Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War and the Bleach manga.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has been impressing viewers episode after episode. With that said, the plot twist at the end of episode 22 managed to drop some jaws. (Well, the jaws of those unfamiliar with the source material, at least.)
In “Marching Out the Zombies,” viewers are treated to the very new and unpleasant sight of Toshiro Hitsugaya’s zombified body. Granted, he doesn’t look like the zombies we’re used to seeing in media, but just the fact that a beloved character was zombified and put under someone else’s control is enough to cause displeasure. But putting all that aside, there’s an essential question weighing on fans’ minds: How did this happen? Toshiro wasn’t a zombie the last time we saw him…
How was Toshiro Hitsugaya turned into a zombie in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?
Putting it simply, Toshiro was turned into a zombie by Giselle Gewelle’s Schrift Z. That’s quite obvious, considering that we’ve already seen her use this ability in the anime, and putting other Soul Reapers under her command by simply splashing her blood on them. But how was she able to pull that off with Toshiro? Well, the answer is in episode 16 of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, “The Fundamental Virulence.”
After regaining his Bankai and defeating Cang Du, the Captain of Division 10 collapsed from exhaustion, and at that moment, someone we couldn’t identify at the time made an appearance. While we don’t see it play out in that episode, this mysterious figure was Giselle, who rightfully considered that Toshiro’s momentary weakness was the perfect moment to strike. Before the Soul Reaper died, she covered him in what was likely a large amount of her blood, effectively gaining control over his body. If Toshiro was a low-ranked Soul Reaper, just a blood drop would’ve been enough to complete the zombification process, but as it stands, Giselle had to pull out all the stops.
Luckily for Toshiro, the fact that he was turned before dying means that there is still hope for him to regain control. However, this detail also spells trouble for his opponents, as the captain has retained his strength and reflexes, unlike Soul Reapers who were zombified after death.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War will continue with new episodes dropping weekly on Hulu and Disney Plus.