Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War returned with a new episode today, and it looks like Ichigo Kurosaki and the Soul Reapers of Soul Society are about to face their most powerful group of villains yet.
Episode 3 of the new Bleach anime, titled March of the Starcross, not only showcased the battle between Ichigo and the powerful Quincy known as Quilge Opie, but the latest episode also introduced the powerful group of Quincy, the Sternritter (German for "Star Knights").
As shown below, the group of villains of the Wandenreich's army made their arrival to the Soul Society in Episode 3 this week. The powerful villains shadowed Ywach as the Quincy leader invaded Soul Society, and they are tasked with purging the Shinigami. With their arrival, members of the Sternritter already started killing Shinigami.
The episode ends with the anime's first look at the Sternritter members, including As Nodt, Bazzard Black, Robert Accutrone, Bambietta Basterbine, and Jugram Haschwalth.
Who are the Sternritter?
Manga readers would know that the Sternritter is a powerful Quincy group in the Wandenreich's army, and each member is blessed with the power of Ywach. The god-like villain inducts most of the Sternritter members through a carving ceremony where he imbues each Quincy with power. The carving takes on the form of an English letter, which is used as the designation of the Sternritter, and grants the member their unique powers. The exact letter given corresponds to an appropriate epithet reflecting the nature of the Sternritter's particular ability. When a Sternritter dies, the power is returned to Ywach, who becomes stronger because of it.
There are 26 members of the Sternritter, and Jugram is considered to be the highest-rank among them. The group was created to invade Soul Society 1,000 years ago.
Related: Is Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War The Final Arc of Tite Kubo's Manga Series?
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 3 is now available to watch on Hulu in the United States, and Disney+ in other regions.
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