The Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime was highly anticipated by fans. However, it also had several hurdles to overcome. As much as fans wanted to see this series' final arc animated, the shortcomings of the source material needed to be kept in mind. This saga was riddled with rushed plot points, and the overarching story suffered for it. The Soul King's Royal Guard lost out because of this narrative dry spell. They were set up as the Soul Society's most trusted soldiers, yet they were defeated embarrassingly.
However, the anime is working to fix this. It has extended the Royal Guard's screen time to give them more action and dialogue. This has allowed them to show more of what they can do and come off as the elite team they were supposed to be in the manga. This isn't guaranteed to last (the Quincy still need to win for the plot to progress), but this is still more than what the manga did for them.
RELATED: Bleach: A Guide to King Yhwach's Four Elite Guards
How the MangaFailed the Zero Division
When the Zero Division was introduced in the manga, they were made out to be a big deal. Shunsui claimed the five had enough military power to outclass everyone in the Gotei 13 combined. The Gotei 13 built up plenty of respect among the fandom, so this sounded like a bold statement. However, since Bleach is a battle shonen, this had to be an accurate assessment. Unfortunately, their attitudes left something to be desired. They introduced themselves by disrespecting the mourning Soul Reapers for not being good enough to defend the Seireitei against the Quincies. This chiding would prove especially undeserved for how well they would do.
The most disappointing thing about the Zero Division was how quickly they were defeated. When Yhwach and his Schutzstaffel invaded the Soul King Palace, the Royal Guard responded quickly. Oetsu Nimaiya also swiftly disposed of the Quincy King's elite guard before they were resurrected. Ichibe Hyosube also held his own against Yhwach. However, that was the end of their competence.The Zero Division Soul Reapers were themselves beaten rather quickly. Nimaiya was killed instantly by Lillie Barro's "The X-Axis." Hyosube fared no better against Yhwach. The rest of the Soul Reapers didn't even have the dignity of an on-screen death.
Readers found this defeat disappointing. These Soul Reapers were built up as the best the Soul Society had to offer, yet none had a significant on-screen win. Four of them never got to show off their Bankai or even their Shikai. They all suffered embarrassing defeats after all their big talk. To make things worse, the Royal Guard made a liar out of Shunsui. The Schutzstaffel they lost to were all defeated by the Gotei 13 members they were supposed to be better than. None of the readers could understand why these Soul Reapers were so hyped up if they would be such a letdown.
How the Anime Made Things Better
The anime made the Zero Division put up a fight against the Schutzstaffel, including Uryu and Haschwalth. While the manga only showed Nimaiya fighting, the anime has the rest of the Soul Reapers square off against the Quincies as well. The opponents even shuffled around to make it feel more like a skirmish. Nimaiya still had the most to do at the start of the fight. Besides what was in the manga, the anime presented additional scenes of him challenging Uryu, Haschwalth, and Lille. There's also a scene of Senjumaru healing the fatal blow he received from Lille. By the end of it, he gave a much more impressive showing than he hid in the manga.
The rest of the Royal Guard also got anime-exclusive fight scenes. Senjumaru fought Uryu and even forced him back, though she failed to beat Gerard. There were also scenes of Kirio fighting Pernida and Kirinji against Askin. They lost, but it was because they weren't at full power. The anime's most substantial addition regarded the Royal Guards' Bankai. Since each Bankai is powerful enough to affect the Soul Society, the Human Realm, and Hueco Mundo all at once, only one can be used per battle; the Soul Reapers who aren't using one have to kill themselves. Senjumaru was chosen as the Bankai user for this version of the fight.
Senjumaru's Bankai showed precisely what makes the Zero Division so praiseworthy. She alone was enough to incapacitate all the Schutzstaffel – including Uryu and Haschwalth. Additionally, she came out of the confrontation unscathed. This makes the idea that the Royal Guard is stronger than the Gotei 13 combined more believable. Suddenly, all their cockiness that originated in the manga feels justified. It also means audiences can proudly keep their merchandise.
Can the Royal Guard's Winning Streak Last?
The only question is whether the Zero Division's winning streak in the anime can last. While the anime has deviated considerably from the manga, it's still following the essential story beats. This should mean the Schutzstaffel will inevitably overcome Senjumaru's Bankai and take the win. If that happens, the Royal Guard will be the same shameful, lifeless mounds of flesh as in the manga.
Of course, that depends on how fans are willing to view the Royal Guards' good moments in hindsight. For example, even if Senjumaru loses, fans have already expressed their approval of how well she did in the anime. Then again, if it were that simple, Nimaiya would have been looked back upon more fondly for his initial performance against the Schutzstaffel; despite that display, he was still lumped together with his fellow squad members for losing. In this sense, even if the other squad members resurrect and show off their Bankai (however that may happen), it won't mean anything if they lose as they did in the manga.
The most the anime can do for the Zero Division is make their loss less embarrassing than it was in the manga, which it has. By showing the Royal Guard putting up a fight, the audience learns what they're capable of and how they earned their positions. It also sets the Schutzstaffel up as a credible threat. When they're canonically beaten by their opponents from the manga, it will make those opponents more impressive. With that said, the anime Zero Division deserves its due credit. They held up much better than their manga counterparts and showed how they earned their positions. Win or lose, they can be appreciated for whatever moments they received.
