Bleach's Final Season Is Here After 22 Years, And Its First 3 Episodes Are All 10/10s

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Ichigo Kurosaki as seen in Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War visual

Published Jun 25, 2026, 10:56 PM EDT

Joshua Edward Ryan Fox is a freelance writer for Screen Rant with a passion for pop culture. Joshua grew up in Connecticut where he developed an appreciation for writing and entertainment and has earned a Master's degree in professional writing and technical writing. His writing has been quoted by both the anime streaming site Crunchyroll and the anime YouTuber Gigguk.

Warning: Contains spoilers for Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War: The Calamity episodes #1-#3.22 years after its conception, Bleach’s final season is almost here. Between the initial decade-long hiatus after the Lost Agent arc and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War breaking its annual release schedule after part 3, things have certainly been rough for Bleach fans, but the fact that so much love is being put into Bleach’s final arc after the story seemingly faded from relevance is still nothing short of amazing.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 4, The Calamity, is set to be an amazing conclusion to the series, but there’s still a bit of a wait, as part 4 won’t premiere until July 25, almost a month into the summer anime season. Fortunately, fans can already get a sneak peek at what part 4 has to offer; for the next week, the first three episodes of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War: The Calamity are playing in theaters as a feature presentation, and for anyone who can see it, there’s no doubt that it will be well worth the wait.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Looks Better Than Ever In Its Final Season

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War’s final season will be amazing, and one of the biggest reasons why is its visual spectacle. Not only is the artwork as gorgeous as ever, but as seen with fights like Yoruichi vs. Askin and Ichigo vs. Yhwach, the animation and overall direction are as amazing as ever, with how fluid everything looks and how creative the camerawork was, making for some of the most gorgeous animation in the entire franchise.

The incredibly gorgeous visuals of The Calamity especially shine in the original content; in addition to expanding on the powers of Urahara’s Bankai, the fights of Ichigo and Orihime vs. Yhwach and Uryu vs. Haschwalth had tons of content that wasn’t in the manga, and the anime used that as a chance to fill the anime with some truly amazing action and animation to flesh things out. Acclaimed animator Hikaru Murata returned to the director's chair after taking over in part 3, and his work has inarguably gotten even better.

One Of The Biggest Anime Series Ever Made Officially Begins Its Final Season Next Month

Over two decades after its first episode aired, one of the all-time biggest anime series is finally ending, and its conclusion is just a month away.

One of the major hallmarks of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has been its commitment to both respecting the manga’s original vision and expanding on what Tite Kubo originally made, something the staff reiterated in an interview after the screening, and with how great the art and animation are in canon and original scenes alike, it’s more than succeeded at every turn. Part 4 looks to be taking all of that to its logical extreme, and even with just three episodes, it’s poised to be the best season of Bleach in the history of the franchise.

Bleach's Final Season Is Delivering The Perfect Story For The Anime

As great as the animation is in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War: The Calamity, what really ties it all together is the story being told. With everything that’s happened across the first three seasons, Thousand-Year Blood War part 4 has reached the natural endpoint of the anime’s story, and between the characterization of villains like Askin and Haschwalth and how intense the drama of Ichigo and Yhwach’s fight is, it feels like as strong a climax as a person could ask for.

Much of what made the writing so great is once again owed to Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War's original content. Not only did the anime benefit from expanding on the Vizards and especially Orihime in the final battle, but it also greatly expanded on Uryu’s fight with Haschwalth by both coming up with more uses for Uryu’s Vollstandig and giving Haschwalth a new form mirroring Yhwach’s fusion with the Soul King. It expanded on the source material in the best of ways, and it was a perfect showing of what makes Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War so great.

Not only that, but just like in previous seasons, part 4 further fleshed out the narrative by including content from Bleach’s sequel, Can’t Fear Your Own World, which added some much-needed context to Yhwach’s plan and gave Ichigo even more character development. The writing was nothing short of amazing, and with that just being the first three episodes, the rest of the season is bound to be a masterpiece.

It’s been well-documented that a combination of Tite Kubo’s health issues and Weekly Shonen Jump’s gruelling schedule left Bleach’s final arc rather short on content, and while sequel stories and interviews helped flesh things out, it still resulted in the ending feeling rather lackluster. Because of that, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has gone to great lengths to flesh out the worldbuilding and character writing of the original manga, much to fans' and critics’ unanimous joy, and just from the preview screening, The Calamity will do the best job of that yet.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Is Already Anime Of The Year Material

Key visual for Thousand-Year Blood War part 4

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War won’t come back until the end of July, but just from the preview screening, it’s already anime of the year material. Not only is the animation and overall direction shaping up to be the best the anime has ever put out, but when combined with the amazing story being told and how much it’s expanding on the manga, it’s an incredible experience for old and new fans alike, and with how long it took to reach this point, that’s everything a Bleach fan could ask for.

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Dragon Ball, created by Akira Toriyama, is one of the most influential manga ever published in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series follows Goku on his journey from a child to the universe’s greatest fighter. What is Goku’s original Saiyan name?

AVegeta BKakarot CBardock DRaditz

✓ Correct! Goku’s birth name is Kakarot, given to him on Planet Vegeta before he was sent to Earth as a baby. His Saiyan rival Vegeta famously refuses to call him “Goku” and always refers to him by his true Saiyan name, Kakarot.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kakarot. Vegeta is the Saiyan prince, Bardock is Goku’s father, and Raditz is Goku’s older brother. Kakarot is the Saiyan name given to Goku at birth before he was sent to Earth.

Naruto Uzumaki dreams of becoming the Hokage — the leader of his village. Throughout the series, Naruto carries a powerful entity sealed inside him since birth. What is sealed within Naruto?

AThe Ten-Tails BThe Curse Mark CKurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox DThe Rinnegan

✓ Correct! Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, was sealed inside Naruto by his father, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, on the day of his birth. What began as a source of fear and isolation for Naruto eventually became his greatest ally and friend.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Ten-Tails is a different, more powerful beast. The Curse Mark is Orochimaru’s seal, and the Rinnegan is a legendary eye technique. Kurama was sealed in Naruto at birth by the Fourth Hokage.

In the manga Bleach by Tite Kubo, the main character Ichigo Kurosaki gains the powers of a Soul Reaper. Soul Reapers wield unique weapons that have names and special abilities. What are these signature weapons called?

ASacred Gears BZanpakuto CNen Weapons DBankai Blades

✓ Correct! Zanpakuto are the signature weapons of Soul Reapers in Bleach. Each Zanpakuto has its own spirit and name, and a Soul Reaper must learn that name to unlock its Shikai (initial release) and eventually its Bankai (final release) forms.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Zanpakuto. Sacred Gears are from High School DxD, Nen is the power system from Hunter x Hunter, and Bankai is actually a Zanpakuto’s final release form — not the weapon’s name itself. Zanpakuto literally means “soul-cutting sword.”

In Dragon Ball Z, Frieza is one of the most iconic villains in anime history. He is a tyrannical galactic emperor responsible for destroying the Saiyan homeworld. What is the name of the planet Frieza destroyed?

APlanet Namek BPlanet Vegeta CPlanet Sadala DEarth

✓ Correct! Planet Vegeta, named after King Vegeta, was the homeworld of the Saiyan race. Frieza destroyed it with a single energy blast because he feared the growing power of the Saiyans and the legend of the Super Saiyan. Only a handful of Saiyans survived, including Goku and Vegeta.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Planet Vegeta. Planet Namek is the home of the Namekians and the Dragon Balls, Planet Sadala is the Saiyan homeworld in Universe 6, and Earth is where Goku was raised. Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta out of fear of the Saiyan race’s potential.

My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) by Kohei Horikoshi is set in a world where most people have superpowers. What is the term used for these superpowers in My Hero Academia?

AStands BJutsu CQuirks DCursed Techniques

✓ Correct! In My Hero Academia, about 80% of the world’s population possesses a Quirk — a unique superpower that manifests in childhood. The protagonist Izuku Midoriya was born Quirkless but inherited the powerful Quirk “One For All” from the greatest hero, All Might.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Quirks. Stands are from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Jutsu are techniques from Naruto, and Cursed Techniques belong to Jujutsu Kaisen. In My Hero Academia, superpowers are called Quirks, and they vary wildly from person to person.

Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami features a power system based on negative human emotions that manifest as dangerous supernatural beings. What are these beings called?

AHollows BDemons CCursed Spirits DTitans

✓ Correct! Cursed Spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen are born from the accumulation of negative emotions like fear, hatred, and sadness leaked by humans. Jujutsu sorcerers like protagonist Yuji Itadori use cursed energy to exorcise these dangerous beings and protect humanity.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Cursed Spirits. Hollows are from Bleach, Demons are from Demon Slayer, and Titans are from Attack on Titan. In Jujutsu Kaisen, negative human emotions give rise to Cursed Spirits that jujutsu sorcerers must exorcise.

In Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) by Koyoharu Gotouge, protagonist Tanjiro Kamado uses specialized sword techniques called Breathing Styles. What is the first Breathing Style that Tanjiro learns?

ASun Breathing BWater Breathing CFire Breathing DThunder Breathing

✓ Correct! Tanjiro learns Water Breathing from the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki. Water Breathing is known for its fluid, adaptable movements. While Tanjiro later discovers his connection to the legendary Sun Breathing (Hinokami Kagura), Water Breathing was his first and foundational combat style.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Water Breathing. Sun Breathing is the original style that Tanjiro discovers later through his family’s Hinokami Kagura dance. Fire Breathing and Thunder Breathing are used by other Demon Slayers. Tanjiro trained under Sakonji Urokodaki to master Water Breathing first.

Weekly Shonen Jump has been the home of many of the biggest manga series in history. Which of these series has sold the most copies worldwide as of 2024?

ANaruto BDragon Ball COne Piece DDemon Slayer

✓ Correct! One Piece by Eiichiro Oda holds the record as the best-selling manga series of all time, with over 500 million copies sold worldwide. Running since 1997, the series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew on their quest to find the legendary treasure, the One Piece.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is One Piece. While Naruto (~250 million), Dragon Ball (~260 million), and Demon Slayer (~150 million) are all massive sellers, One Piece stands alone with over 500 million copies sold — making it the best-selling manga in history by a wide margin.

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During Bleach’s original run, Bleach became incredibly divisive among fans and critics for how both the anime and the manga were handled, and in the decade that followed, it has become increasingly common for people to write it off as garbage. Some people even go so far as to say anime like Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, and even Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, of all things, should replace Bleach in the “Big 3” of anime, and that level of constant disrespect has been nothing but disappointing to watch.

As frustrating as the disrespect levied at Bleach can be, the phenomenal work put into Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has proved its worth as a story time and time again, and with the amazing writing and visual spectacle promised by part 4, that will soon become even harder to deny. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is perfectly poised to bring the series to an utterly grand finale after 22 years, and it will be great to watch it all unfold from July 25 onward.