The first four episodes of the English dub of “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War” are now available on Hulu! We’ve already watched and covered the jam-packed season premiere, and today we’re moving onto the second episode of Cour 3.

Read on for a recap and our thoughts of “Kill The King” as Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends try to stop Yhwach from attacking the Soul King.

Kill The King Recap

The episode opens up with Yhwach facing the Soul King, his father and godlike entity who regulates the flow of souls and keeps balance between the three worlds. Ichigo then awakens from a trance, and the Soul Palace, the Seireitei, and the World of the Living begin to crumble, implying that the balance has been disrupted.

When Ichigo meets Yhwach, he does not hesitate in attacking him. They immediately clash; a flurry of swords, blue flashes, and deadly explosions. Ichigo’s powers have increased tenfold, and it seems Yhwach is at a disadvantage. However, the fight has barely begun. Yhwach unleashes even more incredible abilities, including his eyes, which allow him to foresee every move his opponent will make.

Despite Ichigo and Yoruichi’s best efforts, Yhwach reveals that Ichigo is too late, and the Soul King has been impaled. Through Yhwach, fans learn who and what the Soul King is: a powerful being who can see thousands of years into the future between the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the World of Living, including the Quincy Genocide.

Ichigo goes to pull the sword out, at Yhwach’s urging. However, Ichigo’s Quincy blood takes over, not allowing him to forgive the Soul King’s transgressions, and he ends up slicing through the seal.

His actions cause tremors throughout the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the World of Living, and Kisuke Urahara reveals that all three will cease to exist. The episode ends with Yhwach hovering over a distraught Ichigo telling him to watch “the end of the Soul Society.”

A Worthy Successor

It is clear from the get-go that ‘Kill The King” ups the stakes even more than in the premiere. Ichigo’s powers are indeed amazing, and of course, fans want him to come out victorious. However, it becomes apparent that Yhwach is like no one he has ever faced, and though Ichigo is the hero, this intense battle has us wondering if he might lose.

Once again, this episode features incredible voice work. Johnny Yong Bosch (Ichigo) still emotes all the passion Ichigo carries as he vows to protect all the worlds. The scene that really captures Ichigo’s distress when he tries to resist his urge to kill the Soul King. His screams are so chilling that anyone would get goosebumps.

Richard Epcar (Yhwach) is, as expected, phenomenal, especially when he recounts Yhwach’s reasons for wanting to kill the Soul King. Though he says it matter-of-factly, you can feel his emotion and hatred towards everything the Quincies had to endure, and it helps us understand him and his motives a little more.

For those hoping for some comedic and lighthearted moments, this episode isn’t wholly serious. Rukia calls Renji an idiot for not knowing the way to R&D, and though we don’t see a lot of them, Shinji expresses his gratitude for Momo’s healing skills. Both scenes add a lighthearted touch to an otherwise dismal setting, which is appreciated since things will only get wilder from here.

“Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War” is streaming on Hulu in the United States and Disney+ internationally.

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