Summary
- The Sternritter were created by Yhwach to invade Soul Society.
- Each member is granted a Schrift, a unique power by Yhwach.
- When they pass away their power returns to Yhwach, making him stronger.
Among the ranks of the Wandenreich, the Sternritter are the twenty-six elite Quincy that their king, Yhwach, granted a Schrift. Each of them equipped with their respective spirit weapons and unique powers, the Sternritter have proved to be the deadliest enemies the Gotei 13 have faced. While not all of them are created equally, every member of the corps can stand tall against the powerful Shinigami captains and lieutenants.
Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War has revealed how Yhwach created the powerful Quincy squad. Here’s all you need to know about the creation of the Sternritter, the Wandenreich’s Holy Knights.
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The Creation of the Sternritter
The Star-Cross Knights
One thousand years before the start of the Bleach series, Yhwach was the king of the Licht Reich, the Empire of Light. He conquered and ruled over parts of the medieval World of the Living. The Quincy were dispersed and unorganized, scattered all over the human world. The strongest Quincy worked under Yhwach, who viciously decimated and sacked fellow Quincy who didn’t submit to him. His Royal Guard aided him, the first iteration consisting of Argola Lallau, Hubert Alexander Kleich, Johann Seydlitz, and Nikita Deathlok.
“Within Seireitei they created hidden spaces from Reishi for themselves in all the city’s shadows… And they named this realm our “hidden empire”: the Wandenreich.”
During a meeting with Johann Seydlitz, Yhwach decided to form a special military force. A group of powerful Quincy he would name The Sternritter (Star-Cross Knights). He would use this military force to invade and attack the Soul Society to destroy the Soul Reapers and kill Soul King Adnyeus. Yhwach would grant a Schrift to each member of the Sternritter power.
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How Are the Sternritter Granted Power?
The Father Giveth, The Father Taketh
Yhwach is the father of all Quincy. He is gifted with unique powers that allow him to share his power with others. Most Quincy are able to gather spiritual particles from their environment to empower themselves and create spirit weapons. However, Yhwach does not possess this ability. Instead, he shares his soul with his children. By sharing his spiritual pressure with other Quincy, he can bring out the true power of their souls and grant them a Schrift. By undergoing the engraving ritual, the Sternritter gained power thanks to their king and father. In the ritual, the Quincy must drink Yhwach’s blood. By doing this, Yhwach engraves a letter onto their souls. According to their soul and identity, the letter designated to them grants them a special power that they use in battle, a Schrift. Each Schrift is fitted to each Sternritter according to their inner identity.
Sternritter F – Äs Nodt is granted the power of The Fear, the ability to instill extreme and irrational fear in his enemies. This ability awoke in him because of his fear of pain and death. He was terminally ill, and he feared death. He feared the idea of going to Hell. In his suffering, Yhwach appeared before him and saved him, turning him into a Sternritter. It is believed that Äs Nodt’s suffering was caused by the Aüswahlen.
“I must give thanks to the souls of the dead. Another day in which I can clearly behold this world.”
As every Sternritter has a portion of Yhwach’s soul in them, at the moment of their deaths, this power returns to Yhwach, increasing his power little by little. Yhwach grants his children power, and when they die, that power goes back to him. The father of the Quincy giveth, and the father taketh.
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Sternritter Subgroups
Designated Squads
While the Sternritter are one massive military force, they have two subgroups that show a distinct divide in their ranks. One of them is designated merely by their gender, while the other is by greater power and closeness to their king. Furthermore, the Sternritter not only obey Yhwach, but also his right-hand man. Sternritter B – Jugram Haschwalth is the Grandmaster of the Sternritter, the de facto leader of the corps. This is due to his connection to Yhwach and his undying loyalty.
The Bambies are the all-female subgroup within the Sternritter. They are the only female members of the corps, and as such they are grouped as one unit. They are named after the unofficial leader of the group Sternritter E – Bambietta Basterbine. The other four members are Sternritter G – Liltotto Lamperd, Sternritter T – Candice Catnipp, Sternritter P – Meninas McAllon, and Sternritter Z – Giselle Gewelle. Liltotto and Giselle are the only surviving members of the group, as the other three died during the second invasion and the Aüswahlen and were then zombified by Giselle.
The Royal Guards or Schutztaffel are the elite members of the Sternritter. The closest to Yhwach and the strongest Quincy in the Wandenreich. Their leader is Sternritter X – Lille Barro, who was also the first Quincy to be granted a Schrift. The other members are Sternritter M – Gerard Valkyrie, Sternritter C – Pernida Parnkgjas, Sternritter D – Askin Nakk le Vaar and Sternritter A – Uryuu Ishida.
- The Sternritter were created by Yhwach to invade Soul Society.
- Each member is granted a Schrift, a unique power by Yhwach.
- When they pass away their power returns to Yhwach, making him stronger.
The Sternritter are Yhwach’s elite soldiers during his holy war against the Soul Society. By now, most of them had fallen in battle against either the Gotei 13 or even other members of the Corps.
