BLEACH SPOTLIGHT: THE SOUL KING

year 15, month 3

Of all the greatest figures in the Soul Society and in the known worlds of Bleach, there is only one who is at the very centre of all life and creation. This divine being is one we know as the Soul King. Though he may have the title of a king, he is much more of a god than anything else, as are his cohorts that enact his will in the physical world. So, let’s dive deeply into some lore about the Soul King and what he does as well as how he was created.
 

THE NEED FOR THE SOUL KING

So for anyone that has been up to date with the Thousand Year Blood War, either read the manga or watched the anime, you’ll know that the duty of the Soul King is to act as the linchpin for all the dimensions. Once long ago, there was only one realm. Then, the Soul King arrived and separated the worlds, creating the concepts of life and death. The Soul King’s power was too strong though, and so he was sealed away, with his limbs being severed to further limit his power, creating various beings like Mimihagi, Valkyrie and Pernida. If the Soul King were to be killed, the balance of the worlds would collapse into one unified world, destroying all inhabitants of the old worlds. This is exactly why the Soul King is so important!

WOR VS CANON SOUL KING

Now, the canon Soul King did still exist in WoR history, just as the original Gotei 13 did and all the old characters. However, because of the world-ending event that kickstarted the new Soul Society of WoR, a new Soul King needed to be made. Which is why, instead of Yhwach’s remains acting as the new linchpin, we have a new, fully formed Soul King! What you might not know is that this Soul King actually used to be a Shinigami-Quincy named Tsubasa. When this Reaper absorbed Yhwach’s remains, he became Muhen, the Soul King. Muhen acts much the same as the Soul King should, existing in stasis in the Palace and unmoving. His extensions act as messengers of his will in the physical world, choosing hosts to carry their spirit. Hence why we have Mimihagi, Pernida, and Valkyrie. These users on WoR are the arms and heart of the Soul King, only appearing in times of severe need.

DOES THE SOUL KING WALK WITH US?

Most may believe that the Soul King cannot walk the physical world and actually stays in the Palace at all times. And you would be correct! For the most part. You see, at one point during the WoR timeline, the Soul King himself did in fact awaken and come down to the Soul Society in a physical form. This form was named Kami Muhen, the Avatar of the Soul King. This came at a time of uncertainty in the Gotei 13 and the Soul King stated that he had appeared in order to personally train the students and the Reapers. It surely was one hell of a time and proved that the Soul King can project his power outside of his prison and make a great impact without actually being here. However, the Soul King hasn’t been seen again since this time.

Who knows when he may appear again?! Perhaps you may see him walk through the streets, or perhaps it is an illusion. If you think you’ve sighted the Soul King at some point, let us know when and what happened!

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