User blog comment:Xilinoc/Ch. 555 - THE HERO/@comment-4207271-20131030053245/@comment-1268838-20131101000045

Yes, you are fundamentally biased, and not just in regards to this arc in general. First of all, take the fact that the Quincy are humans off the table - even up to this point, that has been completely irrelevant to how powerful they are. Comparing them to the Fullbringers, who with the exception of Ginjo and maybe Tsukishima, have less combat experience than Ichigo of all people, just does not cut it. From what we have been told outright, without any conjecture, the Sternritter are more than capable of fighting captain-level opponents even without Bankai.

In reference to Quilge; his internal dialogue made it abundantly clear that Ichigo was a special case. He was surprised that he couldn't take him on with his Volstandig form, and went on to note the specific reasons for why he was having difficulties fighting him. We can hardly take Quilge's word for granted in regards to not fearing Bankai since 1) he does not speak for everybody in the Wandenreich, and 2) he may or may not have been telling the truth.

As for Ichigo; Ichigo was serious in those times and now because he had to be. Character development does not equate to a change of personality. He defeated Aizen because he overcame the source of the despair that was holding him back. He was "serious" when he fought Ginjo because he understood and sympathized with his plight; his entire character development from that arc was accepting that he was unsatisfied with being powerless, and perhaps learning not to take that power for granted. None of those things have been contradicted since their occurrence - the problems Ichigo had to face this time around had nothing to do with those before them.