Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has been rolling out in blocks since 2022, with each Part landing with its own subtitle, distinct tone, and a massive set of reveals fans had waited over a decade to see.
With Part 4, The Calamity, premiering July 25, Ichigo Kurosaki’s story is finally reaching its epic conclusion. Here is every Part of the war, in order, along with what you need to know before the final curtain falls.
Every Thousand-Year Blood War Part
The Blood Warfare (Part 1)
Manga: Chapters 480–542 | Anime: 2022 (Episodes 1–13)
The Wandenreich, a hidden Quincy empire led by Yhwach, launches a devastating surprise invasion of the Soul Society while Ichigo is away in Hueco Mundo. Head Captain Yamamoto is killed, several captains are gravely wounded, and the Soul Society is left in absolute ruins by the time Ichigo returns.
This is also where Ichigo learns the truth about his mother, Masaki, and his hidden Quincy heritage. That revelation allows him to reforge his single, broken Zanpakutō into two separate blades—one representing his Quincy side and the other representing his Shinigami and Hollow sides.
Why it matters: This Part exists to break the Soul Society down to nothing. Every alliance, training arc, and desperate plan that follows is a direct response to how thoroughly the Wandenreich humiliated the Gotei 13 here.
The Separation (Part 2)
Manga: Chapters 543–609 | Anime: 2023 (Episodes 14–26)
With the Soul Society gutted, the surviving captains and lieutenants scatter across the Seireitei to hold their ground during a second invasion. Meanwhile, Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji undergo intense training in the Royal Realm under Squad Zero to rapidly catch up in power.
The Sternritter are unleashed one by one, leading to some of the series’ most brutal fights, including Kenpachi against Gremmy and Rukia against Äs Nödt. The Part concludes with an explosive, anime-original battle where Squad Zero steps up to confront Yhwach’s elite guard, capped off by Yhwach triggering the Auswahlen to steal the power of his own fallen soldiers.
Why it matters: This is where Yhwach stops being a distant threat and becomes something close to unbeatable. The Auswahlen resets the entire power balance of the war and forces the Soul Society to seek desperate, outside help just to survive what comes next.
The Conflict (Part 3)
Manga: Chapters 610–661 | Anime: 2024 (Episodes 27–39)
The battle shifts entirely to the Soul King Palace. Ichigo and his allies rush to the inner sanctum to stop Yhwach, leading to a direct confrontation where Uryu Ishida’s true, complex loyalties finally come into focus.
In a catastrophic twist, Yhwach’s deception forces Ichigo into striking the Soul King down himself—an act that sends distortions rippling across all Three Worlds and threatens to collapse existence. With the Soul King fallen, Yhwach absorbs his power and transforms the Royal Palace into Wahrwelt, a massive Quincy stronghold.
Why it matters: The Conflict is the hinge between the invasion and the actual endgame. It pushes the world to the absolute brink of destruction, forces surviving Sternritter to turn against their creator, and establishes that Yhwach has essentially achieved godhood.
The Calamity (Part 4)
Manga: Chapters roughly 662–686 | Anime: Premieres July 25, 2026
The final Part picks up in the chaotic, transformed landscape of Wahrwelt. The remaining Gotei 13 captains, the Visoreds, and a few surviving Quincy rebels converge on the fortress for the absolute final battles of the war.
Ichigo and his closest friends must navigate the ultimate gauntlet to reach Yhwach, whose future-altering abilities make him seemingly invincible. Series creator Tite Kubo has confirmed that this final stretch includes significantly more original, anime-exclusive material than any previous Part, heavily expanding on the manga’s original rushed ending.
Why it matters: This is the climax the entire arc has been building toward, including the long-teased reveal of Kisuke Urahara’s Bankai. It is also the definitive conclusion of a legendary anime story that first began all the way back in 2001.
Where Should You Start?
If you are caught up through Part 3, you are exactly where you need to be. The Calamity picks up immediately in the aftermath of the Soul King’s fall, so there is no recap built in.
If you are starting fresh or need a refresher, all three previous Parts are available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ before Part 4 premieres.
Where to Watch?
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity premieres July 25, 2026, streaming on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.
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