For as long as he can remember, high school student Ichigo Kurosaki has been able to see the spirits of the dead, but that has not stopped him from leading an ordinary life. One day, Ichigo returns home to find an intruder in his room who introduces herself as Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper tasked with helping souls pass over. Suddenly, the two are jolted from their conversation when a Hollow—an evil spirit known for consuming souls—attacks. As Ichigo makes a brash attempt to stop the Hollow, Rukia steps in and shields him from a counterattack. Injured and unable to keep fighting, Rukia suggests a risky plan—transfer half of her Soul Reaper powers to Ichigo. He accepts and, to Rukia's surprise, ends up absorbing her powers entirely, allowing him to easily dispatch the Hollow.

Now a Soul Reaper himself, Ichigo must take up Rukia's duties of exterminating Hollows and protecting spirits, both living and dead. Along with his friends Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado—who later discover spiritual abilities of their own—Ichigo soon learns that the consequences of becoming a Soul Reaper and dealing with the world of spirits are far greater than he ever imagined.

Bleach has sold over 130 million copies worldwide as of 2022, making it one of the top 20 best-selling manga series of all time; North American sales have also been significant with 1.7 million copies sold in the region. In 2005, the series won the 50th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shounen category.

The series was published in English by VIZ Media under the Shonen Jump imprint from July 6, 2004, to October 2, 2018, and as omnibus volumes from June 7, 2011, to March 5, 2019; a hardcover collector's edition for volume one was released by VIZ Media on August 5, 2008, a box set of volumes 1-21 was released on September 16, 2008, as well as volumes 22-48 on July 7, 2015, and the final box set containing volumes 49-74 on November 6, 2018. It has also been published in Brazilian Portuguese by Panini Comics since July 2007, and in Spanish by Glénat since June 2006, publishing 51 volumes before the publisher went defunct; it was later republished by Panini Comics from February 2013 to November 2017.

Many adaptations have also been made of Bleach, with four feature-length films, numerous video games, spin-off light novels, databooks, a live-action movie, and even a musical.