Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War hasn’t only seen the Soul Society wrapped up in the conflict against the Sternritter, but it has also seen the Arrancar fighting their own war as more than a few were mowed down by Yhwach and his forces. With Ichigo Kurosaki being saved from a confrontation with a powerful Wandenreich soldier, the anime adaptation has seen the return of a major former enemy to the substitute Soul Reaper, who might just be a key player in taking the new villains down.
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Grimmjow is a lot like the Arrancar version of Ichigo Kurosaki, not so much in his spiritual powers, but in his love of battle and ability to crack wise throughout a fight. With his powers granting him a far more animalistic appearance, Grimmjow wasn’t able to keep up with Ichigo in the power department, but it seems as though the mysterious figure that had saved Kurosaki and his friends following his placement in a pocket dimension has been revealed as Ichigo’s former enemy. With the Arrancar already being slaughtered vehemently by the Sternritter, it makes sense that Grimmjow would save Ichigo and company, as he seeks revenge against the Quincy family that has delivered a serious blow to his comrades.
The Thousand Year Grimmjow War
Twitter User Nomi Matsu took the opportunity to share the clip hinting at Grimmjow’s return and revealing that the Arrancar was the one to save Ichigo and his friends from a terrible fate from one of the powerful members of the Wandenreich that have been carving a swath across the afterlife:
Bleach’s Thousand Year Blood War will be around fifty episodes in total, split amongst four cours and reportedly set to continue into 2024. The Shonen franchise itself hasn’t released any new stories since the one-shot special showed us older iterations of Ichigo and his friends facing down a terrifying new threat that brings back the sins of the Soul Society from the depths of the underworld. Should a sequel anime series be announced, we would imagine it will be some time before anime fans receive word.
How do you feel about the Thousand Year Blood War so far? Do you think the tides might turn with the arrival of Grimmjow? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Soul Society.