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Note: The article below contains spoilers from the manga.
During the recent Anime Expo, VIZ Media treated Bleach fans to the world premiere trailer of the Thousand-Year Blood War, as well as new key art for the upcoming series.
The anime is set to make a comeback in October 2022 and will be an anime rendition of the manga’s Thousand Year Blood War arc. Legendary mangaka Tite Kubo himself made a video appearance at the reveal, leaving a message for long-time fans during Bleach's Anime Expo panel.
He stated that the community will be able to “expect modern contemporary coloring” as well as a unique “viewing experience with the new anime.”
The upcoming series will cover the final arc of the manga, meaning that it will span from volumes 55 to 74. Furthermore, the cast will include returning characters as well as those who were not previously introduced in the original anime, but were present in the Bleach: Brave Souls video game.
With the series set to make a return later this year, there is clearly major speculation regarding what fans can expect from the upcoming arc.
What to expect from Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War arc
As mentioned, the series will be animating the final arc of the manga, which is why fans can expect to see the narrative of the chosen volumes playing out with certain deviations here and there.
The upcoming Bleach arc will feature the return of the Quincy army, which will be led by Yhwach, as they desire to absorb the Soul King in an attempt to collapse the three worlds of the Hueco Mundo, Soul Society, and the Human World.
Fans will see a rift between Uryu Ishida and his friends, as he will be crowned Yhwach’s successor, and will once again be pitted against Ichigo as an antagonist.
Bleach was notorious for showcasing some incredibly intense battles as the narrative progressed, and fans can definitely expect to see the same in the upcoming arc. However, instead of focusing purely on the protagonists, the community will also get to see Nanao Ise and Nemu Kurotsuchi stepping up as they look to give it their all to protect their captains.
As per the manga, the narrative will also be providing more backstory regarding Ichigo and Uryu’s parents, as well as their relationship with one another. There will also be a final battle with Yhwach, which will then lead to a 10-year time skip. Following this, fans will get to see that Ichigo has married Orihime Inoue, Rukia has married Renji Abarai, while Uryu becomes a Doctor.
Cast list for Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Arc
While the voice cast for all the characters is not officially confirmed yet, fans can expect the VAs who voiced the characters during the original series to return.
This lineup might include:
Ichigo Kurosaki:
- Masakazu Morita (Tidus in "Final Fantasy X")
- Johnny Yong Bosch (Vash the Stampede in Trigun)
Rukia Kuchiki
- Fumiko Orikasa (Riza Hawkeye in "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood")
- Michelle Ruff (Fujiko Mine in "Lupin the Third")
Uryu Ishida
- Noriaki Sugiyama (Sasuke in "Naruto)
- Derek Stephen Prince (Keitaro Urashima in "Love Hina")
Orihime Inoue
- Yuki Matsuoka (Osaka in "Azumanga Daioh")
- Stephanie Sheh (Usagi Tsukino in "Sailor Moon")
Yasutora 'Chad' Sado
- Hiroki Yasumoto (Germany in "Axis Powers: Hetalia")
- Jamieson Price (Lordgenome in "Gurren Lagann")
Renji Abarai
- Kentarō Itō (Fukaboshi in "One Piece)
- Wally Wingert (the Riddler in the "Batman: Arkham" games)
Byakuya Kuchiki
- Ryōtarō Okiayu (Shigure Sohma in "Fruits Basket")
- Daniel Woren (Caster in "Fate/Zero").
As there will be a lot of characters who will be introduced in the arc, especially those included in the Quincy army, it is too soon to say who will be playing them.
