In Bleach, there are dozens of overpowered characters who could take over the world if they wanted. From the protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki to the legendary Head Captain Yamamoto Genryusai, the series never holds back in its portrayal of such iconic characters. However, one character who is often overlooked is Yhwach's right-hand man and Wandenreich's Sternritter Grandmaster, Jugram Haschwalth. With his regal attire and European appearance, Jugram is the personification of what one would expect from a Quincy — pristine, holy, and angelic. His long golden hair, paired with his white attire, perfectly captures his prideful and elegant personality.
As the secondary antagonist of the series, one would expect great things from him, and Jugram lives up to fans' expectations with his immeasurable strength. At the beginning of Bleach's Thousand-Year Blood War arc, fans only get a glimpse of Jugram's powers when he easily destroys Ichigo's Bankai, and that scene alone speaks volumes about his strength. However, even that brief moment is more than enough to demonstrate the sheer breadth of his terrifying abilities. Jugram Haschwalth has an arsenal of powerful and useful techniques that make him indispensable to Yhwach. He only appears in one arc of the series, and that too with minimal screen time, but this is enough to intensify the story even further.
Updated on October 14, 2023, by Ajay Aravind: One of the main reasons for Bleach's persistent popularity is the sheer number of villains in the story, most of whom have three-dimensional character arcs. The Thousand-Year Blood War arc introduced fans to the Sternrtitter of the Wandenreich, a group of overpowered quasi-Quincies who end up laying waste to Soul Society. That said, fans have been curious about Jugram Haschwalth ever since he bisected Tensa Zangetsu with a single slash. As such, we've updated this feature with some more information.
The Origins Of Jugram Haschwalth
Although it's unclear exactly when Jugram Haschwalth met Yhwach for the first time, it can be assumed that the event occurred over one thousand years ago. A story flashback introduced the audience to a young Jugram, who was depicted as shy, self-effacing, and completely unable to control his own spiritual powers. Jugram and Bazz-B spent some time training together, becoming extremely close friends in the process. Although Bazz occasionally teased Jugram for his noticeable weakness, there was never anything but love shared between them.
A few months after their meeting, Bazz-B was shocked to learn that his hometown had been incinerated by Yhwach's conquering armies. Angered, he made a promise to destroy Yhwach, inevitably dragging Haschwalth into this path of vengeance. Unfortunately, Haschwalth could never quite get his powers working, and Bazz-B believed him to be the "incomplete Quincy." To everybody's surprise, Yhwach ended up choosing Haschwalth as his lieutenant, going so far as to call the boy his "other half." When Jugram Haschwalth weakly attempted to suggest Bazz-B's name for the job, Yhwach disregarded his concerns, stating that Bazz-B only had powers because of his proximity to Haschwalth.
Haschwalth should have technically been involved in Yhwach's first battle with the original Gotei 13, but the anime didn't include him in the scene. Yhwach lost the fight to Yamamoto and Chojiro, and his forces were decimated. That said, Jugram Haschwalth must have been lurking in the background somewhere, perhaps even preparing for the thousand-year gap before Yhwach was prophesized to awaken once more. Aside from these details, the story doesn't really expand on how Haschwalth obtained his unique abilities in the first place.
Spirit Weapon And Designation B - Balance
Jugram Haschwalth's spirit weapon "Freund Schild" and his "The Balance" Schrift are what make him such a formidable combatant. "Freund Schild" is the German version of "Friend Shield," which can also be read as "Sacrifice" or "Substitute Shield." The shield is formed on his left arm with his Reishi. As the one responsible for maintaining 'balance' in the world, Jugram can take misfortune within his sphere of influence and transfer it to those who are fortunate — more specifically, his enemies. Jugram compiles all the misfortunes that are directed to him into his Freund Schild. Therefore, unlike any conventional shield, Freund Schild doesn't protect him from physical attacks. Instead, it absorbs all personal misfortunes, including the injuries he sustains in battle.
Then, Jugram Haschwalth unleashes his ultimate weapon, "The Balance," to deal a lethal blow to his enemies by giving back all the injuries twofold. By manipulating the fortune and misfortune between himself and his enemies, Jugram is able to maintain the so-called balance he speaks of, gaining an overwhelming advantage in combat. The best part about this ability is that as soon as Jugram redirects his misfortune to his enemies, he completely heals from his previous wounds. Unlike any other Sternritter, Jugram has the ultimate defense that can scale to any offense given to him, making him all but invincible. During his skirmish with Uryu, Jugram Haschwalth scores an overwhelming win against the former by using this very ability.
Jugram Can Use The Same Ability As Yhwach: The Almighty
Yhwach's claim of Jugram Haschwalth being his "other half" isn't purely to create hype. There is a reason a shrewd character like Yhwach places so much trust in Jugram and always keeps him by his side. Jugram can supposedly use the legendary ability known as "The Almighty." Yhwach inherits this ability from the Soul King himself and shares it with his most loyal subordinate. The Almighty has a specific meaning in the series — "All-Knowing and All-Powerful," two features also associated with the primary deity in Abrahamic religion.
The "All-Knowing" here stands for the ability to see the future — the user can "know" all possible futures at once and act accordingly using the knowledge gained by foresight. On the other hand, "All-Powerful" is the ability to alter the future into whatever outcome is desired, even to the point of rewriting one's death. As a true Quincy, Yhwach can use both these abilities; however, Jugram Haschwalth can perceive the future but does not possess the power to alter it. Nonetheless, this still gives him an unfair advantage in battle since he knows how his opponents are going to attack when this ability is active.
Jugram's Power Amplification And Offensive Abilities
Apart from The Almighty, Jugram Haschwalth shares one more similarity with the Quincy King. He and Yhwach are the only known Quincies with the ability to impart their powers to other Quincies. As fans know by now, Quincies have the natural ability to absorb Reishi from the surroundings; however, Jugram could only emanate his Reishi during his childhood. As he grows old, he gradually develops the ability to absorb Reishi as well. As such, he can help his allies by sharing the ridiculous amount of spiritual power he has.
In the manga, Jugram is able to amplify Bazz-B's powers significantly. Further, Jugram claims that he is more suited to battle than Yhwach. He has excellent reflexes and is a skilled swordsman and archer. He uses a broadsword, with which he is able to efficiently slice Ichigo's Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, in half. Jugram Haschwalth can also shoot energy blasts from his sword, which has four points that curve back on each side.
Jugram's Shadow Portal Can Summon A Passageway To The Royal Palace
Sosuke Aizen schemes and hurts others for centuries just to have a chance at entering the "Royal Palace," which is known to be impossible to invade. However, for someone like Jugram Haschwalth, it's simply a walk in the park. Shadow is typically a teleportation ability that is unique to Quincies, notably members of the Wandenreich. To summon a passageway to the Royal palace, Jugram draws his sword and raises it over his head. The sword then shines a light from its tip and casts a white Hagal rune (a unique symbol) on the ground. Haschwalth, Yhwach, and Uryu travel to the Royal Palace using this method — in the form of a beam of light that releases a discharge of energy strong enough to blow away and separate the surrounding combatants.
Jugram's Keen Intellect And Observational Skills
Jugram Haschwalth has extremely high intellectual and observational skills, as he can deduce his enemies' strengths and weaknesses at a single glance. For example, Jugram is able to figure out that Yamamoto's flames aren't actually flames but simply the overwhelming Reishi bursting from his body. He also deduces a well-laid-out trap in Nanao Ise's barrier that was supposed to seal him. Furthermore, when Yhwach declares Uryu his successor, Jugram is easily able to figure out the former's intention. Jugram claims that he and Yhwach are two sides of the same coin; therefore, he instantly realizes that Yhwach is simply putting Uryu on a pedestal just so others will keep an eye out for him. Despite his overall strength and intellect, Jugram meets his doom at Yhwach's own hands. On a positive note, he willingly heals Uryu's wounds, consequently allowing the latter to help defeat Yhwach.
