Last updated: 1 November 2026
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity is the fourth and final part of the Thousand-Year Blood War anime, made by Pierrot Films. Its 10 episodes aired from July to October 2026 and complete the final arc of Tite Kubo's manga. People watch it for the long-awaited ending of the war between the Soul Reapers and Yhwach's Quincy army, with the biggest battles in the series.
About Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity is the fourth and final part of the Thousand-Year Blood War anime, and the last chapter of the Bleach story on television. It premiered on 25 July 2026 in the Summer 2026 season and has now finished airing, with the finale broadcast on 26 October 2026. The season brings the war between the Soul Reapers and Yhwach's Quincy army, the Wandenreich, to its climax. Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies fight to protect the Soul King and the balance between the worlds, while captains reveal bankai that fans waited years to see animated. It adapts the final stretch of Tite Kubo's manga, so every battle carries the weight of the whole series behind it. Because The Calamity completes the final manga arc, this is the season long-time viewers have been building towards since the anime returned in 2022. If you have followed Bleach from the beginning, this is the ending. New viewers should start much earlier, the watch order below shows the full path, but for everyone else, The Calamity is Bleach at its biggest and most emotional.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity is a TV anime from 2026, first released in Summer 2026. It belongs to the Action and Supernatural genres and is listed as a completed series. The summary above is written by the AnimeYug team in our own words.
Official Trailer
Story & Plot
The Calamity opens with the Soul Society in ruins and the war already lost once. Yhwach, the father of the Quincies, has reached the Soul King Palace, the heart of the world, and his elite guards stand between him and anyone who would stop him. If the Soul King falls, the balance that keeps the human world, the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo apart collapses with him.
Against that threat, the Soul Reapers throw everything they have left into battle. Captains and lieutenants fight desperate one-on-one duels, hidden techniques and long-kept secrets come into the open, and allies from Hueco Mundo and the human world join the fight. At the centre of it all is Ichigo, whose mixed heritage (Soul Reaper, Quincy and Hollow) makes him the one person who can stand in front of Yhwach.
The season carries the war through its final battles to the conclusion of Tite Kubo's manga story, closing the Thousand-Year Blood War and the Bleach anime itself.
Story Arcs & Episode Guide
The Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity anime is split into story sagas. Here is every saga in order, with its episodes and years.
| Arc | Episodes | Years | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: The Blood Warfare | Episodes 1–13 (TYBW overall) | 2022 | The Wandenreich invades the Soul Society and steals the captains' bankai. |
| Part 2: The Separation | Episodes 14–26 (TYBW overall) | 2023 | The Soul Reapers strike back as Uryu's loyalties are tested. |
| Part 3: The Conflict | Episodes 27–40 (TYBW overall) | 2024 | The battle moves to the Soul King Palace against Yhwach's elite guard. |
| Part 4: The Calamity | Episodes 41–50 (TYBW overall) | 2026 | This part: the final battles and the conclusion of the whole Bleach story. |
Why Watch Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity
- The true ending of Bleach, finishing a story that began in 2004
- Bankai and powers manga readers waited decades to see animated
- Movie-level battle animation from Pierrot Films
- New and expanded scenes supervised by creator Tite Kubo
- A complete, closed finale, no cliffhanger ending
Who Is It For?
Made for long-time Bleach fans first, and for action viewers who like large-scale war arcs. Viz Media rates Bleach TV-14 in the US, though some streaming listings rate Thousand-Year Blood War TV-MA for its heavier war violence, so expect intense battles throughout.
Main Characters
View all characters →
Voice Actors
The Japanese voices behind the main characters of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity.
- Ichigo KurosakiSubstitute Soul Reaper at the centre of the warJapanese voiceMasakazu Morita
- Rukia KuchikiSoul Reaper who first gave Ichigo his powers; now a captainJapanese voiceFumiko Orikasa
- Renji AbaraiLieutenant of Squad 6 and Ichigo's long-time rival and friendJapanese voiceKentaro Ito
- Byakuya KuchikiCaptain of Squad 6 and head of the Kuchiki clanJapanese voiceRyotaro Okiayu
- Toshiro HitsugayaYoung captain of Squad 10, master of iceJapanese voiceRomi Park
- Kenpachi ZarakiBattle-loving captain of Squad 11Japanese voiceFumihiko Tachiki
- Uryu IshidaQuincy and Ichigo's friend, drawn into Yhwach's armyJapanese voiceNoriaki Sugiyama
- Orihime InoueIchigo's friend with healing and shield powersJapanese voiceYuki Matsuoka
- Urahara KisukeFormer captain and brilliant, secretive shopkeeperJapanese voiceShinichiro Miki
- YhwachKing of the Quincies and the war's final enemyJapanese voiceTakayuki Sugo
- Jugram HaschwalthYhwach's right hand and grandmaster of the SternritterJapanese voiceYuichiro Umehara
Staff & Production
- Original Creator
- Tite Kubo
- Animation Studio
- Pierrot Films
- Director
- Tomohisa Taguchi (chief series director); Hikaru Murata (series director)
- Series Composition
- Tomohisa Taguchi and Masaki Hiramatsu
- Music
- Shiro Sagisu
Manga & Source Material
The Calamity adapts the closing chapters of Tite Kubo's Bleach manga, whose final arc is the Thousand-Year Blood War.
- Written and illustrated by Tite Kubo
- Serialised in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump from August 2001 to August 2016
- Collected in 74 volumes; the Thousand-Year Blood War arc fills the final volumes, 55–74
- Kubo returned as general supervisor for the Thousand-Year Blood War anime, adding scenes the manga had no room for
- A special one-shot chapter, No Breathes From Hell, was published in 2021 for the manga's 20th anniversary
Music
Each of the four Thousand-Year Blood War parts has its own opening and ending pair. The Calamity's themes are the final ones of the whole adaptation.
Opening Themes
- “Scar”by Tatsuya KitaniPart 1 opening (2022)
- “Stars”by w.o.d.Part 2 opening (2023)
- “Kotoba ni Sezu Tomo”by Six LoungePart 3 opening (2024)
- “I-Bull”by jo0jiCurrentPart 4 opening (2026): this part
Ending Themes
- “Saihate”by SennaRinPart 1 ending (2022)
- “Endroll”by Yoh KamiyamaPart 2 ending (2023)
- “Monochrome”by SuisohPart 3 ending (2024)
- “Rasen”by 9LanaCurrentPart 4 ending (2026): this part
Series Timeline
- 2001
Tite Kubo's Bleach manga begins in Weekly Shonen Jump.
- 2004
The original Bleach anime premieres; it runs for 366 episodes until 2012.
- 2016
The manga ends, with the final arc still unanimated.
- 2022
Thousand-Year Blood War Part 1 brings the anime back after ten years.
- 2023–2024
Part 2, The Separation, and Part 3, The Conflict, continue the final arc.
- 2026
Part 4, The Calamity, airs from July to October and ends the Bleach anime.
Quick Answers
Is Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity finished?
Yes. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity has finished airing, so you can watch the complete story from start to end without waiting for new episodes.
What genre is Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity?
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity is a Action and Supernatural anime. You can browse more titles like it on our Action anime page.
When did Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity release?
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity first released in Summer 2026. It is a TV series.
Is Bleach: The Calamity the final season of Bleach?
Yes. The Calamity is the fourth and final part of the Thousand-Year Blood War adaptation, and it completes the final arc of Tite Kubo's manga. With this season, the main Bleach story on television has reached its ending.
Do I need to watch the earlier Bleach series before The Calamity?
Yes. The Calamity is the last part of one continuous story. Start with the original Bleach series (2004), then watch Thousand-Year Blood War from Part 1, followed by The Conflict (Part 3). Our watch order on this page lists every step in order.
Does The Calamity finish the Bleach manga story?
Yes. The Thousand-Year Blood War is the final arc of the manga, and The Calamity adapts its final stretch, the last battles against Yhwach and the Wandenreich, bringing the story to the conclusion manga readers know.
Watch Order
Here is the release order for Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity and the series connected to it. Start at step 1 and work your way down.
- 1BleachTV series (2004): the original 366-episode series; start here.
- 2Bleach: Memories of NobodyMovie (2006): optional standalone story.
- 3Bleach: The DiamondDust RebellionMovie (2007): optional standalone story centred on Hitsugaya.
- 4Bleach: Fade to BlackMovie (2008): optional standalone story.
- 5Bleach: Hell VerseMovie (2010): optional standalone story.
- 6Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood WarTV series, Part 1 (2022): the final manga arc begins.
- 7Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The SeparationTV series, Part 2 (2023).
- 8Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The ConflictTV series, Part 3 (2024).
- 9Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The CalamityTV series, Part 4 (2026): this series; the finale.
Where to Watch
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity is officially available to stream on these platforms:
Streaming availability changes often and differs by country. Please check the platform in your region.