Wham! Episode/Anime/Bleach

• Bleach does this so hard in the Soul Society arc even the audience feels visibly shocked.
  • To clarify: Remember that nice looking guy who was murdered mysteriously awhile back? He's behind it.
• Chapter 392. We all knew that the aforementioned Aizen wouldn't be dead, but nobody was expecting to see Hinamori on the wrong end of a sword AGAIN. Especially not her overprotective childhood friend, Hitsugaya, who just so happened to have been the one wielding it.
  • All 3 chapters of that fight combined into episode 293, basically showing that Aizen is strong enough to defeat every Gotei 13 captain (minus Yamamoto), and most of the Vizards, without Kyoga Suigetsu.
• Chapter 414. Gin kills Aizen. That sound you hear is the fanbase going "HOLY SHIT!" It didn't work, but that was to be expected.
• Chapter 453. Invasion of the Body Snatchers much?
• Chapter 458. Ginjou...just Ginjou.
• Chapter 459. Rukia giving Ichigo his powers back as half the fanbase saw it coming a mile away. However, no-one expected to see Ichigo reduced to a sobbing wreck shortly before her reveal, nor did they foresee Byakuya, Renji, Kenpachi, Ikkaku and Hitsugaya showing up just after.
• Chapter 460: What makes it even more shocking is how Yamamoto ordered EVERYONE in the Gotei 13 to pour some of their Battle Aura to restore Ichigo's Shinigami powers.
• Chapter 474: The truth comes out. The Substitute Badge was meant to keep an eye on Ichigo and supress his Reiastsu, it was made by the 13 squad's captain, and everyone in Soul Society knew about it, even Rukia. The next chapter, though, it's revealed that Ichigo had figured it out years ago, and thought it was perfectly sensible precaution.
• Chapter 485: A Double Whammy. The Vandenreich conquered Hueco Mundo and captured Harribel. The other Wham! Episode? Kubo just killed off a good guy. Sasakibe is dead!
  • Even more of a whammy is that the villains shown so far, Ivan and the member that talked to Yamamoto were just killed by their boss.
• Chapter 489 continues to deliver on the wham episodes in Bleach for the new arc: Not only is the Vandenreich leader an individual Yamamoto failed to kill 1000 years ago, but Vandenreich is invading Soul Society because Ichigo is in Hueco Mundo, moving on the same day they declared war. Oh, and those missing Rukongai citizens? Mayuri executed them all to restore the balance between Soul Society and Earth, and Yamamoto's fine with it.
• Chapter 490: Kirge Opie: I'm sure you've heard of this power, The Quincy Letzt Stil
  • This also serves as a sort of Wham! Line as well
• Chapter 493: Just three chaps later do we realize how screwed Soul Society is going to have it. Kirge reveals that Quincies have the power to enslave reishi and reiatsu and fuses with Ayon officially making the transition from mere One-Winged Angel to Eldritch Abomination.
• Chapter 494: The gauntlet keeps on rolling as the invasion begins with four seat officers of the 3rd Squad including possibly Kira are killed in one blow by the Emperor's top soldiers.