Unohana's sacrifice was necessary because in doing so, she empowered Zaraki to take on the most powerful of all the Sternritters...that being Gremmy! Nobody was powerful enough to stop the meteor(the size of Texas)from destroying the Seireitei. It was so big and deadly that even Haschwalth who shares The Almighty with Ywach felt that it was a direct threat to him and ordered the other Sternritters to protect him. Without Zaraki, no shinigami would've survived to fight any of the sternritters and most of them would be dead too.
@@kanoreese1253 I don't think some of them comprehend the true meaning of their battle, honestly. It's 'if I can't have my way way then idc about anything!'
It was a general display of how desperate things were for Gotei 13, sacrificing a healer to train a warrior with said healer being no different from her bloodthirsty opponent. We sure got to see Retsu's past in the struggle while Shunsui's practicality was on display as the main organizer. It is tragic that Retsu was sacrificed while redeeming herself from a life of mass murder but suffice to say she certainly saved more lives than she took by that point.
Not much use for a healer when captains are geting destroyed almost instantly(not to mention the lower ranked shinigamis) though the way the fight between the 2 was done came off as lazy and rushed abit sad considering the fact that Unohana was considered as the rank 2 shinigami in soul society from a power standpoint and it tooked Zaraki being mortaly wounded and healed by Unohana multiple times in order to "win" honestly in a fair fight i can't see Zaraki without bankai ever wining against Unohana
Like I said, she was very strong. Surely stronger than a hitsugaya and byakuya and most other captains. Even Aizen respected her and didn't want to fight her but avoided her. I think she was the strongest captain after yamamoto. Simply because of her age and experience and then to top it off that she was a Kenpachi and sacrificing someone like that for a kenpachi who can only fight like a wild beast with no kidos and tricks and strategies? I think Kubo made a mistake and it was probably because he didn't have time and had to get rid of Charakere. Since she wasn't as popular as everyone else, she was more likely to be sacrificed. There was also the matter of the Bankai, which he could bypass so easily and didn't have to bother expanding it and explaining how it worked.
@@enachepauliulian5046 Dude did you watch the video or read the manga kenpachi litteraly was allways stronger not even not on par he was stronger than unohana. He litteraly and I lean litteraly had to stop being so strong so he didn't kill her lol.
I am so thankful that you mentioned the “romantic” aspect of this battle! I always felt that there were overt romantic overtones throughout the whole fight, not necessarily between the two combatants, but in their shared lust for battle, manifested in each other and in their clashing of blades.
IMO Kubo shoulda used her in the first invasion, covering it up as “several sternritter reported heading towards fourth division!” Or smtn, And maybe “threat has been neutralized” after only to reveal or showcase what actually happened during this fight.
This would be incredible, could you imagine Isane or Hanataro just working and a bunch of soldiers are there and then all of a sudden the scene cuts to something else and when they cut back to Isane/Hanataro cowering, they open their eyes and it’s just a bunch of bodies strewn about just covered in blood
Kenpachi Zaraki is the only Character who unlocked his Bankai mid battle. He's also the only Character to unlock both Shikai and Bankai on the Same Freaking Day. Very Kenpachi like I must say.
For the record, I recently confirmed that Isane DID know about Retsu’s past. That helps explain why Isane tries to pursue and fight enemies way out of her league. She probably wants to impress her captain in a field other than healing. This is also why I think it’s a possibility that Isane is stronger than we’ve been led to believe. There’s no way she knowingly served under the first Kenpachi without learning some killer tricks.
Or she’s trying to prevent her captain from having to revert back to that evil she was once known for. I like this take! And she’s yet to have a fight, Isane with the captain’s seat now has a bit to live up to.
@@Intrepid_Explorer at the absolute beginning of the series yes, plus she’s always been a healer/supporting character from the start. And technically isn’t Ichigo always in shikai? Lol I mean he had already achieved Bankai at that stage so technically it’s nothing on her, she was just as shocked and surprised by everyone else that he had gotten that strong.
@@Intrepid_Explorer He also one-shotted chojiro who’s had a Bankai for 1,000 years, so that would’ve happened to any Lieutenant at that point. This is the same guy who beat Kenny without a Bankai, so yeah. At any rate, lots of characters show growth through the course of the series so there’s no reason to think Isane didn’t get any stronger. She’s a captain now so at the very minimum she’s achieved Bankai(the only soul reaper to become a captain without a Bankai was Kenny, but he’s a freak so they let him pass without one).
@@lorddukfoxyzeppeli7921 I actually like what Kubo did with her, maybe we get to see her again in Hell if Kubo does a long running Hell arc. Byakuya and Hitsugaya should have died though. xD
@@AndréVilaFranca Nah, I'd keep Toshiro around. Although, i agree with Byakuya because his death was one of the few deaths that actually could've progressed the story more.
One of the most anticipated fight in the anime I think ! Imo my « dream » conclusion would be that Unohana is still alive but her Kenpachi name died after this fight and Zaraki will fully be the new Kenpachi. So we will see more fight involving Unohana and her Kido skill during the arc. The fact that she died is fine for me, we got a flashback etc…but she didn’t do anything before that and people like Byakuya should have died instead of her (because his character development was perfect and done at this point)
Never thought about killing off Byakuya for that reason but I agree. Unahona should’ve lived IMO. Feels like she still had a lot to do. Hopefully her replacement gets development in her place.
@@CaptainKotetsu Nah. Byakuya really should've died that time. I really blame the stpd people who's sending death threats to Kubo regarding "killing off Byakuya". That death shouldve been the greatest death since having the Ichigo vs Byakuya(Hell Form) will cement their rivalry as the greatest of all time. Fck those stpd "fans".
She activates her bankai. Minazuki, translates to End of all things. Which just like Shunsui and Yamamoto etc bankai it's an AOE. Blood like acid spills from her sword as the area is also affected by this bankai, her and Zaraki are then plunged into her bankai as it melts away literally your whole being!, Rather than using it to melt away her opponents which she could!, She uses Minazuki to heal herself and her opponent thus having a prolonged battle that seems endless which is the kind of battles she prefers. Did I miss something?
Her bankai creates a blade made from acidic blood, its name "all things end" probably means the bankai will dissolve both user and opponents if the fight drags on.
Apparently, Kubo has been drawing he bankai in movement for the anime. Meaning even the studio wanted Kubo to go into more detail of what the heck is going on.
Zaraki enjoys the fight, the thrill battle, the challenge of pushing yourself with a dangerous opponent. Unohana is a killer who likes the idea of life or death and the thought that you might not come out of a situation alive if you don't put in everything. I think this is the biggest difference between them, why Zaraki uses that eye patch and the bells to begin with because he wants the fights to be fun and to give his opponents a chance to keep up because he knows his power is so much higher than almost anyone, whereas Unohana seems to want the thrill of danger more than just the act of fighting and why she not only will do anything in a real fight but also why she seems so removed most of the time in fighting because there isn't much of a chance for that for her even when fighting Zaraki until he gets better. Its a shame Unohana dies, but its also a good thing for her character and the growth she seems to have done over the centuries. If she had to change back into the person she was to help fight then she would lose everything else in her life likely. Maybe the shame is that we don't get to see the changes she made over time, we only know that once she was that horrible monster that then became a healer instead. EDIT: I just read through the released chapter from last year. We can almost certainly count on another fight between Zaraki and Unohana with her having been sent to hell and directly mentioned, that would only make sense with the theme of hell in the Bleach universe and the strongest getting stronger there. I certainly predict that happening with Zaraki finally learning to control his bankai better to fight at a higher level.
I loved the fight. Although it was disappointing to not get more from Unohana, I felt what we did get was perfect for the character. And that's always been Kubo's style, he puts character above all. The thing to remember with Shunsui's strategy is that they don't need healers. They got Isane and the 4th Division. Unohana is the best healer yes, but they need military power. Someone to replace Yamamoto as the Gotei 13's super weapon. Someone who can easily fight on the level of Bankai, without needing Bankai. Remember, the Bankai are still unusable at this point and the Sternritter cannot be defeated with just Shikai to almost everyone. Something else is that I don't think Shunsui knew Zaraki would win. His initial claim is he wants Unohana to teach him sword craft, but he later states that he knows 1 of them will die. This shows, to me, that the first claim was just an excuse to get Central to authorize the event. When in actuality, he just wanted the REAL Kenpachi back, whether that be Unohana or Zaraki.
Zaraki was able to kill 3 Sternritters without taking off his eye-patch, also being mentally nerfed and without Shikai, caveat is that the Sternitters were probably confused by him not releasing his zanpakutou and didn't understand someone being so powerful without it, so they got killed without using Volstanding, maybe some of them even tried to "steal his bankai", thinking he must've already entered the fight with it released, plus Loyd was poorly matched with Kenpachi. The ones most injured aside of Kenpachi were all with the 0 Division as well. Plus Orihime IS the best healer. The only ones able to fight to the fullest were Kenpachi, Ichigo and the Vizards(puon-puon).
@@MaxIronsThird 1. What chapter was it stated they weren't using volstanding? 2. What chapter did it state they tried stealing his bankai? 3. Ichigo nor Kenpachi were fighting at their fullest as the TYBW arc proved that neither of them were at the peak of their power because they had just awakened it during said arc.
@@SuperCrysis92 1- No Quincies used Volstanding in the first invasion. 2-it's implied. 3- They are 100% fighting to their fullest, that they can at that point.
@@MaxIronsThird it isn't implied if it wasn't said in the manga itself otherwise it's just pure headcanon and you weren't clear on what fighting to their fullest potential was.
@@SuperCrysis92 First, i never said "fighting to their fullest potential", second, no Quincy used Volstanding in the first invasion, third, it makes sense to try to steal his "bankai" if you're getting your ass kicked, as in all Shinigami that used bankai got them stolen.
I’m in my final year in animation school, and when my 2nd year friend told me she animated on Bortuo and AOT, my dream to work on this fight turned into a legitimate goal. Wish me luck…
Now that AOT is wrapping up, it’s time for me to begin my rewatch of Bleach! I just ordered the Blu ray sets 01-03. I’ve always wanted to own the whole series.. so now’s the time!
The panel of Unohana's reveal is probably my second favorite panel of all Bleach, only surpassed by the panel of Ichigo arriving at the end of the First Invasion, being plead by Byakuya to save the Soul Society. It is so simplistic and eerie, that I feel that it would feel right at home in a horror manga.
So excited for this analysis. I really love how well you keep things as objective as possible while still keeping the same excitement as (I assume) most of us had while reading/watching this series. I loved this fight so much, and I’m so happy to hear that you’re giving us the gremmy fight analysis in the future 👍🏽 truly great work and staying away from just power scaling, who would win, and all the stuff so many other channels seem to rely on
I love that Kubo did this honestly. The intimacy between these two was destined to end in death. For one only inherits the Kenpachi name through the death of an opponent and relinquishes it upon death. It adds an air of legend or mysticism to the 11th division title. Stagnation causes death and progress demands death. Kubo does such a good job in this battle, you can tell he held these characters close to himself.
I would like when the fight between them begins that they take a page from the HxH anime battle between Gon and Hisoka and opt to not have music at the beginning or at some point throughout to just emphasize the sounds of the fight.
Bro said HxH like the final valley fight in shippuden didn’t absolutely perfectly use that effect at the end of the anime. Both are top tier fights I just feel like naruto did it a little better 🙃
Hey thanks for continously putting out quality Bleach content! It's really impressive the depth you go in relating to the topic at hand I honestly forgot a lot more about this fight than I thought I did 😅 But yeah just very refreshing especially since the animes return is fast approaching!
@@lorddukfoxyzeppeli7921 cry a river she's dead now. No going back. Not wasted potential either as what happened to her was part of the storyline as well as Kenpachis.
@@SuperCrysis92 Being part of the story does not mean it was the best narrative decision. When you say stuff like that you sound like a 12 year old kid trying to be a badass with a keyboard lol. BTW I think her death was the correct decision, But I just think you sound like a stupid person.
It's a great fight, but for me it's held back by the fact that it was effectively rigged from the start to ensure that Zaraki would eventually win. That said, it's certainly one of the best Bleach fights in terms of fleshing out both of the combatants in terms of characterization and backstory, which is especially impressive considering how well-established Zaraki and Unohana are by this point.
He beat her as a boy a long time ago. She literally said he held back subconsciously and eventually let her win. Her sin was being too weak to him that he started shackling himself from that very point. Her mission in their second battle was to help him shed some of those shackles so that could attain newer heights again. What part of that didn't you understand?
@@truthcrusader360 she won the battle but she knew he was stronger 🤦🏽♂️& what he did cause clearly he should have never lost to ichigo but he did that’s what happens 😂kenpachi really give his opponents handicaps but him as a young savage showed he could body anyone without holding back
Would be very interested in a What If? episode discussing Unohana surviving this fight, and what battles she would play a major part in later, and how her abilities would come into play. Her sacrifice was rather wasted, and if she survived, then the sting from this lack of payoff wouldn't be there.
Considering her power level caps off at Base Kenpachi without his eyepatch, she wouldn't have been able to keep up with most of the second invasion opponents that Kenpachi fought. She would've been left behind by Kenpachi in the Gremmy fight and completely dusted power wise by Kenpachi Toshiro and Byakuya. However- If she was able to heal, Kenpachi would've been healed after the Gremmy fight (not during as Kenpachi wouldn't allow it), and if she stuck with him for the Gerard fight, she probably would've healed him post Bankai injury, but Toshiro and Byakuya didn't really take damage like that. If she went off and did other things, she would've been able to style on the low tier Sternritters, fight the mid tiers well, assist with the high tiers, and provided immense support overall as a healer and fighter
I just remember being so disappointed that we didn't get to see Unahana and Zaraki fighting Quincy together. The whole idea that we needed the best healer and a top fighter to die to make Zaraki stronger was always stupid to me, and like you said he doesn't win after. Having her teach him to fight by fighting alongside him and Zaraki realizing he has a long way to go before he can reach her again would have been so much better. He could still get shikai this way, and if for some reason Unahana really needs to die it could be either at the hands of Yhwach or at the hands of Zaraki AFTER the war.
A beautiful thing also in volume 59 as you go through the chapters of their fight kubo sketches something and it gets more clear as zaraki grows until he reaches his zanpaku-to
Wow, thanks for another amazing video MrTommo! This was such an incredibly detailed analysis and I enjoyed listening to every bit of it. I cant wait to see this legendary battle in the anime!
Fantastic video as always. I always assumed that the Second Kenpachi (the one right after Unohana) was given the title, maybe by Unohana when she retired. Something like Unohana going "I don't want to do this any more but you're the second strongest person in the Seireitei, you should take this up for me" in the hope that it would eventually draw out Zaraki some time down the line to want to claim that title.
This fight is so bittersweet, one of the best and yet so unsatisfactory in the outcome. I loved it for all of the reasons, MrTommo stated, but I hate that Unohana ultimately died and only served as a plot device to empower Zaraki.I had been looking forward to Unohana getting development so much only to lose her like this (albeit in a very beautiful, compelling way) left a very sour aftertaste. Zaraki's unleashed potential is never truly showcased in such a way that ever made me think "this was worth Unohana dying."
Zaraki beat an old unohana compare when the young boy zaraki overpowered a prime unohana, zaraki potential after that still not that impressive even though he gained shikai, for me the strength of his kid version still superior
Didn't help Kubo went on to make kid Zaraki stronger than Unohana. She was initially weaker. Then died making him over powered. Only for him to not really do much towards the end aside from Gremmy. With Shunsui being a schemer, what. enter scheme then to set up this fight only to interrupt it to keep both pieces.
@@hellchaos5686 False. She was STILL that same individual she was during the firs Gotei generation. She stated it herself she did not change it was rather Zaraki who did. Just because she had gotten older doesn't mean it rusted out her abilities.
True don't roast me to hard for saying this but I wish the final fight with Bach ( using Yamamota stolen Bankai) was vs all five war potential some stragglers sternritter /Chad, Renji,( Rukia , Toshiro , battles Yamamota flames granted their not on that heat level but be fun 👀 watching their combined 🍦 ice❄ frost💨 and water 🌊 cold 🌨). Bayaka, any stray shinigami any sole-dat Quincy in a all out fight. Love your comment though.
Yes, because kenpachi had a SUBCONSCIOUS SEAL. You realize child kenpachi beat her up, and that's why he has a subconscious seal? Without that seal, although she let herself be killed, the narrative itself implies kenpachi is stronger in base.
She says he was "stronger" but stronger is sorta vague. She also says shes "stronger than anyone but you" to kenny implying she just meant physically and not overall. As we know there are more powerful characters than them both, like yama. Worth noting she didn't know healing back then or use Shikai/Bankai vs kid kenny either. Lets just be glad she spared him that day which let him develop, he was unconscious on the ground after their fight
Such a great fight, from the moment she was ordered to the bitter end. Unohana had been waiting so many years for this moment, the moment the only person worthy of succeeding her was ready. She was ready to kill him countless times until all of his limits had been destroyed and he was the raw power she faced so many years ago. I like this in a context of after the first invasion, where she no doubt wanted to go out and slaughter her enemies but her duty as a healer and the orders of one of the few people that could beat her in a fight required her to stay put. And then having to endure no doubt hours of boring fighting, all for the brief period of pure ecstasy. She would get to join her friend and leader, and all of her old comrades from the og 13. She would be able to right what she considered a sin against Zaraki and herself. And when she could finally reach the end of her journey in the glorious battle she'd longed for.
@Navy Boy actually Kenpachi is. Imagine Kenpachis power now that he's awoken his shikai and bankai in the same timespan gap between his first fight with Unohana. Had he killed her back then and never forced any restraints on himself he'd literally be untouchable in Bleach and would end every single fight with just one blow.
Actually in the CFYOW novel which is I think 5 years after TYBW he's become such a monster he thrashed around Hikone who is Aizen level. And one shot a Hollow in shikai that defeated a young Yamamoto.
The narrative at play with this fight and these characters is great, very interesting and powerful stuff. And the fight itself is well written and enjoyable, I agree. But I have always been disappointed with what still feels like a wasted sacrifice to me. Maybe it's driven by the fact that I've never been that big a fan of Zaraki, but for Unohana to be sacrificed so dramatically so that Zaraki can continue doing essentially what he's done the whole series, with unimpressive results at best in TYBW, still disappoints me. Zaraki's shikai & bankai don't really sell the trade-off for me either. And it does all make Kyoraku's decision feel a little silly which annoys me further. But all the same, great video as always!
Unohana's Minazuki wouldn't have worked against yhwach using his banned Yu-Gi-Oh card effects and there was no turning back for Kenpachi Yachiru once she tasted blood again.
@@Rhekon If the quinces didn't have the means to steal the shinigami bankai the end result would've been the same in the past when Yama and Unohana and the rest of so called 'thugs' utterly wiped out the Quincy. They HAD to come up with a means to fight the shinigami and that was to steal their bankais and use it against them. Had Yama not changed his ways from 1000 years ago when the Gotei wasn't to be effed with the invasion would've never happened. Juha took advantage of that.
Definetly my favourite fight in TYBW arc, though as many people i would have loved to see Unohana in several other fights and i don't think it was the smartest move on Kyoraku's part to let her die like that.
I was just rewatching this fight w my friend. And we discussed that Unohana's Bankai and the fight is an extreme act of love. Developing her Bankai, her healing abilities for this one fight. To essentially foster the next of kin. Breaking mental and physical barriers repeatedly like a monstrous mental workout. They are both troubled and vicious people, but it is an act of love nonetheless. She did this with foresight and the way she reacted at the end of her death w a look of adoration as Kenpachi earned his kill truly due to her work
U would still think tactically speaking that it would be better to have 2 fighters at like lvl 10 and lvl 7 then 1 fighter lvl 11 Esp one that can resurrect and heal people.
Kenpachi is tiers above Unohana. Kenpachi in base eventually managed to overpower her, then he gets Shikai and Bankai after that. And then after he gets Shikai and Bankai, he fights people like Gremmy and Gerard who Unohana wouldn't stand a chance against
you can talk about this battle whenever you want and i'll be here for it. if there was ranking for bleach battles, this one would be 100% on my top 3 (possible top 1, honestly)
By far the best fight in the entire arc. Man just incredible bloody thirsty warriors going At it. The crazy twist of her being the first kenpachi. After we all knew she was hiding something throughout the entire manga/anime. Teases she is one of the most powerful bleach characters. From aizen refusal of fighting her. To her scaring kyoaku and ukitaka just by forgetting she was a original captan. To ichigo being scared to let her take the lead. We all knew something was off. Amazing fight.
I don’t understand why people are disappointed that she died. Remember only one kenpachi can leave so by her dying kenpachi becomes the real kenpachi and the strongest soul reaper.
Appreciate the video , Tommo! This fight is definitely in my top 5. I wonder when the anime comes back if we can get a filler arc that shows the original gotei 13
Still wish Kyoraku had brought Orihime down to Muken too and she could’ve brought Yachiru back to life after Zaraki was at full power. Would’ve loved to see her fight some sternritter and her healing would’ve come in handy.
I somewhat wish he did not gain a shikai or bankai. I liked that he was all just pure strength and force, it separated him from the other Captains. But at the same time it was cool to see his new designs.
I personally can't wait for this one to get animated. It gives me the same vibe as Kakashi v Obito in the kamui dimension. Scaled back, not overly flashy, just excellent coriagraphy between 2 lone combatants at their peak, but with deep underlying connections that go way back that are finally going to be resolved with their actions. If handled right it can be such a breath of fresh air after all the flashy over the top powers on display all around.
its 2 perfect halfs coming together to create what they were made to create its the culmination of everything theyve been through. its primordial raw and beautiful.
I for one, loved the fight in all of its entirety. I, much like you MrTommo, had hopes that 'Yachiru Unohana' was dead, and that Retsu would go on. Personally I think that'd have been a more suitable end, to resume the Captain of the 4th until some later point. But of course, its not what we got. I feel a little cheated there, though that's just because I adored Unohana's character in general. I am very pleased with Zaraki's growth, it was something he greatly needed, though for all of his gains he never got a fight that was suitable for his skillset. Gerard came close to that, but as you stated so eloquently: it was an unwinnable scenario. Valkyrie is just designed to come back stronger than before, as he so showed after being killed throughout the battle against him. Ultimately it is a pity we never got to see Unohana retake the helm (mind you, I love Isane. I just feel she was cheated of any possible growth, before being tossed into a position of Captain without a chance to develop on screen at all).
Can we take a time to imagine how insanely strong she would be if she trained hard all that time (like yama did) instead of bothering about people health? Imo she is at the top 5 strongest and no one cant take it from me, and i love her s2
Everyone has a ceiling limit. And she had already reached hers by the time she fought little Zaraki. It was also explained that she was the same character from back then until Zaraki killed her. She didn't become weaker at all, nor stronger. She was that same very person during the first Gotei generation.
Top 5? For what? Gotei? Entire series? Either way it doesn't really work out. Let's just go with the Gotei. Unohana at her full power is weaker than Sealed/Base Kenpachi (no eyepatch). So anyone on the same level as or stronger than him would be stronger than Unohana. We have Yamamoto, Kenpachi himself (obviously), Byakuya and Toshiro (definitively stronger than Shikai Kenpachi w/o the eyepatch, debatbley stronger than even Bankai Kenpachi), Kyoraku (Basically defeated and had more spiritual pressure than even Vollstandig Lille Barro when Base Lille Barro was relative to or above the 0 Squad members besides Ichibei), Mayuri (Had enough raw AP to stab Kenpachi post Unohana training and fast enough to blitz Perninda after he adapted to and matched Kenpachi's overall stats, as well as has hax). Nemu (at the cost of sacrificing her life, she's able to raise her spiritual pressure to match Perninda, a Quincy Elite, when he was way stronger than when he matched Base Kenpachi) etc
@@jocoolshow lol let's just forget that fact that she murders him multiple times after the first death kenpachi would be done. She brought him back to life. You can't unlock power if your dead. like wtf
@@knyght2902 bro….tell me you didn’t read the story without saying 😂he literally was holding himself back & she was trying to bring that out & when she did his (actual power) she got killed 🤦🏽♂️I’m sorry y’all can’t read but she was never stronger than him even as a kid she said he was stronger
Its kinda fitting tho. Cause Unohana became weary of fighting 24:46- not because she felt guilty about the varies lives she took, but because there isn't a worthy opponent. She was so OP that she turned into Saitama from One Punch man So I'm not complaining 🤷♀️
If you look at it from the Quincy POV Zaraki was literally the Gotei’s only hope, he’s the only member of the court guard on the list of war potentials. Ichibei is apart of the royal guard, Aizen is for himself Ichigo and Kisuke even though they were on Gotei’s side aren’t even actual parts of the court. He is the main character of the soul society
And even though he had a lot of cool scenes in the war, I still feel like he was completely underutilized when you compare him to the other four war potentials
I don't read the manga, but now I'm all caught up to it because of all the bleach content I've been chugging down lately. It kind of sucks that I've already spoiled myself? But then again, I am so in need for new content lol.
@@SuperCrysis92 You don't even understand what i'm saying, do you? I'm don't hate that the two died, i'm talking about them in the arc as a whole, the only thing they did, was die.
What a reveal! No one would ever think that Unohana would be the one to take Zaraki to the next level. Reading this chapter on release years ago gave me chills. Such a badass and pleasantly surprising confrontation 👏
Now with the anime airing, and the quality of the anime in sight, this is the fight im most excited for in the tybw. Its a brutal, bloody, beautifully choreographed swordfight and im really digging it.
hi tommo regarding the scene where zaraki looks like he's melting its because maybe its a representation of his "nerf" getting stripped away slowly unlike unohana shown all in skeleton it means that she was fighting at her fullest power and zaraki just isnt at his fullest power fighting her (sorry for my bad english)
Great analysis. I know it’s not what this video is about but I cannot wrap my head around why Unohana didn’t attack any quincies during the first invasion. You’d think if the chips were down for all of soul society she’d go on offense.
It’d be cool if In the anime they made Unohana’s Bankai almost like a whip (or an Urumi) with the acidic attributes of her zampakuto. would fit both her fluid movements in battle but also into her willingness to do anything to win even extending her blade and corrose
Without context, yea that would be good, but in context it wouldn't as Unohana is known as the swordsmanship master with 8000 styles. It would be most fitting if her Bankai is the weapon she's most familiar with
Loved and hated this fight. Basically loved it for every reason you said, the boy Kenny got that development. However I hated it because it made me love Unohana as a character just to have her die. Its EXTREME COPIUM but I hope if the Hell Arc becomes a real thing, we can see more of her(maybe bring her back). Would it be good for the story...probably not, but its a personal want.
Maybe in the anime, he can fight one of the sternritter who died off screen or something. Also, I bet that the 2nd Kenpachi was just an oaf with a personality like Omaeda's. When he heard rumors of Unohana's death, he took all the credit or something.
Unohana never died to the public, she literally just became the squad 4 Captain. Her death wasn't faked or anything. After she retired from squad 11, (this is headcanon) she probably either handpicked her successor or let the old school Gotei or Yama pick her successor
l really like most of Kenpachi's fights because I think Kubo does a really good job having a through line with Zaraki's character development more than he gets credit for at least. You start with Ichigo vs Zaraki which Ichigo really only wins because Kenpachi nerfs himself, and draws the fight out. It becomes abundantly clear Kenpachi is actively aiming to fight Ichigo as long as possible to his detriment, like Zaraki's actively sabotaging himself through all the handicaps and drawing out fights so he gets beaten. As well as realizing his zanpakuto most likely isn't responding to him because of something he's doing. Which imo has as much to do with Kenpachi's self destructive behavior as it does mental blocks though they're probably interconnected. Cut to Nnoitra and Kenpachi has a fight where he really isn't at a substantial enough advantage to fight how he usually does. In fact, I'd argue Nnoitra dominates Kenpachi for most of that fight and it's actually pretty fascinating watching Kenpachi slowly realize hey I'm gonna die if I keep letting this living wheat thresher carve me up. Nnoitra also exploits Kenpachi's habits for all their worth to hurt him a lot worse than he needed to. I think the Kendo stance murder move he does is his Zanpakuto for a moment resonating with him as he comes to realize dying needlessly in combat probably shouldn't be my goal for fights. Thus why he removes the bells and his attitude is slightly different going forward. Then I think this fight happens, and Unohana spells out all the ways Kenpachi struggled in past fights is completely self inflicted. He could be a good of murder, but he's actively been terrified of fully allowing himself to be. very interesting long term writing from Kubo dude deserves more respect for long term storytelling.
In the anime I hope this is a fight and story in general with no music. I think the silence between the swings and reflection will make it so much more impactful
I always loved this fight of course I wanted to see Unohana fight some Sternritter but it is what it is. This fight also has some of my favorite panels in the whole manga.
This is one of the fight I'm most worried about being censored and destroyed in the anime god I hope they do the rest of this series the justice it deserves
@@scottvgamer1163 good I really hope you're right because this fight needs to be done correctly for all of us not just this one but rip Yama that's what really sets everything in the motion is that fight shows how serious it's all got so if they do censor it too much it's going to take that feeling away some none of us want that
@@michaelanthony2520 I wouldn’t be surprised if SOME things do get censored, especially considering som parts could be too gruesome and the fact they censored it in the first place was because younger people would be watching it around the time it aired, and even though they’ve grown in the time it took for it to come back, I wouldn’t be surprised if a decent chunk of the fanbase is comprised of younger viewers. But again, it at least shouldn’t be AS bad as before. Don’t think we need to worry that much.
@@scottvgamer1163 facts fingers crossed they deliver either way to get the return and finish is a god send never thought it would happen so I'ma be happy either way
This is an awesome battle - thanks to everyone who voted for it! I'm really looking forward to tackling the Gremmy fight next - it should be fun!
Looking forward to
This is the one ive been waiting for you to do my guy! hells yes this is honestly my favorite battle in ALL of bleach
U would still think tactically speaking that it would be better to have 2 fighter at like lvl 10 and lvl 7 then 1 fighter lvl 11
Unohana's sacrifice was necessary because in doing so, she empowered Zaraki to take on the most powerful of all the Sternritters...that being Gremmy! Nobody was powerful enough to stop the meteor(the size of Texas)from destroying the Seireitei. It was so big and deadly that even Haschwalth who shares The Almighty with Ywach felt that it was a direct threat to him and ordered the other Sternritters to protect him. Without Zaraki, no shinigami would've survived to fight any of the sternritters and most of them would be dead too.
@@kanoreese1253 I don't think some of them comprehend the true meaning of their battle, honestly. It's 'if I can't have my way way then idc about anything!'
It was a general display of how desperate things were for Gotei 13, sacrificing a healer to train a warrior with said healer being no different from her bloodthirsty opponent. We sure got to see Retsu's past in the struggle while Shunsui's practicality was on display as the main organizer. It is tragic that Retsu was sacrificed while redeeming herself from a life of mass murder but suffice to say she certainly saved more lives than she took by that point.
Not much use for a healer when captains are geting destroyed almost instantly(not to mention the lower ranked shinigamis) though the way the fight between the 2 was done came off as lazy and rushed abit sad considering the fact that Unohana was considered as the rank 2 shinigami in soul society from a power standpoint and it tooked Zaraki being mortaly wounded and healed by Unohana multiple times in order to "win" honestly in a fair fight i can't see Zaraki without bankai ever wining against Unohana
Like I said, she was very strong. Surely stronger than a hitsugaya and byakuya and most other captains. Even Aizen respected her and didn't want to fight her but avoided her.
I think she was the strongest captain after yamamoto. Simply because of her age and experience and then to top it off that she was a Kenpachi and sacrificing someone like that for a kenpachi who can only fight like a wild beast with no kidos and tricks and strategies?
I think Kubo made a mistake and it was probably because he didn't have time and had to get rid of Charakere. Since she wasn't as popular as everyone else, she was more likely to be sacrificed.
There was also the matter of the Bankai, which he could bypass so easily and didn't have to bother expanding it and explaining how it worked.
Unohana was a Martyr .
Honestly, I'd hv loved to see an alternative route where we get to see Unohana let it rip on the Sternritters.
@@enachepauliulian5046 Dude did you watch the video or read the manga kenpachi litteraly was allways stronger not even not on par he was stronger than unohana. He litteraly and I lean litteraly had to stop being so strong so he didn't kill her lol.
I am so thankful that you mentioned the “romantic” aspect of this battle! I always felt that there were overt romantic overtones throughout the whole fight, not necessarily between the two combatants, but in their shared lust for battle, manifested in each other and in their clashing of blades.
........
I felt the same way
OH THEY FUCKING! or at least they would be, had Unohana survived... Hell arc better give them a reencounter
They’re masochists
IMO Kubo shoulda used her in the first invasion, covering it up as “several sternritter reported heading towards fourth division!” Or smtn, And maybe “threat has been neutralized” after only to reveal or showcase what actually happened during this fight.
This would be incredible, could you imagine Isane or Hanataro just working and a bunch of soldiers are there and then all of a sudden the scene cuts to something else and when they cut back to Isane/Hanataro cowering, they open their eyes and it’s just a bunch of bodies strewn about just covered in blood
@@rupertonian460 I can already picture it now, that would be so sick 🔥🔥
I would love to see Bambietta or As nodt try to fight her
@@milirocfresh5491 unohana and as nodt would’ve been an amazing fight
@@ilovegintokii I think she would have bodied him tho
Kenpachi Zaraki is the only Character who unlocked his Bankai mid battle. He's also the only Character to unlock both Shikai and Bankai on the Same Freaking Day.
Very Kenpachi like I must say.
He had main character talent. He was the only one to manifest his zanpakutō for as long as he did.
For the record, I recently confirmed that Isane DID know about Retsu’s past. That helps explain why Isane tries to pursue and fight enemies way out of her league. She probably wants to impress her captain in a field other than healing.
This is also why I think it’s a possibility that Isane is stronger than we’ve been led to believe. There’s no way she knowingly served under the first Kenpachi without learning some killer tricks.
Or she’s trying to prevent her captain from having to revert back to that evil she was once known for. I like this take! And she’s yet to have a fight, Isane with the captain’s seat now has a bit to live up to.
Didn't she get oneshot by base Ichigo without his Shikai?
@@Intrepid_Explorer at the absolute beginning of the series yes, plus she’s always been a healer/supporting character from the start. And technically isn’t Ichigo always in shikai? Lol I mean he had already achieved Bankai at that stage so technically it’s nothing on her, she was just as shocked and surprised by everyone else that he had gotten that strong.
@@Intrepid_Explorer ichigo is permanently in shikai afaik
@@Intrepid_Explorer He also one-shotted chojiro who’s had a Bankai for 1,000 years, so that would’ve happened to any Lieutenant at that point. This is the same guy who beat Kenny without a Bankai, so yeah.
At any rate, lots of characters show growth through the course of the series so there’s no reason to think Isane didn’t get any stronger. She’s a captain now so at the very minimum she’s achieved Bankai(the only soul reaper to become a captain without a Bankai was Kenny, but he’s a freak so they let him pass without one).
Easily one of the best fights in the entire series. I love how raw it is.
Hopefully we get to see Unohana again in the Hell arc.
That'd be sick!
Kenpachi vs all of the previous dead Kenpachis that's something I would like to see.
Unohana should have lived
@@lorddukfoxyzeppeli7921 I actually like what Kubo did with her, maybe we get to see her again in Hell if Kubo does a long running Hell arc.
Byakuya and Hitsugaya should have died though. xD
@@AndréVilaFranca Nah, I'd keep Toshiro around. Although, i agree with Byakuya because his death was one of the few deaths that actually could've progressed the story more.
Absolutely CANNOT wait to see those skeletons swinging those swords, gonna look so cool
it was very nice
One of the most anticipated fight in the anime I think ! Imo my « dream » conclusion would be that Unohana is still alive but her Kenpachi name died after this fight and Zaraki will fully be the new Kenpachi. So we will see more fight involving Unohana and her Kido skill during the arc. The fact that she died is fine for me, we got a flashback etc…but she didn’t do anything before that and people like Byakuya should have died instead of her (because his character development was perfect and done at this point)
Never thought about killing off Byakuya for that reason but I agree. Unahona should’ve lived IMO. Feels like she still had a lot to do. Hopefully her replacement gets development in her place.
It makes sense though, the old gotei is gone, time for the new ones to rise up.
@@CaptainKotetsu Nah. Byakuya really should've died that time. I really blame the stpd people who's sending death threats to Kubo regarding "killing off Byakuya".
That death shouldve been the greatest death since having the Ichigo vs Byakuya(Hell Form) will cement their rivalry as the greatest of all time.
Fck those stpd "fans".
@Kenji Licious ik Byakuya sucks and arrogant he should of died as soon As nodt use his abilities
Unohana should have lived
Unohana's bankai will hopefully be explained later, because I had no clue what was going on.
She activates her bankai. Minazuki, translates to End of all things. Which just like Shunsui and Yamamoto etc bankai it's an AOE. Blood like acid spills from her sword as the area is also affected by this bankai, her and Zaraki are then plunged into her bankai as it melts away literally your whole being!, Rather than using it to melt away her opponents which she could!, She uses Minazuki to heal herself and her opponent thus having a prolonged battle that seems endless which is the kind of battles she prefers. Did I miss something?
it looks like some kind of acidic blood sword. but i have no clue either
Her bankai creates a blade made from acidic blood, its name "all things end" probably means the bankai will dissolve both user and opponents if the fight drags on.
Unohana should have lived
Apparently, Kubo has been drawing he bankai in movement for the anime. Meaning even the studio wanted Kubo to go into more detail of what the heck is going on.
Trading Unohana for Zarakis Bankai was a hard deal, but ultimately made sense. Id just love a flashback of her slaughtering Quincy
She was certainly in deep with the Quincy extermination attempts. It makes you wonder when she decided to stop and do the opposite by saving lives.
Okay but imagine Kenpachi with his shikai and bankai 1000 years from now. His bankai is stated to be the strongest bankai in soul society existence.
@@SuperCrysis92 Unohana should have lived and healed people
@@lorddukfoxyzeppeli7921 keep crying because she's gone. Too bad, so sad.
It made sense but it was not worth it or favorable at all.
Zaraki enjoys the fight, the thrill battle, the challenge of pushing yourself with a dangerous opponent. Unohana is a killer who likes the idea of life or death and the thought that you might not come out of a situation alive if you don't put in everything. I think this is the biggest difference between them, why Zaraki uses that eye patch and the bells to begin with because he wants the fights to be fun and to give his opponents a chance to keep up because he knows his power is so much higher than almost anyone, whereas Unohana seems to want the thrill of danger more than just the act of fighting and why she not only will do anything in a real fight but also why she seems so removed most of the time in fighting because there isn't much of a chance for that for her even when fighting Zaraki until he gets better.
Its a shame Unohana dies, but its also a good thing for her character and the growth she seems to have done over the centuries. If she had to change back into the person she was to help fight then she would lose everything else in her life likely. Maybe the shame is that we don't get to see the changes she made over time, we only know that once she was that horrible monster that then became a healer instead.
EDIT: I just read through the released chapter from last year. We can almost certainly count on another fight between Zaraki and Unohana with her having been sent to hell and directly mentioned, that would only make sense with the theme of hell in the Bleach universe and the strongest getting stronger there. I certainly predict that happening with Zaraki finally learning to control his bankai better to fight at a higher level.
One of the most iconic fights in the Quincy arc, it’s a fight between two shinigamis. Tite broke the mold!
Unohana should have lived
I loved the fight. Although it was disappointing to not get more from Unohana, I felt what we did get was perfect for the character. And that's always been Kubo's style, he puts character above all.
The thing to remember with Shunsui's strategy is that they don't need healers. They got Isane and the 4th Division. Unohana is the best healer yes, but they need military power. Someone to replace Yamamoto as the Gotei 13's super weapon. Someone who can easily fight on the level of Bankai, without needing Bankai. Remember, the Bankai are still unusable at this point and the Sternritter cannot be defeated with just Shikai to almost everyone.
Something else is that I don't think Shunsui knew Zaraki would win. His initial claim is he wants Unohana to teach him sword craft, but he later states that he knows 1 of them will die. This shows, to me, that the first claim was just an excuse to get Central to authorize the event. When in actuality, he just wanted the REAL Kenpachi back, whether that be Unohana or Zaraki.
Zaraki was able to kill 3 Sternritters without taking off his eye-patch, also being mentally nerfed and without Shikai, caveat is that the Sternitters were probably confused by him not releasing his zanpakutou and didn't understand someone being so powerful without it, so they got killed without using Volstanding, maybe some of them even tried to "steal his bankai", thinking he must've already entered the fight with it released, plus Loyd was poorly matched with Kenpachi.
The ones most injured aside of Kenpachi were all with the 0 Division as well. Plus Orihime IS the best healer.
The only ones able to fight to the fullest were Kenpachi, Ichigo and the Vizards(puon-puon).
@@MaxIronsThird 1. What chapter was it stated they weren't using volstanding?
2. What chapter did it state they tried stealing his bankai?
3. Ichigo nor Kenpachi were fighting at their fullest as the TYBW arc proved that neither of them were at the peak of their power because they had just awakened it during said arc.
@@SuperCrysis92 1- No Quincies used Volstanding in the first invasion.
2-it's implied.
3- They are 100% fighting to their fullest, that they can at that point.
@@MaxIronsThird it isn't implied if it wasn't said in the manga itself otherwise it's just pure headcanon and you weren't clear on what fighting to their fullest potential was.
@@SuperCrysis92 First, i never said "fighting to their fullest potential", second, no Quincy used Volstanding in the first invasion, third, it makes sense to try to steal his "bankai" if you're getting your ass kicked, as in all Shinigami that used bankai got them stolen.
i wish we could have gotten to see kenpachi and unohana 2v2 some sort of bad guy because that captain teamup is disgusting to me lol
I’m in my final year in animation school, and when my 2nd year friend told me she animated on Bortuo and AOT, my dream to work on this fight turned into a legitimate goal. Wish me luck…
Hope it works out for you!
Good luck!!! I hope u accomplish your goals!😁
Unohana should have lived
and healed other ppl like kyoraku
Now that AOT is wrapping up, it’s time for me to begin my rewatch of Bleach! I just ordered the Blu ray sets 01-03. I’ve always wanted to own the whole series.. so now’s the time!
Nice, I just finished rewatching Bleach. I did skip all the fillers but I'm pumped for its return.
This fight almost makes me want an "original Gotei 13" flashback arc more than a Hell arc.
@Navy Boy not filler its too good to be; a season would be nice.
@Navan Jones Kubo could get involved and make it Canon like DBZ did with Broly and Bardock
The panel of Unohana's reveal is probably my second favorite panel of all Bleach, only surpassed by the panel of Ichigo arriving at the end of the First Invasion, being plead by Byakuya to save the Soul Society. It is so simplistic and eerie, that I feel that it would feel right at home in a horror manga.
Cant wait for kenpachis vs gremmy analysis🤩
That "dance" part you were talking about, with all the panels you selected, literally gave me chills. That's such a good way to see it.
So excited for this analysis. I really love how well you keep things as objective as possible while still keeping the same excitement as (I assume) most of us had while reading/watching this series. I loved this fight so much, and I’m so happy to hear that you’re giving us the gremmy fight analysis in the future 👍🏽 truly great work and staying away from just power scaling, who would win, and all the stuff so many other channels seem to rely on
I love that Kubo did this honestly. The intimacy between these two was destined to end in death. For one only inherits the Kenpachi name through the death of an opponent and relinquishes it upon death. It adds an air of legend or mysticism to the 11th division title. Stagnation causes death and progress demands death. Kubo does such a good job in this battle, you can tell he held these characters close to himself.
I would like when the fight between them begins that they take a page from the HxH anime battle between Gon and Hisoka and opt to not have music at the beginning or at some point throughout to just emphasize the sounds of the fight.
Bro said HxH like the final valley fight in shippuden didn’t absolutely perfectly use that effect at the end of the anime. Both are top tier fights I just feel like naruto did it a little better 🙃
I'd rather hear an unreleased ost for the fight cuz it will be epic af.
Hey thanks for continously putting out quality Bleach content! It's really impressive the depth you go in relating to the topic at hand I honestly forgot a lot more about this fight than I thought I did 😅 But yeah just very refreshing especially since the animes return is fast approaching!
Regarding Kenpahi's greater role, it's worth remembering that he was one of Ywhah's five threats, along with Ichigo, Aizen, Urahara, and Ichibei.
Unohana should have survived and healed people
@@lorddukfoxyzeppeli7921 cry a river she's dead now. No going back. Not wasted potential either as what happened to her was part of the storyline as well as Kenpachis.
@@SuperCrysis92 Being part of the story does not mean it was the best narrative decision. When you say stuff like that you sound like a 12 year old kid trying to be a badass with a keyboard lol.
BTW I think her death was the correct decision, But I just think you sound like a stupid person.
Dude...these breakdowns are fantastic.
It's a great fight, but for me it's held back by the fact that it was effectively rigged from the start to ensure that Zaraki would eventually win. That said, it's certainly one of the best Bleach fights in terms of fleshing out both of the combatants in terms of characterization and backstory, which is especially impressive considering how well-established Zaraki and Unohana are by this point.
He beat her as a boy a long time ago. She literally said he held back subconsciously and eventually let her win. Her sin was being too weak to him that he started shackling himself from that very point. Her mission in their second battle was to help him shed some of those shackles so that could attain newer heights again. What part of that didn't you understand?
@@SuperCrysis92
Technically she beat him despite being supposedly weaker and then during the rematch constantly kept killing him countless times.🗿
@@truthcrusader360 People seem to not understand that she killed him multiple times. It's was a waste of a badass female character that bleach needed.
@@truthcrusader360 she won the battle but she knew he was stronger 🤦🏽♂️& what he did cause clearly he should have never lost to ichigo but he did that’s what happens 😂kenpachi really give his opponents handicaps but him as a young savage showed he could body anyone without holding back
I think that Unahanna was trying to teach Kenpachi how to be a Kenpachi. And she helped him to become a monster. Literally.
Can't wait for this battle to be animated 😍
Ah yes, another video about Kenpachis.
Worth watching, thank you for this
You do great breakdowns.
I honestly believe this battle is Kubo's most poetic creation, if not one of the most.
Would be very interested in a What If? episode discussing Unohana surviving this fight, and what battles she would play a major part in later, and how her abilities would come into play. Her sacrifice was rather wasted, and if she survived, then the sting from this lack of payoff wouldn't be there.
Considering her power level caps off at Base Kenpachi without his eyepatch, she wouldn't have been able to keep up with most of the second invasion opponents that Kenpachi fought. She would've been left behind by Kenpachi in the Gremmy fight and completely dusted power wise by Kenpachi Toshiro and Byakuya.
However- If she was able to heal, Kenpachi would've been healed after the Gremmy fight (not during as Kenpachi wouldn't allow it), and if she stuck with him for the Gerard fight, she probably would've healed him post Bankai injury, but Toshiro and Byakuya didn't really take damage like that.
If she went off and did other things, she would've been able to style on the low tier Sternritters, fight the mid tiers well, assist with the high tiers, and provided immense support overall as a healer and fighter
I just remember being so disappointed that we didn't get to see Unahana and Zaraki fighting Quincy together. The whole idea that we needed the best healer and a top fighter to die to make Zaraki stronger was always stupid to me, and like you said he doesn't win after. Having her teach him to fight by fighting alongside him and Zaraki realizing he has a long way to go before he can reach her again would have been so much better. He could still get shikai this way, and if for some reason Unahana really needs to die it could be either at the hands of Yhwach or at the hands of Zaraki AFTER the war.
A beautiful thing also in volume 59 as you go through the chapters of their fight kubo sketches something and it gets more clear as zaraki grows until he reaches his zanpaku-to
Wow, thanks for another amazing video MrTommo! This was such an incredibly detailed analysis and I enjoyed listening to every bit of it. I cant wait to see this legendary battle in the anime!
Kenpachi's bankai is like the true adult version him. He fights like kid zaraki but with even more power
Fantastic video as always. I always assumed that the Second Kenpachi (the one right after Unohana) was given the title, maybe by Unohana when she retired. Something like Unohana going "I don't want to do this any more but you're the second strongest person in the Seireitei, you should take this up for me" in the hope that it would eventually draw out Zaraki some time down the line to want to claim that title.
Love this analysis! Gives me a lot of inspiration for my own content 🌊
i'm just waiting this to be animated , and believe me when it's get animated the hype and craze gonna break the internet
It's awesome that you're gonna do the Gremmy fight due to high demand, too. I appreciate how much you read and pay attention to your commenters!
Imagine how strong the children of Kenpachi Zaraki and Retsu Unohana would be though.
This fight is so bittersweet, one of the best and yet so unsatisfactory in the outcome. I loved it for all of the reasons, MrTommo stated, but I hate that Unohana ultimately died and only served as a plot device to empower Zaraki.I had been looking forward to Unohana getting development so much only to lose her like this (albeit in a very beautiful, compelling way) left a very sour aftertaste. Zaraki's unleashed potential is never truly showcased in such a way that ever made me think "this was worth Unohana dying."
Zaraki beat an old unohana compare when the young boy zaraki overpowered a prime unohana, zaraki potential after that still not that impressive even though he gained shikai, for me the strength of his kid version still superior
Didn't help Kubo went on to make kid Zaraki stronger than Unohana. She was initially weaker. Then died making him over powered. Only for him to not really do much towards the end aside from Gremmy.
With Shunsui being a schemer, what. enter scheme then to set up this fight only to interrupt it to keep both pieces.
@@hellchaos5686 False. She was STILL that same individual she was during the firs Gotei generation. She stated it herself she did not change it was rather Zaraki who did. Just because she had gotten older doesn't mean it rusted out her abilities.
Let’s keep in mind about the fact that unohana killed zaraki THOUSANDS of times. I can’t wait for this fight to be adapted in the anime.
True don't roast me to hard for saying this but I wish the final fight with Bach ( using Yamamota stolen Bankai) was vs all five war potential some stragglers sternritter /Chad, Renji,( Rukia , Toshiro , battles Yamamota flames granted their not on that heat level but be fun 👀 watching their combined 🍦 ice❄ frost💨 and water 🌊 cold 🌨). Bayaka, any stray shinigami any sole-dat Quincy in a all out fight. Love your comment though.
@@AJ-kt5zo nah its cool theory but tite rushed bleach
❤
Yes, because kenpachi had a SUBCONSCIOUS SEAL.
You realize child kenpachi beat her up, and that's why he has a subconscious seal? Without that seal, although she let herself be killed, the narrative itself implies kenpachi is stronger in base.
She says he was "stronger" but stronger is sorta vague. She also says shes "stronger than anyone but you" to kenny implying she just meant physically and not overall. As we know there are more powerful characters than them both, like yama. Worth noting she didn't know healing back then or use Shikai/Bankai vs kid kenny either. Lets just be glad she spared him that day which let him develop, he was unconscious on the ground after their fight
Such a great fight, from the moment she was ordered to the bitter end. Unohana had been waiting so many years for this moment, the moment the only person worthy of succeeding her was ready. She was ready to kill him countless times until all of his limits had been destroyed and he was the raw power she faced so many years ago.
I like this in a context of after the first invasion, where she no doubt wanted to go out and slaughter her enemies but her duty as a healer and the orders of one of the few people that could beat her in a fight required her to stay put. And then having to endure no doubt hours of boring fighting, all for the brief period of pure ecstasy. She would get to join her friend and leader, and all of her old comrades from the og 13. She would be able to right what she considered a sin against Zaraki and herself. And when she could finally reach the end of her journey in the glorious battle she'd longed for.
I think a lot of people don't truly realize how powerful Unohana and Zaraki are.
@Navy Boy actually Kenpachi is. Imagine Kenpachis power now that he's awoken his shikai and bankai in the same timespan gap between his first fight with Unohana. Had he killed her back then and never forced any restraints on himself he'd literally be untouchable in Bleach and would end every single fight with just one blow.
Actually in the CFYOW novel which is I think 5 years after TYBW he's become such a monster he thrashed around Hikone who is Aizen level. And one shot a Hollow in shikai that defeated a young Yamamoto.
@@SuperCrysis92 CFYOW is placed 6mos after TYBW. The last chapter before this new arc"Whispers from Hell"is 10 years after TYBW(if I'm not mistaken).
@@kanoreese1253 Ahh okay😅 thank you
@@SuperCrysis92 👍
This was great. And brought a tear to my eye. Two of my favorites having a dance
The narrative at play with this fight and these characters is great, very interesting and powerful stuff. And the fight itself is well written and enjoyable, I agree. But I have always been disappointed with what still feels like a wasted sacrifice to me. Maybe it's driven by the fact that I've never been that big a fan of Zaraki, but for Unohana to be sacrificed so dramatically so that Zaraki can continue doing essentially what he's done the whole series, with unimpressive results at best in TYBW, still disappoints me. Zaraki's shikai & bankai don't really sell the trade-off for me either. And it does all make Kyoraku's decision feel a little silly which annoys me further.
But all the same, great video as always!
Unohana's Minazuki wouldn't have worked against yhwach using his banned Yu-Gi-Oh card effects and there was no turning back for Kenpachi Yachiru once she tasted blood again.
@@Rhekon If the quinces didn't have the means to steal the shinigami bankai the end result would've been the same in the past when Yama and Unohana and the rest of so called 'thugs' utterly wiped out the Quincy. They HAD to come up with a means to fight the shinigami and that was to steal their bankais and use it against them. Had Yama not changed his ways from 1000 years ago when the Gotei wasn't to be effed with the invasion would've never happened. Juha took advantage of that.
I already know that I am going to cry my eyes out when this fight gets animated.
She was the best candidate for head captain
I love listening to your videos while I'm at work it helps my time fly by plus it helps me keep up with everything when I haven't read yet
That's awesome to hear :)
Definetly my favourite fight in TYBW arc, though as many people i would have loved to see Unohana in several other fights and i don't think it was the smartest move on Kyoraku's part to let her die like that.
I like how The light novel Spirits Are Forever With You explain why Zaraki changed eye patches.
I was just rewatching this fight w my friend. And we discussed that Unohana's Bankai and the fight is an extreme act of love. Developing her Bankai, her healing abilities for this one fight. To essentially foster the next of kin. Breaking mental and physical barriers repeatedly like a monstrous mental workout. They are both troubled and vicious people, but it is an act of love nonetheless. She did this with foresight and the way she reacted at the end of her death w a look of adoration as Kenpachi earned his kill truly due to her work
U would still think tactically speaking that it would be better to have 2 fighters at like lvl 10 and lvl 7 then 1 fighter lvl 11
Esp one that can resurrect and heal people.
kubo logic. Its more like level 50 and level 25, 2 fighters to level 100, 1 fighter
Kenpachi is tiers above Unohana. Kenpachi in base eventually managed to overpower her, then he gets Shikai and Bankai after that. And then after he gets Shikai and Bankai, he fights people like Gremmy and Gerard who Unohana wouldn't stand a chance against
you can talk about this battle whenever you want and i'll be here for it. if there was ranking for bleach battles, this one would be 100% on my top 3 (possible top 1, honestly)
Taking letting your hair down to a whole new meaning
This is probably one of the most beautiful battles in all of anime.
By far the best fight in the entire arc. Man just incredible bloody thirsty warriors going At it. The crazy twist of her being the first kenpachi. After we all knew she was hiding something throughout the entire manga/anime. Teases she is one of the most powerful bleach characters. From aizen refusal of fighting her. To her scaring kyoaku and ukitaka just by forgetting she was a original captan. To ichigo being scared to let her take the lead. We all knew something was off. Amazing fight.
I don’t understand why people are disappointed that she died. Remember only one kenpachi can leave so by her dying kenpachi becomes the real kenpachi and the strongest soul reaper.
Appreciate the video , Tommo! This fight is definitely in my top 5. I wonder when the anime comes back if we can get a filler arc that shows the original gotei 13
One of the fights I'm the most excited to see.
Also, I think that we'll get more info on Unohana's Bankai
Unohana should have survived and healed people
It just occured to me how mad of a fight between Unohana and Nimaiya Oetsu would've been. Nothing but straight up swordplay.
I'm hoping Unohana comes back in the new hell arc. Imagine her as a literal devil of an enemy with horns. Scary stuff....
Still wish Kyoraku had brought Orihime down to Muken too and she could’ve brought Yachiru back to life after Zaraki was at full power. Would’ve loved to see her fight some sternritter and her healing would’ve come in handy.
Man I've been waiting for this video
I somewhat wish he did not gain a shikai or bankai. I liked that he was all just pure strength and force, it separated him from the other Captains. But at the same time it was cool to see his new designs.
Cold Unohana? A Zaraki with feelings? Definitely a crazy fight.
I personally can't wait for this one to get animated. It gives me the same vibe as Kakashi v Obito in the kamui dimension. Scaled back, not overly flashy, just excellent coriagraphy between 2 lone combatants at their peak, but with deep underlying connections that go way back that are finally going to be resolved with their actions. If handled right it can be such a breath of fresh air after all the flashy over the top powers on display all around.
You have my thanks for this one
its 2 perfect halfs coming together to create what they were made to create its the culmination of everything theyve been through. its primordial raw and beautiful.
I for one, loved the fight in all of its entirety. I, much like you MrTommo, had hopes that 'Yachiru Unohana' was dead, and that Retsu would go on. Personally I think that'd have been a more suitable end, to resume the Captain of the 4th until some later point. But of course, its not what we got. I feel a little cheated there, though that's just because I adored Unohana's character in general.
I am very pleased with Zaraki's growth, it was something he greatly needed, though for all of his gains he never got a fight that was suitable for his skillset. Gerard came close to that, but as you stated so eloquently: it was an unwinnable scenario. Valkyrie is just designed to come back stronger than before, as he so showed after being killed throughout the battle against him.
Ultimately it is a pity we never got to see Unohana retake the helm (mind you, I love Isane. I just feel she was cheated of any possible growth, before being tossed into a position of Captain without a chance to develop on screen at all).
Can we take a time to imagine how insanely strong she would be if she trained hard all that time (like yama did) instead of bothering about people health? Imo she is at the top 5 strongest and no one cant take it from me, and i love her s2
Everyone has a ceiling limit. And she had already reached hers by the time she fought little Zaraki. It was also explained that she was the same character from back then until Zaraki killed her. She didn't become weaker at all, nor stronger. She was that same very person during the first Gotei generation.
@@SuperCrysis92 i see
Top 5? For what? Gotei? Entire series? Either way it doesn't really work out. Let's just go with the Gotei.
Unohana at her full power is weaker than Sealed/Base Kenpachi (no eyepatch). So anyone on the same level as or stronger than him would be stronger than Unohana. We have
Yamamoto, Kenpachi himself (obviously), Byakuya and Toshiro (definitively stronger than Shikai Kenpachi w/o the eyepatch, debatbley stronger than even Bankai Kenpachi), Kyoraku (Basically defeated and had more spiritual pressure than even Vollstandig Lille Barro when Base Lille Barro was relative to or above the 0 Squad members besides Ichibei), Mayuri (Had enough raw AP to stab Kenpachi post Unohana training and fast enough to blitz Perninda after he adapted to and matched Kenpachi's overall stats, as well as has hax). Nemu (at the cost of sacrificing her life, she's able to raise her spiritual pressure to match Perninda, a Quincy Elite, when he was way stronger than when he matched Base Kenpachi) etc
@@jocoolshow lol let's just forget that fact that she murders him multiple times after the first death kenpachi would be done. She brought him back to life. You can't unlock power if your dead. like wtf
@@knyght2902 bro….tell me you didn’t read the story without saying 😂he literally was holding himself back & she was trying to bring that out & when she did his (actual power) she got killed 🤦🏽♂️I’m sorry y’all can’t read but she was never stronger than him even as a kid she said he was stronger
I hope that we see her again
Imagine Unohana Yachiru but hell version
Only thing I didn’t like is her dying, and only getting to see her fight once. I think she should’ve been seen in more than one fight.
Its kinda fitting tho. Cause Unohana became weary of fighting 24:46- not because she felt guilty about the varies lives she took, but because there isn't a worthy opponent. She was so OP that she turned into Saitama from One Punch man
So I'm not complaining 🤷♀️
It’s still hard to believe that one of the best Kenpachi fights is about to happen
If you look at it from the Quincy POV Zaraki was literally the Gotei’s only hope, he’s the only member of the court guard on the list of war potentials. Ichibei is apart of the royal guard, Aizen is for himself Ichigo and Kisuke even though they were on Gotei’s side aren’t even actual parts of the court. He is the main character of the soul society
And even though he had a lot of cool scenes in the war, I still feel like he was completely underutilized when you compare him to the other four war potentials
One of the best fights in the entire series
I don't read the manga, but now I'm all caught up to it because of all the bleach content I've been chugging down lately. It kind of sucks that I've already spoiled myself? But then again, I am so in need for new content lol.
Unohana, Ukitake and the Visards got robbed hard on TYBW arc.
Na, they didn't. Their characters demise was relevant to the story.
@@SuperCrysis92 You don't even understand what i'm saying, do you?
I'm don't hate that the two died, i'm talking about them in the arc as a whole, the only thing they did, was die.
Unohana was destined to die bc there can only be one Kenpachi per generation so, not really. The visoreeds tho?? Absolutely and it was a shame.
@@chanelmapendo3761 There has technically always been 2 Kenpachi.
Also "destiny" has nothing to do with choice, Kyouraku and Unohana chose that.
The skeleton in Kenpachi’s reiatsu could be synonymous to the skeleton panels
What a reveal! No one would ever think that Unohana would be the one to take Zaraki to the next level. Reading this chapter on release years ago gave me chills. Such a badass and pleasantly surprising confrontation 👏
one of the best fights in the the whole series
This fight gives us one of the best bleach quotes. `I am strong, stronger than anyone, but you'
Now with the anime airing, and the quality of the anime in sight, this is the fight im most excited for in the tybw.
Its a brutal, bloody, beautifully choreographed swordfight and im really digging it.
10/10 Video👍
hi tommo regarding the scene where zaraki looks like he's melting its because maybe its a representation of his "nerf" getting stripped away slowly unlike unohana shown all in skeleton it means that she was fighting at her fullest power and zaraki just isnt at his fullest power fighting her (sorry for my bad english)
Great vid!
thousands of years of holding their feeling before finally going for a confrontation
a love story with a different heart to heart
Great analysis. I know it’s not what this video is about but I cannot wrap my head around why Unohana didn’t attack any quincies during the first invasion. You’d think if the chips were down for all of soul society she’d go on offense.
Unohana was literally the biggest threat in the previous invasion… wdym she’s not much help in this one’s heavy hitters???!!! Huwat
It’d be cool if In the anime they made Unohana’s Bankai almost like a whip (or an Urumi) with the acidic attributes of her zampakuto. would fit both her fluid movements in battle but also into her willingness to do anything to win even extending her blade and corrose
Without context, yea that would be good, but in context it wouldn't as Unohana is known as the swordsmanship master with 8000 styles. It would be most fitting if her Bankai is the weapon she's most familiar with
Kubos drawing got better and better through the years, seriously, I love the facial expressions without having dialogue it just shows itself
Loved and hated this fight. Basically loved it for every reason you said, the boy Kenny got that development. However I hated it because it made me love Unohana as a character just to have her die. Its EXTREME COPIUM but I hope if the Hell Arc becomes a real thing, we can see more of her(maybe bring her back). Would it be good for the story...probably not, but its a personal want.
Maybe in the anime, he can fight one of the sternritter who died off screen or something.
Also, I bet that the 2nd Kenpachi was just an oaf with a personality like Omaeda's. When he heard rumors of Unohana's death, he took all the credit or something.
Unohana never died to the public, she literally just became the squad 4 Captain. Her death wasn't faked or anything. After she retired from squad 11, (this is headcanon) she probably either handpicked her successor or let the old school Gotei or Yama pick her successor
l really like most of Kenpachi's fights because I think Kubo does a really good job having a through line with Zaraki's character development more than he gets credit for at least. You start with Ichigo vs Zaraki which Ichigo really only wins because Kenpachi nerfs himself, and draws the fight out. It becomes abundantly clear Kenpachi is actively aiming to fight Ichigo as long as possible to his detriment, like Zaraki's actively sabotaging himself through all the handicaps and drawing out fights so he gets beaten. As well as realizing his zanpakuto most likely isn't responding to him because of something he's doing. Which imo has as much to do with Kenpachi's self destructive behavior as it does mental blocks though they're probably interconnected.
Cut to Nnoitra and Kenpachi has a fight where he really isn't at a substantial enough advantage to fight how he usually does. In fact, I'd argue Nnoitra dominates Kenpachi for most of that fight and it's actually pretty fascinating watching Kenpachi slowly realize hey I'm gonna die if I keep letting this living wheat thresher carve me up. Nnoitra also exploits Kenpachi's habits for all their worth to hurt him a lot worse than he needed to. I think the Kendo stance murder move he does is his Zanpakuto for a moment resonating with him as he comes to realize dying needlessly in combat probably shouldn't be my goal for fights. Thus why he removes the bells and his attitude is slightly different going forward.
Then I think this fight happens, and Unohana spells out all the ways Kenpachi struggled in past fights is completely self inflicted. He could be a good of murder, but he's actively been terrified of fully allowing himself to be. very interesting long term writing from Kubo dude deserves more respect for long term storytelling.
In the anime I hope this is a fight and story in general with no music. I think the silence between the swings and reflection will make it so much more impactful
I always loved this fight of course I wanted to see Unohana fight some Sternritter but it is what it is. This fight also has some of my favorite panels in the whole manga.
This is one of the fight I'm most worried about being censored and destroyed in the anime god I hope they do the rest of this series the justice it deserves
It’s confirmed the anime will air late at night, meaning there will be little to no censorship. At least nowhere near as much as before.
@@scottvgamer1163 good I really hope you're right because this fight needs to be done correctly for all of us not just this one but rip Yama that's what really sets everything in the motion is that fight shows how serious it's all got so if they do censor it too much it's going to take that feeling away some none of us want that
@@michaelanthony2520 I wouldn’t be surprised if SOME things do get censored, especially considering som parts could be too gruesome and the fact they censored it in the first place was because younger people would be watching it around the time it aired, and even though they’ve grown in the time it took for it to come back, I wouldn’t be surprised if a decent chunk of the fanbase is comprised of younger viewers. But again, it at least shouldn’t be AS bad as before. Don’t think we need to worry that much.
@@scottvgamer1163 facts fingers crossed they deliver either way to get the return and finish is a god send never thought it would happen so I'ma be happy either way