Summary
Bleach has a staggering 165 filler episodes, more than half the episode count of the original anime. This excessive amount of filler interrupted the main story and frustrated the viewing experience for fans. While most of the filler content in Bleach adds little to the series, there are a few notable episodes and arcs that are worth watching. Episode #132 features a well-written interaction between Toshiro and Karin. The Forest of Menos arc expands on the mythology of the series and was a story that manga author Tite Kubo wanted to include. The Zanpakuto Rebellion arc is a recommended filler arc that improves upon the established lore, introduces unique themes, and features great animation and fight scenes.
Bleach has an overabundance of filler episodes, and here’s a list of each one that fans can safely skip. Like other long-running anime adaptations of manga, Bleach often employed filler episodes and arcs to fit the show without running out of manga content. This made Bleach and other anime like it look boring and the manga came off as a poor substitute, which is why one of the main draws of Bleach: The Thousand Year Blood War is the adaptation of the final arc of the original manga. To finish without any filling.
Overall, Bleach is another long-running anime that’s a lot of filler, and here’s a list of every episode you can skip. While the definition of filler in media has become somewhat boring in recent years, for an anime adaptation, it is generally accepted as filler if not in the source material. It should also be noted that none of this is necessarily a criticism of the classes; There are plenty of times when filler episodes provide great content, but that doesn’t change the fact that they can be skipped, and sweepstakes are no exception.
Each filling part Of Bleach
Episode title
room #
Karakura Super Heroes Arc
(Ep. 33, 50)
Bont Arch
(Ep. 64-109)
Soul Reaper Strike Force Arc
(Ep. 128-131)
“Hitsugaya, Karin and Soccer”.
(Page 132)
“Ikaku: A Tale of Hot-Blooded Kendo.”
(Page 133)
“The beautiful patissier, Yumichika!”
(Ep. 134)
“Kon has been tricked! Rangiku on the Lookout…”
(Page 135)
Start the rebellion arc
(Ep. 136-137)
Menos Arc Forest
(Ep. 147-149)
The new captain Shusuke Amagai Arch
(Ep. 168-189)
Come here, Arch
(Ep. 204-205)
Caricaturizer Arch
(Ep. 213-214)
“Summer! Sea! Swimwear Festival!!”
(Ep. 228)
“Soul Cry? The Carpet Soul Reaper is born!”
(Ep. 229)
Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc
(Ep. 230-265)
“Ichigo vs. Ulquiorra, Resume”
(Ep. 266)
“Side Story! Ichigo and the Magic Lamp.”
(page 287)
“Film! Festival! Soul Reaper Film Festival!”
(Page 298)
“Theatrical Opening Commemoration! Hell Verse: Prologue”.
(page 299)
“The Real World and Shinigami! New Year’s Special!”
(Page 303)
“” Another side story! Is the enemy this time a monster!?”
(page 304)
“Delusion Roars! Hisagi, to the Hot Springs Inn!”
(page 305)
“The Soul Detective: The Karakurazor Rises Again!”
(Ep. 311)
“Graduation! The new 2nd Division Captain!”
(Ep. 312)
“A man who risks his life in the 11th Division!”
(Ep. 313)
“Con see it! The secret of a beautiful office lady.”
(Ep. 314)
“Yakiru’s friend! The soul reaper of justice has appeared!”
(Ep. 315)
“Toshiro Hitsugaya’s Holiday!”
(Ep. 316)
Invasion Army Arch
(Ep. 317-342)
“Soul Reapers at War! New Years in Seretei Special!”
(page 355)
All told, Bleach has a total of 165 filler episodes, more than half of the original anime’s episodes. To call that awful is an understatement, and what makes them even worse is how long Bleach’s canon arcs have been, with filler episodes often stalling for months to tell a story that’s completely unrelated to what people are watching. For anyone who watched Bleach when it aired, that practice undoubtedly made the experience worse than it needed to be, and how often the content was boring stories that detracted from the established canon, it’s almost always inexplicable.
Is Bleach’s filler worth watching?
While most of Bleach’s filler content adds very little to the series, there are some filler episodes and arcs that feel out of place. 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 only times Karin gets any meaningful character work. It’s worth looking at how the Forest of Menos arc expands on the mythology of the series, and this makes sense especially considering how it’s a story that Titi Kubo wanted to write in the manga, but didn’t have the time.
One filler arc that should definitely be skipped is due to its excessive length, lack of engaging characters, and how it interferes with the pace of the anime.
If there’s any filler that’s definitely worth watching, though, it’s the Zanpakuto Rebellion arc. Unlike the other long filler arcs of the anime, the conflict in the Zanpakutō Rebellion arc doesn’t conflict with the established lore, it just enhances it, and having the opportunity to see everyone’s Zanpakutō spirit and personality gives the arc a great hook, especially since those aspects and others will be incorporated into the canon later. Add in some great animation and fight scenes, and while most of the Bleach filler isn’t worth watching, as the arc rightly demonstrates, there were definitely some gems every now and then.
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