Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War became an instant hit thanks to the success of its predecessor, Bleach. Despite the long list of 366 episodes, Bleach was the first among the Big Three to be concluded, which left the fandom anticipating its return for eight long years. Several manga readers didn’t feel the closure with the anime’s epilogue and wanted to see their beloved protagonist, Ichigo, once again in action.
From thrilling action scenes to splendid narrative, The Thousand-Year Blood War arc didn’t disappoint its fandoms’ high expectations. Additionally, Tite Kubo highlighted the long-forgotten rivalry between Quincy and Shinigami, which enthralled several viewers.
Not to forget, Kubo also foreshadowed the return of one of the most beloved characters and Ichigo’s rival, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, also known as Espada 6, and captivated many fans’ attention to the anime. Surprisingly, the mangaka never initially intended Grimmjow to survive in the classic Bleach series.
Tite Kubo Revises Grimmjow’s Fate: Bleach Creator Alters Espada Six’s Tragic Death
Bleach has earned its spot in the Big Three alongside One Piece and Naruto because of its breathtaking narrative and splendid world-building. Besides the most beloved protagonist, Tite Kubo put a lot of effort into every character’s design. Because of that several antagonists, such as Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, Coyote Starrk, and many more, left a lasting impression among viewers.
Among them, Grimmjow has become one of the most beloved antagonists of the series and his rivalry with Ichigo kept many fans captivated. Moreover, many believe that Grimmjow was the sole reason that kept The Invasion of Hueco Mundo arc engaging for viewers.
Surprisingly, Kubo never intended Grimmjow to survive this long and had to change his tragic fate. In an interview, Bleach‘s creator disclosed his initial plans for Grimmjow, which might have triggered a lot of fans. He said:
I planned Grimmjow to die earlier, but when I drew it, I saw there was no emphasize at all, so I added activities to it.
Through Kubo’s words, we can believe that the mangaka wanted to showcase Grimmjow’s death in The Invasion of Hueco Mundo arc during his fight with Ichigo. However, after witnessing the character’s immense popularity among the fandom, the mangaka had a change of heart for Grimmjow’s tragic death. Grimmjow VS Ichigo was one of the most engaging fights and highlights of the classic Bleach series. Kubo further adds:
Grimmjow. I expected it to die instantly, but he played more active part than what I thought.
This only suggests that the mangaka had different plans for Grimmjow; however, after designing the Espada 6 he wanted to add more depth to his character. Well, Kubo never fails to meet his fans’ expectations with his narrative, and keeping Grimmjow alive ultimately resulted in the mangaka’s favor as the Espada 6 became one of the most recognizable antagonists in the community.
Bleach creator opens up about the most complex character in the series
Despite being on the good side, many fans still view Mayuri Kurotsuchi as an evil character. This is understandable given Kubo designed Mayuri as a complex character who wasn’t timid about his immoral methods. However, this only resulted in some viewers disliking his beliefs and character.
Interestingly, in a joint interview with My Hero Academia‘s creator, Kōhei Horikoshi, Kubo opens up about his initial insecurities while designing Mayuri’s character. After learning about Mayuri being Horikoshi’s favorite character, Kubo talks about the common misjudgment readers have against him.
The mangaka revealed he never planned to portray any of the 13 Court Guard Squads as the bad guys. However, Mayuri’s complex character made the fandom misunderstand his good intentions. It’s a creator’s job to highlight the complexities of black and white through their work and Mayuri’s character is a testament to Kubo’s beliefs.
Bleach is available for streaming on Crunchyroll
