@N7k_Ella I don't know, I found it cringey how the anime has Yhwach killing the heroes, yet they just refuse to die. In the manga, he got the job done quickly and moved on. That scene with Orihime gets completely undone in the very next episode, too. It’s just empty posturing—nothing more.
@phuckthephatpus@Retro_Bleach1 They can be separated. This is stated in the novella *Spirits Are Forever With You*. Azashiro Kenpachi said that he could take the Hōgyoku, but he has no interest in it.
@yamaji_gen "Best episode"? Hardly. Visually, it’s a total disaster—a prime example of how *not* to make an anime. You can't even see half the fight because of the sheer number of effects.
@SakataKey And what can Ichigo do without a Zanpakuto? Aizen fought Yhwach without a physical blade—he didn't even have a way to inflict damage. On top of that, his Reiatsu is limited in range.
@Kerberos101@CasuaILore That was all just a hypothesis. His Kido had improved—it used to be poor, only a third of its full power—but that didn't mean he had grown stronger in other respects. Aizen also told Kyoraku that he currently lacked the power he needed.
@lushiteaaa They did not switch places. The entire battle was an illusion created by Aizen, in which only Aizen was fighting; Ichigo arrived only at the very last moment and immediately struck a blow.
@35Pedrol@CasuaILore It is even possible that the Kido he demonstrated was merely an illusion, given that his Reiatsu is limited to a bare minimum—and Kido is a method of utilizing Reiatsu. But that is just a guess.
@35Pedrol@CasuaILore Aizen has merged with his Zanpakuto; in other words, he retains the abilities, but he no longer possesses the blade itself. What we see in the manga is merely an illusion. Consequently, there is nothing with which to inflict damage upon him.
@ZBrag102 As long as Aizen remains part of the Hōgyoku, he cannot be killed, though he can be split apart. This is stated in the novel featuring Azashiro Kenpachi; likewise, Yhwach mentions in the anime that while Aizen can be killed, doing so would take a long time.