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Bleach: Best Filler Episodes You Should Not Miss

The story of this Anime follows Kurosaki Ichigo, a high schooler, who possesses the power of seeing spirits. He has had the ability to perceive ghosts from the life hereafter when he was a little child. Later, while Ichigo and his two siblings are ambushed by a wicked, ravenous, and anguished ghost named Hollow, everything in their lives is in transit.

Kuchiki Rukia, a Shinigami whose mission is to send kind spirits to the Soul Society, helps Ichigo and his sisters. Rukia, however, sustains an injury while battling the Hollow and therefore must give Ichigo her superpowers as a result.

With all of these recently found abilities, Kurosaki Ichigo starts his preparation for his role as a Shinigami, which is to keep the harmony between both the worlds of the alive and the dead.

Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach
Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach
BleachFeatures
Written byMasashi Sogo
Directed byNoriyuki Abe
Episodes366
GenreSupernatural, Action
Data table for Bleach Anime

Out of 366 episodes of Bleach Anime, 163 filler episodes were made. Some of the best fillers among them are discussed in this article.

What is Bleach?

Tite Kubo created the manga series Bleach, which ran in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from August 2001 to August 2016.

Bleach chronicles Ichigo Kurosaki’s exploits as a high school student with the ability to sense spirits. The plot begins with an emphasis on the Human characters, but as events unfold, the story delves deeper into the world of the Shinigami and their antagonists.

The manga series has spawned two animated television series, two OVAs, four animated feature films, a rock musical, multiple video games, and a Trading Card Game. A live-action film adaptation was announced in the August 22nd edition of the Wall Street Journal, coinciding with the release of the manga’s final chapter.

Background Story of Bleach

The story begins with Shinigami Rukia Kuchiki’s unexpected presence in Ichigo Kurosaki’s bedroom. She is taken aback by his ability to see her, but their chat is cut short by the appearance of a “Hollow,” an evil ghost.

Rukia attempts to transmit half of her energies to Ichigo after she is gravely injured while attempting to defend Ichigo from the Hollow. Instead, Ichigo unwittingly absorbs virtually all of her energy, allowing him to easily destroy the Hollow. Rukia returns in Ichigo’s classroom the next day as an apparently normal Human, informing Ichigo that his absorption of her powers has left her stranded in the Human World until she regains her energy.

Meanwhile, Ichigo takes Rukia in and takes over her duty as a Shinigami, fighting Hollows and leading lost souls to Soul Society. After a few months of this arrangement, Rukia’s Shinigami superiors interpret her disappearance as desertion, dispatch a detachment to arrest her, and sentence her to death in the sixth volume of the series.

Ichigo is unable to prevent Rukia’s capture, but with the assistance of some of his classmates who also have spiritual skills, as well as ex-Shinigami Kisuke Urahara, he sets off for the Shinigami base, which is located in the afterlife region known as Soul Society. While there, Ichigo and company face the Shinigami military’s elites and are finally successful in stopping Rukia’s execution.

It is subsequently revealed that both Rukia’s death and Ichigo’s rescue attempt were staged by Ssuke Aizen, a high-ranking Shinigami originally thought to have been assassinated, as part of a larger scheme to seize control of Soul Society. Aizen betrays his fellow Shinigami and joins forces with the Hollows, becoming the series’ major adversary, and Ichigo joins forces with his former adversaries in Soul Society after learning that Aizen’s next step includes the destruction of his hometown.

The Gotei 13 band together to defeat Aizen and the Arrancar, but they are unable to stop Aizen in their Fake Karakura Town. Ichigo eventually beats Aizen in Soul Society, but at the expense of his Shinigami abilities.

Seventeen months later, Ichigo is approached by Xcution, a mysterious organization of Fullbringers, with an offer to help him recover his lost powers in order to transfer their own and become normal humans; however, it is revealed that their true goal is to steal Ichigo’s Fullbring in order to empower their own through a massive manipulation of his family and acquaintances. Ichigo regains his powers due to Rukia and the Gotei 13 and battles and kills Kgo Ginj, the commander of Xcution and the former first Substitute Shinigami.

Bleach then launched its last plot arc, which follows a fight between Soul Society and the Wandenreich, a Quincy army.

1. Forest of Menos

Menos Grande from Bleach
Ichigo’s group becomes stuck in the non-canonical Menos woods after arriving in Hueco Mundo.

Among the series’ particularly distinctive arcs include the one centered on the Forest of the Menos. The conceptual artwork for such a forest can be found in Tite Kubo’s works. Also, this arc even offers a brief but intriguing glimpse at a territory lurking beneath Hueco Mundo’s desolate landscapes.

Following their arrival in Hueco Mundo, Ichigo’s team becomes trapped inside the non-canonical woods of Menos, the specific topic of the whole trio of filler episodes. This mini-arc comprising triple episodes centers on the group’s attempts to rescue their buddy Rukia Kuchiki when she is captured.

It’s a straightforward but compelling arc that further develops the Bleach realm. Audiences who are unwilling to immerse themselves in a fully fleshed story that will inevitably be ignored in the big scheme of things will be happy that somehow this filler storyline only lasts three episodes.

2. Ichigo’s Stomach-cutting Persuasion Strategy

Ichigo is astonished to discover Rurichiyo in the lecture hall at Karakura Public School after Mizuiro Kojima alerts him to the presence of a visitor.

Rukia Kuchiki, Yasutora Sado, and Orihime Inoue are informed by Ichigo that Rurichiyo arrived at the location unaccompanied during lunchtime. Ichigo surmises maybe she left because she was sick of living in the mansion.

Rukia slaps Ichigo and demands that as the matriarch of a royal house, she must be safeguarded for not knowing what had happened to Rurichiyo. Rurichiyo is nowhere to be found despite all of them splitting up and looking for her. It should not be unexpected, according to Rukia, that she might desire to go to the Humans Kingdom given the rigors of raising a household at a very early age.

Finally, she got recovered from the Urahara shop.

3. The Bount Arc

Following the amazing Soul Society episode, Bleach started unveiling its new series of significant fillers namely, the Bount arc. Several individuals assume that this was among Bleach’s weakest filler arcs. This is primarily because it is such a setback following Ichigo’s incredible adventure across Soul Society to save Rukia.

Ichigo’s intention to unwind following the Soul Society arc’s happenings is foiled once some random people kidnap his pals and make him play a bizarre game. It quickly becomes clear that all these incidents served as a preamble to the arrival of the Bount, a civilization that was purposely formed and abilities.

They first provide a considerable risk, but after being forced inside Soul Society, they come to the realization that they have been entirely out of their zone while the Shinigami slaughter everyone.

Ichigo as well as the remaining members of the Soul Society fight against Bounts, which are actually monsters, in this filler series consisting of 44 episodes.

Action scene from Bleach
They pose a significant risk initially, but after being dragged into Soul Society, they come to terms with the fact that they were completely outside of their comfort zone.

4. Hisagi vs. Kazeshini 

Despite the misleading title, these episodes comprise three consecutive bouts, which is typical for the whole Zanpakuto narrative.

Hollow Ichigo and Muramasa, the arc’s primary antagonists, square off at the beginning of the episode. The two get into a rather intriguing battle, which ends with Ichigo declaring their unity and standing up for Hollow Ichigo.

Considering how little of the conflict between the two characters we actually see, the episode’s pseudonym is shockingly the least significant. Rather, we witness Renji’s conflict with Sayu and Hebi’s reconciliation. The two repeatedly label Renji a wimp and physically abuse him during most of the conflicts. He regains his focus at the conclusion of the story and realizes that he aspires to someday overtake Byakuya.

In an additional satisfying sentimental conclusion, which is abundant in this narrative, he is capable of effectively rescuing Zabimaru in the last.

5. Zanpakuto Rebellion

Once Muramasa arrives, he starts releasing the numerous Zanpakut spirits, and the uprising starts. The capacity of the Shinigami to communicate with their Zanpakut spirits starts to fade. Somewhere at the summit of Skyoku Hill, Muramasa guides the souls into combat with that of the Shinigami.

The Seireitei enters a situation of urgency as a result of the Shinigami not being able to employ their Zanpakut due to their current condition. Following Ichigo Kurosaki’s approach to the dome-shaped building that an uncontrollable Muramasa produces, the incident comes to a close.

After a recent brutal conflict, Ichigo succeeds to beat Muramasa, putting a stop to the revolt and Muramasa’s rule over whole Zanpakut souls that have not yet been liberated.

One of several finest filler arcs in whatsoever Japanese anime series has been the Zanpakuto Rebellion, which was also the coolest filler arc in Bleach. It really was sufficiently detailed to only be considered a canonical arc. It also significantly contributes to the globe’s humanization by showcasing the appearances of several entities.

Is Bleach worth watching?

Final Verdict

  • The mentioned above Anime series offers gorgeous, quick-moving adventure, and the plot leaves you yearning for more in nearly every segment.
  • Due to his persistently grumpy temperament, Ichigo is humorous, and his buddies are as entertaining each in their own unique ways.
  • Put Bleach at the top of the priority list if you plan on watching any animated series in the year.

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