With the anime adaptation of the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc ongoing, it's a great time to be a Bleach fan. Studio Pierrot’s take on the original final arc of the 2004 Bleach manga has turned a lot of heads so far, not least because of the new scenes it's adding under the guidance of author Tite Kubo himself. Bleach’s rushed manga finale in 2016, following its anime being cut off in the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc in 2012, felt like a cruel end for one of Shonen Jump’s Big Three franchises, so it's been great to see Bleach capitalize on its second chance.

However, there's one front that Bleach hasn't revisited yet. Bleach video games haven't seen an original console release since 2011’s Bleach: Soul Resurrección, which only covered the back half of the Arrancar arc. There have been various mobile titles since then, with the impressive Bleach: Brave Souls even getting worldwide releases on PC and PS4, but a big-budget console game remains absent. However, that could change thanks to Shueisha Inc. Europe registering a BLEACH Rebirth of Souls patent resembling other Shonen Jump console title patents. This mysterious game could round out Bleach’s multimedia return tour, but it needs to impress fans first.

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Bleach Deserves Another Shot at a Video Game

To the surprise of many, new Bleach episodes are airing, and that means that more Bleach games have the potential to be developed.

Covering Bleach’s Thousand-Year Blood War Arc

The obvious place for a new Bleach game to start is adapting the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, just like the modern anime. With guidance from Tite Kubo, this game could include the arc’s anime-original revisions, which might be the first time some fans see them, depending on how long the anime takes to finish. If this is a predominantly single-player game, its campaign could also use Ichigo’s fight against Kugo Ginjo at the end of the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc as a tutorial. With how deeply rooted most Bleach games are in the Soul Society and Arrancar arcs, getting something new and topical should be well-received.

Represent The Updated Bleach Roster

What sort of game BLEACH Rebirth of Souls will be, assuming it exists, is as big of a question as when it will be set. Bleach has run the gamut of genres over the years, ranging from turn-based RPGs to beat-’em-ups, as well as assorted fighting games. Their one common feature is their efforts to represent as much of the Bleach setting and cast as they can, whatever that is at the time. Even though that will be more difficult now that the Thousand-Year Blood War has introduced even more characters and special moves, adding every Bleach character possible as allies, enemies, or cameos alongside their latest abilities should be paramount.

Resurrecting Bleach’s Fighting Games Could Be The Best Option

A turn-based RPG like One Piece Odyssey or a Dynasty Warriors-adjacent action game like Bleach: Soul Resurrección might be the most cost-effective ways to depict that, but the most exciting option is a new fighting game. Bleach built a respectable stable of fighting games from 2005 to 2011, producing surprises like Treasure-developed 2D fighters and Eighting’s seven entry-long PSP-exclusive Bleach: Heat the Soul series. “Soul” is too common in Bleach titles to link Rebirth of Souls to Heat the Soul, but sacrificing Heat the Soul’s 80+ characters would be worth getting Arc System Works to give Bleach the Dragon Ball FighterZ treatment instead.

Give Fans An Original Bleach Adventure

Producing a Bleach action game set during the Thousand-Year Blood War or a more general fighting game all sounds good, but Bleach could pivot towards a newer Shonen Jump game trend instead. Reminiscent of Dragon Ball Xenoverse, players could design their own Shinigami and set out on an original adventure spanning Bleach’s different worlds. Bleach’s distant epilogue leaves plenty of time to fill with new storylines, and many fans would love the chance to interact with their favorite Bleach characters along the way. A new Bleach console game has enormous potential, and hopefully it uses that to make fans’ dreams come true.

Bleach

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Release Date

October 5, 2004

Main Genre

Animation

Studio

Pierrot

Based On

Manga

Creator

Tite Kubo

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