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All Bleach Arcs Ranked From Worst to Best
The beloved Weekly Shonen Jump manga by Tite Kubo, Bleach, earned the unofficial title of one of the Shonen Big Three thanks to its captivating storyline, unique power system, worldbuilding, and thrilling fight scenes. The series was on a generational run during the 2000s, but the anime unfortunately left the story incomplete for a decade. It also didn’t help that the manga’s ending was highly controversial, and it took fans a long time to accept the story’s conclusion. However, that doesn’t take away Bleach‘s biggest strengths, especially when not a lot of series blend swordplay into a unique power system like Bleach.
Bleach thrives on its fights, and it’s only more intriguing when the stakes are high in each battle. While the plot of the story is just as entertaining, the intense and jaw-droppingly amazing fight scenes and power systems always spice things up. Throughout its serialization, the series has released several arcs. While all of them are incredible, there is always something better than the other.
12) Lost Substitute Soul Reaper Arc
The arc takes place almost one and a half years after Ichigo’s fight against Aizen, where he loses his powers as a Soul Reaper. Ichigo befriends Ginjo, a substitute Soul Reaper who decided to take revenge against the Soul Society after learning about how they were limiting his powers. It’s easily the least favorite arc among fans, and while it does deliver some incredible moments and Ichigo’s character development, it’s often overshadowed by the other arcs.
11) Decisive Battle of Karakura Arc
The arc sets up the main fight against Aizen as the Soul Society replaces the entire Karakura Town with a fake. They planned to ambush Aizen and his subordinates by stopping him with no civilian casualties in the fake town, where he wouldn’t be able to meet his goal. It focuses on several battles between the Soul Society and the Arrancars, often hyping some of the most underrated characters in the series.
10) Hueco Mundo Sneak Entry Arc
After learning that Orihime left the human world and gone to Aizen, Ichigo and his friends didn’t waste any time before going to her rescue. Ordinarily, she would’ve been deemed a traitor, but her friends knew the reason behind her actions better than anyone. They snuck into the world of hallows, knowing full well about the dangers waiting for them.
9) Arrancar: The Arrival Arc
The fight against the Espada officially begins in this arc. The story also reveals the past of Ichigo’s parents and the reason behind his mother’s death. Not only that, but the Visored also join the battle to take revenge on Aizen after he destroyed their lives and forced them to live in secrecy in the human world. Additionally, Yamamoto reveals the shocking reason Aizen wants to destroy Karakura. What follows next is an epic showdown between the high-ranking Soul Reapers and the Espada.
8) Arrancar vs. Soul Reapers Arc
The arc takes place in Hueco Mundo when some of the Squad Captains arrive to deal with the Espadas. One of the arc’s highlights was Kenpachi’s fight with Nnoitra, forcing the Captain to the edge before losing the battle. However, despite the combined efforts of everyone, rescuing Orihime turned out to be more difficult than they thought.
7) Fierce Fight Arc
The arc highlights the long-awaited battle between Ichigo and Grimmjow. As one of the shortest arcs of the series, its main focus was on one battle while occasionally showing the ongoing situation among the other characters. Ichigo was determined not to use his Hollow Mask as he desperately searched for Orihime while fighting the villain.
6) Sneak Entry Arc
The second arc of the story, it focuses on Ichigo and his friends going to Rukia’s rescue in the Soul Society. The story explores the world of the Soul Reapers, where Rukia comes from. However, going to her rescue and fighting against all 13 Squads with a handful of fighters is next to impossible, which is why Ichigo’s group forms a strategy thanks to the new allies they made in the strange world.
5) Past Arc
Despite being the shortest canon arc in the series, it reveals the truth about everything Aizen did to the Visored, all of whom were either Squad Captains or Lieutenants around a century ago. Furthermore, it also explains how long Aizen has spent plotting against the Soul Society while playing the role of a kind Captain.
4) Agent of the Soul Reaper Arc
The first arc of the series sets up the premise of the story by introducing Rukia as the one responsible for awakening the powers hidden deep within Ichigo. Not only that, but it also introduces some of the major characters, including Orihime, Uryu, Urahara, and more, who all turned out to be crucial in the story.
3) Thousand-Year Blood War Arc
As the final arc of the series, it features the brutal battle against the Quincies after Yhwach, the Quincy King, awakened from his slumber. The Soul Society faced massive casualties during the invasion and readied itself for another attack by the villains. The arc has yet to be fully adapted into the anime as the fourth and final part is scheduled to be released in Summer 2026.
2) Arrancar: Downfall Arc
After defeating Ulquiorra, with a mysterious Hollow form, Ichigo went to the fake Karakura town to join the other Soul Reapers. Defeating Aizen was always next to impossible, but the situation turned even worse when he absorbed the Hogyoku. The arc wraps up the final fight against Aizen as Ichigo unlocks his true abilities, knowing full well he will lose his powers as a result.
1) Rescue Arc
The arc where Ichigo and his friends fight against all the squads is often believed to be the most hyped part of the story. Not only did Ichigo manage to sneak into the Soul Society with only a few friends, but he also learned a difficult technique called Bankai within three days, which granted him enough power to fight against Byakuya Kuchiki. The Soul Society later learned that everything that happened was part of Aizen’s plan as he killed all members of Central 46 and orchestrated Rukia’s execution. As the arc ends, Aizen leaves the Soul Society with the Hogyoku in his hand while planning his next move.
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