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How powerful is Gerard Valkyrie in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War? Discover Quincy’s abilities and final fate in the series.
The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc of Bleach introduces us to a formidable group of antagonists—the Quincies. Under Yhwach, these characters play a crucial role in the narrative, pushing the Soul Reapers to their physical and mental limits. Among those serving Yhwach, one of the most memorable yet enigmatic characters is Gerard Valkyrie.
His eye-catching appearance, signature smile, and key role in Yhwach’s elite guard have already set him up as a big obstacle in the way of the main characters. So, how powerful is Gerard Valkyrie in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?
Gerard Valkyrie possesses an extremely broken ability and is one of the most powerful characters in the entire Bleach series. Let us take a closer look at him.
Who Is Gerard Valkyrie in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?
The muscular Gerard Valkyrie is a figure who instantly captivates fans with his winged helmet and red cloak. He is extremely confident in himself and boldly shouts out his thoughts. As a member of the Schutzstaffel, Gerard is very dedicated to Yhwach, showing an immense amount of respect towards the king at every opportunity.
Despite being an antagonist, Gerard is a very pure character. This stems from his original identity as the heart of the Soul King. Separated from Adnyeus when his body parts were separated, he is symbolically very passionate and puts his heart into every endeavor.
Gerard has a caring side that extends to both allies and enemies. He protected Pernida from falling off the Soul King Palace and even showed admiration for Zaraki during their battle. The balance between his self-belief in being the strongest Quincy and his nobility in battle has stuck out to fans.
Gerard Valkyrie’s Strengths and Abilities
While he might be a Quincy who received a Schrift from Yhwach, the ritual itself did not impart any powers to Gerard. This is because Gerard had already inherited his abilities as the Soul King’s heart.
Designated with the letter M, Gerard Valkyrie’s main skill in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is The Miracle. This ability lets him turn the hopes and beliefs of his opponents into miracles for himself, drastically increasing his own strength. When being dealt extreme damage or facing near-impossible odds, the ability manifests to its fullest. This gives Gerard physical enhancements and allows him to rapidly regenerate.
The best display of The Miracle came when Gerard was facing the combined forces of Zaraki, Byakuya, Hitsugaya, the Visored, and many more Shinigami. In spite of having so many people against him, Gerard was able to comfortably face them. He could grow to a godly size, reflect any damage due to his weapon—Hoffnung—and even regenerate when his body was destroyed.
Is Gerard Valkyrie the Strongest Schutzstaffel?
The members of the Schutzstaffel are the most skilled of Yhwach’s army, serving him up until the very final battle. Each of them has a variety of creative abilities derived from their Schrift. Even when considering all their strengths, it is safe to say that Gerard is at least the second-strongest Quincy in the group.
The only member of the Schutzstaffel who can arguably be considered more powerful than him is Jugram Haschwalth. As the holder of The Balance, Jugram can tip the scales of fortune whenever he believes his opponent is having good fortune. This ambiguous ability can restore balance in any battle according to Jugram’s perspective. More importantly, Jugram is also a wielder of Yhwach’s The Almighty when the Quincy King is asleep. He cannot use it as well as Yhwach but can glance into the future.
Gerard and Jugram have never fought each other for there to be a decisive answer. Both hold extremely strong abilities that work in different capacities. Hence, while we cannot confidently say that Gerard Valkyrie is the strongest Schutzstaffel, he is not far off from that position.
Now that we’ve explored how unbelievably powerful Gerard is, how exactly does he die in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?
How Does Gerard Valkyrie Die in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?
Gerard Valkyrie’s death is one of the most contentious topics among the Bleach fandom. This is because his death came very suddenly and left a sour taste in the mouths of many fans.
During his final battle, Gerard was dominating against his opponents. He could withstand all of Zaraki’s blows, escape Hitsugaya’s ice, and repel the Visored. Even after being cut in half by Zaraki and getting his head destroyed by Byakuya, he only seemed to be evolving with time.
As the battle continued, however, Yhwach suddenly used the Auswahlen for his selfish desire to destroy the realms. This drained the power from Gerard, neutralizing his existence and only leaving behind his bones.
This ending came out of nowhere, leaving manga fans in shock. Many surmised that Kubo had made Gerard Valkyrie too powerful and unkillable. This meant that the only way to defeat him would have to be an external influence—his own master’s betrayal.
Conclusion
Gerard Valkyrie is a highlight of the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. With his loud personality, bold antics, and staggering power, he steals every scene he is present in. While his death itself is very controversial, this character is one we will not be forgetting anytime soon.
Bleach fans can also be optimistic because the final part of the Thousand-Year Blood War anime is expected to have many original scenes that add to the source material. Since Kubo himself is working closely with Studio Pierrot, there is a high likelihood that Gerard’s character and death will be explored in more depth rather than being as abrupt as the manga.
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