The story of Bleach has many memorable anime villains, from the calculating Sosuke Aizen to the cold-blooded Ulquiorra Schiffer and most of all, the king of the Quincy tribe, Yhwach. The latter is the final villain of the Thousand-Year Blood War story arc, and his abilities and strategy may remind anime fans of another supervillain -- All For One.
King Yhwach and All For One of My Hero Academia fame are remarkably similar in many ways, from their archvillain status to their ability to pass power around and their roles in their young mentors' lives. In all the ways that count, Yhwach is Bleach's equivalent to the Symbol of Evil himself.
Yhwach & All For One Control All The Power
King Yhwach has many powers and abilities, including The Almighty, which makes him borderline undefeatable in battle, as Ichigo found out for himself during their final fight. However, Yhwach has more than The Almighty at his disposal. The Quincy king can also use powerful bows and arrows, like most other Quincy, and he can also use the Auswahlen, which allows him to steal another Quincy's power from across any distance. Yhwach is the one who gives power to all of his Quincy "children," and he can recall that power whenever he wishes. In fact, this ability is what cost Masaki Kurosaki her life.
Years ago, Masaki was a capable Quincy archer, but once Yhwach stole her power to help revive himself, Masaki was left vulnerable when Grand Fisher attacked, and she died. Later in the story, Yhwach uses Auswahlen again, and he fatally absorbs the power from several other Quincy, including Sternritter "N" Robert Accutrone. Yhwach can use their powers himself or gift them to other Quincy who needs it and even bring the recipients bak to life, such as his four Schutzstaffel warriors. This ability to steal and redistribute powers may remind anime fans of All For One, the Symbol of Evil who can steal Quirks with his own and either use them himself or give them to another. With redistribution abilities like these, both Yhwach and All For One can shape the future and amass an army.
The Strategies & Methods Of Yhwach & All For One
Not only does Yhwach share All For One's powers, but he also has a similar role in the story of Bleach. Recent flashbacks in the My Hero Academia anime made it clear that a younger All For One used his Quirk of the same name to recruit thousands of loyal followers and give them the Quirks they wanted, and control society as a king. Yhwach is also a villainous leader, and he built up the entire Quincy tribe around him many centuries ago. He also formed the Sternritter and Schutzstaffel to act as his elite guards and warriors, similar to the League of Villains whose members follow All For One as a visionary leader. Yhwach, like All For One, intends to reshape the world according to his vision but was foiled by a hero -- in this case, Yamamoto.
Yhwach has another trait in common with All For One: his interest in recruiting and nurturing a worthy successor. While All For One groomed a young Tomura Shigaraki to become the next Symbol of Evil, Yhwach chose Uryu Ishida to become his heir, even giving Uryu the letter "A" -- a gift that not even Yhwach's right-hand man Jugram received. This move was controversial among the Quincy but no one dared question the king's decision. Both Yhwach and All For One understand that even they have their limits, and they must one day pass on their visionary missions to eager apprentices who will carry on their work. The main difference is that Uryu decided he was more loyal to his friends than the Quincy cause, while Tomura Shigaraki is poised to become the greatest threat the world has ever known and topple the world of heroes at last.