The day we all anime fans have been waiting for has finally arrived! The much-awaited third cours of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is set to premiere today, bringing back another exhilarating chapter in the supernatural shonen series that has dominated the anime scene for over two decades.
As the fall anime season heats up with exciting new adaptations like Dragon Ball Daima and Dandadan, Bleach‘s return stands out as arguably the most anticipated comebacks. So far, Studio Pierrot has been doing a great job in making sure that Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies’ ongoing battle against Yhwach lives up to fans’ sky-high expectations.
The new opening theme, “Without Any Words” by SIX LOUNGE, has already been released, and it’s already being hailed as a potential contender for the best anime song of the season.
When we last left our heroes, things were looking grim for the Soul Society. Despite finding a way to counter the Wandenreich’s Bankai-stealing abilities, Yhwach and his top lieutenants, the Sternritters, had breached the defenses of the Royal Guard. Unfortunately for the Sternritters, Yhwach reclaimed all the power he had “loaned” them, setting the stage for the final showdown that will push Ichigo and his companions to their absolute limits.
The official description for the opening episode teases the intense battle between the Zero Squad and Yhwach’s Royal Guard over the Soul King. Manga fans who’ve waited for so long will be looking forward to seeing Sutara Senjumaru unleash the seal of the blood oath and Hyosube Ichibei face off against Yhwach with his bankai, Shirafude Ichimonji.
The third cours will consist of 13 episodes, following the same pattern established by the previous cours. New episodes will be released weekly, with the finale (a double episode) scheduled for December 21.
While this third part brings us closer to the conclusion of Ichigo’s journey, fans can take comfort in knowing that there’s still more to come. Studio Pierrot has confirmed a fourth and final part of the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc, which will wrap up the anime adaptation of Tite Kubo’s acclaimed manga series.
Although the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc is the last major storyline in the manga, Tite Kubo released a special one-shot chapter, No Breaths from Hell, in 2021. I will not spoil any details, but the cliffhanger ending clearly leaves the door open for more chapters of the story.
