After ending in 2012, the legendary anime series Bleach is finally returning with a new anime. Subtitled Thousand-Year Blood War, this series will adapt the final arc of the Bleach manga, which ended in 2016.
The return of one of the most popular manga series in the world is certainly exciting for Bleach fans, but newer anime fans should be excited as well. However, it can be hard to jump right into the new series, since it covers the final arc of the manga. Here are the most important arcs in the anime to watch before the new series comes out.
4 Agent Of The Shinigami Arc
The Agent of the Shinigami arc is the first major arc of Bleach, introducing the main character Ichigo Kurosaki, a red-headed high schooler who can see ghosts and spirits. He happens to bump into Rukia Kuchiki, a Shinigami from Soul Society tasked with hunting Hollows, monstrous ghosts that eat other souls. After saving Ichigo from a Hollow attack, Rukia is forced to transfer her Shinigami powers to Ichigo and have him conduct her duties for her.
This first arc is made up of many short stories that serve to introduce many of Ichigo's friends and allies. This includes Orihime Inoue, Yasutora "Chad" Sado, and Uryu Ishida, all characters that will become important later in the story. Each of these characters have unique powers that allow them to fight with Ichigo in his job as a Shinigami: Orihime discovers the ability to manifest spirits that have the power to protect and heal, Chad obtains a strange power that transforms his right arm, and Uryu is a Quincy that has strong spiritual powers, including the ability to create a powerful bow.
The Agent of the Shinigami Arc includes a fight against Grand Fisher, the hollow that killed Ichigo's mother Masaki. While Ichigo is unable to finish off the hollow, the fight precludes events that will be important in the new series, so it is important to mention.
3 Soul Society Arc
The next arc begins with Rukia's capture by Renji Abarai and Byakuya Kuchiki, who tell her that she is being detained for giving her powers to a human. With her execution date set, Ichigo wants to rescue Rukia, but before he can do so, he must train with the mysterious Kisuke Urahara in order to regain his Shinigami powers. However, during his training an accident occurs, and he nearly becomes a Hollow instead. Thankfully, he is able to recover and become a fully-fledged Shinigami, obtaining the name of his Zanpakuto, Zangetsu.
This arc not only introduces the world of the Soul Society, but also the Gotei 13, the military organization behind the Shinigami. A myriad of characters is introduced in this arc, including Toshiro Hitsugaya, Rangiku Matsumoto, Ikkaku Madarame, and Sosuke Aizen, the captain of the 5th division who would eventually become a major villain in his own right.
Ichigo masters his powers as a Shinigami in this arc, becoming able to use not only the basic Shikai but also the ultimate Bankai, which he uses in his fight against Byakuya Kuchiki, Rukia's brother. However, his latent hollow powers also activate, giving him strength while also causing him to go berserk. The Soul Society Arc is one of the best arcs in Bleach, and the ramifications of its events affect the rest of the series.
2 Arrancar Arc
The Arrancar arc follows up on Aizen's betrayal, and is the longest arc in Bleach. From the beginning, two new factions appear in Karakura Town, the Visored, who are Shinigami who have undergone Hollowfication, and Arrancar, Hollows who have obtained Shinigami powers thanks to Aizen. Their presence causes chaos in the city as the Arrancar hunt for beings with high spiritual energy.
Realizing that his hollow side is similar to the powers of the Visored, Ichigo goes to them to gain control over his transformation. He manages to conquer his inner hollow, but during this event, Orihime is kidnapped by an Arrancar and taken to Hueco Mundo, the world of the Hollows. Ichigo, Chad, and Uryu head to Hueco Mundo in order to rescue her.
While Ichigo and his friends venture through the wasteland of Hueco Mundo, fighting Hollows and Arrancar along the way, the Gotei 13 and the Arrancar clash in a Fake Karakura Town. The arc is full of high-octane fights between superpowered beings, and the final battle between Ichigo and Aizen is an iconic scene. Ichigo ultimately wins the fight, but he loses his spiritual abilities and Shinigami powers in the process.
1 The Lost Substitute Shinigami Arc
Over a year later, Ichigo remains powerless as he enters his third year in high school. Working as an odd-jobber, Ichigo crosses paths with Kugo Ginjo, a member of Xcution. When Uryu is attacked by a mysterious foe, Ichigo contacts Ginjo for answers. The members of Xcution, including Chad, are revealed to be Fullbringers, humans who had parents who were attacked by Hollows and inherited the spiritual residue when they were born. Ginjo offers to help Ichigo get his powers back so that he can turn the Fullbringers into normal humans again.
In the course of regaining his powers, Ichigo obtains the ability to use a Fullbring of his own to emulate his abilities as a Shinigami. As he learns to master his power, Ichigo meets Tsukishima, a Fullbringer who used to be a member of Xcution. Ichigo soon learns that not only was Tsukishima the one who attacked Uryu, he attacked Orihime as well. Ichigo is stopped from fighting Tsukishima until he has finally completed his Fullbring.
This is the last arc before the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc, and it serves to restore Ichigo's powers before the final climax. While it is certainly a long way to go before finally arriving at the final arc, it is certainly worth the time and effort.