The third episode of Bleach's first arc, The Agent of the Shinigami, adapts the rest of Chapter 4, along with Chapters 5 & 6. "The Older Brother's Wish, the Younger Sister's Wish" picks up moments after the second episode which ended on a cliffhanger. The final moments of "The Shinigami's Work" saw Orihime and her friend Tatsuki finishing up their dinner, then get scared when a crash shakes the apartment. The cause of the crash is Sora's Hollow form, Acidwire, shrieking in despair.
Episode 3 aired in Japanese on October 19, 2004 and then on September 23, 2006, in English. Finishing off what is clearly the opening act of the series, Bleach's third episode answers many questions while keeping the door open for the oncoming storm that Ichigo and Rukia will have to face. Bleach Episode 3 also showcases a more serious and heart-breaking tone than the first two episodes. While there were some minor comedic moments, the episode balances tragedy, humor, and action in tandem.
Bleach Episode 3 Sets Up the Larger Arc
Bleach is Not Just a Monster of Week — There's a Bigger Bad!
The first two episodes of Bleach really do set up more of a 'Monster-of-the-Week' tone as each episode had Ichigo, the Substitute Shinigami, face off against a different Hollow. Episode 3, however, shift things up. The first thing that changes is that Ichigo's fight against Acidwire, which began in Episode 2, continues in the third episode. That fight puts Ichigo in a difficult situation as he struggles with the recent realization that the Hollow he has to defeat is none other than his friend Orihime's deceased brother.
Ichigo is unsure why Orihime's brother would be coming after him. Rukia, who is also not 100% sure, theorizes that there may be a powerful Hollow who seeks to devour Ichigo's soul and as such is sending several Hollows from the shadows of Hueco Muendo after him. Hueco Muendo is a dimension that lies between the Human World and Soul Society, where the Hollows lie. Within a few moments, the doors for the overarching story are open and a potential Big Bad is established.
Rukia tells Ichigo that he has no choice but to kill Sora's Hollow, lest Sora is doomed to wander around forever and would more than likely come back to attack him. In terms of lore, this is quite a dark aspect to the Hollows. Not only are they lost souls, if they are left unchecked or undefeated, they will be forever stuck wondering the Human world preying on others. Understanding that he has no other choice, Ichigo backs down as he and Rukia rush over to Orihime's apartment.
Orihime and Sora Have a Tragic Backstory
Bleach Establishes Its Rules & Tone Through Sora's Hardship
Bleach's third episode tells a heart-breaking story about Orihime and her brother as a way to really set the rules and tone of the anime. Sora's journey as a lingering soul post death is filled with even more hardship. Due to his love and affection for his sister, Sora couldn't pass over and, as such, stayed watching over Orihime. As Orihime grew up and started to heal from her grief, Sora felt betrayed and his soul's sadness grew heavier. As a result, he became an easy target for other Hollows to find him and turn him into one as well.
Sora takes Orihime's soul out of her body, but fortunately her Chain of Fate remained attached to her body. A Chain of Fate is a chain that binds a soul to their living bodies, and when a person dies, the chain is generally broken. Sora's goal was to break her chain so that they could be together as brother and sister again. Within this contained narrative, Bleach showcases the true war between life and death. The emotional weight that Sora and Orihime's story carries is quite heavy.
While Bleach does have over the top comedic moments, Episode 3 proves that it also has what it takes to deliver a very serious and even tragic story. Keeping the humorous moments minimal, the main target of the third episode was to set the pieces on the board and give viewers all the information they needed to continue moving forward with the story without getting confused or lost. Seeing as to how this is the third episode, it legitimizes the three episode rule and brings the opening act to a close.
Ichigo Crosses The Threshold & Answers The Call
After Struggling For Two Episodes, Ichigo Accepts His New Fate
Not only does Bleach's third episode establish the rules and set the foundation for the anime as a whole, it moves Ichigo's hero's journey forward from refusing the call, to accepting the call and looking towards the journey ahead. The challenge of having to face someone he knew in order to save someone he cares about really puts matters into perspective for Ichigo. Over the course of three episodes, Ichigo – along with viewers – learn so much about the world of Soul Reapers, and the true origins of Hollows.
In spite of his initial hesitation, Ichigo tells Rukia that while he may not be the kind of person who would risk their life for some stranger, he's also not the kind of person who would sit idly by and watch someone get hurt. Tite Kubo's opening act really sets the stage for what's to come as Ichigo continues to learn the ways of the Soul Reapers while trying to figure out who the being in shadows is that wishes to devour his spiritual power. His abilities and inner power that even shocked Rukia have made him a target.
The third episode of Bleach sticks the landing for the anime's opening act and prepares viewers for the journey ahead. While Orihime ends up being a typical damsel in distress, her backstory with Sora acts as a catalyst for Ichigo's decision to cross the threshold. Much like other shonen heroes before him, Ichigo needs a few pushes before he is fully convinced of accepting his fate as a Subtitute Shinigami. Bleach Episode 3 answers all the necessary questions and leaves one big question unanswered. Who is sending the Hollows after Ichigo?
