Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War sees the return of the massive fan favorite, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. After Ichigo is defeated by his friend Uryuu Ishida, and his group falls down to one of the zero division barracks, Yoruichi opens a Garganta, the passage way of Hueco Mundo, to reveal the iconic blue-haired former antagonist. Grimmjow’s return was teased all the way back in part one, but audiences didn’t get to see him and confirm he was returning until episode 31.
The last time fans saw Grimmjow was in the Hueco Mundo arc of the first Bleach anime, and his fate was left ambiguous for many years. How did Grimmjow survive his battle with Ichigo?
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Grimmjow’s Deadly Battle with Ichigo and its Aftermath
A Wounded King
Grimmjow became a sort of arrival to Ichigo. They battled a total of three times throughout the arc. The final confrontation was in the palace of Las Noches, in Hueco Mundo. Grimmjow pushed Ichigo to his limits with his immense strength and ferocity. Ichigo used his hollow powers to try to keep up with the Espada, until Grimmjow activated his true form, Resurrección: Pantera. With his real power, Grimmjow pushes Ichigo to the edge of the battle to the death. However, thanks to the support from Orihime and Nel, Ichigo was able to overcome and defeat Grimmjow, but being consistent with his nature, he did not kill him.
They’re all cowards, every damn one of them. Whatever. I’ll just consume them. As they become my flesh and blood, they will see beyond. I… I am the king!
Ichigo will always prefer not to deal a killing blow to his enemies. His overarching goal is to always protect life and everyone around him and, even if he was to face a deadly foe, he never actively tries to kill them. This is one of the reasons why Grimmjow survived this battle. But after their fight ends, Grimmjow is attacked by his supposed teammate Nnoitra Gilga. The Fifth Espada despises weakness and those he considers losers and even if Grimmjow is supposed to be his ally, this didn’t stop the hateful warrior from attacking him. Grimmjow is incapacitated by this treacherous attack, and is then protected by his supposed enemy, Ichigo.
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How Did Grimmjow Survive?
The Hollow Lifestyle
In the flashback of his past, back when he was a regular Adjuchas-class Hollow, Grimmjow is seen devouring hundreds if not thousands of his fellow Hollows. This is how Hollows become stronger. Through savage cannibalism, they devour the power and spiritual pressure from other Hollows to heal and strengthen themselves. This is the true nature of the Hollow lifestyle in Hueco Mundo.
Grimmjow survived not only his battle with Ichigo but also the treacherous blow from Nnoitra, and after the war in Hueco Mundo ends, he slowly recovers from his wounds by devouring lesser hollows. In a desperate attempt to regain his former strength and live to fight and kill another day, he once again resorted to eating his peers. While all this is brutal and savage, this is just how Hollows live.
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After Sousuke Aizen and the Espada were defeated, Hueco Mundo entered a new era under the rule of the new Queen, Tier Harribel. In an effort to leave behind the animalistic behavior of the Hollows, Harribel set out to establish a new order in her world. And here Grimmjow acts loosely as an agent of the queen. When the Wandenreich invaded and took over Hueco Mundo, Grimmjow was not captured or hurt by the Quincy. And so, once Ichigo and his group battled Sternritter J – Quilge Opie, Grimmjow dealt the killing blow to the Quincy and struck a deal with Kisuke Urahara. Which earned Ichigo and the soul society the allegiance of Hueco Mundo.
This is just the beginning of a new stage for the former Sixth Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. How has he changed since his battle against Ichigo, and how will he help the soul reapers in the war against the Quincy? At least the soul reapers and Ichigo has gained a powerful albeit unpredictable ally.
Based on Tite Kubo’s battle shonen manga, Bleach centers around Ichigo, a high school student who is dragged into the world of Soul Reapers. The original anime ended in 2012, but it was revived in 2022.