Bleach has ended after 22 years and it leaves one ‘frustrating’ Ichigo mystery unsolved

It’s the end of an era: the Bleach anime has ended after 22 years, with the finale concluding the Thousand-Year Blood War. And while many feel it’s the perfect ending, there’s still a major mystery surrounding Ichigo Kurosaki.

As you’ll know, the original Bleach anime ran from 2004 until 2012, ending after it caught up to Tite Kubo’s manga. We then waited a decade for its return, with the Thousand-Year Blood War finally arriving in 2022 and bringing Ichigo’s story towards its long-awaited conclusion.

But the stakes were particularly high for this finale. The manga’s original ending in 2016 divided fans, with some feeling major moments had been rushed. As such, the anime offered a second chance to tell the story, with Kubo himself involved in expanding and revisiting parts of the final arc. 

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War episode 50, titled ‘Death & Strawberry’, jumps forward by ten years. This way, we get to see where the surviving characters have ended up and we’re introduced to a new generation. 

And already it’s receiving plenty of praise for providing a satisfying payoff. But some fans still feel the ending leaves one mystery up in the air. 

Bleach finale leaves the full extent of Ichigo’s true Bankai powers a mystery

The big unanswered question is surprisingly simple: what exactly is Ichigo’s true Bankai capable of? Despite being the main character of Bleach, we’ve never been given a definitive explanation of its full powers – even after the final battle.

For anyone needing a refresher, a Bankai is essentially the ultimate, final form of a Soul Reaper’s sword, known as a Zanpakutō. Ichigo’s is called Tensa Zangetsu, but Thousand-Year Blood War introduces its true form after he discovers the truth about his heritage. 

The problem is that we barely get to see it in action. During his battle with Yhwach, Ichigo activates his true Bankai, only for the villain to break it almost immediately. And this isn’t simply because Yhwach is stronger. His ability, The Almighty, allows him to see and alter possible futures. And so, he destroys Ichigo’s weapon before it has the chance to threaten him.

Yhwach even acknowledges how dangerous Ichigo’s Bankai is, but we’re never shown exactly what makes it so impressive. This is the question fans have been debating for years, and some are now complaining that the finale stops short of showing it. 

As one wrote on Reddit, “10 years later and we still don’t have a definitive answer as to what Ichigo’s Bankai does… I hope one day we can see more, but I won’t bet on it.”

But they did add, “Otherwise, it’s good to see everyone happy. Rukia got promoted, Ichigo and Orihime are married and have a child, Rukia and Renji are together and have a child, Uryu is working at a hospital, Chad is a boxer.”

“Feels like we needed at least one extra episode,” wrote another, to which a third added, “Yeah, similarly episode 46 felt really awkward after 45. We finally got to see what Ichigo’s bankai can do but… wait… he has two bankais now? And we still have no idea what the original does?”

Has Ichigo’s true Bankai mystery been solved, or could the Hell Arc explain it?

Interestingly, we may have already seen a hint of what Ichigo’s true Bankai can do. In episode 45, he unveils a new form known as Blood Chains, which draws heavily on his Hollow powers and sees flame-like spiritual energy surrounding parts of his body.

And we see similar energy appearing while Ichigo is using Tensa Zangetsu. This could suggest that some of the abilities he demonstrated in his Blood Chains form also carry over into his true Bankai, giving us at least a glimpse of its potential.

Speaking about this on Reddit, one Bleach fan wrote, “That may be true, but aside from his final rush towards Yhwach, the black flames that appeared in place of his footsteps, which he was shown to have while in Blood Chains, were also present in Tensa Zangetsu. 

“So, at the very least, that confirms that the abilities he had in episode 45 are also present, to a certain degree, in Tensa Zangetsu.”

However, another countered, “Not the Blood Chains form. We got a little info card about that one. It’s basically the manifestation of his hollow powers.

“It’s like if you put all his powers on a scale, and you tipped the scales in favor of the hollow powers, you get the blood chain form. There were theories that Ichigo could have different results if he did it to his Quincy or fullbringer powers, but that wasn’t explored in the anime sadly.

“I wanted to know more about the True Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu. I don’t recall us getting an info card or any explanation as to what it does other than combining all his powers.”

Is it about time we forget about the hell arc?
byu/neruson_yende inbleach

But some fans are hopeful we could get a definitive answer in the future. Back in 2021, Tite Kubo released a special manga chapter, No Breaths From Hell, which ended on a cliffhanger. 

Readers call the storyline teased by that chapter the Hell Arc, with rumours circulating that Kubo could turn it into a full manga series followed by an anime adaptation. 

But while the potential Hell Arc could finally reveal what Ichigo’s true Bankai is capable of, it’s worth noting that no further manga chapters or anime adaptations have been confirmed at the time of writing. 

That said, it hasn’t stopped fans from speculating. “They honestly might be leaving his bankai explanation for the hell arc cause since it’s an anime original form we literally have no context clues on what it does fr until it’s explained properly there (hopefully),” said one. 

How to watch the Bleach finale

The Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War finale, episode 50, titled ‘Death & Strawberry’, was released on Monday, October 26, 2026, bringing the anime to an end after 22 years.

If you’re in the US, you can stream the finale on Hulu, including through Hulu on Disney+ for eligible subscribers. Meanwhile, viewers in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other international markets can watch it on Disney+.

The episode is currently available with subtitles, while those waiting for the English dub will have to hold on a little longer. The dubbed finale is scheduled to arrive on November 30, 2026, on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in select international markets.

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Featured image credit: Hulu