Naruto and One Piece are among the most well-known animes of all time. But their manga counterpart also has many fans and is finally getting the finale it deserves.
Which anime is it about? In the anime realm, there is the term Big Three,
referring to the big 3
. This designation refers to One Piece, Naruto, and also Bleach, as all three were important action titles in Shonen Jump magazine during the 2000s:
- One Piece started as a manga in 1997 in the Japanese magazine Shōnen Jump and continues to this day
- Naruto started as a manga in 1999 in Shōnen Jump and received its last chapter on November 10, 2014
- Also Bleach ran in Shōnen Jump from 2001 to 2016
All three series also received an anime series relatively early. The anime for Bleach premiered in 2004 but ended prematurely in 2012, without a proper conclusion. Now, 14 years later, the return of the anime also concludes and seems to finally give the legendary series its finale in July.
You can watch the 2022 return trailer here:
The Fight Against a God
What is Bleach about? Bleach by mangaka Tite Kubo focuses on Ichigo Kurosaki. The 15-year-old could see ghosts since he was a child, which is how he meets Rukia one day. She is a Shinigami who hunts Hollows in Ichigo’s area.
Hollows are souls of the dead that have turned into evil monsters due to negative emotions. Shinigami take care of them so that the souls can find peace again. Due to an accident, Ichigo becomes a substitute Shinigami and discovers not only a larger world full of Hollows, Shinigami, and other entities but also more about his own past.
What happens in the upcoming finale? In July 2026, Part 4 of the Thousand Year Blood War
arc will start, where Ichigo and his allies finally confront Yhwach, the leader of the Sternritter. Yhwach seems unbeatable thanks to his abilities, but the Shinigami ally themselves with an old enemy to ultimately save the world.
You can see a short teaser for Part 4 here:
What sets Bleach apart from Naruto and One Piece? While One Piece is still ongoing and Naruto has concluded, Bleach faced issues both in the manga and anime. The anime originally only ran until 2012 and ended with the Fullbring arc. Only in 2022, a decade later, did they adapt the latest arc, which now concludes with Part 4.
The manga also had problems. Tite Kubo had a deadline of one year to finish Bleach, which made the ending feel rushed for some fans.
Whether the anime does it better will be seen starting in July.
In 2021, Kubo also released a one-shot, a single new chapter of Bleach, which takes place over 10 years after the finale. Whether it will be adapted into an anime is unknown. For some anime fans, Bleach tops even its competitors despite its problems: 4 reasons why Bleach is better than Naruto and One Piece
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!