Bleach is an iconic title in anime fandom. It premiered back in 2004 and has run for 16 seasons, as well as venturing into sequel territory with the ongoing series Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War, which debuted in 2022.

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Based on the long-running shonen manga series by Tite Kubo, Bleach follows the adventures of a teenage boy (later a young man) named Ichigo Kurosaki. As a fantasy story taking place in an alternate universe, it begins with Ichigo adopting the powers of a Soul Reaper, an entity with a similar role to the Grim Reaper.

Tasked with protecting humankind from evil spirits and navigating the borders between life and death, he must learn to wield his new abilities, setting the scene for a series of adventures involving other supernatural creatures.

Running for an impressive 366 episodes between 2004 and 2012, Bleach has earned a passionate fanbase. Two decades on, fans are now tuning into the sequel series Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War. Also based on the manga, it's a four-season narrative that will conclude Ichigo's journey as a Soul Reaper. Part 4 of the series is set to premiere in 2026.

Given the epic length of this franchise, catching up can seem like an intimidating task. Fortunately, we've got you covered with this conclusive guide to watching all of Bleach in order.

How to watch Bleach in order

First off, what does it mean to watch Bleach "in order"? Basically, you have two options: Watching by episodic release date, or in chronological order based on the story's plot.

The easiest method is to watch by release date, which means alternating between the anime series and its related spin-off movies.

Here's our outline for how to watch the Bleach anime franchise in release order:

  • Season 1 - The Substitute Soul Reaper (Episodes 1-20)
  • Season 2 - The Entry (Episodes 1-21)
  • Season 3 - The Rescue (Episodes 1-22)
  • Season 4 - The Bounty (Episodes 1-22)
  • Season 5 - The Assault (Episodes 1-15)
  • Bleach The Movie: Memories of Nobody
  • Season 5 - The Assault (Episodes 16-18)
  • Season 6 - Arrancar The Appearance (Episodes 1-22)
  • Season 7 - The Arrancar Part 2 (Episodes 1-20)
  • Season 8 - The Arrancar Part 3 (Episodes 1-2)
  • Bleach: Diamond Dust Rebellion
  • Season 8 - The Arrancar Part 3 (Episodes 3-16)
  • Season 9 - The New Captain (Episodes 1-22)
  • Season 10 - The Arrancar Part 4 (Episodes 1-9)
  • Bleach: Fade To Black
  • Season 10 - The Arrancar Part 4 (Episodes 10-16)
  • Season 11 - Turn Back The Pendulum (Episodes 1-7)
  • Season 12 - The Arrancar Part 5 (Episodes 1-17)
  • Season 13 - Zanpakuto The Alternate Tale (Episodes 1-36)
  • Season 14 - The Arrancar Part 6 (Episodes 1-34)
  • Bleach: Hell Verse
  • Season 14 - The Arrancar Part 6 (Episodes 36-51)
  • Season 15 - Gotei 13 Invading Army (Episodes 1-26)
  • Season 16 - The Lost Agent (Episodes 1-24)
  • The Thousand Year Blood War Part 1 The Blood Warfare (Episodes 1-13)
  • The Thousand Year Blood War Part 2 The Separation (Episodes 14-26)
  • The Thousand Year Blood War Part 2 The Conflict (Episodes 27-40)
Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War
Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War. Crunchyroll

If you want to watch in narrative chronological order, you'll wind up with a slightly different viewing schedule. This list explains how to catch up with Bleach via that method:

  • Season 1 - The Substitute Soul Reaper
  • Season 2 - The Entry
  • Season 3 - The Rescue
  • Season 4 - The Bounty
  • Season 5 - The Assault
  • Season 6 - Arrancar The Appearance
  • Season 7 - The Arrancar Part 2
  • Season 8 - The Arrancar Part 3
  • Season 9 - The New Captain
  • Season 10 - The Arrancar Part 4
  • Season 11 - Turn Back The Pendulum
  • Season 12 - The Arrancar Part 5
  • Season 13 - Zanpakuto The Alternate Tale
  • Season 14 - The Arrancar Part 6
  • Season 15 - Gotei 13 Invading Army
  • Season 16 - The Lost Agent
  • The Thousand Year Blood War Part 1
  • The Thousand Year Blood War Part 2
  • The Thousand Year Blood War Part 3

As you may have noticed, the second viewing guide is a little shorter. That's because it skips the spin-off movies, which are generally seen as nonessential viewing if you're primarily interested in the central plot.

However if you want to check out the Bleach films as well, this is the best viewing order:

  • Bleach The Movie: Memories of Nobody
  • Bleach: Diamond Dust Rebellion
  • Bleach: Fade To Black
  • Bleach: Hell Verse

If you follow one of these viewing guides, you'll soon be caught up with the full anime franchise, leaving you ready for the fourth and final cours of Thousand Year Blood War in 2026.

How to watch the English dub of Bleach

You can watch English dub of Bleach on Disney Plus.

How to watch Bleach in the UK

In the the UK, you can stream the entire Bleach franchise on Disney Plus, including Bleach: Thousand Year War.

Bleach is available to watch on Disney Plus in the UK – sign up to Disney Plus now for £8.99 per month or £89.90 for a full year.

Bleach is streaming on Hulu in the US – start your free trial here.

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Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Gavia Baker-Whitelaw is a freelance critic and entertainment journalist specialising in geek culture, TV and film. She has written for numerous outlets including Empire, TV Guide, Wired and Vulture, and hosts the film podcast Overinvested.

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