In the world of anime, Bleach is a classic, and without a doubt, a successful one. Adapted from Tite Kubo’s 74-volume manga, this anime tells the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager turned Soul Reaper after an encounter with one named Rukia.
The manga was published from 2001 to 2016, and its success guaranteed several adaptations, from stage musicals, and movies, to video games. Of course, none were as popular as the 2004 anime, though, which ran until 2012 in Japan. Sadly, this animated series reached an end before adapting the manga’s final arc, leaving fans to wait a decade for its sequel, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. Thankfully, the wait was worth it, with the anime’s epic fight scenes and animation drawing in new and old fans, thus rekindling the series’ popularity.
In a series as long as this one, an organized narrative is a must, which is why Bleach is divided into 17 story arcs, like most other anime and manga. If you’d like to revisit one or a few specific arcs but don’t know where to begin, worry not; we’ve compiled a list of every single Bleach arc in order, with details regarding the chapters and episodes that cover it. Keep in mind that some arcs exist only as fillers in the anime (and therefore are not part of the manga canon) but they are still included in this list, as some fans might be interested in watching them. To better identify them, those arcs are marked on the list as “anime only.” Without further ado, let’s crack into it.
All Bleach arcs in order
- Agent of the Shinigami Arc – Chapters 1-70, episodes 1-20
- Soul Society: The Sneak Entry Arc – Chapters 71-117, episodes 21-41
- Soul Society: The Rescue Arc – Chapters 118-183, episodes 42-63
- The Bount Arc – Anime only. Episodes 64-91
- Bount Assault on Soul Society Arc – Anime only. Episodes 92-109
- Arrancar: The Arrival Arc – Chapters 184-229, episodes 110-131
- Arrancar: The Hueco Mundo Sneak Entry Arc – Chapters 230-251, episodes 132-151
- Arrancar: The Fierce Fight Arc – Chapters 252-286, episodes 152-167
- The New Captain Shusuke Amagai Arc – Anime only. Episodes 168-189
- Arrancar vs. Shinigami Arc – Chapters 287-315, episodes 190-205
- The Past Arc – Chapters -108 to -100, episodes 206-212
- Note: The Past Arc chapters were published with negative numbers, to reflect the portrayal of events taking place before the series’ main plot.
- Arrancar: Decisive Battle of Karakura Arc – Chapters 316-340, episodes 213-229
- Zanpakuto: The Alternate Tale Arc – Anime only. Episodes 230-265
- Arrancar: Downfall Arc – Chapters 341-423, episodes 266-316
- Gotei 13 Invading Army Arc – Anime only. Episodes 317-342
- The Lost Substitute Shinigami Arc – Chapters 424-479, episodes 343-366
- The 1000-Year Blood War Arc – Chapters 480-686, episodes 367-present
Bleach is an incredible ride, so it may be hard to move on from it once you reach the story’s conclusion. However, you shouldn’t let that stop you from diving into other series. There are plenty of great manga out there similar to Bleach in tone or themes, so you’re likely to find one that suits your taste.