User blog comment:Xilinoc/Ch. 578 (I'm not gonna spoil the title like Schiffy did)/@comment-10371091-20140427135021/@comment-11051098-20140429202128

I suppose their power level alone, at or above captain-level, might just be Yhwach's doing, imprinting his soul on them. There's no telling how strong they would be without the power he granted them.

But it is remarkable how different the Sternritters are to the Quincy stereotype. Bows, Letzt Stihl, traditional stuff completely missing or very different, and using swords and stuff. Although the clothing partly resemble Quincy style, it's mostly only in the name and Reishi-based power the Sternritters resemble Quincies. That's my thoughts around that.