Warning: contains spoilers for the Bleach 20th anniversary one-shot manga!
The release of Bleach's one-shot manga just dared fans to hope for the first time in years that mangaka Tite Kubo might launch a whole-new spin-off series, even though it pits Ichigo against a threat far better suited to Renji's journey. The one-shot introduces a new source of conflict that is more than capable of keeping Soul Society's Shinigami scrambling for numerous potential chapters, but reintroduces the fallen Arrancar Szayelaporro Granz who made quite an impact on certain heroes in the original manga. Renji is one such Shinigami, having been soundly defeated by Szayelaporro when the Arrancar was still alive in Bleach, and he's coincidentally present during the Arrancar's unexpected return in the one-shot. But, unfortunately, Kubo chooses Ichigo to battle the villain.
Renji faced off against Szayelaporro in the original series when he and his comrades stormed Sosuke Aizen's fortress, Las Noches, in Hueco Mundo to save the captured Orihime Inoue. During their chapters-long battle, Ichigo clashed with numerous other Arrancars in a different part of Hueco Mundo, including Ulquiorra Cifer, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Nnoitra Gilga, but he never got to experience firsthand the terror of Szayelaporro's unsettling and grotesque techniques. Sadly, the same wasn't true for Renji.
Renji was actually soundly defeated by Szayelaporro early on and had to be saved by Uryū, who took over fighting. Even worse, Szayelaporro didn't deign to finish Renji directly. The Arrancar decided to sic his Fracción minions on him. Renji would later distract the Arrancar in a last-ditch effort so Uryū could unleash a powerful attack, but even when blasting Szayelaporro point blank, Renji failed. Later, during Szayelaporro's so-called second act, Renji witnessed the horror of the Arrancar's Teatro de Titere ability whereby the villain created a voodoo-like doll of Uryū and proceeded to crush numerous of the Quincy's vital organs by breaking marbles inside of the doll. Renji would experience Teatro de Titere firsthand as well. But despite their devastating original confrontation, the new one-shot doesn't allow Renji to settle the score.
The latest confrontation in the recent one-shot manga would have been the perfect opportunity for Renji to prove himself in a rematch. But instead, Renji is cast aside to make way for Ichigo, who never even fought Szayelaporro before. Of course, the one-shot manga adds an additional variable to the equation that explains why this transpires. The Arranar actually attacks Renji's daughter, Ichika. Renji shields her while Ichigo puts himself between them and the fallen villain. Ichigo then tells Renji to take Ichika to safety while he faces off against Szayelaporro, and Renji complies. Although this shows incredible strength of character on Renji's part, it's a far less exciting pay-off to the events of the manga so far, especially as Ichigo could have protected Ichikia just as capably.
Although Bleach's one-shot introduces a gripping new story that the manga community has been pining for, it would have been far more compelling to see Renji battle Szayelaporro. Renji shares a violent and embarrassing past with the Arrancar, and the attack on his child could have served as the cue for a satisfying rematch. Instead, Bleach chooses to showcase Ichigo as its more recognizable hero - an understandable concession to familiarity, but one made at the cost of Renji's more personal reasons to hate this villain.
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