The Headless Star (episode)

For the chapter of the same name, see The Headless Star.

The Headless Star is the twenty-first episode of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War and the three hundred and eighty-seventh episode of the Bleach anime overall.

11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki is ambushed and overpowered by the Bambies, but is saved by the timely return of Ichigo Kurosaki.

Summary
In the distant past, an infant Yhwach matures into a young man after absorbing the power of thousands of people who have linked their Souls to his. In the present, Yhwach awakes on his throne and thanks the Souls of the dead for letting him wake to see another day before telling Uryū Ishida to bid farewell to this abominable world because there is no turning back. Meanwhile, the stone fort created by Gremmy Thoumeaux crumbles in the wake of his death.

Watching this, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki observes that both the stage Gremmy created and the puddle of blood he left behind are both gone without a trace, leaving only his brain in the capsule, prior to coughing up blood and deducing that his internal organs were damaged during the fight. After lamenting how he can barely hear anything because of the explosion, Kenpachi walks through the rubble and calls out for his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, but is visibly nonplussed when he ends up stepping on her shihakushō and lieutenant's badge, which are now lying empty and unworn on the ground.

From behind him, Kenpachi's subordinates approach and rejoice at his victory, and when Kenpachi asks them if they have seen Yachiru, the Shinigami admit that they have not and suggest that she may have run off again, only for Kenpachi to demand that they find her even though they cannot sense her Reiatsu. Suddenly, as the Shinigami run off in search of Yachiru, Kenpachi is blasted by a large bolt of lightning from Candice Catnipp, startling his subordinates, and Liltotto Lamperd responds to them calling this a cheap move by asserting that it is a reasonable action to take since they are fighting Kenpachi, a Special War Power.

When the Shinigami attempt to attack her and demand that she leave, Liltotto promises that they will be rid of her soon enough and forms a large mouth that bites off the top half of several Shinigami at once. Nearby, Meninas McAllon appears above another group of Shinigami with a large building held in one hand and crushes them with it while claiming that they cannot go that way because it is pointless for them to rush to the aid of a captain who is about to die. Simultaneously, Giselle Gewelle is confronted by several more Shinigami and points out that they should be helping Kenpachi rather than attacking her.

Though the Shinigami counter that she must be trying to kill them with her Schrift like the other Bambies, Giselle promises them that she does not have that kind of combat capability and that nothing good will come of killing her, but one of the Shinigami steps forward and slashes her diagonally across the chest, leaving a large gash in her left shoulder. However, as her blood splashes across the assembled Shinigami, an unfazed Giselle makes note of this and straightens up with her arm still hanging off her body while revealing that those touched by her blood will become corpses that only follow her commands.

Giselle has the assembled Shinigami kill themselves with their Zanpakutō, and as more Shinigami attempt to defend Kenpachi from her, Candice fries them with another blast of lightning and declares that she is lucky for being able to kill them all at once like this. Suddenly, with Liltotto suggesting they take his head now that all of his subordinates are dead, Kenpachi reappears in the air behind a startled Candice with Shunpo and slashes at her, forcing all four Bambies to evade prior to Candice generating more lightning in her hand and engulfing Kenpachi in it, though he remains conscious despite the pain from this.

Once Kenpachi slashes at the rest of them again, a stunned Giselle notes that he is not moving like someone who is close to dying, which Liltotto attributes to his Special War Power status, before Meninas punches him into the ground below, leaving Candice to comment on how close this was. Upon seeing Kenpachi standing up from the crater his impact created and cursing them, an unnerved Candice demands that he die already and unleashes a powerful blast of lightning that leaves Kenpachi lying prone and heavily burnt in the crater, where the Bambies surround him and deliberate on how to decide who will kill him.

Internally, Kenpachi realizes he cannot move and wonders if this is it for him. Elsewhere, 13th Division Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki move through the air, where Rukia notices Kenpachi's waning Reiatsu and Byakuya cautions her against intervening since she has not fully recovered from her previous battle. However, Rukia's protest of this is interrupted when she recognizes a Reiatsu above the Shakonmaku and looks up alongside Byakuya, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai, 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame, and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa as Ichigo Kurosaki hurtles down toward the Seireitei.

Breaking through the Shakonmaku, Ichigo proceeds to crash into a tower miles away from the Bambies, who comment on the strangeness of his landing, before abruptly appearing behind them and in front of Kenpachi with Shunpo while lamenting how fast he came in, creating a sudden rush of air that blows the startled Bambies away. Ichigo observes that Kenpachi is way more injured than usual, and when Kenpachi questions why he is here, Ichigo admits that he never thought he would say this prior to announcing that he is here to save Kenpachi, who smiles and admits in turn that he never thought the day would come when this would happen.

Despite this, once Ichigo asks him if he can stand, Kenpachi warns him to be more concerned about himself just before a smirking Candice comes down on Ichigo with lightning emanating from her hand. In response, Ichigo grabs Candice by the arm and throws her into the side of a tower several hundred feet away, destroying it on impact. With the other Bambies coming at him in turn, Ichigo evades Giselle and Meninas, but finds his cape snagged by Liltotto's enlarged mouth, forcing him to punch all three of them in the chests with enough force to send them crashing into other buildings in order to free himself when Giselle and Meninas approach him again.

Meninas, Liltotto, and Giselle free themselves from the rubble, where Liltotto responds to Meninas reprimanding herself for letting her guard down by informing her and Giselle that he is the main Special War Power, to their surprise. Suddenly, an enraged Candice generates a massive blast of lightning from the remnants of the tower and tells them to shut up because this is irrelevant compared to Ichigo covering her in dirt, which is an insult to how early she wakes up in order to prepare her hair every day. Though Liltotto and Giselle are bemused by her focusing on this, Candice pops the Heilig Bogen out of her belt.

Pulling back a Heilig Pfeil that crackles with electricity, Candice fires a Galvano Blast at Ichigo, who is engulfed in a cloud of smoke, and proclaims that its five gigajoules will turn him to ash. Despite this, Liltotto states that one or two Heilig Pfeil will not be nearly enough to defeat Ichigo, who stands in the clearing smoke in a secondary outfit with a red-scaled pad on his left shoulder and an X formed across his chest after his Ōken clothing is destroyed by the blast. Pointing out how she was right to a startled Candice, Liltotto summons her Heilig Bogen alongside Meninas and Giselle.

With the Bambies all firing Heilig Pfeil at him, Ichigo prepares to draw his Shikai, Zangetsu. Meanwhile, Yhwach observes Ichigo's arrival from atop the tower behind Silbern and invites Jugram Haschwalth and Uryū to begin the ceremony. Noticing this from below, Askin Nakk Le Vaar realizes it is beginning and wonders if he will be chosen. Back at the battle, Candice crashes into the side of a building and has Giselle, Meninas, and Liltotto slam into her in succession, causing her to lash out with lightning and accuse them of doing this on purpose as the other Bambies move down to the ground.

Looking up at Ichigo, Giselle admits that he is strong and Liltotto points out how he parried every Heilig Pfeil they fired at him, and when Meninas calls him annoying and Giselle states that she wishes he was dead, Liltotto admits that this is a rare occasion when she agrees with them. In turn, Candice declares that there is nothing left to discuss if they all agree and activates her Quincy: Vollständig before suggesting that they execute Ichigo. Though Giselle, Meninas, and Liltotto decline to activate theirs as well because it is tiring, Candice decides to take all the credit for killing Ichigo and attacks him with two of her wings.

After pushing Ichigo back, Candice throws one of her wings at him with Galvano Javelin, but Ichigo simply fires a small Getsuga Tenshō from his smaller sword that completely cancels out the blast, leaving him unharmed, prior to elbowing a shocked Candice hard in the stomach. Upon seeing Candice hurtle past her and the other Bambies into the side of a building, Liltotto muses on her being unable to kill Ichigo even with her power increase, which means Ichigo is stronger than their Daten indicates, before responding to Meninas wondering what they should do by having all three of them initiate Sklaverei.

Giselle, Meninas, and Liltotto proceed to activate their respective Quincy: Vollständig, Azhalbiora, Pornipora, and Gagael, and rush toward Ichigo, whom Meninas attacks with Dumbbell Duster, forcing Ichigo to fend off her dumbbell blows with both blades of Zangetsu. Using Dumbbell Duster: Baton Beat to extend the dumbbells into batons, Meninas continues clashing rapidly with Ichigo, only for Liltotto to expand the cuff on her right arm and fire it as Spork at them, which prompts Ichigo and Meninas to separate while the projectile punches through a nearby building.

After unrolling her left cuff into a whip-like shape, Liltotto slams it into Ichigo as Spife with enough force to push him down to the ground below, where a waiting Giselle shakes a multitude of bones out of her wings and raises them into four distinct skeletons with Dancing Dead Boys Club, causing them to rush toward Ichigo and attempt to slam into him. Upon dodging all four skeletons' rushes, Ichigo destroys them with a dual slash of his blades, but the scattered bones reverse course in midair and pin his limbs in place, allowing Giselle to form skulls over her fists and attack him with Munchy Munchy Babies.

Before Giselle can reach Ichigo, Liltotto notes that a Special War Power must taste good and closes a greatly enlarged version of one of her cuffs around Ichigo and Giselle with Golden Crunch, only for Ichigo to free himself from the bones and hold back the two sides of the cuff with his bare hands, to Giselle's release. Suddenly, Meninas drops onto Ichigo from above with one of her dumbbells formed into a broad axe-like shape from Dumbbell Duster: Halteres, prompting Ichigo to leap out of the cuff, which closes onto Giselle's neck and draws a large amount of blood, just before Meninas crashes into it.

With the cuff rolling into Liltotto and sending all three Bambies flying, Candice bats them aside in midair with her electrified hand and tells Ichigo to not get cocky prior to using Sklaverei to enhance her own Quincy: Vollständig, which she names Barbarriel, and telling Ichigo he can look confident if he survives this as she summons a massive amount of electricity and fires off Electrocution at him. In response, Ichigo slashes his two swords through the air to counter with Getsuga Jūjishō, which blasts through Electrocution and hurtles toward a surprised Candice.

Though Candice vows that this will not stop her and attempts to intercept it, Ichigo warns her to dodge it just before the blast explodes upon contact with her, stunning the other Bambies. Having lost most of her left arm in the blast, a screaming Candice curses and orders Giselle to heal her without using her own blood, which an initially ecstatic Giselle accepts. After Giselle manipulates flesh from one of the dead Shinigami into the air and reforms her arm with it, Candice praises her handiwork and responds to Liltotto criticizing her impatience by telling the latter to shut up before rushing toward Ichigo and vowing to kill him.

However, all four Bambies are rapidly shot through the abdomen by separate Burner Fingers 1, causing them to curse and fall to the ground as Bazz-B stands atop a nearby building with his own Quincy: Vollständig active and asks them to all stay dead for a short time, as glory is meant to be stolen by those who show up late to the battle to claim it, which he looks to a stern Ichigo for affirmation on. In turn, NaNaNa Najahkoop appears in the air behind Bazz-B alongside PePe Waccabrada and Robert Accutrone, where he observes that he should have shown up later if this is how it works prior to Robert suggesting that they all share the stolen glory equally instead.

Despite this, Liltotto asserts that the one who kills Ichigo will receive all the glory and rises up with her wound still bleeding alongside Candice, Meninas, and Giselle, resulting in all eight Sternritter surrounding Ichigo, who eyes them all in turn. Suddenly, a blue beam of light pierces the sky behind Ichigo, who turns to see it emitting from the tower where Yhwach is standing, and Bazz-B notes that it has begun while Yhwach asserts that they should be thankful to the one who guided them to the light and informs Ichigo that he will now be able to invade the Soul King Palace thanks to the latter's actions.

In the hidden laboratory of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, Niko Kuna reports dropping Reishi levels within the Seireitei, and when 12th Division 3rd Seat Akon questions why this is happening, Niko reveals that there is currently a hole in the Shakonmaku, prompting their captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, to deduce that the key has opened the gate and explain that Ichigo's current garb being made of Ōken material from the nails and hair of the Royal Guard gives it protective qualities sufficient to break through the 72-layer barrier between the Soul King Palace and the Seireitei.

However, Mayuri elaborates that the regenerative rate of the Shakonmaku means that the opening will remain for another 6,000 seconds, which consequently allows for travel to and from the Soul King Palace during that time. In the former 1st Division barracks, Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku stands with his lieutenants, Nanao Ise and Genshirō Okikiba, and observes that Yhwach's target is the Soul King after all. With Sōsuke Aizen taking note of the situation deep within Muken, Akon slams his fists on a control panel in frustration as Mayuri mentally questions what the Royal Guard are planning by allowing this to happen.

Back at the battle, a silent Ichigo rushes toward the tower, only for Meninas to shove him head-first into a nearby building and criticize him for thinking he can reach Yhwach when surrounded by eight Sternritter prior to propelling him back into the air with Diamond Push. Upon regaining his footing and resuming his rush toward the tower, Ichigo finds Robert's Reishi Pistol pointed at his face as the latter comments on his durability, but when Ichigo pushes away his gun arm just before he fires and slashes at Robert, who evades, Bazz-B grabs Ichigo by the collar and prepares to fire Burner Finger 1 at point-blank range.

Suddenly, Renji's Shikai, Zabimaru, hurtles between Ichigo and Bazz-B, separating them while Renji stands on a nearby rooftop and tells Ichigo to go while he holds off the Sternritter. With Renji bringing up Ichigo having a score to settle with Yhwach and asserting that this is his responsibility now, a smiling Ichigo rushes off, and when Bazz-B, Robert, and NaNaNa attempt to follow him, they are cut off by Byakuya's Shikai, Senbonzakura, as he, Rukia, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi join Renji, who expresses annoyance at having to repeat himself and reiterates that the Sternritter are not getting through.

As Ichigo approaches the tower and screams Yhwach's name, Haschwalth offers to intervene, but Uryū steps forward and fires a Heilig Pfeil down at Ichigo, who is aghast to see him standing alongside Yhwach and Haschwalth on the tower. When Ichigo asks him what he is doing up there, Uryū tells him to leave before he wastes his life since he cannot stand up to Yhwach. Though Ichigo demands an answer, Uryū simply raises his Heilig Bogen and unleashes Licht Regen, with one of the Heilig Pfeil scratching a stunned Ichigo's cheek and another embedding itself in his side while he watches four more hurtle toward his face.

However, Yasutora Sado leaps out of a Garganta above Ichigo and blocks the Heilig Pfeil with his right Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, leaving Orihime Inoue to intercept the rest with Santen Kesshun before releasing the technique and looking up with confusion at Uryū, who simply walks away. With Ichigo insisting that Uryū answer him, Yhwach asks the latter if he has said all his farewells since it will be an eternal parting, which Uryū confirms, before they and Haschwalth begin rising in the light beam. As Ichigo calls out to Uryū and tells him to say something, Uryū remains silent before he, Yhwach, and Haschwalth disappear.

Fights & Events

 * Ichigo Kurosaki vs. The Bambies (concluded)
 * The Gotei 13 vs. The Sternritter

Powers and Techniques Used
Zanpakutō Techniques:

Hohō Techniques:

Quincy Techniques:





Arrancar Techniques:

Other Techniques:

Zanpakutō released:

Shikai:

Fullbring:

Spirit Weapons:
 * Heilig Bogen
 * Heilig Bogen
 * Heilig Bogen
 * Heilig Bogen
 * Reishi Pistol
 * Heilig Bogen

Schrifts:

Other Powers:

Anime Notes
Removed Content= Added/Expanded Content= Changes=
 * The Shinigami realizing that the stone fort crumbling means the battle is over and they can rejoin Kenpachi Zaraki without being criticized for running away.
 * The Shinigami threatening to kill Candice Catnipp for attacking them as Giselle Gewelle points out how few of them she got with her lightning blast, prompting her to attempt to attack them again.
 * Liltotto Lamperd asserting that the Bambies have decided to kill Kenpachi while he is weakened.
 * Liltotto complaining about how hungry she is and how bad the Shinigami taste as she continues to eat them.
 * A Shinigami questioning why Giselle Gewelle is not dead and realizing that he cannot feel his hands.
 * Shinji Hirako and Momo Hinamori saving Marechiyo Ōmaeda from several Soldat as he carries Suì-Fēng and Mareyo Ōmaeda on his back, where Shinji explains that they must save Kenpachi because the battle will tilt in the Wandenreich's favor if he dies, only for Bazz-B to intercept them with Burner Finger 3 so the Sternritter can kill Kenpachi.
 * Rukia Kuchiki noticing lightning at Kenpachi's location.
 * Unseated Shinigami noticing Ichigo Kurosaki's arrival.
 * Meninas McAllon and Giselle Gewelle verbally recognizing Ichigo.
 * Ichigo expressing relief that the Bambies are alive since he was worried about fighting women.
 * Ichigo watching a Heilig Pfeil from each of the Bambies approach him.
 * Candice questioning how the Bambies will face Yhwach if Ichigo humiliates them, only for Meninas, Liltotto, and Giselle to dismiss and ridicule her for this.
 * Meninas, Liltotto, and Giselle envisioning their greatest wish after Candice claims that Yhwach will grant it to whoever kills Ichigo.
 * Ichigo commenting on how both he and Candice use two swords, only for Candice to counter that she uses six.
 * Jugram Haschwalth implementing the rune on the roof of the tower at Yhwach's behest.
 * Giselle noting that she can only turn a Quincy into a zombie if they are already dead.
 * Liltotto informing Bazz-B that he cannot stop the Bambies with a single Burner Finger 1.
 * Yhwach inviting the entire Wandenreich to be one with him.
 * Yhwach praising Ichigo's Ōken clothing as the pinnacle of protective attire.
 * NaNaNa Najahkoop attacking Ichigo after Meninas pushes him into a building.
 * Robert Accutrone observing that Ichigo is not dizzy after being attacked by Meninas.
 * Renji Abarai observing that he saved Ichigo just in time, only for Ichigo to point out that Renji almost cut his neck.
 * Yhwach being born aloft by the people linked to his Soul before maturing into a young man.
 * Yhwach telling Uryū Ishida to say farewell to the world since there is no turning back.
 * Kenpachi remaining alert and attacking the Bambies further after being blasted by Candice with electricity in midair.
 * The Bambies being blown into the air by Ichigo's sudden arrival.
 * Ichigo briefly incapacitating Candice with an elbow to the stomach, prompting the other Bambies to activate their Quincy: Vollständigs with Sklaverei as well before engaging him with their techniques, only for Ichigo to overcome them all and send the three of them crashing into Candice, who bats them aside.
 * Candice fully activating her Quincy: Vollständig with Sklaverei prior to using Electrocution.
 * Shunsui Kyōraku deducing that Yhwach is targeting the Soul King.
 * Mayuri Kurotsuchi questioning what the Royal Guard is thinking.
 * Meninas attacking Ichigo with Diamond Push.
 * Ichigo smiling after Renji tells him to pursue Yhwach.
 * Yasutora Sado intercepting four of Uryū Ishida's Heilig Pfeil with Brazo Derecha de Gigante.
 * In the manga, Candice attacks Kenpachi's subordinates before she attacks him; here, she instead attacks Kenpachi first.
 * In the manga, Kenpachi attacks Candice right after she attacks his subordinates and before the other Bambies attack them as well; here, he instead only attacks the Bambies once all of his subordinates have been killed.
 * In the manga, Candice hits Kenpachi with her last blast of lightning after he attempts to warn his subordinates to run away; here, she instead does so after he gets up from being punched down by Meninas.
 * In the manga, Kenpachi wonders if he is going to die before the Bambies begin arguing over who gets to kill him; here, he instead does so afterward.
 * In the manga, Candice tells Ichigo not to be full of himself just because he deflected one of her minor attacks; here, she instead criticizes the look in his eyes.
 * In the manga, Yhwach thanks Ichigo for making travel to the Soul King Palace possible while he is still battling Candice; here, he instead does so after Ichigo sees the beam of light coming from the tower.
 * In the manga, Yhwach explains how Ichigo has created an opening between the Seireitei and the Soul King Palace by somehow speaking directly to him; here, Mayuri explains it to Akon and Niko Kuna instead.
 * In the manga, Meninas's Quincy: Vollständig is not active when she attacks Ichigo while he is rushing toward the tower; here, it instead is.