Creation of Sternritter, explained

Among the ranks of the Wandenreich, the Sternritter are twenty-six noble Quincy who were granted a shrift by their king, Yowach. Each of them equipped with their own spiritual weapons and unique powers, the Sternritter has proven to be the deadliest enemy the Gotei 13 have ever faced. While they are not all created equal, each member of the Corps can stand tall against powerful Shinigami captains and lieutenants.

Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Yowatch reveals how he created the powerful Quincy team. Here's everything you need to know about the creation of the Sternritter, the Holy Knights of the Wandenreich.

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Creation of Sternritter

Star-Crossed Knights

A thousand years before the beginning Bleach series, Yhwach was the king of the Licht Reich, the Empire of Light. He conquered and ruled the surviving parts of the medieval world. The Quincy were scattered and unorganized, scattered throughout the human world. The strongest Quincy worked under Yowatch, who brutally destroyed and dismissed a fellow Quincy who disobeyed him. His royal guard assisted him, the first iteration consisted of Argola Lalau, Hubert Alexander Klich, Johann Seidlitz and Nikita Dethlok.

“Within the Seireitei they created hiding places from Reishi for themselves in all the shadows of the city… and they named this area our “Hidden Empire”: the Wandenreich.

In a meeting with Yohan Seydlitz, Yhwach decided to form a special military force. A group of powerful Quincy he would name The Sternritters (Star-Crossed Knights). He will use this military force to invade and attack the Soul Society to destroy the Soul Reapers and kill the Soul King Ednius. Yhwach will grant the Schrift to each member of the Sternritter Power.

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How is the Sternritter powered?

The father gives, the father takes away

Yhwach is the father of all Quincy. He is gifted with unique powers that allow him to share his power with others. Most Quincy are able to gather spiritual particles from their environment to empower themselves and create spiritual weapons. However, Yhwach does not have this ability. Instead, he shares his soul with his children. By sharing his spiritual pressure with other Quincy, he can draw out the true power of their souls and grant them a shrift. By undergoing the engraving ritual, Sternritter gained power for his king and father. In the ritual, the Quincy must drink Yowach's blood. By doing this, Yovach engraves a letter on their souls. Based on their spirit and identity, the letter they are assigned gives them a special power that they use in battle, a script. Each Schrift is fitted to each Sternritter according to their inner identity.

Sternritter F – Äs Nodt is granted the power of fear, the ability to instill extreme and irrational fear in his enemies. The fear of pain and death awakened this ability in him. He was seriously ill and he feared death. The thought of going to hell terrified him. In his agony, Yowach appeared before him and saved him, turning him into a Strrnriter. It is believed that the suffering of Äs Nodt was caused by Aüswahlen.

“I must thank the spirits of the dead. Another day in which I can see this world clearly.”

Since each Sternritter contains a portion of Yowach's soul, at the moment of their death, this power returns to Yowach, gradually expanding his power. Yovach gives power to his children, and when they die, that power goes back to him. Quincy's father gives, and father takes.

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Sternritter subgroups

assigned team

While the Sternritter are a massive military force, they have two subgroups that show a distinct division in their ranks. One of them is designated only by their gender, while the other is by their great power and proximity to the king. Furthermore, the Sternritter is not only Yhwach's, but also his right-hand man. Sternritter B – Jugram Haschwalth is the Grandmaster of the Sternritter, the de facto leader of the Corps. This is because of his relationship with Yhwach and his undying loyalty.

The Bambies are an all-female subgroup within the Sternritter. They are the only female members of the corps, and they are grouped as a unit. They are named after the unofficial leader of the group Sternritter E – Bambietta Basterbine. The other four members are Sternritter G – Liltotto Lampard, Sternritter T – Candice Catnipp, Sternritter P – Meninas McAllon, and Sternritter Z – Giselle Gewelle. Liltoto and Giselle are the only surviving members of the group, as the other three died during the Second Attack and Aüswahlen and were then zombified by Giselle.

The Royal Guards or Schutztaffel are elite members of the Sternritter. Closest to Yhwach and the strongest Quincy in the Wandenreich. Their leader is Sternritter X – Lille Barro, who was also the first Quincy to be granted a Schrift. Other members are Sternritter M – Gerard Valkyrie, Sternritter C – Pernida Parnkgjas, Sternritter D – Askin Nakk le Vaar and Sternritter A – Uryuu Ishida.

• Sternritter was created by Yhwach to attack the spirit society.

• Each member is granted a unique power by a Schrift, Yhwach.

• When they pass away their power returns to Yowach, strengthening him.

The Sternritter are Yhwach's elite soldiers during his holy war against the Soul Society. Until now, most of them had fought in battles against either the Gotei 13 or other members of the Corps.

Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War