List of Bleach episodes (season 5)

General Yamamoto calls a meeting of all the captains, informing them that the Bounts have arrived in Rukongai and that Hitsugaya has been put in charge of capturing the intruders. However, the last standing order he gives is to kill anyone who seems to be an intruder without hesitation.

Arriving in Rukongai, Jin Kariya and Koga Gowa are quickly found by Ōmaeda and Tetsuzaemon Iba and their troops. However, Koga easily dispatches the Soul Reapers with his doll and flattens Ōmaeda as he cowers in fear from Dalk. Tetsuzaemon doesn't want to fight someone who isn't armed with a sword, but attacks Koga anyway. However, Koga catches Tetsuzaemon's zanpakutō with one hand. Jin Kariya then flings Tetsuzaemon through a wall and into a nearby house.

Ichigo and his group split up in search of the Bount. While searching, Rukia comes across the Bount Yoshi. Caught without her zanpakutō, she uses kidō to fight. However, due to the power boost the Bounts received, Rukia is quickly overpowered.

Meanwhile Yamamoto is explaining the origins of the Bounts to the captains, however, during this mission a messenger interrupts to give the message that Rukia is fighting a Bount. The 13th Division moves out to help her.

Some buildings in Seireitei are bombed while a few captains look on. Rukia is saved and is put in the Kuchiki house to recuperate. Meanwhile, Jin Kariya steps into one of the worst places in Rukongai, Kusajishi. He confronts the inhabitants and eventually makes a game corner his hideout, from which he is attempting to raise a mob.

Ichigo and the others settle into Shiba Kūkaku's home where they eventually set off to the forest with Ishida and Chad on boars. Ichigo, however, goes off on his own, taking Ririn.

Hitsugaya and Ichinose pick up where they left off, with Ichinose using his shikai. With everyone confused, Ichinose is about to slice Chad, when Kenpachi Zaraki blocks it and starts his battle with Ichinose.

Telling everyone to leave, Zaraki and Ichinose battle. Zaraki blocks every attack Ichinose makes. Ichinose uses his shikai, and eventually cuts Zaraki on the shoulder. Getting desperate, he uses his zanpakutō's shikai ability to trap Zaraki within a bright sphere. Zaraki easily escapes by removing his eyepatch, releasing his full spiritual energy.

Jin Kariya and his group of Bounts pick up where they left off as they successfully open the Seireitei gate. Just as they enter, Jin Kariya tells the group of ruffians he doesn't need them anymore, and quickly disposes of them as they try to attack him. Ichigo and the others eventually reach Seireitei with an injured Jidanbō's help.

Soifon and the Executive Militia separate to try and find the Bounts. Mabashi and his doll, Ritz, quickly dispose of most of them and control some of them. Sensing that Mabashi has done a good job, Sawatari walks away as Mayuri Kurotsuchi un-camouflages himself from the wall.

Soifon has been infected with a poison which quickly begins to incapacitate her, while the full effects of Rizu's control are seen when her militia, and other infected Soul Reapers start attacking each other, while other groups try to stop Ichigo, Renji and Chad.

Komamura and Hisagi, after fending off some Rizu-controlled shinigami, ask Captain Unohana if she can cure the infected personnel. Unohana cannot do this without full knowledge of Mabashi's technique, but she is able to sedate them.

Soifon manages to reach a deserted area, where she runs into Mabashi. After a short fight during which Soifon does manage to hit Mabashi once with her Suzumebachi, placing the Homonka on his chest, she becomes severely weakened and begins to turn blind. Mabashi leaves her to die, and after thinking of Yoruichi, Soifon tries to find a way to regain strength.

Mabashi returns to watch Soifon die, she summons the last of her militia to attack him, but they are also controlled by Rizu and hold her down so Mabashi can infect her too to use her as a tool to fight the other captains. Just when Rizu is about to pierce through Soifon, she suddenly fights back with full strength. She reveals that Suzumebachi has the ability to counteract poisons, an important ability for the head of the special forces. With her regained strength, she pierces Mabashi again and kills him.

Mayuri proposes that Sawatari become one of his research subjects because of his renewed interest in the Bounts. Sawatari declines and starts attacking Mayuri and manages to rip his left arm off.

Mayuri heals himself and counterattacks, limiting Sawatari's doll Baura's movement. The plan works and he manages to pierce Sawatari using his zanpakutō, Ashisogi Jizō. Sawatari then fends him off and starts absorbing spirit particles to heal his injuries, but the zanpakutō's effects linger, as he can no longer use his right arm.

Sawatari escapes into another dimension and plans his next moves. He tries luring Mayuri but is caught off-guard when Mayuri reveals that he knew this plan all along, and explains to him that he can track him even if he slips into another dimension. Sawatari then proceeds to attack Mayuri using the absorbed spiritual power of other Soul Reapers in earlier battles. The attacks severely injures Mayuri and he is forced to summon his bankai, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo.

Baura is then ordered to swallow the bankai's poison but the latter proves fatal and crushes both Sawatari and his doll in a counter-attack. Sawatari, defeated and ailing, pleads for his life and agrees to be Mayuri's research subject. The captain, thoroughly agitated at this point, refuses, letting his bankai's poison kill the Bount.

Ishida and Yoshi begin their combat and Ishida quickly realizes that the power of the Quincy bracelet is variable. He eventually is able to concentrate and fire a powerful blast, which Yoshi blocks by fusing with her doll, Nieder, and using the giant fan to block the blow. Yoshi also exhibits another new power as she fuses with Nieder's sword half, and is able to use the "Eight Swords" attack on Ishida. Barely able to dodge, Ishida is eventually knocked to the ground.

Meanwhile, Kariya breaks into the Bureau of Technology and easily dispatches many Soul Reapers, including Nemu. He declares that he is searching for a crest. Kariya is confronted by Chad and Ichigo, who activates his bankai, starting the battle. As the fight commences, a hole is blown in the floor and Kariya sees the crest beneath. By fusing with the crest, which has stored energy which was used to create the Bounts, Kariya declares he has enough power to destroy Seiretei at any moment, but he will give the Soul Reapers "One day to cower in fear." He promptly disappears before Ichigo can attack him.

Although his bow appears to be nearing its limit, Ishida manages to defeat Yoshi and her doll Nieder by capitalizing on Yoshi's weakness of not being able to defend and attack at the same time and shoots a powerful arrow into her heart.

With the threat of Kariya now gone, the group relaxes. Rukia goes back to the Kuchiki house to continue her recovery, while Ichigo and Renji discuss Kariya's life. They all go on to reminisce about their own lives; Ichigo on the days before his life-changing encounter with Rukia; Renji on his promotion to 6th Division lieutenant; and Rukia on the day she was told she would be going to the real world.

Meanwhile, Koga Gowa wakes up in Rantao's home. He had survived his fight with Hitsugaya, and was found and taken back to Rantao by Yoruichi. Upon discovering he is the only remaining Bount, he apologizes for the Bounts' actions, in particular for Kariya. He remains with Rantao.