Bleach watch order
Ichigo Kurosaki gains the powers of a Soul Reaper and ends up at war with Hollows, rogue captains and an army of Quincy. A 366-episode run, then a revival that finishes the manga.
First time? Watch the original series (skip the filler arcs if you like), then Thousand-Year Blood War. The four movies are optional side stories.
Story order
The TV series split where the optional movies fit best. The movies don't affect the story, so skipping them loses nothing.
- Bleach, episodes 1–63
Substitute Soul Reaper and Soul Society. Episodes 33 and 50 are filler.
- Memories of Nobody (optional)
Non-canon side story. Fits any time after the Soul Society arc.
- The DiamondDust Rebellion (optional)
Non-canon side story centered on Toshiro Hitsugaya.
- Fade to Black (optional)
Non-canon side story centered on Rukia.
- Bleach, episodes 64–310
The Arrancar saga, through the end of the fight with Aizen. Contains the Bount, New Captain and Zanpakutō Rebellion filler arcs.
- Hell Verse (optional)
Non-canon. Best after episode 310, since it assumes you've seen the Arrancar saga.
- Bleach, episodes 311–366
The Gotei 13 Invasion filler arc (317–342), then the Lost Agent arc, where the original anime stopped.
- Thousand-Year Blood War
The manga's final arc, animated ten years later. Picks up right after episode 366.
- Thousand-Year Blood War: The Separation
- Thousand-Year Blood War: The Conflict
- Thousand-Year Blood War: The Calamity
The fourth and final part, which began airing in July 2026.
Release order
- Bleach
The original run, ending partway through the manga. About 45% of it is anime-original filler; see below for what to skip.
- Memories of Nobody (optional)
Non-canon side story. Fits any time after the Soul Society arc.
- The DiamondDust Rebellion (optional)
Non-canon side story centered on Toshiro Hitsugaya.
- Fade to Black (optional)
Non-canon side story centered on Rukia.
- Hell Verse (optional)
Non-canon. Best after episode 310, since it assumes you've seen the Arrancar saga.
- Thousand-Year Blood War
The manga's final arc, animated ten years later. Picks up right after episode 366.
- Thousand-Year Blood War: The Separation
- Thousand-Year Blood War: The Conflict
- Thousand-Year Blood War: The Calamity
The fourth and final part, which began airing in July 2026.
Explained
Which episodes are filler?
The big filler arcs are the Bount arc (64–108), the Stolen Hōgyoku arc (128–137), the New Captain Amagai arc (168–189), the Zanpakutō Rebellion arc (230–265) and the Gotei 13 Invasion arc (317–342). There are also scattered single filler episodes, about 163 filler episodes in all. The Zanpakutō Rebellion arc is the one filler arc many fans say is worth watching.
Why did the anime stop at 366?
The original anime caught up with the manga and ended in 2012 after the Lost Agent arc. The final arc, Thousand-Year Blood War, was adapted as a separate four-part series starting in 2022, so the story continues with no gap.