Is Rangiku Dead or Alive in Bleach: TYBW? Answered

Ranigku Matsumoto is one of the most popular characters in Bleach. As Lieutenant of the 10th Division, Rangiku serves directly under the series’ resident white-haired bad-boy Toshiro Hitsugaya, and her fiery personality and deep connection to one of the series’ most complex villains have made her a fan-favorite character.

Unfortunately, things don’t go well for Rangiku in Bleach‘s Thousand-Year Blood War Arc or its anime adaption, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. This has left many fans desperate to know whether their favorite red-headed shinigami swordswoman is still alive. Here’s whether Rangiku is still alive in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.

Warning: Spoilers For Bleach lurk below!

What Happens to Rangiku in Bleach: TYBW Part 2?

Yhwach and his Wandrenreich army’s full-scale war against Soul Society utterly devastated the ranks of the Gotei 13, but things went especially poorly for Rangiku. After the fire-spewing Bazz B gets an unexpected second wind after his fierce elemental battle with the ice-wielding Hitsugaya, he and Rangiku attempt to retreat, only to be cut off and cut down by Bazz B’s comrade Cang-Du, who had stolen Hitsugaya’s Bankai during Yhwach’s initial invasion.

Related: Bleach: Why is Ichibe Being Called ‘Manake Osho’?

However, before Cang-Du can deal the killing blow, a last-minute save by Kisuke Urahara gives Hitsugaya a chance to recover his Bankai and drive off Bazz B and Cang-Du. Unfortunately, the battle leaves Hitsugaya too weak to protect himself or Rangiku from Gisselle Gewelle, who uses her Shrift ability to turn Hitsugaya and Rangiku into zombies loyal to the Wandenreich.

Gisselle soon deploys Rangiku and her fellow zombified Soul Reapers against 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi and the recently revived Arrancar. Fortunately, Mayuri defeats Gisselle by uncovering the nature of her zombification ability, allowing him to neutralize Rangiku and Gissele’s other victims.

Is Rangiku Dead?

No, Rangiku is not dead Bleach: TYBW. The last time anime-only Bleach fans saw Rangiku, she was lying motionless on the ground, so they had every right to worry about her survival. Fortunately, the Bleach manga reveals that Rangiku and the other zombified Soul Reapers survive their ordeal. Mayuri undoes Rangiku’s zombification using specially designed chambers. However, this miracle cure does come at a heavy cost: a sizable portion of Rangiku’s remaining life.

While Rangiku’s fate has yet to be covered in Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War, her restoration will likely play out in the hit anime’s next season. If you want further confirmation that Rangiku is alive and well, I’d recommend reading Bleach: Can’t Fear Your Own World, and Bleach: We Do Knot Always Love You, a pair of light novels that reveal the fate of many of the series’ main characters in the aftermath of the Thousand-Year Blood War.