Summary
- Uryū’s true loyalty is revealed, showcasing his unique Quincy history and motives for his actions.
- Uryū sends Ichigo to confront Yhwach while he faces off against Haschwalth, leading to a dramatic turn of events.
- The strong finish of Part 3 sets up excitement for the final cours as various characters return and battles intensify.
The following contains spoilers for the first of two episodes in the finale of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 – The Conflict titled “The Visible Answer” available on Hulu and Disney+.
The dramatic hour-long finale of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 – The Conflict was a strong finish to what has been a stellar cours for the resurgence of the anime adaptation of Tite Kubo’s magnum opus, setting up a dramatic confrontation between the Sternritter Grand Master Jugram Haschwalth and Uryū Ishida. The finale also gives us a long-anticipated exhibition of Yoruichi in combat against Askin Nakk Le Vaar, the possibility of a literal giant-killing emerges as Gerard Valkyrie takes on multiple Captains and Lieutenants at once and the return of various characters who were put out of commission during the events of Part 2.
It was a visual treat that perhaps teases yet another upping of the ante in the animation production for the very last part of the arc, subtitled “The Calamity”. The second half went on to settle the various battles that we can expect from the next cours, with various characters returning after a lengthy absence.
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Uryū’s True Alignment
It Turns Out Uryū Was Never Really on Yhwach’s Side
In the post-credits scene following “The Visible Answer”, Uryū’s father Ryūken stands in the middle of a graveyard. Isshin Kurosaki appears in Shinigami Shihakusho and asks him if he’ll “be going”, presumably to Soul Society. Orihime and Chad catch up to Ichigo, and find him with Haschwalth and Uryū. Haschwalth tells Uryū to kill the three of them to prove he isn’t a traitor, and he takes aim at Ichigo, with a new battle ensuing. This time, Uryū’s reluctance is clear. We finally get the full story of what Uryū read about Quincy history in his grandfather’s journal in the next episode, “My Last Words”, setting a brilliant backdrop to all of Uryu’s actions over the course of the arc. Uryu’s reasons stem from his loyalty to his grandfather’s way of living as a Quincy, the loss of his mother and the ensuing collapse of his family and the fact that something about his power is exactly that which can resist and overturn Yhwach’s power.
His survival of the Auswählen nine years ago is proof of this. Interestingly, the other Sternritter would also have a halo or “Heiligenschein” in their Quincy: Vollständig transformations, but Uryū did not, indicating some kind of core difference from the rest of his brethren. The halo is often seen as a mark of innocence or goodness as it is associated with the divinity of angels and such, which is the motif at play when it comes to the characterizations and designs of Yhwach’s Sternritter, so Uryū’s lack of such a symbol in light of the fact that he is a traitor is a brilliant detail.
“It’s Not Like These Are My Last Words”
Uryu Sends Ichigo to the Boss Chamber Where the Bambies Are Badly Beaten
After trading blows for a while and wrecking parts of the castle in a nicely animated and choreographed battle. Once they are far away enough from Haschwalth, Ichigo tries once again to learn why Uryū chose to join the Quincies in the first place. He ignores the question and tells them about a tool five floors below in the Wahr Welt called the Gate of the Sun, a portal set up to enable the Wandenreich to invade the World of the Living. He tells them to take his key and go home, but naturally they refuse, and Haschwalth ends up seeing Uryū in the middle of trying to convince the enemy to escape. Haschwalth foresaw these developments and destroyed the Gate of the Sun. He challenges Uryū to a battle “while His Majesty is asleep”, prompting Uryū to tell Ichigo and the others to go to the uppermost level of Welt to take down Yhwach while he keeps Haschwalth busy. Haschwalth does not mention the attack being waged by The Bambies.
Setting aside whether or not I am full of hope, the fact that you’re surprised means that you did not foresee me being filled with hope, did you? Looks like that power is far from being Almighty when it’s with you.
Ichigo argues, but Uryū is adamant, saying that it isn’t like these are his last words, hence the episode title. It turns out that the Gate of the Sun is quite old, and with a key once owned by Sōken Ishida, Isshin and Ryūken arrive at the Soul Society. The Bambies, who thought they’d have it easier if they killed Yhwach as he slept, ended up being completely decimated by the Quincy King, which means that Uryū’s attempt to send Ichigo and the others on their way to take advantage of Yhwach’s assumed vulnerability was futile.
Haschwalth makes no attempt to chase Ichigo, so Uryū asks if it’s okay for him to not even pretend to pursue them, but Haschwalth reminds him that he now has the power of foresight, and with this, he is confident that there’s no need to do anything about them. He tells Uryū that he’s surprised at his hopeful attitude, which is nothing like the man he was pretending to be as a Sternritter.
Setting Up For the Final Cours
Kira Returns As Part 3 Finishes Strong and Gives Us Weird But Interesting Bonus Material
Ichigo, Orihime and Chad run to the top of Welt, where Liltotto and the others are on the verge of death. Yhwach may be asleep, but he’s still dangerous, ending a brilliant third cours for the return of the BLEACH anime adaptation and creating a lot of excitement for the fourth and final cours. While Gerard is set to take on a group of high-ranking Shinigami, embers of Lille Barro’s power are scattered across the landscape, but quickly dispatched in one of the most anticipated moments of the arc: the return of Izuru Kira, the 3rd Squad Lieutenant who was one of the first to die in the first Sternritter invasion of Soul Society. With holes burned out of his chest by Bazz-B’s firepower, he returns alive but very much dead, the Visoreds return to their full complement and are finally using their masks, and Yoruichi has her hands tied with Nakk Le Vaar.
This finale was a great way to end Part 3, but just like the previous cours, the last episode has some strange bonus content that feels like an attempt at replicating the “Shinigami Sketchbook”, which would be featured at the end of episodes at the latter end of the original anime, but pale in comparison to the hilarity of those sketches and gags. That being said, Nakk Le Vaar is a very interesting choice for narrator, and he is definitely the Sternritter most fans would love to talk to if they could, not to mention the fact that he did also give us some more information on the previous iteration of Yhwach’s army, the Litreich’s top four generals. Overall, BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 felt like the mastery of the various dramatic improvements to the anime production that have earned it so much acclaim, with the various major beats in the story being given the level of spectacle and detailed attention that they deserved, as well as a ton of content that simply wasn’t in the manga. The greatest anime comeback, perhaps in history, is now 75% complete.
