Rukia’s Bankai vs Yhwach? Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Cour 4 Opening Analysis

On July 25, 2026, Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War had begun and with it came a new opening and ending.

Like usual, these are visually impressive but they also serve as a roadmap for the season they are introducing.

Cour 3’s opening, “Without any words”, hinted at Renji being more involved in the cour, which happened with the anime-original Renji vs Uryu fight.

Opening 19: I-Bull by jo0ji

Rukia’s Bankai Reappears

During the chorus, we see Rukia and Renji fight alongside Ichigo and Orihime against Yhwach.

While the final Cour 4 trailer hints Renji will be going to fight the statues with Chad and Ganju, Rukia was spotted in Yhwach’s throne room, talking to Ichigo and Orihime without showing the latter.

This is not the first appearance of Rukia’s Bankai within this year’s content.

The upcoming Bleach: Mirrors High mobile game shows Rukia fighting Ichigo right away in her Bankai form, showing that she is taking Ichigo’s overwhelming power seriously, possibly willing to use excessive force against him.

The Balance is Still In Play

It is clear that Uryu vs Haschwalth is heavily modified and completely different from the manga, especially with the reveal of his Almighty form, even in this opening.

However, the same opening also shows the Balance imagery, which is representative of Haschwalth’s character but a key point to his ending, explaining how he chose to set aside his friendship with Bazz B to serve Yhwach while also still keeping its essence close to his chest, as shown with the reveal of the B logo still on his Blade of Judgment.

This means we will see the second half of the fight adapted as intended since Yhwach will reclaim the Almighty come next episode or afterwards.

Glorious Chickens

Although Episode 40: “My Last Words” gave us a rapid-fire version of the Dead Man staredown between the Lille Barro clones and Izuru Kira, the opening seems to suggest we will be seeing them again.

Perhaps Kira will show off some new moves or even get help from Aizen and the Fullbringers who are in the Seireitei.

FULL Fullbringer Reunion

In the manga, we did not see how Yukio and Riruka transported the dead Fullbringers led by Ginjo.

The anime is hinting towards it as Yukio and Riruka end up in Kukaku’s house, where the Fullbringers were training.

This does tease the audience about what their future part will be, especially since Tsukishima keeps himself obscured considering his crucial role in restoring Ichigo’s Bankai.

Will Kubo show more of how Tsukishima’s Book of the End past manipulation could act as a counter to the causality manipulation of the Almighty?

A Proper Farewell

While Jushiro Ukitake died by Chapter 620: “Where Do You Stand?” when Yhwach absorbs Mimihagi, the Right Hand of the Soul King, he is still barely clining to life in the current cour, especially with Episode 44: “The Perfect Crimson” confirming that he is about to die.

We might get a big moment of Ukitake consciously imparting last words or simply dying like he did in the manga but it being done in this cour.

We could be getting that next episode or by the time Yhwach destroys Ichigo’s Bankai to hammer home the despair that the Collapse of the Three Worlds is happening.

Ukitake’s survival in the anime is a faint hope for the bigger picture but with his dwindling life, we will be tasting Yhwach’s victory better within the anime format.

Either way, it could all lead to the same farewell in Chapter 685 as Shunsui visits his friend’s grave in a rebuilt Seireitei.

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