Anime
BLEACH: Ichigo's New Form "Kessa no Ichigo" Revealed
Tite Kubo drew the design of the new form himself and also gave it its name.
Ichigo Kurosaki receives a new form called "Kessa no Ichigo" in episode 45 of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – KASHIN-TAN. The form appears in the episode "DEFEND YOU," broadcast on August 22, 2026, and comes directly from original author and supervisor Tite Kubo.
In its official announcement for the episode, Aniplex confirms that Kubo both drew the character design for the new form and set its name. At the same time, a new visual from the "THE STORIES VISUAL" series was released, showing Ichigo's current form.
Half-Hollow and Bankai Combine
ORICON describes "Kessa no Ichigo" as a form in which Ichigo awakens the Hollow power dormant within him and then activates his Bankai. As a result, both Ichigo himself and his Zanpakuto change. The released visual shows him with two horn-like protrusions and glowing red energy chains on his arms and body.
The new form is therefore not merely an alternative artwork but part of the ongoing story of the final cour of Thousand-Year Blood War. Episode 45 marks its first appearance in the TV series. No German simulcast date for the individual episode is mentioned in the available Japanese sources.
New Anime Expansion Under Kubo's Supervision
The production of Thousand-Year Blood War expands the manga source material in several places with new material under Kubo's involvement. The form now unveiled explicitly belongs to these additional elements, because its design and naming come directly from the series' creator.
Among other major shonen franchises, aninew has recently reported on, among other things, the new My Hero Academia short film and new Jujutsu Kaisen collectible figures. For BLEACH, however, "Kessa no Ichigo" is relevant mainly because the form establishes new canonical material directly within the ongoing TV adaptation for the first time.