Tite Kubo’s Bleach has had its fair share of controversial moments in the past, but the biggest controversial moment of the entire story revolved around the captain of the sixth division of the Gotei 13, Kuchiki Byakuya. Byakuya is one of the strongest characters in the entire story, and he has proven this multiple times.
However, when the Soul Society was attacked by the Wandenreich in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Byakuya engaged in a battle with Äs Nödt, one of the Sternritters. Äs Nödt was extremely powerful, and he managed to not only easily defeat the captain but also kill him with his terrifying technique.
While many believed that Äs Nödt’s battle with Byakuya was his final battle, Kubo decided to reverse his death and not only bring him back for a rematch against the Sternritter but also make him win. This led to the biggest Bleach controversy in history, and when Kubo addressed this, he revealed that he might have been swayed by fans.
The First Defeat of Kuchiki Byakuya Led to Bleach’s Biggest Controversy
Byakuya’s fight against Äs Nödt might be one of the most terrifying battles in the history of Bleach. Byakuya is the most calm and focused character in Bleach, but his battle against Äs Nödt made him experience literal fear for the first time. He got so scared that he couldn’t even use his Zanpakuto to attack the Quincy.
Initially, it felt like Byakuya might have an upper hand in the fight, but as soon as Äs Nödt stole his Bankai and attacked him with his Reishi Thorns, Byakuya understood Äs Nödt’s ability, but it was too late for him to do anything about it. He tried to overcome his fear and attack him, but all his attacks were wasteful.
Äs Nödt’s Reishi Thorns have the ability to induce fear in the minds of their opponents, which forces them to lose rationality, and that’s exactly what Byakuya did. However, Äs Nödt used Byakuya’s Bankai to defeat him, bringing a perfect end to the 28th head of the Kuchiki Clan. However, while fans thought that Byakuya kicked the bucket, he came back in the second season, which led to the biggest controversy Bleach has ever seen.
Tite Kubo’s Response to Byakuya’s Return in Bleach
During the 50th anniversary of Weekly Shonen Jump, Tite Kubo was interviewed by Weekly Shonen Jump, and during the interview, Kubo gave an abrupt answer that might have been his response to Byakuya’s controversial return in Bleach. His response was shared by @youranimeguy on X (Formerly Twitter).
When Kubo was asked about advice that he would like to give to the new generation of manga artists and creators, the mangaka replied: “A new manga artist seems better not to do social networking.” While this was not a direct response to the controversy, it was related to the reason behind Kubo bringing Byakuya back.
According to Kubo, when Byakuya took his last breath and gave the responsibility of his sister, Rukia, and the Soul Society to Kurosaki Ichigo (the protagonist), many fans were disappointed by the sudden demise of one of the most important characters of the series. They constantly nagged Kubo to bring back Byakuya, and he was ultimately persuaded by them, thus marking the return of Byakuya in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War season 2.
You can watch Bleach on Hulu.
