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"While it's true that the name "Spirit Palace" refers to this entire space as a whole... Strictly speaking, the place where we are standing right now is the "Spirit Palace Approach" - an entryway leading to the Palace proper. Do you see the large cocoon-like building floating at the end of this pathway? That is the main palace, the Royal Citadel. That's where you'll find the Soul King. And then we have the five disc-like structures floating around the Citadel. These are the Zero Estates. Our own personal castles. Upon each of those discs rests an entire town... And the Soul King grants one of these towns to each of us to rule."

Kirio Hikifune in "THE FIRE"
Overview

Soul King Palace (霊王宮, Reiōkyū) is a separate dimension kept suspended above Soul Society that serves as the official residence of the Soul King and its Royal Guard.[1]

Overview[]

Ep374TheFiveCities

The five cities of Royal Palace

The Soul King Palace consists of several layers, with one layer suspended above the other. The lowest level is comprised from many buildings of the same style to that of Seireitei. From this, a large stairway leads upwards to a wide and flat expanse, with both areas at the base and top of these stairs being lined by rows of huge, circular pillars. Floating above are five discs with numerous buildings on each, while suspended higher still is a large cylindrical structure that has a conical top and bottom.[2]

Defenses[]

The sekkiseki walls that surround Seireitei are ordinarily intended to protect the Soul King Palace, instead meant only to fall down to Seireitei in times of emergency. However, if emergencies occur in succession, they remain in place around Seireitei indefinitely until things are returned to normal.[3]

The Soul King Palace is further protected by 72 barriers between it and the Seireitei. Should these barriers be forced open via clothing constructed from an Ōken, they cannot be closed off for 1 hour and 40 minutes due to the sheer defensive power of the clothing.[4]

Ep390DivineSoldiers

Senjumaru and the Divine Soldiers.

There exist a group of elite guards known as "Divine Soldiers" (神兵, Shinpei; Viz "Holy Soldiers") which are led by Senjumaru Shutara, who refers to them as the "Blade of the Soul King" (霊王の刃, Reiō no Yaiba). Each guard wears a black hakama with a purple sash tied around their waist and a black mask with four light-colored lines tracing over their heads, and their hair is tied into a long spike at the back of their head before being left to hang free about halfway through the length. They are all armed with swords,[5] and are strong enough to effortlessly defeat a squad of Soldat.[6]

599Second-Class Divine Soldier

The Second-Class Divine Soldier.

There is a much more powerful version of these soldiers known as a "Second-Class Divine Soldier" (二級神兵, Nikyū Shinpei; Viz "Second Level Holy Soldier"), which Senjumaru refers to as the "Shield of the Soul King" (霊王の盾, Reiō no Tate; Viz "Reio's Shield"). It resembles an ordinary soldier, but is extremely large and wears a circular black hat on its head. The backs of its wrist each have one-half of a large, black, circular shield on them.[7]

Yhwach's Changes[]

628Zeichen Palace

The Soul King Palace after being turned into the Wahrwelt by Yhwach.

After absorbing the Soul King, Yhwach drastically altered the appearance of the Soul King Palace, turning it into the Wahrwelt (真世界城 (ヴァールヴェルト), Vāruveruto; German for "True World", Japanese for "True World Castle"; Viz "Castle of True World").[8][9]

Admittance[]

The route to the inner dimension in which the palace resides can only be opened with "a key", fittingly named the Ōken (王鍵, Royal Key), the location of which is kept secret, only being passed down verbally from one Gotei 13 Captain-Commander to the next.[1] There are only two ways to enter the Spirit King Palace:

  1. With the permission of the Royal Guard. They don't have to be there physically, they only need to want the person to enter.
  2. Make a Royal Key by creating a Royal Guard.[10]

A Royal Guard can also open up a Chōkaimon (超界門, Super World Gate) to send someone directly to the Human World, and use the same gate to send said "someone" back, but to do so requires syncing the arrival and departure times.[11]

Transportation[]

The only known method to get from section to section of the Soul King Palace is to be catapulted into the sky, in the direction of the intended destination.[12]

Soul King Palace Layout[]

Royal Guard
Location Name Location Information Location Picture
Vestibule-Road (霊王宮表参道, Reiōkyū omote sandō) The main entrance into the palace is the surface path which consists of a long paneled path suspended in the air, leading to the inner portion of the Palace itself. Ep374VestibuleRoad
Greater Soul King Palace (霊王大内裏, Reiō daidairi) The large floating cylindrical structure at the end is the actual palace, Greater Soul King Palace. This is where the Soul King resides. Ep374GreaterSoulKingPalace
The five giant floating discs are the Royal Guard Headquarters. On each disc there is a city, which the Soul King entrusts to each individual member.[13]
Tenjirō Kirinji's City It is the floating city that is the headquarters of the Royal Guard member Tenjirō Kirinji. It has multiple buildings that make up the city. The principal building is called "Kirinden" (麒麟殿, Qilin Palace) and contains a large underground area that encompasses healing hot springs.[14] Ep374KirinjiCity
Kirio Hikifune's City It is the floating city that is the headquarters of the Royal Guard member Kirio Hikifune. It has multiple buildings that make up the city. The principal building is called the "Gatonden" (臥豚殿, Lying Pig Palace) and has a large area for food preparation, presentation and dining.[15] Ep375Gatonden
Ōetsu Nimaiya's City It is the floating city that is the headquarters of the Royal Guard member Ōetsu Nimaiya. It has multiple buildings that make up the city alongside the edge of a large body of water. The principal building is called the "Hōōden" (鳳凰殿, Fenghuang Palace). This is a small and simple shack near the edge of a cliff. There is also a larger building called the Galaxy Hōōden, which is a flashy building for parties and entertainment.[16] Ep376NimaiyaCity
Senjumaru Shutara's City It is the floating city that is the headquarters of the Royal Guard member Senjumaru Shutara. It has multiple buildings that make up the city. One of the rooms is covered entirely in dozens of different fabrics, and has a medium-sized cushioned seat made of wooden bars at the top of the set of stairs. Senjumaru uses this room to take measurements of those whom she creates Ōken Clothing for.[17][18][19][20][21] Ep383SenjumaruPalace
Ichibē Hyōsube's City It is the floating city that is the headquarters of the Royal Guard member Ichibē Hyōsube. It has multiple buildings that make up the city, with a mountain range in the middle of it. The principal building is called the "Riden". It is a training dojo, which takes the form of a small building at the top of a flight of stairs carved into the side of a mountain.[22] The air is filled with incredibly dense Reishi, which initially prevents visitors unused to such density from moving or breathing properly, though it can be adapted to with time.[23] Ichibē trains visitors in the inner chamber.[24] Ep380IchibeiCity

Guards[]

The Royal Guard, also known as the "Zero Division", are the protectors of the Soul King Palace and its residents, particularly the Soul King. Though they commonly remain within the palace, when the Royal Guard do need to travel, their preferred method of transportation takes the form of a huge pillar called the Tenchūren (天柱輦, Heavenly-Pillar Palanquin). While this pillar is able to freely exit the inner dimension, it is unable to return to the palace on its own and is instead entirely reliant on outside assistance to do so, such as Kūkaku Shiba's Kakaku Hō (花鶴砲, Flower Crane Cannon).[25]

Trivia[]

  • Yhwach considers the Soul King Palace to be nothing more than a "decaying grave".[26]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Bleach manga; Chapter 223, pages 7-8
  2. Bleach manga; Chapter 518, pages 16-17
  3. Bleach manga; Chapter 516, page 13
  4. Bleach manga; Chapter 585, pages 4-5
  5. Bleach manga; Chapter 597, pages 8-9
  6. Bleach anime; Episode 390
  7. Bleach manga; Chapter 599, pages 13-14
  8. Bleach manga; Chapter 627, pages 8-9 & 14-17
  9. Bleach manga; Chapter 628, pages 14-17
  10. Bleach manga; Chapter 519, page 6
  11. Bleach manga; Chapter 538, page 3
  12. Bleach manga; Chapter 520, page 13
  13. Bleach manga; Chapter 519, pages 8-9
  14. Bleach manga; Chapter 519, page 12
  15. Bleach manga; Chapter 521, pages 7-20
  16. Bleach manga; Chapter 522, pages 4-20
  17. Bleach manga; Chapter 545, pages 9-10
  18. Bleach manga; Chapter 555, page 2
  19. Bleach manga; Chapter 559, page 17
  20. Bleach manga; Chapter 568, page 17
  21. Bleach manga; Chapter 585, pages 4-5
  22. Bleach anime; Episode 380
  23. Bleach manga; Chapter 545, page 6
  24. Bleach manga; Chapter 545, page 12
  25. Bleach manga; Chapter 518, pages 12-13
  26. Bleach manga; Chapter 588, page 5

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