The world of manga and animeused to almost entirely revolve around three enormously popular series:One Piece,Naruto, andBleach. Times have changed, andanime’s worldwide popularity has expanded immensely in the past decade. Titles likeDemon Slayer,Attack on Titan,Jujutsu Kaisen,My Hero Academia, and more now fill the manga shelves of bookstores and the anime libraries of streaming services. But the Big Three aren’t going anywhere, andBleach: Thousand-Year Blood Warwill return with its third season in October 2024.
The release window was announced at Anime Expo, alongside anew posterand trailer. The anime will continue to adapt the final chapters and story arc of theBleachmanga, which were left un-adapted after the original series' cancelation in 2012. The third part of the series has been titledThe Conflict, and it will continue the battle of the Soul Reapers against the Quincy before theThousand-Year Blood Waris concluded with its fourth season. The final seventy-seven chapters of the manga will be adapted between Parts 3 and 4 of the sequel anime series.
The Enduring Popularity of ‘Bleach’
In the pages ofShonen Jumpmagazine and on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim,Bleachwas one of the most popular manga and anime series of its time. Unfortunately, due to various factors including waning viewership, the series ended in 2012, leaving the final story arc of the manga without an anime adaptation. However, in 2021, it was officially announced that the anime projectBleach: Thousand-Year Blood Warwould finally adapt these final chapters, and it premiered in 2022, a decade after the original series' hasty end.
The excitement with which the announcement was met and the success of the anime sequel is a testament to the love for the world and characters created by manga artistTite Kubo.Bleachstill stands alongsideNarutoandOne Pieceas a beloved and popular series.One Piececontinues to see enormous successwith its ongoing manga, anime, and live-action remake on Netflix, andNarutohas its own live-action remakecurrently in development.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood Waris currently streaming on Hulu, and its third season will be premiering in October 2024. Stay tuned at Collider for more updates on anime, television, and film.
