With constant plot twists and shocking new developments, the Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War features a much faster-paced story than the original anime did. The final Bleach anime arc is answering plenty of key questions about the series, such as whether Kenpachi will ever get shikai, but the latest episodes raised even more questions.
The anime's second cour, which aired in the Summer 2023 anime season, covered a lot of ground while leaving plenty for the next cour in 2024. Bleach fans must wait another season to uncover the truth of Bleach's greatest mysteries and unresolved plotlines, and the recent episodes added even more unanswered questions for fans to chew on. If cour 3 can answer most or all of those burning questions, Bleach's anime will be on track to end on a strong note and satisfy anime fans everywhere.
10 What Was That Foreshadowing About Jushiro Ukitake?
Most Captain-level Soul Reapers have been busy in the last two cours of Bleach's anime, but Captain Jushiro Ukitake of squad 13 was left out. So far, he has said and done very little of note in the TYBW anime arc, but fans know he's capable of combat, as the Fake Karakura Town arc.
A recent episode did show Ukitake with his friend, Shunsui Kyoraku, but they only exchanged some cryptic dialogue and little more. It felt like foreshadowing, given the fact Ukitake hasn't done much yet, and Bleach's viewers want to know where that's going. Given Bleach's habit of giving its characters last-minute power-ups, it must be something big that could change the tide of battle.
9 Where Is the Soul King's Right Arm?
A flashback in recent Bleach episodes explained that the Soul Reapers gave King Yhwach the Soul King's own left arm, suggesting that the Soul King's body parts can be used in powerful ways. However, it would be odd if the Soul Reapers did something with the Soul King's left arm but ignored the right arm – surely both are important.
If so, the Bleach anime should soon explain what the Soul King's right arm does and where it is. In this endgame phase of the story, it's vital to explore the series' deepest secrets and raise the stakes, and showing the Soul King's own power ought to do the trick.
8 What Is Sternritter C Like?
The four Schutzstaffel made their flashy debut late in Bleach's new cour, including Sternritters C, D, M, and X. Bleach fans got a good taste of what Askin, Gerard, and Lille can do, but the fourth member, Pernida Parnkgjas, is still a mystery. For one thing, Pernida's hood and cloak are still on, hiding that character's face.
Pernida is a short Quincy with an oddly-shaped head and an ability to deform an opponent, all with Pernida's eyes glowing bright yellow. Aside from that, the eerie Pernida is a total mystery, and when and if the fight with the Schutzstaffel continues in cour 3, Bleach fans simply must know more about Sternritter C, Pernida.
7 How Will Yhwach's Team Recover From Defeat?
At the end of Bleach's newest cour, King Yhwach and the four Schutzstaffel members apparently faced a brutal defeat at the hands of the royal guard, or squad 0. Senjumaru's fabric-themed bankai captured the four Schutzstaffel while Ichibe took out Yhwach, but intuitively, Bleach anime fans are confident that the battle isn't really won just yet.
Even without any manga spoilers, anime fans may find it likely that the fight against these elite Quincy will continue, especially since Ichigo hasn't had a chance to fight them yet. So, the question remains on how and when those five villainous Quincy will turn the tables and give Ichigo a good fight in cour 3.
6 What Will the Surviving Sternritter Do Next?
Normally, shonen anime antagonists fight the heroes to the death, but this time, it's not so clear what Bleach's villains will do next. They originally swore to destroy the Soul Society at all costs, hence their successful initial invasion, but recent developments changed all that. Now the Quincy are turning on one another.
Bleach fans want to know if the Sternritter will reconcile with each other and resume their fight against the Soul Reapers, or if they'll do something even more drastic. It's conceivable that the surviving Sternritter will feel betrayed and actually turn on Yhwach after calling a truce with the Soul Reapers. Or they might give up and return home to Silbern, leaving Yhwach to finish the war himself.
5 Where Is Grimmjow?
Even anime-only Bleach fans, without the benefit of the manga's later chapters, are positive that Grimmjow Jeagerjaques has returned in the TYBW story arc. The first anime cour gave Grimmjow a brief cameo, after all, and fans know that Bleach never confirmed Grimmjow's death, either.
Anime fans are confident that they will eventually see the former 6th Espada soon, but when and in what context, they aren't yet sure. Evidently, Grimmjow has an understanding with Kisuke Urahara, but it's anyone's guess what Grimmjow will actually do, especially since he has an unresolved grudge with Ichigo after their final fight in Las Noches.
4 Does Ichigo Have Any New Abilities?
Protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki almost always gets new weapons, new abilities, or both after undergoing a training session, such as bankai, his Hollow mask, and even the final Getsuga Tensho. Ichigo's latest training arc will probably be his last, and fans are eager to see what he can now do.
Ichigo evidently held back when he fought Candice Catnipp and her friends, so fans must wait until future Bleach episodes to see the full extent of Ichigo's current abilities. It's possible he will finally regain his Hollow mask and use it, and fans may wonder if Ichigo will even tap into his Quincy heritage somehow to create new moves. A new Getsuga Tensho feels like a distinct possibility, too.
3 Does Yhwach Have a Special Ability?
Nearly all the Sternritter have, in addition to typical bows and arrows, a special ability for each letter of the alphabet. Bambietta has The Explode, Cang Du has The Iron, and Giselle Gewelle has The Zombie. There are still a few letters left to fill, however, and Bleach anime fans wish to know if Yhwach has one of them.
It's possible that Yhwach's ability is solely to redistribute these abilities via Auswählen, and doesn't have a "The" power for himself. If he does, however, it is bound to be the strongest of them all. Yhwach used no such ability during his duel with Ichibe Hyosube, but if Yhwach recovers for round 2, all that might change.
2 What Will Uryu Ishida Do Next?
Ichigo's Quincy friend Uryu Ishida abandoned his friends to join the Wandenreich, and to everyone's surprise, Uryu was named Yhwach's official successor and heir. That means Uryu is doubling down on his new allegiance and has cut all ties with Ichigo once and for all.
Still, shonen fans know that true friends don't abandon each other so casually. Uryu seems to be Bleach's Sasuke Uchiha, but there's still room for another big development for his character. Fans have only seen what Uryu is saying and doing, not what he's thinking, so he might feel conflicted after all and make a surprising move soon.
1 What Will Kisuke Urahara Do Next?
The scientist Kisuke Urahara took center stage a few times in the new Bleach anime, such as when he helped Ichigo finish off Quilge Opie in Hueco Mundo and when he used special pills to retake all the stolen bankai. Most likely, Kisuke will have more tricks up his sleeve in future episodes, and anime fans are eager to see what they are.
Kisuke might even start fighting the Sternritter for real, given how Kisuke actively helped fight the Espadas and Sosuke Aizen in the original Bleach anime. Since Kisuke personally helped Ichigo defeat Aizen in the final battle, perhaps Kisuke will do the same to help Ichigo against Yhwach, but there's no guarantee of that just yet.
