Of the many groups in Bleach, the Bounts are probably one of the most hated by fans, since they have their origins in an anime-exclusive "filler" arc. However, that doesn't mean they should be totally overlooked, as the Bounts actually managed to pull off some impressive accomplishments first.
Like the Visored, the Bounts aren't a group that emerged naturally, but rather are a result of experiments in the Soul Society gone awry. While attempting to discover a means of granting a soul eternal life, a device in the experimented overflowed with power, accidentally irradiating some souls being reincarnated to the world of the living. These souls became Bleach's Bounts, beings which can become immortal by feeding on the souls of the living or dead. It's said that the Bounts were the origin of the vampire myth, and Bounts were run out of society as a result. Bounts are unable to breed, so all Bounts that exist were created as a direct result of that one experiment a few hundred years ago. In the end, Bounts are still human-based and thus able to die from means other than old age, so most Bounts were wiped out around the same time as the Quincy, and largely by the Soul Society.
Some Bounts are copies of the artificial souls that were used in the research, which were in turn based on the researchers themselves. All Bounts have enhanced much like the Quincy do.
The Bounts Bost a Few Incredibly Powerful
The most notable Bount character is their leader, Jin Kariya, who was designed for the anime by Tite Kubo. Jin is a harsh man who lives by a "survival-of-the-fittest" mindset and believes that strength is essential. Any Bount he deemed to be too weak was killed, and Jin saw no moral issues with consuming human souls to attain power. Jin is also very clever and was the mastermind behind the Bount's attack on Bleach's Soul Society, which he did to get vengeance for everything they'd done to him and his people. The attack was actually somewhat successful and marked the first big invasion of the Soul Society, but nearly all Bount were wiped out. The only survivor known to exist is Jin's former confidante Go Koga, a stoic man proud of his status as a Bount. Despite surviving, Koga never appears again.
While the Bount arc of Bleach may not be well-liked by fans, it does fit fairly well with other arcs, as it comes between the initial Soul Society arc and Bleach's Hueco Mundo/Arrancar arc, as well as fitting with the Soul Society's less-than-perfect image. Fans looking for more Bleach who've skipped the arc should give it a try.
