Bleach TYBW: What is the Auswählen, explained

Bleach has quite the impressive array of special abilities, but very few have the dangerous potency of the Auswählen.

Every single Quincy should be afraid of this powerful maneuver. Yhwach only uses it during key moments in history. It's a contributing factor to why Ichigo's mother died in the first place.

The Auswählen carries a great significance in the Bleach series. Hence, fans should understand what it does and why it's crucial to the plot.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views. It will also contain major spoilers from the manga.

---

How does the Auswählen work in the Bleach series? Here's what fans need to know

Yhwach is the only person that can use this powerful technique

The Auswählen is basically a beam of light that steals powers from his Quincy targets. When faced with it, only a few would be lucky to survive, as most targets are killed upon impact. Yhwach is the sole Bleach character who can perform the Auswählen, since it's relevant to his Christian motif.

There is a significant meaning behind the word "Auswählen." It means "select" when translated from German to English. In the Japanese manga, it uses kanji lettering that means "holy selection." Yhwach basically uses it to steal back the powers he gave to his fellow Quincy.

In the Bleach lore, Yhwach is considered a messiah of the Quincy race, since he is the son of the divine Soul King. With that in mind, he is able to distribute pieces of his soul to others and give them various abilities. However, whenever he needs to regain those powers, he employs the Auswählen technique.

---

Ichigo and Uryu's mothers were killed by it

Nine years before the start of the series, Yhwach used the Auswählen to restore his own power. He still needed several more years before he could rise up again. However, in the process of using the Auswählen, he also became indirectly responsible for the deaths of Masaki Kurosaki and Kanae Katagiri.

The former was unable to use her Quincy powers against the Grand Fischer, resulting in her early demise. Meanwhile, the latter went into a coma for three months before passing away. This eventually proved to be a pivotal moment in the Bleach series for one particular reason.

Ryuken Ishida would later perform an autopsy on his deceased wife, taking a silver blot clot produced from the Auswählen. He would forge these materials into a powerful arrowhead, so it could be used to disable Yhwach's "The Almighty" Schrift for a short period of time.

---

Uryu did managed to survive

Unlike his mother, Uryu somehow managed to survive the Auswählen nine years ago, all while retaining his dormant powers. Some theorists speculated that it was because of his Schrift, "The Antithesis," which prevented that from happening. It's a major reason why Yhwach recruited Uryu in the first place.

Uryu was meant to be Yhwach's successor in the Bleach series. Of course, he would later turn against his emperor and side with Ichigo in the final battle. Ironically, the Auswählen proved to be Yhwach's own downfall.

By the end of the Bleach TYBW manga, Uryu would shoot Yhwach with the arrow that his father had given him. Ichigo was able to kill Yhwach without the latter using "The Almighty" to prevent that from happening.

Disclaimer: All external media in this article are the property of their respective owners and Sportskeeda claims no ownership of the same.