Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is now in action with Part 3 of the new anime's run as part of the Fall 2024 anime schedule, and the final moments from the newest episode is already making a major shake up with Ichigo Kurosaki's biggest mistake yet. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 - The Conflict has brought the fight directly to Yhwach after he and the strongest Sternritter members had made their way to the Soul King's Palace. After teasing their defeat last Summer, it was quickly confirmed that each of these Quincies are far from done and the fights are only beginning from here.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War's Part 3 premiere put it all on Ichigo and the others' shoulders. With the members of Squad Zero defeated by Uryu Ishida and the others Quincies, Yhwach has freed up to make his way to the Soul King's palace. They had been trying to keep him from killing the Soul King, and Ichigo and the others arrived seemingly at the perfect time to stop him. But rather than stopping Yhwach from killing the Soul King, Ichigo mistakingly ends up becoming the one to kill him instead. Meaning Ichigo has doomed all the realms with this mistake.
Ever since Yhwach awakened his true "Almighty" power that is said to give him a full vision of everything that's going to happen, he seems to be a complete puppet master undeterred by anyone that tries to stand in his way. That's especially true in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 28 as Ichigo has his first rematch with Yhwach since the first time they've faced off against one another. Yhwach barely bats an eye despite how strong Ichigo has gotten since training with the members of Squad Zero, and it's soon revealed why as he's predicted everything that's happened.
Yhwach reveals that while Ichigo and the others had been attempted to save the Soul King, he had already stabbed him with a sword before they even got there. They are all surprised to find that the Soul King is somehow still alive, but Ichigo rushes over to pull the blade out of the King. It's here the Quincy blood in his veins start to react to Yhwach's blade, and Ichigo starts moving against his will. Striking the blade through the Soul King, it's not long before he completely cuts the king in half.
With Ichigo killing the Soul King, the Soul Society, the human world, and Hueco Mundo begin to shake. It's here that the fabric of each of these worlds begin to fall apart without the Soul King at the center of it all, and it was exactly what Yhwach was wanting Ichigo to do. This was all the part of his plan to get there at the exact time Ichigo would arrive so that he was the one that ultimately would be dealing the killing blow. According to the villain, it was only someone with Ichigo's unique biology who could have done it.
As explained by Yhwach, only someone who has ties to humanity, Hallows, Quincies, and the Soul Reapers could completely break the seal around the Soul King. Only someone like Ichigo with ties to all of these separate worlds can cut the tie that binds them, and now all of these realms are in danger as Ichigo is at a loss for what to do. Ichigo also can't seem to control his body around Yhwach, and that means he's going to be fighting an uphill battle on one of the biggest ticking clocks he's ever had in the franchise to date.