So the long-standing rumor has been confirmed: we are indeed getting an extra episode of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, part three, bringing this arc to a total of 14 episodes by the end. Which means, at the time of recording,

tomorrow's episode, episode 38, titled "Friend," isn't going to be included in the two-part finale of episodes 13 and 14

that we've come to expect. So far, many of us thought it would be. Instead, the finale will be made up of episodes 13 and 14,

airing on December 28th. This shake-up in the formula is very interesting to me and definitely makes it a little harder

to know exactly where this arc is going to end in terms of the source material. For a while now, the prevailing theory

has been that part three would come to an end with the "Friend" saga. After we realized events were being moved around

considerably in order to seemingly accommodate that, but now, I don't think that's the case at all. I'm sure

there are probably some leaks floating around out there regarding the future of the arc, but honestly, where's the fun in

that? We're going to take a look at this from the perspective of having zero idea, really, about what's coming next, outside

of my own thoughts, speculation, and knowledge of the manga. So today, I'm going to try and predict what I think is

going to happen in the following three episodes. We already have a pretty good idea about episode 38, but what about the

final two? Where is part three going to end? We are so close to the end of the manga now, but there are still some huge

events left to come. This is definitely going to be something of a rambling video, just to warn you now, as I try and

get my thoughts down in a stream of consciousness, but hopefully it'll still be coherent. Before we get started on the

Video guys, of course, there will be major spoilers for the future of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc in the video.

to come, as that's literally what we're discussing here. And if you enjoyed the video when you're

done with it, make sure to hit subscribe as it really does help the channel out and I really do appreciate the support.

Okay, first up, let's start by looking at what we actually know. Tomorrow's episode will at last adapt the "Friend" saga,

a series of four chapters that focuses on the emotional duel between BBY and Haschwalth, while detailing their backstory

from a thousand years ago, running from chapters 630 to 634. At the same time, Liltotto and

Giselle attempt to kill Uryu, and we already know from the surprise ending of episode 36 that the anime is probably

going to expand that subplot. In fact, we've already seen more from it than we did in the manga, which immediately cut

to Liltotto and Giselle's brutal defeats after the death of BBY, as is normally

the case. We have some preview images for the upcoming episode. In my review of episode 37, I noted that I thought these

images were only from the first two chapters of the mini-arc, but I actually think that's wrong. It's totally possible

this shot of Haschwalth is from the final panel of chapter 632, but in actuality, I think both he and the shot

of Uryu are from chapter 633, when Uryu discusses making Haschwalth his advisor and inducting him into the

Sternritter. I was originally hoping, back when I thought that "Friend" might be the finale of the core arc, that the anime would

split these four chapters across two episodes, therefore giving us a greatly expanded flashback. But based on these preview images and the fact that there

is now still two episodes to go. I'm not so sure. It seems the arcs are generally plotted in such a way as to make the

two-part finale make some sense as a two-parter. In Core 1, episodes 12 and 13 dealt with Ichigo learning the truth of

his parents and his powers, culminating in him remaking his Zanpakutō. In Core 2,

episodes 25 and 26 were the brand new battle between the Zero Division and the Sternritter. While I'm not saying this has

to be a hard and fast rule by any means, it is something to consider. It's totally possible that both episodes 38 and 39 of

a friend, and then episode 40 is something completely unrelated. Just as it's also possible that 'friend' isn't

extended at all and only covers episode 38, leaving 39 and 40 to be something totally unknown to us. So let's briefly

look at the various ways 'friend' could play out. Episode 38 could be a direct retelling of chapters 630 to

634, ending with the death of BBY as the end of the episode. That scene makes total sense to me. Maybe you then have a

post-credit scene teasing the continuation of whatever is going on with the Bambietas. To me, that new Bambietta

scene was too much of a tease to just be dealt with immediately, or certainly not off-screen. There's something deeper

going on with those shadowy Soldat, in particular. It feels like setup for a plot point to come. Perhaps another

option is that 'friend' is extended, either by way of a bigger, more in-depth flashback, perhaps featuring more

characters and a longer timeline, maybe even taking us to the war a thousand years ago. I can dream, right? Or by mixing

the BBY versus Haschwalth plot with the Bambietta plot, eventually leading us to the same conclusion as the manga: BBY's

Death followed by the abrupt defeat of Liltotto and Giselle; either way, the inclusion of the rest of the Bambaras is

going to make that scene interesting. I think then, of course, there's the conclusion of "Friend" itself and what

might happen in the immediate aftermath, where it might go back to when we thought this episode would be part of the

two-part finale to the arc. I mentioned a theory of mine in an earlier video that the anime might be attempting to

tie the ending of "Friend" into the reveal of Uryu's true motive. Perhaps Uryu stumbles upon Haschwalth as he's just

finished slaying Bambietta, and considering Haschwalth's in a pretty bad mood at that point, he tries to immediately force

Uryu's hand, revealing Uryu's true allegiance. That would make for an excellent and fitting conclusion to the arc, in my

opinion, but I'm less sure now about that, and there are a few issues with that idea anyway. For starters, the anime might

not want to kneecap Uryu's villainous arc right when it seems to be peaking; he's

just seemingly killed Renji, after all. So I actually have another theory in regards to how Uryu versus Haschwalth might

tie in to the end of this arc, but stay tuned for that, as it's coming at the end

of the video. But also, at least in the manga, there's a lot of setup to get through before we even get to the next

confrontation between Ichigo and Uryu. Ichigo, Orihime, and Chad all have to be

defeated by Askin first, after all, before then being saved by Yoichi. This just seems like an awful lot

to get through and what would amount to likely just one episode. So when it comes to the "Friend" saga in the anime,

I'm currently leaning toward it just being episode 38, and then 39 and 40 are potentially going to start setting

up events to come in core 4. And again, like I said, I've got a full breakdown at

the end of the video going over how I think these last three episodes might play out. But I mean, I'd happily be wrong.

I'd love to see an extended flashback. I'm also very curious to learn what's going on with these weird Soldat shades.

So let's talk about Gerard next. Gerard Valkyrie remains something of an elephant in the room. Many fans are

already expecting his fight to be the one that receives the most changes, and in some sense we're already seeing that.

While Askin's fight has already begun, Gerard's has been scrubbed from the arc entirely. So far, all traces of it have

been erased. Now, obviously it hasn't actually been removed, but it has been shifted significantly. Gerard is supposed to

encounter the Goate 13's forces in chapter 647 before Yhwach uses his Blut Vene and...

well, we are way past that now. I've said it before, but I would be amazed if the core ends without introducing Gerard's

fight. I feel like it's impossible that that happens, but if it doesn't, then it kind of feels like the anime is perhaps

planning on running his entire battle at once, as there is still so much left to see. For example, are the Visored going to

perform any better? Are they going to get any more time to battle Gerard? Let's take a look at what happens immediately after

Yhwach and NaNaNa defeat Liltotto, as that does tie into Gerard's upcoming fight. His power dispersed, Liltotto falls to the far

below as a rainfall of energy before rising again in his weirdest form yet. These chirping birds attack the

Shinigami below, but are intercepted by the resurrected Isuk Kira, who begins to fight them. This is the majority of

chapter 650, "Dead Man Standing," which was the final chapter adapted in the most recent episode, episode 38.

Could the episode start with this scene as the immediate follow-on? If not, where will it crop up? Where will we see it? I feel like if this

scene has made the cut, if it is being left in, then the next episode absolutely needs to open with it; otherwise, it'll

just be weird to see the remnants of the landing in the ST long after we've left

his battle behind. What I'm hoping for out of this sequence in the anime is a much more conclusive end to Iku. In the

manga, Eru stares him down and prepares to fight the rest of the birds, but the actual end of the fight is never

resolved on screen. I mean, sure, you can assume that Eru won, but I would actually like to see it. Anyway, I bring

this up because immediately after this scene with Eido at the end of chapter 654, we cut back to Gerard's fight as he's

been soundly defeated by the combination of Renji and Byakuya. So yeah, he's already been introduced at this point,

and the fight has already begun. Now, clearly this isn't going to happen in the anime. In fact, if I had to guess, I

think after Eru's scene is when we'll then cut over to Byakuya versus Haschwalth, once again leaving Gerard out in the

cold. By pushing it from the start of the Velt arc to where it's taking place in the narrative, now the only fight that's

really been shut out so far is Gerard's, and that's clearly by design. The anime wants to have some degree of separation

I think between the different stages of the Velt arc. Stage one, therefore, is now Renji versus Uryu, Mayuri versus Pernida, and

Kyaku versus Leo; three completed fights before Friend nicely breaks that up with a fight that doesn't include the goatee.

13 at all and breakpoint to take something of a breather from the wider war. As I said before, the anime will also

likely include a plot point here that feeds into core 4 with these weird Soldat after Friend is all said and done.

We can then get started on stage two, which will feature Gerard versus everyone and Askin versus, well, everyone,

and maybe another new fight akin to Renji versus Uryū. The only exception to this is Askin, whose fight has already been

introduced. For now, let's look at what we know regarding the setup for Askin's fight to come. Askin, perhaps fittingly,

feels like the wild card here. So far, the buildup to his battle has played out mostly the exact same as in the manga; he

defeats Grimmjow during Ichigo and the gang's initial invasion into Hueco Mundo before later encountering Ichigo himself, just

as Komamura activates Bankai. Despite some sequences being moved around here and there, despite Ichigo technically confronting Askin earlier than he

does in the manga, the anime is still in a position to carry on this scenario exactly as it happens in the source

We're Getting an EXTRA Episode in TYBW Part 3! PREDICTING Episodes 12, 13+14 - How Will Cour 3 END?

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