To watch Bleach in order, the best approach is to follow the anime series in its release order, which also aligns with the chronological story order. The series has 16 main seasons plus the ongoing Thousand Year Blood War arc, along with four movies that are mostly non-canonical and can be watched separately.
Recommended Watch Order (Anime Seasons)
- Season 1: The Substitute Soul Reaper (Episodes 1-20)
- Season 2: The Entry (Episodes 21-41)
- Season 3: The Rescue (Episodes 42-63)
- Season 4: The Bounty (Episodes 64-91)
- Season 5: The Assault (Episodes 92-109)
- Season 6: Arrancar The Appearance (Episodes 110-131)
- Season 7: The Arrancar Part 2 (Episodes 132-151)
- Season 8: The Arrancar Part 3 (Episodes 152-167)
- Season 9: The New Captain (Episodes 168-189)
- Season 10: The Arrancar Part 4 (Episodes 190-205)
- Season 11: Turn Back The Pendulum (Episodes 206-212)
- Season 12: The Arrancar Part 5 (Episodes 213-229)
- Season 13: Zanpakuto The Alternate Tale (Episodes 230-265)
- Season 14: The Arrancar Part 6 (Episodes 266-316)
- Season 15: Gotei 13 Invading Army (Episodes 317-342)
- Season 16: The Lost Agent (Episodes 343-366)
- Then the new arc:
- The Thousand Year Blood War Part 1 (Episodes 367-379)
- The Thousand Year Blood War Part 2 (Episodes 380-392)
- The Thousand Year Blood War Part 3 (Episodes 393-405 and ongoing)
Movies (Optional)
The four Bleach movies are mostly non-canonical and can be watched separately. Suggested placements:
- Bleach: Memories of Nobody (after episode 107)
- Bleach: DiamondDust Rebellion (after episode 153)
- Bleach: Fade to Black (after episode 198)
- Bleach: Hell Verse (after episode 299)
Other Notes
- The anime has some filler arcs; many fans recommend skipping fillers on a first watch to focus on the main story.
- There's also a special OVA "Memories in the Rain" which is a more faithful retelling of an early arc and can be watched early on.
- The release order and chronological order of the main anime series are the same.
Watching Bleach in this order will provide the clearest and most coherent experience of the story while allowing optional viewing of movies as extras.
