The 10 best Bleach arcs

The Bleach universe created by beloved mangaka Tite Kubo has drawn in many anime fans, and kept them intrigued at every turn. The plot, world-building, power scaling, and high stakes of the Shonen anime are some of the most interesting, and fully fleshed-out in the genre. Produced by Studio Pierrot, the series originally ran for 366 episodes on TV Tokyo from October 2004 to March 2012, before going on an indefinite hiatus. A sequel series, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, which covers the manga’s final story arc, began airing in October, 2022.

Bleach has earned high praise for its story, powerful and intriguing characters, and soundtrack. With the return of the show, fans are brimming with palpable excitement, and it is not a far-fetched idea to think that some would want to revisit earlier episodes to get familiar again, or simply rewatch their favorite arcs. With an abundance of captivating story arcs in the Bleach anime, there’s enough action to get through.

Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for the anime, Bleach.

Rise of the Wandenreich Arc (Episodes 367 – 371)

The Wandenreich Invasion is the precursor to the Thousand-Year Blood War, and a very short arc. The Wandenreich come to Seireitei to declare war on Soul Society. In this arc, we are introduced to a new power that can infiltrate not only Seireitei, but also the office of Captain Commander Yamamoto. While Luders Friegen, a messenger of the Wandenreich, declares that Soul Society will be annihilated in five days, he kills Lieutenant Chojiro Sasakibe. We are also introduced to the Emperor of the Wandereich, Father of the Quincy, and son of the Soul King, Yhwach.

The Lost Substitute Shinigami Arc (Episodes 343 – 366)

This arc covers the history of the substitute Shinigami, and Ichigo’s struggle to regain his powers. Through the arc, we are able to understand the workings behind Orihime and Chad’s strange powers. After meeting Kugo Ginjo who is the leader of the organization Xcution and a former substitute Shinigami, Ichigo has hope of regaining his powers. While Ginjo helps Ichigo, he plans to extract Ichigo’s fullbring for himself. After disengaging Ichigo from his friends by creating scenarios where he realizes his powerlessness, Ichigo begins to rely on, and trust in Ginjo.

Arrancar: The Arrival Arc (Episodes 110 – 131)

The Arrancar Invasion revolves around the first encounter between the Gotei 13 and the completed Arrancar. The latter group find that Aizen has been successful in creating complete Arrancar using the Hogyoku. After Ichigo is brutalized by Ulquiorra and Yammy, the Gotei 13 sends a strike force to support Ichigo and protect Karakura Town. The arc also introduces us to the Espada and their power rankings. Furthermore, Orihime is kidnapped by Ulquiorra and threatens to join the Arrancar in exchange for the safety of her friends.

The Zanpakuto Unknown Tales Arc (Episodes 230 – 265)

Despite being a filler arc, this story managed to win the hearts of fans. Across 36 episodes, the swords of the Shinigami, known as Zanpakuto, become personified and rebel against the Shinigami. The rebellion begins when Muramasa, a Zanpakuto spirit, frees others of his kind from their masters to start a rebellion. This causes the Shinigami to be unable to contact their Zanpakuto spirits. Although Muramasa approached the other spirits with a seemingly noble purpose, he had ulterior motives.

Soul Society: The Rescue Arc (Episodes 42 – 63)

The third Bleach story arc spans 22 episodes and is notably one of the more action-packed arcs of the anime. Rukia has been kidnapped, and her new friends storm Soul Society to rescue her. The stakes are high, and viewers are at the edge of their seats. This arc contains one of the most talked about fights in the anime – Ichigo vs. Byakuya. It is also a very significant point in the anime, as it is the arc in which Aizen reveals himself as a villain.

Hueco Mundo Invasion Arc (Episodes 132 – 205)

After Orihime Inoue is taken by Ulquiorra and the Arrancar, a rescue attempt is made by Ichigo, Ishida and Chad. The three friends go against instructions from Captain Commander Yamamoto and travel to Hueco Mundo. There, the friends fight with several hollows and Arrancar while making friends along the way. The arc includes epic battles such as Rukia vs Aaroniero, Ichigo vs Ulquiorra, Nel vs Nnoitra, and Ichigo vs Grimmjow. Despite being a minor villain, Ulquiorra stole the show, and the hearts of many.

Agent of the Shinigami Arc (Episodes 1 – 20)

This is the very first arc in Bleach where Ichigo meets Rukia. Rukia gets wounded and decides to give Ichigo her powers. The arc introduces us to Ichigo’s friends and how they start to develop their own powers. In addition to this, Rukia is kidnapped by her brother Byakuya, and Ichigo is willing to face one of the Gotei 13 to save her. The Agent of the Shinigami Arc does a fine job of thrusting newcomers into enough action, but also building a foundation that is expanded on in later arcs. The perfect balance between Ichigo’s determination and newfound strength is perfectly highlighted here.

Arrancar: Downfall Arc (Episodes 266 – 316)

This action-packed Bleach arc was the height of the war between the Shinigami and Aizen’s Arrancar army. The town is revealed to be the point in the Human World that holds the highest concentration of spiritual beings. The two most powerful groups, Gotei 13 and Espada, display their strengths and fighting abilities in a fight to the death to take Karakura Town.

Gotei 13 Invading Army Arc (Episodes 317 – 342)

Although usually merged with Arrancar Downfall, this arc spans over several episodes and is highlighted by the final battle between Ichigo and Aizen. We also watch as Gin, who has always been loyal to Aizen and was his right hand, betrays Aizen. He planned everything just right and would have defeated Aizen if it were not for the Hyogokyo. The arc ends with the combined efforts of Ichigo and Urahara as they defeat Aizen and finally seal him.

The Thousand Year Blood War Arc

An ongoing arc in the anime but a finished one in the manga, this arc has many highs and lows, and involves the death of many fan favorites. The arc has battles that are truly grand, and we are able to finally see the true powers of many captains including: Shinsui Kyoraku, Kenpachi Zaraki, Retsu Unohana, and Jushiro Ukitake. Needless to say, this ongoing saga has many quite a few surprises in store for Bleach fans.

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