Quincy is a very important keyword in the final chapter of BLEACH, "The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc." The feud with the Shinigami from 1,000 years ago is at the core of the "Thousand-Year Blood War Arc," and leads to an all-out showdown between the Shinigami and the Quincy. So, this time I would like to introduce what Quincy is. As this is the first anime broadcast in 10 years, I think there are some people who have become newly interested in BLEACH. I hope that those people will learn about the keyword Quincy. Be sure to check it out before the broadcast starts in October 2022!
Who are Quincy?
Bleach's protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki was originally a human, but when his family was attacked by a Hollow, he was given his powers by the Shinigami Kuchiki Rukia, and after fighting, he became a Shinigami himself. So who are the Quincy? They are just humans with spiritual powers. Unlike Shinigami, who fight using the spiritual power within themselves, Quincy is basically a human who has acquired the skills to collect and manipulate spiritual particles in the atmosphere with their own spiritual power.
What is the difference between Quincy and Shinigami in relation to Hollows?
Shinigami and Quincy are the same in that they defeat Hollows that attack humans, but the crucial difference is that Shinigami sublimate Hollows, while Quincy completely destroy them. Shinigami purify them with their Zanpakuto and send them to Soul Society, while Quincy is determined to kill Hollows thoroughly. This is an action taken with the conviction that Hollows who have hurt and killed humans must be returned peacefully to Soul Society.
The tragedy of Quincy 200 years ago.....
Shinigami and Quincy assert opposing ideas, but in the end they were unable to understand each other. The number of Quincy who acted based on their own beliefs continued to increase, and as a result, the balance of souls between the real world and Soul Society was disrupted, and the collapse of the world became unpredictable. Finally, the decision was made to eliminate the Quincy, and the Quincy were destroyed by the Shinigami. And it was thought that the only survivors were the three members of the Ishida family (Uryu, Ryugen, and Sogen).
Ishida Uryuu, the last Quincy in this world
He admired the lifestyle and beliefs of his grandfather, Ishida Sogen, who was a Quincy, and trained as a Quincy from an early age. On the other hand, he rebels against his father, Ishida Ryugen, who denies Quincy unless it makes money, and they do not get along well. He lost his mother, Kanae, at an early age, and lives alone in an apartment, even though his parents' house is nearby.
What is Uryuu's personality like?
A type that is classified as "Tsundere" or "Kuudere". She is bad at expressing her true feelings well, and lies to hide her embarrassment, but because she is hopelessly bad at lying, she is found out right away. She is smart enough to be the top of her grade, and in battle she fights carefully using her intelligence and mental strength. However, her gentle personality sometimes makes her unable to finish off her enemies, which causes her to suffer. She always claims to be a Quincy, and is characterized by her calm, collected, and theatrical tone of voice.
What is her relationship with Ichigo Kurosaki?
He hates Shinigami because he believes they are the cause of his grandfather's death. He also hates Ichigo, who is a substitute Shinigami. At first, he took the dangerous step of using bait to attract Hollows in order to get Ichigo to acknowledge his Quincy's powers. However, as he interacts with Ichigo, he gradually begins to show understanding for Ichigo, and while he has a competitive spirit, he also cares about Ichigo, making for a strangely long-standing friendship.
Ishida Uryuu's strength is!!
At first, he is defeated by Abarai Renji without being able to do anything, but after training to master the use of the Sanrei Glove, he becomes stronger. In Soul Society, he learns that his grandfather's true enemy is Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and his anger reaches its peak. In his final form as a Quincy, he defeats Mayuri in his Bankai state with a single blow. As a result, he loses his Quincy powers, but later regains them through training from his father, Ryugen. What will Ishida Uryuu do in this "Thousand-Year Blood War Arc"? There's no doubt he'll get stronger, but where will his power go...?
Ishida Sougen, a survivor of the Quincy who was wiped out by the Shinigami
200 years ago, the Quincy was wiped out by the Shinigami, and the only one left alive was Uryuu's grandfather, Ishida Sougen. As one of the last surviving Quincy, he was under strict surveillance from Soul Society.
Ishida Sougen's Wish
Sougen hoped that Quincy and Shinigami would join forces and fight, and continued to appeal to Soul Society about the necessity of Quincy. This is because the Shinigami in Soul Society would be slow to respond when Hollows appear in the living world. However, the response from Soul Society was "Don't interfere with our work." When asked by Uryu if the Shinigami were to blame for the downfall of the Quincy 200 years ago, Sougen replied, "It was the Quincy who were at fault for not listening to the Shinigami's words." He was a kind person who said that it was painful to see the sad faces of both humans and Shinigami.
What is the truth behind Ishida Sougen's real death!?
One day, five giant Hollows appeared. It was impossible to fight them alone, but Ishida Souken stood up and fought them. The Shinigami's response was slow, and by the time the Shinigami arrived to defeat the Hollows, Souken had already been killed. However, there was a hidden reason behind the Shinigami's delayed arrival. Kurotsuchi Mayuri's behind-the-scenes work was to deliberately delay the rescue, kill Souken, and take his soul back for research material.
Ryuugen Ishida, the man who abandoned the shinigami
Father of Uryu Ishida, director of Karakura General Hospital. Unlike his son, he hates the shinigami position because it doesn't make him money. He has a "tsundere" personality, and is quite troublesome. He coldly pushes Uryu away, but lends him his strength when he's in trouble, but he doesn't lose his cold attitude. He's actually worried about him... but he's super clumsy and his words and attitude are completely lacking.
Why do you hate shinigami so much!?
On the surface, they say "it won't make money," but is that all there is to it? Ryuugen has been raised as a pure-blooded shinigami since he was a child, but he gave up his fiance due to the rules of the shinigami. He lost his wife because he was a shinigami. And when Ryuugen saw the real shinigami, different from the shinigami he was taught by his clan, through his interactions with Ichigo's father, Isshin, he no longer had any resentment towards shinigami. Ryuugen may have hated shinigami because of the many things he lost and the many things that were different from the rules of the shinigami he had been taught.
What does Ishida Ryugen have in his heart...?
(This contains spoilers, so if you don't want to read this, please skip this) Due to the Ausvelen (Consecration) performed by Yhwach, Ryugen lost his wife, Katagiri Kanae, and his former fiancee, Kurosaki Masaki. Ryugen vows to take revenge on Yhwach, who took away his loved ones. The silver clots extracted from the bodies of those who died due to the Consecration are the key to defeating Yhwach. Ryugen dissected his beloved wife and extracted them, even though he knew that this would lead to a conflict with Uryu. Since then, Ryugen has been hiding the revenge of his loved ones in his heart.
What are Ishida Ryugen's abilities?
Pure-blooded Quincy are born with a special ability called "Blood Armor". This power is said to be on the same level as a Shinigami captain. Ryugen is a pure-blooded Quincy, so he inherited this power and has been training since childhood, so his abilities are real. He can easily defeat a Great Hollow-level Hollow.
The founder of the Quincy.....
(This contains spoilers, so if you don't want to read them, please skip this) Yhwach is the founder of all Quincy. A thousand years ago, he challenged Soul Society and was defeated by a young Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and the original Gotei 13. Time passed, and Yhwach regained his powers by robbing all non-pure-blooded Quincy through "Consecration," and began to invade Soul Society again. This is the beginning of the "Thousand-Year Blood War Arc."
Summary
I've put together a summary of the Quincy. Until the "Disappearance of the Substitute Shinigami Arc," I thought of the Quincy as an element of a story centered around Ishida Uryuu, but it turns out that it was not only a keyword in the "Thousand-Year Blood War Arc," but also an important keyword throughout "BLEACH." The "Thousand-Year Blood War Arc" is a battle in which the fates of the Quincy and Shinigami led by Yhwach, Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends intertwine. Please be sure to watch the anime broadcast in October 2022. Thank you for reading to the end.
