Warning: Spoilers for Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War, episode #17Bleach's dog-headed Captain Komamura made a dramatic return to the battlefield in episode #17 of The Thousand-Year Blood War, and in so doing revealed the truth of the so-called werewolf clan, exposing why they look like animals to begin with. The secret is unveiled in a heartbreaking manner, as the desire for vengeance consumes Komamura so fully that he loses himself in it.

Captain Komamura was among the unfortunate ones who had his Bankai stolen by the Quincy during their first attack, setting him off on a quest to find a new source of power. While on this quest, Komamura sought out the elder of the Werewolf clan, who revealed to him a special technique, known as the Jinka technique, which would allow him to take on a human form for a limited period of time, unleashing his full power at a big price. The cost of this technique, however, was to lose one's self entirely and turn into a mindless animal, a fate which unfortunately befalls Komamura before he can get the revenge he so craved.

Captain Komamura's Fate In Bleach Is A Metaphor For The Dangers Of Vengeance

Like the other Captains, Komamura regained his Bankai, but discovered that it, too, was affected by this technique, shedding its armor to become a lifeless killing machine. The giant Bankai loomed over the Quincy city which has replaced the Seireitei, and managed to deal with Bambietta with ease, before turning his attention to Yhwach. Komamura wasn't able to keep going, however, and before he could make it to Yhwach, found himself on the ground, slowly transforming into an ordinary wolf. The Captain was tragically discovered by his Lieutenant, who picked up the wolf form and took it with him.

Komamura's situation is a fairly obvious metaphor for revenge, the idea that one can become so embroiled in a desire for vengeance that they lose what made them who they were. In his case, however, the transformation is a literal one, and it seems as if he wasn't properly warned about it in advance. The scene is made all the more menacing due to the unsympathetic monologuing of the Werewolf clan's Elder as he devours the heart Komamura sacrificed. It's revealed that this desire for vengeance is what originally caused the Werewolf clan to be exiled and take on an animalistic appearance, thus meaning that Komamura has tragically fallen to the same fate that his ancestors did.

Komamura Is One Of Bleach's Most Tragic Characters

Captain Komamura may not be dead, but he's effectively out of the fight at this point. His desire for vengeance consumed him to such an extent that he wasn't even able to fulfill it, meaning that ultimately his sacrifice amounted to very little. He even reflects on his own words to Kaname Tosen about revenge, realizing too late that he never heeded his own advice. While Captain Komamura's fate may not be the worst in Bleach, his fruitless sacrifice definitely ranks up there as one of the most tragic.

Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War is streaming on Hulu and Disney+.