Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has now come to an end with its final episode, and the anime went back 22 years with a special remake of one of the biggest moments from its very first episode. Bleach fans had been waiting for over a decade from the end of Tite Kubo’s original manga series to see the final arc make its proper anime adaptation debut. And the final season of the series really went all out to make the anime version of the finale the most complete take on the story yet.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War’s final episode picks up ten years after the end of the fight against Yhwach, and with it the anime gave Ichigo and Rukia one last moment to reflect on their journey after all this time. Thinking back to when the two of them first met, the final episode of the anime offers a surprising remake of this classic moment with a classic theme song backing it all up as well. You can check it out below as shared by Viz Media.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Finale Remakes Ichigo & Rukia’s First Meeting
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 50 gives fans a look at Ichigo and Rukia’s lives ten years after the end of the fight with Yhwach, and with it Ichigo and Rukia get to have a fun reunion. Rukia has been named the new Captain of Squad 13 and has had a child together with Renji, and Ichigo has gone on to marry Orihime to have a child of their own. But upon this reunion, the two of them take a brief moment to reflect on their long journey thus far to where they are now.
The episode then goes the extra mile by not only revealing the flashback of Ichigo and Rukia’s first real meeting with one another, but fully remakes it within the modern Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War style. It even has the classic version of the “Number One” insert theme as heard in the original TV series (as it was changed for the new era of the anime), and ends with a montage of all of Ichigo’s biggest moments. It’s a full circle moment for Ichigo as the Bleach anime comes to an end.
Is Bleach‘s Anime Really Over?
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has now ended its TV anime run after four seasons, and it’s 22 years after the original Bleach anime began its own run. It had been unfortunately cancelled before the anime ever got to adapt the final arc for Kubo’s manga, and it had taken nearly 20 years to get any word on a potential return. But fans of the series never lost hope that the anime would come back someday, and that faith was rewarded with a successful comeback.
It’s been a huge comeback in turn too as Bleach‘s manga not only returned for a special one-shot for its 20th anniversary two years ago, a special remake of more of these classic moments around that time, a spinoff series, and now the franchise is currently readying for the release of a new mobile game and more. With a major event teasing more of what’s to come hitting next year, it might not totally be the end of Bleach just yet. What are you hoping to see from Bleach in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!