Bleach Filler List: Every Episode & Arc You Can Skip

Updated Jul 29, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT Sign in to your ScreenRant account After nearly 22 years and what'll collectively be 416 episodes, Shonen Jump's permanent de facto "Best Dressed" among the Big Three, Bleach, is about to close its anime run. It's been a phenomenal series, and, thanks to Pierrot's elegant handling of Thousand-Year Blood War, the series feels far less rushed than the execution of the original manga's ending by Tite Kubo. It's truly the end of an era, but for those understandably curious about this gorgeous anime, it's also fair to be intimidated by the original Bleach's enormous portion of filler. While Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War's anime is virtually devoid of traditional filler, the original Bleach anime was one of the biggest Shonen Jump adaptations of its era back in 2004, during which time filler was far more commonplace. Of the Shonen Big Three, Bleach has the highest filler percentage at 45%, although if one counts the Naruto sequel anime Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, things could always be worse. Still, even if an anime's episodes may veer off the beaten manga path, they can still tell potentially worthwhile stories, making Bleach's filler reasonable to check on a case-by-case basis, as shown below. Every Filler Episode Of Bleach and Which Are Worth Skipping ​Episode Title​ Episode(s) Watchability Description Karakura Superheroes Arc (Ep. 33, 50) Skippable Kon and Ichigo's friends in the World of the Living team up under Don Kanonji to defend Karakura Town in his absence by taking on superhero identities. Bount Arc (Ep. 64-109) Skippable Vampiric beings known as Bounts launch an attack on the Soul Society, seeking vengeance for their suffering at the hands of Soul Reapers. Soul Reaper Strike Force Arc (Ep. 128-131) Skippable Ikkaku, Yumichika, Rangiku, and Toshiro are deployed to the World of the Living to battle an Arrancar capable of cloning. "Hitsugaya, Karin, and Soccer Ball" (Ep. 132) Worth Watching Ichigo's sister Karin convinces Toshiro Hitsugaya to join her in a game of soccer for honor. "Ikkaku: The Hot-Blooded Kendo Tale" (Ep. 133) Worth Watching Ikkaku Madarame teaches a young boy the art of Kendo so that he can win a Kendo tournament. "The Beautiful Patissier, Yumichika!" (Ep. 134) Skippable Yumichika Ayasegawa aids a deceased chef's soul in his quest to bake a cake for his still-living mother. "Kon is Deceived! Rangiku on the Lookout..." (Ep. 135) Skippable Kon's Soul Candy ends up in the plushie of a girl named Miyuki, whose deceased dog has become a Hollow. Arrancar Rebellion Arc (Ep. 136-137) Skippable A trio of Arrancar attempt to betray Aizen and steal the Hogyoku in the hopes of obtaining its power for themselves. Forest of Menos Arc (Ep. 147-149) Essential Ichigo's group enters an area where low-level Hollows hide from the more powerful Arrancar, where they discover a lost Soul Reaper who's been alone for a long time. New Captain Shusuke Amagai Arc (Ep. 168-189) Skippable A new captain, Shusuke Amagai is appointed to run Squad 3, but this man has secret motives for achieving his new position that could bring down the 13 Court Guard Squads. Kemari Arc (Ep. 204-205) Skippable Ichigo attempts to relieve tensions between Rurichiyo Kasumioji and Ryusei Kenzaki, her retainer, culminating in a Kemari (ancient Japanese sport) tournament. Karakuraizer Arc (Ep. 213-214) Skippable Kon and Ichigo's friends in the World of the Living reunite to defend Karakura Town by taking on superhero identities. "Summer! Sea! Swimsuit Festival!!" (Ep. 228) Skippable Ichigo, his friends, and the Captains of the 13 Court Guard Squads go to the beach to relax, but, of course, there's never a moment of peace for a Soul Reaper... "Cry of the Soul? The Rug Soul Reaper is Born!" (Ep. 229) Skippable Ikkaku and Yumichika are again sent to the World of the Living, staying with Ichigo's friend Keigo. Ikkaku dons a wig for the duration of the episode. Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc (Ep. 230-265) Worth Watching A Zanpakuto spirit known as Muramasa frees the spirits within the Soul Reapers' Zanpakuto, leading them in a rebellion against their former masters. Muramasa, however, has ulterior motives... "Ichigo vs. Ulquiorra, Resume" (Ep. 266) Skippable This is primarily a recap episode, covering the events of the Hueco Mundo and Arrancar arcs as the story finally returns to canon content after more than a season of filler. "Side Story! Ichigo and the Magic Lamp" (Ep. 287) Skippable A dream episode casting Ichigo and friends in the tale of Aladdin and the magic lamp, with Rukia as the genie. Intended as a 10 year anniversary celebration for the manga. "Film! Festival! Soul Reaper Film Festival!" (Ep. 298) Skippable The Soul Reapers work together to create a film to submit to the Seireitei International Film Festival, casting Rukia in the lead role as Maid Cop. "Theatre Opening Commemoration! The Hell Verse: Prologue" (Ep. 299) Skippable A special prologue to the fourth Bleach film, Hell Verse, featuring Szayelaporro Granz and Aaroniero Arruruerie in Hell. Recommended for those intending to watch the film. "Real World and Shinigami! The New Year Special!" (Ep. 303) Skippable The Soul Reapers celebrate the new year with a Karuta tournament. ""Another Side Story! This Time's Enemy Is a Monster!?" (Ep. 304) Skippable Another dream episode, in which Ichigo and friends become classic monsters and battle against monster hunters. "Delusion Roars! Hisagi, Towards the Hot Springs Inn!" (Ep. 305) Skippable Shuhei Hisagi goes on a mission with Rangiku Matsumoto, and mistakenly believes she's developed a crush on him. "The Soul Detective: Karakuraizer Takes Off Again!" (Ep. 311) Skippable Kon and Ichigo's friends in the World of the Living take up their superhero identities once more to battle an Arrancar. "Inauguration! The Brand New 2nd Division Captain!" (Ep. 312) Skippable Lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda pretends to be Captain of Squad 2, receiving praise and rewards for accidentally saving a child from a Hollow. "The Man Who Risks His Life in the 11th Division!" (Ep. 313) Skippable Ichigo meets Squad 11 member Siezo Harugasaki, whose personality seems like a poor fit for the battle-crazed squad. "Kon Saw It! The Secret of a Beautiful Office Lady" (Ep. 314) Skippable Kon follows a beautiful woman he sees who tries to kill herself. After saving her life, she reveals she can see spirit beings. "Yachiru's Friend! The Soul Reaper of Justice Appears!" (Ep. 315) Skippable Yachiru meets an old friend of hers by the name of Masayoshi. "Toshirō Hitsugaya's Holiday!" (Ep. 316) Skippable Toshiro pays a visit to the World of the Living, where he meets a woman whom he encountered on his first assignment there. Invading Army Arc (Ep. 317-342) Worth Watching The Soul Reapers battle against Mod Soul duplicates of themselves in a plot designed to bring about the fall of the Soul Society. "Soul Reapers at War! New Year in Seireitei Special!" (Ep. 355) Skippable The Soul Reapers once again celebrate the new year, this time with kite-flying contests and a celebratory dance. When added all together, Bleach has 165 filler episodes, close to half of the anime's episode count. Calling that egregious would be an understatement, and what made them even worse was that, because of how long Bleach’s canon arcs were, the filler episodes would often cause the main story to abruptly stop for months. For anyone who watched Bleach as it aired, that practice undoubtedly made the experience worse than it needed to be, and with how often the content was tedious stories that detracted from the established canon, it was almost always impossible to justify. Which Bleach Filler Arcs & Episodes Standout From The Pack While most of Bleach’s filler content adds very little to the series, there are some filler episodes and arcs that stand out. Episode #132, “Hitsugaya, Karin, and Soccer Ball”, for example, is a surprisingly good episode for how well Toshiro and Karin play off each other and for being one of the few times Karin gets any meaningful character work. If any filler should be watched, however, it’s the Zanpakuto Rebellion arc. Unlike the other long filler arcs of the anime, the conflict in the Zanpakuto Rebellion arc doesn’t clash with the established lore, only enhancing it, and having a chance to see everyone’s Zanpakuto spirits and their personalities gave the arc a great hook, especially since those aspects and others would later be incorporated into canon. Add in some great animation and fight scenes, and the arc perfectly shows that while most of Bleach’s filler wasn’t worth watching, there were definitely some gems every so often. Which Bleach Filler Episodes You Should Skip As noted above, the Bount arc is considered one of the worst filler arcs in the original Bleach anime because of how awkwardly it disrupts the flow from the Soul Society arc to the Arrancar arc. At 45 episodes long, the arc also painfully drags on, and anyone familiar with the manga will be dying to get to the next canonical episode. The Bount also just don't make much sense within the lore of Bleach, as their association with immortality goes against the entire premise of Soul Reapers. A common refrain from Bleach fans is for new viewers to skip all filler episodes on their first watch through, and only then return and watch filler if they're dying for more Bleach content. Bleach's Return Largely Handles Filler the Right Way Studio Pierrot brought Bleach back in a big way for its final arc, Thousand-Year Blood War. Instead of the old days of oversaturated filler to keep a perpetual weekly release schedule, Bleach suddenly had only canon episodes, at worst expanding fights and key character moments to fix the pacing issues present in the original manga release. Weekly Shonen Jump · Ultimate Edition How Well Do You KnowShonen Jump Anime? 🔥ClassicsLegendary ⚡Power SystemsUnleash ☠VillainsMenace 💪HeroesResolve 📖LegacyHistory POWER UP! → 01 Dragon Ball, created by Akira Toriyama, is one of the most influential manga ever published in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series follows Goku on his journey from a child to the universe’s greatest fighter. What is Goku’s original Saiyan name? AVegeta BKakarot CBardock DRaditz ✓ Correct! Goku’s birth name is Kakarot, given to him on Planet Vegeta before he was sent to Earth as a baby. His Saiyan rival Vegeta famously refuses to call him “Goku” and always refers to him by his true Saiyan name, Kakarot. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kakarot. Vegeta is the Saiyan prince, Bardock is Goku’s father, and Raditz is Goku’s older brother. Kakarot is the Saiyan name given to Goku at birth before he was sent to Earth. NEXT → 02 Naruto Uzumaki dreams of becoming the Hokage — the leader of his village. Throughout the series, Naruto carries a powerful entity sealed inside him since birth. What is sealed within Naruto? AThe Ten-Tails BThe Curse Mark CKurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox DThe Rinnegan ✓ Correct! Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, was sealed inside Naruto by his father, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, on the day of his birth. What began as a source of fear and isolation for Naruto eventually became his greatest ally and friend. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Ten-Tails is a different, more powerful beast. The Curse Mark is Orochimaru’s seal, and the Rinnegan is a legendary eye technique. Kurama was sealed in Naruto at birth by the Fourth Hokage. NEXT → 03 In the manga Bleach by Tite Kubo, the main character Ichigo Kurosaki gains the powers of a Soul Reaper. Soul Reapers wield unique weapons that have names and special abilities. What are these signature weapons called? ASacred Gears BZanpakuto CNen Weapons DBankai Blades ✓ Correct! Zanpakuto are the signature weapons of Soul Reapers in Bleach. Each Zanpakuto has its own spirit and name, and a Soul Reaper must learn that name to unlock its Shikai (initial release) and eventually its Bankai (final release) forms. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Zanpakuto. Sacred Gears are from High School DxD, Nen is the power system from Hunter x Hunter, and Bankai is actually a Zanpakuto’s final release form — not the weapon’s name itself. Zanpakuto literally means “soul-cutting sword.” NEXT → 04 In Dragon Ball Z, Frieza is one of the most iconic villains in anime history. He is a tyrannical galactic emperor responsible for destroying the Saiyan homeworld. What is the name of the planet Frieza destroyed? APlanet Namek BPlanet Vegeta CPlanet Sadala DEarth ✓ Correct! Planet Vegeta, named after King Vegeta, was the homeworld of the Saiyan race. Frieza destroyed it with a single energy blast because he feared the growing power of the Saiyans and the legend of the Super Saiyan. Only a handful of Saiyans survived, including Goku and Vegeta. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Planet Vegeta. Planet Namek is the home of the Namekians and the Dragon Balls, Planet Sadala is the Saiyan homeworld in Universe 6, and Earth is where Goku was raised. Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta out of fear of the Saiyan race’s potential. NEXT → 05 My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) by Kohei Horikoshi is set in a world where most people have superpowers. What is the term used for these superpowers in My Hero Academia? AStands BJutsu CQuirks DCursed Techniques ✓ Correct! In My Hero Academia, about 80% of the world’s population possesses a Quirk — a unique superpower that manifests in childhood. The protagonist Izuku Midoriya was born Quirkless but inherited the powerful Quirk “One For All” from the greatest hero, All Might. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Quirks. Stands are from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Jutsu are techniques from Naruto, and Cursed Techniques belong to Jujutsu Kaisen. In My Hero Academia, superpowers are called Quirks, and they vary wildly from person to person. NEXT → 06 Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami features a power system based on negative human emotions that manifest as dangerous supernatural beings. What are these beings called? AHollows BDemons CCursed Spirits DTitans ✓ Correct! Cursed Spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen are born from the accumulation of negative emotions like fear, hatred, and sadness leaked by humans. Jujutsu sorcerers like protagonist Yuji Itadori use cursed energy to exorcise these dangerous beings and protect humanity. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Cursed Spirits. Hollows are from Bleach, Demons are from Demon Slayer, and Titans are from Attack on Titan. In Jujutsu Kaisen, negative human emotions give rise to Cursed Spirits that jujutsu sorcerers must exorcise. NEXT → 07 In Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) by Koyoharu Gotouge, protagonist Tanjiro Kamado uses specialized sword techniques called Breathing Styles. What is the first Breathing Style that Tanjiro learns? ASun Breathing BWater Breathing CFire Breathing DThunder Breathing ✓ Correct! Tanjiro learns Water Breathing from the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki. Water Breathing is known for its fluid, adaptable movements. While Tanjiro later discovers his connection to the legendary Sun Breathing (Hinokami Kagura), Water Breathing was his first and foundational combat style. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Water Breathing. Sun Breathing is the original style that Tanjiro discovers later through his family’s Hinokami Kagura dance. Fire Breathing and Thunder Breathing are used by other Demon Slayers. Tanjiro trained under Sakonji Urokodaki to master Water Breathing first. NEXT → 08 Weekly Shonen Jump has been the home of many of the biggest manga series in history. Which of these series has sold the most copies worldwide as of 2024? ANaruto BDragon Ball COne Piece DDemon Slayer ✓ Correct! One Piece by Eiichiro Oda holds the record as the best-selling manga series of all time, with over 500 million copies sold worldwide. Running since 1997, the series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew on their quest to find the legendary treasure, the One Piece. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is One Piece. While Naruto (~250 million), Dragon Ball (~260 million), and Demon Slayer (~150 million) are all massive sellers, One Piece stands alone with over 500 million copies sold — making it the best-selling manga in history by a wide margin. REVEAL MY SCORE → Battle Complete Your Power Level / 8 Are you a Shonen Jump master — or still stuck in filler episodes? ↻ POWER UP AGAIN The result is one of the most acclaimed anime returns in the modern era, including top-tier animation fitting of the Shonen Big Three, all with the heavy involvement of its creator, Tite Kubo. It indicates an excellent commitment from Pierrot to the new seasonal model, and while that means longer wait times between smaller cours of episodes, the undeniable polish, improved color grading, and cinematic presentation make Bleach's comeback one for the books. Release Date 2004 - 2012-00-00 Network TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC, BS TV Tokyo Showrunner Tite Kubo Directors Mitsutaka Noshitani, Junya Koshida, Hodaka Kuramoto, Yasuto Nishikata, Hiroaki Nishimura, Kazunori Mizuno, Akira Shimizu, Rokou Ogiwara, Kazunobu Shimizu, Akane Inoue, Hikaru Murata, Tomoko Hiramuki, Kazuo Nogami, Taiji Kawanishi, Shigeki Hatakeyama, Eiko Nishi, Takushi Kimura, Koji Aritomi, Ogura Shirakawa, Kiyomu Fukuda, Yukio Okazaki, Mitsue Yamazaki, Yasuhiro Matsumura, Eitarou Ano Writers Masahiro Okubo, Masashi Sogo, Kenta Shimoyama, Genki Yoshimura, Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, Rika Nakase, Michiko Yokote, Natsuko Takahashi, Kento Shimoyama Cast Masakazu Morita Ichigo Kurosaki (voice) Fumiko Orikasa Rukia Kuchiki Bleach follows Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager with the ability to see ghosts, whose life changes after meeting Rukia, a Soul Reaper. As he gains spiritual energy, Ichigo embarks on a journey to protect humans and spirits from malevolent entities known as Hollows.