Spoiler Warning: Post Contains Spoilers For Both The Anime and Manga of Bleach's Final Arc, The Thousand-Year Blood WarWith Bleach making its valiant return, comes a new set of powerful foes and an ultimate baddie to lead them. Yhwach is the final boss for Ichigo and friends to face off against, and he certainly puts them through the wringer.
Yhwach is the enigmatic and imposing God-like leader of the Quincy Army, the Wandenreich. Alongside him are his "Captains," the Sternritter, who were bestowed a letter by him in relation to their abilities. Anime-only audiences have only had a few glimpses of the ominous figure, but it's still enough to showcase the threat he carries to the seretei. Those who have read the manga know there's more to Yhwach than meets the eye.
He Isn't The "First" Quincy
Though he is considered to be the "Father of the Quincy" today, he is not the first one to be considered a "Quincy." When he was born, there were already Quincy's in existence.
Parnida and Gerard, members of the Schutzstaffel, were in existence much longer than Yhwach ever was. They already had their powers and had identified as Quincy, without Yhwach ever so much granting or telling them so. When he was a child, he was surrounded by other Quincy-like beings who considered him to be a god and would label him as "Yhwach."
Was Born With No Senses & Unable To Move
When Yhwach was born, he could not see, hear, smell, talk, or move. An isolated existence, Yhwach would continue to carry on since he was never truly alone. Quincy's of his village would gather around him and revere him as a child prodigy who would save them.
These Quincy's felt rejuvenated when in his presence, but their lifespans would unexpectedly run short. Regardless of what was happening to those around him, his ability to see, hear, smell, talk, and move would eventually come to him over time.
He's Son Of The Soul King
After Aizen's failed attempt to take over the Soul Society in one of Bleach's best arcs, the being known as the Soul King came to light when Aizen referred to it as "that thing." Not much is known about the Soul King's past except for two things that would be revealed in the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc.
At one point in time, they were a figure of immense power who was sealed away to serve as a lynchpin to maintain the seretei, and that before this, they had a child, Yhwach. This alone helps explain a lot of Yhwach's character from his immense power down to motivation, considering that one of the biggest reasons he leads his army against the shinigami is to save his father from the "humiliation" they have been put through.
Lille Barro Upon Whom He Bestowed A Schrift
Sternritters are unique in how they each carry a designated letter from the alphabet that signifies the power they wield. Schutzstaffel member and expert sniper, Lille Barro, was the first that would receive a letter from the Almighty himself.
When developing the Quincy and the Wandenreich, Tite Kubo was heavily inspired by German terminology and aesthetics. When it came to the letters Yhwach could bestow, they would be referred to as "schrift," which in German translates to "script." The "script" Yhwach gave Lille Barro was the letter "X" for the "X-Axis," and this act would give the Sternritter a god complex.
He Was Defeated By Yamamoto 10 Centuries Ago
The war between the Quincy and the Shinigami occurred over 1,000 years ago and ended with Captain Commander Yamamoto unleashing one of the most powerful bankai in "Zanka No Tachi," burning the Quincy leader enough that he would temporarily lose his powers for the next millennia.
For the next 1,000 years, "The Sealed King" would slowly but surely regain his powers and more when preparing for the long-awaited rematch against the Gotei 13's Captain Commander. This event set in motion what would essentially be a war that's been 1,000 years in the making, hence the title of one of the best arcs in Bleach.
He's Father Of The Quincy
Though his blood flows through the veins of all the Quincy, he is NOT the true father of the Quincy. Whoever truly is the progenitor of the Quincy is but lost in time once Yhwach entered the picture.
His powers and abilities caused all the surrounding Quincy to revere him as a god and proclaim him the "Father of The Quincy." As penance, he would gift them his blood which would then pass down through the generations, although it would be revealed later that this Sauron-level "gift" would come back to bite them in the upcoming war against the Shinigami.
He Cannot Absorb Reishi Naturally
Quincy are known for the ability to collect the surrounding reishi around them and weaponize it. Yhwach was not born with this ability, but instead could impart pieces of his soul unto others and amplify their powers. So how does "The Almighty" themself become one of the most powerful figures in the Bleach-verse without the ability to gather reishi?
Easy, he sows the seeds in a garden that he cultivates and once they've grown and ripened, he collects them all for himself -- the seeds being the parts of his soul and blood he grants to the Wandenreich who are in turn the garden. This process is known as Auswählen, or "select" in German, and it is mostly used on things Quincy's Yhwach has no use for and he then sacrifices them to either heal himself or his more elite Sternritter.
He Transfers His Powers To Jugram When He Sleeps
When Sternritter "B," Jugram Haschwalth, was young, he would tag along with Bazz-B's great aspirations to join up with Yhwach's Quincy Army. Yet, when the day came and Yhwach's forces rolled into their village, Yhwach only took notice of the meek Jugram, proclaiming they are one and the same.
Like Yhwach, Jugram cannot absorb reishi naturally like other Quincy, but they can amplify the powers of those around them through their soul. A case of a Quincy with this ability is extremely rare, and Yhwach made Jugram his second-in-command because of it and would entrust him with his powers as he slumbered, making them essentially two sides of the same coin. The two could transfer their powers between themselves effortlessly, hence why Jugram's Schrift is "The Balance."
He's Responsible For The Deaths Of Ichigo's & Uryu's Mothers
To call Ichigo Kurosaki a "special case" in terms of an overpowered anime main character would be an understatement - selected from a gene pool that includes not only just human but shinigami and hollow DNA, as well. But it would be revealed in this final arc how that all came to be, as well as the fact that Ichigo is part Quincy on his mother's side.
Masaki Kurosaki was a Quincy and, at one point, was arranged to marry Uryu Ishida's father, Ryuken. This was avoided with the inevitable meeting between her and Isshin that would ultimately result in them starting a family together. Unfortunately, this was not to last when Yhwach activated Auswählen upon all Quincy he deemed unnecessary for his goals. This included Uryu's mother, killing her instantly, and Masaki, whose powers were taken away in the midst of defending Ichigo from the Grand Fischer, costing her life.
He Shares More Than Just Looks With Old Man Zangetsu
Ever since Ichigo awakened his Zanpakuto, it was long believed that the grizzle-faced man sporting a long, tattered coat was the true Zanpakuto spirit, Zangetsu. During the course of the TYBW Arc, this would prove to not be the case.
After his Zanpakuto is destroyed, Ichigo went up to the Soul King's palace to have it repaired by Ōetsu Nimaiya. It was Nimaiya who revealed that not only was the inner White Hollow the true Zanpakuto spirit but also that the "Old Man" was a mirrored manifestation of Yhwach 1,000 years prior. The "Old Man" was a direct representation of Yhwach's blood that circulated in Ichigo's veins.