Warning: Contains spoilers for Bleach.Surprisingly, it’s been almost a decade since Bleach originally ended in 2016. For a while, it seemed as if the manga’s ending meant the end of the franchise in any significant capacity, but thanks to the anime’s revival in the consistently gorgeous Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Bleach is more alive and more popular than it’s been in years because of it.

Bleach has arguably never been as popular as it is now, and that makes its ending all the more important. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 4 will premiere sometime in 2026, and with the Echoing Jaws of Hell arc still on hiatus, the end of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War will likely bring the Bleach franchise to a close once more, albeit with far more style and fanfare than when the manga first ended. Because of that, it’s more important than ever to lay out where everyone ends up after the finale, and that’s especially true of the main cast.

7 What Happened To Chad After Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?

Chad's Fate In Bleach Explained

After Yhwach took control of the Royal Palace and turned it into the Wahrwelt, Chad was among the people who ed Ichigo in his pursuit of Yhwach to settle things once and for all. On the way there, though, Chad was separated from the group and had to fight an army of Quincy statues with Ganju, the idea being that they would clear the way for Ichigo’s return, and while the fight was never shown, Bleach’s epilogue reveals that Chad survived the battle and would go on to become a professional boxer.

Of all the main characters, Chad’s conclusion is easily the most irrelevant, and it’s clear that the series just needed to come up with an excuse to keep Chad away from the final battle. Chad doesn’t necessarily have to help Ichigo fight Yhwach, especially as he’d be pretty useless against but at the very least, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War should either give Chad a better fight or at least show his fight with the statues, and since Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 4’s original content will be more substantial than ever, both ideas are highly possible.

6 What Happened To Uryu After Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?

Uryu's Fate In Bleach Explained

As shown in the part 3 finale, Uryu, after revealing that he was working to destroy the Wandenreich from the inside the entire time, fought against Haschwalth while Ichigo, Orihime, and Chad went off to confront Yhwach. During their battle, Uryu tried to use his Schrift, The Antithesis, to continually reflect damage back to Haschwalth, but Haschwalth’s Schrift, The Balance, allowed him to do the same on a larger scale, thus forcing Uryu into a losing position. Hascwalth was on the verge of victory, but before he could realize it, Yhwach initiated another Auswählen and killed Haschwalth.

With the fight over, Uryu went to help Ichigo when he ran into Isshin and Ryuken, who gave him a special arrow made of silver that had the power to shut off a Quincy’s powers temporarily, and in the final battle, Uryu used the silver arrow to shut down Yhwach’s The Almighty long enough for Ichigo to deal the final blow and save the three realms from destruction. Ten years later, Uryu, despite initially hating the idea, has become a doctor, and he was seen watching Chad’s boxing match on his phone to be with his friends in spirit.

5 What Happened To Renji After Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?

Renji's Fate In Bleach Explained

As Ichigo’s battle with Yhwach intensified, Byakuya had Renji and Rukia go off to him while he and the other captains handled Gerard Valkyrie. Yhwach had already defeated Ichigo by the time they arrived, however, but with some help from Tsukishima and the rest of Xcution, Ichigo was brought back to full strength and could chase Yhwach as he went back to Soul Society. Renji was the only one of Ichigo’s friends to him in the final battle against Yhwach, and while he didn’t contribute much to the fight, his help was nonetheless great to see.

As detailed in Bleach: WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU, Renji and Rukia got married three years after the end of the Thousand-Year Blood War, and sometime after that, they had a daughter, Ichika Abarai, who would befriend Ichigo and Orihime’s son, Kazui, in the epilogue set 10 years after the final battle. Two years later, Renji was present for Ukitake’s Konso Reisai, and he had to protect Ichika from the Beasts of Hell and, most notably, Szayelaporro Granz after he became a Jailer of Hell, all of which set the stage for Bleach’s Echoing Jaws of Hell arc.

4 What Happened To Rukia After Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?

Rukia's Fate In Bleach Explained

As previously mentioned, Byakuya sent Renji and Rukia off to Ichigo in his battle with Yhwach while he and the other captains dealt with Gerard Valkyrie. The two of them got there just in time to see Ichigo defeated and Yhwach leaving to destroy Soul Society, but just when things seemed hopeless, Tsukishima arrived and used his Fullbring to help restore Ichigo’s Bankai. Ichigo and Renji then went off to stop Yhwach, and while they did, Rukia stayed behind at the Wahrwelt to help tend to an injured Orihime.

As detailed in the light novel Bleach: WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU, Renji and Rukia got married three years after the end of the Thousand-Year Blood War, and sometime after that, they had a daughter, Ichika Abarai, and as shown in the epilogue, Rukia would be promoted to captain of Squad 13 10 years after Ichigo defeated Yhwach. Two years later, Rukia and the other captains came to Karakura Town to conduct the Konso Reisai, and Rukia was the most visibly distraught to learn that the ritual sends the souls of captains to Hell as opposed to purifying them.

3 What Happened To Orihime After Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?

Orihime's Fate In Bleach Explained

With Rukia and Renji fighting Gerard, Uryu fighting Haschwalth, and Chad fighting statues, Orihime was the only one left to Ichigo in the fight against Yhwach, something Ichigo welcomed wholeheartedly. Orihime’s shields were of great help against Yhwach’s attacks, but when Yhwach used the full power of The Almighty, both Ichigo and Orihime were easily dealt with, and Yhwach moved to continue his plans to destroy the three realms. Tsukishima used his Fullbring to help Ichigo recover his strength, but unfortunately, Orihime’s injuries prevented her from helping Ichigo in the final battle.

Following the final battle, Ichigo and Orihime’s relationship, according to series creator Tite Kubo, remained at a standstill until they finally started dating after college, something further ed by them not being a couple in Bleach: WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU, which took place three years after the battle. Sometime later, Ichigo and Orihime got married and had a son, Kazui Kurosaki, and in both the epilogue and the first chapter of the Echoing Jaws of Hell arc, Orihime can be seen hanging out with her friends and taking care of Kazui.

2 What Happened To Ichigo After Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?

Ichigo's Fate In Bleach Explained

After Yhwach used The Almighty to destroy Ichigo’s new Bankai and absorb his Quincy powers, everything seemed hopeless for him and the world, at large, but at that moment, Tsukishima arrived and used his Fullbring to restore Ichigo’s Bankai and gave him another chance to defeat Yhwach. Even with Renji and Aizen helping him, though, Yhwach seemed all but invincible, but at the last second, Uryu shot Yhwach with a special arrow that could nullify The Almighty, leaving Yhwach powerless just long enough for Ichigo to defeat Yhwach once and for all.

As detailed by Tite Kubo and Bleach: WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU, Ichigo and Orihime didn’t start dating until after college, and by the time of the epilogue set 10 years after the final battle, Ichigo, now working as a professional translator, is married to Orihime, and the two of them have a son named Kazui. Two years later, Ichigo ed the captains and vice-captains for the Konso Reisai where he was confronted by Szayelaporro Granz and the Beasts of Hell, thus setting the stage for the Echoing Jaws of Hell arc.

1 What’s Next For The Cast Of Bleach?

How Bleach Might Continue Its Story

All the main characters of Bleach end up in a good place after the Thousand-Year Blood War, and that invites the question of what’s next for everyone following Bleach’s finale. While Bleach originally ended in 2016, Bleach celebrated its 20th anniversary with a new chapter teasing the beginning of a new arc centered around Hell, the Echoing Jaws of Hell arc. There’s been no word on its continuation since then, however, but regardless, Bleach fans can expect to see the characters return to deal with the incoming threat of Hell whenever the Echoing Jaws of Hell arc begins in earnest.

Something also worth considering is how Burn The Witch might fit into everything. Burn The Witch is a stealth Bleach sequel set in the same universe, and since it takes place at the same time as the Echoing Jaws of Hell arc, Bleach’s return might be subtly setting up a crossover with Burn The Witch that would formally unite the two stories. It’s unknown if the series would actually go in that direction, but whatever the case, there’s plenty left in store for Bleach after Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, and that’s great to think about for fans old and new.