Episode title: TOO EARLY TO WIN TOO LATE TO KNOW

Preview images

Official summary:

Yhwach finally sets foot on the Omote Sandō (Front Entrance Path) in Rei-ō's Palace and looks up at the Daidairi (Great Imperial Palace). The King of the Quincies and his retinue of Haschwalth and Uryuu are welcomed by Senjumaru Shutara of Squad Zero, who commands "the Blades of Rei-ō" to commence the battle, but their attacks fail to pierce Yhwach due to the ability of Nianzol, who appeared from the shadows. However, Shutara's facial expression remains unchanged. Then, in the basement of the former Twelfth Division barracks, Ganju appears in front of Ichigo and Orihime's group, who are preparing to use a cannon to launch themselves up to Rei-ō's Palace.

Staff

Screenplay: Masaki Hiramatsu

Storyboard: Yōichi Fujita

Episode Director: Takahiro Ōtsuka

Chief Animation Director: Kumiko Takayanagi

Animation Directors: Nobuhiro Watanabe, Kosei Takahashi, Studio Bus, Takanori Saitō

Leaks

• Before the OP there will be a new anime-exclusive flashback scene of Ichibe'e and Yhwach confrontation in the Lichtreich over 1,000 years ago
• Yhwach is using The Almighty during the flashback, but Ichibe'e takes it from him (hence he didn't have The Almighty when he fought Yamamoto 1,000 years ago)
• Ichibe'e defeats The Almighty by using the power of the Soul King's arm, then seals his eyes and says "You will never be able to use them again."
• Yhwach looks even younger than he did in the flashbacks to his fight with Yama 1,000 years ago (Blu-Ray version). He looks very similar to Old Man Zangetsu
• Seydlitz, Hubert, Argola and a new female character will also appear in the flashback
• The flashback scene is 4 minutes long
• Nimaiya's fight against the Schutzstaffel is "peak" and is almost 3 minutes long
• Events of the Royal Guard fight are changed completely. The battle with Nimaiya and the Schutzstaffel concludes with this scene, then Yhwach escapes from Hikifune's Cage of Life and immediately goes to confront Ichibe'e, leaving Haschwalth and Uryuu alone with the rest of the Royal Guards, but no fight between them is shown
• Yhwach does not use Auswählen to revive the dead Schutzstaffel (yet)
• Final scene - last page of chapter 604
• There will NOT be a post-credits scene
• End of episode poem by Ichibe'e (same as volume 67): "The future, pitch black, upside down"
• Next episode (25 & 26) title: ep25: THE MASTER, ep26: BLACK
• Episodes 25 & 26 will air back-to-back next week
• According to JH, the new fight is Uryuu vs a Royal Guard member, though he quickly deleted the tweet. Probably in next weeks episodes as there is no Uryuu fight this week AFAIK.