Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is the long-awaited return of the beloved Bleach anime, making its debut in the Fall 2022 anime season alongside heavy hitters like My Hero Academia and Chainsaw Man. The new Bleach anime stood out from the crowd with its slick modern animation, great action scenes and most of all, intense, breathtaking plot twists.
This time around, the Bleach anime has tight pacing and rapid-fire plot twists to keep fans engaged -- a departure from the original anime's more leisurely pace and frequent use of filler material. This means that in just 12 episodes' time, in the first of four seasons, the Bleach: TYBW anime delivered shocking and delightful plot twists that changed Ichigo's story forever -- as well as those of his best Soul Reaper friends.
When the Bleach Anime Revealed Yamamoto's Original 13 Captains in a Flashback
The Bleach: TYBW anime expanded upon the original manga's most obscure plot threads, turning cameos into full-blown flashbacks. An example was a flashback featuring Captain Yamamoto and his original Captains, who were little more than powerful thugs in uniforms. This brutal, undisciplined squad wiped out King Yhwach's invading Quincy army, and a younger Yamamoto clearly saw this as a necessary evil. These Captains were strong enough to defend the Soul Society from all threats, but at the cost of being monsters themselves. Paradoxically, Yamamoto and his Captains mellowed out and got used to peace, which made them too "soft" to defend that peace later. All this proved how much the Gotei 13 squads have changed over the centuries, and there seems to be no proper solution. Either the Captains can't defend the peace they earn, or they wage war and keep society safe with bloodstained zanpakuto.
When Shunsui Kyoraku Succeeded Yamamoto as the Head Captain
Captain Yamamoto died at the hands of his longtime nemesis Yhwach in the Quincy invasion, leaving a formidable power vacuum that only one Soul Reaper could fill: Captain Shunsui Kyoraku of squad 8. Kyoraku was fit for the job as a powerful, influential veteran Soul Reaper, but he never expected to get this job, and he faces the greatest threat the Soul Society has ever known. Time will tell if Kyoraku is truly ready for this, and all Soul Reapers will pay the price if he isn't. Still, this is an exciting opportunity for Kyoraku to prove himself and grow yet again as a leader. He is only squad 1's second-ever Captain, with Yamamoto having led that squad since the start, making Kyoraku's promotion a historic event.
When Retsu Unohana Passed the Kenpachi Torch to Squad 11's Captain
Captain Retsu Unohana was the very image of a gentle and fair healer, and she exuded a warm, motherly air that made everyone like her. Then, shortly after Yamamoto's passing, Bleach: TYBW revealed Unohana to be the first Kenpachi, and a member of Yamamoto's vicious original Gotei 13. She was once Yachiru Unohana, a deadly swordswoman who met a much younger Kenpachi Zaraki on the streets. She recognized him as a potential successor, and in the present day, Unohana decided to fully pass the mantle of Kenpachi to squad 11's Captain. In a duel to the finish, Unohana pushed the current Kenpachi to his limit, making up for her "sin" in the process. Now, Kenpoachi has finally learned to never hold back his true power, and at the cost of Unohana's life, Kenpachi may enter a new phase of his combat career and possibly learn his zanpakuto's name as well. He's already heard its voice -- future episodes may reveal what exactly he heard from his blade.
When a Flashback Proved Ichigo's Quincy Heritage
Bleach fans learned years ago that Ichigo had a Soul Reaper father, Isshin, but Ichigo's family tree has some Quincy in it, too. Recently, after failing Oetsu Nimaiya's training, Ichigo learned from Isshin that Ichigo's late mother Masaki had been a pureblooded, or Echt, Quincy who met Captain Isshin Shiba in the heat of battle. They defeated the Hollow called White together, only for White to poison Masaki from the inside, so Isshin saved her life by giving her his Soul Reaper powers. Thus, their first child, Ichigo, inherited everything from his parents to become a human with Soul Reaper, Hollow and Quincy powers all at once. This also explains why King Yhwach considers Ichigo his son born in the dark, and why Ichigo can use Blut Vene, a Quincy defensive ability, by instinct. All this might tie into how Ichigo may once again rebuild his zanpakuto and explore Zangetsu's true nature in future Bleach: TYBW episodes.