30 Strongest Bleach Characters In The Series

Have you seen the new Bleach trailer? I need to be honest that I was not a big fan of Bleach. I watched it, but it never did not give me that same amount of hype when I watched One Piece or Naruto. But man, this trailer somehow makes me have high expectations for this show.

Note: This list was only edited, not originally written by Cody Perez. This list does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Cody Perez. 

Strongest Bleach Characters in the Series

So, in order to kind of celebrate the trailer of the Bleach New Season series, today we are going to talk about the 30 strongest Bleach characters in the series. And here we only talk about the characters' strength from the last anime. No spoiler from the manga because who actually here loves spoilers? Because I do not. 

But in all seriousness, I do hope that Studio Pierrot will nail this adaptation because for me, this arc is insane (again, no spoiler. I just want to tell you how good it is). So yeah, Fall 2022. Remember the date and be patient for it.

Last words before I enter the actual list, since there are some characters who have not shown their true powers, the list may be slightly inaccurate. Because keep in mind that I tried my best to pick everything up from where the anime left us with.

So, without wasting anymore time, let us start from number 30.

30. Kuchiki Rukia

Starting off easy with the promising talent of Gotei 13. I said promising because Rukia has not shown her true potential (oh just you wait). Even with her current ability, she is able to defeat the 9th Espada Aaroniero Arruruerie, making her the reason why I would not put such a weak character on this list. It was a tough fight for Rukia, but a win is a win and she has established her place here. 

29. Abarai Renji

Renji was also a promising talent of Gotei 13 just like Rukia. Yet he bloomed first and he has already showcased his tiny fraction of his strength during his fight against Fullbringer Jackie. His Zanpakuto, Zabimaru, is rather simplistic but rather effective for someone who relies on brute force. Renji will continue to evolve as a Soul Reaper and his development is much faster than we thought. As I said in Rukia's part, just you fricking wait. 

28. Zommari Rureaux

I commend Zommari for giving Byakuya quite a brilliant fight. Well, at first. As an Espada Zommari proved himself that he truly deserved that title. However, against an opponent like Byakuya may perhaps be a bit too much for him. Who knows, if he got a better matchup, he could probably do something more devastating to the enemy. But again, the keyword here is “probably”. It could be true, or I might be completely wrong. 

27. Szayelaporro Granz

This lunatic did give Renji and Ishida a really difficult time. Similar to the Gotei 13 Mayuri Kurotsuchi, he is sort of a scientist himself. And his invention proved to be a total nuisance for those two. However, just like Zommari, it turns out that facing Mayuri is still too much for him. Saying him a weak character is not entirely correct, but we cannot consider him as a strong one either. 

26. Hachigen Ushoda

I know the fact that he, alongside Soi Fon, fought the 2nd strongest Espada. Ushoda was also the ex Vice Chief of Kido Corps before getting visored. So it must mean that he has a really great knowledge related to Kido. But here we cannot rank his true power simply by seeing some Kido. At least until he gets more screen time, I think it is best to put him right here. 

25. Jushiro Ukitake

I know the fact that Ukitake is much stronger than this. I mean, he is among the most senior members of Gotei 13 alongside Kyouraku. But just like Ushoda, it is difficult to assess his true power because he barely had any fight in the entire series (of course I can spoil it out from the manga but that is against my policy). So yeah, we know he is strong, but how strong is he actually? 

24. Soi Fon

As the Captain of the 2nd Division who specializes in recognisance, Soi Fon has a perfect Zanpakuto to support her duty, being Suzumebachi. And it also has an annoying side effect. However, her Bankai is way too flashy to be able to do stealth missions. Soi Fon is a rare character in the series where she fits using her Shikai more than Bankai. It could be a blessing, it could also be a curse, you decide. 

23. Yoruichi Shihouin

Yoruichi is a rare case of Shinigami who does not use a particular Zanpakuto and relies on other techniques. And even she is still able to fight on par with some of the Gotei 13 captains. But of course there are some things that can only be done by using Zanpakuto, thus the reason why I put her quite low on the list, just above Soi Fon because she was able to beat her somehow. 

22. Muguruma Kensei

Just like some previous characters, I honestly am confused on where to put Muguruma's name on this list. We have seen his hand to hand combat against Wonderweiss (whom he did not actually kill). Of course he is strong, but similar with his fellow visored Hachigen and Gotei 13 captain Ukitake, we have not seen his real power yet. So yes, it is best to put him here and wait for the next season. Be patient boys and girls. 

21. Yammy Llargo

This dense and hot tempered Espada depicts what usually big guys do the best: smash. Yammy has superb physical prowess, and is even able to add some more after he transforms using his Zanpakuto. And by using it, he will become a gigantic Arrancar who seemingly only knows how to use brute strength. And that is the reason why I put him here. Yammy is good at fighting but lacks common sense and can be countered easily. 

20. Kaname Tousen

Blinded by power to become stronger to be able to erase impurities, Tousen decided to follow Aizen. And yes, he gained a new power that arguably makes him stronger. That hollow power even made him able to see things. Sadly because of it he also lost something that is supposed to be his signature strength: keen senses. And that made him easily lose to his subordinate, which is unfortunate because he could have done better than that. 

19. Komamura Sajin

The Captain of 7th Division does have a rather simplistic Shikai and Bankai that allows him to summon a giant samurai and makes him able to inflict massive damage from his sword swing. That kind of raw power is not something that everyone has, and with that Komamura can easily bulldoze his way to defeat his enemies. But as I said, it was too simplistic and can be countered easily after you understand the pattern. 

18. Nnoitra Gilga 

Frankly, I have quite a problem concerning where to put Nnoitra. He is strong enough to put Ichigo in a pinch, yet he struggled to put up a decent fight against Zaraki. Do not get me wrong, he is certainly strong. Otherwise he would not be the 5th Espada. But compared to some other characters, he is honestly not anything special. I could say the right analogy would be “a big fish in a small pond”.

17. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez

Arguably the most cool looking Espada out there (apart from Ulquiorra of course). When he uses his Zanpakuto, Grimmjow will turn into something like a tiger. That form allows him to enhance his durability, strength,and speed. His speed can even rival Ichigo's in his Bankai. But yeah, a lot of other Espada can do the exact same as Grimmjow. As much as it pains me to say, his power is not really that special among them. 

16. Kurotsuchi Mayuri

If we are talking about Mayuri's strength, we need to start with his mad scientist instinct. Mayuri has done a lot of research and because of it, he has developed a lot of things that are useful (and some other useless stuff) for the Soul Society. His Zanpakuto, Ashisogi Jizou, is only a mere tool for him to do his experiments. That sword allows him to immobilize the target and makes it easier to do his “research”.

15. Ichimaru Gin

I personally cannot say that this snake face is a strong character. But, he is perhaps the most cunning character in the series, and that is why Gin is so difficult to handle. Yes it is all for the sake of Matsumoto, but my point still stands. His patience to get into Aizen's inner circle after all these years is something that is supposed to be applauded. Sadly he has lost because he is not the main character. 

14. Unohana Retsu

Putting Unohana above some of the fighters like Komamura and Soi Fon may raise some questions to some of you. But you know, apart from the fact that Unohana is also some of the most senior captains in Gotei 13, her knowledge and skill is not something that should be underestimated. Not to mention her healing ability is more important during the battle. There is no use fighting if you are unable to win because of a heavy injury or some sort. 

13. Hirako Shinji

I do not know what is with the 5th Division Captain, but they are all the masters of illusion Zanpakuto. Shinji's Shikai allows him to mess with the opponent's sense of direction. It sounds really simple, but it is really effective for opponents who have not known his true skills. Yes it can be countered when they get used to it, but it will take a while for them to adjust their sense to his Shikai. 

12. Urahara Kisuke

When it comes to Zanpakuto, Urahara's Benimaru is… Fine. It is good but it seems a bit lackluster. However, his real ability is his knowledge and invention skill, similar to Mayuri but more “normal” and arguably more useful. There is a reason why he is selected to lead the 12th Division. Urahara has a brilliant and inventive mind that helps him to come up with a plan in a pinch. Remember, he was the one who sealed Aizen at the end of the arc. 

11. Tier Harribel

If we compare Harribel to some previous Espada like Grimmjow and Nnoitra, it seems that her power does not look really special, no? Well at this point, when it comes to Espada comparison, it is not about who “seemingly” is more powerful, but the Reiryoku will also be calculated. It is no use when an Espada looks powerful but cannot stay in a long battle because they lack Reiryoku. It is not the case with Harribel. 

10. Baraggan Louisenbairn

The ability to control time has always been overpowered in any anime. In Bleach, Barragan possesses such ability. He is capable of making people age faster. And when he uses his Zanpakuto, he can take it up a notch and make a certain body part rotting and decaying, just like he demonstrated towards Soi Fon. She struggled fighting Barragan until she got some help from the visored go to make the fight slightly more equal. 

9. Coyote Starrk

Alongside his partner, Lilynette Gingerbuck, both of them caused massive problems for the Gotei 13 captains due to his incredible power. He defeated 2 visored beings Love and Roujurou with normal effort, showing how dangerous he actually is. Well eventually he is beaten by Kyouraku, but even he needs to put a great effort to put Starrk down. He truly deserves the number 1 spot of Espada with that kind of strength. 

8. Ulquiorra Cifer

Even though he is the 4th “supposedly” strongest Espada, I am certain that Ulquiorra has greater abilities compared to other Espada. The fact that he even has some sort of second released form of his Zanpakuto called “Segunda Etapa ” (which is extremely cool if you ask me). I kind of find it hilarious seeing him decimating Ichigo, who was already struggling with his basic Zanpakuto form. It is an overkill. Well, at least before Ichigo turned into something else.

7. Hitsugaya Toshiro 

For these numbers we are going to have some of the fan favorites. And opening the list is Hitsugaya. His strength is already well-known in spite of his young age. Some even considered him as a genius.His Zanpakuto makes him able to control the Ice Dragon named Hyourinmaru. He is proved among the strongest Gotei 13 Captains. Last thing I want to address is Hitsugaya in the latest trailer. Man… So damn badass. 

6. Kenpachi Zaraki

If you somehow are able to join the elite squad simply by using brute strength, then there is no way I am going to put this character low on the list. And that is exactly what happened to Zaraki. He does not have Bankai and even Shikai, yet he is able to stand toe to toe with other captains. He even needs to seal his Reiatsu and only unleashes it when he needs it. Talk about badassery. 

5. Kuchiki Byakuya

And of course we have the cold yet elegant Byakuya above these fan favorites. Whenever Byakuya appears, it is assured that the job would be done rather flawlessly. His Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, is perhaps the most beautiful yet most dangerous Bankai because of how easily he can overpower his enemy with numbers of flower petals. Byakuya did not even break that much sweat when he fought the Espada (yes it is lower Espada but he is still strong you know). 

4. Shunsui Souzousuke Jirou Kyouraku

A veteran anime fan would know that usually the most laid back person in the series is normally among the strongest characters. And that is exactly Kyouraku's case. One thing that may be able to showcase his strength is that he is able to fight the number 1 Espada ONLY using his Shikai. Yes he is prohibited by Ukitake for using his Bankai, but that is still an amazing feat. Especially knowing that others were struggling even with Bankai. 

3. Kurosaki Ichigo

Well of course the main character will make it here at the top of the list. Initially his Shikai and Bankai were more than enough to fight the Gotei 13 captains and lieutenants. But then power creep happened, thus he gained more power to be able to keep up. Heck, even he got the power from his hollow side and Zangetsu, making him so overpowered. But of course, with great power usually comes great side effects. 

2. Sosuke Aizen 

I think when it comes to raw power, Aizen is a tad bit stronger than Ichigo and of course most other characters. Up until now (yes, even until the manga has ended) , he is among the few characters who has not shown his Bankai. Not like he needed it because his Shikai is brutally powerful on its own. And him combining with Hogyoku only makes him ridiculously powerful, and pretty much untouchable at that time. 

1. Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto

Okay it is not a secret that General Yamamoto would be the one who occupies the first on the list. Is he stronger than Aizen? Well, perhaps. Aizen himself does not want to mess with him even though he has that kind of Zanpakuto. Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka is something that even Aizen needs to be wary about. With a Shikai being that powerful, could you imagine how strong the Bankai would be?