I Rank the Bleach Arcs (Canon Only)
II shall now rank the Bleach story arcs. Just as a heads up, I will spoil much of this, and split the Aizen arc into the Arrancar arc, Hueco Mundo arc, and Fake Karakura Town arc.
8. The Hueco Mundo Arc. In last place (and by quite a large margin) is the Hueco Mundo arc. This arc has some amazing fights and instances of character development, but despite these great highs, the majority of this arc is just a drag. The fights are overly long, pointless, and often add nothing to the character development. The story is lifted (partially) from the previous arcs, and it’s simply the worst part of the series by far, in my opinion.
7. The Substitute Arc. Next, we have the first arc in the series. Its pretty good at introducing core concepts and characters, and I enjoy the monster of the week setup. The problem is that the stakes are a bit too low, and the series was still looking for its tone as it were. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t quite feel right.
6. The Fake Karakura Town Arc: This arc has some of the best fights in the series, and does a good job of introducing Halibel and Starrk, some of my favorite espada. The stakes are higher than they had ever been in the series up until that point, and the climax is thrilling. The only reason why it isn’t higher up on the list is simply the fact that it’s too battle-heavy for my taste.
5. The Arrancar / Vizard Ark: This arc is unique in that it shows a more slice-of-life side of Bleach which we don’t often see. I love how it focuses on Ichigo an dhis struggle agains his inner hollow, and the Lieutenants living in the human world makes this arc one of the funniest in the series. It’s a breath of fresh air between two action-packed arcs, and I love it. My only issue is the fact that the fights are way to low-stakes. Like, are we supposed to be worried that Renji might lose to a fraccion? I don’t know, there simply isn’t enough at stake.
4. The Past Arc: This is the arc that takes us back over a hundred years ago. It’s short, but really good. I love the insights that it gives us into the soul society’s inner workings, and it manages to develop and humanize so many characters. The protagonist of this arc is Kisuke, who is one of my favorite characters. There is considerably less combat in this arc, which allows the characters to brethe.
3. The Fullbringer Arc. There seem to be two types of people when it comes to this arc; those who love it, and those who think it sucks. I can see why some people hate it. This arc is slow, the stakes are far lower than before, and it introduces a whole bunch of new, seemingly uninteresting characters. However, in spite of these flaws, there are so many things to love about this arc. I love the darker tone, the slower pacing, the distinct fighting styles at play, and especially what this arc does with Ichigo. This arc develops our hero like never before and asks the question: What if a hero who’s only desire is to protect people no longer has the power to do so? Seeing Ichigo react to losing his powers is fascinating, and his low point is one of my favorite moments in all of anime. I love this arc, and it definitely doesn’t deserve all the hate it gets.
2. The Soul Society Arc. Often called one of the best arcs of shonen anime, this arc is beloved even among non-fans. I don’t think I need to say more, as we all know how good this arc is. Despite being so good, however, it is not my favorite.
1. The Thousand Year Blood War Arc: This arc has the best fights, the best character development, the best character designs, and the best villain. Yhawach is perfectly intimidating and his followers make for some creative villains. Yeah, the ending was rushed, but I loved the journey that took us there. If you haven’t read this arc already, definitely do so. As Bleach fans, you owe it to yourselves to enjoy this arc as I have, and I can’t wait to see it animated.
