The following contains spoilers for BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3, Episode 7: Gate of the Sun, available on Hulu and Disney+.
Key Takeaways
- Renji vs Uryū rematch showcases new skills and amazing battle choreography.
- Running scenes lead to Uryu and Renji’s epic confrontation in the Quincy stronghold.
- Uryū’s victory over Renji parallels past arcs and highlights his power growth.
The anime adaptation of the BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War arc continues to be the gift that keeps on giving as the seventh episode of Part 3 saw a rematch that has been due since the early days of the Substitute Shinigami arc, as Renji and Uryu cross paths as enemies once again. The fight between a new and improved Renji, and Uryū, emboldened by a boost in power from Yhwach, showed off both fighters’ new skills but also shaped up to be one of the best battles we’ve ever seen in the series.
This was every bit the rematch the two of them deserved, and is yet another high point in a series of successes for the adaptation of the final arc of Tite Kubo’s manga. If there ever was a “right” way to kick off the most blood-soaked part of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, it was definitely this.
RELATED
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War: Why Ichigo vs Uryu Is the Best Fight of Part 3 So Far
The Thousand-Year Blood War continues its incredible run with an anime-only bout between Ichigo and Uryu, possibly the best of Part 3 so far.
Why Are You Running?
No Reishi Means Time For Some Cardio
Now that the Shinigami forces and Ichigo’s group have made their way to what used to be the Soul King’s Palace that has been rebuilt into the Quincy stronghold, the first order of business for both groups is to make their way to Silbern, the castle at the center of the new Quincy paradise, but naturally, the enemies are scattered across the map just waiting for their enemies to appear. Kyōraku and Urahara lead a large team of Shinigami Lieutenants, while Bazz-B, Liltotto and Giselle move separately from them. Kurotsuchi was supposed to be with Kyoraku, but he and Nemu went elsewhere, where they were met by Kenpachi and his 3rd and 4th Seats, while the unlucky 4th Squad 3rd Seat Hanataro Yamada finds himself in their company. Since the structure of the battlefield has changed, both groups showed up far away from Yhwach’s lair, leading to the first half of the episode showing an uncanny number of shots of characters running toward the objective.
There was something almost comedic about how long we were made to follow characters as they ran, and it almost began to feel like the cardio would be all the episode turned out to be, especially since they had no choice with the Quincies hoarding all the Reishi. The episode employed some cool angles and interesting choices in direction to make the running part more interesting, especially when Grimmjow spots Askin Nakk Le Vaar, who hilariously runs from his attacker just like in this cours’ opening sequence. As goofy as it’s intended to be, it starts to get tedious just seeing everybody running, but Lille Barro cuts through the jokes as he starts sniping various Shinigami. As he runs towards his destination, Renji is suddenly targeted by a flurry of arrows from none other than Uryū Ishida, bringing us to the main event of this episode: Renji vs Uryū, the rematch.
There are three reasons for your defeat.
1. You were unconsciously trying not to kill me.
2. You did not know about my powers.
3. And finally, you are a Shinigami, which I abhor.
Yet Another Stunning Fight
Renji Lost, But That Was Well-Fought
Uryū and Renji have been connected for the longest time, from all the way back during the Substitute Shinigami arc when Renji and Byakuya first came to Karakura Town to arrest Rukia. Back then, Renji made quick work of Uryū, but in their encounter during episode 7 of Part 3, there was more of a clash of blows that shaped up to be the best part of the episode, and perhaps one of the best scenes in the Thousand-Year Blood War adaptation thus far. Renji charges in and their weapons clash briefly before Renji activates his new and improved Bankai, Sō’ō Zabimaru, showing off even more mastery over its power than he did when he defeated Mask De Masculine. Uryū notes that Renji is relying on brute force as he always does, and just as he says that, Renji pulls off one of the coolest parts of the fight as he kicks away an arrow while flipping backwards, showing off an uncharacteristic gracefulness as he does so. The most engrossing, dynamic camera work of the episode is seen in this fight, as the direction and choreography focuses heavily on quick dramatic close-ups, zooms and slow-motion that are bolstered by the plethora of incredible angles and sweeping pans that showcased the action.
The effects were also incredible, such as Renji’s “Orochiō”, which concentrated Reiatsu into the blade that protrudes from the snake part of Zabimaru and glowed red-hot. Uryū manages to dodge the attack, which pierces some nearby buildings like a hot knife would butter, causing a chain of explosions. While it seems like Renji had the upper hand in the first half of the fight, even managing to pin Uryū to the ground and hit him at point-blank range with a Zaga Teppō, things change when Uryū activates his Quincy: Vollständig, and amasses several arrows into a single shot powerful enough to punch through buildings. The fighter jet-like arrows overwhelm Renji, who blocks the brunt of their impact by sacrificing the fur on his baboon arm. Tufts of fur scatter across the battlefield, and when Uryū steps on one, Renji activates Hihitenshō, which causes multiple arms of the baboon king to sprout forth and trap Uryū. He says all he needs is to hold him for 20 seconds because that’s how much time it takes to pour the requisite Reiatsu into his Bankai for it to reach full power and enable a devastating attack formed from swinging the snake part of Zabimaru over his head like a lasso. While it did connect and do a decent amount of damage, Uryū is recharged by using Sklaverai to steal Reishi from his surroundings, enabling his own finisher – Feder Zwinger.
The Brilliance of Parallels
Renji’s Loss Is a Callback to Arcs Past
After siphoning Reishi from the environment, Uryū’s wounds from Renji’s ultimate attack healed, and he summoned a huge number of arrows that circled around Renji to form the Quincy Zeichen before connecting to each other like chains and embedding themselves into the ground to form pillars that restricted his movement as he tried to step away. When he tried flying upwards, the arrows created rods of light which tightly wedged themselves in place around Renji’s body, making it impossible for him to move as they sucked the Reiatsu out of him. The way he was subdued was reminiscent of Byakuya Kuchiki’s use of Bakudo #61: Rikujōkōrō – Six Rod Prison, to restrain him while a flurry of petals tore him apart, which strengthens the similarity fans saw between countless flitting arrows of Uryū’s Vollstandig and Byakuya’s Senbonzakura. Arcs of electricity crackled from the rods as a box of light enveloped Renji, and once his Reiatsu was depleted, Uryū took a shot aiming right at the Shinigami’s Soul Sleep, which means that unlike in the fight with Ichigo, this time, Uryū shot with full intent to kill, much like Renji intended to kill Uryū in their first meeting. To say that this fight is one of the series’ best, 2004 anime included, is not an exaggeration at all.
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War is available on Hulu and Disney+.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War
- Release Date
- October 11, 2022
- Studio
- Pierrot
- Creator
- Tite Kubo
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu