Tite Kubo published the first Bleach chapter in the summer of 2001. It went on to spawn a marvelous 15-year franchise, including an anime series, four movies, and a 2018 live-action feature. The series follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenage boy who becomes a Soul Reaper and uses his newfound powers to fight spirits and other supernatural beings. Across the anime's 17 arcs, fans often debate how the Bleac arcs rank by comparison.
The anime consists of 17 arcs, but 5 of them are fillers. Although the Thousand-Year Blood War arc had been unofficially canceled, TV Tokyo eventually revealed that they were planning to finish the anime adaptation. That said, not every arc received the same recognition — some Bleach arcs are iconic while others are practically forgettable.
Updated on November 14, 2023, by Ajay Aravind: Bleach's long-awaited Thousand-Year Blood War arc aired its first cour in December 2022, much to the fandom's delight. The entire arc has been broken into four cours of 13 episodes each, and the second cour just finished airing in September 2023. The third cour is expected to air in 2024. Evaluating Bleach arcs might be a subjective process, but some of them are clearly superior to others. As such, we've updated this article about all the Bleach arcs ranked according to their quality.
12 The Lost Substitute Shinigami Arc Feels Like Filler For Many Fans
Episodes: 343-366
The Lost Substitute Shinigami Arc feels like a filler arc for many fans, but it's indeed part of the official canon. Ichigo Kurosaki loses his Soul Reaper powers after his decisive battle with Aizen, and this arc revolves around him trying to get those powers back.
17 months after Aizen's defeat, Ichigo meets Ginjo, a former substitute Soul Reaper who turned against Soul Society when he learned that they were limiting his power. As a Fullbringer, Ginjo and his team are pitted against Soul Reapers who eventually obliterate them. The Lost Substitute Shinigami Arc is arguably the worst arc in Bleach.
11 Agent Of The Shinigami Arc Is The First Bleach Storyline
Episodes: 1-20
The Agent of the Shinigami Arc started it all. By the time the first episode ended, Ichigo had met Rukia and gained his Soul Reaper powers. Over the course of twenty episodes, Ichigo and Rukia became good friends, and he ended up slaying several Hollows who tried to attack his friends and family.
Aside from the first episode, the majority of the first arc is rather slow, but that is to be expected when the story needs to introduce its characters. The arc did pick up at the end though, as Ichigo was destroyed by Renji and Byakuya — who forcibly dragged Rukia back to Soul Society.
10 The Hueco Mundo Sneak Entry Arc Revolves Around Orihime's Kidnapping
Episodes: 132-151
This arc's premise is more or less identical to the Soul Society: Sneak Entry Arc, except this time Team Ichigo is trying to rescue Orihime instead of Rukia. The other main difference is the fact that nearly all of the fighting takes place away from Hueco Mundo, with several Soul Reapers fighting various Arrancar characters.
The best part of this arc is when Grimmjow regains his arm and kills Luppi in order to reclaim his spot amongst the Espada. However, even this thrilling scene could not save this arc from dragging, and that problem stems from the fact that it had nine filler episodes.
9 The Fierce Fight Arc Features Ichigo's Epic Rematch With Grimmjow
Episodes: 152-167
The Fierce Fight Arc begins right where The Arrival Arc ends, kicking off with Ichigo battling a former Espada. As this arc has only 16 episodes, it mainly deals with Ichigo not wanting to use his Bankai or Hollow mask while searching for Orihime.
Some of Grimmjow's greatest scenes take place during this arc, starting from when he faces off against Ulquiorra. The final episodes of the Fierce Fight Arc revolve around Grimmjow's final battle with Ichigo, which turns out to be one of the best fights in the entire series. That said, the Fierce Fight Arc doesn't have much story development.
8 The Sneak Entry Arc Introduced Fans To The Gotei 13
Episodes: 21-41
Ichigo makes it his mission to rescue Rukia from Soul Society, getting help from Chad, Orihime, and the recently introduced Uryu Ishida. It was in this original Sneak Entry Arc that fans were introduced to the Captains of the Gotei 13, some of whom were more impressive than others.
Ichigo and his friends meet several colorful characters and later ends up fighting and defeating Ikkaku, Kenpachi, and Renji. In fact, the fight against Kenpachi helps Ichigo get stronger than ever. The Sneak Entry Arc is also when Aizen fakes his own death by creating a flawless double of his mangled corpse.
7 Arrancar: The Arrival Arc Highlights Aizen's Overpowered Minions
Episodes: 110-131
The Espada and the Visored first make their appearance during the Arrancar: Arrival Arc. That said, the plot begins with Ichigo's father slaying the Grand Fisher Hollow responsible for Masaki's death. This was also the arc that introduced the 6th Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, who completely manhandles Ichigo in their first encounter.
Meanwhile, Captain Hitsugaya leads a group of elite soul reapers into battle against Grimmjow's Fracción. After the fight's conclusion, Captain-Commander Yamamoto finally reveals Aizen's plan to annihilate Karakura Town and, therefore, obtain a key that can access the Soul Realm. The Arrival Arc is solid, but not nearly as good as the best Bleach arcs.
6 Decisive Battle Of Karakura Arc Pits Aizen's Arrancars Against Soul Society
Episodes: 213-229
The Decisive Battle of Karakura Arc focuses on the war between Soul Society and Aizen's Arrancar army, and it contains quite a bit of fighting. Baraggan Louisenbairn sends his Fracciónes to destroy some towers, and they are met by Ikkaku, Yumichika, Kira, and Shuhei. At the same time, the Second Espada battles Captain Suì-Fēng and her Lieutenant.
Later on, the 3rd Espada's Fracciónes create an enormous monster who decimates all of the Lieutenants present. Luckily for the heroes, Yamamoto shows up and incinerates Ayon with ease. Although this arc has five more filler episodes than required, it remains an engaging watch.
5 Arrancar Vs. Shinigami Arc Contains Several Explosive Battles
Episodes: 190-205
The Arrancar vs. Shinigami Arc has some pretty good episodes, picking up immediately after Ichigo's climactic fight with Grimmjow. This is the perfect arc for fans who love action because it features several explosive battles between the Espada and Soul Reaper Captains.
Kenpachi Zaraki comes to Ichigo's aid and fights Nnoitra, the 5th Espada, while Captain Kurotsuchi manages to overwhelm Szayelaporro, the 8th Espada. Byakuya Kuchiki also fights the 7th Espada while being forced to protect his sister, Rukia. The Arrancar vs. Shinigami Arc ends with Orihime being dragged back to Aizen by Coyote Starrk, the Primera Espada.
4 The Past Arc Helps Contextualize Large Segments Of The Story
Episodes: 206-212
Aizen has done some pretty despicable things, and fans witnessed this firsthand during the Past Arc. Consisting of just 7 episodes, this arc chronicles the events in Soul Society 110 years before the main storyline begins. As such, the 13 Squads are barely recognizable as many of them have different Captains.
Fans see Aizen betray Captain Shinji and several others by forcing them to undergo the Hollowfication process. The Past Arc also covers how Aizen frames Urahara, getting him permanently exiled from Soul Society. At the same time, it shows how Urahara and Yoruichi help rescue their helpless colleagues. The Past Arc helps contextualize large segments of the overarching story.
3 Thousand-Year Blood War Arc
Episodes: 367-TBA
As Bleach's longest manga storyline, a lot happens in the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. Overpowered characters like Yamamoto Genryusai and Unohana Retsu perish, leaving the fate of Soul Society in Team Ichigo's hands. The Sternritter don't make the game too easy, either — in fact, these villains are far more capable than Aizen's Espada.
Furthermore, the Thousand-Year Blood War introduces the strongest character in Bleach, a mysterious individual known as Yhwach. Unfortunately for fans, several more characters are going to die before Ichigo inevitably defeats Yhwach and saves the day. The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc anime is half-finished, but already has some rave reviews.
2 Bleach Could Have Easily Ended With The Arrancar: Downfall Arc
Episodes: 266-316
Many fans believe that the series could have ended with the Arrancar: Downfall Arc because it provided a satisfying end to a storyline that took up the majority of the series. This arc continues the war between Soul Society and Aizen's Arrancar army, while simultaneously showcasing the battles being waged in Hueco Mundo.
The Arrancar: Downfall Arc includes the conclusion of Ichigo's battle with Ulquiorra, later featuring the end of the Espada as Aizen is forced to enter the battlefield. Aizen's master plan comes to fruition despite Gin's betrayal, but he's still defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki in an incredible show of pure power. This final battle alone makes The Arrancar: Downfall Arc one of Bleach's best.
1 The Rescue Arc Offers A Look At The Inner Workings Of Soul Society
Episodes: 42-63
The Soul Society storyline does a lot more than introducing new characters. The Rescue Arc, in particular, offers fans an inside look at the inner workings of Soul Society. It also provides a fitting albeit unexpected conclusion to the whole Rukia execution narrative.
This arc not only shows off Ichigo's Bankai for the first time, but it also includes major battles between the Soul Reapers themselves. The final fight between Byakuya and Ichigo, however, blows every other Bleach conflict out of the water. Of all the Bleach arcs ranked according to fan preferences, the Soul Society: Rescue Arc is by far the best.
