Bleach Animator Stuns with New Artwork of Renji and Grimmjow

Bleach fans knew it would happen, but the rest of the world wasn’t inclined to believe it would return. Earlier this year, those fans were vindicated when creator Tite Kubo confirmed he was up to bat with the long-awaited final season of Bleach. Of course, fans were quick to celebrate, and they were joined in their festivities by Masashi Kudo who worked on the anime.

And now? Well, things are a bit harder to celebrate given the ongoing pandemic, but Kudo is still hyping up Bleach with new drawings of two familiar fighters. He went to the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo for some inspiration, and fans are loving the colorful gifts.

Over on Twitter, Kudo got fans buzzing when he posted a vibrant drawing of Renji. The character is a staple in Bleach given his ties to both Rukia and Ichigo. In this drawing, which can be seen below, the red-haired Shinigami has his blade on display while his uniform is torn to shreds.

Of course, this drawing would be enough to make fans freak out, but Kudo took things a step further. In order to honor another set of Bleach warriors, the character designer visited Hueco Mundo to court the fearsome Grimmjow for a sketch.

As you can see above, the blue-haired warrior is looking as fierce as ever in his black-and-white uniform. His chest scars are on full display along with the hole in his abdomen. Surprisingly, Grimmjow isn’t armed to the teeth in this drawing, but fans know the Arrancar is plenty deadly even without a weapon.

This artwork has garnered Kudo plenty of praise online, and it has fans even more excited for the return of Bleach. The final season is slated to debut later in 2021, and it is expected to reunite audience with this fan-favorite characters and many more once it airs.

Will you be tuning into Bleach when its final season comes around? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!