Bleach Creator Revisits Rukia in New Sketch

The Thousand-Year Blood War is set to return this year and creator Tite Kubo has a new look at one of the franchise's biggest characters.

By Evan Valentine

Of the many Shinigami that stood front and center in Bleach's Thousand-Year Blood War, Rukia was one of the most surprising in some respects. The Soul Society member was directly responsible for making Ichigo Kurosaki a "substitute Soul Reaper", though it wasn't on purpose. As Yhwach and his Wandenreich descended upon the Soul Reapers, it was all hands on deck when it came to battling the supernatural shonen antagonists. To once again show off his creative skills and build hype for the Blood War's anime return, Bleach creator Tite Kubo has shared a new image of Rukia.

While Rukia was kidnapped by her own brother in the earlier storylines of Bleach, she has since been aiding Ichigo once she reclaimed her freedom. While she has never really been able to keep up with the anime protagonist's power level, the fight against Yhwach's forces finally gave anime fans the opportunity to see her Bankai in full effect. Much like Soul Reaper Toshiro Hitsugaya, Rukia's Bankai is one that utilizes ice to fight her opponents. Dubbed "White Haze Punishment", it shouldn't come as a surprise if we see this technique used once again before the Blood War draws to its conclusion.

Bleach: A New Look For Rukia

Like One Piece and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, many of the Bleach characters will sport new attire when they aren't wearing their traditional Shinigami garb. Most notably, many of the anime introductions will gather heroes and villains alike and place them into apparel that they otherwise might not wear. In this new art from creator Tite Kubo, Rukia is sporting a new design as fans debate whether she and the entirety of the Soul Society will manage to defeat the Sternritter. 

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As of the writing of this article, Bleach's third cours for the Blood War has yet to receive a release date. This fact might change this week as Studio Pierrot will be attending Anime Expo in Los Angeles and will be bringing new information regarding the Soul Society's comeback. The new episodes are confirmed for this year, meaning anime fans won't be waiting much longer for the Blood War to continue.

Want to see what the future holds for Rukia in the Thousand-Year Blood War? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest updates on the Soul Society. 

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