Figuring out how to watch Bleach in order is a tough task. With 17 seasons and almost 400 episodes – plus a handful of movies – Bleach is one of those anime: seemingly impenetrable, yet a mainstay of pop culture as one of the most successful shonen series of all time.
But it doesn't need to be difficult to get into Bleach. Whether you're a newcomer, a lapsed veteran, or someone who wants to jump back in before Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 3, this breakdown is for you.
Below, we'll guide you through how to watch Bleach in order. That includes the full list in release order and a look at the Bleach movies – including the tricky question of whether they're canon. Then we'll dive into some other questions you may have, including an episode count and talk about filler.
For more, check out the best anime you should watch now. Then dive into new anime guides, including Jujutsu Kaisen season 3, One-Punch Man season 3, and Demon Slayer Infinity Castle.
How to watch Bleach in order
Bleach began airing in 2002 with the first season, titled The Substitute Soul Reaper. That 20-episode opening season follows the story of protagonist Ichigo and his fledgling journey as a Soul Reaper.
From there, 16 seasons have aired as well as a sequel series: Thousand-Year Blood War, which is a four-part adaptation of the final arc in Bleach's manga. That's a continuation of the story, despite being marketed as a separate show and listed as such on streamers like Disney Plus.
So, while it may all seem daunting, this is how to watch Bleach in order.
- Bleach season 1 – The Substitute Soul Reaper (episodes 1-20) [20 episodes]
- Bleach season 2 – The Entry (episodes 21-41) [21 episodes]
- Bleach season 3 – The Rescue (episodes 42-63) [22 episodes]
- Bleach season 4 – The Bount (episodes 64-91) [28 episodes]
- Bleach season 5 – The Assault (episodes 92-109) [18 episodes]
- Bleach season 6 – The Arrancar: The Appearance (episodes 110-131) [22 episodes]
- Bleach season 7 – The Arrancar Part 2: The Hueco Mundo Sneak Entry (episodes 132-150) [20 episodes]
- Bleach season 8 – The Arrancar Part 3: The Fierce Fight (episodes 152-167) [16 episodes]
- Bleach season 9 – The New Captain Shusuke Amagai (episodes 168-189) [22 episodes]
- Bleach season 10 – The Arrancar Part 4: Arrancar vs. Soul Reaper (episodes 190-205) [16 episodes]
- Bleach season 11 – Turn Back the Pendulum (episodes 206-212) [7 episodes]
- Bleach season 12 – The Arrancar Part 5: Battle in Karakura (episodes 213-229) [17 episodes]
- Bleach season 13 – Zanpakuto: The Alternate Tale (episodes 230-265) [36 episodes]
- Bleach season 14 – The Arrancar Part 6: Fall of the Espada (episodes 266-316) [51 episodes]
- Bleach season 15 – Gotei 13 Invading Army (episodes 317-342) [26 episodes]
- Bleach season 16 – The Lost Agent The Fierce Fight (episodes 343-366) [24 episodes]
- Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 1: The Blood Warfare (episodes 367-379 [13 episodes]
- Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 2: The Separation (episodes 380-392) [13 episodes]
- Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 3: The Conflict (episodes 393-405) [13 episodes] October-December 2024
- Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 4 – TBC 2025
How to watch the Bleach movies in order
You may be wondering where the Bleach movies are in our watch order. While it's tempting to slide them into the list above, the feature-length adventures (as you'll see below) don't fit neatly into the overall Bleach series.
So, let's keep it simple. If you want the full picture, there are four Bleach movies to watch in order, but note that these aren't necessary to watch alongside anime series.
- Bleach: Memories of Nobody (2006) [released after episode 107]
- Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion (2007) [released after episode 153]
- Bleach: Fade to Black (2008) [released after episode 198]
- Bleach: Hell Verse (2010) [released after episode 299]
Are the Bleach movies canon?
Without going too heavy on spoilers, only one Bleach movie comes remotely close to canon status. 2006's Memories of Nobody is alluded to in one chapter of the manga, with one location – and Ichigo's time there – seemingly being crystalized into canon.
Away from that, the other three Bleach movies are non-canon adventures. If you're curious, each Bleach movie was released alongside other seasons, which means you can feasibly watch them as one entire package.
Memories of Nobody was released after episode the airing of episode 107 during Bleach season 5; The DiamondDust Rebellion after the first two episodes of Bleach season 8; Fade to Black midway through Bleach season 10 (after episode 198); Hell Verse after episode 299 during Bleach season 14.
Where to watch and stream Bleach
This one is easy. You can watch and stream all episodes of Bleach on Disney Plus/Hulu. You'll need an active Disney Plus subscription to watch and in some regions you'll find it under the 'Star' branding.
If you can't find Bleach on Disney Plus, you may need to change your parental control settings.
It's worth noting that Bleach is no longer available on Crunchyroll, despite that being the case previously.
Bleach filler list: Can I skip any episodes?
While the topic of filler is a sensitive subject for anime fans (and completely subjective), there has been plenty of talk over the years regarding whether Bleach has any skippable episodes.
In our opinion, we hesitate to paint anything with the 'filler' brush. After all, time and effort has been put into every single Bleach. Plus, sometimes it's just fun to hang out with some of your favorite characters.
Having said that, there's some general consensus on which seasons/episodes to skip if you're short on time.
Bleach filler arcs include the entirety of Bleach seasons 4-5, Bleach season 13, and Bleach season 15. There are other single filler episodes but, honestly, your Bleach marathon then becomes an exercise in box-ticking and spreadsheets – and that's not what anime is all about.
How many Bleach episodes are there?
There are currently a whopping 392 Bleach episodes as of September 2024. The upcoming third part to Thousand-Year Blood War will take it past the 400-episode mark. However, Bleach has still got some way to go to surpass One Piece's 1000-plus episodes, mind.
Keen to discover more anime series? You'll need our guides on how to watch Demon Slayer in order and how to watch Jujutsu Kaisen in order.
