There was a time when Bleach was a part of the Big Three in the shonen landscape, along with Naruto and One Piece. While the popularity of this series might’ve waned over time, the show still has its highlights and makes for a riveting watch even now. The show does a pretty good job of translating Tite Kubo’s masterful artwork over to an animated medium, making for a great time as viewers watch the amazing battles unravel. With the advent of the Thousand-Year Blood War, more and more people will be glad to see the final arc of Bleach be adapted to completion after the longest time, with the amazing art of the adaptation elevating the source material to new heights.

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Of course, as is the case with any serialized shonen anime, Bleach is filled to the brim with filler episodes that were meant to give Kubo time as he penned more canon chapters of the manga. Fans who want to watch Bleach and stay informed about its filler should take the following information into account while getting into this legendary shonen anime. Some people appreciate that the latest adaptation has chosen to air four cours instead of adding some filler episodes in Bleach‘s final arc. They don’t mind waiting a total of four years for the entire arc to be adapted with stellar animation, but some fans would’ve appreciated any excuse that let them spend more time with their favorite characters.

Updated on February 25, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra: Bleach was once turned into the biggest punching bag of the Big Three, with the meandering storylines and a ton of Bleach filler lowering the quality of the anime adaptation. However, the advent of the Thousand-Year Blood War anime changed things, with the incredible animation and some amazing fights turning Bleach into a beloved series once again. As a result, it’s easy to see why fans would want to rewatch the original run of Bleach to check out Ichigo’s rise from a student into one of the most powerful Shinigami in the series. Still, no matter how much fans have warmed up to the series, there are chances that Bleach’s filler arcs may not be up their alley. However, if nothing else, these original stories deserve a fair shot in order for fans to see if they will like the directions taken by Bleach’s filler and whether it keeps them engaged in the long haul.

Bleach Statistics Chart

Here’s an extended look at some of the more notable filler arcs in Bleach. While some people may not appreciate the idea of watching filler, fans who want to spend some time with Bleach‘s many beloved characters will be well-serviced by these short stories that do a great job of exploring the dynamics between different people in the series.

7

One-Off Fillers (Multiple)

Focus On Side Characters

There’s no denying that the characters of Bleach are a joy to witness in many ways. However, it’s a huge ask for viewers to spend a ton of time with them on arcs that do nothing to progress the story or contribute to any character’s development in any way. This becomes harder when viewers don’t like watching certain side characters that have no impact on the plot outside of these anime-original stories.

The only respite that most people have here is that most of these filler episodes in Bleach are funny enough to warrant a watch and don’t stick around for too long. The most they’ll go on for is four or five episodes before the anime shows everyone what they want to see — the main plot. Of course, people who only want to watch meaningful episodes in the show can skip these filler episodes in Bleach entirely, with some of the long-winded filler arcs being ones that have a consistent plot and recurring characters.

That being said, some of these one-off fillers can be pretty entertaining, especially if fans are invested in the various character relationships in Bleach. They aren’t the best parts of the series by a country mile, but they don’t pretend to be; these stories mainly exist just for characters to interact in funny ways. The fact that these mini-stories only last a single episode makes them more bearable for certain viewers, especially for those who don’t mind engaging with the side characters for twenty minutes.

6

Forest Of The Menos Arc

The Forgettable One

The Forest of the Menos arc is one of the more unique arcs in the series. Concept sketches of this forest are present in Tite Kubo’s volumes, and this arc takes a short yet interesting look at an area under Hueco Mundo’s deserted landscape. It’s a simple yet interesting arc that fleshes out the world of Bleach even more. The fact that this filler arc only lasts three episodes would also be a source of joy for fans who don’t want to invest themselves in a long-winded narrative that is ultimately forgotten in the grand scheme of things.

What makes these filler episodes in Bleach great is that they adapt a storyline that Kubo wanted to add to the manga before eventually scrapping the idea. Thankfully, the anime didn’t shy away from fleshing out the history of the shinigami, although it’s still a crying shame that the Forest of the Menos arc is considered to be non-canon as far as the storyline is concerned. Ashido is a riveting character, and fans will be glad to know that his presence is finally made canon in the light novel Bleach: Spirits Are Forever With You.

5

The Bount Arc

Possibly The Worst Filler Arc

After the incredible Soul Society arc, Bleach embarked upon its first set of major fillers in the form of the Bount arc. Most people consider this to be a sub-par filler arc in Bleach, mainly due to how much of a downer it is after Ichigo’s amazing journey throughout Soul Society to rescue Rukia. However, fans who love the awe-inspiring fights in Bleach will love the many battles in this arc, and it helps that the Bount are interesting enough to carry the storyline as riveting villains who need to be taken out by any means necessary.

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Ichigo’s plan to relax after the events of the Soul Society arc is dashed when three strangers abduct his friends and force him through a twisted game. It’s soon revealed that this event was a precursor to the introduction of the Bount, an artificially created race with Hollow-like powers. While they pose a massive threat early on, they eventually get pushed into Soul Society and realize that they’re way out of their depth when the Shinigami completely decimate them.

4

Stolen Hogyoku Arc

Aizen Becoming The Leader Of The Arrancar

The Stolen Hogyoku arc is a bit of a mixed bag. The arc features many one-off episodes while also exploring the side of the Arrancar and how a lot of them aren’t happy with Aizen becoming their leader. It has some interesting moments, even if the poor pacing and the ham-fisted nature of its inclusion severely take it down a notch. However, the entirety of Bleach is notorious for its pacing issues, so fans likely won’t mind this misstep as long as they get to see the lore of the series expand while their favorite characters enjoy some time in the spotlight.

A definite highlight of this arc is Hitsugaya, who gets his time to shine and does so brilliantly. There’s a reason why this character is one of the most popular shinigami in the entire series. As long as viewers don’t mind the slower sections of this filler arc, they’ll find this unique piece of content to be well worth watching. After all, Aizen is one of the most compelling shonen villains of any time, and most fans would jump at any excuse to see his character be fleshed out before the events of the original story.

3

The New Captain Shusuke Amagai Arc

Shusuke Amagai Gets The Spotlight

Shusuke Amagai is a character who is a memorable figure in his own right. The first few episodes of this filler arc show a ton of promise, but the pacing falls off after a while. Still, it’s far from egregious and will let fans enjoy a great time as they get to see Soul Society struggle as the new captain enacts his wrathful plan. It’s one of the better filler arcs in Bleach for many fans, even if the placement of this arc may puzzle many fans since it comes smack-dab in the middle of an existing storyline.

The new characters introduced in this filler arc may take a while to imprint themselves in the minds of fans, but they make a strong impression once viewers give them a chance. To make things better, these characters appear in other filler episodes in Bleach, lending a sense of continuity to the events that take place in later storylines. The slow pacing of this filler arc may make it hard to get through, but the payoff comes in the form of some epic battles, making it worth it in the eyes of many.

2

Zanpakuto Unknown Tales Arc

Zanpakuto’s Rebellion

Bleach saved its better filler arcs for the latter half of its run. The idea of every Shinigami’s Zanpakuto rebelling against their master is a unique prospect that is explored quite brilliantly in the Zanpakuto Unknown Tales arc. It helps that the antagonist at the heart of it all, Muramasa, is also a pretty engaging character in his own right. The novelty of watching the Captains fight against the spirits of their Zanpakuto is enough for many fans to hail this as one of the better Bleach filler arcs that fans can subject themselves to.

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As is the case with most filler arcs, the story goes down a rather predictable route before ending with Ichigo taking care of the big baddie once and for all. This is to be expected given the limitations of most filler stories, and props should be given to the Zanpakuto Unknown Tales arc for excelling even with these limitations. The appearance of Zangetsu in this arc may cause a plot hole given what fans know about the true nature of Ichigo’s Zanpakuto during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, but it’s an oversight most are willing to forgive as long as they get to see some of the best filler episodes in Bleach and the unique ideas they bring to the table.

1

The Gotei 13 Invasion Arc

One Of The Best Filler Arcs

Most people are split on whether this arc or Muramasa’s rebellion is the best filler story in Bleach. It’s a testament to the high quality of both stories that this debate still doesn’t have a clear answer to this day. The idea of impostors posing as Shinigami captains and wreaking havoc within Soul Society is quite engrossing, and this arc does a great job of adapting such a story, given Ichigo’s waning powers after his fight against Aizen.

This arc may have some fights that take too long to complete, but that’s a minor gripe in an otherwise great experience. There’s no denying that these are some of the better filler episodes in Bleach that fans will love to watch if they’ve invested in the characters and how they rise against the odds to beat down anyone standing in their way. For the final filler arc in Bleach‘s original run, The Gotei 13 Invasion is riveting and a great excuse for fans to spend more time with their favorite characters as they take place in this high-stakes conflict.

Bleach

Release Date

2004 – 2022

Network

TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC, BS TV Tokyo

Showrunner

Tite Kubo

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  Masakazu Morita

  Ichigo Kurosaki (voice)

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  Fumiko Orikasa

  Rukia Kuchiki

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