This Underrated Bleach Arc Is Hated by Fans (And Doesn’t Deserve to Be)

In Bleach’s 686-chapter run, Tite Kubo created an expansive and thought-provoking world that would help to shape future creators and series that would become a part of Weekly Shōnen Jump. Often referred to as one of the “big three” (the other two being Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece and Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto), Bleach is a spiritual story that captured provocative themes about life and death within the context of high-stakes battles with giant swords, and power-scaling that would still be discussed to this day. However, one arc towards the end of the series run before the Thousand-Year Blood War would receive a surprisingly negative response.

During the 15 years of Bleach’s publication, several arcs would define the series, such as the Soul Society Rescue Arc, which established the power systems and major players of the series going forward, and the Thousand-Year Blood War, an exciting conclusion, although often criticized for its rushed pacing. It wasn’t until the Lost Agent arc (also known as the Fullbringer arc or the Lost Substitute Soul Reaper arc) that Kubo would break new ground with Bleach, conceptualizing a new powerset to flip audience expectations on their heads. Playing out like a psychological thriller, Bleach’s Lost Agent arc (Chapters 424-479) would end up poorly received by fans during its initial publication. Still, it’s an underrated arc that should be considered one of the best the series offers.

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The Lost Agent Arc Breaks the Series’ Mold in a Good Way

Perhaps one of the best aspects of the Lost Agent arc is how it manages to shake up the series’ formula that fans had become so accustomed to (and probably why it was negatively received during its initial publication). The arc previous to Lost Agent, the Arrancar arc, had been Ichigo’s greatest battle up to that point. Our series protagonist had just faced off against Aizen in a no-holds-barred confrontation that literally cost Ichigo all of his power and strength. How should an author follow up on something as high-stakes as that? The answer is something much more intimate and introspective.

The entirety of the Lost Agent arc takes place in Ichigo’s hometown, and the character is without his full powers for most of the arc. Right from the setup, readers and viewers understand that this isn’t like anything that’s come before in Bleach. While the Soul Society and the Gotei 13 eventually do play a role in the final and critical moments of the series, most of the Lost Agent arc has Ichigo dealing with a new cast of characters.

The new supporting cast of characters all work to train Ichigo to use his dormant Fullbringer powers to regain his sense of normalcy, all while a mysterious assailant, Tsukishima, attacks Ichigo’s closest friends like Orihime in Chapter 440. However, it seems that no damage was done to her or to others who are subsequently stabbed. The entire arc is filled with intrigue and substantial character work, with little in the way of large-scale high-stakes fights that have become expected of the series.

Ichigo’s Psychological Battle Is a Refreshing Change of Pace

Bleach is a surprisingly thoughtful manga, especially in how Ichigo’s psyche is central to almost every conflict. In previous arcs, the character’s inner turmoil and battles with Zangetsu have conveyed the psychological hurdles Ichigo goes through via exciting shonen battles. In the Lost Agent Arc, Kubo takes a much more subtle approach with Ichigo’s internal conflict by keeping him in denial through the early parts of the story. It isn’t just the secret grief Ichigo has at losing his powers, but also in the battle with the main antagonist of the arc, Kugo Ginjo.

The story’s main villains are where the Lost Agent arc shines, as Ginjo and Tsukishima work in tandem to challenge Ichigo in a way that he never had been up to that point. Much like Gin in the Soul Society arc, Tsukishima would be set up as something of a fake-out antagonist, making Ichigo believe that it was he, Ginjo, and the other Fullbringers against one rogue opponent. It also helps that Tsukishima’s Fullbring ability, “Book of the End,” metaphorically “stabs” people and inserts him into their past, making them believe that he’s actually someone they care about.

Watching all of Ichigo’s closest friends turn against him because they believe he’s trying to hurt one of their friends makes for one of the most complex battles the character has had to fight yet. Watching Ichigo slowly lose faith in himself as everyone but Ginjo is struck by Tsukushiima’s ability makes the readers think things can’t get any worse. That is, until Chapters 458 and 459, titled End of Bond. In what may very well be one of the best twists and gut punches in the series, Ginjo gets in the way of Tsukishima’s blade to save Ichigo from getting his past altered… Only to reveal that Ginjo isn’t affected by it, and that he’s been in on it the whole time.

The Lost Agent arc is at its best in Ginjo’s betrayal and reveal as the true antagonist. The emotional manipulation on display, paired with Ichigo’s anger and helplessness, all feel so much more impactful than anything else that has happened up to that point. Despite trying to grow stronger as he had done in arcs before, it seemingly isn’t enough, creating an incredibly powerful moment that stands out in a series filled with complex and shocking revelations.

Bleach’s Penultimate Arc Is One of the Best Because of How It Subverts Expectations

Ultimately, the return of the Gotei 13 and Ichigo’s closest friends from the Soul Society brings the Lost Agent arc back into more familiar territory. However, everything had felt like a breath of fresh air up to that point. Bleach, and many Shonen manga in general, have used the tried and true method of making the main character’s friends their biggest driving point and inspiration. But what happens when they’re the ones you’re fighting? When memories are altered, and there’s a genuine belief that the protagonist is wrong, Tite Kubo elevated this story arc above the rest.

There are plenty of complaints about the power system of Fullbring feeling repetitive, and the events of the arc having little to no consequence on the larger story. Still, when looking at the arc from the perspective of Ichigo’s state of mind and where he finds himself spiritually before and after the arc, the difference is night and day. While there are no earth-shattering reveals or massive changes to the lore of Soul Society, it’s a realistic look at how a person like Ichigo would try to cope with the brief loss of purpose in life, and find a way forward.