Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Watch Order, Explained | Attack of the Fanboy

The triumphant return of Bleach continues with Thousand-Year Blood War. It’s the big Shonen anime blowout for fans longing to see the Big Three seize headlines thanks to a glorious, well-produced adaptation. But Bleach is also one of the largest anime ever made, with hundreds of episodes and several movies adapting its source material. While watching the series through to catch up is relatively simple, there are tricks to make it easier but just as enjoyable. Here is our guide on the Bleach watch order, from the 2004 original anime until Thousand-Year Blood War!

How to Watch Bleach in Order, Including Thousand-Year Blood War

The trick is naturally to know what filler to skip in the original Bleach anime. With the 2004 original, you can shave off an impressive 163 episodes, bringing it down from 366 to 203 in total, making it less intimidating in the process.

Related: Best Naruto Watch Order

Beyond this, the simple process is watching the Bleach anime, minus the filler, along with the movies placed in their appropriate spots on the timeline. The Bleach watch order, including Thousand-Year Blood War, is included below:

• Bleach Episodes 1 – 7
• Bleach Memories in the Rain (OVA)
• Bleach: 13 Court Guard Squads Omake (Special)
• Bleach Episodes 8 – 63
• Bleach: The Sealed Sword Frenzy (OVA)
• Bleach Movie 1: Memories of Nobody
• Bleach Episodes 109 – 127
• Bleach Movie 2: The Diamond Dust Rebellion
• Bleach the Movie 3: Fade to Black
• Bleach Episodes 138 – 146
• Bleach Episodes 150 – 167
• Bleach Episodes 190 – 203
• Bleach Episodes 206 – 212
• Bleach Episodes 215 – 229
• Bleach Episodes 266 – 297
• Bleach Episodes 298 – 299
• Bleach the Movie 4: Hell Verse
• Bleach Episodes 300 – 316
• Bleach Episodes 343 – 366
• Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Episodes 1-Ongoing

Watching this will provide tons of entertainment and you will be pleased at how much time you saved compared to watching the filler. While watching the series with essentially 45% of the content stripped away is a bit odd, this cuts to the important plot points quickly, and you won’t be looking back.

Should You Watch TYBW Part 1 Before Part 2?

Unlike watching the filler-laden original Bleach series, the answer to this question should be an unequivocal yes. In fact, you should watch all of the original Bleach as highlighted above if you wish to enjoy the show to the fullest, but watching TYBW out of order won’t make sense, and frankly, the more you’re exposed to this excellent show, the better.

You’ll also be pleased to know that TYBW, which is set to run in 4 cours, reportedly 13 episodes each will result in a 52-episode run. The show is also seemingly devoid of filler. Get ready to dive into this Shonen classic as it takes over the anime world in the summer!

– This article was updated on June 27th, 2023

About The Author

J.R. is a content creator with AOTF and has been covering gaming and entertainment in the industry since 2022. Along with a B.A. in History from the University of Cincinnati, he has studied at the University of Birmingham, UK, and part of his M.A. at the University of Waterloo. You’ll find J.R. particularly at home writing about the hottest manga and anime. He is highly passionate about horror, strategy, and RPGs, and anything about Star Trek or LOTR. When not ranting about fan theories or writing guides, J.R. also manages his local movie theater.