Bleach is enjoying a resurgence lately thanks to the anime adapting its final arc in the series. This arc has been concise and exciting to watch, but that first bit wasn’t always the case for this Shonen classic. Bleach, much like many series, was not immune to filler for the purpose of letting the manga catch up, but this series had more of it than you may realize. Here are all the Bleach episodes and filler arcs to skip!
What Are Considered Bleach Filler Episodes and How Many Are There?
Bleach filler episodes are typically installments, often over multi-episode arcs, where the series deviates from the original canon and doesn’t really advance the main plot. They were meant to allow the creator, Tite Kubo, to keep writing more of the manga for them to adapt so the series wouldn’t completely catch up with the source material too quickly.
Related: All Dragon Ball Filler Episodes to Skip
Bleach has 163 episodes strictly considered filler, meaning episodes without even mixed canon status, of its 379 total episodes counting Thousand-Year Blood War. That amounts to 43% of its entire series is filler, compared to Naruto’s 41%, another Shonen anime infamous for it. While Bleach is significantly shorter, the concentration of non-canon episodes is staggering.
What Are the Bleach Filler Arcs You Can Skip?
If you follow more by collective filler arcs rather than episodes for Bleach, this might be a handy resource for you to consult!
| Bleach Filler Arc | Episodes |
|---|---|
| The Bount Arc | 64-108 |
| Stolen Hogyoku Arc | 128-137 |
| Forest of the Menos | 147-149 |
| Shusuke Amagai Mini Arc | 168-189 |
| Rurichiyo And Kenryu Mini Arc | 204-205 |
| Karakura-Raizer Mini Arc | 213-214 |
| Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc | 230-265 |
| Hell Chapter Movie Prequel Arc | 298-299 |
| Gotei 13 Invasion Arc | 317-342 |
The filler arcs above are those containing 2 or more episodes. Content like the Forest of the Menos Arc, for instance, runs alongside the Arrancar Arc, so you can still reasonably enjoy the episodes despite them being labeled as filler. Additionally, one-off episodes considered filler or fanservice include the following:
- 33
- 50
- 228
- 229
- 266
- 287
- 303
- 304
- 305
- 311
- 312
- 313
- 314
- 315
- 316
- 355
Each of these is self-contained, separate stories you can potentially enjoy for varying reasons. These include “A Fun Time at the Beach” where it’s the obligatory beach episode, and the 355 New Year’s Special. You won’t necessarily miss anything crucial, but if you love the characters, these are still potentially worthwhile.
