Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - Wikipedia

Season of television series Season of television series

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War
Key visual for the series
No. of episodes	40
Release
Original network	TV Tokyo
Original release	October 11, 2022 (2022-10-11) –present
Season chronology
← PreviousBleach season 16
List of episodes

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War (BLEACH 千年血戦篇, Burīchi: Sennen Kessen-hen), also known as Bleach: The Blood Warfare, is a Japanese anime television series based on Tite Kubo's manga series Bleach and a direct sequel to the original Bleach anime series. In March 2020, Weekly Shōnen Jump and "Bleach 20th Anniversary Project & Tite Kubo New Project Presentation" livestream announced that the manga's final story arc, the "Thousand-Year Blood War", would receive an anime project.[1] In November 2020, it was confirmed that the anime project would be a television series adapting the entirety of the arc. The trailer and visual for the series were revealed at the Jump Festa in December 2021.[2][3]

The series is directed by Tomohisa Taguchi and written by Masaki Hiramatsu [ja]. It premiered on TV Tokyo in October 2022.[4][5][6][a] The series will run for four cours with off-season breaks in between.[6][7] The first cours, subtitled The Blood Warfare, consists of 13 episodes and ended in December of the same year.[8][9][b] The second cours, subtitled The Separation (訣別譚, Ketsubetsu-tan), also consists of 13 episodes and was broadcast from July to September 2023.[10][11][c] The third cours, subtitled The Conflict (相剋譚, Sōkoku-tan), consisting of 14 episodes, aired from October to December 2024.[12][13][14][d] The fourth and final cours, subtitled The Calamity (禍進譚, Kashin-tan), is set to premiere in July 2026.[15][16]

For The Blood Warfare cours, the opening theme song is "Scar [ja]" (スカー, Sukā), performed by Tatsuya Kitani, while the ending theme song is "Saihate" (最果て; lit. 'The Farthest Reaches'), performed by SennaRin;[17] in addition, Kitani also performed the special ending theme song for the first episode, "Rapport [ja]", which was previously used as the theme song for the series' 20th anniversary exhibition, Bleach EX.[18] For The Separation cours, the opening theme song is "Stars", performed by w.o.d. [ja],[11] while the ending theme song is "Endroll [ja]", performed by Yoh Kamiyama.[19] For The Conflict cours, the opening theme song is "Kotoba ni Sezu Tomo" (言葉にせずとも; lit. 'Even if You Don't Say It'), performed by Six Lounge [ja], while the ending theme song is "Monochrome", performed by Suisoh.[13]

In October 2022, Viz Media announced that the series would stream on Hulu in the United States and Disney+ internationally outside of Asia.[20] The English dub of the series began streaming on Hulu in November of the same year.[9] In April 2025, it was announced that the English dub would make its broadcast television premiere on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block beginning on May 18, 2025.[21]

Episodes

[edit] See also: List of Bleach episodes

No.overall [e]	No. inseries [f]	Title [22]	Directed by [22]	Written by [22]	Storyboarded by [22]	Chief animation directed by [22]	Original release date [23]	English air date [24]
Part 1: The Blood Warfare
367	1	"The Blood Warfare"[g]	Hikaru Murata	Tomohisa Taguchi	Tomohisa Taguchi	Masashi Kudo	October 11, 2022 (2022-10-11)[a]	May 18, 2025[21]
Soul Reapers Ryūnosuke Yuki and Shino Madarame, arrive and visit Karakura Town, following the mass disappearances of Hollows from the Human World. They are ambushed by Hollows, but rescued by Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida. Two days later, Ichigo meets Asguiaro Ebern, a member of the Wandenreich. Ebern attempts to use a Quincy medallion and seal Ichigo's Bankai, but he destroys it and makes him retreat. At the same time, a group of individuals representing the enemy faction called the Wandenreich, the Quincy Empire, infiltrate head captain Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's office in the Soul Society, and deliver the dying lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe as an example for the impending fate of the Soul Reapers. Meanwhile, Squad 11 members Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa, investigate the disappearances of thousands of civilians from the Rukon District. At the Wandenreich's base Silbern, Ebern reports to Yhwach, the Quincy King.
368	2	"Foundation Stones"	Mitsutoshi Satō	Tomohisa Taguchi	Tomohisa Taguchi	Michio Hasegawa	October 18, 2022 (2022-10-18)	May 25, 2025
Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck and Pesche Guatiche go to the Human World, and inform Ichigo that Hueco Mundo has been invaded by the Wandenreich, after its leader Tier Halibel, the former 3rd Espada, was defeated by Yhwach. The Arrancars of Hueco Mundo have either joined the Quincies, captured, or killed. Kisuke Urahara, Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Nel, and Pesche, arrive to Hueco Mundo. Meanwhile, the Wandenreich's hunting captain of the First Jagdarmee, Stern Ritter "J" Quilge Opie, tests the Arrancars to see who will join them. Loly and Menoly attempt to take an upper hand, but are dispatched easily. Tres Bestias: Emilou Apacci, Franceska Mila Rose, and Cyan Sung-Sun arrive for support, but are overwhelmed by Quilge.
369	3	"March of the StarCross"	Hodaka Kuramoto	Tomohisa Taguchi	Hikaru Yamaguchi	Kumiko Takayanagi	October 25, 2022 (2022-10-25)	June 1, 2025
Ichigo confronts Quilge. The Tres Bestias summon Ayon and re-join the fight against Quilge. Uryū learns the truth of the conflict between Soul Reapers and Quincies centuries ago. It is revealed that Squad 12 captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi ordered the removal of all civilians from the Rukon District, in order to rectify the soul imbalance caused by the Quincies exterminating Hollows in the Living World. It is revealed that Yamamoto fought Yhwach 1,000 years ago. Quilge absorbs Reishi in the area (including from Ayon) and overpowers the Tres Bestias, but clashes with Ichigo once again when he activates his Bankai. When the Quincies begin the invasion of the Soul Society, Stern Ritter "H" Bazz-B, critically wounds Squad 3 Lieutenant Izuru Kira and kills three other Soul Reapers.
370	4	"Kill the Shadow"[h]	Hikaru Murata	Tomohisa Taguchi	Hikaru Murata	Kiyoshi Komatsubara	November 1, 2022 (2022-11-01)	June 8, 2025
Over a thousand Soul Reapers die within seven minutes of the Quincy's invasion. Squad 3 captain Rōjūrō "Rose" Ōtoribashi meets Stern Ritter "U" NaNaNa Najahkoop, Squad 6 captain Byakuya Kuchiki and lieutenant Renji Abarai face off against Stern Ritter "F" Äs Nödt and Stern Ritter "S" Mask De Masculine, and Squad 7 captain Sajin Komamura encounters Stern Ritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine. As the fighting reaches a stalemate, Squad 2 captain Soi-Fon, Byakuya, Komamura, and Squad 10 captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya release their Bankais, but they are stolen by their opponent Stern Ritters using medallions which absorb them. The captains are shocked by the news that the Stern Ritters' trump card is to steal Bankais, as it is communicated to the rest of the Soul Society. Squad 8 captain, Shunsui Kyōraku is blinded in his right eye by Stern Ritter "N" Robert Accutrone. While Quilge fights against Ichigo, Urahara observes that the Stern Ritters failed to steal Ichigo's Bankai. Urahara opens the portal for Ichigo to enter and join the ongoing battle. However, Quilge suddenly attacks Urahara, Orihime, and Chad, and uses his Stern Ritter ability, "The Jail", to trap Ichigo in the Garganta and prevent him from reaching the Soul Society.
371	5	"Wrath as a Lightning"	Mitsutoshi Satō	Masaki Hiramatsu [ja]	Mitsutoshi Satō	Michio Hasegawa	November 8, 2022 (2022-11-08)	June 15, 2025
Ichigo hears the voices of many Soul Reapers, while desperately attempting to escape from Quilge's Jail. Before Quilge can kill Urahrara and the others, he is ambushed and killed by an unseen assailant. Byakuya and Renji engage Äs Nödt in battle. Byakuya is unnerved by Äs, who awakened his fears with Reishi Thorns. Byakuya attempts to overcome his fear, but Äs overwhelms him with his own Bankai. Rukia and Renji are wounded by other Stern Ritters. Kenpachi Zaraki, having killed three of them (Stern Ritter "R" Jerome Guizbatt, Stern Ritter "Q" Berenice Gabrielli, and Stern Ritter "Y" Loyd Lloyd), confronts Yhwach and his right hand man, Jugram Haschwalth. Yamamoto saves Squad 9 lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi from Stern Ritter "O", Driscoll Berci. He reveals that he killed Sasakibe and stole his Bankai, Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū, with which he attacks Yamamoto. This reminds Yamamoto that he taught Sasakibe 2,000 years ago. The enraged Yamamoto kills Driscoll, saves Kenpachi from Yhwach, and inspires the Soul Reapers to keep fighting.
372	6	"The Fire"	Ema Saito	Masaki Hiramatsu	Tomohisa Taguchi	N/A	November 15, 2022 (2022-11-15)	June 22, 2025
Yamamoto engages Yhwach in battle at the Seireitei. When Yhwach moves away, Yamamoto activates his Bankai, Zanka no Tachi, which causes water to evaporate from the whole area. Squad 4 captain Retsu Unohana and her lieutenant Isane Kotetsu, are worried that if the battle goes on for too long, Yamamoto could destroy even the Soul Society. Yhwach is powerless against the various abilities of Zanka no Tachi, and Yamamoto boasts that his Bankai is too strong to be stolen. Yamamoto unknowingly defeats a fake replica, and the real Yhwach arrives and identifies him as the second half of the Lloyd twins, Stern Ritter "Y" Royd Lloyd. Yhwach destroys the Squad 1 barracks and kills Royd for his failure. Yhwach reveals he had visited Sousuke Aizen in his underground prison. Considered by the Wandenreich to be one of the Five Special War Powers, Yhwach tried to convince Aizen to join him, but he refused. Yamamoto attempts to use his Bankai again, but Yhwach steals it, being the only one to take it, and kills Yamamoto.
373	7	"Born in the Dark"[g]	Shinichirō Ueda	Masaki Hiramatsu	Toshiyuki Tsuru	Kumiko Takayanagi	November 22, 2022 (2022-11-22)	June 29, 2025
A thousand years ago, the original Thirteen Court Guard Squads consisted of ruthless and barbaric killers with selfish purpose, who partook in killing the Wandenreich, and Yamamoto and Sasakibe defeated Yhwach. Afterwards, Yamamoto adopted a peaceful philosophy and formed a unified Court Guard system. Back in the present day, Yhwach destroys Yamamoto's remains. Ichigo breaks free and returns to the Soul Society for help. He trades blows with Yhwach, but is quickly defeated. Yhwach attempts to kill Ichigo, but is countered by him awakening a defensive Quincy technique called Blut Vëne. Yhwach reveals Quilge's Jail can only be broken by a Quincy, but Ichigo does not know the truth about himself or his mother, Masaki. Shadow portals appear to transport the Quincy back to Silbern and Yhwach realizes that Aizen used his Shikai ability on him to lose track of time. Ichigo tries to charge at Yhwach, but his Zanpakutō is destroyed by Haschwalth. Yhwach departs, cryptically referring to the stunned Ichigo as "his son, born in the dark".
374	8	"The Shooting Star Project (Zero Mix)"[i]	Young-Hoon Jung	Masaki Hiramatsu	Shinji Itadaki	Kiyoshi Komatsubara	November 29, 2022 (2022-11-29)	July 20, 2025
After the invasion, Rukia, Renji, and Kenpachi are treated by Squad 4, along with the surviving Soul Reapers as Byakuya barely clings to life. Mayuri tells Ichigo that as his Zanpakutō was destroyed while in Bankai state, it cannot be fixed. The captains mourn Yamamoto. Ichigo and the captains meet with Squad 0, consisting of the five most elite former captains, who protect the Soul King in the Royal Palace. Ichigo and the captains, talk to Urahara, Orihime, and Chad, who were saved from Quilge by a concealed Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Kūkaku Shiba sends Ichigo, Byakuya, Renji, Rukia, and Squad 0 to the Royal Palace above the Seireitei, where Zangetsu could be reforged. Kūkaku, having sent them up to the Royal Palace, joins her brother Ganju, Kūgo Ginjō, Shūkurō Tsukishima, and Giriko Kutsuzawa, who now reside in the Soul Society, since they were killed with a Zanpakutō, given a proper burial, and did not become Hollows. At the Royal Palace, Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, and Byakuya, are being healed by Tenjirō Kirinji, a member of Squad Zero and the one who taught Unohana healing techniques. The Soul King is seen awakening.
375	9	"The Drop"[g]	Kaito Asakura	Masaki Hiramatsu	Kaito Asakura	Michio Hasegawa	December 6, 2022 (2022-12-06)	July 27, 2025
Ichigo and Renji are healed completely by Kirinji. They move up to Kirio Hikifune's palace, where she feeds them with ancient Soul Society dishes, containing strong spiritual pressure, before being sent up to Ōetsu Nimaiya's palace, the man responsible for creating all Zanpakutō. Meanwhile, Squad 8 captain Shunsui Kyōraku is appointed to be head captain, his lieutenant Nanao Ise have joined the Squad 1 and Yamamoto's previous 3rd Seat Genshiro Okikiba, was also promoted to lieutenant. He decrees that Kenpachi is to be taught "zanjutsu", an all-style encompassing swordsmanship by Squad 4 captain Unohana, who reveals herself a criminal for the history of the Soul Society and the founder of the Squad 11 and the "First Kenpachi", her real name being Yachiru Unohana. Unohana and Kenpachi fight at the underground prison, Muken. Kenpachi recalls how he used to admire Unohana, from their first meeting on, when he scarred her chest. Unohana states that he has become far weaker since then and she will push him to the brink of death and revive him repeatedly to unlock his full potential.
376	10	"The Battle"	Hikaru Murata	Masaki Hiramatsu	Hikaru Murata	Kumiko Takayanagi	December 13, 2022 (2022-12-13)	August 3, 2025
Hundreds of years ago, Unohana, weary of fighting bandits, sought a true challenge until she encountered the fierce child Kenpachi. Though she was initially overpowered, Kenpachi subconsciously restrained himself, leading to his defeat. In the present, their battle resumes as Unohana repeatedly wounds Kenpachi, each death and revival sharpening his strength. She unleashes her Bankai, Minazuki, transforming her blade into streams of acidic blood-like slashes. Ultimately, Kenpachi grows strong enough to withstand her attacks and strikes the killing blow. As Unohana dies, he mourns her loss but finally awakens his own Zanpakutō, forging the bond he had long lacked. Meanwhile, Ichigo, Renji, and Kon arrive at Nimaiya's palace, Hoohden, where they encounter Zanpakutō spirits and the eccentric creator of the blades himself. Nimaiya explains the origin of Zanpakutō: Soul Reapers are first given a nameless Asauchi, which gradually evolve into their personalized weapon as they imprint their spiritual essence upon it. To prove themselves, Renji and Ichigo are cast into a pit swarming with countless Asauchi and given a three day endurance test. Renji successfully bonds with his weapon. However, Ichigo fails the test and Nimaiya abruptly sends him back to the Human World so he can rediscover his origins.
377	11	"Everything But the Rain"	Yusaku Kikuchi	Masaki Hiramatsu	Mitsutoshi Satō	Kiyoshi Komatsubara	December 20, 2022 (2022-12-20)	August 10, 2025
Nimaiya tells Renji that he forged every Zanpakutō over the past several thousand years, including Kenpachi's, which was taken from a dead Soul Reaper. However, Ichigo's Zanpakutō was not one of his Asauchi, making his training crucial. Ichigo visits Ikumi Unagiya, but is taken away by his father, Isshin, in Soul Reaper form, leaving his badge behind. Isshin reveals that Ichigo's mother, Masaki, was a Quincy. Nearly 20 years ago, as captain of Squad 10, Isshin investigated Soul Reaper deaths in Naraki City caused by a powerful Hollow named "White", created from multiple dead Soul Reapers' souls. Masaki, an Echt Quincy raised by Sōken Ishida's family, sensed the Hollow's presence and intervened despite protests from Ryūken and the family maid Kanae Katagiri. While battling the Hollow, Isshin was ambushed and wounded by Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen, who had created "White". Masaki saved Isshin, defeating the Hollow at the cost of triggering its self-destruction. Isshin protected her and learned she was a Quincy. Fearing rejection, Masaki was relieved when Isshin warmly accepted her. Ryūken and Kanae, seeing she was safe, left her. Back in the present day, Haschwalth meets Uryū.
378	12	"Everything But the Rain "June Truth""[j]	Young-Hoon Jung	Masaki Hiramatsu	Shinji Itadaki & Kentarō Tokiwa	Michio Hasegawa	December 27, 2022 (2022-12-27)[b]	August 17, 2025
Isshin continues telling Ichigo his story. After the mission, he reported to Yamamoto but left out Masaki's involvement. Drawn to her, he continued patrolling the Human World. Meanwhile, Masaki began feeling the effects of the Hollow soul that had merged with her, collapsing as a Hollow hole appeared on her chest. Berated by Ryūken's mother for helping a Soul Reaper, Masaki was taken for help by Ryūken, who blamed Isshin for her condition. Urahara intervened, explaining he discovered a cure during his hundred-year exile while studying the Visoreds. Unlike Soul Reapers, Quincies lack resistance to Hollow souls, so Masaki's powerful Quincy soul needed the presence of a full Soul Reaper's powers to stabilize her for life. Isshin volunteered, and Urahara gave him a special Gigai to seal his powers and make him human. Isshin and Masaki later fell in love, while Ryūken married Kanae. Isshin reveals the reason that Masaki died saving Ichigo from Grand Fisher, and Katagiri died from her illness, was because of Yhwach, who nine years earlier used Auswählen to absorb the powers of Quincies he deemed to be impure. Before leaving, Ichigo retrieves his badge from Ikumi.
379	13	"The Blade Is Me"[g]	Tomohisa Taguchi, Mitsutoshi Satō& Yoshinori Odaka	Masaki Hiramatsu	Tomohisa Taguchi	Kumiko Takayanagi	December 27, 2022 (2022-12-27)[b]	August 24, 2025
Ichigo is guided back to the Royal Palace by one of Nimaiya's Zanpakutō bodyguards. There, all the Asauchi kneel before him, and he chooses the correct one: "White", the Hollow that has always resided within him. Meanwhile, in Soul Society, preparations for the next battle intensify. Hitsugaya returns to train in swordsmanship, determined to improve. Kensei Muguruma assigns unofficial lieutenant Mashiro Kuna to train under Hisagi, pushing him toward awakening his Bankai. Akon, recovering from injuries, discovers that Mayuri and Nemu Kurotsuchi have sealed themselves inside the lab, pursuing a mysterious project. Elsewhere, Komamura seeks his clan elder to learn a secret technique, while Soi-Fon sharpens her skills through solitary training in the mountains. Back at the palace, Nimaiya forges Ichigo's true Zanpakutō, revealing the truth: "White" is his actual Soul Reaper blade, while "Old Man Zangetsu" is the embodiment of his Quincy powers who resembles Yhwach from a thousand years ago. Zangetsu explains that he suppressed Ichigo's full Soul Reaper strength to protect him and finally releases his control on it, proud of Ichigo's growth. Ichigo embraces both embodiments, manifesting his dual-bladed Shikai, the True Zangetsu. In Silbern, Haschwalth presents Uryū, wearing the Stern Ritter attire, to Yhwach.
Part 2: The Separation
380	14	"The Last 9 Days"[k]	Hikaru Murata	Masaki Hiramatsu	Tomohisa Taguchi, Hikaru Murata& Yusaku Kikuchi	Kiyoshi Komatsubara	July 8, 2023 (2023-07-08)	August 31, 2025
Ichigo begins his training with Ichibe Hyōsube, the captain of Squad 0. Meanwhile, Yhwach gathers the Quincy army to announce that he has chosen Uryū as his successor, causing discord between many of the Stern Ritters who considered Haschwalth more worthy for the post. Askin Nakk Le Vaar stops the ruckus between other ones, specifically Bazz-B and Haschwalth. Orihime and Chad train at Hueco Mundo, while Urahara researches the Quincy Medallion. Ichibe leads Ichigo to a special place in the Royal Palace, which can only be accessed with permission from the Soul King, in order to make him stronger. New Head Captain Shunsui Kyōraku gives Ichigo's human friends a Soul Ticket into the Soul Society in case Ichigo's spiritual pressure becomes too much for the Human World to bear. Rukia and Renji continue their training in the Royal Palace, while Byakuya recovers with Kirinji's help. A dark dome engulfs the Seireitei and the Quincy army returns for the next battle. Yhwach declares that he will retake the world in the next nine days, as per the Quincy Song, the Kaiser Gesang.
381	15	"Peace from Shadows"	Yusaku Kikuchi	Masaki Hiramatsu	Shinji Itadaki	Michio Hasegawa	July 15, 2023 (2023-07-15)	September 7, 2025
The Wandenreich launch their second invasion of the Seireitei. Haschwalth orders the Stern Ritters who stole Bankai to defeat their respective robbed captains. In Squad 12, Askin confronts its members and explains that the Wandenreich fortress was forged from Quincy powers and exists hidden within the Seireitei's shadows, where the Quincies observed and studied them. Mayuri and Nemu emerge from his personal lab, now lit in constant brightness, where Mayuri crafted countermeasures against Quincy techniques. Irritated by Mayuri's persistence, Askin withdraws. Elsewhere, Haschwalth confronts Shunsui and Nanao, only for Nanao to halt him with a high-level Kido. Across the Seireitei, chaos erupts as Soul Reapers clash with Soldat troops. Squad 10's Toshiro Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto face Bazz-B. Meanwhile, Squad 2 lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda shields his sister from Stern Ritter "K" BG9 until captain Soi Fon intervenes. Hitsugaya and Rangiku attempt coordinated tactics, but Bazz-B overwhelms them with ease. Before Hitsugaya can recover from Bazz-B's assault, Stern Ritter "I" Cang Du intervenes and prepares to finish Hitsugaya off with his own Bankai. At the same time, BG9 gravely wounds Soi Fon. Just as hope seems lost, Urahara contacts Mayuri, announcing he has discovered a way to reclaim the stolen Bankai.
382	16	"The Fundamental Virulence"	Ōri Yasukawa	Masaki Hiramatsu	Yōichi Fujita [ja]	Kumiko Takayanagi	July 22, 2023 (2023-07-22)	September 14, 2025
Cang Du has already defeated Rangiku and moves to finish off Hitsugaya. Urahara informs Mayuri he has created the Shin'eiyaku: a black pill that hollowfies Bankai, rendering them poisonous to Quincies. He discovered this weakness after Quilge's inability to properly control Arrancar Reishi. The pills are distributed to all captains and several lieutenants. Hitsugaya takes the pill, activating his hollowfied Bankai, and freezes Cang Du. BG9 attempts to harvest the unconscious Soi-Fon, but Ōmaeda gives her the pill, enabling her to unleash her Bankai to eliminate BG9. Squad 5 captain Shinji Hirako activates his Bankai, Sakashima Yokoshima Happō Fusagari, causing enemies and allies alike to get confused and making the Soldats kill each other. Yumichika, Hisagi, and Ikkaku ingest the Shin'eiyaku, and are ambushed by Stern Ritter "S" Mask de Masculine, who easily overwhelms them. Elsewhere, Stern Ritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine seeks captain Komamura. Komamura, clad in full armor, arrives to stop her. Shinji briefly stalls her with his Shikai to allow Komamura to pursue his mission of avenging Yamamoto. All fallen Stern Ritters begin activating their Vollständig. Meanwhile, Ichigo enters a dark corridor in the Soul Palace, facing crushing pressure, pain, and visions that gradually reveal the Soul King.
383	17	"Heart of Wolf"[l]	Shinichirō Ueda	Masaki Hiramatsu	Shinichirō Ueda	Kiyoshi Komatsubara	July 29, 2023 (2023-07-29)	September 21, 2025
Bambietta activates her Vollständig and blows Shinji up, forcing Komamura and Squad 5 lieutenant Momo Hinamori to intervene. While Momo retreats with Shinji, Komamura shields them. Bambietta reveals her power is not conventional bombs, but the ability to make anything struck by her Reishi projectiles explode. She blasts apart Komamura's helmet, exposing his new human appearance. Komamura explains that he sacrificed his own heart to his clan elder, gaining the secret Jinka Technique. In this temporary form, he is immortal and impervious to harm. Summoning his Bankai, now unarmored and invulnerable, Komamura drives Bambietta back by deflecting her projectiles and defeats her. Komamura immediately rushes toward Yhwach, but his heart fails and he is reduced to a pure wolf form. His lieutenant, Tetsuzaemon Iba, carries him away. A gravely injured Bambietta is discovered by her close Sternritter friends. Meanwhile, Uryū gathers the fallen Cang Du and BG9, while Haschwalth returns to Yhwach's side. Mask de Masculine defeats his opponents with James' support until stopped by Squad 9 captain Kensei Muguruma and Squad 3 captain Rōjūrō "Rose" Ōtoribashi. Elsewhere, Ichigo witnesses the Soul Society's past through the Soul King's powers and passes through the corridor gate, arriving at Senjumaru Shutara's palace.
384	18	"Rages at Ringside"	Itoko Nagai	Masaki Hiramatsu	Atsushi Wakabayashi	Kumiko Takayanagi	August 5, 2023 (2023-08-05)	September 28, 2025
Shunsui orders the remaining Soul Reapers to regroup under Mayuri's advise. Kensei unleashes his Bankai, Tekken Tachikaze, against Mask de Masculine and briefly overwhelms him, but Mask quickly recovers thanks to James' cheers and critically wounds him. Hisagi warns that James is the source of Mask's strength, so Rose slices him in half and activates his Bankai, Kinshara Butōdan, producing illusions through music. Mask counters this by rupturing his eardrums and defeats Rose. As Mask moves to finish Rose off, Renji arrives and blocks his blow. Rukia follows, revealing that both have completed Squad 0's training. She evacuates the injured captains to Kotetsu for healing as Renji battles Mask. James survives his injury and continues empowering Mask, who triggers his Vollständig and fires a massive Reishi blast at Renji that incinerates James. Renji withstands Mask's attack with his complete Bankai: Sō-ō Zabimaru, which he can now properly wield after previously being given its false name. He counters with Zāgā Tēppō, turning Mask into ash. Inside Silbern, Yhwach absorbs Mask's Reishi before vanishing into a shadow, leaving Haschwalth behind. Haschwalth tells Uryū that all Quincies are bound to Yhwach, and as his heir, he should be told the truth about him.
385	19	"The White Haze"	Dali Chen	Masaki Hiramatsu	Tomohisa Taguchi & Shinji Itadaki	Michio Hasegawa	August 12, 2023 (2023-08-12)	October 5, 2025
After completing training with Squad 0, Ichigo begins descending towards the Seireitei and informs Urahara. Uryū witnesses Haschwalth executing BG9 and Cang Du for failing in their battles. Haschwalth reveals that all those who are given a portion of Yhwach's soul have their powers, knowledge, and skills absorbed by Yhwach upon dying. As Rukia scouts around the Seireitei, she confronts Stern Ritter "F" Äs Nödt, who is looking for Byakuya. Since Rukia is now much stronger and has learned about her Zanpakutō's true abilities, particularly its ability to lower the user's temperature and anything they touch to absolute zero, she manages to freeze Äs. Angered by Rukia's suggestion that he is afraid, Äs activates his Vollständig and begins instilling fear via Rukia's optic nerves. While trapped inside a moment of absolute fear, Byakuya rescues Rukia and recognizes her growth. Äs taunts Byakuya, but he allows Rukia to finish him off by herself. Rukia unleashes her dangerous Bankai, Hakka no Togame, to defeat Äs. Byakuya helps Rukia control her Bankai so that she will not die from it. Elsewhere while tending to Rose and Kensei, Isane and Squad 11 lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi are ambushed by a Stern Ritter.
386	20	"I Am the Edge"[g]	Yusaku Kikuchi	Masaki Hiramatsu	Wataru Yamamoto	Kiyoshi Komatsubara	August 19, 2023 (2023-08-19)	October 12, 2025
Stern Ritter "V" Gwenael Lee claims his power allows him to erase himself from an opponent's senses, yet Yachiru instinctively strikes him down every time he reappears. The real "V", Gremmy Thoumeaux, appears and reveals Lee was merely a creation of his imagination before erasing him from existence. Gremmy explains that his true ability is turning imagination into reality and states he has already killed Rose and Kensei. Demonstrating his power, he imagines Yachiru's bones turning into cookies, which incapacitates her. Kenpachi arrives and informs Isane of Unohana's death before challenging Gremmy. Gremmy attempts to drown Kenpachi, but he breaks free and wounds him. Gremmy then imagines heavy artillery and a clone to double his power, but Kenpachi withstands them. Gremmy then imagines a meteor falling into the Seireitei. Kenpachi releases his Zanpakutō, Nozarashi, and slashes the meteor in pieces. Gremmy creates numerous clones, casting Kenpachi into outer space, yet he escapes it and slashes Gremmy again. Desperate, Gremmy imagines his body to be as strong as Kenpachi's, but his perception of Kenpachi as a monster causes his own body to collapse under immense pressure. The dying Gremmy reveals his true form: a brain sustained within an imaginary body.
387	21	"The Headless Star"	Mitsutoshi Satō	Masaki Hiramatsu	Mitsutoshi Satō	Michio Hasegawa	August 26, 2023 (2023-08-26)	October 19, 2025
A severely injured Kenpachi orders his squad members to search for the missing Yachiru before suddenly being ambushed by the Bambie Stern Ritters Candice Catnipp ("T"), Giselle Gewelle ("Z"), Meninas McAllon ("P"), and Liltotto Lamperd ("G"). Though Kenpachi initially puts up a fight against them, their combined assault eventually overwhelms him. Ichigo suddenly crashes down from the sky, opening a massive hole leading to the Royal Palace, and effortlessly pushes the quartet back. The Bambies activate their Quincy Vollständig forms to fight him. Candice charges an immense lightning bolt to attack Ichigo, but he counters her by merging two Getsuga Tenshō into one powerful cross-shaped strike, the Getsuga Jūjishō, severing Candice's arm. Giselle regenerates it for her using a dead Soul Reaper's flesh. Before the Bambies can attack Ichigo again, several other Stern Ritters intervene. As Ichigo faces an overwhelming number of Stern Ritters, he notices Yhwach from afar. While Renji and several other Soul Reapers hold the enemy off for him, Ichigo charges toward Yhwach, but Uryū intervenes, warning Ichigo to leave them. Chad and Orihime arrive from Hueco Mundo to assist Ichigo, as Yhwach, Haschwalth, and Uryū ascend to the Royal Palace.
388	22	"Marching Out the Zombies"[m]	Young-Hoon Jung	Masaki Hiramatsu	Yōichi Fujita	Kiyoshi Komatsubara	September 9, 2023 (2023-09-09)	October 26, 2025
Yhwach's ascent to the Soul Palace creates a massive shockwave, prompting Shunsui to question why Ichibei would allow this to happen. Orihime and Chad confront Ichigo regarding Uryū, only for Urahara to intervene and escort them to Squad 12's barracks. There, Urahara unveils a one-use replica of the Shiba clan's spiritual cannon to launch them toward the Soul Palace. Since it demands immense spirit energy, Yoruichi Shihōin and the remaining Visored collected Reishi from distortions in the living world created by the Quincies. Meanwhile, Byakuya battles multiple Stern Ritters while Bazz-B targets Renji and Rukia. Giselle attempts to taunt Ikkaku and Yumichika into cutting her. Enraged when they refuse and Yumichika calls her a man, Giselle summons a zombified Bambietta. Giselle explains that her power requires killing Quincies before zombification, confirming she killed Bambietta herself. As Ikkaku and Yumichika are cornered, Mayuri and Nemu arrive. Mayuri disables the zombified Bambietta with a special device and counters Giselle's army of zombified Squad 11 soldiers with his own undead Arrancar forces from Szayelaporro Grantz's lab, including Luppi Antenor, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, Cirucci Sanderwicci, and Charlotte Chuhlhourne, who quickly overpower Giselle's zombies. Cornered, Giselle reveals her trump card: a zombified Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
389	23	"Marching Out the Zombies 2"[n]	Takahiro Enokida	Masaki Hiramatsu	Atsushi Wakabayashi	Kumiko Takayanagi	September 16, 2023 (2023-09-16)	November 2, 2025
Hitsugaya swiftly defeats Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Charlotte before Mayuri intervenes, who uses specialized drugs to neutralize Giselle's control over him as he slowly reawakens Hitsugaya's consciousness. Giselle retaliates by summoning her strongest remaining Soul Reaper zombies: Kensei, Rose, and Rangiku, but Cirucci, Luppi, and Dordoni join the fray as ordered by Mayuri and even out the playing field. Using a genetically modified blood-like substance, Mayuri seizes full control of Giselle's Soul Reaper zombies and one of them impales her. Elsewhere, Byakuya unleashes his Bankai to defeat Candice, Robert Accutrone, and NaNaNa Najahkoop, while Meninas and Liltotto observe from a distance. Hisagi arrives to assist but suddenly turns on Byakuya, revealing he is being manipulated by PePe Waccabrada, Stern Ritter "L". PePe's power, The Love, enslaves anything with a soul, including Meninas, who goes on to attack Liltotto. PePe even enchants Senbonzakura to his will, forcing Byakuya's Zanpakutō against him as Hisagi takes it under PePe's influence. Just as Byakuya is cornered, Mayuri and his zombified allies arrive. Kensei incapacitates Hisagi and activates his Bankai to obliterate PePe. Liltotto stumbles upon PePe and devours him as revenge backstabbing her and Meninas. Meanwhile, Yhwach, Haschwalth, and Uryū finally reach the Soul Palace.
390	24	"Too Early to Win, Too Late to Know"[o]	Takahiro Ōtsuka	Masaki Hiramatsu	Yōichi Fujita	Kumiko Takayanagi	September 23, 2023 (2023-09-23)	November 9, 2025
Thousands of years ago, Ichibe offered a young Yhwach a non-aggression pact to end conflict between Soul Reapers and Quincies. Yhwach questioned why the Soul Reapers enslaved the Soul King, his father, and used him to split one eternal realm into the World of the Living, Hueco Mundo, and Soul Society. Though Ichibe offered the Soul King's left arm as a peace token, Yhwach swore to erase his father and reunify the realms to "save" him. In the present, Urahara fires a cannon to send Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Yoruichi, and Ganju to the Royal Palace. Aware of the invading Quincies, Senjumaru leads the Royal Guard in cutting down the Soldaten and killing Nianzol Weizol "W", the Wind. In response, Yhwach summons his Schutzstaffel: Lille Barro ("X"), Gerard Valkyrie ("M"), Pernida Parnkgjas ("C"), and newly promoted Askin. Lille apparently fires a shot through Senjumaru's head and destroys the Soul Palace. However, Senjumaru reveals this was all a decoy and the Quincies are actually trapped within Kirio's Cage of Life. Joined by Tenjirō and Ōetsu, the Royal Guard counterattacks. Ōetsu unveils Sayafushi, a Zanpakutō so sharp it cannot be sheathed, and annihilates the Schutzstaffel. Yhwach escapes the cage and advances toward Ichibe.
391	25	"The Master"[g]	Shinichirō Ueda	Masaki Hiramatsu	Shinichirō Ueda	Kiyoshi Komatsubara	September 30, 2023 (2023-09-30)[c]	November 16, 2025
At the ruins of Squad 12's barracks, Kisuke assembles the surviving Visoreds alongside Yūshirō Shihōin, Yoruichi's younger brother, to prepare for an ascent to the Royal Palace. Meanwhile, Ichibe clashes with Yhwach, wielding his brush-shaped Zanpakutō that cuts names instead of flesh, halving the power of whatever it strikes. A single blow drastically weakens Yhwach. Tenjirō activates his Shikai to defeat Haschwalth, while Senjumaru manipulates Reishi to overwhelm Uryū's Licht Regen, knocking him unconscious. Ōetsu is stunned when Askin survives his earlier strike. Askin reveals that his Schrift "D", the Deathdealing, allows him to control lethal dosages of substances within his body and others. By ingesting his own blood, he make its dangerously toxic to Ōetsu. Tenjirō intervenes, using his hot springs to purge the poison from Ōetsu's system, allowing him to finally kill Askin. Ichibe's momentum in his fight halts when Yhwach activates Auswählen, absorbing Reishi and Schrift powers from surviving Stern Ritters in the Seireitei to resurrect the Schutzstaffel and Haschwalth, who all ascend into Vollständig. Liltotto, Giselle, and Bazz-B manage to survive this and swear vengeance. Shunsui resigns his command and joins Jūshirō Ukitake, who reveals he used Kamikake to suppress his illness to fight once again.
392	26	"Black"[g]	Hikaru Murata, Dali Chen,Takahiro Enokida & Itoko Nagai	Masaki Hiramatsu	Hikaru Murata	Michio Hasegawa, Kiyoshi Komatsubara & Kumiko Takayanagi	September 30, 2023 (2023-09-30)[c]	November 23, 2025
After being revived by Auswählen, Lille shoots Ōetsu, revealing his Schrift "X", the X-Axis, allows him to fire through any material between his rifle and target, bypassing any defenses. Senjumaru rescues and heals Ōetsu while Kirio transforms the battlefield with overgrown flora, splitting opponents for one-on-one duels. Senjumaru immobilizes Gerard with her threads, Kirio entraps Pernida in Reishi seeds, and Askin dodges Tenjirō's assaults. Ōetsu evades Lille's shots, even standing atop his rifle before countering. Ichibe continues battling Yhwach using high-level Kidō and activates his Shikai, splattering black ink that erases names and, by extension, power. When Yhwach's blade is stained, it becomes useless. Gerard breaks free and defeats Senjumaru, Pernida shreds Kirio's roots, and Askin wounds Tenjirō. Lille overcomes Ōetsu's speed by firing through him directly. Ōetsu reveals that their true powers were sealed to prevent cosmic imbalance as he, Tenjirō, and Kirio sacrifice themselves and channel their lifeforce into Senjumaru. She releases her Bankai: Shatatsu Karagara Shigaraminotsuji, enveloping the Schutzstaffel, Haschwalth, and Uryū in a shifting void where she individually executes them with woven cloths. Meanwhile, Ichibe floods Yhwach with Black Ink, renaming him "Black Ant" with Shirafude Ichimonji before crushing and hurling him from the Soul Palace.
Part 3: The Conflict
393	27	"A"	Hikaru Murata	Masaki Hiramatsu &Tomohisa Taguchi	Hikaru Murata	Michio Hasegawa	October 5, 2024 (2024-10-05)	November 30, 2025
While falling, Yhwach finally regains his Schrift as per the Kaiser Gesang. He activates "A", the Almighty, which allows him to ward off Ichibe's power and become all-seeing. Ichibe attempts to trap him, but Yhwach breaks through due to his regained ability and kills him. Having survived, Uryū manages to reflect the effects of Senjumaru's Bankai back onto her with his Schrift, the Antithesis, and after a brief battle, pierces her heart. Following their victory against Squad 0, Uryū, Haschwalth and the Schutzstaffel reunite with Yhwach and kneel before him as he reaches the Soul King and impales him. Ichigo's group arrives at the Soul Palace and calls out Ichibe's name, which raises him back from the dead by using a small portion of Ichigo's spiritual pressure. Currently powerless, Ichibe asks Ichigo to stop Yhwach. Meanwhile, Shunsui approaches Aizen in the Muken.
394	28	"Kill the King"[g]	Yoshinori Odaka & Hikaru Murata	Masaki Hiramatsu	Tomohisa Taguchi	Kumiko Takayanagi	October 12, 2024 (2024-10-12)	December 7, 2025
Shinji, Soi-Fon, Hinamori and Ōmaeda head to the R&D Department, where Urahara and Nanao work to launch reinforcements to the Royal Palace. At the same time, Renji and Rukia depart the battlefield as Ukitake tends to Kenpachi's wounds. Meanwhile, Ichigo's group reaches Yhwach, unaware that he has already impaled the Soul King. Ichigo confronts Yhwach, who praises the strength he gained from Ichibe's training but proceeds to declare that he sent Ichigo to him knowing he would still lose. During their battle, Yhwach reveals he has not yet used his eyes and activates the Almighty, granting him the power to foresee every possible attack. Ichigo's strikes are instantly nullified as he is thrown back towards his team. Yhwach presents to the group the Soul King, skewered by his blade, which shocks them. Ichigo dashes towards the Soul King and pulls Yhwach's sword free from his body. After this action however, the sword reacts to Ichigo's Quincy blood and involuntarily forces him to deliver the killing blow, severing his body into two pieces. Yhwach informs the group that only a full hybrid like Ichigo could actually kill the Soul King. His death begins to trigger massive earthquakes across all three worlds.
395	29	"The Dark Arm"	Young-Hoon Jung	Masaki Hiramatsu	Young-Hoon Jung	Michio Hasegawa	October 19, 2024 (2024-10-19)	December 14, 2025
Born with an incurable lung disease, Ukitake is saved from death after his parents pray to a local deity of the Rukon district, Mimihagi the right arm of the Soul King that crashed down to the Soul Society which fused with Ukitake, thus stopping his sickness from progressing, but not curing him. Ukitake joins the Soul Reaper Academy under the tutelage of Yamamoto, Sasakibe, and Unohana, and becomes close friends with his sparring partner Shunsui, confiding in him about Mimihagi. Later, the two mourn Kaien, and Yamamoto with Unohana, after which Ukitake bids farewell to Unohana. Back in the present day, Ukitake reveals to the others that the Kamikake process he underwent gave all his organs, not just his lungs to Mimihagi and, after handing over Squad 13 to Rukia, uses his life force to hold the Soul King together temporarily. While Ichigo, Yoruichi, Chad, and Ganju try to distract Yhwach, Orihime fails to reverse the Soul King's death, but Mimihagi attaches itself to him, something that not even Yhwach's eyes foresaw. In the Muken, Shunsui partially unseals Aizen and tries to make a deal with him to help save the Soul Society.
396	30	"The Betrayer"	Itoko Nagai	Masaki Hiramatsu	Yōichi Fujita	Kiyoshi Komatsubara	October 26, 2024 (2024-10-26)	December 21, 2025
Yhwach realizes he failed to foresee the Soul King's right arm aiding its body because the arm is part of the Soul King himself. As Yhwach attempts to destroy both, Ichigo grabs his arm to restrain him. Yoruichi erects a stabilizing barrier around the Soul King's remains, buying them time. Yhwach mocks Ichigo for being unable to kill the man responsible for his mother's death and calls him weak. Ichigo prepares to attack Yhwach, but Uryū suddenly shoots Yoruichi, causing her to lose focus over the barrier. Pernida contorts Yoruichi's arm and she is blasted off the Soul Palace by Yhwach. Uryū declares his loyalty to the Quincies, devastating Ichigo as the two begin fighting. Uryū is shocked when Ichigo blocks his arrow using Blut Vene, revealing his Quincy abilities. Meanwhile, Chad, Ganju, and Orihime attempt to fight the Schutzstaffel but are quickly overwhelmed. Uryū activates his Vollständig and attacks Ichigo. Uryū prepares a massive Quincy arrow, which Ichigo counters by using Getsuga Jūjishō. Uryū manages to land a decisive blow, seriously wounding Ichigo and sending him falling. Yhwach completely shatters the Soul King's crystal and absorbs both his body and right arm, which creates multiple eyes across his face.
397	31	"Against the Judgement"[g]	Takumi Ichikawa	Masaki Hiramatsu	Takumi Ichikawa	Michio Hasegawa	November 2, 2024 (2024-11-02)	January 4, 2026
Yhwach's unstable energy erupts across the Soul Society, manifesting as grotesque infant-like eyed parasites that rain down and overwhelm the Soul Reapers. Aizen arrives bound in Mayuri's restraint chair and effortlessly annihilates the creatures using only his spiritual pressure. Though many Soul Reapers are disgusted by Aizen's release, Shunsui defends the decision in the face of their potential annihilation by the Quincies. Aizen is suddenly immobilized by NaNaNa, who activates his Schrift "U", the Underbelly. However, the other surviving Quincies: Bazz-B, Liltotto, and Giselle, intervene as Bazz-B kills NaNaNa and reveals they intend on betraying Yhwach for abandoning them during Auswählen. Shunsui accepts their assistance. To reach the Soul Palace, Shunsui orders all remaining Soul Reapers to pour their Reiryoku into a gateway that Urahara can activate. Kenpachi, now recovered from his previous battle, arrives as a quickly recouped Aizen prepares to support their battle from the ground. An assault force of captains, lieutenants, Visoreds, and rogue Quincies prepare to depart for the palace. Meanwhile, Orihime heals Ichigo and Yoruichi as they plan their counterattack. Grimmjow arrives from Hueco Mundo to assist them. From above, Yhwach completes his absorption of the Soul King and begins reshaping the entire Soul Society.
398	32	"The Holy Newborn"[g]	Shinichirō Ueda	Masaki Hiramatsu	Shinichirō Ueda	Kumiko Takayanagi	November 9, 2024 (2024-11-09)	January 11, 2026
Grimmjow attempts to pick a fight with Ichigo immediately, but he is stopped by Nelliel, who reveals that Urahara created a bracelet for her, which allows her to transform into her original form at will. From the Garganta, Fullbringers Riruka Dokugamine and Yukio Hans Vorarlberna emerge as well, as they were also recruited by Urahara to combine their powers, allowing Ichigo's group to swiftly reach the top of the Soul Palace. The Soul Reapers power up the gate as the Seireitei starts to crumble. Due to Yhwach, more cities in the Seireitei begin to break down, the remains of which he raises up to the Soul Palace, completely transforming it into a Quincy city named Wahr Welt, which is shaped like a massive Quincy Zeichen. Ichigo's group and the Soul Reapers arrive at Wahr Welt simultaneously, shocked by the power one could wield to reshape the entire Soul Palace effortlessly. Yukio and Riruka stay behind in the Garganta to act as a potential getaway. Haschwalth reports about the arrival of Ichigo's group and the Soul Reaper troop to Yhwach from inside their newly reconstructed central castle.
399	33	"Gate of the Sun"[g]	Dali Chen	Masaki Hiramatsu	Dali Chen	Kiyoshi Komatsubara	November 16, 2024 (2024-11-16)	January 18, 2026
Yhwach sends Uryū and the Schutzstaffel to eliminate the Soul Reapers. Due to using the bathroom the same time as Kenpachi, Hanatarō Yamada is taken along by his squad after Mayuri initially stayed behind to change the coordinates he would be sent to. Mayuri and Nemu split off from Kenpachi, Hanatarō, Yumichika, and Ikkaku, as both groups venture towards the central castle. Gerard searches for Soul Reapers to fight. After Bazz-B, Liltotto and Giselle separate from them to confront Haschwalth and Yhwach, the main Soul Reaper group is assaulted by Lille, who succeeds in shooting down Hisagi, Ōmaeda, Kiyone, Sentarō and Isane, thus scattering the pack. Elsewhere, Ichigo's group runs into Askin as Grimmjow runs off to immediately pounce him. After being forced to play on the defensive, Askin turns the tables on Grimmjow and paralyzes him as Ichigo arrives to rescue him. Meanwhile, Uryū begins firing arrows at Renji, who gets separated from the main group. Renji unleashes his true Bankai and effortlessly overpowers Uryū until the latter activates his Vollständig, but Renji counters through it. Backed into a corner, Uryū uses Sklave Rei to overcharge his Vollständig, after which he overcomes Renji and shoots him through the chest.
400	34	"Baby, Hold Your Hand"[g]	Takahiro Ōtsuka	Masaki Hiramatsu	Atsushi Wakabayashi	Michio Hasegawa	November 23, 2024 (2024-11-23)	January 25, 2026
Lille Barro observes Uryū defeating Renji from afar as Bazz-B heads to confront Haschwalth, while Giselle and Liltotto pursue Yhwach. Elsewhere, Mayuri, Nemu, Kenpachi, Ikkaku, and Yumichika encounter Pernida Parnkgjas, a grotesque Quincy which is soon revealed to be the left arm of the Soul King. Ignoring Mayuri's warnings, Kenpachi charges forth and strikes Pernida, but it retaliates by manipulating Kenpachi's nerves, grotesquely twisting his right arm until Kenpachi is forced to sever it. When Kenpachi attacks again, Pernida overwhelms him completely, damaging his body until Mayuri stabs Kenpachi from behind to paralyze and stop Pernida's nerve control. Mayuri deduces that Pernida weaponizes its nerves to invade and control both organic and inorganic matter. After acid fails to stop it, Pernida transforms into a much larger, speaking arm form. When Mayuri severs one of its fingers to preserve it as a specimen, Pernida regenerates two new arms from it, revealing quick regenerative abilities. To counter this, Mayuri unveils his modified Bankai, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō Matai Fukuin Shōtai, a giant, pregnant Ashisogi Jizō that gives birth to specialized combat forms. Built with 70,000 layered nerves on the outside to resist Pernida's control, Mayuri's Bankai quickly devours all three of its arms.
401	35	"Don't Chase a Shadow"[g]	Ema Saito, Tomohisa Taguchi,Shintaro Matsui & Hikaru Murata	Masaki Hiramatsu	Ema Saito	Kumiko Takayanagi	November 30, 2024 (2024-11-30)	February 1, 2026
Lille continues sniping off the Soul Reapers, forcing Shunsui to use his Shikai consisting of children's games to stall him. Per Shunsui's orders, Nanao instructs the others to continue onwards as she goes to support him. After his rifle is severed by Shunsui, Lille explains that the gun is part of him and created from Reishi, elaborating that he was the first Quincy to receive powers from Yhwach. Lille activates his Vollständig, turning into an angelic, eight-winged being that supposedly cannot be killed by any weapon. Having been gravely injured by Lille's new form, Shunsui is forced to use his Bankai, Katen Kyōkotsu Karamatsu Shinju, which envelops the Wahr Welt. Shunsui initiates a theatrical play composed of several acts, selecting a play composed of four acts with two actors, him and Lille. With the first act Shunsui reflects his injuries onto Lille, with the second act he infects him with an illness, with the third act he plummets both of them into an infinite sea, and with the final act Shunsui uses a thread composed of regret to explosively decapitate Lille. After Lille's body floats down to the ground, Shunsui collapses and is comforted by his Zanpakutō's manifested spirit, Ohana.
402	36	"Baby, Hold Your Hand 2 [Never Ending My Dream]"[p]	Young-Hoon Jung	Masaki Hiramatsu	Susumu Nishizawa	Kiyoshi Komatsubara	December 7, 2024 (2024-12-07)	February 8, 2026
Pernida destroys Mayuri's Ashisogi Jizō by using its Quincy bow to launch nerves attached to arrows. Nemu saves Mayuri from an attack, but both are forced to sever their arms. Mayuri scolds Nemu for acting on her own, fearing her growing independence could complicate creating future Nemus. After regenerating their arms with drugs, Mayuri distracts Pernida while assigning Nemu to inject a nerve-coagulating agent into one of its arrows. The coagulant begins spreading through Pernida's body but is halted when it severs the infected finger. Mayuri realizes that Pernida is rapidly evolving, adapting to counter every strategy. Nemu continues pushing beyond her limits, outputting extraordinary power. Compressing six percent of her soul, she pierces Pernida, but its exploding remains regenerate into more arms, which obliterate her and absorbing most of her remains. A devastated Mayuri recovers her brain. As Pernida closes in, Mayuri reveals a hidden trap: Nemu's pituitary gland contained a synthetic organ that triggers uncontrollable cell division without her brain. Pernida's body begins to mutate and explodes, though not before one last nerve twist renders Mayuri's legs useless. Yumichika and Ikkaku rescue him, and Mayuri instructs them to retrieve his containment pods holding Rangiku, Hitsugaya, Kensei, and Rose, all of whom he successfully de-zombified at the cost of some of their life expectancy. Rangiku and Hitsugaya are released while Mayuri and Kenpachi are sealed in their place for recovery. Meanwhile, Giselle, Liltotto, and the Bambies fight the Soldats guarding Yhwach, while Bazz-B confronts Haschwalth.
403	37	"Shadows Gone"[g]	Shinichirō Ueda	Masaki Hiramatsu	Shinichirō Ueda	Michio Hasegawa	December 14, 2024 (2024-12-14)	February 15, 2026
As a child, Shunsui Kyōraku often visited his older brother and his wife, the head of the Ise clan, a matriarchal family of priests cursed so that all male members die young. The clan's sacred weapon, Shinken Hakkyōken, is passed down to female heirs and reflects the power of godlike beings back onto them. After her husband's death, the Ise matriarch returns to her family with her unborn daughter Nanao, seeking to protect her from the blade's curse by secretly entrusting it to Shunsui. He conceals it inside his second Zanpakutō spirit, Okyo, created by Ohana, his first Zanpakutō spirit. The Central 46 sentences Nanao's mother to death for losing the sacred treasure. Nanao later enrolls in the Soul Reaper Academy, excelling at Kido and nearly joining the Kido Corps, but is instead assigned to Squad 8, where she unknowingly reunites with her uncle, Shunsui, who mentors her. Back in the present day, Shunsui is critically wounded by Lille, who assumes a new angelic form in his Vollständig and attacks with divine light. Nanao rejoins him, and using his Shikai, Shunsui hides them in Lille's shadow. After revealing their shared history, Shunsui gives Nanao her inherited Zanpakutō. Despite being injured, Nanao uses Shinken Hakkyōken to sever Lille's arm. Together they reflect his ultimate blast, a massive trumpet-shaped energy bomb, back at him, which destroys most of Wahr Welt and severs Lille in half. After the battle, Shunsui and Nanao collapse and begin to recover.
404	38	"Friend"[q]	Dali Chen	Masaki Hiramatsu	Toshiyuki Tsuru[r]	Kiyoshi Komatsubara	December 21, 2024 (2024-12-21)	February 22, 2026
Over a thousand years ago in Licht Reich, young Quincies Bazzard "Bazz-B" Black and Jugram "Jugo" Haschwalth live in the rurals. Though Jugo is unable to absorb Reishi or form a Heilig Bogen, Bazz-B is highly talented. The two bond through hunting, with Bazz-B for training and Jugo for food. Their lives change when Yhwach and his forces destroy their homes and kill their families, leaving the boys orphaned. For the next five years, they train in the wilderness, with Jugo learning swordsmanship to make up for his lack of Quincy abilities. During a visit to town, they encounter Yhwach's soldiers, who are recruiting young Quincies for the Stern Ritter to prepare for war against the Soul Society. When they try to enlist and are dismissed, Bazz-B challenges one of the soldiers. Yhwach suddenly arrives, overwhelming everyone with his spiritual pressure, except for Jugo, who remains standing. Yhwach declares Jugo to be just like him: a Balance Quincy, who cannot form power but distributes it to others and later reclaims it. Bazz-B tries to attack Yhwach, but Jugo deflects it, revealing the bond between them has already begun to fracture. Three years later, Haschwalth becomes the Stern Ritter's commander, while Bazz-B joins as a soldier. Bazz-B continually challenges him to duels, hoping to one day rise up together against Yhwach. Back in the present, during Yhwach's slumber, Bazz-B attacks Haschwalth with his full power, aiming to end Yhwach's influence on him. However, Haschwalth coldly defeats and kills his former friend.
405	39	"The Visible Answer"	Itoko Nagai	Masaki Hiramatsu	Itoko Nagai	Michio Hasegawa	December 28, 2024 (2024-12-28)[d]	March 1, 2026
While Yhwach absorbs Mimihagi in his sleep, causing massive earthquakes across the three worlds, Haschwalth activates The Almighty and begins interrogating Uryū Ishida about his true intentions. Meanwhile, the Visoreds find and heal Renji, who rejoins Urahara, Shinji, Momo, Rukia, Byakuya, and Soi-Fon just in time to face Gerard Valkyrie, who challenges them all at once. Elsewhere, Askin Nakk Le Vaar defeats Ichigo, Orihime, and Chad, explaining that Gerard and Pernida were not given their Schrifts by Yhwach, but were instead named after powers they already possessed as the respective heart and left arm of the Soul King. Askin prepares to eliminate the group when suddenly Yoruichi intervenes. Orihime quickly heals everyone, and Yoruichi sends Ichigo's group off to confront Yhwach, while her brother Yūshirō arrives to assist in battle with her. Meanwhile, after Gerard is overwhelmed and seemingly defeated by the Soul Reapers, he resurrects himself as a towering giant through his Schrift, "The Miracle", which transforms damage inflicted on him into growth. As Rangiku and Hanatarō witness from afar, Gerard devastates nearly the entire group, sparing only Urahara. Askin, now immune to Yūshirō's spiritual pressure through his Schrift, seriously wounds him. Meanwhile, Haschwalth accuses Uryū of a future betrayal and attacks. Uryū is knocked down, crash-landing near Ichigo and his team. Back in the World of the Living, Isshin and Ryūken meet at the graveyard and prepare to head to the Soul Society.
406	40	"My Last Words"[g]	Hikaru Murata & Tomohisa Taguchi	Masaki Hiramatsu	Hikaru Murata	Kumiko Takayanagi	December 28, 2024 (2024-12-28)[d]	March 8, 2026
Haschwalth confronts Uryū, claiming he has already foreseen his thoughts and commands him to kill Ichigo, Orihime, and Chad to prove his loyalty. Meanwhile, in the World of the Living, Isshin and Ryūken use Sōken's old Sun Key to access the Gate of the Sun and enter Wahr Welt. Simultaneously, Riruka and Yukio arrive at the Shiba estate. In Seireitei, Lille's remains fall and begin to spawn smaller clones. However, they are swiftly eliminated by a revived Izuru Kira. As Gerard pursues the injured Momo, the Visoreds assemble and hollowfy to confront him. Yoruichi continues her battle against Askin, shielding her brother Yūshirō. During their battle, Uryū and Ichigo's clash tumbles the group to the castle's lower levels. Uryū finally reveals his true motive: he joined Yhwach not out of loyalty, but to stop him. He cites his grandfather Sōken's book, which warned that Yhwach's revival came at the cost of countless Quincy lives, and that he must be stopped in order to preserve the Quinces' honor. Uryū urges the group to escape to the World of the Living using his Sun Key, but Haschwalth suddenly arrives, revealing that he foresaw this and already destroyed the gate. Uryū then sends Ichigo, Orihime, and Chad ahead to directly fight Yhwach, staying behind to face Haschwalth who expresses surprise at his optimism. Uryū retorts that an Almighty should not be surprised if they truly foresaw the future. Meanwhile, Yhwach kills the surviving Bambies, as Ichigo's group closes in on him.

Recap special

[edit]

No.overall	No. inseries	Title [22]	Original release date
387.5	21.5	"The Blood Warfare, Separation (Interlude)"	September 2, 2023 (2023-09-02)
A recap special covering the first 21 episodes of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War

Home media release

[edit]

Japanese

[edit] Aniplex (Region B/2, Blu-ray & DVD)

Vol.		Discs	Episodes	Release date	Ref.
I	2	1–13	April 26, 2023	[27]
II		14–26	March 27, 2024	[28]
III		27–40	May 28, 2025	[29]

English

[edit] Viz Media (Region A, Blu-ray)

Part		Discs	Episodes	Release date	Ref.
1	2	1–13	March 26, 2024	[30][31]
2		14–26	October 22, 2024	[32][33]
3		27–40	January 13, 2026	[34][35]

Anime Limited (Region B, Blu-ray)

Part		Discs	Episodes	Release date	Ref.
1	2	1–13	October 28, 2024	[36][37]
2		14–26	March 31, 2025	[38][39]

Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b TV Tokyo listed the first cours as airing on Monday at 24:00, which is effectively Tuesday at midnight JST.[6]
2. ^ a b c The first cours' finale aired as a one-hour special, with the 12th and 13th episodes premiering back-to-back.[9]
3. ^ a b c The second cours' finale aired as a one-hour special, with the 25th and 26th episodes premiering back-to-back.[25]
4. ^ a b c The third cours' finale was a one-hour special, with the 39th and 40th episodes premiering back-to-back.[26]
5. ^ Episode number continuing from the previous anime series, which is based on the same manga
6. ^ Episode number within the Thousand-Year Blood War anime series
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Stylized in all caps
8. ^ Stylized in start case
9. ^ Stylized as "The Shooting Star Project (ZERO MIX)"
10. ^ Stylized as "EVERYTHING BUT THE RAIN “June Truth”"
11. ^ Stylized as "THE LAST 9DAYS"
12. ^ Stylized as "HEART of WOLF"
13. ^ Stylized as "Marching Out the ZOMBIES"
14. ^ Stylized as "Marching Out the ZOMBIES 2"
15. ^ Stylized without the comma
16. ^ Stylized as "BABY, HOLD YOUR HAND 2 [Never Ending My Dream]"
17. ^ Stylized in all lowercase
18. ^ Credited as Yasuaki Kurotsu

References

[edit]

1. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (March 20, 2020). "Bleach Manga's "Thousand Year Blood War Arc" Gets Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
2. ^ @BLEACHanimation (November 8, 2021). #ジャンプフェスタ 2022スーパーステージEX『BLEACH』配信決定！ [#JumpFesta 2022 Super Stage EX We're going to distribute "Bleach"!] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved December 12, 2021 – via Twitter.
3. ^ Harding, Daryl (November 29, 2021). "Bleach Event on December 18 to Present 1st Trailer and Visual for Upcoming New TV Anime Adaptation". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
4. ^ 「BLEACH 千年血戦篇」は来年10月放送！ビジュアル＆PV発表、監督は田口智久. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 18, 2021. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
5. ^ Pineda, Rafael; Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 18, 2021). "Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Anime's Video Reveals October 2022 TV Premiere". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
6. ^ a b c 「BLEACH 千年血戦篇」森田成一が掲げた黒崎一護のテーマは"任せる". Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. September 11, 2022. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
7. ^ Loo, Egan (September 11, 2022). "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Anime Unveils 2nd Video, More Cast, Song Artists, Split 4-Cours Length, October 10 Debut". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
8. ^ 「BLEACH 千年血戦篇」森田成一＆杉山紀彰が登壇、BD/DVD発売記念リリイベ. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 15, 2022. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
9. ^ a b c Hazra, Adriana (December 13, 2022). "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Anime's 1st Part Ends on December 26 With 1-Hour Special". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
10. ^ "BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2!". Viz Media. December 27, 2022. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
11. ^ a b Loo, Egan (May 28, 2023). "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Anime's Video Unveils New Opening Song, More Cast, July 8 Return". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
12. ^ Tai, Anita (September 30, 2023). "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 – The Conflict's Promo Video Reveals 2024 Release". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
13. ^ a b アニメ「BLEACH 千年血戦篇」第3クール 卍解シーン詰められた新PV＆キービジュ. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 7, 2024. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
14. ^ Tai, Anita (July 6, 2024). "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 – The Conflict Anime Reveals October Premiere, Opening, Ending Theme Songs, Key Visual". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
15. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (July 4, 2025). "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Anime to Debut in 2026". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 5, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
16. ^ 「BLEACH 千年血戦篇」最終クールは来年7月放送、アニメの軌跡を振り返る特別企画も. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 21, 2025. Archived from the original on December 21, 2025. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
17. ^ 「BLEACH 千年血戦篇」10月10日放送開始！追加キャスト、PV第2弾、主題歌情報公開. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. September 11, 2022. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
18. ^ 『BLEACH』第1話のスペシャルED映像公開 初期の一護...戦いの歴史振り返る内容に. Oricon News (in Japanese). October 11, 2022. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
19. ^ Loo, Egan (June 25, 2023). "Yoh Kamiyama Performs Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Anime's New Ending Song". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
20. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (October 3, 2022). "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Anime Streams on Hulu in U.S., Disney+ Internationally". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
21. ^ a b Mateo, Alex (April 25, 2025). "Toonami to Air Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 25, 2025. May 17 at 12:30 a.m. EDT (effectively, May 18)
22. ^ a b c d e f "Sutōrī | Terebi Anime "Burīchi: Sennen Kessen-hen" Kōshiki Saito" STORY | TVアニメ「BLEACH 千年血戦篇」公式サイト [Story | TV Anime "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War" Official Site]. bleach-anime.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
23. ^ BLEACH 千年血戦篇 (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Archived from the original on December 28, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
24. ^ "Adult Swim Schedule". Adult Swim. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
25. ^ Loo, Egan (August 26, 2023). "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Anime Part 2 Ends With 1-Hour Special on September 30". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
26. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 16, 2024). "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Anime Reveals More Cast, 1-Hour Final Episode For Show's 3rd Part". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 16, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
27. ^ "Burūrei & DVD | Terebi Anime "Burīchi: Sennen Kessen-hen" Kōshiki Saito" Blu-ray&DVD | TVアニメ「BLEACH 千年血戦篇」公式サイト [Blu-ray & DVD | TV Anime "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War" Official Site]. bleach-anime.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
28. ^ "Burūrei & DVD | Terebi Anime "Burīchi: Sennen Kessen-hen" Kōshiki Saito" Blu-ray&DVD | TVアニメ「BLEACH 千年血戦篇」公式サイト [Blu-ray & DVD | TV Anime "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War" Official Site]. bleach-anime.com. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
29. ^ "Burūrei & DVD | Terebi Anime "Burīchi: Sennen Kessen-hen" Kōshiki Saito" Blu-ray&DVD | TVアニメ「BLEACH 千年血戦篇」公式サイト [Blu-ray & DVD | TV Anime "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War" Official Site]. bleach-anime.com. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
30. ^ "BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – Part 1". Viz Media. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
31. ^ "BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – Part 1 (Limited Edition)". Viz Media. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
32. ^ "BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – Part 2". Viz Media. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
33. ^ "BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – Part 2 (Limited Edition)". Viz Media. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
34. ^ "BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – Part 3". Viz Media. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
35. ^ "BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – Part 3 (Limited Edition)". Viz Media. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
36. ^ "BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 1 – Blu-ray". All the Anime. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
37. ^ "BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 1 – Blu-ray Collector's Edition". All the Anime. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
38. ^ "BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 – Blu-ray". All the Anime. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
39. ^ "BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 – Blu-ray Collector's Edition". All the Anime. Retrieved October 11, 2024.

External links

[edit]

• Official website (in Japanese)
• Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War at IMDb 
• Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia

v t e Bleach by Tite Kubo
Manga	Volumes Chapters 1–187 188–423 424–686
Anime	Episodes Season 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Thousand-Year Blood War
Films	Memories of Nobody The DiamondDust Rebellion Fade to Black Hell Verse The Soul Reaper Agent Arc
Video games	Blade Battlers series Heat the Soul series The Blade of Fate Shattered Blade Dark Souls The 3rd Phantom Soul Resurrección Brave Souls Rebirth of Souls Related Jump Super Stars Jump Ultimate Stars J-Stars Victory VS Jump Force
Music	"Ichirin no Hana" "Rolling Star" "After Dark" "Chu-Bura" "Hitohira no Hanabira" "Shōjo S" "Change" "Ranbu no Melody" "Blue" "Harukaze"
Characters	Ichigo Kurosaki Rukia Kuchiki Orihime Inoue Yasutora "Chad" Sado Renji Abarai Byakuya Kuchiki Kenpachi Zaraki Sousuke Aizen Tōshirō Hitsugaya Mayuri Kurotsuchi Yoruichi Shihōin Soul Reapers Hollows
Related	Rock Musical Bleach Trading card game Loituma Girl Burn the Witch
Category