If you grew up watching Shinigami battle Hollows on TV or reading each chapter weekly, grab the tissues because a golden era has come to an end. The animated adaptation of Bleach officially concluded its broadcast after 22 years of history with the airing of episode 50 of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity, marking the definitive closure of Ichigo Kurosaki’s adventures on screen.

The final episode, titled “DEATH & STRAWBERRY”, jumps ten years after the events of the Great War for the protection of the Spirit King. The plot shows how survivors of that fierce battle move toward their respective futures, closing the cycle with the appearance of Kazui Kurosaki and Ichika Abarai, the young members representing the new generation of this unforgettable franchise.

At the end of the broadcast, the production team gifted the audience a special closing video accompanied by the iconic theme song “Number One”. This credits footage displays key animation sketches and concludes with a footprint stepping on the word “desperation” written in a barren land, revealing the word “BRAVE” alongside the message “THE STORIES OF BRAVE”. Additionally, the compilation THE STORIES VISUAL MOVIE was published, a recap that gathers the fifteen visual facets of Ichigo Kurosaki from his beginnings as Substitute Shinigami to his adult version a decade after the conflict.

For those wishing to keep this historic milestone in their collection, the Blu-ray and DVD BOX IV, covering episodes 41 to 50, will go on sale on March 24, 2027 alongside the third official soundtrack. Both releases will include new illustrations by character designer Masashi Kudo.

Bleach is one of the most iconic shonen franchises of the modern era, born from the pen and drawing of author Tite Kubo. The original manga began its publication in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 2001 and concluded in 2016, surpassing the impressive figure of 130 million copies in circulation worldwide. Its first anime adaptation started in 2004, quickly becoming an undisputed reference of Japanese pop culture alongside other giants of its time.

After years of waiting, the manga’s final arc was animated in 2022 under the title Thousand-Year Blood War, divided into four parts to adapt the work’s conclusion with maximum fidelity and visual quality. With the broadcast of its fourth part concluding on October 26, Tite Kubo’s saga bids farewell leaving an unforgettable legacy across multiple generations of viewers.

What did you think of Bleach’s ending and what emotion does saying goodbye to Ichigo after so many years leave you with?