Bleach‘s anime is finally entering its final installment, Part 4 of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, and as expected, it is bringing long-awaited elements of the series to a close, including finally showcasing a Bankai that remained hidden throughout the anime. Tite Kubo’s manga received its anime adaptation in 2004 and went on to become one of the biggest anime of all time, forever earning its place as one of the Big Three. However, the anime never reached a proper conclusion, ending before adapting the manga’s true finale. After years of fans losing hope, Bleach finally returned to adapt its final arc in a modern anime style.
Now, after running for three seasons, with Studio Pierrot going even further by adding anime-original scenes under Tite Kubo’s direct involvement, the Thousand-Year Blood War arc has become one of anime’s greatest comebacks. After 22 years, Bleach is finally bringing its story to a close and, naturally, resolving long-standing narrative threads along the way. In Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 42, the battle between Yoruichi Shihoin and Kisuke Urahara against Sternritter Askin Nakk Le Vaar finally sees the fan-favorite Urahara unveil his Bankai, something fans had been waiting to see since the beginning of the series, and its ability perfectly complements everything this iconic character represents.
For the past two episodes of this final installment, the fight against Askin has been the main focus, and it was evident that he would be the next major villain to fall, with only a handful of key battles remaining. Askin proved himself to be one of the arc’s most formidable antagonists, successfully holding back special threats like Yoruichi and Urahara. With Askin continuously overpowering them, it became clear that only a miracle or a major twist could bring him down. As it turns out, Bleach had been building toward the long-awaited moment of fan-favorite Kisuke Urahara finally unveiling his Bankai. Urahara reveals Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame, which manifests as a female figure with the ability to reconstruct and reshape everything within its reach.
With this ability, Urahara perfectly embodies his personality as a scientific genius who always crafts a solution to every problem. He is even able to heal his own eyes, restore his vision, and restructure Askin’s body. Despite displaying overwhelming power, Urahara secures victory by allowing Grimmjow to deliver the finishing blow, once again showcasing his cunning strategy and ability to plan several steps ahead. The same foresight is reflected in the final stage of his plan, as he creates a means of escaping Askin’s suicidal attack.
This Bankai is undoubtedly one of the most overpowered abilities in Bleach, making it unfortunate that fans never got to see it in action sooner. Given Urahara’s fate, it also seems likely that this will be one of its final appearances. Even so, this is undoubtedly one of the best reveals in the entire series, as it finally delivers something fans had been waiting decades to see. It could also stand as the biggest Bankai reveal in Bleach, unless the series also unveils Zaraki Kenpachi’s Bankai. That remains to be seen, but for now, Urahara’s Bankai reveal is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated moments in Bleach, finally being fulfilled 22 years after the anime first began airing.
