Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 17 Ending Explained: What is the Jinka Technique? What does Ichibē Hyōsube wants from Ichigo?

The 17th episode of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War arc is in front of us and just like all the previous episodes this episode was full of epic battles and shocking revelations.

In this episode, we got to see the Captain of Squad 7, Sajin Komamura engaging the enraged Bambietta Basterbine. We also got a rough idea of what Ichibē Hyōsube is planning for Ichigo Kurosaki.

Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 17 is named “Heart of Wolf” as it showed us important aspects of Captain Komamura’s lineage and his determination to fight.

In this article, we try to provide answers to the questions that might be raised after watching this episode. What is the Jinka Technique? What does Ichibē Hyōsube want from Ichigo?

As the series progress fans are wondering about the fate of Soul Society and how the Soul Reapers will manage to overcome the most formidable enemy they ever faced – Yhwach.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 17 Recap: What is the Jinka Technique?

The episode starts with Bambietta Basterbine attacking Shinji Hirako in her new form which causes serious damage to Shinji and he passes out.

As Bambietta was about to finish Shinji, the Captain of Squad 7, Sajin Komamura comes to his defence.  It is important to note that it was Bambietta Basterbine who stole Sajin Komamura’s Bankai during the first assault.

We then see Lieutenant Momo Hinamori trying to attack Bambietta from behind but Captain Komamura saves her and tells her that Bambietta’s bombs cannot be nullified by Momo’s Tobiume, nor can they be blocked without a shield or armor. 

Bambietta then explains how her technique works and tells them that her bombs can’t be guarded against. She is not firing Reishi bombs at them.

Anything she fires her Reishi turns it into a bomb. That’s why trying to swap them away at the last minute won’t do them any good. Bambietta then fires a barrage of bombs towards Captain Komamura who takes them head on.

Due to this, his helmet breaks and his face is revealed. Although, this time, instead of a face of a wolf his face is that of a human. Bambietta asks how it is possible and Captain Komamura explains The Jinka Technique to her. 

In the flashbacks we see Captain Komamura talking to his clan’s elder and asking him about his clan’s secret technique.

The Clan Elder tells Captain Komamura that their Warewolf Clan was sent to the animal realm for the sins they committed during their pasts lives.

Even that wasn’t enough, so they returned to the Soul Society. By temporarily breaking the chain of sins that binds them, they can return to their forms before they were condemned to being beasts allowing them to gain immense power.

They call that technique the Jinka Technique. Captain Komamura asks the elder how to do that technique. The elder tells him to offer his heart.

With his own hands, Captain Komamura have to tear out his heart to perform the Jinka Technique and offer it to the elder so that he can bestow the Jinka Technique upon Captain Komamura.

The elder asks Captain Komamura if he can do it and he has no obligation to throw away his life for the Soul Reapers. Captain Komamura then explains that he has to do it.

He shamelessly abandoned his clan because he couldn’t stand to live a life of hiding, but Master Genryusai took him in. He owed a huge debt for that, but the Quincies killed Master Genryusai. He must do whatever it takes to avenge Master Genryusai’s death. 

Captain Komamura takes his heart out and offers it to the Clan Elder, activating the Jinka Technique. In the present, Captain Komamura tells Momo to take Captain Hirako with her and leave.

After that Captain Komamura activates his Bankai, his true Bankai “Kokujo Tengen Myo-oh Dangai Joue”. We then see his huge Bankai armour falling and a huge monster with glowing eyes appears from within and instantly starts attacking Bambietta Basterbine.

Bambietta starts bombing Captain Komamura’s Bankai but the Bankai starts healing itself. Captain Komamura then explains that Kokujo Tengen Myo-oh is an armour Bankai imbued with life.

Dangai Joue is its form stripped of armour, exposing only its Spiritual Pressure and power, therefore, Bambietta’s technique cannot defeat it.

Then Captain Komamura’s Bankai and Bambietta Basterbine starts attacking each other. Bambietta claims that if Captain Komamura’s spiritual pressure is exposed then so are his weaknesses.

But Captain Komamura explains that becoming a bomb and exploding is only frightening when someone is alive. Without life, there isn’t a shred of fear of that.

Tengen Myo-oh’s life lies within its armour. Dangai Joue is Tengen Myo-oh stripped of life. Bambietta claims that Captain Komamura’s Bankai is linked to its possessor and attacks his Bankai which causes damage to Captain Komamura too.

But Bambietta observes that Captain Komamura is missing his heart. Captain Komamura explains that his body is now an empty shell.

It is nothing more than a vessel to defeat the Quincies. His clan’s secret technique, the Jinka Technique allows them to temporarily gain immortal bodies by offering their hearts. As long as Captain Komamura is in his human form, he will never perish. 

After hearing that Bambietta starts to run away but Captain Komamura follows her with his Bankai and delivers a finishing blow on Bambietta Basterbine. This marked the defeat of Stern Ritter designation “E” – “The Explode Bambietta Basterbine by the hands of the Captain of Squad 7 Sajin Komamura. 

After that Captain Komamura starts moving towards Yhwach’s palace but his Bankai starts crumbling. The clan elder states that Captain Komamura has discovered his primal instinct of revenge and has returned to the clan.

Captain Komamura figures out that he was blinded by revenge and forgets his own words that he once told to his best friend Kaname Tōsen.

Captain Komamura then starts turning into a complete wolf and relinquishes his human form. We then see Lieutenant of Squad 7 Tetsuzaemon Iba carrying Captain Komamura on his back and moving forward. After that we see Uryū Ishida rescuing all the defeated Stern Ritters like Cang Du and BG9. 

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 17 Ending Explained: What does Ichibē Hyōsube want from Ichigo?

Shunsui Kyōraku and Jugram Haschwalth are talking about the battle while the barrier is still in place. Jugram Haschwalth tells Shunsui Kyōraku that it is his job to tip the scales in their favour and prepares to attack Shunsui Kyōraku and Nanao Ise.

Jugram Haschwalth breaks the barrier that was stopping him from using his powers and Shunsui Kyōraku states that he almost forgot about the Reishi stealing powers that the Quincies have.

Jugram Haschwalth tells that he has been gradually stealing Reishi from his side of the barrier to weaken it. But, Nanao Ise creates another barrier and tells Haschwalth that if it took time for him to weaken the barrier, it also means they had time to build a new one.

Haschwalth claims that this barrier is quite different from the first one, but the fact that it clearly appears fragile means that its fragility is a trap. Haschwalth is about to attack again but suddenly stops as he receives a summon from Yhwach. 

Ikkaku Madarame, Shūhei Hisagi and Yumichika Ayasegawa are still fighting Mask De Masculine who is single-handedly knocking all three of them with his strength.

Mask De Masculine suddenly sees people descending from above and joining the battle and thinks about going there to face the enemy but he is interrupted by the Captain of Squad 9, Kensei Muguruma.

Mask De Masculine is not willing to fight Kensei Muguruma as he wants to fight the enemies that were descending from the sky. But then the Captain of Squad 3, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi also joins the fight against Mask De Masculine which makes him want to fight both the Captains. 

In the post-credit we see Ichigo sweating and experiencing the memories of the Soul King. Ichibē Hyōsube explains to Ichigo that the weight Ichigo feels is what he is trying to protect.

Everything that he sees is everlasting memories and revelation. In other words, the power of the king. Ichibē Hyōsube then asks Ichigo if he is the vessel capable of withstanding the power that fills it or if is he a bowl that shatters.

With that, we see Ichigo undergoing a transformation but suddenly reverting back to his original form as he finally crosses the exit of the Sacred Place he was in.

After this episode and according to the Bleach Manga, it is clear that Ichibē Hyōsube plans to make Ichigo Kurosaki a vessel for the Soul King. Will Ichibē Hyōsube succeed in his plan or will he be stopped by Yhwach? It can only be answered in the upcoming episodes of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War arc.