Key Facts

• The final cour of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity will air in 2026.
• A teaser visual featuring Ichigo Kurosaki was released.
• Tite Kubo apologized for the delay and asked fans to wait until next year.
• Director Hikaru Murata cited “Bankai” as the keyword for the final cour.
• The TYBW anime arc began in 2022 and covers the final chapters of the manga.

The final cour of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity has been officially scheduled for a 2026 broadcast on TV Tokyo. A teaser visual featuring a transformed Ichigo Kurosaki has been unveiled. The anime adaptation is approaching its climax, with the final battle now on the horizon. Series creator Tite Kubo issued an apology for the delay, noting the broadcast could not be scheduled within 2025.

What BLEACH Announced

The production team for BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War has confirmed that its final cour, subtitled The Calamity, will air in 2026 on TV Tokyo. The announcement included a newly released teaser visual depicting a powered-up Ichigo Kurosaki, hinting at the intensity of the concluding episodes.

This upcoming cour represents the final chapter of the TYBW arc, which adapts the concluding storyline from Tite Kubo’s original manga. Since its return in 2022, the TYBW anime has aired in a cour format: the first aired from October to December 2022, the second from July to September 2023, and the third from October to December 2024.

According to the production timeline, the final installment will now debut in 2026, delaying its originally anticipated 2025 airing. Tite Kubo, the manga's creator and chief supervisor of the anime, addressed the delay directly.

Creator and Staff Comments

In an official statement, Tite Kubo apologized to fans who had expected the final cour to air in 2025. He wrote, “I think many of you were expecting it to air this year. I’m sorry—it will be next year. Please wait just a little longer. I believe we can make it something great.”

Chief director Tomohisa Taguchi added, “Now that we’ve come this far, there’s nothing more to say. Look forward to it! Witness the final chapter!”

Director Hikaru Murata also addressed fans, acknowledging the anticipation and pressure from ongoing expectations. “I feel the spiritual pressure of all the voices asking, ‘What’s going to happen with that scene?’ or ‘How will that part be animated?’” he said. While not revealing details about the content, Murata emphasized one key term for the final cour: “Bankai.”

Availability and Schedule

BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War adapts the final arc of the manga series that originally ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2001 to 2016. The anime adaptation resumed in 2022 after a decade-long break since the original series ended in 2012.

The TYBW anime is structured in four cours. The first three were released in 2022, 2023, and 2024 respectively. The final cour, The Calamity, will mark the conclusion of the long-running adaptation when it airs in 2026.

To date, the manga has surpassed 130 million copies in circulation. It has also been adapted into video games and a live-action film starring Sota Fukushi, released in 2018. The anime is produced by Studio Pierrot in collaboration with Shueisha, TV Tokyo, and Dentsu.

BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Teaser Movie

FAQ

Q: When will BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity air?
A: The final cour is scheduled to air in 2026 on TV Tokyo.

Q: What visual was released with the announcement?
A: A teaser visual featuring a transformed Ichigo Kurosaki was unveiled.

Q: Why was the 2025 broadcast canceled?
A: Tite Kubo stated that the broadcast could not happen this year and apologized for the delay.

Q: What is the key term for the final cour according to the director?
A: Director Hikaru Murata cited “Bankai” as the keyword representing the final cour.

Q: How many cours are planned for the TYBW anime?
A: Four cours in total. The first aired in 2022, the second in 2023, the third in 2024, and the final will air in 2026.

Source : ORICON NEWS