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Learn when Bleach Anime is returning with Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4: The Calamity and hitting the screens.
Bleach fans, the moment is almost here. The grand finale we’ve been waiting for since the anime’s legendary return in 2022. The good news is that Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4, officially titled “The Calamity,” is expected to premiere either in late 2025 or early 2026. This final part will conclude the epic story that began in 2022 when the beloved anime made its triumphant comeback. Holding your breath for Ichigo Kurosaki’s final showdown? You might have to wait just a little longer—but not too long.
As fans await the final chapter of Bleach, let’s have a quick discussion about everything we know about the anime’s return and what we can expect from its epic conclusion.
Current Status of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War
The Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime has already completed three parts of its planned four-part structure. Part 1 premiered in October 2022, followed by Part 2 in July 2023, and most recently, Part 3 (subtitled “The Conflict”) concluded in December 2024. The pattern shows roughly a year between releases, although the gap between Parts 2 and 3 stretched to about 15 months. Each part has adapted portions of the manga’s final arc, which was never animated during the original anime run that ended in 2012.
Currently, the story has reached approximately Chapter 656 of the original manga. This means there are only about 30 chapters left to adapt for the final installment. The production team is actively working on Part 4, with manga creator Tite Kubo heavily involved in the process. In December 2024, Kubo revealed he had attended production meetings where they “seriously discussed each episode, one by one” and mentioned he had prepared new storyboards for the team.
Bleach Series Timeline
- Original Bleach Anime: October 2004 – March 2012
- Thousand-Year Blood War Part 1: October 2022
- Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2: July 2023
- Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 (The Conflict): October 2024
- Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4 (The Calamity): Expected late 2025 or early 2026
Expected Release Window for Part 4
The big question on everyone’s mind is when Bleach anime is returning for its final chapter. Based on the release pattern of previous parts and information from production sources, we can expect Part 4 to premiere either in late 2025 or potentially early 2026. A 2025 release would maintain the roughly annual schedule the series has followed so far.
Several factors support this timeline. First, a trailer for Part 4 was already released in December 2024, suggesting significant progress in production planning. However, Tite Kubo’s comments about attending meetings for Part 4 in December indicate that the animation process likely hadn’t begun at that time. Animation is typically the longest part of production.
If Part 4 follows the longer production cycle of Part 3 (which took 15 months), this would place the release in early 2026. So while fans are anxious about when Bleach anime is returning, they should prepare for a potential wait of at least a year from the conclusion of Part 3.
This will be Bleach’s final season, so expect a grand sendoff!
What Will Happen in The Calamity
Right now, things are tense. The war has reached its tipping point. The Calamity, the final part, will adapt the ultimate confrontations in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, focusing primarily on the all-out war that gives the arc its name. After three parts of buildup, character development, and preliminary battles, Part 4 will finally pay off all the storylines in spectacular fashion.
The remaining episodes will center on Ichigo and the Soul Society’s final battles against the remaining Sternritter members, particularly Askin Nakk Le Vaar (Sternritter D) and Gerard Valkyrie (Sternritter M). These confrontations will lead to the ultimate showdown with the incredibly powerful Quincy king Yhwach. He threatens to collapse the three worlds (the Human World, the Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo).
When Bleach anime returns, these moments become important because these final episodes will contain some of the most spectacular battles and emotional moments in the entire series. The bar was raised, and now, expectations for Part 4 are sky-high.
Production Updates from the Team of Bleach Anime
The production team behind Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has been relatively open with updates about the upcoming final part. Tite Kubo, the original manga creator, has taken a hands-on approach with this adaptation.
In December 2024, he shared that he attended production meetings specifically for Part 4, where they meticulously reviewed each episode. This level of involvement from the creator is promising news for fans wondering when Bleach anime is returning and what quality they can expect.
Studio Pierrot Films, a specialized sub-studio created to produce higher-quality animation, remains at the helm for this final chapter. With Kubo overseeing changes, this won’t just be a repeat of the manga—it’ll be the definitive version.
Conclusion
In the end, we don’t have an exact date for when Bleach anime is returning. All signs point to a late 2025 or early 2026 premiere for Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4: The Calamity. The production team is hard at work creating what promises to be an epic conclusion to one of anime’s most beloved franchises.
Stay tuned for official updates. And in the meantime, rewatch the first three parts of Thousand-Year Blood War.
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