After nearly a decade of laying dormant, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War ignited a new interest in the franchise. With that new interest naturally comes a curiosity about where the series is headed for its second part.
Bleach is something of an anomaly in the world of Shonen Jump. Initially a member of Shonen Jump’s “big three” alongside Naruto and One Piece, Bleach was a massive success for much of its initial run. Unfortunately, waning interest among the fandom led to the series’ anime adaptation being canceled in 2012, long before Bleach’s manga finale in 2016. Despite the series’ divisive ending though, the last arc’s anime adaptation, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, was met with an outpouring of support. With Part 1 of Thousand-Year Blood War concluded on December 26th, 2022, many have been wondering what to expect from the revival’s second part.
Latest Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 News
The first part of Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War ended with a two-part finale on December 26, 2022, and that finale was immediately followed by a trailer for the second part, which offered a release window of July 2023. A tweet by Viz Media from December 26 gave a name for Part 2 as well: Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War – The Separation. Recently, Bleach creator Tite Kubo stated in an interview that at least one fight that was cut from the Bleach manga will be restored and animated in the second part, although he was not specific as to what this fight would be. It does, however, open the door for more cut content to be restored in the future, either later in Part 2 or even into Parts 3 or 4.
Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 released a new trailer on May 28, 2023, showcasing footage from the upcoming episodes and teasing some anticipated events. It is now confirmed that Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 will debut on July 8, 2023, and weekly from that point onward. Like the first part, the new episodes of Part 2 will debut on Hulu first in the US, and Disney Plus elsewhere. The series will stream with subtitles available for six languages, making availability for simulcasting far greater than it has been previously.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Release Date
The second trailer for Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2, which contains actual footage from the new episodes, also provided a solid date for its return: July 8, 2023. The series is said to be streaming with subtitles in six different languages on that date, opening up week-to-week simulcast viewing for many new fans. Word on the dubbed version of Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 is said to be coming “soon,” although Viz did not provide any context as to when that would be. Dubbed episodes of Part 1 were about four weeks behind, and debuted on Fridays instead, so it’s likely the dub will debut sometime in late July or early August.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Story Details
Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 should pick up exactly where Part 1 left off, which would be about chapter 543 of the manga. The first part adapted around 60 chapters, so it’s reasonable to assume that the second part will cover a similar amount of ground, putting the end of Part 2 at about chapter 600. At least one cut manga fight scene is being added to the anime, and the addition of content not from the manga may slow the pacing down a bit. Fans can expect the story to pick back up with Ichigo’s training with Bleach’s Squad Zero, while also getting into Uryu’s apparent betrayal by joining the Quincy Wandenreich. Several other high-ranking Soul Reapers, such as Soifon, Hitsugaya, Komamura, and Hisagi, are also engaged in various training arcs or quests to help restore their lost powers, which the anime is likely to check back in on when it returns. Some of these storylines were teased in the trailer for Part 2.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Trailer
Viz released the first teaser trailer for Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 on December 26, 2022, through their Youtube channel following Part 1’s finale. The trailer teases the split between Uryu and Ichigo, as well as the restoration of lost Bankai and the true form of Rukia’s Zanpakuto. Uryu’s betrayal is significant in Bleach because he was one of Ichigo’s first real friends, giving the potential conflict depicted in the trailer an added weight that is sure to have fans of the series on edge.
A second trailer was released on May 28, 2023, showcasing actual footage from Part 2. It highlights a number of hotly anticipated scenes and moments, such as the reveal of Shinji Hirako’s Bankai, the battle for the Soul Society, a new look for Ichigo, and Uryu’s ascension within the ranks of the Quincy army. The trailer also teased the involvement of Sosuke Aizen, Bleach‘s former biggest nemesis, in the war, whose chaotic presence could be what turns the tide of battle, either for or against the Soul Reapers. Perhaps one of the most striking moments is a gigantic and mysterious monster rampaging through the Soul Society’s Seireitei, destroying everything in its path. The trailer also debuted the new opening theme song for Part 2, “star” by w.o.d.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Cast and Characters
Bleach is well known for having a massive cast of characters–far too many to list here. So far, nearly every Japanese voice actor from the original Bleach anime has chosen to reprise their role for The Thousand-Year Blood War. The same has largely been true for the English dub cast, with a few exceptions. Ichigo’s friend, Yasutora “Chad” Sado, is now being portrayed by Alain Mesa, rather than Jamieson Price. Price stated on Twitter that he would prefer to pass the role on to someone who is of Mexican descent, like Chad, and that wish was respected.
Kenpachi Zaraki was also recast and is now being portrayed by Patrick Seitz, who also voices Ichigo’s father in Bleach, Isshin Kurosaki. Kisuke Urahara is now being portrayed by Doug Erholtz, who also voices Gin Ichimaru, seemingly because his previous voice actor retired from the industry. Jushiro Ukitake is now voiced by Aleks Le, who also now voices Shinji Hirako. It’s possible other roles will be recast in Part 2, but most relevant characters have already been reintroduced in Part 1, so there shouldn’t be much need for that. There has, thus far, been no news of casting for new roles in Part 2, and likely won’t be for the dub until after the subtitled episodes begin to the premiere.
Where to Watch Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2
Part 2 of Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War will stream on Hulu in the United States and Disney Plus everywhere else. Fans looking to catch up on the series ahead of its return can find Part 1 streaming at those locations as well, in both dubbed and subtitled versions.
Look for the premiere of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Separation when it debuts in July 2023 and check back to this page for any updates on the series’ return.
