Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 2 continues this week with episode 21 of the final arc. The most recent episode has been praised as one of the best episodes of the series, as one of the main characters experiences a breakthrough in their abilities. The upcoming episode previews the return of Ichigo to Soul Society as he makes his way from his soul reaper training.
The studio released image teasers on the upcoming episode and it showcases Ichigo making his long awaited comeback with his recent training under his sleeve. The upcoming episode will continue after Kenpachi's fight with Gremmy as he is ambushed by other Quincies. Rukia and Byakuya rush over to Captain Zaraki and Yhwach finally inserts himself into the ongoing raid.
The Bleach official website describes the story for the episode:
"Kenpachi is hit by Candice Catnipp’s thunderbolt, just after defeating Gremmy. Meninas McAllon, Giselle Gewelle, and Liltotto Lamperd also arrive and face Kenpoachi, one of the Special War Powers. The four’s fierce attack destroy the entire area, and take out many of the Soul Reapers. Rukia and Byakuya, sensing a change in Kenpachi’s spiritual pressure, simultaneously sense another familiar spiritual pressure approaching from the sky. And, as if he had been waiting for the owner of this spiritual pressure to descend to the mortal world, Yhwach also begins to move."
When does Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War episode 21 release?
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War episode 21 is titled "THE HEADLESS STAR” and is expected to be released on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023 at 11:00 PM in Japan. It is also being released on Hulu and on Disney Plus in the U.S. Additionally, the English dubbed version will be released on Hulu as well, four weeks after the Japanese dubbed version.
The upcoming episode will be released in multiple time zones and the schedule you can follow is below:
- Pacific Time: 7:30 AM
- Mountain Time: 8:30 AM
- Central Time: 9:30 AM
- Eastern Time: 10:30 AM
- British Time: 3:30 PM
- European Time: 4:30 PM
- Indian Time: 9:00 PM
READ MORE: Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War episode 20 release date and time
What happened last in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War ?
Earlier in Bleach: TYBW part 2, Isane and Yachiru are interrupted by Guenael Lee and his invisible powers. Guenael is able to erase his existence and make himself invisible to the opponent as he attacks. Yachiru is able to sense pure instinct and activates her sword abilities. His sword allows her to strike her target whether they dodge or not. She also activates her Shikai which results in substantial damage. It is then revealed that Guenael Lee was materialized from the imagination of the Quincy named Gremmy who is given the letter "V."
As Gremmy begins to unleash his powers on the squad lieutenant and turns Yachiru's bones into cookies, Kenpachi steps in to fight the Quincy. Captain Zaraki reveals Unohana is dead to Isane and he begins his fight with Gremmy. Gremmy "the Visionary" is able to turn fantasy into reality. He turns his body to steel to resist Kenpachi's blade, but it does not work as Captain Zaraki takes it upon himself the strike with even more force. Gremmy reveals he is also able to heal through his imagination.
Kenpachi begins to show that he is able to fight in situations beyond reason, as he survives when he gets submerged in water and then trapped in the cracks in the earth. Kenpachi's intensity is able to divert Gremmy's attention from Yachiru's bones and fires up Gremmy's fighting resolve. The Quincy subsequently materializes machine guns and missiles toward Kenpachi and then hurls a meteor toward the Soul Society captain. Captain Zaraki finally unleashes his sword Nozarashi and cuts the meteor into oblivion. He is sent into Deep Space by Gremmy but the Quincy is cut almost in half in response. Gremmy then lunges towards the Captain but stops short as his imagination admits defeat as it envisions Kenpachi as a monster in his own head.