A Bleach spin-off exploring Yamamoto’s prime could reveal his true power and legacy, leaving fans craving more of the legendary Shinigami.

SUMMARY

A Bleach spin-off focusing on Yamamoto’s prime days could reveal the depth of his legacy and showcase his true potential as a legendary Shinigami
Yamamoto’s overlooked role in the original series would shine through in a prequel, showing why he was a foundational figure in Soul Society.
Despite being underused in Bleach, Yamamoto’s past could be explored further, providing a deeper understanding of his importance to the Soul Society.

Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Part 3 has returned for the Fall 2024 anime season and is making a huge buzz online. TYBW focuses on the conflict between the Soul Society and the Wandenreich, a hidden Quincy faction. Following Sōsuke Aizen’s defeat, Yhwach rises as a vengeful new threat to the Soul Society, with Part 1 boldly highlighting his overwhelming strength.

Sosuke Aizen in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. [Credit: Studio Pierrot]

With the addition of a new prequel, Tite Kubo introduced many new faces that are even outshining our old cast from the classic Bleach. While Ichigo Kurosaki has made a comeback, the story has been anything but happy for the Soul Society. In TYBW Part 1, Yhwach devastated the Soul Society, even defeating its strongest captain and Gotei 13 leader, Genryūsai Yamamoto.

Yamamoto’s shocking end left fans in awe, his terrifying strength and Bankai sparking curiosity about his prime days. Was Yamamoto truly terrifying back in his glory days?

A Bleach Spin-Off Exploring Captain Yamamoto’s War Days Could Be the Ultimate Hit

Yamamoto wasn’t just the leader of the Soul Society, but one of its founders as he helped to strengthen the organization as a part of the Gotei 13. As the oldest captain in the Gotei 13, his character was often overlooked, especially since the original Bleach rarely gave him the spotlight.

Captain Yamamoto unleashing his Bankai in TYBW | Credits: Studio Pierrot

Yamamoto is very loyal to the Soul Society, and takes his duties very seriously, expecting the same from the rest of the Gotei 13. While Yamamoto might have been an elderly Soul Reaper, he demonstrates a glimpse of his terrifying bankai in TYBW Part 1.

For the first and only time in Bleach, the grief-stricken and enraged Yamamoto activated his bankai, Zanka no Tachi, which instantly took over the internet and the fandom by surprise

With his bankai’s apocalyptic fire-based powers, Yamamoto won, only to realize that his enemy was another Sternritter merely posing as Yhwach.

This rendered Yamamoto helpless when Yhwach finally struck him down, declaring that the Soul Society had fallen. Yamamoto’s body was reduced to vapor, and moments later, Ichigo Kurosaki arrived, only to find he was too late to save him.

Being a prideful man, he refuses to let Orihime heal his arm and goes on to face Yhwach on the battlefield. Though Yamamoto fell victim to Yhwach’s cheap tricks, the terrifying power of his bankai left fans amazed, fueling speculation about his prime days.

Genryuusai Yamamoto’s Death in TYBW | Credits: Studio Pierrot

The death of Yamamoto ended a thousand years of Soul Society history. Yamamoto was tricked, had his power stolen, and was killed in a humiliating fashion because he had grown too accustomed to peace, sparking fans’ hopes for a Bleach spin-off focused on his prime during the Quincy Blood War.

Bleach Creator Reveals the Most Complex Character in the Series

Despite being on the good side, many fans stillview Mayuri Kurotsuchi as an evil character. This is understandable given Kubo designed Mayuri as a complex character who wasn’t timid about his immoral methods. However, this only resulted in some viewers disliking his beliefs and character.

Mayuri blowing up his subordinates with Nemu in Bleach. [Credit: Studio Pierrot]

Interestingly, in a joint interview with My Hero Academia‘s creator, Kōhei Horikoshi, Kubo opens up about his initial insecurities while designing Mayuri’s character.

After learning about Mayuri being Horikoshi’s favorite character, Kubo talks about the common misjudgment readers have against him.

The mangaka revealed he never planned to portray any of the 13 Court Guard Squads as the bad guys. However, Mayuri’s complex character made the fandom misunderstand his good intentions. It’s the creator’s job to highlight the complexities of black and white through their work and Mayuri’s character is a testament to Kubo’s beliefs.