Hit anime Bleach ends with special tribute videos prompting strong fan reaction

Bleach has ended after 22 years – and has drawn to a close with a suitably epic conclusion.

The beloved anime, based on the manga of the same name, ended its story with the finale of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.

The 50th and final episode, which aired on Disney+ today, closed the fourth and final chapter, The Calamity – following Part 1: The Blood Warfare in 2022, Part 2: The Separation in 2023 and Part 3: The Conflict in 2024.

The ending was changed from the source material with the help of creator Tite Kubo, after fans were divided by what played out.

To mark the end of the show’s historical run, the Bleach official social media accounts celebrated the evolution of its central character, led by Ichigo Kurosaki, with two special ending videos combining all elements and illustrations from the Bleach world.

Starting with Tite Kubo’s manga, on which the entire anime is based, Ichigo is seen running through all the story arcs we've seen him appear in – the Substitute, the Soul Society, the Arrancar, the Lost Agent and Blood Warfare.

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The second video was a four-and-a-half-minute-long video crediting everyone who has been a part of the show – from voice actors to the illustrators.

Speaking in the YouTube comments, fans were delighted with how the story ended (no spoilers here!) and thanked the team for creating a show that has become so special to them.

"No matter how many lives I have, I'm sure I'll love Bleach in every single one of them," one fan wrote.

"Thank you for this wonderful work," wrote another. "I'm so glad I discovered Bleach…"

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A third added: "Today [is the] saddest and happiest day I can remember. Seeing a proper ending to a series I loved for more than 20 years, I can't put into words how happy this makes me feel."

Bleach first launched as an animation in 2004, and ran until 2012 before ending – without it catching up to the manga it was based on.

Fans then had to wait 10 years for it to be brought back for the Thousand-Year Blood War, but now the story has finally reached its end.

Bleach is available to watch on Disney+ in the UK – sign up to Disney+ now for £5.99 per month.

Bleach is streaming on Hulu in the US – start your free trial here.

Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.