‘He’s a good villain because he’s realistic’: Tite Kubo is Setting Up Yhwach to be Better Than Aizen in His Not-So-Subtle Nazi Reference (2024)

Featured Video

SUMMARY

• For years, Aizen has maintained an unrivaled dominance among fans as one of the best villains ever, however, Tite Kubo might be challenging his reign.
• Yhwach has a well-written backstory that explains his actions and his motivations in the series, unlike Aizen who is largely an enigma even at the end of the series.
• Fans on Reddit discussed how this key difference makes Yhwach more relatable than Aizen could ever be.

Yhwach’s introduction in Bleach challenged Aizen’s dominance as the ultimate villain. Both characters are extremely different, however, Aizen has always been the fan favorite. Most fans would agree that Aizen’s villainous presence is still unparalleled. However, Tite Kubo might be trying to challenge Aizen’s status with Yhwach with anime original additions to his character.

His backstory was revealed in the ongoing cour of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime. Compared to the manga, Yhwach is more compelling and interesting as a character. All the Nazi references are getting tied up together as the SternRitters take their final flight for their ultimate goal. Here’s how the final developments in Yhwach’s character arc by Kubo challenge Aizen’s authority as the best villain in the series.

Yhwach And His Nazi Followers Are Not Fighting in Vain

Over the years, fans have made many observations on the parallels between the SternRitters and the Nazis. Everything from simply their names or targeting a group of people under a supreme leader is reminiscent of what went down during World War II. Even the designs of their white uniforms are identical. Before attacking the Seireitei, they tried to expand their influence by attacking Hueco Mundo.

With all these obvious similarities, it’s hard to deny that there’s a common link between the Nazis and the Quincies.However, Tite Kubo didn’t just copy-paste the Nazi ideology. He fleshed things out by making Yhwach easier to resonate with. Fans on Reddit pointed out how Yhwach is a layered and realistic villain compared to Aizen.

Comment
byu/KingWhrl from discussion
inbleach

Comment
byu/KingWhrl from discussion
inbleach

Comment
byu/KingWhrl from discussion
inbleach

Comment
byu/KingWhrl from discussion
inbleach

Yhwach was a victim of his circumstances and his origin story could be understood. Somewhere, he truly felt that his ambition was noble for his people. He probably couldn’t even see beyond the idea of his perfect world and the destruction caused by the war didn’t cross his mind as it should. Moreover, the Quincies and the SternRitters devoted themselves to him without any signs of defiance.

Aizen, on the other hand, was shrewd and did most things for his own amusement. He wanted nothing more than to showcase his own powers and put his villainous grandeur on an exhibit for the world to see. Unlike the Quincies, the Espadas followed Aizen out of fear.

This Difference Makes Yhwach Realistic, But Aizen is Just…

Yhwach’s motivation was rooted in the experiences he lived. His character gets explored with every interaction he has in the series. Most of his actions are explained which gives room for empathy and understanding, which is not the case with Aizen. Throughout the series, Aizen has an unbeatable aura and remains a mystery.

This intrigue and dominance establish his reign as a complete villain and appeal to fans. The small changes that Kubo is making to Yhwach’s character might strip this advantage from Aizen. Although let’s be real, Aizen wouldn’t struggle much if he wanted to remind fans of his prominence.

Bleach is available to stream on Netflix and the manga can be read on the MangaPlus app and website.