Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4 has officially been announced. The fourth cour, subtitled The Calamity, will wrap up the anime series adaptation of the manga's final story arc.
The announcement was accompanied by an announcement trailer and visual key art. Unfortunately, no premiere date was announced.
However, the series, which first premiered in October 2022, has released a new part every year. So there's a good chance that Part 4 - The Calamity will premiere in 2025.
Based on the Bleach manga series by Tite Kubo and a direct sequel to the Bleach anime series that ran from 2004 until 2012, Thousand-Year Blood War is an adaptation of the manga's final story arc. The first cours, subtitled The Blood Warfare, consisted of 13 episodes and ran from October 2022 to December 2022. The second cours, The Separation, was also 13 episodes and was broadcast from July to September 2023.
The third cours and most recent, The Conflict, kicked off in October of this year. The 14-episode cours just concluded this week, coinciding with the Part 4 announcement.
All three parts of the Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War series adaptation can be streamed on Hulu in the United States and on Disney+ worldwide. All episodes are available with subs with English dubs available up until Episode 35 as of this writing. The synopsis reads:
Was it all just a coincidence, or was it inevitable?
Ichigo Kurosaki gained the powers of a Soul Reaper through a chance encounter. As a Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo became caught in the turmoil of the Soul Society, a place where deceased souls gather. But with help from his friends, Ichigo overcame every challenge to become even stronger.
When new Soul Reapers and a new enemy appear in his hometown of Karakura, Ichigo jumps back into the battlefield with his Zanpakuto to help those in need. Meanwhile, the Soul Society is observing a sudden surge in the number of Hollows being destroyed in the World of the Living. They also receive separate reports of residents in the Rukon District having gone missing. Finally, the Seireitei, home of the Soul Reapers, comes under attack by a group calling themselves the Wandenreich.
Led by Yhwach, the father of all Quincies, the Wandenreich declare war against the Soul Reapers with the following message: “Five days from now, the Soul Society will be annihilated by the Wandenreich.”
The history and truth kept hidden by the Soul Reapers for a thousand long years is finally brought to light.
All things must come to an end—as Ichigo Kurosaki’s final battle begins!
The Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime is produced by Studio Pierrot with Tomohisa Taguchi directing. Taguchi also wrote the series with Masashi Kudo designing the characters and Shiro Sagisu composing the music.
Those interested in the original Bleach anime, which was also produced by Pierrot, can stream it on Hulu. All episodes are available with English subs and dubs.