The Thousand-Year Blood War Saga is finally reaching its end, and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity is the fourth and final cour of Studio Pierrot’s acclaimed revival of Tite Kubo’s manga. After the previous cours saw Ichigo Kurosaki and the Gotei 13 through escalating battles against Yhwach and the Quincy army, this last chapter promises to close out the saga for good.
With a confirmed premiere date, a theatrical preview already behind it, and a story picking up right after Yhwach’s annexation of the Soul King’s throne room, here is everything worth remembering about The Calamity before it airs. Here’s a quick summary of the overall anime series:
TITLEBleachCREATORTite KuboRELEASE DATEOctober 5, 2004IMDb RATINGS (as of July 21, 2026)8.2/10WHERE TO WATCHHulu, Disney+
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – Everything We Know So Far
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is a direct continuation of the original Bleach anime, adapting the final arc of Tite Kubo’s manga, and the project was first unveiled in 2020 as part of the franchise’s 20th-anniversary celebrations. Studio Pierrot’s adaptation of that arc has unfolded across four cours since October 2022, with each installment covering a distinct stretch of the story under Kubo’s own supervision.
The Blood Warfare introduced Yhwach’s invasion of the Soul Society; The Separation delved into the Gotei 13’s individual battles against the Sternritter; and The Conflict pushed the war into the Soul King’s Palace itself, with those first three cours totaling 39 episodes released between 2022 and 2024. The Calamity picks up from the most devastating turn yet: Squad Zero’s Royal Guard, tasked with the Soul King’s protection, has its Bankai shattered by Yhwach, who then forces his way into the Royal Palace.
Ichibe Hyosube hands Ichigo and his allies the responsibility of protecting the Soul King, the strongest Bleach character, but Yhwach’s manipulation leads Ichigo to strike the Soul King down himself. That death sets off distortions across the Soul Society, the Human World, and Hueco Mundo, pushing all three realms toward collapse. Viz Media has confirmed that this final cour continues directly from that fallout, with Ichigo confronting a battle that will decide the fate of every world as the Quincy King’s true plan comes into focus. Series composer Shiro Sagisu and director Tomohisa Taguchi have carried that same creative core across all four cours, giving the adaptation a consistent tone from its 2022 debut all the way to this closing chapter.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 4: What to Expect?
Ichigo’s Horn of Salvation form | Credits: Studio Pierrot
The Calamity is set to adapt the closing stretch of Kubo’s manga, reportedly covering roughly chapters 664 through 686, bringing the mainline Bleach story to its conclusion. Fans can expect a run of around 13 episodes, matching the length the AniList schedule lists (via the website) for the cour and roughly in line with the length of each of the previous three parts. However, reports suggest that Kubo is said to be adding extra material to smooth out an ending that many manga readers felt was rushed on the page.
At the center of it all is the long-awaited final clash between Ichigo and Yhwach, who now wields the Soul King’s near-omnipotent power after orchestrating his death. Uryu Ishida, whose earlier defection to the Quincy side left plenty of fans conflicted, is expected to make up for that betrayal by facing off against Yhwach’s closest lieutenant, Haschwalth, in a fight framed as personal redemption. Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin, and the rest of the Gotei 13 are also set to play major roles as the fractured Royal Guard and remaining captains scramble to respond to the Soul King’s death and the distortions spreading through the Three Worlds.
Studio Pierrot Films is again handling production, with Tomohisa Taguchi directing and overseeing series composition alongside Masaki Hiramatsu, and Shiro Sagisu returning to compose the score, continuing the sound that has defined the revival since 2022. Expect the animation and choreography to lean heavily into spectacle, since this cour is carrying the weight of resolving nearly every major thread the manga’s final arc left open.
Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Episode 1 Release Details
Ichigo from Bleach TYBW | Credits: Studio Pierrot
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity begins streaming on July 25, 2026, with new episodes arriving at 7:30 a.m. PDT. The series remains a Hulu exclusive in the United States, while Disney+ carries it across select international territories, keeping the same distribution setup used for the first three cours.
Here’s a global regional table compiling every team zone:
Region / Time ZoneRelease DateRelease TimeUnited States Pacific (PDT)July 25, 20267:30 AMUnited States Mountain (MDT)July 25, 20268:30 AMUnited States Central (CDT)July 25, 20269:30 AMUnited States Eastern (EDT)July 25, 202610:30 AMCanada (Eastern Time)July 25, 202610:30 AMUnited States Alaska (AKDT)July 25, 20266:30 AMUnited States Hawaii-Aleutian (HST)July 25, 20264:30 AMMexico Central (CST)July 25, 20269:30 AMMexico Mountain (MST)July 25, 20268:30 AMBrazil (BRT)July 25, 202611:30 AMUnited Kingdom (BST)July 25, 20263:30 PMEurope (CEST)July 25, 20264:30 PMSouth Africa (SAST)July 25, 20264:30 PMUAE – Dubai (GST)July 25, 20266:30 PMIndia (IST)July 25, 20268:00 PMPhilippines (PHT)July 25, 202610:30 PMAustralia (AEST)July 26, 202612:30 AMNew Zealand (NZST)July 26, 20262:30 AM
Ahead of the full episode run, a special theatrical compilation also titled The Calamity gave fans an early look, bundling together the first three episodes, God of Thunder, Son of Darkness, and Blood for My Bone, into a single feature and swapping in a unique credits sequence in place of the usual opening and ending songs.
That compilation played in Japan as a one-day theatrical event on June 21, 2026, before opening in North American cinemas later in June, complete with a post-credits interview featuring Kubo, director Hikaru Murata, and series director Tomohisa Taguchi.
With the story already confirmed to push through the aftermath of the Soul King’s death and into Ichigo’s final confrontation with Yhwach, the July 25 premiere marks the start of the last stretch of a story that began in Weekly Shonen Jump decades ago and is now, at last, heading toward its finish. Here’s a brief rundown of the quick-read info for the upcoming Part 4:
TITLEBleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The CalamityCREATORTite KuboRELEASE DATEJuly 25, 2026PRODUCTION STUDIOStudio PierrotMANGA CHAPTERS COVERED664-686EXPECTED EPISODE COUNT13WHERE TO WATCHHulu, Disney+
Are you excited for Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity? We’d love to know your thoughts and opinions on the upcoming climax of the series in the comments below.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Episode 1 is releasing on July 25, 2026, on Hulu and Disney+.
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