How to Watch Bleach & Its Movies in Order

The anime adaptation for Bleach: The Thousand Year Blood War is ramping up to its final season, which will finally bring an end to the story that started 20 years ago. Featuring plenty of seasons and filler episodes, here’s our complete guide on how to watch Bleach & its movies in order.

Bleach, Episodes 1 – 7

To begin the viewing order, fans will want to start at the most obvious place, with the first few episodes of the series. Specifically, you’ll want to only watch the first seven episodes before moving on to the next installment in the Bleach anime. The first arc in the series is titled Agent of the Shinigami arc. It showcases the first time that Ichigo receives his Soul Reaper powers after saving his family and Soul Reaper Rukia from a deadly Hollow.

Much of what happens in the first seven episodes of the series helps to set the tone of the world of Bleach, creating a tense and cool atmosphere that not many Shonen anime at the time had. Moreover, the opening song, “Asterisk” by Anime Kei, easily remains one of, if not the best, intros the series has had.

Bleach: Memories in the Rain (OVA)

The Memories in the Rain OVA of Bleach serves as an edited version of Episodes 8 and 9 of the series and is the best way to continue the early story and Ichigo’s discovery of what really happened to his mom when he was a child. The tragic circumstances of her death are shown in a new light, and this OVA gives more time for Ichigo to reflect on the revelation that his mother’s death had much more sinister connotations than initially believed.

While the episodes that the OVA combines are perfectly suitable to the story, the Memories of the Rain OVA serves not only as a good continuation of the first seven episodes but also as a standalone piece that tells its own self-contained story. There is also the fun bit of trivia that Tite Kubo, the original creator of the Bleach manga, voices the fun mascot character Kon for two lines instead of the original Voice actor for the character, Mitsuaki Madono.

Bleach: 13 Court Guard Squads Omake (OVA)

There isn’t much to say about the 13 Court Guard Squads OVA party because the special is only three minutes long. Still, it’s a good introduction to the world of the Soul Society and a fun sneak preview at the opponents that Ichigo will have to go up against in the coming arc. This short animated sequence was fans’ first look at the 13 Court Guard Squad Captains that was shown at Jump Festa 2004, which is a yearly celebration of the Shonen Jump manga titles and their anime adaptations.

Bleach, Episodes 8 – 63

After going through two OVAs, the next stretch of chronological viewing order is Episodes 8-63 of Bleach. These 55 episodes cover the rest of the Agent of Shinigami arc and what is widely considered the two best arcs of the anime: The Soul Society Sneak Entry arc and the Soul Society Rescue arc. In these episodes, Ichigo learns of the whole other world, the Soul Society, and with help from Kisuke Urahara, trains to become a more powerful Soul Reaper.

From the introduction of Bankai to the power system of the Soul Society via spiritual pressure, so many elements first appear in this arc that remain iconic to the story of Bleach. There’s also the introduction of iconic characters like Kenpachi Zaraki, Yoruichi Shihouin, Byakuya Kuchiki, and so many others that would become mainstays and critical characters in later arcs. For those who have never watched or read Bleach before, there’s also an incredible plot twist towards the end that completely changes the nature of the story. The following episodes in this section are considered filler:

• Episodes 33 & 50: A Don Kanonji filler episode that features Ichigo’s sisters.

Bleach: The Sealed Sword Frenzy (OVA)

The next full-length OVA following Memories of Rain is Bleach: The Sealed Sword Frenzy. While it isn’t canon to the manga, the special feature takes place shortly after the events of the Soul Society arc. Premiering at the Jump Festa 2005 anime tour, The Sealed Sword Frenzy centers on Ichigo helping Renji, who is on a mission for the Soul Society on Earth. The OVA has one of the most unconventional villains in the series – that being a Zanpakutō-less Shinigami that seeks to wreak havoc.

The film has its own interesting set of lore for the history of the Soul Society that isn’t canon to Kubo’s manga, making it a special entry that feels like filler that’s much more inspired than what we get later on in the anime. OVAs like this have been made to help give Kubo time to continue to write the manga, and it is a nice change of pace and palate cleanser following the shocking events of the Soul Society Arcs.

Bleach, Episodes 64 – 109

While the Bleach manga is famous for its impressive worldbuilding and stunning art, the Bleach anime is famous for other reasons, specifically its filler. The previous episodes of Bleach covered the story that Tie Kubo had written up to that point, leading the production company behind the anime adaptation to create filler to give Kubo time to continue to write the story. With these circumstances, the Bount arc was born.

Covering episodes 64-109, the Bount arc features a new group of enemies who seek to invade the Soul Society, with Ichigo and Uryū Ishida attempting to stop them. The Bounts are an interesting group of characters created for the anime, given that they are humans who gain eternal life by consuming others’ souls. Loosely based on vampires, the Bount poses an interesting threat. However, their attempted invasion of the Soul Society feels a little repetitive following the events of the Rescue arc that had just finished airing before this new arc.

Bleach The Movie: Memories of Nobody 

Released in theaters in Japan in 2006, Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody fits between the Soul Society arc and the next manga canon arc of the story. The film focuses on mysterious white spirits invading Ichigo’s hometown of Karakura, with a mysterious new Soul Reaper named Senna also appearing simultaneously. Directed by Noriyuki Abe and written by Masashi Sogo, Memories of Nobody is a nice change of pace for those doing a chronological viewing of the anime and its movies.

The “antagonists” of the film, as well as its thematic plot points, feel completely different from the Hollows and Soul Reapers that have been the focus of the previous arcs and are also different from the Arrancars in the next. Moreover, while Kubo didn’t write the film, it still exemplifies all the spirituality and melancholy the author has put into the story arcs of the manga, making this film more than with a watch before the next major story arc in the anime.

Bleach, Episodes 110 – 127

The next entry in chronological viewing is the Arrancar Arrival Arc of the Bleach Anime, taking place through Episodes 110 through 131 (though you’ll notice that you will only be watching up to Episode 127 for this chronological viewing). After going through all these filler episodes and films, we now have Tite Kubo’s next exciting entry, which introduced a new evolved form of Hollows. Much like any other Shonen anime, the stronger Ichigo gets, so do his enemies, and the Arrancar are especially dangerous.

The start of the arc takes place in Karakura town and sees different Arrancar systematically attack Ichigo and his friends. At the same time, secrets about his father are revealed in the ensuing battle. Urahara also gets interesting developments, though not until the latter half of the arc. Viewers are also introduced to Shinji, who shares similar abilities and appearance with Ichigo, making our protagonist question the true nature of his powers. There’s plenty of exciting setup and fierce battles in this first part of the arc, which we must take a break from for the next part of the in-order viewing.

Bleach the Movie: The DaimondDust Rebellion

The second feature film adaptation of Bleach was directed by Noriyuki Abe, and co-written by Michiko Yokote and Masahiro Ōkubo. Released between Episodes 153 and 154 of the anime in December of 2007, this film is often considered the least impressive in the franchise due to its lackluster story and disappointing climax. While there are some exciting action sequences, the nonsensical plot and incorporation of a time loop leave some viewers wanting more out of the film.

Moreover, specific plot points cause viewers to question how it could be canon to the main timeline of Bleach, adding another reason it is a sore spot for some fans. DaimondDust Rebellion‘s focus on Hitsugaya could have made it a more interesting movie, but perhaps what’s most shocking about this film is how little Ichigo matters to the overall plot.

Related: Bleach Should Be As Popular As Naruto and One Piece

Bleach the Movie: Fade to Black (Movie)

The next stop in the Bleach viewing order is yet another feature film, released in December 2008 in Japan (between Episodes 198 and 199 of the anime), and was also directed by Noriyuki Abe. The animation is a step up from the anime and the previous feature films, featuring stunning action sequences, though, much like the other films on this list, it is criticized for its thin plot.

Bleach, Episodes 128 – 299

After experiencing two Bleach movies back-to-back, it’s time to pick back up on the anime. However, given that the series was practically running concurrently with the manga at this point, there is plenty of filler in between the main Arrancar story arc. So, while there are a ton of episodes to watch, some can be skipped without compromising the larger story of Bleach and Ichigo’s struggle with the Arrancars and Aizen, as well as seeing the supporting cast like Chad and Uryu grow stronger, as well as the entirely new world of Hueco Mundo.

The filler in this list of episodes is as follows:

• Episodes 128-137: While these episodes provide more insight into the Arrancar’s motivations and how they each perceive Aizen, this content is filler and isn’t seen in the original manga. Still, it provides fascinating insights that make the inevitable battles hit that much harder.
• Episodes 147-149: Hueco Mundo is the new key location of this arc, essentially being an aesthetic and thematic opposite to the Soul Society. These two filler episodes flesh out the landscape a bit more.
• Episodes 168-189: These episodes introduce a new 13 Court Guards Captain entirely original for the anime named Shusuke Amagai, and while it’s mostly compelling, it is completely original to the anime and never once mentioned in the manga.
• Episodes 204-205: These filler episodes are part of the Shusuke Amagai arc that was just mentioned, featuring characters created specifically for that filler arc, and can most definitely be skipped.
• Episodes 213-214: These filler episodes center around the Karakura-Raizer Team, a superhero group created by Kisuke Urahara. It’s a comedic filler that could help alleviate some tension after the more intense parts of the Hueco Mundo arc.
• Episode 228: A randomly placed episode during the Hueco Mundo arc, Episode 228 is the obligatory Beach Day Out fan service episode. It’s entirely skippable (unless that’s your sort of thing).
• Episode 229: One of Bleach‘s favorite comedic bits is showing the Soul Reapers in the human world, and this episode centers explicitly around Ikkaku and Yumichika assigned to a mission there.
• Episodes 230-265: A filler episode featuring anime original villain Muramasa, who causes the Zanpakuto of the Soul reapers to turn against them.
• Episode 266: It isn’t a Shonen Anime without a recap episode, and this one recounts everything that’s happened so far with Ichigo and his friends as they infiltrated Hueco Mundo.
• Episode 287: A side story where Ichigo dreams of another life.
• Episodes 298-299: These two filler episodes that cap off this section of the Bleach viewing order are set up for the fourth (and currently final) movie in the Bleach Franchise.

Bleach the Movie: Hell Verse (Movie)

The Hell Verse movie is the final Bleach movie released and is perhaps the most fascinating of the three because of its subject matter. The story centers around Ichigo and his friends going into the realm of Hell to save his younger sister. Released in 2010, the film received mixed reception. Still, it was praised for its impressive animation, especially in the introduction, which re-animates a pivotal fight in the Hueco Mundo fight between Ichigo and Ulquiorra.

However, this film is even more fascinating because it chooses to explore hell. Tite Kubo never explored the concept of hell until after the Bleach manga ended, when he released a special one-shot in 2021 that teased the start of a new Hell arc that was nothing like what was shown in the movie. So, considering the current state of the Bleach manga, the Hell Verse movie is definitely not canon to the main anime or the manga.

Bleach, Episodes 300 – END

After watching the final Bleach movie, we find ourselves at the second to last section of the viewing order. What follows here in these episodes is minimal filler, and the early sections of these episodes also feature some of the biggest battles in the entire series at this point, bringing together varying loose story threads of the Visoreds, Aizen’s plans, Ichigo’s true potential, and the 13 Court Guards Captains powers. These episodes almost feel like an ending to the series, though there are two more story arcs after this.

Speaking of, after the final climactic battle with Aizen, we’re treated to one of the most underrated arcs in both the anime and manga: The Lost Substitute Arc. Whereas the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo arcs feature large ensembles and epic soul-crushing battles, The Lost Subsitue arc plays out like a psychological thriller.

It’s almost as if Tite Kubo knew he needed to change up the formula and instead gives Ichigo an opponent who does as much damage psychologically as he does physically. Following Ichigo’s loss of power in his fight against Aizen, he seeks to reclaim what was lost in an intense training arc that subverts expectations. Episode 366, the final episode of the anime’s original run, aired in Japan in 2012, with the series taking a 10-year hiatus.

The filler in this list of episodes is as follows:

• Episodes 303-305: One-shot episodes exploring various characters’ dynamics in Bleach’s supporting cast.
• Episodes 311-316: One-shot episodes exploring various characters’ dynamics in Bleach’s supporting cast.
• Episodes 317-342: These episodes further expound upon the consequences of Ichigo’s final battle with Aizen while also introducing a conflict that the 13 Court Guard Companies face.
• Episode 255: A New Year’s special episode featuring Bleach’s cast celebrating the New Year.

Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War

While the Bleach anime may have ended after the Lost Substitute arc, Tite Kubo’s manga kept on going. There was still one more arc to go: the Thousand-Year Blood War. The war between the Soul Reapers and Quincies has been teased since the beginning of the series, so Kubo finally reignited the conflict that lasted for millennia. The last chapter that concluded the series would be published in 2016; However, the anime adaptation of the epic finale wouldn’t start until November of 2022.

Bleach made its comeback with the Thousand Year Blood War, and would not only return with improved animation and production value but would also have zero filler. Instead, it would opt for the opposite of filler, with consultation from Tite Kubo and new story details from the creator of the series himself, which would help expound upon the Thousand Year Blood War. This new anime series currently has 3 seasons with 13 episodes each, with the season finale to the third season set to air on December 28, 2024.

After you are caught up on the Thousand Year Blood War Seasons 1-3, all that’s left is to wait for the fourth and final installment, which series creator Tite Kubo teased would have completely new and original scenes to flesh the story out more.

And that is how to watch Bleach and its movies in order.

Bleach is available to stream on Hulu or Disney Plus.

The above article was updated on 12/23/2024 by Ernesto Valenzuela to include additional information about Bleach.

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