Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War's final part is coming, and its focus will include some characters who haven't been relevant for a while. Fans who haven't read the manga may be curious to see just who that will be, and there may even be some surprises for those who have read the manga.

When it comes to villains, there aren't too many left active by the time of part 4. That may make it seem like victory is within reach, but that would be disregarding the immense power that some of these remaining foes wield. The Soul Reapers will certainly have their hands full trying to win this battle, even with a massive numbers advantage. Fans can expect some more major reveals before the end of the series as well, ranging from never-before-seen Bankai to a surprising role for characters who've otherwise been stuck on the sidelines. Here's a quick rundown of who's who for the final chapter of Bleach's story.

Kisuke Urahara

First Appearance: Bleach, Episode 6

Kisuke Urahara is the proprietor of the Urahara shop and a long-time ally of Ichigo’s. Urahara was once banished from the Soul Society, but the desperation of their situation has led to the Soul Reapers working with Urahara once again. He’s been essential to the final battle so far as the brains behind the technological planning, helping to subvert the Quincy’s ability to steal Bankai and getting the Soul Reapers up to the Soul King’s palace.

Urahara will actually be getting his hands dirty for the first time in Bleach history, facing off with the villain Askin Naak Le Varr alongside his longtime “friend” Yoruichi. Fans can expect to see Kisuke Urahara finally pull out his Bankai to help settle the matter, revealing for the first time the true extent of this former captain’s power.

Yoruichi Shihoin

First Appearance: Bleach, Episode 15

Yoruichi is another defector from the Soul Society, like Urahara, and another staunch ally of Ichigo. Yoruichi is often the brains behind Ichigo’s crew’s plans on the ground, using her centuries of experience to help them through difficult situations. Interestingly, Yoruichi never fights with a Zanpakuto, unlike other Soul Reapers; as the former leader of the Stealth Force, she instead relies upon Hakudo, or hand-to-hand combat skills.

Yoruichi will be facing off with Askin alongside Urahara. With no Zanpakuto at her disposal, Yoruichi may instead display a completely different kind of ability, one that’s unique to her and hasn’t been seen before. Many fans are quite excited to see Yoruichi’s abilities in action in the anime, and it’s promising to be one of the more exciting elements of part 4.

Uryu Ishida

First Appearance: Bleach, Episode 7

Uryu Ishida is a friend of Ichigo’s and long believed himself the last Quincy. While it has appeared that he was betraying Ichigo to the Quincy for all this time, it’s been revealed that Uryu has in fact been enacting his own plan to rid the world of Yhwach. All the fights with Ichigo and other Soul Reapers have been a mere ploy to ensure that the Quincy truly believed he was on their side, and now the reveal of his true allegiance is setting Uryu up for his toughest battle yet.

As one of the few Quincy still standing, Uryu will find himself up against Yhwach’s second-in-command, Jugram Haschwalth. Haschwalth’s abilities will make it a very tough fight for Uryu, and it may well take a miracle for him to succeed, but Uryu isn’t the kind of guy to give up just because of the odds.

Jugram Haschwalth

First Appearance: Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Episode 2

As mentioned above, Jugram Haschwalth is Yhwach’s second-in-command, taking over whenever Yhwach must sleep. During these times, Haschwalth wields the power of Yhwach’s Almighty, making him quite dangerous. However, Haschwalth’s real Schrift power is “The Balance,” allowing him to redirect fortune and misfortune upon his foes so that everything always goes his way. It’s a power that’s definitely difficult to fight against, as Bazz-B unfortunately learned the hard way in part 3.

Haschwalth is a firm believer in Yhwach’s mission, to the extent of killing his childhood friend. Facing off with Uryu, whom he never fully trusted, will put Uryu at a severe disadvantage. With no one else to rely upon, both Haschwalth and Uryu will have to fight with all their strength if they’re to come out on top, making this a highly anticipated match-up.

Kugo Ginjo

First Appearance: Bleach, Episode 343

Kugo Ginjo is a Fullbringer who once tried to betray Ichigo and steal his powers. It was revealed during their fight that Ginjo had once been a Substitute Soul Reaper as well, but decided that he did not trust the Soul Society. Ginjo was killed by Ichigo, but death isn’t always the end in Bleach, and Ginjo will return with his ally, Tsukishima, to have a major impact on the final battle.

Given that the Fullbringer arc wasn’t terribly popular with fans, most are probably not looking forward to Ginjo’s return. However, Ginjo’s role, while critical, is actually rather small, so leery fans needn’t worry about his return derailing the plot or anything. Ginjo essentially makes his appearance, lends his aid, and then heads out, keeping his time in the plot as short as possible.

Gerard Valkyrie

First Appearance: Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 14

Gerard Valkyrie is the other major Quincy still standing by part 4 of Thousand-Year Blood War. Gerard’s Schrift ability, The Miracle, makes him grow stronger the more the odds are stacked against him, making him another foe that’s nearly impossible to defeat. Even by the end of part 3, Gerard had grown to an astonishing height, making it difficult to even land a serious hit on him.

The majority of the remaining Soul Reapers, including Byakuya and Hitsugaya, will be busy dealing with Gerard as the giant smashes buildings in Wahrwelt, trying to kill them first. The one foe that Gerard really needs to watch out for, however, is Kenpachi Zaraki, who has recovered from his battle against Pernida Parnkgjas and is ready to throw down once again. Still, Gerard may have some surprises up his sleeve...

Kenpachi Zaraki

First Appearance: Bleach, Episode 20

Kenpachi Zaraki is the captain of Squad 11 and a ferocious warrior. Zaraki already had one major fight against a Quincy Sternritter, but he isn’t the kind of guy to stop after one fight. During that fight, Zaraki exhibited his Shikai for the first time, taking the form of a giant axe-like weapon with a massive blade that only one as strong as he could wield.

Zaraki was knocked out by Mayuri after having his arm ripped off by Pernida, and immediately res the action upon awakening, taking the fight directly to Gerard Valkyrie. Once again, Zaraki will be another character exhibiting a never-before-seen Bankai, which will hopefully be enough to propel him (and the other Soul Reapers) to victory. Zaraki’s role is an essential one, and fans can’t wait to see just what he’s truly capable of.

Sosuke Aizen

First Appearance: Bleach, Episode 23

Sosuke Aizen is, of course, the previous big bad villain of Bleach, who was defeated and held prisoner in the Muken, an underground area of the Soul Society, where he was unable to so much as move. Freed by Captain Kyoraku after he became the Head Captain, Aizen has reluctantly helped to defend the Soul Society, recognizing the threat that Yhwach poses to reality. Despite being freed from the Muken, though, Aizen is still stuck in a chair that he can’t move from, at least when he was last seen.

Aizen has a significant role to play in the end of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, and thus the manga as a whole. One couldn’t exactly say that he’s become a good guy, but in a situation where the universe’s very existence is at stake, one can’t be too picky about their allies.

Ichigo Kurosaki

First Appearance: Bleach, Episode 1

Ichigo Kurosaki is the main protagonist of Bleach, as anyone who’s made it this far should know. Ichigo recently discovered that he was part Quincy on his mother’s side, making him a unique hybrid of Soul Reaper, Fullbringer, Quincy, and Hollow. Ichigo has been desperately trying to stop Yhwach for quite some time, but at every confrontation, things seem to go poorly for him, despite his strength. Yhwach is simply that powerful, and Ichigo will need every advantage if he’s to win.

Ichigo does have a new Zanpakuto that was forged for him by Oetsu Nimaiya, and it has a Bankai which has yet to be used on screen. Many fans are hoping that Ichigo’s new Bankai will get a better reveal in the anime than it did in the manga, but that remains to be seen. Ichigo will spend most of part 4 desperately chasing down and facing off against Yhwach, in a last-ditch effort to stop his plans.

Yhwach

First Appearance: Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Episode 1

Ywhach is the King of the Quincy and the final antagonist of Bleach. On a quest to reset the world and rebuild it according to his own designs, Yhwach has been a seemingly unstoppable force since his first appearance. Yhwach not only wields the Schrift power known as “The Almighty,” which allows him to see into all possible futures, but has now absorbed the powers of the Soul King, giving him literal divine abilities.

Yhwach’s strength is off the charts, even compared to villains from other manga and anime series. Ichigo is effectively the last line of defense against Yhwach, and so the fate of the universe all rests on Ichigo’s shoulders as part 4 begins. Ichigo may not be able to defeat Yhwach all on his own, but with any luck at all, he won’t have to. If there’s one character to know about going into Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 4, it’s definitely Yhwach.