Bleach: Here Is How BG9 Died & Who Killed Him!

Most of the Sternritter never really got their moment in the spotlight, which is a bit sad because some of them had a lot of potential for a good story. BG9 is definitely one of them, and this article is, because of that reason, exactly, going to be dedicated to him and his story in the Bleach manga and anime. This article will focus on his death, the circumstances of which vary significantly in the manga and the anime, so you’ll find out both versions of the story here.

BG9 lost his battle with Soi Fon, after which he was taken back to Slibern and sentenced to be executed because of his failure to defeat Soi Fon and almost dying in that battle; the same thing happened to Cang Du. In the manga, they were brought to Yhwach, who mercilessly executed both of them despite their appeals that they could still be useful (Jugram carried it out on his orders), while in the anime, they were executed by Jugram, who was only executing Yhwach’s will, in front of a shocked Ishida, who later tried to argue that they could’ve still been of use, as he was horrified that Yhwach would allow them to be killed so easily.

The remainder of this article will give you a detailed overview of BG9’s fate in the Bleach series, especially in light of the significant changes in the anime compared to how the original manga’s plot played out. You already know what happened and how it happened, so we will just bring you the details so you know the whole context. Be careful, though, as the article will contain many spoilers, so if you don’t know all the details, be careful how you approach the text.

In both cases, BG9 dies, but the circumstances of his death differ in the manga and the anime

BG9 is an interesting character, and in one of our earlier articles, we have already discussed his very nature and his unknown origins. That article could serve as a basis for understanding what kind of a character BG9 is and why he is so specific. In this article, though, we are going to discuss his story in the series and, especially, his end. Namely, in both cases, as we’ve said, BG9 dies, but the circumstances of his death are different in the anime, so we are going to tell you what happened to him in the end.

BG9 first appeared alongside the other Sternritter when Yhwach launched his first invasion of the Seireitei while Ichigo was busy in Hueco Mundo; he killed several Shinigami in his path and ultimately ended up facing Captain Soi Fon of the 2nd Division, as well as her Lieutenant, Marechiyo Omaeda. At the time, the Shinigami knew that the Sternritter were able to seal their Bankai, so to see how the opponents did that and gather more information, Soi Fon activated hers (alongside three other Captains) but was wholly shocked to find out that the Sternritter did not seal, but rather completely steal their Bankai.

BG9 used her own techniques against her, and Soi Fon was defeated but not killed. Later, BG9 retreated with the other Quincys when their leader gave the order to retreat because they couldn’t be away from the shadows for that long.

A few days later, during a Sternritter gathering, the newest member, Uryū Ishida, was introduced. To everyone’s shock, Uryu was to become Yhwachs’s successor. BG9 was also present but seemed to have no opinion on the matter, which makes sense seeing that he was not human and emotions played no role in his actions. When Bazz-B questioned the decision, BG9 said only Yhwach could give him an explanation.

When the Wandenreich attacked the Serereiti again, BG9 appeared in front of the Ōmaeda family home. Earlier, Yhwach had given the order, via Jugram, that those Sternritter who stole a Bankai had to kill the respective Captain from whom they stole it, meaning that BG9 was the only one allowed to kill Soi Fon. A fight ensued between Marechiyo Ōmaeda and BG9, with BG9 wanting Omeda to tell him where Sui Fon was. He explained to him several times that he didn’t know and that even if he did, he would have already told him.

But Quincy didn’t believe him and attacked his little sister, whom he seriously wounded and took hostage. BG9 stated that he would kill everyone in Omaeda’s family if they didn’t finally answer him. However, this only ensured the Lieutenant’s anger was stoked, and he attacked in a rage.

When Omeada was almost killed, Soi Fon appeared and took over the fight. She used her perfected Shunko against BG9, but it had a limited effect, as BG9 was quick to analyze her technique and adapt to it thanks to his exceptional analytical skills. Namely, during that fight, Soi Fon called BG9 a cyborg, which also revealed how he was able to analyze her move so quickly and, therefore, survive her attack, after which BG9 immediately attacked her again.

BG9 appeared to be clearly dominating the fight, and it seemed as if he would be able to kill Soi Fon this time, despite Omaeda’s help, but then a miracle happened, as Soi Fon suddenly received help from Kisuke Urahara, who gave her and the other Captains a pill that gave her some Hollow Reiatsu. Due to the bond between the Zanpakuto and Bankai, the Reiatsu was also transferred to BG9, causing him to repel the Bankai; otherwise, it would have resulted in his death. Re-equipped with her Bankai, Soi Fon was able to land a critical hit on BG9, which seemed that the cyborg was done for.

However, not long after that, thank’s to Yhwach’s intervention, BG9’s Quincy: Vollständig was activated, and he was able to survive and escape from the battle, as he was too damaged to continue fighting properly. Later, however, he and Cang Du, who was in a similar situation after losing to Toshiro, were taken to Silbern’s Execution Chamber; in the anime, it was revealed that Ishida was the one who picked them up and took them there. Now, this is where the anime and the manga differ from each other.

In the manga, BG9 and Cang Du were taken in front of Yhwach and Jugram. BG9 begged for his life, claiming that the two of them could still be useful once they recovered and that their Vollständig ultimately saved their lives. Yhwach then told them that they should be very grateful for being alive in the first place, but Haschwalth then explained that everything had to be balanced, so because they were so lucky to have survived, their luck had to run out at this moment, so they had to die.

However, Cang Du used his ability to defend himself from the latter’s sword as he refused to be killed by anyone other than Yhwach. Yet, Cang Du underestimated the abilities of his executioner and was killed by him in the end. BG9 watched in horror. Shortly thereafter, the same fate was to befall him. The executions themselves were not shown in the manga.

In the anime, on the other hand, BG9 and Cang Du were in the Execution Chamber when Ishida and Jugram went to them; Jugram replaced Yhwach here because Yhwach was asleep, while Ishida was simply a bystander who listened to Jugram’s explanation of Yhwach’s true nature. Jugram proceeded to execute Cang Du, but he activated his ability to stop the sword, not wanting to die.

Still, Jugram then activated his ability, “The Balance,” and balanced out Cang Du’s move with an equal but opposite one, which left the Sternritter “I” headless in front of a shocked Ishida and BG9, who observed Cang Du’s blood splattering all over the chamber. Soon after, Jugram beheaded BG9 as well, but his body released a thick black fluid that seemed to be oil rather than blood, which further confirmed that BG9 was some sort of machine.

Their spiritual pressure returned to Yhwach while some Soldaten were carrying their dead bodies on a cart out of the Execution Chamber. And this is how the anime series made their deaths more effective and added another layer to Yhwach’s terror.