Bleach's Final Season Announces Official Release Date, And It's Coming Sooner Than Fans Thought The long-awaited conclusion to Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is set to arrive earlier than anticipated, with the first episodes of the series’ final season hitting theaters in late June. This marks a significant shift from the originally planned July 2026 premiere, as Viz Media and Fathom Entertainment have confirmed the theatrical rollout will begin on June 25. The decision allows fans to preview the series finale before its streaming debut later this year. The announcement comes after years of anticipation for the series’ completion. Bleach, the iconic Shōnen Jump manga by Tite Kubo, first aired as an anime in 2004 under Studio Pierrot. It quickly became one of anime’s “Big Three,” alongside One Piece and Naruto, before its original run abruptly ended in 2012. The abrupt cancellation left fans frustrated, as the anime had not yet adapted Kubo’s final manga arc. A decade later, Studio Pierrot returned with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, which launched in October 2022 and has since become a critical and commercial success. The new release strategy aims to maximize fan engagement by combining theatrical and streaming platforms. Fathom Entertainment’s Ray Nutt emphasized the significance of the theatrical premiere, stating, “Anime fans are in for a thrilling experience as Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War wraps up its groundbreaking run on the big screen.” The first three episodes of the final season will be accompanied by exclusive behind-the-scenes content from Viz Media, offering fans a deeper look into the production process. For longtime fans, the conclusion of Thousand-Year Blood War represents both an ending and a legacy.#fathom_entertainment #viz_media #bleach_thousand_year_blood_war #studio_pierrot #ichigo_kurosaki
"Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War" Final Season Sets U.S. Release Fathom Entertainment and Viz Media have announced the U.S. theatrical premiere of the first three episodes of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity, set for a limited run in cinemas from June 25 to 29. The episodes will screen in both subtitled and English-dubbed formats, accompanied by behind-the-scenes footage and a panel featuring series creator Tite Kubo, chief series director Tomohisa Taguchi, and series director Hikaru Murata. This event marks the final season’s debut before its eventual broadcast and streaming release. The series’ final arc, The Calamity, centers on the climax of the Thousand-Year Blood War, with the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and surviving Quincies uniting to confront Yhwach at the Wahr Welt, the Royal Palace now under Wandenreich’s control. The theatrical run aims to deliver an immersive experience for fans, with Fathom Entertainment’s Ray Nutt emphasizing the franchise’s appeal to dedicated audiences. Nutt highlighted the series’ ability to engage non-traditional content audiences, noting its consistent ratings of around 9.4/10 across fan and critic platforms. The Bleach series has garnered significant recognition, including multiple nominations at the 2024-25 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. These nominations span categories such as best action, best continuing series, best score for composer Shiro Sagisu, and best English VA performance for Johnny Yong Bosch. Viz Media’s social media campaigns for the franchise have amassed over 25 million views and 105 million impressions in 2025, while the series has accumulated more than 62 million hours of viewing on Hulu.#fathom_entertainment #viz_media #tite_kubo #tomohisa_taguchi #hikaru_murata
