After nearly 22 years on screen, the BLEACH anime has officially come to an end with the release of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Episode 50, the series finale that aired on October 26, 2026. To mark the occasion, a special ending movie was released right after the finale, giving fans one last send-off for Ichigo Kurosaki and the Soul Society.
Ichigo Kurosaki (Credits: Tite Kubo/Shueisha, TV TOKYO, dentsu, Pierrot)
BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Finale Closes a 22-Year Journey
The original BLEACH anime debuted in 2004 and ran until 2012, spanning four theatrical films along the way. After a decade away, the franchise returned in 2022 with Thousand-Year Blood War, the long-awaited adaptation of the manga’s final arc. Its fourth and final cour, subtitled The Calamity, premiered on July 25, 2026, and ran for 10 episodes, with the last two episodes briefly delayed so the staff could polish the quality of the finale.
Alongside the finale, the production revealed a new “THE STORIES VISUAL – Final Battle” key visual following Episode 49, “THE BLADE,” celebrating the climactic confrontation that closed out the story.
Tite Kubo’s BLEACH Legacy: 130 Million Copies and Counting
Created by Tite Kubo, BLEACH was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2001 to 2016 and concluded with 74 volumes. The manga has surpassed 130 million copies in circulation worldwide, placing it among the best-selling manga series of all time. Kubo confirmed that the final part of Thousand-Year Blood War would include even more original material than previous cours, expanding the manga’s final battles for the screen.
The franchise is far from finished, though. BLEACH: Mirrors High, a new game featuring original character designs by Kubo himself, recently revealed its protagonists in a new trailer, keeping the Soul Society alive for fans even as the anime bows out.
Also Read: BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 50 ‘DEATH & STRAWBERRY’ Finale Premieres October 26 | BLEACH Mirrors High Surpasses 1 Million Pre-Registrations Worldwide
Source: Anime Corner — read the full story there.