Bearing steel suffers from wear and corrosion failures in service. To enhance its surface performance, the ceramic film was fabricated via magnetron sputtering combined with micro-arc oxidation. Real-time optical-acoustic analysis revealed a novel non-valve-metal based strong discharge mechanism (Type-B 2). This mechanism generated interface-reinforced cavities with Fe-Ti-O crystalline phases at the film-substrate interface. Mechanical and electrochemical tests under varying oxidation durations demonstrated that Type-B 2 discharged films exhibited an 18.58 % increase in hardness (469 HV vs. 395 HV), 14.29 % longer wear life, and superior corrosion resistance (E corr: −0.60563 V vs. -0.64306 V). The enhanced performance was attributed to (1) porosity reduction (18 % decrease in cross-sectional porosity) densifying the structure to inhibit crack propagation; (2) interlocking Fe-Ti-O phases at the interface enhancing adhesion through chemical bonding; and (3) capacitive closed-pore networks blocking ionic transport. This work elucidates the micro-arc oxidation growth mechanism of composite films and demonstrates a surface-protection strategy for bearing steel applications.