Best Watch Order For Bleach | TheReviewGeek Recommends

Bleach Watch Order

Bleach is a great Shonen Jump property of past and present. Its dark and supernatural world captivated audiences for many years. Fans were thrilled to see its anime return in 2020. The story follows Ichigo, a boy who lived a normal life like you and I. That all changed when a strange Hollow entered his room to cause trouble.

A Soul Reaper named Rukia arrives and attempts to save Ichigo from the Hollow. However, the Hollow proves too much for Rukia to handle. Left with no choice, Rukia lets Ichigo absorb her powers, transforming him into a Soul Reaper. After Ichigo defeats the Hollow, he learns more evil entities exist.

Therefore, we observe Ichigo’s quest to protect those he values. 

Whether you’re a first-timer or someone who wants to revisit this intriguing Shonen world, fear not. This watch order guide will help you get caught up! 

What’s the chronological release date order of Bleach?

Pierrot Studios is the only Japanese Animation Studio that worked on Bleach’s anime adaptation (so far). Colorido Studios and Team Yamahitsuji animated Burn The Witch and its prequel Burn The Witch #0.8. These two works are spin-offs of Bleach.

On that note, Bleach’s anime consists of 4 seasons,  4 movies, 1 OVA, 1 spin-off, and 3 specials. The fourth season of Bleach titled Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict hasn’t aired yet. That’ll be released during the Fall 2024 anime season. For more information, click here. 

With that taken into account, these were all released between 2004 to 2024 (as of this writing). We’ll update this page over time if other Bleach-oriented anime projects get released. 

The current chronological release order for Bleach is as follows:

What’s the best way to watch Bleach?

Considering how long this anime’s been going on, it could be a hassle to choose what to watch first. Nonetheless, below you’ll find the recommended watch order for this anime. We’ll explain why you can skip most of the content above shortly. 

Recommended Order:

1. Bleach (2004) – Season 1 of the Bleach Franchise
2. Bleach The Movie: Memories of Nobody (2006) – Movie
3. Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War (2022) – Season 2 of the Bleach Franchise
4. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Separation (2023) – Season 3 of the Bleach Franchise
5. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict (2024) – Season 4 of the Bleach Franchise

Is there any content that can be skipped?

There is. You can skip some specials, spin-offs, OVAs, and films without issue. However, there is a special case with the film listed above in addition to another one we didn’t list. For instance, many fans argue that newer audiences should watch Bleach The Movie: Memories of Nobody.

They argue this because it features Senna a prominent character in Bleach media. Some fans argue the film’s content can fit within the manga’s continuity. Again, others may argue against this being canon though. Nonetheless, folks should watch this film after Bleach Season 1’s 109th episode. 

As for the other film, Bleach The Movie: Hell Verse, fans argue only its concepts are canon and everything else is anime-original. Therefore, it’d be best to skip that one. While Burn The Witch and Burn The Witch #0.8 exist in the same universe as Bleach, fans argue it’s not a required viewing.

However, you’re welcome to watch that at any time.  

Does the Bleach anime series have filler? If so, what episodes can I skip?

Like Naruto, Bleach has its share of filler episodes. Fortunately, only Bleach (2004) has full-fledged filler episodes. This is a destined fate for most long-running Shonen properties. However, we’ll list which filler episodes you can skip below!

While some fans will enjoy the filler chapters, others may not. Here are the filler episodes you can skip for Bleach (2004). 

Bleach (2004) Filler Guide: Episodes You Can Skip

1. Episode 33
2. Episode 50
3. Episodes 64 – 108
4. Episodes 128 – 137
5. Episodes 147 – 149
6. Episodes 168 – 189
7. Episodes 204 – 205
8. Episodes 213 – 214
9. Episodes 227 – 265 
10. Episode 266
11. Episode 287
12. Episode 298 – 299
13. Episodes 303 – 305
14. Episodes 311 – 316
15. Episodes 317 – 341
16. Episode 355

We’ve covered the Bleach franchise to a degree on TheReviewGeek for a while via lists and release dates. However, if you want to check out all our Bleach content, click here. 

Where can I watch Bleach?

Bleach is available on Hulu outside of Asian territories. Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Separation are available on the platform, too. Also, you can watch it via Disney Plus through one of their subscription bundles. While most outlets like Amazon Prime Video offer some required material, folks are better off watching Bleach via Hulu or Disney Plus. 

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Have you watched all of Bleach? Do you have a better watch order than us? Let us know in the comments below!