Bleach: A Chronological Guide To All Arcs Ahead Of The Thousand-Year Blood War

As the highly anticipated continuation of the Bleach anime approaches its release date, fans are quite giddy with excitement. Here's every arc of the anime.

Published on May 03, 2024  |  08:47 PM IST |  296.7K
Bleach: A Chronological Guide To All Arcs Ahead Of The Thousand-Year Blood War
Bleach (PC: Studio Pierrot)

Bleach, a renowned shonen anime, is set to release its highly anticipated continuation, bringing excitement to fans. Recognized as one of the Big Three of Shonen, it showcases the best of Tite Kubo's work in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. To fully appreciate the upcoming anime, one must follow all arcs from the original 2004 anime.

Bleach: listing all the arcs chronologically 

This article provides a comprehensive guide to Bleach's complex arcs, despite its linear plot and lack of dreary or dull content. It highlights the potential for fans to lose interest in long shonen animes, but also revives their desire to catch up.

While Bleach is considerably shorter than other big names in the shonen industry, 366 episodes are quite a challenge for an everyday watcher. Tite Kubo has released 74 volumes of the manga, which are carefully divided into 13 different arcs based on the plot of the story.

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Bleach (Studio Pierrot)

The anime is typically divided into five major arcs: Substitute, Soul Society, Arrancar, Lost Agent, and the unreleased Thousand-Year Blood War. However, arcs like Soul Society and Arrancar can be further categorized into smaller story arcs due to their versatility.

Following are all the arcs of Bleach chronologically;

  • Agent of the Shinigami Arc 1- 20
  • Soul Society: The Sneak Entry Arc 21 - 41
  • Soul Society: The Rescue Arc 42 - 63
  • 1 The Bount Arc 64 - 91
  • 2 Bount Assault on Soul Society Arc 92 - 109
  •  Arrancar: The Arrival Arc 110 - 131
  • Arrancar: The Hueco Mundo Sneak Entry Arc 132 - 151
  • Arrancar: The Fierce Fight Arc 152 - 167
  • 1 The New Captain Shūsuke Amagai Arc 168 - 189
  • Arrancar vs. Shinigami Arc 190 - 205
  • The Past Arc 206 - 212
  • Arrancar: Decisive Battle of Karakura Arc 213 - 229
  • 1 Zanpakutō Unknown Tales Arc 230 - 265
  • Arrancar: Downfall Arc 266 - 316
  • 1 Gotei 13 Invading Army Arc 317 - 342
  • The Lost Substitute Shinigami Arc 343 - 366
  • The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc 367-ongoing
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Fans can rewatch specific arcs of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc by following the episode numbers. The list includes mini-arcs that may be of interest to fans. The final battle, Conflict, is set for release in 2024, with intense fight scenes and unexpected twists expected in the upcoming parts.

A brief about Bleach 

Bleach is a Japanese anime television series based on Tite Kubo's original manga series of the same name. It was produced by Studio Pierrot and directed by Noriyuki Abe. The series aired on TV Tokyo from October 2004 to March 2012, spanning 366 episodes.

The story follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the powers of a Soul Reaper, a death personification similar to the Grim Reaper, from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki. His newfound powers force him to take on the duties of defending humans from evil spirits and guiding departed souls to the afterlife.

In addition to adapting the manga series it is based on, the anime periodically includes original self-contained storylines and characters not found in the source material.

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Bleach (Studio Pierrot)

Viz Media obtained foreign television and home video distribution rights to the Bleach anime in March 2006. Bleach was broadcast in the United States on Adult Swim from September 2006 to November 2014.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, a sequel series covering the manga's final story arc, also animated by Pierrot and directed by Tomohisa Taguchi, aired its first 13 episode cour on TV Tokyo from October to December 2022. The second 13 episode cour aired from July to September 2023. 

Ever since the original 2004 anime was released, Tite Kubo has amassed a huge following, and the sheer impact he has left on the world of Animanga is admirably outstanding.The Thousand-Year Blood War arc has premiered in Japan, and fans left amazing reviews for the content they watched. With Studio Pierrot finally upgrading its animation standards, fans of the series are not expected to be disappointed.

Hence, for fans who are on a quest to revisit old memories or start from where they left off, this list will help them immensely. However, Bleach, like most major Shonen series, includes an excessive amount of filler. These non-canon episodes may disrupt the overall viewing experience and can be skipped by viewers.

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With a Masters in English, Barsha is a movie buff and a K-pop stan who is fascinated by the

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