'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
With Bleach TYBW set to give a glimpse of the First Generation Gotei 13 Court Guards in the upcoming episode, manga author Tite Kubo unveiled a new colored double-spread illustration showing the original Gotei 13 captains in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump #51.
Originally, Tite Kubo's Bleach finished serialization on August 22, 2016. However, as part of its 20th Anniversary celebration, the manga author released a one-shot chapter called No Breaths From Hell in August 2021. While no new additional chapters for the arc have been released, it seems fans can finally expect something new.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Bleach manga.
Bleach TYBW: Tite Kubo's new illustration hints at new Hell arc information
With Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump #51 unveiling a new Bleach illustration that features the First Generation Gotei 13 Court Guard Captains, it seems like Tite Kubo might be hinting at a continuation of the Bleach manga.
Following the release of the No Breaths From Hell one-shot, Tite Kubo kept tight-lipped about the upcoming arc. However, with the release of the Bleach TYBW anime, it seems like Tite Kubo has found his spark to continue the manga as he created an illustration featuring all the original Gotei 13 captains.
While the reason for releasing the illustration hasn't been confirmed, given that the captains (except for Yamamoto and Unohana) only had their silhouettes shown in the manga, the chances of them appearing in Bleach TYBW seem to be low. Thus, the illustration might be a hint at new information surrounding the Hell arc.
What can we expect from the Bleach manga's Hell arc?
In the Bleach manga, after Yamamoto and Yhwach's fight, Yhwach starts rambling about how the Gotei 13 had weakened over time. He claimed how the original captains were part of Divisions in just their name but happened to be some of the most ruthless and diabolical thugs to ever exist in the Soul Society.
Yamamoto and Unohana previously being a part of it, Yhwach established to the fans that the First Generation Gotei 13 captains were the strongest, and since then, the Gotei 13 have weakened over time.
That said, Bleach's one-shot manga No Breaths From Hell established that all Shinigami, who were captain-level and above, were cast into hell. Thus, it can be concluded that if Tite Kubo were to continue the Hell arc, it would show us the dead Gotei 13 captains, including "Court Guard Founder" Yamamoto Genryusai, "Death Sword" Retsu Unohana, "Kamikake Godsworn" Jushiro Ukitake, and other captains from the original Gotei 13.
With this, several fans could fulfill their long-awaited dream of seeing the First Generation Gotei 13 captains in action. After witnessing Yamamoto's Bankai: Zanka no Tachi in the recent Bleach TYBW episode, fans can only wonder how overpowered the other captains' Bankais would be.
With Kubo already having released colored sketches for several characters in their Hell arc attire, the chances for the manga to continue seem really high.
As for the story, the one-shot featured Szayelaporro Granz appearing in the World of the Living, claiming how the souls present in hell now had enough power to pry open their way into the World of Living. Thus, the manga could feature a battle in which the Shinigami may attempt to defeat the characters present in hell in an attempt to shut the jaws of hell.
