Editor’s update, October 1, 2026: Bleach’s conclusion is still scheduled for October, and Naruto’s official site has announced an October 10 reveal of a new anime rather than confirming that the anniversary episodes have already aired. The timeline below distinguishes released episodes from planned announcements.
For fans who grew up with Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach, 2026 has the ingredients of a full-circle moment. One Piece has reached Elbaf, Bleach is approaching its final television episodes, and Naruto has a new anime announcement on the horizon. That brings the original Big Three back into the same conversation, though a completed three-way anime reunion is not yet confirmed.
THE ORIGINAL BIG THREE, EXPLAINED
Back in the 2000s, three Shonen Jump series dominated anime and manga culture so completely that fans nicknamed them "the Big Three": Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach. Each ran for years, built massive global fan-bases, and helped define what mainstream shonen anime looked like outside Japan. But the trio didn't stay together forever. Bleach went on hiatus after its original run ended in 2012. Naruto wrapped up in 2017, handing the baton to its sequel series Boruto. One Piece continued, while Bleach returned with Thousand-Year Blood War in 2022. Their timelines have already overlapped; the question in 2026 is how Naruto’s next project will fit alongside them.
BLEACH APPROACHES ITS FINAL CHAPTER
Bleach's story didn't actually end in 2012, the anime just stopped before adapting the manga's final arc, "Thousand-Year Blood War." That changed in 2022, when Studio Pierrot revived the series to finally animate it, releasing it in cours rather than all at once. Part 4, subtitled "The Calamity," was the last piece of that puzzle. It premiered July 25, 2026, but its conclusion is still ahead. Following a production delay, the official Japanese broadcast schedule now lists Episodes 49 and 50 for October 19 and October 26 at 24:00—midnight at the start of October 20 and October 27, respectively. The final showdown against Yhwach will close a story that started with Ichigo Kurosaki’s first Getsuga Tenshō back in 2004.
ONE PIECE SAILED TO ELBAF
One Piece never needed a comeback, it never left. But 2026 marked a shift in how it was delivered. After wrapping the Egghead arc, the anime kicked off the long-teased Elbaf arc on April 5, 2026, taking the Straw Hats to the land of giants. The production plan also changed: the official announcement set a maximum of 26 episodes for 2026, following a January-to-March production break. Episodes rolled out steadily through summer and into fall.
NARUTO AWAITS ITS NEXT ANNOUNCEMENT
The next step for Naruto is an announcement, not a confirmed batch of already released episodes. On September 29, the franchise’s official site announced that the “NARUTO: What’s Next?” panel at New York Comic Con would reveal information about a completely new anime on October 10, 2026. That notice does not confirm that the four delayed anniversary episodes have aired, nor does it identify the new project as those specials. Until the reveal supplies those details, the shape and release timing of Naruto’s return remain open.
WHY IT MATTERS
None of this requires a crossover or a shared arc. The appeal is seeing three franchises that defined a generation still finding ways to move forward: One Piece entering a new chapter, Bleach preparing to finish its adaptation, and Naruto teasing what comes next. For long-time fans, that is reason enough to pay attention. Whether 2026 delivers a full Big Three reunion depends on the announcements and releases still ahead.