The Original Run · Main line
Bleach (2004 series)
EssentialSeries2004
A teenager who can see ghosts is handed a Soul Reaper’s powers and, eventually, a war. Sixteen arcs over eight years, five of them anime-original.
Availability changes by country and by week, so this searches JustWatch rather than guessing.
Can you skip Bleach (2004 series)?
No. It carries part of the main Bleach throughline, and what comes after it assumes you have seen it. See the full Bleach order.
Every arc, and what you can skip
366 episodes across 16 arcs. 130 sit in wholly anime-original arcs, of which 94 are safe to skip. Anime-original is not the same as skippable, which is why the last two columns are separate.
| Episodes | Arc | Material | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–20 | The Substitute Soul Reaper | Canon | Watch |
| 21–41 | The EntryEpisode 33 is anime-original and self-contained. | Mostly canon | Watch |
| 42–63 | The RescueEpisode 50 is anime-original. The rest is the arc the series is remembered for. | Mostly canon | Watch |
| 64–91 | The BountEntirely anime-original, and the least liked stretch in the series. | Anime-original | Skippable |
| 92–109 | The Bount Assault on Soul SocietyThe second half of the Bount story. Skippable with the first.Film after this arc: Bleach: Memories of Nobody | Anime-original | Skippable |
| 110–131 | Arrancar: The AppearanceCanon returns here. Episodes 128 to 131 are anime-original. | Mostly canon | Watch |
| 132–151 | Arrancar: Hueco Mundo Sneak EntryAnime-original episodes at 132 to 137 and 147 to 149.Film after this arc: Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion | Mostly canon | Watch |
| 152–167 | Arrancar: The Fierce Fight | Canon | Watch |
| 168–189 | The New Captain Shūsuke AmagaiAnime-original from start to finish. Nothing carries forward. | Anime-original | Skippable |
| 190–205 | Arrancar vs. Soul ReaperEpisodes 204 and 205 are anime-original.Film after this arc: Bleach: Fade to Black | Mostly canon | Watch |
| 206–212 | Turn Back the PendulumA flashback to a hundred years earlier, and one of the best things in the series. | Canon | Watch |
| 213–229 | Arrancar: Battle in KarakuraAnime-original at 213 to 214 and 228 to 229. | Mostly canon | Watch |
| 230–265 | Zanpakutō: The Alternate TaleAnime-original, and the exception to the rule: this is the filler arc regular viewers recommend. Skip it and you lose nothing; watch it and you get the Zanpakutō as characters. | Anime-original | Optional |
| 266–316 | Arrancar: Fall of the EspadaThe end of the Aizen story, with anime-original episodes scattered through it.Film after this arc: Bleach: Hell Verse | Mostly canon | Watch |
| 317–342 | Gotei 13 Invading ArmyAnime-original, and the last long detour before the series stops. | Anime-original | Skippable |
| 343–366 | The Lost AgentThe final canon arc of the original run. It ends without adapting the rest of the manga, which is what Thousand-Year Blood War came back for. | Mostly canon | Watch |
Bleach guides
Where it sits in the Bleach order
- Release order
- #1 of 9
- Chronological order
- #1 of 9
- Released
- 5 October 2004
- In-universe era
- Substitute Soul Reaper
What to watch next
In release order
First in this order
Bleach: Memories of NobodyIn chronological order
First in this order
Bleach: Memories of NobodyMore like Bleach
- NarutoTwo of the three long shonen runs of the 2000s, and both ask you to skip a third of what aired.
- Jujutsu KaisenSword-carrying exorcists on a modern city beat, and JJK is what the genre learned to do after Bleach.
- Demon SlayerLong shonen runs where the fights are the reason to stay, and the swordwork is the personality.