in Greek.
"The Headless Star" sounds like a reference to an incomplete version of this star-shape; however, there are some eerie possible connections to Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Sirius is associated with a 5-pointed star, and even the bow and arrow in various cultures, not to mention the 5-star spoke-like pattern of the star seen in the photo taken by the Chandra X-ray telescope, which appears that way due to the kind of light diffraction employed by the observation tool. Visuals aside, Sirius is seen in Chinese astrology as a star of calamity – one indicating impending invasion or war, and given Askin Nakk Le Vaar's worried muttering to himself about a "selection", this calamity might not be just for the Shinigami.