Weekly Shonen Jump, the most popular shonen magazine in all of Japan, has faced several setbacks over the past few years, with some of the biggest series ending up being serialized. In 2024 massive hits like Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia ended, leaving a huge void that no one has been able to fill since. At the moment, the only really big serialization series is in the magazine One piece by Eiichiro Oda, but another main series could soon be returning to elevate Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump.
According to new reports, it looks like Bleach, one of the Big Three shonen manga, is finally coming back after 10 years with a full manga adaptation of the Hell Arc. This is major news and we can't wait for the Hell Arc to start serializing. An official announcement from Shueisha is still pending, but 2026 is shaping up to be a big year Bleach with the return of anime and manga.
The latest news suggests the return of Bleach to Weekly Shonen Jump with a Hell Arc adaptation
Bleach is a legendary manga when it comes to the shonen genre. Written and illustrated by Tite Kubo, the series follows the protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki and debuted in the double issue of Weekly Shonen Jump #36-37 on August 7, 2001. The series was undoubtedly a massive hit, and with 74 volumes, it finally ended on August 22, 2016 with an average number of 130 million, a hard-to-beat sales figure. Bleach was so popular in the 2000s that it would be considered one of the Big Three, alongside Naruto and One Piece.
Despite Bleach the series ended 10 years ago, on August 22, 2016, and still has a devoted fan base eager for the return of Tite Kubo. According to massive reports that started circulating on June 20, 2026, it seems that their wishes are finally coming true. Weekly Shonen Jump is gearing up for the biggest reveal of the year and that could be the return of the Bleach Manga with a brand new arc called the Hell arc.
For fans unfamiliar with Bleach, the Hell Arc is a continuation of the original story created by Tite Kubo through a one-shot story in 2021. This arc takes place 12 years after the conclusion of the last Bleach arc, which is the Millennium Blood War. In this arc, an older Ichigo appears as well as his son Kazui. The infernal region of Bleach is largely unexplored in the story, and this would be the perfect place to build a larger world and introduce exciting new characters and villains.
At this time, without an official announcement, we have very limited information about this new arc and its serialization. However, it must be said that it appears to be a longer serialization that could last at least a year, if not longer. After all, Bleach arcs are usually at least 100 chapters long.
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Bleach is celebrating its 25th anniversary soon, as well as its 10th anniversary of closure
Many fans might wonder why the Bleach series is suddenly returning to Jump. While there is no definitive answer, it could be that Jump needs a big series at this point. It's also worth noting that there are two big Bleach anniversaries happening this year. Bleach debuted in 2001 and is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026, which is a huge milestone. Not only that, but the manga ended in 2016, so it's also been 10 years since it ended, which explains why it's making a comeback now.
While we expected some new Bleach projects to be announced with these anniversaries, few expected such a large project with the manga returning in full force. Having the big three fully return with new content is a dream come true, especially at a time when Shonen Jump is already struggling. After the end of My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen in 2024, the popular magazine is pretty much struggling to deliver hits like before. Even though there are new stories like Kagurabachi and Ichi the Witch, the impact they have is in no way comparable to the Big 3. Because of this, Jump will be happy to see Bleach return this year, whenever it is.
“I'm the type of writer who doesn't actually meet my editor. When I was doing the series, my editor came to pick up the manuscript as soon as it was done. I told them, 'Next week it's going to go like this,' and then they left.” — Tite Kubo
Bleach is rumored to be taking over from Sakamoto Days in the coming months
In order for Bleach to return, it must have an open slot in Weekly Shonen Jump, as the publisher has a limit on the number of series it can publish per week. Many might speculate that the little story could end or be cut to make room for Kuba's return, but it appears that one of the magazine's biggest hits could be ending to make room instead. Reports suggest that the story that Bleach is set to replace in Jump is none other than Sakamoto Days, which is currently in its final stretch. Therefore, fans expect its early conclusion. Sakamoto Days just received an anime adaptation in 2025, but unfortunately it's close to ending as a manga with less than 300 chapters.
Although Sakamoto Days was successful in the magazine, its sales are not very impressive, especially compared to Bleach. Sakamoto Days will finish at around 15 million sales, while Bleach will only move up from 130 million. Bleach replacing Sakamoto Days can only mean an increase in sales overall. The exact end date for Sakamoto Days and the return date for Bleach have not yet been announced, but we believe it could be officially revealed in the next few weeks, based on the information currently available.
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Bleach, One Piece, and Hunter x Hunter will carry Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump in 2026
Bleach is considered to be the least popular of the Big Three franchises with the lowest grossing, only reaching 130 million overall compared to Naruto's 250 million+ and One Piece's 600 million. Still, it's still a top story in the manga industry, and its return could see it once again become a mainstay of Jump after ten years. Right now, out of the Big 3, only One Piece is relevant because stories like My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Demon Slayer have ended.
In this sense, Bleach will be a massive boost to Shonen Jump in 2026, along with the ongoing and highly established One Piece series. Of course, we can't forget Yoshihiro Togashi's legendary work, Hunter x Hunter, which officially returns next week on June 28, 2026 with a new batch of chapters. Three of the biggest shonen hits being serialized side-by-side will make the second half of 2026 a hit magazine, even though other big manga have ended. We are excited about this new phase of the Big 3 and hope it lives up to expectations. In the next few months and years, the last story of the Big 3, Naruto, could possibly return as well.
