Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3: Everything you need to know

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War spoilers follow.

Ichigo and co are facing their biggest threat yet after 366 episodes, four movies, and two parts of the revival series Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.

The Soul Society, and some unlikely allies, are facing off against the Wandenreich, the hidden empire of the Quincy. Over 26 episodes we’ve seen multiple face-offs with massive losses on each side, including the Soul Society losing its oldest and most revered Captains.

Fan favourites have died and come back to life(ish), while others have been sacrificed in pursuit of power. Plus we had a major betrayal from Uryu Ishida, a long-time friend and ally to Ichigo and co.

To say a lot has happened is an understatement, and there’s a hell of a lot more to come. So, grab your Zanpakuto and get ready for a long journey to the Soul King Palace, Digital Spy is here to get you ready for Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 potential release date: When does it come out?

Information about Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 was thankfully announced after the extra-long finale special.

It seems a similar gap in airing between Parts 1 and 2 will be followed again, with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 looking to start airing in spring 2024. If this continues, we’ll likely see part 4 towards the end of 2024 or in early 2025.

This could be the last time we see Bleach on screen unless we see further canon light novels adapted, more original movies, or an adaptation of the Hell Arc one-shot manga released by series creator Tite Kubo in 2021.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 cast: Who will be in it?

Unless anything happens behind the scenes, we’ll see all the regular Japanese and English voice actors return for Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Part 3, including:

• Ichigo Kurosaki – Masakazu Morita (JP) / Johnny Yong Bosch (EN)
• Rukia Kuchiki – Fumiko Orikasa (JP) / Michelle Ruff (EN)
• Orihime Inoue – Yuki Matsuoaka (JP) / Stephanie Sheh (EN)
• Yasutora ‘Chad’ Sado – Hiroki Yasumoto (JP) / Alain Mesa (EN)
• Uryu Ishida – Noriaki Sugiyama (JP) / Derek Stephen Prince (EN)
• Renji Abarai – Kentarō Itō (JP) / Wally Wingert (EN)
• Byakuya Kuchiki – Ryōtarō Okiayu (JP) / Daniel Woren (EN)
• Toshiro Hitsugaya – Romi Park (JP) / Steve Staley (EN)
• Kisuke Urahara – Shinichiro Miki (JP) / Dough Erholtz (EN)
• Yhwach – Takayuki Sugo (JP) / Richard Epcar (EN)
• Jugram Haschwalth – Yuichiro Umehara (JP) / Robbie Daymond (EN)
• Bazz-B – Yuuki Ono (JP) / Xander Mobus (EN)
• Askin Nakk Le Vaar – Shunsuke Takeuchi (JP) / Daman Mills (EN)

New cast members will likely be announced closer to the launch date.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 plot: What will happen and what manga chapters will it adapt?

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part Three will largely follow Tite Kubo’s original manga, which concluded in 2016. However, as we saw towards the conclusion of Part Two, we’re now going off-script- and this will likely only ramp up.

Kubo plays a big part in the anime adaptation and has expressed his disappointment in having to rush the last arc of the manga series due to his failing health. Now, at the creative helm of it all, he’s able to rewrite the series the way he intended.

It roughly looks like Part 3 will pick up around chapter 612, but it’s hard to predict how much material we’ll see covered this time as additional anime-only scenes get added.

Kubo has confirmed we’re going to see a lot more of Squad 13 Captain Jūshirō Ukitake. Ukitake plays a pivotal role in the manga, giving us extensive background on himself and the true nature of the Soul King. However, it all happens so fast, with further context only given in later light novels.

As teased in Part Two, we’ll see more of some familiar faces, including the Vizards and Yoruichi Shihouin, who has been largely absent from the first 26 episodes. Expect more of fan favourite villain Sōsuke Aizen too, who already made a brief appearance earlier in the series. He’s a favourite of Kubo, and we’d bet money on some more original scenes with him expanding how the Soul Reapers use him against Yhwach.

Overall, expect more flashy fights with stunning animation, more power-ups, big reveals, and a hell of a lot more lore about the true nature of the Soul Society. No spoilers, but we’ll definitely see some top Soul Reapers attempt to take the Soul King Palace back from Yhwach and his team of Sternritter before his invasion is complete, and before Uryu Ishida is fully lost to their cause.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 trailer: Any footage yet?

New footage of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War likely won’t arrive until early 2024. While you wait, dive into other shonen anime, like Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia, or rewatch the original Bleach series, if you’re up to that mammoth task.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War airs on Hulu and Disney+.