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 mind while getting into this legendary shonen anime.
Updated on June 16, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: Bleach is a show that had a ton of potential before squandering it all in the end as a result of shoddy writing and uninteresting characters. The anime itself ended its run before it even adapted the manga in full, which shows just how many people stopped caring about Bleach at one point. However, with the announcement of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc’s adaptation, more and more people are willing to give the show a chance once again.
However, it’s clear that the fillers in the show are still a mixed bag for many. This is a shame since even the original filler arcs of Bleach have some redeeming qualities that make it worth a watch for some die-hard fans. Here’s a look at the show’s filler and what transpires in each anime-original arc.
Bleach Statistics Chart
Here’s an extended look at some of the more notable filler arcs in Bleach.
7 One-Off Fillers (Multiple)
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 completely useless arcs that do nothing to progress the story or contribute to any character’s development in any way. This becomes harder when viewers are stuck watching side characters that have absolutely no impact on the plot outside of these anime-original stories.
The only respite that most people have here is that most of these boring fillers are funny enough to warrant one watch and don’t really stick around for too long. The most they’ll go on for is five days in a row before the anime comes back to its senses and 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 entirely, with the following filler arcs being ones that actually have a consistent plot and recurring characters.
6 Forest Of The Menos Arc (147-149)
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 last 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.
5 The Bount Arc (64-108)
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 one of the worst filler arcs in Bleach, mainly due to how much of a downer it is after Ichigo’s amazing journey throughout Soul Society to rescue Rukia.
Ichigo’s plan to relax after the events of the Soul Society arc are dashed when three strangers abduct his friends and force him through a twisted game. It’s soon revealed that this event was a precursor for 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 (128-137)
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 really happy with Aizen becoming their leader. It has some interesting moments, but poor pacing and the ham-fisted nature of its inclusion severely takes it down a notch.
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!
3 The New Captain Shusuke Amagai Arc (168-189)
Shusuke Amagai was a character that could’ve been a memorable figure in his own right. In fact, the first few episodes of this filler arc definitely show a ton of promise…but the pacing falls off severely after a while and makes it really hard to get through the rest of the story.
That being said, the final few fights in the series are pretty great and worth a watch. It’s just a shame that the new characters introduced in this filler arc are simply too boring to warrant the extended screen time they get. To make matters worse, characters from this arc make an appearance in later filler episodes as well, and those are also pretty unwatchable at times!
2 Zanpakuto Unknown Tales Arc (230-265)
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.
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.
1 The Gotei 13 Invasion Arc (317-342)
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. That being said, this arc does have some fights that take too long to complete…but that’s a minor gripe in an otherwise great experience.
More: The Best Shonen Anime of 2021
