Bleach filler list: The episodes you can skip

Known as one of the "big three" 2000s-era anime series alongside One Piece and Naruto, Bleach is a bona fide classic. An icon of the shonen genre, it influenced a generation of anime fans and creators following its original debut in 2004.

However, no long-running anime series is completely free from padding, and at 366 episodes long, this dark fantasy masterpiece does indeed include some filler.

Adapting the manga series by Tite Kubo, Bleach includes a lot of subplots that don't directly relate to the central plot, or add new canon to the original source material. As such, many of those episodes are considered nonessential viewing.

At the same time, there's debate over what "filler" really means here. The show features some memorable moments (for instance the introduction of the Bount) which you can technically skip in favour of more plot-centric storylines. But these sections can still be exciting and rewarding to watch.

Basically, the question here is whether you want to be a completist and marathon your way through 366 episodes, or if you'd prefer a more stripped-down version of the show, trimming away the less important subplots.

With more than half of Bleach's current episodes being characterized as filler, the second option is certainly more efficient. So if you want to know which episodes to skip, read on!

What are Bleach's filler episodes?

Running for 16 seasons between 2004 and 2012, the original Bleach series included 166 filler episodes, covering lighter side-stories and detours from the central plot.

For example, there's one episode where the supporting characters Ikkaku and Yumichika, a duo of soul reapers, embark on a mission to the human world, which basically amounts to an entertaining but pointless standalone story.

Elsewhere in the show, you'll find stereotypical fan-service episodes, alongside slice-of-life moments that don't offer much in the way of plot or character development.

If you're planning to skip those sections, here's our list of filler episodes to avoid:

• Episode 33
• Episode 50
• Episodes 64-108
• Episodes 128-137
• Episodes 147-149
• Episodes 168-189
• Episodes 204-205
• Episodes 213-214
• Episodes 227-265
• Episode 266
• Episode 287
• Episode 298
• Episode 299
• Episodes 303-305
• Episodes 311-316
• Episodes 317-341
• Episodes 355

While a few of these episodes do help to flesh out the broader Bleach canon (for instance by setting up the Bleach: Hell Verse film), if you watch all of them then you'll spend just as much time engaging with filler as following the main plot.

What filler episodes are a must-watch?

Regarding the question of what actually qualifies as "filler," a couple of these arcs do add something meaningful to the story, even if they're generally classified as filler material by Bleach fans.

The first would be the Bount arc, which covers episodes 64-108. This arc introduces a new race of dangerous supernatural villains, but since it doesn't appear in the original manga, it's seen by some as an unnecessary addition. So while it's dramatically rewarding to watch, it's not actually relevant to later arcs.

Later on, in episodes 311-316, we get some insight into the Reigai Uprising, establishing a more serious and gritty tone for the show going forward. If you skip that section, you may miss out on some important context.

This sequence then leads into an arc where Kageroza Inaba creates Modified Soul copies of the Gotei 13, placing them in Reigai bodies. He then uses these bodies to attack the Soul Society, so if you skip these episodes, you'll miss some important context for the final status of the Soul Society.

In terms of sheer entertainment value, the Zanpakuto Unknown Tales episodes (230-265) offer new insight into the show's main characters and fantasy worldbuilding. This arc explores how a Shinigami's Zanpakuto (or sentient weapon) can rebel against its master, disrupting our expectations for how this kind of relationship typically plays out.

How to watch Bleach in the UK

All 16 seasons of Bleach are available to stream in the UK on Disney Plus.

If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.