Bleach lineAnime complete
Bleach filler list: the 163 episodes to skip and how the official list differs
Anime Filler List marks 163 of the 366 episodes in the original Bleach series as filler, 45%, and skipping them saves you about 66 hours. Skip the five anime-original arcs, which hold 128 of those episodes, keep the 41 mixed ones, and make an exception for the Zanpakutō arc (230 to 265). Thousand-Year Blood War, the 2022 sequel, has no filler.
Bleach filler episodes, arc by arc
Anime Filler List sorts every episode of the 2004 to 2012 series into three types AFL. Manga canon comes from Tite Kubo's chapters, filler has no chapter behind it, and a mixed episode takes some of its runtime from the manga and adds new scenes, so keep those. The site gives no Bleach episode its "anime canon" label, so you won't see that type here.
The arc table follows Studio Pierrot's list of 16 arcs, with the English names from Wikipedia Studio Pierrot, Wikipedia. The anime-original arcs were slotted in between manga arcs as self-contained stories Japanese Wikipedia, so you can drop one and the manga story picks up where it left off.
Tap an episode to see its arc
| Type | Episodes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Manga canon | 162 | 44% |
| Mixed canon and filler | 41 | 11% |
| Filler | 163 | 45% |
| All episodes | 366 |
| Arc | Episodes | Story from | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substitute Shinigami | 1–20 | Manga | Watch |
| Soul Society: The Sneak Entry | 21–41 | Manga | Watch, but skip 33 |
| Soul Society: The Rescue | 42–63 | Manga | Watch, but skip 50 |
| Bount | 64–91 | Anime-original | Skip: all filler |
| Bount Assault on Soul Society | 92–109 | Anime-original | Watch, but skip 92–108 |
| Arrancar: The Arrival | 110–131 | Manga | Watch, but skip 128–131 |
| Arrancar: The Hueco Mundo Sneak Entry | 132–151 | Manga | Watch, but skip 132–137, 147–149 |
| Arrancar: The Fierce Fight | 152–167 | Manga | Watch |
| The New Captain Shūsuke Amagai | 168–189 | Anime-original | Skip: all filler |
| Arrancar vs. Shinigami | 190–205 | Manga | Watch, but skip 204–205 |
| Turn Back the Pendulum (the Past arc) | 206–212 | Manga | Watch |
| Arrancar: Decisive Battle of Karakura | 213–229 | Manga | Watch, but skip 213–214, 228–229 |
| Zanpakutō: The Alternate Tale | 230–265 | Anime-original | Skip: all filler |
| Arrancar: Downfall | 266–316 | Manga | Watch, but skip 266, 287, 298–299, 303–305, 311–316 |
| Gotei 13 Invading Army | 317–342 | Anime-original | Watch, but skip 317–341 |
| Lost Agent | 343–366 | Manga | Watch, but skip 355 |
| Type | Episodes |
|---|---|
| Mixed canon and filler | 8, 27, 32, 46, 109, 111, 116, 119–120, 124, 141, 143, 146, 156, 160–161, 190, 193, 206–207, 209, 222–223, 267–268, 274, 276, 284–285, 288, 290–291, 295–296, 310, 342–343, 345, 347, 351, 357 |
| Filler | 33, 50, 64–108, 128–137, 147–149, 168–189, 204–205, 213–214, 228–266, 287, 298–299, 303–305, 311–341, 355 |
Skip line to paste into a notes app, made from the table above:
33, 50, 64–108, 128–137, 147–149, 168–189, 204–205, 213–214, 228–266, 287, 298–299, 303–305, 311–341, 355
Filler worth keeping
- Zanpakutō: The Alternate Tale, episodes 230–265: The Soul Reapers' swords take human form and rebel, so you meet the sword spirits as characters. Anime News Network called it "arguably the series' most innovative major filler arc."AFL, Wikipedia, ANN
- The Amagai arc, episodes 168–189: A self-contained story about a new captain, so it plays as one complete arc and leaves the manga plot alone.AFL, Wikipedia
- Karin's soccer episode, episode 132: Ichigo's sister Karin meets Captain Hitsugaya over a street soccer game. It stands alone, and producer Ken Hagino said Kubo wrote the plots of the six original episodes that start here.AFL, Wikipedia, Japanese Wikipedia
The official list of manga episodes
Bleach also has an official count. In 2022, before Thousand-Year Blood War began, the anime's site ran a fan vote on the original series and listed only the manga-based episodes, 203 of them official site. That leaves out 163, the same number Anime Filler List calls filler. The two lists split on six episodes.
| Episode | Official list | Anime Filler List |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Manga-based | Filler |
| 50 | Manga-based | Filler |
| 109 | Left out | Mixed |
| 227 | Left out | Manga canon |
| 266 | Manga-based | Filler |
| 342 | Left out | Mixed |
If you'd rather skip by the official list, use the line below. It skips 109, 227 and 342, which Anime Filler List keeps, and keeps 33, 50 and 266.
| List | Episodes left out |
|---|---|
| Official site, 2022 | 64–109, 128–137, 147–149, 168–189, 204–205, 213–214, 227–265, 287, 298–299, 303–305, 311–342, 355 |
Skip line to paste into a notes app, made from the table above:
64–109, 128–137, 147–149, 168–189, 204–205, 213–214, 227–265, 287, 298–299, 303–305, 311–342, 355
Two of the filler runs have a closer tie to Kubo than the label suggests. One is the six-episode run from 132 to 137 that he plotted, noted above with the soccer episode Japanese Wikipedia. The other is 147 to 149, which Wikipedia calls a "canon expansion": a short story about Ashido Kanō that was meant for the manga but didn't fit, so Kubo helped the anime staff make it Wikipedia. Anime Filler List marks all nine as filler, and the official list leaves them out.
Does Thousand-Year Blood War have filler?
No. Thousand-Year Blood War is the 2022 sequel that adapts the manga's final arc, and Anime Filler List has rated its first 48 episodes without marking any as filler Wikipedia, AFL. It calls episodes 45 and 47 "anime canon," meaning they add scenes the manga doesn't have. For episode 45, Kubo himself drew and named a new design official site.
How to use this list
Pick one of the two skip lines, Anime Filler List's or the official one, and work through the original series in broadcast order with it, keeping every mixed episode. At Wikipedia's 23 minutes an episode for 1 to 51 and 24 after that, the 366 episodes run about 146 hours, or about 80 without the filler Wikipedia. After episode 366, go right on to Thousand-Year Blood War. The Bleach watch order has the full order, the films and where to stream.
Bleach filler questions
How many filler episodes are in Bleach?
163 of the 366 episodes in the original series, or 45%, according to Anime Filler List. Another 41 are mixed, part manga and part new material. Thousand-Year Blood War has no filler.
Which Bleach arcs are filler?
Five arcs are anime-original: Bount (64 to 91), Bount Assault on Soul Society (92 to 109), the Amagai arc (168 to 189), Zanpakutō: The Alternate Tale (230 to 265) and Gotei 13 Invading Army (317 to 342). Anime Filler List counts the last episode of two of them, 109 and 342, as mixed.
When does Bleach filler start?
Anime Filler List puts the first filler episode at 33, and the first long run starts at 64 with the Bount arc, right after the Soul Society arcs end. The official list counts 33 as a manga episode, so by its count filler starts at 64.
Is any Bleach filler worth watching?
Start with the Zanpakutō arc (230 to 265), where the Soul Reapers' swords take human form; Anime News Network called it arguably the series' most innovative major filler arc. The Amagai arc (168 to 189) works as one complete story, and episode 132 is a standalone you can watch on its own.
Sources
Every date, count, chapter and volume on this page comes from these sources, last checked on October 26, 2026.
- Anime Filler List (community site): Bleach Filler List | The Ultimate Anime Filler Guide; Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Filler List
- BLEACH official anime site (Aniplex): BLEACH ANIMATION BEST; Episode 45 new form announcement (2026-08-22)
- Studio Pierrot: Playback: BLEACH
- Japanese Wikipedia: BLEACH (アニメ)
- Wikipedia: Bleach (TV series); Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War; List of Bleach chapters (188–423); Bleach seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
- Anime News Network: Bleach Season 18 Uncut DVD review
More watch orders
The method page explains how release order, story order and the manga and novel pick-up points are checked.