Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 3 is already addressing a common fan complaint about this part of the story by adding in a new fight scene between Uryu Ishida and Senjumaru Shutara. The new scene is definitely a change for the better, giving both its combatants a chance to shine.

Part 3's premiere, entitled simply "A", featured some recap of the previous season finale, followed by a brand-new fight scene designed to explain part of the changes already made from the manga during part 2's finale. In it, Squad Zero kill themselves to break a blood seal on Senjumaru's Bankai, allowing her to use the earth-shakingly powerful technique to imprison Yhwach's elite guards. In the part 2 finale, this appeared to be the end for them, but as Senjumaru did not use her Bankai in the manga, it raised questions as to how this difference would be resolved.

Uryu and Senjumaru's Fight Made Both Look Better

The New Fight Scene Enhanced the Character of Both Combatants

The part 3 premiere finally answered this question by showcasing another new fight that wasn't in the manga--one between Uryu, imprisoned in the Bankai, and Senjumaru. This immediately gave Uryu a much more active role than he had been given in the manga, addressing one of the big fan complaints about the Thousand-Year Blood War arc in general. Uryu plays a critical role in helping his Quincy comrades be freed, taking down Senjumaru just as Yhwach begins to regain his full power.

Despite losing the fight, this gave Senjumaru a much better characterization as well. In the manga, Squad Zero's fight with Yhwach's elites is fairly disappointing, with Squad Zero being defeated rapidly and mostly off . By sacrificing themselves to allow Senjumaru to use her Bankai, it explains much more easily why the other of Squad Zero weren't able to fight back against the Quincy. Senjumaru herself is given far more characterization as a result of this expansion, with the terrifying power of her Bankai on full display, assuring fans that Squad Zero is worthy of their reputation.

The new fight between Uryu and Senjumaru shows that Senjumaru was no pushover, and yet Uryu, empowered further by Yhwach's The Almighty, was still able to beat her using his own Schrift, The Antithesis, to switch places with her. It gives fans a taste of what Uryu's Schrift ability is truly capable of, and helps to explain why he was so quickly brought into Yhwach's inner circle. Uryu even gets the beginnings of a Vollstandig, an ability that the other Quincy are all able to use which enhances his power drastically.

Will Uryu's Role Continue to Expand?

Uryu Should Take a More Active Role in the Conflict

Up till this point, Uryu has mostly been sidelined, not having participated in the invasion of the Seireitei and having minimal influence in the fight between Yhwach's elites and Squad Zero in the manga. Given the presence of the Quincy, this story arc was meant to be a major one for Uryu, but Uryu so often ends up out of focus that it hardly feels like he has anything at all to do with the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. By giving Uryu a more active role, it centers the story more on him and his journey, something which should be more meaningful to the audience, who've been with him all along.

Hopefully, this new fight scene is a sign of more things to come for Uryu. Uryu's role in Thousand-Year Blood War should be a major one, with Uryu's actions helping to decide conflicts, even if that's on the side of the "bad guys." By giving Uryu a bigger role, it also enhances the rivalry he has with Ichigo. Uryu isn't just a victim who was sweet talked into ing Yhwach; he's made this decision for himself, and continues to act in alignment with it, forcing Ichigo to acknowledge that Uryu may not be the same person he once knew.

The new fight scenes are quite simply amazing, and it's a testament to how well executed they are that both Senjumaru and Uryu come out of it looking better than they did in the manga. These are exactly the kind of changes that long-time Bleach fans were hoping to see when it was announced that Thousand-Year Blood War was being adapted. If this is any indication of how the rest of part 3 of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is going to go, then fans certainly have a lot to look forward to.