The second season of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War ended on September 30th. Fans were able to enjoy the simultaneous release of the last two episodes, for an action-packed hour-long spectacle. With Division 0 seemingly victorious, what can we look forward to in Season 3?
A long-awaited sequel
Tite Kubo’s manga (Bleach, Burn The Witch) ended in 2012. As for the anime, it came to an abrupt end two years later, in 2014. The return of Bleach, last year, was therefore a great relief for its fans. Indeed, it took almost 10 years to finally see the adaptation of the final arc. And what a bow! We have long awaited Bankais like Rukia’s, significant deaths like the Gotei captain’s, new ultra-charismatic characters… However, we will still need a little patience to know the end of the adventures of Ichigo and the Soul Society.
Indeed, Pierrot studio is producing this new series. However, the legendary company behind The Mysterious Cities of Gold, Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, Yu Yu Hakusho or GTO, is currently overwhelmed. In addition to having to manage several series simultaneously, they are also responsible for directing films (most recently: Black Clover, Sword of the Wizard King) and OAVs.
With already 26 episodes of Bleach under its belt, the studio needs some time to prepare for what comes next. Especially since it is certainly going to be eventful. It’s about honoring the end of one of the most popular mangas of all time, as Bleach has long been part of the Big Three. And Tite Kubo has indeed saved the best for last, between legendary fights, legendary outfits and poignant revelations.
Bleach season 3
Season 2 ends as Yhwach falls into the void, defeated by Manako Osho. However, the trailer for Season 3 does indicate his return. We can bet that the Quincy god will deal with a lot of damages upon reemerging from his apparent death. The anime is full of surprises as Season 3, just like Season 2, will contain original scenes, supervised by Tite Kubo. The latter was unable to finish his manga properly and therefore hopes to finally be able to do it right this time.
As the captains of the 13 divisions prepare to face the ultimate threat, we can only wait for the still unrevealed Bankai. Among them, Shunsui Kyoraku’s, leader of Gotei, Shinji’s and Kisuke Urahara’s are the highest source of fantasy. Not to mention Zaraki Kenpachi, who has just been introduces to his sword. We can also wonder about the reaction of the Sternritters betrayed by Yhwach and left for dead, who could harbor resentment. We also can’t wait for the new opening, which will certainly be as impactful as the previous ones.
The Pierrot studio knows that it will have to do everything possible to rightfully adapt the work of Tite Kubo. The mangaka had seen his drawing evolve to the point of obtaining sublime pages during his last arc, which spans over 21 volumes. We therefore expect powerful, breath-taking visions, pushing the limits of animation seen so far on Bleach.
Season 3 is announced for 2024, with no further details at the moment. However, if we follow the release logic of the first two seasons, we should be able to see it early in the year. In the meantime, the impatient can already rush to the manga to admire the end of their favorite work.
