After almost a year of waiting, the highly anticipated Part 3 of Bleach: TYBW is finally out and has become the talk of the anime community online. Ichigo’s comeback was met with positive feedback, earning widespread applause for its improved animation and refined picture quality. From mind-boggling animations to terrific action scenes, TYBW captivated several veteran fans to the show.
Bleach recently marked its 20th anniversary, leaving many fans nostalgic about the recent official tribute video. The special commemorative video has reignited discussions about the beloved anime’s potential for a remake. With the arrival of new faces in TYBW, many fans are reflecting on a fan-favorite character whom Tite Kubo seemingly gave the worst fate, ending tragically.
How Tite Kubo Doomed a Fan-Favorite Bleach Character with a Tragic Fate
For decades, Bleach has stood as the pillar of the Big Three and is recognized as one of the greats, on par with One Piece and Naruto. Bleach‘s last episode aired back in 2014. Naturally, many fans felt the anime wouldn’t return, especially when the epilogue felt pleasing.
Indeed, the original Bleach series holds a special place in the hearts of many anime fans. It is an anime that blends action, comedy, and deep themes and has gained a huge following. Regardless, fans were left in shock by the truth about Gin Ichimaru, and his tragic ending left everyone heartbroken.
Gin Ichimaru is a textbook example of an antihero — a man who spends an equal amount of time playing both hero and villain. Ichimaru’s alliance with Sōsuke Aizen was driven by a deep desire for vengeance against him to avenge Rangiku, making his death all the more heartbreaking.
Gin’s Death in Bleach was so sad 😭 https://t.co/ucGA2s2mUN pic.twitter.com/1sWJTFRAWH
— Dani | Bleach 🩸 (@ichigod22) January 14, 2023
Tite Kubo not only gave Gin Ichimaru a tragic fate, but also failed to fully explore his Bankai. Gin’s Bankai was introduced as the fastest in the series, only to be showcased briefly before his rushed and heartbreaking end.
His Bankai, Kamishini No Yari, allowed him to extend and contract his sword at 500 times the speed of sound, significantly enhancing its cutting power and force. Furthermore, his blade also contains a deadly poison, which could cause his foe’s body to break down and dissolve at the cellular level.
This technique was called Korose, which was Gin’s secret weapon to dispose of Aizen and revenge Rangiku. If the Hogyoku hadn’t triggered yet another transformation, Gin’s years of planning might have finally paid off.
Gin spent years getting up close and personal with Aizen, learning things about him until the right moment came to strike. His betrayal had been perfectly timed, and for a moment, it looked like he might finally win—escaping Aizen’s control and carving out his own destiny.
In the end, his dream was sacrificed for the sake of the final showdown with Ichigo, leaving Gin’s story as a tragic “what could have been.”
Ichigo’s VA Opens Up About the Struggles Behind Bleach: TYBW Production
Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War–Part 3 is arguably the most anticipated series for the 2024 fall season. Part 2 majors focused on highlighting Zero Squad’s members, with Ichibē Hyōsube emerging victorious against Yhwach. Surprisingly, Masakazu Morita once revealed his initial struggles with voicing Ichigo in TYBW Arc.
Morita disclosed his past experience with voicing Ichigo and how never felt any pressure or struggle back in classic Bleach. However, the voice actor couldn’t cope with Kurosaki’s personality in The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc.
Fortunately, Tite Kubo was always there to lend a helping hand to Ichigo’s voice actor, a support Morita deeply appreciated. All such challenges helped the voice actor grow closer to his fictional character and uncover an unexpected similarity between himself and Ichigo.
Bleach and Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War are available for streaming on Crunchyroll
