Bleach

Theory: Yachiru disappeared because Unohana's spirit merged with her and they are coalescing in a space chrysalis and will obtain their true form as Adult Yachiru.

Kenpachi then says "see i told you to eat your greens and drink your milk. Don't give me lip next time, I know whats good for you."

A fairly common theory seems to be that Yachiru was the spirit of Nozarashi, and thus went the way of Lillynette once the sword's true power was unlocked.

Oh snap, that would be bittersweet.

Kenpachi can't have nice things.

Makes Zaraki a pretty tragic character too: in his quest for strength, he realized too late that it would cost him the only people he ever cared about.

Here is the relevant "enemy increase" thing.

The important part, however, is the line that says "Everyone's past will become important."

Ooh! This arc could become very long, then.

I can't wait for the three chapters focused on Iba's past!

I remember Kubo said that the final arc would be almost as long as the Arrancar arc.

So about Soul Society levels of length.

What does he consider "the Arrancar arc," though? From Ulquiorra and Yammy's appearance all the way to Deicide, or shorter than that?

Iba's past... could actually be pretty interesting. He apparently had a harridan of a mother who was also a Lieutenant.

edited 31st Jul '14 7:03:17 PM by HamburgerTime

So far, at least eight of these happened so far. Giselle alone can easily increase an army's numbers and I did have a dream that Yhwach hid a series of cloning pods somewhere

Sounds legit.

I still hate that Yachiru was actually Nozarashi thing.

It made no sense in the beginnng, what with Yachiru actually having memories of a life before Kenpachi and along with him apparently learning how to communicate with his zanpakuto and him not noticing it's really Yachiru (or Yachiru noticing herself), along with a myriad of other issues with it.

The hell are you talking about?

All of the Arrancar Invasion, Hueco Mundo, Fake Karakura, and Deicide count as the Arrancar arc to him.

Um, it was in my first sentence. Did you actually read my post?

Those arcs altogether took at least five years going by Japanese volume release (2011-2006). I can guess that this arc will last at least 3-5

edited 31st Jul '14 7:22:02 PM by Silverfan

If I may be potentially controversial...

...if both Big Yachiru and Little Yachiru really are gone for good, I bet Zaraki won't make it to the end of the series either. In that situation he'll either live to be miserable or die happy.

Remember, though - the meeting we saw with Kusajishi and Zaraki was told through his perspective.

I personally dislike the idea of Kusajishi being an apparition of Nozarashi, though. She already has a Zanpakuto.

edited 31st Jul '14 7:43:25 PM by Serocco

A Zanpakuto that Isane said was unlike any she'd ever seen, note.

I'm not sure I support this theory, but it'd be poetic and all that crap.

Hisagi said Yumichika's shouldn't even exist

Here is a checklist of all the tidbits revealed about the final arc in that link to the blog:

• Kubo says the Soul Society Arc was about Rukia, Arrancar arc was about Orihime and Lost Agent Arc was about Sado. Based on this, the new arc will likely be about Uryu = check, although the Chad part is... controversial.
• The new arc will take place in an Ice palace beneath somewhere = check, since Silbern is in the Wandenreich, although there hasn't been much emphasis on it specifically.
• The palace will be mostly white with blues and silvers in there as well = check
• The arc will take place right after the last one = a month after, yes, so check.
• Grimmjow is alive and might become a friend = tentative, but more than likely check.
• Nel will likely return = check.
• This will be the last arc in Bleach = without question, check.
• Everyone's bloodlines will be revealed = we know the bloodlines of all Quincies, so tentative.
• The Soul King will be revealed = check.
• The villains in this arc are few, but their numbers will increase = tentative.
• Everyone's past will become important = tentative.
• The threat in this arc will be so great that it will force the Royal Guard out and be something they have never faced before = tentative
• The new villains have the ability to complete erase a Hollow from existence = check.
• The new villains have been killing Hollows in mass = check.
• Mayuri knows what is going on = check.

edited 31st Jul '14 8:27:49 PM by Serocco

Yachiru's backstory was told from her own perspective. She remembered what happened to her parents, seeing Kenpachi kill a bunch of guys, and then she remembered Kenpachi's words to her and him giving her a name. She recalled all this while waiting for him to wake up after his fight with Ichigo.

Either way, we probably won't find out anytime soon. We're most likely done with Kenpachi for a while now.

edited 31st Jul '14 8:09:22 PM by KBSL

Here are the rest of the tidbits from the blog about the final arc:

• Yamamoto has become softer = Yhwach made a huge check out of it, for sure.
• Yamamoto is still without his left arm = check, and we also got the reason for it to boot.
• Though he has not changed physically, Yamamoto does have some inner changes = check.
• Sui-Feng's hair is shorter and straight now = check.
• Sui-Feng's arm was restored due to new technology in the Gotei 13 = check, as we've seen the new arm.
• Rose's look is modeled after an English gentleman = check.
• Kubo chose to re-add Rose to the Third Division because he and Kira are well suited for each other = we haven't seen them interact, apart from the Death Save The Strawberry novel, but I'm going with check anyway.
• Kubo says he feels Kira's bankai would be a little nauseating = hmmm, tentative.
• Unohana will fight in the upcoming arc = check.
• The true form of Minazuki will be seen = check, I guess.
• When she fights, Unohana unravels her braid = check.
• Shinji's bangs have changed since his hair would not grow that much in 17 months = check
• Kubo would like to draw how Shinji and Momo have developed a trusting relationship = he's in the process of doing that already, what with the lava and healing part, so check.
• Byakuya no longer wears a kenseikan = check.
• Renji has grown stronger = holy hell, check.
• Renji is not quite at Aizen level yet = I guess he has surpassed Aizen now, what with his Royal Realm training, check
• Zabimaru's Bankai has changed = check.
• Renji stopped wearing goggles and switched to a towel so they would not break in battle = check, as his goggles are gone and the towel is there.
• Komamura's armor has changed = check, if you count Dangai Joue.
• The "history" of Shunsui's pink Haori will be revealed = tentative.
• Shunsui will use Bankai in this arc = tentative.
• Kensei is captain again with Hisgai, who looks up to him, as his lieutenant = check.
• Despite insisting that he grew in a volume 53 sketch, Hitsugaya has not grown taller = check.
• His Bankai has been completed = ehhhh, tentative, since we have yet to see his Bankai without needing a Hollow pill upgrade.
• The chain on his Zanpakuto has changed = check.
• Rangiku's past will be a key to the story = tentative, since the only backstory we've seen so far is that she was Isshin's lieutenant, and that hasn't been emphasized much.
• Kenpachi has not learned the name of his Zanpakuto yet by the time of the blog = he has learned it now, so check.
• Kubo wants to draw his becoming a captain, but says it would be difficult as it would disrupt the narrative = tentative
• By the time of the blog, Kubo said he hadn't even drawn her in a fight yet. Which explains why he conjured up Guenael Lee, who fought her, so might as well = check.
• Ikkaku wears a new armor piece with the kanji for dragon on it = check
• Kubo said if he gives a Bankai to a lieutenant, he thinks Yumichika would be a good choice = tentative
• When asked about why he considers Yumichika a lieutenant, Kubo replied that he considers Yumichika and Ikkaku to be equals in strength.
• Mayuri's research will be the key to this arc = as always, check.
• Specifically, Mayuri's study on bodies will be the main part of this arc = check
• Mayuri has a new look, and he has several "faces" which he can put on at any time = check.
• Ukitake is still ill = check.
• Ukitake will recover = tentative
• Ukitake has undergone a bit of an internal change = tentative.
• Kubo claims he has no sense of fashion and jokingly said the only change he would ever make is dying his hair = tentative, as there's nothing on the hair dye.
• Kubo plans on drawing flashbacks of when Rukia was made a Lieutenant and how she felt = tentative
• Sentaro and Kiyone are supportive of her promotion to lieutenant = check, of course. No reason why they wouldn't be.
• Kubo wanted to change Yoruichi's looks but thought her current look suits her too well = more or less check, since he gave her a new outfit.
• She is permanently exiled from Soul Society along with Urahara = check, as the Lost Agent arc mentioned it.
• Her secret past with Urahara will be revealed = tentative.
• Isshin's past with Ryuken will be revealed = check, although many dislike the Love Triangle part.
• Isshin could not go to Soul Society with Urahara because it would reveal something to the Gotei 13 and thus did not go = tentative, as we dunno what that "something" could be.
• Aizen commented that since Ichigo's birth, he has been an extraordinary being, the meaning behind this will be revealed = pretty much check, due to the circumstances behind his being a hybrid.
• Grand Fisher called Ichigo a true blood, the meaning of this will be revealed = tentative.
• The reason why Ichigo looks so similar to Kaien will come out = check, as it's since been revealed that Kaien was his cousin.
• Ichigo is a Substitute Shinigami again = check, as the beginning of the arc mentioned.
• Months before the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc began, Kubo sent a sketch of Ichigo's new Shikai to his publisher. The marks around his wrist and neck represent the remnants of his Fullbring merging with his Shinigami powers = check.
• Ichigo and Isshin believe that Masaki died to Grand Fisher, however this may not be true. The truth will be revealed = holy hell, check, although Grand Fisher was still the direct killer.
• Aizen will return = tentative.
• Kubo wants to draw Aizen in restraints = tentative.
• What became of the Visoreds will be revealed = check.
• The Royal Guard will appear = check.
• Kubo has already drawn all the members = he has shown all of the members now, so check.

edited 2nd Oct '14 10:42:13 AM by Serocco

That's a pretty impressive list, Serocco, and Kubo seems to be well able to meet his goals.

I still love how Aizen's supposed "omniscience" turned out to be mostly dumb luck. He knows more about Ichigo than Ichigo does... because he just happened to be in the right place at the right time.