BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War

The Soul Society's Department of Research and Development is observing a sudden surge in the number of Hollows being destroyed in the World of the Living, raising concerns among staff.

Ichigo and his friends hear the news from Ryunosuke's Soul Phone that the Soul Society has suffered heavy casualties following an assault by unknown intruders.

Ichigo and his friends learn that their latest enemy are Quincies; Yhwach, leader of the Wandenreich, prepares his next move.

The Wandenreich mobilises its elite force, the Stern Ritter, to annihilate the Soul Society. Creating massive flaming pillars of Reishi as a distraction, the Stern Ritter easily enter the Soul Society to bring carnage to the Soul Reapers.

Quilge Opie uses his power to imprison Ichigo inside the Garganta; as he tries to break free, Ichigo begins to hear, through his Soul Phone, the screams of the Soul Reapers falling to the enemy's onslaught.

Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto confronts Yhwach for the first time in a thousand years.