Warning: Spoilers for Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War, episode #17 Recent episodes of Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War have ended with some mysterious Ichigo scenes not found in the original manga, and fans are already spotting hints that this new power may have a role to play in this arc's final battle with Yhwach.

Ichigo was sent down the "Irazusando" path, a special trail to a holy place that isn't meant to be entered. He's experienced some intense spiritual pressure attempting to walk down the path, and in so doing had his mind flooded with various images that he wasn't able to make sense of. Images rapidly flashed on the screen in episodes #16 and #17 of Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War have provided dedicated fans with some clues as to what is going on with Ichigo, and that combined with what Ichibe has said about the trial the protagonist is undergoing seems to imply the anime's finale may differ from that of the manga.

Ichigo Could Get A Soul King Power-Up In Bleach's Final Battle

Bleach: The four-pupil eye of the Soul King.

The Soul King is a being who hasn't been explained much in the Bleach anime as yet, but those answers lie ahead. Fans who are familiar with the manga, or who have read the Can't Fear Your Own World light novels, however, have been able to spot clues. Included among the images are an eye with four pupils, a symbol of the Soul King, as well as the Soul King's dismemberment, where his limbs were ripped from his body and hidden. It's known that Ichibe sent Ichigo down this path to test if he was capable of becoming a vessel for the Soul King, which explains why lore associated with the Soul King is being revealed here.

Eyes with multiple pupils aren't just tied to the Soul King, however. When Yhwach activates his ability to see the future, known as The Almighty, his eyes change such that he has two pupils; the same applies to Haschwalth, who shares this power with Yhwach. Some fans have taken this to mean that Ichigo might get his own version of The Almighty, something which would help explain certain elements of the final battle that didn't make a lot of sense in the manga. Yhwach has his own connection to the Soul King, so it's certainly possible that this trial has given Ichigo the kind of connection he'd need to manifest such a power.

The Thousand-Year Blood War Could Explain Some Mysteries Of The Bleach Finale

Bleach: Ichigo on Irazusando, the forbidden path.

At this stage, it's still not clear exactly what Ichigo has gained, if anything; while these Irazusando scenes have given a bit more context to an element that was largely left a mystery in the manga, it's not clear how much of an impact they will have on the ongoing story. Many fans wanted to see the infamously rushed Bleach finale altered at least a bit, considering its reputation as being unsatisfying, and this would be the perfect way to justify some changes. Whether Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War will see the kind of major changes fans are hoping for will only be revealed with time, but these Ichigo scenes are a good sign that more might be going on.

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