Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Episode 2 Review: New Bankai Revealed

After the massive return with Episode 1, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity released Episode 2 on Saturday, August 1, 2026, and it was just as fire, if not better. The story continued where it left off between Kisuke Urahara and Askin Nakk Le Vaar. But what happened moving forward in the episode was truly Bleach at its best.

In terms of production, the overall episode definitely matches the quality of Pierrot Films, especially compared to what they gave us in Episode 1. Without further delay, here is a brief recap and an overall review of the latest Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Episode 2.

Urahara’s Bankai Reveal Instigates One of the Most Intense Fights

Picking up right where Episode 1 left us – Askin back on his feet with the Gift Ball Deluxe primed – Episode 2 wastes no time throwing Urahara back into the fire. To make matters worse, Askin creates the Gift Bereich, a technique of The Deathdealing that creates several interlinked spheres of Reishi akin to modular nodes, before spreading them out to form a large, circular, and inescapable barrier of poison. To make matters worse, he shoots a Gift Ring at Urahara and blinds his eyes.

While Askin thought this was it, Urahara finally reveals his Bankai in the series for the very first time: Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame. His Bankai worked its reconstruction magic and repaired Urahara’s eyes. With Urahara completely dominating the fight between them now, Askin started acting cocky. But then a hand impaled him and took out his heart. It was Grimmjow. Urahara summoned him inside the Gift Ball Deluxe.

We also get to see another return in the series. When Askin was dying, he revealed that the Gift Ball Deluxe’s poison and pressure had increased without him to restrain it, and Urahara and Grimmjow were pinned and weak within the sphere. Right then, seeing an opening from the outside, Nell moved forward to save them.

Orihime and Ichigo’s First Stand Against Yhwach in Wahrwelt

Ichigo from Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Episode 2 | Credits: Pierrot Films

A lot of us have been waiting for this one; Orihime Inoue and Ichigo Kurosaki finally reached the doors of the Wahrwelt and opened them to find Yhwach sitting on the throne. The mind games started immediately as Yhwach started calling Ichigo his “Son of Darkness“, which is also the title of the episode. However, Ichigo refused to let him and started firing Getsuga Tensho and Getsuga Jujisho at Yhwach, which he deflected with the Soul King’s absorbed powers.

Even Orihime takes a stand when Yhwach tries to dismantle her. However, the assault from Ichigo, paired with Orihime’s rejection powers, continues. Yhwach even revealed that Ichibe Hyosube wanted to make Ichigo the next Soul King, to which Ichigo bluntly and casually replied with a “So what?“

Uryu Squares Off Against Jugram and The Almighty’s Powers

Jugram from Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Episode 2 | Credits: Pierrot Films

Meanwhile, Uryu and Jugram continued their battle in parallel to Ichigo and Yhwach’s. Because of Jugram’s The Almighty powers, Uryu barely found any opening to press an attack, no matter how hard he tried. In honesty, their battle felt like a background lore establishment for Ichigo’s battle, heavy on exposition.

The battle between the two Strenritters felt a little lacklustre, to be honest. By the end of the episode, Jugram had unleashed his full powers with The Almighty and stared down at Uryu. Although their battle wasn’t given much screen time in Episode 2, we have a feeling that Episode 3 will do it justice.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Episode 2 Final Verdict

Orihime from Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Episode 2 | Credits: Pierrot Films

Again, a really well-executed episode from Pierrot Films. The animation was on point, and so was the narrative carry from the original writing by Tite Kubo. Okay, so what felt impressive throughout the episode, in my opinion: Orihime’s determination and standing up to Yhwach, Ichigo’s carefree attitude towards a potential life as the Soul King, Urahara’s Bankai reveal, and last but definitely not least, the return of Grimmjow and Nell.

Overall, it was a really good episode, and based on the ongoing trend here, the remaining 8 episodes will also be this masterfully executed, it seems.

Have you watched Episode 2 yet? What are your thoughts and opinions on it? We’d love to hear it in the comments down below.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity Episode 2 Review: New Bankai Revealed