The hit shonen anime Bleach is a fantasy action/adventure story where spiritual powers and monsters are the norm, such as black-robed Soul Reapers and Hollows, the evil souls they hunt. Soul Reapers are tasked with slaying those Hollows and escorting the souls of the dead to the Soul Society, but the Quincy serve as their rivals.
Quincy are spiritually-charged humans or humanoid entities who can use bows and arrows rather than zanpakuto to destroy Hollows from afar and protect their people. The Quincy have all kinds of weapons and tools at their disposal, but the life of a Quincy is not easy, even in the best of times. What are some harsh realities and perks of being a Quincy?
10 PERK: They Can Fight From A Great Distance
The primary weapon of a Quincy is a spiritual bow and arrow. In Bleach's first season, Ichigo saw this for himself when his classmate Uryu Ishida manifested a bow to hunt Hollows all across Karakura Town. If they can help it, Quincy almost never fight up close.
Many anime archers and gunslingers enjoy a serious advantage over their enemies when they fight from afar, and short-range foes can't even touch them during the fight. A Quincy can slay a Hollow before it gets anywhere near them.
9 HARSH REALITY: They Have Many Enemies
Any faction in the story of Bleach will have its fair share of enemies, and Hollows will always be hostile to the Soul Reapers who hunt them down and destroy them. The Quincy tribe, meanwhile, is hostile to almost every other group and faction, so they can't ever let their guard down.
The Quincy are hostile to Hollows too, and that's just the start. Traditionally, the Soul Reapers are also enemies of the Quincy, so all Quincy must watch out for them as well, and avoid stronger Soul Reapers such as Captains. Arrancars aren't too friendly to Quincy, either.
8 PERK: They Can Use Ransotengai To Keep Moving
Quincy can use a variety of techniques, including some that are unique to their tribe. Some of these techniques are similar to kido spells, and one of them is called Ransotengai. Uryu Ishida used this technique while fighting a desperate battle against Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of squad 12.
Ransotengai involves creating strings of spirit energy, then attaching them to one's own body and moving around like a puppet. Uryu uses Ransotengai to keep moving even when he's paralyzed, and Quincy can also use it to move if they are injured or exhausted. Soul Reapers, however, cannot do this.
7 HARSH REALITY: Advanced Techniques Are Difficult To Learn
It's great that the Quincy can use techniques such as Ransogentai and Hirenkyaku, but the problem is that not all Quincy can learn them. These are highly advanced techniques, and at best, a Quincy must spend years practicing them to get the hang of using them in battle.
Some Quincy might not be good enough to use Ransotengai at all, which simply denies them the option of using it. Whether the Quincy has relatively little talent or lacks a good teacher, they may never use Ransotengai, and that can cost them in battle.
6 PERK: They Have Yhwach To Guide & Inspire Them
Every faction has its leaders, and some leaders are truly inspiring and motivating. Some Soul Reaper Captains are charismatic as well as powerful, such as Captain Sajin Komamura and Captain Jushiro Ukitake, while all Quincy have king Yhwach to look up to.
Yhwach is known as the king of all Quincy, and his mere presence can massively boost the courage and morale of all Quincy on the battlefield, as Sternritter Robert Accutrone notes to Captain Shunsui Kyoraku. Fighting to impress the king can be an excellent motivator, too.
5 HARSH REALITY: Almost No Human Quincy Remain
The Quincy tribe used to have plenty of human members, but that all changed. A few centuries ago, the Soul Reapers and Quincy disagreed on the matter of slaying Hollows, and they went to war. The Quincy tribe lost that war, and nearly all human Quincy were wiped out.
Only a few survivors remain, such as Uryu and his father Ryuken and his grandfather, Soken Ishida. There was also Masaki, a teenaged Quincy who met Captain Isshin Shiba one fateful night. These human Quincy fight hard, but they are practically alone in the world.
4 PERK: They Can Absorb Spirit Energy From Around Them
All beings in Bleach need spirit energy to fight, whether to fire cero blasts or use a mighty bankai, and the Quincy have a unique way to fuel their spiritual powers. Instead of generating their own spirit energy, Quincy archers will gather spirit particles from around them and focus that into their attacks.
If a Quincy is surrounded with spirit energy, he or she can continuously fuel their bows and arrows without tiring, an advantage the Soul Reapers don't share. In fact, Quincy can use saw-like tools like the Seele Schneider to shred and collect spirit energy from their enemies. Uryu did this while fighting an Arrancar named Cirucci Sanderwicci.
3 HARSH REALITY: Some Areas Lack Sufficient Spirit Energy
It seems that no location in the Bleach universe is absolutely devoid of spirit particles, though some places have much less spirit energy compared to others, and Quincy must be careful about this. A Soul Reaper can use their full power in any world, while Quincy are greatly affected by their environment.
The Hollow desert realm of Hueco Mundo is rich in spirit energy, which works to Uryu's benefit, and the same is true during his time in the Soul Society. By contrast, Uryu's bow and arrows are weaker in Karakura Town, and his power might be even more limited in rural areas that are far away from most people and Hollows.
2 PERK: They Can Easily Hide In Modern Society
Sometimes, fighters in Bleach need to disguise themselves and blend into the environment to elude their enemies until they're ready to fight later. Quincy can easily blend into human society, especially if they are human themselves, and their enemies won't easily track them down.
The Ishida family is like this, for example. Ryuken Ishida actually gave up on the Quincy lifestyle and became a hospital director, and his son, Uryu, easily blended into high school life. Uryu didn't give himself away until he was ready for Ichigo to know of his Quincy status.
1 HARSH REALITY: Yhwach Can Steal Other Quincy's Energy
King Yhwach is the ultimate Quincy, and for the most part, his presence is a real boon to other Quincy. When the time is right, though, Yhwach will turn on his Quincy subjects and steal all their energy. He stole Masaki's energy and reduced her to an ordinary human, and Sternritter actually died from this.
Late in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, Yhwach started stealing energy from the Sternritter, and only their bones and clothes would remain. Robert Accutrone knew what was coming, and he panicked right before he died from Yhwach's energy-stealing ability, the Auswahlen. This horrifying move prompted several Sternritter to actually turn on their king, including Liltotto Lamperd and Giselle Gewelle. They were soon slain, however.