Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War

Soul Reapers Ryūnosuke Yuki and Shino Madarame are assigned as new guardians of Karakura Town, following the mass disappearances of Hollows from the Human World. They are ambushed by Hollows, but rescued by Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado and Uryū Ishida. Two days later, Ichigo meets Asguiaro Ebern, a member of the Wandenreich. Ebern attempts to use a Quincy medallion and seal Ichigo's Bankai, but he destroys it and makes him retreat. At the same time, a group of individuals representing the Wandenreich, the Quincy Empire, ambush head captain Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's office in the Soul Society, and deliver a fatal wound to lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe as an example for the impending fate of the Soul Reapers. Meanwhile, 11th squad members Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa investigate the disappearances of thousands of civilians from the Rukon District. At the Wandenreich's base Silbern, Ebern delivers a report to Yhwach, the Quincy King.

Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck and Pesche Guatiche go to the Human World, and inform Ichigo that Hueco Mundo has been overthrown by the Wandenreich, after its leader Tier Halibel was defeated by Yhwach. The Arrancars of Hueco Mundo have either joined the Quincies, been killed or were enslaved. Kisuke Urahara, Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Nel and Pesche arrive to Hueco Mundo. Meanwhile, the Wandenreich's hunting captain of the First Jagdarmee, Stern Ritter "J" Quilge Opie, tests the Arrancars to see who can join their ranks. Loly and Menoly attempt to take an upper hand, but are dispatched easily. Tres Bestias: Emilou Apacci, Franceska Mila Rose and Cyan Sung-Sun arrive, and kill many Quincy soldiers, but are overwhelmed by Quilge. Ichigo decides to free all Arrancars.

Ichigo begins his fight against Quilge. The Tres Bestias summon Ayon and re-join the fight against Quilge. Uryū learns the truth of the conflict between Soul Reapers and Quincies centuries ago. It is revealed that 12th Division captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi ordered his division to exterminate the civilians from the Rukon District, in order to rectify the soul imbalance caused by the Quincies exterminating Hollows in the Living World. It is revealed that Yamamoto fought Yhwach 1,000 years ago. Quilge absorbs Reishi in the area (including from Ayon) and overpowers the Tres Bestias, but clashes with Ichigo once again when he activates his Bankai, all the while the Quincies have begun their invasion of the Soul Society, with Stern Ritter "H" Bazz-B mortally wounding Squad 3 Lieutenant Izuru Kira and killing other ones.

Over 1,000 Soul Reapers die within seven minutes of the Quincy's invasion. 3rd Division captain Rōjūrō "Rose" Ōtoribashi meets Stern Ritter "U" NaNaNa Najahkoop, 6th Division captain Byakuya Kuchiki and lieutenant Renji Abarai against Stern Ritter "F" Äs Nödt, Stern Ritter "S" Mask De Masculine, 7th Division captain, and Sajin Komamura on Stern Ritter "E" Bambietta Basterbine. The other Soul Society captains face off against unnamed Stern Ritters. As the fighting reaches a stalemate, the 2nd Division captain Soi-Fon, Byakuya, Komamura, and 10th Division captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya release their Bankais, but have them immediately stolen by their opponent Stern Ritters using absorbing medallions. The captains are shocked of the news that the Stern Ritters' trump card is to steal Bankai, as it is communicated to the rest of the Soul Society. 8th Division captain, Shunsui Kyōraku is blinded in his right eye by Stern Ritter "N" Robert Accutrone. Meanwhile, Quilge continues his fight against Ichigo and Urahara observes that the Stern Ritter is having difficulties stealing Ichigo's Bankai. Urahara opens the portal for Ichigo to enter there and join the fight. However, Quilge attacks Urahara, Orihime and Chad, and uses his Stern Ritter ability, "The Jail" to imprison Ichigo, while he is in the Garganta and on his way to the Soul Society.

Ichigo hears the voices of many Soul Reapers, while desperately trying to escape from Quilge's Jail. Before Quilge can kill Urahrara and the others, he is killed by an unseen assailant. Byakuya and Renji engage Äs Nödt in battle. Byakuya is unnerved by Äs, who awakened his fears with Reishi Thorns. Byakuya attempts to overcome his fear, but Äs overwhelms him with his own Bankai. Rukia and Renji are wounded by other Stern Ritters. Kenpachi Zaraki, having killed three of them (Stern Ritter "R" Jerome Guizbatt, Stern Ritter "Q" Berenice Gabrielli and Stern Ritter "Y" Loyd Lloyd), confronts Yhwach and his right hand man, Jugram Haschwalth. As 9th division lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi is about to be defeated by Stern Ritter "O" Driscoll Berci, head captain Yamamoto steps in. Driscoll reveals that he killed Sasakibe and stole his Bankai, Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū, with which he attacks the head captain. This reminds Yamamoto of the first time Sasakibe showed him his Bankai, 2,000 years ago. Yamamoto, angered by the perversion of Sasakibe, kills Driscoll, saves Kenpachi from Yhwach, and inspires the Soul Reapers to continue fighting.

Yamamoto engages Yhwach in battle across the rooftops of the Seireitei. After Yhwach is pushed to unsheathing his sword, Yamamoto activates his Bankai, Zanka no Tachi, which causes everything to evaporate. 4th division captain Retsu Unohana and her lieutenant Isane Kotetsu are worried that if the battle goes on for too long, Yamamoto could destroy even the Soul Society. Yhwach is powerless against the various abilities of Zanka no Tachi, and Yamamoto boasts that his Bankai is too strong to be stolen. Yamamoto unknowingly defeats a fake replica, and the real Yhwach arrives and identifies him as the second half of the Lloyd twins, Stern Ritter "Y" Royd Lloyd. Yhwach destroys the Division 1 barracks and kills Royd for his failure. Yhwach reveals he was busy meeting with Sōsuke Aizen in his underground prison. Considered by the Wandenreich to be one of the Five Special War Powers, Yhwach attempted to recruit Aizen, but he refused to join him, not wanting him to fall under his command, so he was left in prison. Yamamoto attempts to use his Bankai again, but Yhwach steals it, being the only one actually powerful enough to take it, and fatally bisects him.

A thousand years ago, the original Thirteen Court Guard Squads consisted of ruthless and barbaric killers with selfish purpose, partook in slaughtering the Wandenreich, and Yamamoto and Sasakibe personally defeated Yhwach. Afterwards, Yamamoto adopted a peaceful philosophy and formed a unified Court Guard system. Back in the present day, Yhwach destroys Yamamoto's remains. Ichigo breaks free and Byakuya asks him to save the Soul Society. Ichigo trades blows with Yhwach's Reishi Sword using Getsuga Tenshō, but is quickly defeated. Yhwach attempts to kill Ichigo, but is countered by Ichigo awakening a defensive Quincy technique called Blut Vëne. Yhwach reveals Quilge's Jail can only be broken by a Quincy and deduces that Ichigo does not know the truth about himself or his mother, Masaki Kurosaki. Shadow portals appear to transport the Quincy back to Silbern and Yhwach realizes that Aizen used his Shikai ability on him to lose track of time. Ichigo tries to charge at Yhwach, but his Zanpakutō is destroyed by Haschwalth. Yhwach departs cryptically referring to the stunned Ichigo as "his son, born in the dark".

After the invasion, Rukia and Renji are treated by Division 4, along with the surviving Soul Reapers as Byakuya barely clings to life. Mayuri tells Ichigo that as his Zanpakutō was destroyed while in Bankai state, it cannot be fixed. The captains mourn Yamamoto, Byakuya and Kenpachi are still in a critical state and may never wake. Ichigo and the captains meet with Squad Zero, composed of five most elite former captains, who protect the Soul King in the Royal Palace. Ichigo and the captains talk to Urahara, Orihime and Chad, who were saved from Quilge by a concealed Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Kūkaku Shiba sends Ichigo, Byakuya, Renji, Rukia and Squad Zero to the Royal Palace above the Seireitei, where Zangetsu could be reforged. Kūkaku, having sent them up to the Royal Palace, joins her brother Ganju, Kūgo Ginjō, Shūkurō Tsukishima and Giriko Kutsuzawa, who now reside in the Soul Society, since they were killed with a Zanpakutō and did not become Hollows. At the Royal Palace, Ichigo, Rukia, Renji and Byakuya, are being healed by Tenjirō Kirinji, a member of Squad Zero and the one who taught Unohana healing techniques. The Soul King is seen awakening.

Ichigo and Renji are healed completely by Kirinji, and they move up to Kirio Hikifune's palace, where they are quickly fed all sorts of ancient Soul Society dishes, filled with strong spiritual pressure, before being sent up to Ōetsu Nimaiya's palace, the man who created all Zanpakutō. Meanwhile, captain Shunsui Kyōraku is appointed as new head captain and he selects his lieutenant Nanao Ise to come join him as a lieutenant in the 1st Division, whilst also promoting Yamamoto's previous 3rd Seat, Genshiro Okikiba to lieutenant. He decrees that Kenpachi is to be taught "zanjutsu" – an all-style encompassing swordsmanship by 4th Division captain Unohana, who reveals herself a criminal for the history of the Soul Society and the founder of the 11th Division and the "First Kenpachi", her real name being Yachiru Unohana. Unohana and Kenpachi fight in the infinite underground prison, Muken. Kenpachi recalls how he used to admire Unohana, from their first meeting on, when he scarred her chest. Unohana states that he has become far weaker from then and she will push him to the brink of death and revive him repeatedly to unlock his full potential.

Hundreds of years ago, Unohana has grown bored of killing bandits in the hopes of finding a worthy opponent, until a vicious child, Kenpachi attacks her. Unohana is overpowered, so Kenpachi subconsciously begins to hold himself back, which ends in his defeat. Back in the present day, Unohana wounds Kenpachi hundreds of times, as he grows stronger each time he resurrects. She unleashes her Bankai, Minazuki, which allows her to extend her blade with acidic slashes resembling blood. Kenpachi has grown strong enough to power through and kill her. As he grieves Unohana, he finally gets to speak with his Zanpakutō and forge bond. Meanwhile, Ichigo, Renji and Kon arrive in Nimaiya's palace, Hoohden, where they meet countless Zanpakutō spirits and the unconventional captain himself. Nimaiya teaches them about the basics of how Soul Reapers receive Zanpakutō in their base form, called Asauchi, which becomes a personalized Zanpakutō the more the wielder imprints his soul pressure on it. Nimaiya sends the two down into a hole filled with countless Asauchi and leaves them there for three days to fight them. Renji comes out victorious, with an Asauchi having chosen him, but Ichigo fails the test. Nimaiya unceremoniously sends Ichigo back to the Human World, right in front of the Kurosaki clinic, citing that he needs to return to his roots, since he did not go through traditional Asauchi training.

Nimaiya tells Renji, that he created every single Zanpakutō for the last several thousand years, including Kenpachi's, which he actually stole off of a Soul Reaper's dead body, adding that Ichigo's was not an Asauchi made by him, therefore his training would have never worked. Ichigo visits the shop, where Ikumi Unagiya comforts him, before Isshin Kurosaki arrives in his Soul Reaper attire to take Ichigo away, though Ichigo unknowingly leaves his badge behind. Isshin tells Ichigo about the history of their family, while to Ichigo that his mother was a Quincy. Nearly twenty years ago, when Isshin Shiba was still captain of Division 10, a series of mysterious Soul Reaper deaths began occurring in Naraki City. Isshin went out to investigate the cause, which turned out to be an immensely powerful and intelligent Hollow, clad in black armor and made from the mixture of several dead Soul Reapers' souls, which is where it gets its name "White". Elsewhere, Masaki Kurosaki, an Echt Quincy noble who was taken in by Sōken Ishida's family after the demise of her own, sensed the Spiritual Pressure released by the Hollow and Isshin, and headed off to help, despite Ryūken Ishida and the lower ranked Gemischt Quincy family maid Kanae Katagiri attempting to dissuade her. While fighting the Hollow, Isshin attempted to use his Bankai, but was slashed in the back by the creators of this Hollow, Aizen, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen. Masaki arrived and saved Isshin, while Aizen stopped Tōsen from killing her, due to finding her intriguing. Masaki used herself as bait to draw the Hollow close and kill it in one blow, initiating its self destruction which Isshin shielded Masaki from. Masaki healed Isshin, while also revealing herself to be a Quincy. Initially fearing his reaction, she rejoiced, when Isshin gladly declared, that he was happy to have met a living Quincy. Ryūken and Kanae, seeing that she found safety, decided to leave her be and headed off together. Back in the present day, Haschwalth meets Uryū.

Continuing his story to Ichigo, Isshin reported back to Yamamoto about his successful mission, but left out Masaki from his report. Feeling drawn to her, he returned to the Human World on patrol. Since the attack of the White Hollow, Masaki has started to feel dazed and pulled down into the darkness by the hollow soul which merged with her. As she was berated by Ryūken's mother for helping a Soul Reaper, she collapsed and a hollow hole appeared on her chest. Ryūken picked her up and ran off for help, running into Isshin and blaming him for Masaki's condition. Urahara, who has briefly met with Masaki before, then stepped into their conflict and told them that he knows of a way to help her, which he discovered during the last one hundred years of exile, while trying to cure the Visoreds. Due to her being an extremely powerful Echt Quincy merged with a hollow, the solution for her cure would be different, than for a Soul Reaper merged with one. To balance her soul out with the hollow's in her, the entirety of a Soul Reaper's power is needed to combat it for her entire life, since a Quincy does not have any resistance to hollow souls. Isshin volunteered and Urahara provided him with a specially created Gigai, that can completely contain a Soul Reaper soul and turn them into a human. Afterwards, the two settled down together and fell in love, while Ryūken married Katagiri. Isshin tells Ichigo, that the reason Masaki died fighting Grand Fisher and Katagiri died from her illness, was because according to ancient Quincy texts, Yhwach used the Auswählen that stripped several of his people of their powers to regain his own 9 years ago, deeming them impure. Before heading off again, Ichigo receives his badge back from Ikumi. Ryūken finds evidence of Uryū meeting with the Stern Ritters.

One of Nimaiya's Zanpakutō bodyguards immediately retrieves Ichigo and places him with the countless Asauchi again, to fight until one chooses him. However, all the Asauchi kneel to Ichigo as he chooses a white Asauchi, the hollow "White" inside him. In the Soul Society, the captains and lieutenants begin training. Captain Hitsugaya returns to the Soul Reaper training grounds to hone his sword-wielding skills. 9th division captain, Kensei Muguruma takes his lietenant, Hisagi out to face his other, unofficial lieutenant Mashiro Kuna in her Hollowfied form, in order to awaken his Bankai. Akon returns to the division 12 barracks after his wounds have been treated and learns that captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi and lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi have locked themselves in the lab for more than a day now and are in the process of creating something. Captain Komamura returns to his clan's hideout and tries to convince the clan elder to teach him a secret clan technique, while captain Soi-Fon trains her body in the mountains. Meanwhile, Nimaiya's bodyguards prepare the forge and he begins rebuilding Ichigo's Zanpakutō, while also telling him that Old Man Zangetsu is not his Zanpakutō, the hollow "White" in him was his Zanpakutō all along, and that Old Man Zangetsu was actually the source of Ichigo's latent Quincy powers, taking the form of Yhwach from a thousand years ago. Ichigo speaks to Old Man Zangetsu again, who expresses pride in how strong Ichigo has become since he chose the path of a Soul Reaper, despite Old Man Zangetsu suppressing his powers to prevent him from becoming a Soul Reaper in the first place. Old Man Zangetsu sheds a tear as he says farewell and relinquishes his hold on Ichigo's powers, allowing him to finally access his true Zanpakutō, the dual bladed True Zangetsu. Sensing both "White" and Old Man Zangetsu in the long and short blades respectively, Ichigo thanks Zangetsu and says that he is himself. In Silbern, Yhwach meets with Haschwalth, who has brought Uryū along, donned in Stern Ritter attire.

Ichigo begins his training with Ichibē Hyōsube, the captain of Squad 0. Meanwhile, Yhwach gathers the Quincy army to announce that he has chosen Uryū as his successor, causing discord between many of the Stern Ritters who considered Haschwalth more worthy for the post. Askin Nakk Le Vaar stops the ruckus between other ones, specifically Bazz-B and Haschwalth. In Hueco Mundo, Orihime and Chad begin training as well, while Urahara researches the Quincy Medallion. Ichibē leads Ichigo to a special place in the Royal Palace, which can only be accessed with permission from the Soul King, in order to make him stronger. New Head Captain Shunsui Kyōraku gives Ichigo's human friends a Soul Ticket into the Soul Society in case Ichigo's spiritual pressure becomes too much for the Human World to bear. Rukia and Renji continue their training in the Royal Palace, while Byakuya recovers with Kirinji's help. A dark dome engulfs the Seireitei and the Quincy army rises. Yhwach declares that he will retake the world in the next 9 days, as per the Quincy Song, the Kaiser Gesang.

The Wandenreich begin their second invasion of the Seireitei. Haschwalth orders the Stern Ritters who stole Bankais to defeat the captains they stole them from. Askin arrives in the 12th Squad barracks and explains that the Quincy hideout, the Wandenreich was created with Quincy powers and is hidden within the shadows of the Seireitei, from where they watched and studied everything and everyone. Mayuri and Nemu Kurotsuchi emerge from the former's secret lab, which was hidden in complete brightness, where he devised the countermeasures against the Quincy transportation techniques. Annoyed by Mayuri's absurdity and tenaciousness, Askin leaves. Haschwalth confronts Shunsui and Nanao personally, but the latter has devised a powerful Kido spell to hold the Stern Ritter back. The Soul Reapers and Soldats are in all-out war on the streets of the Seireitei. Squad 10 captain Toshiro Hitsugaya and lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto confront Bazz-B. Meanwhile, Squad 2 lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda tries to protect his little sister from Stern Ritter "K" BG9, but captain Soi Fon arrives to protect them. Hitsugaya and Rangiku use underhanded tactics, such as combining their abilities to stop Bazz-B in his tracks, but they cannot compete with his powers. Bazz-B effortlessly beats Hitsugaya, but Stern Ritter "I" Cang Du steps in to eliminate him with his own Bankai. BG9 greatly wounds Soi Fon as well. Suddenly, Urahara contacts Mayuri and reveals that he devised a way to retrieve the stolen Bankais.

Cang Du not only reveals he has already incapacitated Rangiku, before attempting to finish Hitsugaya with his Bankai, while Bazz-B leaves. Urahara arrives to the 12th Squad barracks and tells Mayuri how he devised the method to return stolen Bankais and keep all of them from being stolen. He reveals the Shin'eiyaku, a black pill that temporarily hollowfies Bankais, thus turning them into poison for Quincies, which he devised after noticing that Quilge could not control the Reishi he absorbed from arrancars, which he has already sent to everyone who is known to possess Bankai. Hitsugaya touches the pill sent to him and gradually regains his Bankai, now hollowfied, defeating Cang Du and collapsing afterward. BG9 attempts to harvest the incapacitated Soi Fon, but Ōmaeda gives her the pill and she uses her regained Bankai to defeat BG9. Elsewhere, several dozen Soldats surround Squad 5 captain Shinji Hirako after killing his squad. This gives Shinji the opportunity to finally use his Bankai, Sakashima Yokoshima Happō Fusagari, to change the reality of comrade and enemy, thus forcing all Soldats to kill each other. Accompanied by 11th Squad 5th seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, 9th Squad lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi and 11th Squad 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame absorb a Shin'eiyaku, when Stern Ritter "S", Mask de Masculine crashes down on them to claim glory, effortlessly countering and beating them. Stern Ritter "E", Bambietta Basterbine leads her squadron of Stern Ritters in search of 7th Squad captain Sajin Komamura. Due to her continued ranting, her squad abandons her. Angry at being abandoned, she uses her power to explode and destroy the surrounding area just as Komamura arrives to stop her in full armor. As Komamura claims he is in a hurry to avenge Yamamoto by killing Yhwach, Shinji arrives to send him off. Shinji uses his Shikai on Bambietta to completely disorient her and toy with her. Bambietta and all fallen Stern Ritters activate their Vollständig. Meanwhile, in the Soul Palace, Ichigo continues to step into the dark corridor while experiencing immeasurable pain, soul pressure and visions of a man in a pool of Reishi repeatedly, with the images becoming clearer and depicting the Soul King.

Bambietta immediately blows Shinji with her Vollständig powers. Komamura and 5th Squad lieutenant Momo Hinamori step in and the latter takes Shinji away, while the former protects their escape. Bambietta explains that her ability is not bombs, but to explode anything her Reishi projectiles touch, which cannot be defended against. She blows Komamura's helmet away, revealing his new human form. Komamura explains that he gained his clans secret Humanization Technique by ripping his own heart out and sacrificing it to the clan elder. As such, Komamura is virtually immortal and invulnerable while in human form. Komamura uses his Bankai, which is also invulnerable now without its armor, to slam Bambietta with her own exploding Reishi projectiles. Komamura hurries toward Yhwach, but his heart gives out and he turns into a completely non-human wolf form, unable to speak as his lieutenant, Tetsuzaemon Iba carries him away. The dying Bambietta is taken away by her squad, while the defeated Cang Du and BG9 are collected by Uryū. Haschwalth returns to Yhwach's side as well. Mask defeats his opponents as well, after support from his fan James. Before he could kill them though, Mask is stopped by the arrival of 9th Squad captain Kensei Muguruma and 3rd Squad captain Rōjūrō "Rose" Ōtoribashi. Meanwhile, Ichibē tells Ichigo that he is experiencing the past of the Soul Society within the powers of the Soul King. Ichigo successfully absorbs the power and goes to Senjumaru Shutara's palace.

Kyōraku orders the remaining Soul Reapers to regroup at safe locations, with Mayuri's coordination. Kensei activates his Bankai, Tekken Tachikaze to pummel Mask with. After a fleeting victory, Kensei is broken down and critically injured by Mask, who has risen due to James' cheering. After the wounded Hisagi warns them of James' role, Rose steps in and kills the fan, before activating his Bankai, Kinshara Butōdan. Mask is repeatedly attacked by a flurry of fire and water attacks, but realizes there should not exist a Zanpakutō that could control both. Rose affirms this, boasting that his Bankai is actually illusion based, induced by sound. As such, Mask bursts his own eardrums, so that he then blast a star shaped hole through Rose. Before Mask could terminate the two captains, Renji blocks his attack easily. Rukia arrives as well, the two of them having finished their Squad 0 training and growing much stronger. While Rukia takes the two captains to Kotetsu, Renji is unfazed by all of Mask's attacks. Mask activates his Vollständig and uses his most powerful Reishi attack on Renji, accidentally incinerating James too, but he blocks it with his new, complete Bankai, Sō-ōh Zabimaru. Due to Zabimaru declining him completely beforehand, Renji could not fully wield it, but he is able and uses his new Bankai's technique, Sō-ōh Zabimaru: Zāgā Tēppō and destroys Mask with it, and without James cheering, Mask cannot return. In a post-credits scene, Yhwach absorbs the Reishi particles that remain of "M" in front of Uryū, before entering a shadow, from which Jugram Haschwalth emerges. Uryū questions his presence, but Haschwalth explains that not only he and Yhwach, but Yhwach and all Quincies are connected. Since Uryū is now the chosen successor, Haschwalth decides to explain what kind of being Yhwach is and where his powers come from.

After completing his training with all of Squad 0, Ichigo begins descending to the Seireitei and informs Urahara of his arrival. Uryū discovers Haschwalth killing BG9 and Cang Du for their failure. Haschwalth reveals that all those who are given a portion of Yhwach's soul have their powers, knowledge and skills, absorbed by Yhwach along with their Soul upon dying. As Rukia scours the Seireitei, she is alarmed by the arrival of Stern Ritter "F" Äs Nödt, who is looking for Byakuya's Senbonzakura. As she is much stronger now and has learned what her Zanpakutō really does, specifically its ability to lower its users temperature and anything she touches to absolute zero, she is able to freeze Äs Nödt. Angered by Rukia's dismissal of fear, Äs activates his Vollständig, which transmits fear just upon the sight of his grotesque body. When she is trapped because of a moment of fear, Byakuya steps in to recognize her growth. Äs taunts Byakuya, but the latter allows Rukia to stand on her own. She unleashes her dangerous Bankai, Hakka no Togame, to instantly freeze Äs to death. Byakuya holds Rukia together, while she undoes it and tells her to train with the Bankai, so she does not accidentally kill herself with it. While tending to Rose and Kensei, Isane and 11th Squad lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi are attacked by a Stern Ritter.

The Stern Ritter "V" Gwenael Lee explains that his ability is to remove himself from his opponent's senses, mind and reality. However, he is increasingly annoyed, when Yachiru attacks him on pure instinct as soon as he reemerges to attack. Noting Lee's failure, the real Stern Ritter "V" Gremmy Thoumeaux appears in the barrier with Kensei and Rose, explaining that his ability is to turn into reality whatever he imagines, and Lee is just a figment of his imagination that he deletes immediately, after he has already killed Rose and Kensei. He imagines that Yachiru's bones are made of cookies, incapacitating her. Suddenly, Kenpachi bursts into the place and informs Isane of Unohana's death. Considering himself the strongest Stern Ritter, Gremmy immediately challenges Kenpachi. He tries imagining him in a pool of water to drown him, but Kenpachi breaks out and slashes him. Gremmy then imagines various guns and missiles and imagines another body for himself, doubling his power of imagination. With the doubled power, he imagines a meteor coming to crash down on the Seireitei, alarming both Soul Reapers and Quincies. Kenpachi, having learned Zanpakutō's name, Nozarashi, decides to unleash his Shikai, resembling an oversized meat cleaver, with which he obliterates the meteor. Gremmy imagines over a dozen of himself, and with their combined powers, he imagines Kenpachi in outer space. Though significantly injured, Kenpachi breaks through the imaginary space and slashes Gremmy. Angered by his durability and strength, Gremmy tries to imagine his body as strong as Kenpachi's, which in turn weaponized his own imagination against him, since he saw Kenpachi as an all-powerful monster, breaking his own body down. As he is dying, Gremmy reveals his true body to be just a brain.

Though his internal organs are greatly injured, Kenpachi relentlessly searches for Yachiru, who has disappeared. Then, he is set upon by Bambietta's squad, Stern Ritter "T" Candice Catnipp, Stern Ritter "Z" Giselle Gewelle, Stern Ritter "P" Meninas McAllon and Stern Ritter "G" Liltotto Lamperd. Though initially resisting, Kenpachi is overwhelmed by their combined power. Ichigo suddenly crashes down in, creating a hole leading to the Soul Palace and effortlessly tosses the four Stern Ritters away from Kenpachi. Soul Reapers and Stern Ritters alike are shocked by his entrance. Angered by Ichigo's status as a Special War Power along with Kenpachi, the four Stern Ritters activate their Vollständig to face Ichigo, but none can lay a hand on him. When Candice charges up a giant lightning bolt, Ichigo combines two Getsuga Tenshō from his two true Zanpakutō into a Getsuga Jūjishō, cutting her arm off. Giselle uses a dead Soul Reaper's tissue to generate a new arm for her. When they try to regroup for another attack, Bazz-B uses Burner Finger 1 and shoots them all down to claim the glory of beating Ichigo for himself, but then three more Stern Ritters arrive. Surrounded eight-to-one, Ichigo tries to fly off to Yhwach, who is trying to use the hole the former created to invade the Soul Palace. Renji, Rukia, Byakuya, Hisagi, Yumichika and Ikkaku step in to hold off the Stern Ritters, while Ichigo flies to Yhwach. Uryū immediately fires at Ichigo, who is shocked to see him on Yhwach's side. When Uryū activates Licht Regen, Chad and Orihime arrive from Hueco Mundo to block it. As Yhwach ascends with Haschwalth and Uryū, the three of them are left in awe.

Yhwach's ascent to the Soul Palace blows everything and everyone in the vicinity away. Shunsui questions why Ichibē would even allow Yhwach to ascend so easily. Orihime and Chad rebuke Ichigo, while Urahara arrives to lead them to the 12th Division barracks, where Mayuri preemptively built a one-use replica of the Shiba clan's cannon to shoot Ichigo's group back up to the palace. Requiring massive energy to fire off, Urahara had Yoruichi Shihōin and the remaining Visored collect Reishi from distortions in the Human World, created by Quincies since the first invasion. Byakuya is surrounded by Candice and two more Quincies, while Bazz-B antagonizes Renji and Rukia as soon as they emerge from the rubble. Iba breaks out of the rubble, having protected the wolf formerly known as Komamura. Giselle tries to goad Ikkaku and Yumichika into an attack, so they could get controlled, but when the latter exposes Giselle as being a male crossdresser, they are angered and summon the semi-conscious undead Bambietta. Giselle explains that they can zombify and control Soul Reapers just with a bit of their blood touching them, but a Quincy actually needs to be dead for them to control, so they personally executed Bambietta. Unable to combat Bambietta's ability, the two are overwhelmed and about to be zombified, until Mayuri and Nemu step in. Mayuri, already having created a device to counteract Bambietta's ability, nullifies her use as a pawn. Giselle summons their army of zombified Soul Reapers, composed mostly of members of Squad 11. Mayuri then reveals his very own pawns, the reanimated former Sexta Espada Luppi Antenor, the two Privaron Espada Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio and Cirucci Sanderwicci, as well as Segunda Espada Baraggan Louisenbairn's Fracción Charlotte Chuhlhourne, all retrieved by Mayuri from Octava Espada Szayelaporro Grantz's lab. The resurrected arrancars effortlessly begin dispatching Giselle's zombies, so they summon the zombified Hitsugaya.

Zombified Hitsugaya effortlessly beats Ikkaku, Yumichika and Charlotte, but then Mayuri steps in and uses various drugs on Hitsugaya to slowly awaken his brain and take control over the zombie. Giselle summons their remaining zombies, Kensei, Rose and Rangiku. Cirucci, Luppi and Dordoni even the battle and Mayuri is able to use his drugs to take the reins over them from Giselle, who is then impaled by one of them. Meanwhile, Byakuya uses his Bankai to defeat Candice, as well as Stern Ritter "N" Robert Accutrone and NaNaNa, while Meninas and Liltotto watch from afar. Hisagi joins up with Byakuya, but then tries to attack him. Stern Ritter "L" PePe Waccabrada, who is able to use his Reishi to make virtually anything possessing a soul fall in love with him, took control over him and then takes control over Meninas to punch Liltotto away, in order to remove the competition. When PePe uses his ability on Senbonzakura, the Zanpakutō turns against Byakuya as well and Hisagi begins wielding it. When Byakuya is cornered, Mayuri and the zombified Soul Reapers arrive, with Kensei using his Bankai to dispatch PePe and knock out his own lieutenant. PePe awakens among the rubble and tries to beg the approaching Liltotto to spare him, but she consumes him as revenge for his backstabbing. During this, in a post credit scene, Yhwach, Haschwalth and Uryū arrive into the Soul Palace.

In ancient times, Ichibē sat down with the young Yhwach to sign a non-aggression treaty toward the Quincies. Yhwach saw through his deception, and questioned why the Soul Reapers enslaved the Soul King, a godly being, Yhwach's father and forced him to separate what was once one realm of infinite life into the World of the Living, Hueco Mundo and Soul Society. Ichibē then gave him the left arm of the Soul King to appease him, but Yhwach then decided to save his father by erasing him, along with the world. In the present, Senjumaru and her Holy Soldiers hold Yhwach, Haschwalth and Uryū up. The Soldaten summoned by Haschwalth are killed by Holy Soldiers, but then Yhwach summons Stern Ritter "W" Nianzol Wiezol from his shadow, who kills them, but is in turn immobilized and eliminated by Senjumaru. As Nianzol dies, Urahara fires the cannon to send Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Yoruichi and Ganju Shiba up to the Royal Palace. Yhwach then summons the Stern Ritter Elite Guard, the Schutzstaffel, composed of Stern Ritter "X" Lille Barro, Stern Ritter "M" Gerard Valkyrie, Stern Ritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas and the recently promoted Stern Ritter "D" Askin Nakk Le Vaar. Lille immediately uses his Reishi sniper rifle to shoot Senjumaru in the head and blast down what he believes to be the personal palaces of the Squad 0 members. Senjumaru reveals herself to be alive, and also explains that they are in fact in a fake Soul Palace, a trap caging them in, created by Hikifune. Hikifune, Kirinji and Nimaiya step in as well. Nimaiya shows off a failed Zanpakutō he created long ago, called Sayafushi, which is so sharp and smooth, that no sheath can hold it. The Schutzstaffel attack Nimaiya all at once, but he effortlessly kills them all. Yhwach uses his trump card to escape the trap and go up directly to Ichibē's palace.

At the ruins of Squad 12 barracks, Urahara is joined by the remaining Visored, Hiyori Sarugaki, Lisa Yadōmaru, Hachigen Ushōda and Love Aikawa, as well as Yūshirō Shihōin, Yoruichi's little brother and current head of the clan, so they could head up to the Royal Palace. Sheltered under rubble, the wounded Giselle tries to heal themself, by sucking out their blood from zombified Bambietta, before being joined by Liltotto, while Meninas and Candice recover as well. Ichibē engages Yhwach in an aerial battle, revealing that his brush-shaped Zanpakutō does not cut physical objects, but their names and halves their power, so when he cuts Yhwach with it, his strength is also halved and he is beaten back. Kirinji activates his Shikai and engages Haschwalth in battle, who is soon cut down. Uryū battles Senjumaru atop the branches, but his rain of Licht Regen is blocked by Senjumaru, who dispels the Reishi back to Uryū, knocking him out. Nimaiya is shocked by Askin's survival, who explains that his Schrift "D" makes him nigh immortal, allowing him to calculate the "perfect lethal dose" of any substance he takes into his body and then control the amount as he sees fit, inducing a lethal dosage of that substance in those around him. By consuming his own blood, Askin makes a certain dosage of Nimaiya's blood fatal to himself. However, Kirinji interrupts the battle by using his hot springs to replenish Nimaiya's poisoned blood, who then kills Askin. As Ichibē approaches Yhwach, the latter activates Auswählen to strip the remaining Soldaten and Stern Ritters in the Seireitei—including Bambietta's group and Bazz-B—of their Reishi and Schrift ability, to redistribute it between himself and those he sees fit, thus resurrecting Haschwalth and all of the Schutzstaffel, who then activate their Vollständig. Meanwhile, in the Seireitei's ruins, Kyōraku leaves his post as the Soul Palace is the true target and joins 13th Squad captain Jūshirō Ukitake, who used a bandage called Kamikake to wrap his body up to combat his illness, so he could join the battle.

Lille immediately shoots Nimaiya, who theorizes that Lille being able to shoot him now is part of the power-up received by Auswählen, but Lille explains that his Schrift "X" is the ability to shoot anything in the distance between his muzzle and what he considers to be his target, which is why it cannot be blocked, proven by Hikifune and Kirinji's attempt to shield Nimaiya with their Zanpakutō failing, so Senjumaru flies off with the injured Nimaiya and heals him. Hikifune overgrows the cage, so everyone is separated into 1v1 battles. Senjumaru manages to use her sewing needle to immobilize Gerard, Hikifune tries to bury Pernida under her Reishi seeds, while Askin adopts a hit-and-run tactic in his match-up with Kirinji and Nimaiya weaves between Lille's attacks before standing on his barrel to slash him. Ichibē uses Hado and various attacks in order to move in close and injure Yhwach, after which he activates his Shikai, turning his brush into a sort of glaive that can splash black ink around. Yhwach's blade is covered in ink and Ichibē explains that anything splashed by his ink loses its name, and that which has no name, also has no power. Gerard breaks free when Senjumaru tries to pierce his heart and pummels her into the ground. Pernida annihilates the roots Hikifune uses and gravely injures her. Because Kirinji is continuously underestimating him, Askin is able to slip behind him and shoot him through. As Lille is catching up to his movement speed, Nimaiya tries to approach Lille head on by placing Yhwach in the same crosshairs, but Lille shoots through Nimaiya, since his ability extends only to his target, not beyond him. Yhwach absorbs Ichibē's ink ability to turn it on him. Squad 0 rises again despite the Schutstaffel's taunts. Nimaiya explains, that if they would fight with their true power, it could destroy the heavens, so they have connected their lives and sealed away their true Zanpakutō. Nimaiya designates Senjumaru to handle the Quincies and then he, Kirinji and Hikifune kill themselves to release the seal on them and empower Senjumaru with their collective, who uses her Bankai, Shatatsu Karagara Shigaraminotsuji to trap the Quincies in a void dimension she can manipulate using the cloth and loom within it. The activation of her Bankai causes tremors in the Seireitei, Human World and Hueco Mundo at the same time. In her Bankai dimension, Senjumaru weaves her cloth to create specific methods with which she kills the Schutzstaffel, Haschwalth and seemingly Uryū. Ichibē covers Yhwach in black ink with a giant splash, revealing that when he activates his Shikai, its ability Black, would absorb the color of black from all living things in all worlds to provide ink. Ichibē then activates his Shin'uchi, a precursor to Bankais—his Zanpakutō being the first to ever evolve to such a state—Shirafude Ichimonji, with which he can rename the things his Shikai painted over to turn them nameless and uses this to rename Yhwach to a frail being, a "Black Ant". He then crushes Yhwach under his foot like a bug and tosses him off of the Soul Palace.

While falling, Yhwach finally regains his Schrift, as per the Kaiser Gesang, "The Almighty" which allows him to ward off Ichibē's power and become all-seeing. Ichibē tries to trap him, but Yhwach breaks through with his power and kills him. Having survived, Uryū manages to reflect the effects of Senjumaru's Bankai onto her with his Schrift and after a brief battle, pierces her heart. The defeat of Squad Zero is felt through the Seireitei, while Yhwach reaches the Soul King and impales him, as Uryū, Haschwalth and the Schutzstaffel kneel before him. Ichigo's group arrives in the Soul Palace and calls out Ichibē's name, which raises him from the dead by using a portion of Ichigo's powers. Currently powerless, Ichibē asks Ichigo to stop the Quincy King. Meanwhile, Shunsui approaches Aizen in the Muken.

After healing Kenpachi, Ukitake, Shinji, Soi-Fon, Hinamori, and Ōmaeda head to the R&D division, where Urahara and Nanao are coordinating the efforts to launch reinforcements to the Soul Palace, just as Renji and Rukia head there as well. Meanwhile, Ichigo's group reaches Yhwach, not knowing that he already impaled the Soul King. Ichigo faces off against the Quincy King, pummeling him through Kirinji's hot springs. Yhwach compliments Ichigo's powers gained through his training with Ichibē , but claims that Ichibē purposefully sent Ichigo after him, knowing that Ichigo will not win the battle. However, Yhwach reveals that he has not used his eyes yet and activates The Almighty, allowing him to foresee and nullify all of Ichigo's strikes, bringing him back to the others beaten and questioning his reasons to fight. Yhwach then unveils the impaled Soul King, his father Adnyeus, shocking them. Yhwach details how the all-powerful Soul King separated the three worlds from darkness and was able to foresee even a thousand years into the future. Ichigo rises to attack, with support from Orihime and Yoruichi, though Yhwach dispels any danger to him, Ichigo reaches the Soul King and pulls the blade out of him, falling for Yhwach's ploy. Forced by the Quincy blood in him, Ichigo inadvertently kills the Soul King. Yhwach revels that everything proceeded how he foresaw it would, and explains that only someone who is a hybrid of human, Soul Reaper, Quincy, Fullbringer, and Hollow like Ichigo can even kill the Soul King. The death of the Soul King causes worldwide earthquakes in all three worlds.

Born with an incurable lung disease, Ukitake is saved from death after his parents pray to a local deity of the Rukon district, Mimihagi—the right arm of the Soul King that crashed down to the Soul Society—which fuses to Ukitake's body, thus stopping his sickness from progressing, but not curing him. Ukitake joins the Soul Reaper Academy under the tutelage of Yamamoto, Sasakibe and Unohana, and becomes close friends with his sparring partner Shunsui, confiding in him about Mimihagi. Later the two mourn Kaien's passing, and Yamamoto's with Unohana, after which Ukitake bids farewell to Unohana. Back in the present day, Ukitake reveals to the others that the Kamikake process he underwent gave all his organs, not just his lungs to Mimihagi and, after handing over Squad 13 to Rukia, uses his lifeforce to hold the Soul King together temporarily. While Ichigo, Yoruichi, Chad and Ganju try to distract Yhwach, Orihime fails to reverse the Soul King's death, but Mimihagi attaches itself to him, something that not even Yhwach's eyes foresaw. In the Muken, Shunsui partially unseals Aizen and tries to make a deal with him to help save the Soul Society.

Yhwach realizes that the reason why he did not foresee the right arm of the Soul King coming to the King's aid is because it is part of the Soul King himself. As Yhwach tries to destroy both the Soul King and its right arm, Ichigo disengages his Blut Vene, releases Yhwach's sword, and grabs the latter by his right arm. While Yhwach is distracted, Yoruichi sets up a barrier around the Soul King's remains to keep it stable. Yhwach calls Ichigo weak for being unable to say "kill" against the man who killed his mother. Enraged, Ichigo prepares to slash Yhwach, but suddenly Yoruichi is shot by an arrow, which is revealed to be Uryū's. The injury causes Yoruichi to lose focus, resulting in the barrier breaking, after which she is blasted off the Soul Palace by Pernida and Yhwach. Uryū states that his reason for being there is because he is a Quincy, then Ichigo proceeds to engage in a fight with him. At one point in their fight, Uryū fires an arrow at Ichigo and it strikes his face, but the latter is protected by his Blut Vene, which Uryū is surprised Ichigo can use. Chad, Ganju and Orihime fight the Schutzstaffel, while Ichigo is forced to fight with Uryū. Uryū activates his Vollständig and continues fighting Ichigo. The Schutzstaffel beats back, and incapacitates Chad, Orihime and Ganju, just as Uryū prepares a large arrow to fire at Ichigo, though the latter launches Getsuga Jūjishō and it collides with Uryū's attack. After the two attacks collide, Uryū then fires another arrow at Ichigo, this time heavily injuring him and he falls out of the sky. With the help of the other Quincies powers, Yhwach completely breaks the Soul King's crystal, and absorbs both the Soul King's right arm and his entire body, sprouting several eyes across his face.

Unable to contain the Soul King just yet, his power bursts out of Yhwach in the form of one-eyed baby-looking parasites, which descend upon the Soul Society, where they start to overwhelm the Soul Reapers. However, Aizen arrives with Shunsui in tow to crush the parasites with his Soul Pressure, though his full power is bound by a chair designed by Mayuri. The Soul Reapers are appalled by the decision to use Aizen, though Shunsui retorts that honor is meaningless when the stakes are so high. Suddenly, Aizen is immobilized by NaNaNa's Schrift "The Underbelly". Revealed to have survived Auswählen, Bazz-B, Liltotto, Giselle and NaNaNa attempt to stop the Soul Reapers from ascending to the Soul Palace, but Bazz-B kills NaNaNa, and reveals that the three of them want to join forces with the Soul Reapers, because they seek vengeance for Yhwach abandoning them. Shunsui agrees and contacts all surviving Soul Reapers to ask them to pool their Soul Pressure together, so they could fuel Urahara's gate directly to the Soul Palace. The remaining Visoreds arrive and handle the preparations for the gate. The recovered Kenpachi arrives, searching for Yachiru, though Nanao convinces him to join the assault group and let others find her. Having already recovered, Aizen prepares for the ascendance as well. After rousing the troops, Shunsui, Nanao, Mayuri, Nemu, Urahara, Rukia, Renji, Byakuya, Soi-Fon, Ōmaeda, Kenpachi, Yumichika, Hisagi, Ikkaku, Isane, Shinji, Momo, Kiyone Kotetsu, Sentarō Kotsubaki, Mashiro, Love, Lisa, Hachi, Hiyori, Yūshirō, Bazz-B, Liltotto, and Giselle gather at the gate, planning to leave Aizen in the Seireitei. On the bottom floor of the Soul Palace, Orihime heals Ichigo and Yoruichi, and the group decides to return to the top for an ambush. Yoruichi invites Grimmjow through from Hueco Mundo. At the top of the Soul Palace, Yhwach finishes absorbing the Soul King's power and begins changing the world.

Grimmjow attempts to pick a fight with Ichigo immediately, but he is stopped by Nelliel, who reveals that Urahara created a bracelet for her, which allows her to transform into her original form at will. From the Garganta, Fullbringers Riruka Dokugamine and Yukio Hans Vorarlberna emerge as well, as they were also recruited by Urahara to combine their powers, allowing Ichigo's group to swiftly reach the top of the Soul Palace. The Soul Reapers power up the gate as the Seireitei starts to crumble. Due to Yhwach, more cities in the Seireitei begin to break down, the remains of which he raises up to the Soul Palace, completely transforming it into a Quincy city named Wahr Welt, which is shaped like a massive Quincy Zeichen. Ichigo's group and the Soul Reapers arrive at Wahr Welt simultaneously, shocked by the power one could wield to reshape the entire Soul Palace effortlessly. Yukio and Riruka stay behind in the Garganta to act as a potential getaway. Haschwalth reports the arrival of Ichigo's group and the Soul Reapers to Yhwach.

Yhwach sends Uryū and the Schutzstaffel to eliminate the Soul Reaper intruders. Due to being in the bathroom at the same time as Kenpachi, Hanatarō Yamada is taken along by his squad to the Wahr Welt after Mayuri initially stayed behind to change the coordinates he would get sent to. Mayuri and Nemu split off from Kenpachi, Hanatarō, Yumichika and Ikkaku and both groups venture off towards the main keep, while Gerard is searching for Soul Reapers to fight. After Bazz-B, Liltotto and Giselle separate from them to confront Haschwalth and Yhwach respectively, the main Soul Reaper group is assaulted by Lille, who succeeds in shooting Hisagi, Ōmaeda, Kiyone, Sentarō and Isane down, thus scattering the group. Uryū begins firing arrows, separating Renji from the group as well. Renji unleashes his True Bankai and effortlessly overpowers Uryū until the latter activates Vollständig, but Renji powers through and grounds the latter. Backed into a corner, Uryū uses Sklave Rei to overcharge his Vollständig, after which he overcomes Renji and shoots him through the chest. Meanwhile, Ichigo's group runs into Askin and Grimmjow runs off to immediately pounce on him. After being forced on the defensive, Askin turns the tables on Grimmjow by poisoning him, though Ichigo arrives to back him up.

A recap special covering the first 21 episodes of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War