Warning! Spoilers for Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 3, episode #8

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has had some unusual battles in it so far, but nothing can compare to the latest showdown between Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi and the Quincy known as Pernida Parnkgjas. The battle became truly bizarre, and by its conclusion had easily cemented itself as the weirdest fight in Bleach history.

Mayuri has long been a controversial character, due to his openly evil behavior despite being on the side of the Soul Reapers. A mad scientist, Mayuri will experiment on anyone and anything he can get his hands on, including himself and his Zanpakuto, which has resulted in his Bankai varying almost every time it has appeared. Pernida has been a character shrouded in mystery, with a bizarre character design that hinted at its true identity without ever really giving away just what it was. As such, the clash between the mad scientist and the unique Quincy was sure to be a wild ride.

Pernida's Bizarre Secret is Finally Revealed

The Quincy's Strange Look is Due to It Being Non-human

At the beginning of their fight, Mayuri managed to insult and infuriate Pernida so much that it finally shed its Quincy cloak, revealing its true form as the Left Hand of the Soul King. Mayuri was extremely pleased by this revelation, as it would give him a chance to study this mysterious being in battle. Pernida had already managed to disable Kenpachi Zaraki, forcing him to rip his own arm off in order to save his body from being crushed to a pulp. Zaraki refused to back down, however, forcing Mayuri to get involved--by stabbing Zaraki with his Zanpakuto, which was laced with a paralytic.

With Zaraki out of the way, the fight became even stranger. Mayuri managed to figure out that Pernida's ability allowed it to integrate its own nerves into the bodies of other creatures, allowing it to control them and cause them to destroy themselves from the inside out. However, Pernida wasn't just limited to other creatures, and soon began weaving its nerves into the very ground they stood upon. This allowed Pernida to construct hands out of the concrete, which it attempted to flatten Mayuri with.

Mayuri, for his part, had a plethora of bizarre abilities, throwing ring-shaped bombs that appear to be made of flesh, and protecting himself from Pernida's assault with what looked to be living umbrellas, which screamed with each attack they suffered. He cut off one of Pernida's fingers, intending to keep it as a test subject, but it soon regenerated into a whole new hand. Mayuri eventually resorted to calling out his Bankai, the disgusting, baby-like Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo, which he modified to give birth to stronger Bankai forms. His Bankai birthed a new giant baby, which subsequently ate Pernida whole in a shocking manner.

Mayuri May Be a Soul Reaper, But He's Not a "Good Guy"

Mayuri Maintains His Villainous Behaviors Throughout the Fight

Mayuri's behavior throughout the fight certainly isn't what one would expect from a hero, but then Mayuri has never been portrayed as heroic in any capacity. Responsible for several atrocities, including hunting down the few remaining Quincy (outside the Wandenreich) to the point of genocide, Mayuri is by no means a good guy. However, his knowledge is second perhaps only to Urahara, and he has proven time and again to be an incredibly valuable member of the team--if one is willing to look past his villainous tendencies, anyway.

Mayuri's previous battles have often seen him up against similar characters, such as his battle with Szayelaporro Granz, the mad scientist character working for Aizen and the Espada. These kinds of fights typically give him the chance to show off his inventions, and his fight with Pernida was no exception in that regard. Mayuri used special shoes which enabled him to utilize the Quincy technique of Hirenkyaku, allowing him to stand in mid-air even in a Quincy-dominated space. He also deployed a special nerve agent against Pernida, hoping to paralyze the bizarre creature, although to no avail.

Laughing maniacally and taunting his opponent throughout the battle, Mayuri would certainly have been right at home among classic anime villains. His single-minded focus on his research at any and all cost means he's willing to say and do things that other Soul Reapers would never even consider. Even in the episode, it can be easy to forget that Mayuri is the character you're supposed to be rooting for, as he's just that diabolical. Battling against an inhuman creature like Pernida may have been a best-case for making Mayuri look good, as a more human character might evoke too much sympathy from the audience.

Mayuri's Victory is an Essential Win for the Soul Reapers

Mayuri is The Only One to Defeat One of Yhwach's Elites Solo

As bizarre as the fight between these two became, Mayuri ultimately managed to defeat Pernida by himself, and Yhwach's elites, the Schutzstaffel, have proven to be incredibly difficult to battle so far. While the showdowns with those other Schutzstaffel characters, like Lille Barro and Askin Nakk Le Vaar, are still only just beginning, Mayuri has managed to take down Pernida in relatively rapid fashion. His ruthless tactics and unbound curiosity made Mayuri the perfect opponent for Pernida, as he was able to learn quickly during the battle and adapt to its abilities as they manifested.

Whenever Mayuri is involved, it can be expected that things are about to get weird, but this battle absolutely takes the cake when it comes to strange fights in Bleach. With nerves woven through the ground and giant babies eating the arm of God, there's really no other fight that can even come close in of weirdness. In some ways, it's nice to see that Mayuri's character hasn't softened at all; he's as much of a reprehensible person here, at the end of the series, as he was when he first appeared. Mayuri has no need for a redemption arc, instead doubling down on his worst behaviors in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.