Best Bleach Filler Episodes

There was a time when Bleach was a part of the Big Three in the shonen landscape, along with Naruto and One Piece. While the popularity of this series might’ve waned over time, the show still has its highlights and makes for a riveting watch even now. The show does a pretty good job of translating Tite Kubo’s masterful artwork over to an animated medium, making for a great time as viewers watch the amazing battles unravel. With the advent of the Thousand-Year Blood War, more and more people will be glad to see the final arc of Bleach be adapted to completion after the longest time, with the amazing art of the adaptation elevating the source material to new heights.

Of course, as is the case with any serialized shonen anime, Bleach is filled to the brim with filler episodes that were meant to give Kubo time as he penned more canon chapters of the manga. Fans who want to watch Bleach and stay informed about its filler should take the following information into account while getting into this legendary shonen anime. Some people appreciate that the latest adaptation has chosen to air four cours instead of adding some filler episodes in Bleach‘s final arc. They don’t mind waiting a total of four years for the entire arc to be adapted with stellar animation, but some fans would’ve appreciated any excuse that let them spend more time with their favorite characters.

Updated on July 10, 2025, by Mark Sammut: As all Bleach’s filler episodes have been covered, sections have been added to each saga going over whether they are worth watching.

Bleach Statistics Chart

Here’s an extended look at some of the more notable filler arcs in Bleach. While some people may not appreciate the idea of watching filler, fans who want to spend some time with Bleach‘s many beloved characters will be well served by these short stories that do a great job of exploring the dynamics between different people in the series.

Special Mention: Bleach Movies

If a battle shonen anime series is popular enough, movies will eventually follow, and they tend to be non-canon. Exceptions like One Piece: Strong World, Dragon Ball Super Broly, and the My Hero Academia movies exist, but they are very much not the norm. This practice makes sense, as only a portion of the show’s audience watches the films (and not at the same time), so incorporating these stories into the main narrative could spark confusion.

Not counting the live-action movie, Bleach produced four films, all of which can generally be ignored if somebody just wants to stick to the core story. That said, like the Bleach filler arcs, the movies do a good job of feeling important, even if they might not be consequential in the grand scheme of things. Therefore, die-hard fans should try to check them out as they are enjoyable and feature some of the best action in the series, at least before Thousand-Year Blood War‘s debut.

Let’s go through all four movies and when is the best time to watch them:

• Bleach: Memories of Nobody – Out of all four flicks, the first one could arguably qualify as canon, just because the manga references the Valley of Screams, an area introduced by the film. Complete the Soul Society and the Bount Arcs before watching Memories of Nobody.
• Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion – The second film pushes Toshiro Hitsugaya to the forefront, although the story does feel like a bit of a retread of the Soul Society Arc. Still, it is a decent watch. While it is not that pressing when to watch this, episode 125 is generally considered a good entry point.
• Fade to Black – This one barely fits into the timeline at all, so fans can just watch it whenever they feel like, as long as it is after the second movie.
• The Hell Verse – By far the best Bleach movie, The Hell Verse is the easiest to slot into the timeline as the series has a filler arc, Setting Up The Hell Chapter Movie, that sets everything up.

Should You Watch The Bleach Movies?

Honestly, none of these films are great enough to warrant going out of your way to check them out. That said, they are not horrible either, and they can get the job done in situations when you just want to spend more time in this universe. I enjoyed Fade to Black and The Hell Verse quite a bit, to the point of thinking they are overall better than some of the more underwhelming Bleach filler episodes.

Also, the live-action Bleach movie is a bit of a glorious mess that can be widely entertaining in an “I cannot believe they followed through on this” kind of way. Honestly, it isn’t bad by “live-action movie based on anime” standards, but that bar is not high. The film is on Netflix, too.

7

One-Off Fillers (Multiple)

Focus On Side Characters

There’s no denying that the characters of Bleach are a joy to witness in many ways. However, it’s a huge ask for viewers to spend a ton of time with them on arcs that do nothing to progress the story or contribute to any character’s development in any way. This becomes harder when viewers don’t like watching certain side characters that have no impact on the plot outside of these anime-original stories.

The only respite that most people have here is that most of these filler episodes in Bleach are funny enough to warrant a watch and don’t stick around for too long. The most they’ll go on for is four or five episodes before the anime shows everyone what they want to see — the main plot. Of course, people who only want to watch meaningful episodes in the show can skip these filler episodes in Bleach entirely, with some of the long-winded filler arcs being ones that have a consistent plot and recurring characters.

That being said, some of these one-off fillers can be pretty entertaining, especially if fans are invested in the various character relationships in Bleach. They aren’t the best parts of the series by a country mile, but they don’t pretend to be; these stories mainly exist just for characters to interact in funny ways. The fact that these mini-stories only last a single episode makes them more bearable for certain viewers, especially for those who don’t mind engaging with the side characters for twenty minutes.

Should You Watch The One-Off Filler Bleach Episodes?

Honestly, yes, just because they start and end relatively quickly. While binge-watching the series, remembering to skip the odd episode due to it being filler can disrupt the process, so it is better to just sit through them. Ultimately, they are mostly decent, and they even sometimes incorporate canon content.

6

Forest Of The Menos Arc

A Short But Interesting Arc That Fleshes Out The World

The Forest of the Menos arc is one of the more unique arcs in the series. Concept sketches of this forest are present in Tite Kubo’s volumes, and this arc takes a short yet interesting look at an area under Hueco Mundo’s deserted landscape. It’s a simple yet interesting arc that fleshes out the world of Bleach even more. The fact that this filler arc only lasts three episodes would also be a source of joy for fans who don’t want to invest themselves in a long-winded narrative that is ultimately forgotten in the grand scheme of things.

What makes these filler episodes in Bleach great is that they adapt a storyline that Kubo wanted to add to the manga before eventually scrapping the idea. Thankfully, the anime didn’t shy away from fleshing out the history of the shinigami, although it’s still a crying shame that the Forest of the Menos arc is considered to be non-canon as far as the storyline is concerned. Ashido is a riveting character, and fans will be glad to know that his presence is finally made canon in the light novel Bleach: Spirits Are Forever With You.

Should You Watch Bleach’s Forest Of The Menos Arc?

Yes, definitely. Due to its short length and fairly relevant content, Forest of the Menos could arguably be regarded as Bleach‘s best filler arc, at least in the sense that it does not overstay its welcome by any stretch of the imagination.

5

The Bount Arc

Possibly The Worst Filler Arc

After the incredible Soul Society arc, Bleach embarked upon its first set of major fillers in the form of the Bount arc. Most people consider this to be a sub-par filler arc in Bleach, mainly due to how much of a downer it is after Ichigo’s amazing journey throughout Soul Society to rescue Rukia. However, fans who love the awe-inspiring fights in Bleach will love the many battles in this arc, and it helps that the Bount are interesting enough to carry the storyline as riveting villains who need to be taken out by any means necessary.

Ichigo’s plan to relax after the events of the Soul Society arc is dashed when three strangers abduct his friends and force him through a twisted game. It’s soon revealed that this event was a precursor to the introduction of the Bount, an artificially created race with Hollow-like powers. While they pose a massive threat early on, they eventually get pushed into Soul Society and realize that they’re way out of their depth when the Shinigami completely decimate them.

Should You Watch Bleach’s The Bount Arc?

The Bount arc has a few major things going against it. For one, it follows one of the best arcs in shonen anime, making it seem far worse in comparison. 40+ episodes is very long for any arc, let alone a filler saga that cannot have anything of consequence happen in the long run. In a vacuum, The Bount arc is not unwatchable, but it can be dull and, in some cases, could put somebody off from continuing Bleach entirely. So, no, do not watch this. If you finish the anime and want some more content, you can always revisit and watch this arc.

4

Stolen Hogyoku Arc

Aizen Becoming The Leader Of The Arrancar

The Stolen Hogyoku arc is a bit of a mixed bag. The arc features many one-off episodes while also exploring the side of the Arrancar and how a lot of them aren’t happy with Aizen becoming their leader. It has some interesting moments, even if the poor pacing and the ham-fisted nature of its inclusion severely take it down a notch. However, the entirety of Bleach is notorious for its pacing issues, so fans likely won’t mind this misstep as long as they get to see the lore of the series expand while their favorite characters enjoy some time in the spotlight.

A definite highlight of this arc is Hitsugaya, who gets his time to shine and does so brilliantly. There’s a reason why this character is one of the most popular shinigami in the entire series. As long as viewers don’t mind the slower sections of this filler arc, they’ll find this unique piece of content to be well worth watching. After all, Aizen is one of the most compelling shonen villains of any time, and most fans would jump at any excuse to see his character be fleshed out before the events of the original story.

Should You Watch Bleach’s Stolen Hogyoku Arc?

Probably the most inconsistent Bleach filler arc, Stolen Hogyoku is passable when highlighting Arrancar who are trying to move away from Aizen’s influence. This content is mostly covered between episodes 128 and 131, with the rest of the filler telling mostly standalone stories with almost no stakes. They are fine for what they are, but nothing of consequence is lost by skipping them.

3

The New Captain Shusuke Amagai Arc

Shusuke Amagai Gets The Spotlight

Shusuke Amagai is a character who is a memorable figure in his own right. The first few episodes of this filler arc show a ton of promise, but the pacing falls off after a while. Still, it’s far from egregious and will let fans enjoy a great time as they get to see Soul Society struggle as the new captain enacts his wrathful plan. It’s one of the better filler arcs in Bleach for many fans, even if the placement of this arc may puzzle many fans since it comes smack-dab in the middle of an existing storyline.

The new characters introduced in this filler arc may take a while to imprint themselves in the minds of fans, but they make a strong impression once viewers give them a chance. To make things better, these characters appear in other filler episodes in Bleach, lending a sense of continuity to the events that take place in later storylines. The slow pacing of this filler arc may make it hard to get through, but the payoff comes in the form of some epic battles, making it worth it in the eyes of many.

Should You Watch Bleach’s The New Captain Shusuke Amagai Arc?

An enjoyable arc that is far better than The Bount saga, The New Captain Shusuke Amagai gets by with good action and a strong sense of mystery, at least initially. Its length is, admittedly, intimidating and exhausting, but it is worth a watch if you just want more Bleach.

2

Zanpakuto Unknown Tales Arc

Zanpakuto’s Rebellion

Bleach saved its better filler arcs for the latter half of its run. The idea of every Shinigami’s Zanpakuto rebelling against their master is a unique prospect that is explored quite brilliantly in the Zanpakuto Unknown Tales arc. It helps that the antagonist at the heart of it all, Muramasa, is also a pretty engaging character in his own right. The novelty of watching the Captains fight against the spirits of their Zanpakuto is enough for many fans to hail this as one of the better Bleach filler arcs that fans can subject themselves to.

As is the case with most filler arcs, the story goes down a rather predictable route before ending with Ichigo taking care of the big baddie once and for all. This is to be expected given the limitations of most filler stories, and props should be given to the Zanpakuto Unknown Tales arc for excelling even with these limitations. The appearance of Zangetsu in this arc may cause a plot hole given what fans know about the true nature of Ichigo’s Zanpakuto during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, but it’s an oversight most are willing to forgive as long as they get to see some of the best filler episodes in Bleach and the unique ideas they bring to the table.

Should You Watch Bleach’s Zanpakuto Unknown Tales Arc?

This arc is a cut above most filler sagas, and not just the ones in Bleach. That said, Zanpakuto Unknown Tales’ length and placement hurt its appeal since it really disrupts the anime’s momentum. Watch this after you complete the canon arcs. It works well enough in a vacuum.

1

The Gotei 13 Invasion Arc

One Of The Best Filler Arcs

Most people are split on whether this arc or Muramasa’s rebellion is the best filler story in Bleach. It’s a testament to the high quality of both stories that this debate still doesn’t have a clear answer to this day. The idea of impostors posing as Shinigami captains and wreaking havoc within Soul Society is quite engrossing, and this arc does a great job of adapting such a story, given Ichigo’s waning powers after his fight against Aizen.

This arc may have some fights that take too long to complete, but that’s a minor gripe in an otherwise great experience. There’s no denying that these are some of the better filler episodes in Bleach that fans will love to watch if they’ve invested in the characters and how they rise against the odds to beat down anyone standing in their way. For the final filler arc in Bleach‘s original run, The Gotei 13 Invasion is riveting and a great excuse for fans to spend more time with their favorite characters as they take place in this high-stakes conflict.

Should You Watch Bleach’s The Gotei 13 Invasion Arc?

Similar to the Zanpakuto arc, The Gotei 13 Invasion tells a solid action-packed story that mostly lives up to the Bleach name. However, again, you might want to just watch this after completing the main show.