Byakuya Kuchiki’s defining trait? Voice actor Rintarou Okiayu wants to see “BLEACH” to the end. The final arc’s 3rd cour, “The Separation,” starts Oct 5th. Celebrate 20 years with new key visuals, PV, cast comments, and episode 27 details.
The third cour of the final arc of the ‘BLEACH’ anime, ‘BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Arc – The Separation’, will begin airing on October 5th at 11 PM on TV Tokyo. Along with this announcement, a 20th anniversary key visual, a promotional video, celebratory comments from the cast, and a synopsis and scene cuts for episode 27 have been released.
The newly released key visual commemorating the 20th anniversary of the series showcases the battles that Ichigo Kurosaki has fought against formidable opponents such as Byakuya Kuchiki, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Ulquiorra Cifer, Sosuke Aizen, Kugo Ginjo, and Yhwach, leaving viewers with a sense of the journey these characters have been on.
“BLEACH,” which was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2001 to 2016, is a story about Ichigo Kurosaki, a high school student who gains the powers of a Shinigami (Soul Reaper) after meeting Rukia Kuchiki, a Shinigami. The series follows Ichigo and his friends as they embark on various adventures.
With over 130 million comic volumes sold, BLEACH has been adapted into various media, including video games and a live-action film starring Sota Fukushi in 2018. The anime series aired from 2004 to 2012. The “Thousand-Year Blood War” arc, which is planned to adapt the entire final arc of the manga, marked the return of the anime after a nearly 10-year hiatus, with the first cour airing from October to December 2024 and the second cour from July to September 2024.
Rintarou Okiayu (as Byakuya Kuchiki): A hearty congratulations on the 20th anniversary of the BLEACH anime! The studio back then was filled with a lively cast, all driven by a desire to create something truly special. Even I, who must have been quite green at the time, was surely filled with that same passion.
To think that the BLEACH sequel would return as a TV series 10 years later and that we, the cast, would get to play the same characters again… there’s no greater happiness. I’m filled with gratitude for all of you who have supported us.
Let me express my strong desire to see the series through to the end with these words, which have become synonymous with Byakuya: ‘Scatter.’”
Episode 27 Synopsis
A battle unfolds between the Zero Division and Yhwach’s Schutzstaffels, centered around the Soul King. Amidst the fierce conflict, Shutara Senjumaru, having released the Blood Pact’s seal at the cost of Kirinji, Hikifune, and Nimaiya’s lives, unleashes his Bankai, “Shatatsu Karagara Shigarami no Tsuji,” cornering Uryu Ishida and the remaining Schutzstaffel. Meanwhile, Ichibe Hyosube confronts Yhwach, releasing his Zanpakuto, “Shirafude Ichimonji,” and transforming Yhwach into a fragile, ephemeral black ant. Cornered, Yhwach and Uryu face a desperate situation. The outcome of the battle remains to be seen…