Episode 22 of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War showed Sternritter Z’s full extent of powers. The episode was heading towards a positive development when Mayuri summoned Arrancars to defeat her zombies, but Mayuri’s efforts seemed to be in vain, and Giselle acquired a powerful zombie.
Yes, the final shot of episode 22 showed the zombie of Toshiro Hitsugaya, the 10th Division Captain, and it has Bleach fans in an uproar. The last time we saw Toshiro was in episode 16 when he collapsed from exhaustion after defeating Cang Du.
So, how did he suddenly become a zombie in the latest episode? Read on to find out the answers to all your queries.
How Did Toshiro Hitsugaya Become a Zombie?
Toshiro had collapsed from exhaustion after his intense battle with Cang Du, and the last scene showed a shadow approaching his fallen body. Turns out, it was the Sternritter Giselle; since he was knocked out, it was easier to turn him into a zombie.
Giselle turned him into a zombie while he was alive, but she had to do it when he was running low on Reiatsu, as it made the process easier.
Has Toshiro Hitsugaya Become a Zombie? Will He Stay a Zombie?
Yes, in episode 22 of Bleach: TYBW, Toshiro Hitsugaya appears as a zombie controlled by Giselle Gewelle. He has no free will and listens to her commands, even attacking his comrades. However, he will recover after Mayuri administers proper treatment.
In the next episode, Toshiro will battle against Mayuri, the Arrancars, and the other Soul Reapers. Mayuri will theorize that it can take longer to create zombies depending on how powerful the Reiatsu of the victim is. He will then reveal that he has created a drug to change the blood composition by using the Gotei 13 as the basis. He can steal the control of the zombies from Giselle.
After tricking Toshiro’s zombie, Mayuri injects him with a drug that will cause him agony. He will then put Toshiro and Rangiku in a special container to de-zombify them. The treatment comes at the cost of shortening their lifespans, but it is better than staying a zombie.
Is Toshiro Hitsugaya Dead?
No, Toshiro Hitsugaya is not dead, despite becoming a zombie in episode 22 of Bleach TYBW. Giselle had turned him into a zombie while he was still alive. She will explain that those who become zombies while alive have better movement and reaction speeds as they have fresh cells. He will later recover after Giselle is defeated and Mayuri treats him.
According to Giselle, living zombies can be controlled better as they have no free will. Hitsugaya will later be treated to return to his normal state by Mayuri. However, he will lose a bit of his lifespan due to the treatment procedure.
So, there is no need to be shocked in grief as Toshiro isn’t dead and still has quite a few fights left in him. The bad news is that he will be a formidable opponent even for Mayuri and the Arrancars.
So, stay tuned to Bleach for the next episode, and tell us your theories on how Giselle will be defeated.
