20 Strongest ‘Bleach’ Characters, Ranked

After decades of waiting, Bleach is back in full swing, better than ever before, proving to be one of the greatest anime today. With the early cancellation of the anime, the sequel series finally returned in 2022, with a third season currently airing. While fans have been privy to some of the best animation in all of anime, they also get bigger and better fights and powerups, shifting to the hierarchy of strength in the Bleach universe.

This list will explore the ten strongest characters currently in the anime, meaning there will be no feats or powerups from the manga, only what fans have seen in the anime thus far. Powerscaling is always a tricky beast to handle, as it is rarely ever clear who is stronger than who. For a character to land on this list, they must possess impressive feats, greater potential, or some sort of confirmation that they are strong.

Bleach

Release Date

2004 – 2023-00-00

Network

TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC, BS TV Tokyo

• 

  Masakazu Morita

  Ichigo Kurosaki (voice)

• 

  Fumiko Orikasa

  Rukia Kuchiki

20

Gremmy Thoumeaux

Debut Episode: 380

The Quincies are the most recent threat against Ichigo and the Soul Society, and Gremmy Thoumeaux is one of their most dangerous members. Given the designation V for visionary, Gremmy has the overpowered ability to create anything he can imagine, believing himself to be the strongest Quincy.

Gremmy is the only non-Schutzstaffel Quincy on this list, proving his overwhelming power and feats. His ability is the main reason he finds a spot, as he comes up with some imaginative creations. However, that is his weakness, with Kenpachi defeating him because Gremmy couldn’t imagine a situation where he would win.

19

Oetsu Nimaiya

Debut Episode: 374

Before the final season of Bleach, fans only thought there were the normal 13 Squads. However, Squad 0 introduced new members, including Oetsu Nimaiya, one of the strongest Soul Reapers. Oetsu is a master swordsman and swordsmith, credited with creating the very first Zanpakutō.

Fans wished they got to see a lot more of Nimaiya, but the short bit they did see was impressive enough to be one of the strongest characters in the series. His brief fights were back-and-forth scrimmages, but his power to create the sharpest sword was impressive, providing some of the most epic action in anime.

18

Pernida Parnkgjas

Debut Episode: 380

The Schutzstaffel are the strongest Quincies in Bleach and directly serve Yhwach, protecting him and fighting his most brutal battles. The first one on this list is Pernida Parnkgjas, who boasts a unique design of a weird figure draped in a cloak. He has the designation C for compulsory and is the left arm of the Soul King, governing progress.

Every member of the Schutzstaffel is strong, but the fact that Pernida is the weakest shouldn’t take anything away from him. His fight against Mayuri and Nemu proved he is capable of battling two intelligent opponents at once, utilizing his gross but powerful ability to help make one of the best arcs in Bleach.

17

Senjumaru Shutara

Debut Episode: 374

As previously mentioned, Squad 0 is the strongest in Bleach, and the strongest member of said squad, outside of the leader, is Senjumaru Shutara. Her ability utilizes weaving techniques to fight, with her Bankai capable of trapping enemies inside a silk palace, seemingly cutting them off in one fell swoop.

Bleach has some of the best music in anime, but Senjumaru provided a feast for the eyes with her gorgeous Bankai that nearly took down all the Schutzstaffel. Her overpowered ability is the reason why she ranks so high. Even if it didn’t finish them off, Senjumaru still proved her strength with this incredible feat.

16

Uryu Ishida

Debut Episode: 7

As the protagonist, Ichigo gets all of the shine, often leaving the side cast on their own to do nothing. However, Uryu Ishida gets the most love out of the main cast, serving as a rival and friend to Ichigo. As a Quincy, he helped Ichigo throughout their journey, but suddenly turned on him in the most recent arc in Bleach, siding with Yhwach to create an iconic anime plot twist.

Uryu has consistently proven his feats through battles in Bleach, defeating opponents such as Mayuri. However, he has earned a spot on this list because of the Thousand Year Blood War, where he fought and defeated Renji, Senjumaru, and Ichigo, and was even with Jugram. His upgraded Quincy powers and feats prove he is one of the most powerful characters in Bleach.

15

Mayuri Kurotsuchi

Debut Episode: 24

After the end of the most recent season, it would be a crime not to include everyone’s favorite mad scientist, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. He is the captain of the 12th division and the head of the research department, creating all sorts of fascinating inventions and harboring a rivalry with his former captain, Kisuke Urahara.

While always intimidating, his loss to Uryu Ishida in the Soul Society arc left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. However, Mayuri would only get more powerful and terrifying, starting with his win over Szayelaporro Granz. However, his most impressive win was against Pernida, in which he used his vast intellect, inventions, zanpakuto and help from Nemu to defeat, helping make this last season of Bleach one of the best anime of 2024.

14

Byakuya Kuchiki

Debut Episode: 15

Byakuya Kuchiki is one of the most popular characters in Bleach, serving as a major villain in the early arcs before becoming a fan-favorite side character. He was a main reason why Bleach was an essential 2000s anime, fitting in the vibe and producing many great fights. He has a reserved personality and is the captain of the 6th division and older brother to Rukia Kuchiki.

Fans are all too familiar with Byakuya’s powers, turning his sword into a wave of sharp Sakura petals, easily shredding opponents. His bankai is even more powerful, creating many large swords that scatter into even more razor-sharp leaves. His composed demeanor and devastating ability allowed him to defeat strong enemies like Yammy and As Nodt and will aid him in the fight next season.

13

Kenpachi Zaraki

Debut Episode: 20

Kenpachi Zaraki is a beloved Bleach character, mainly because of his joy for fighting and rambunctious personality. He is the current captain of the 11th division, which fans know for its love of action and uncontrollable nature. Zaraki never awakened his bankai, which speaks volumes about his strength, but recently, he revealed his Shikai, which provided more offensive capabilities and helped Bleach become a perfect action anime.

While manga fans know that he will be higher up on this list after next season’s events, he is currently at this spot because of his strength in the anime. This means fans have much to look forward to next season, with more Zaraki fights and power-ups. However, this doesn’t mean he’s weak. Zaraki is one of the strongest Soul Reaper, possessing unmatched raw strength and fighting instincts, making him a terrifying opponent.

12

Askin Nakk le Vaar

Debut Episode: 369

Almost all of the Schutzstaffel are on this list, except for Pernida. While fans don’t know the full extent of Askin Nakk le Vaar’s power, they saw enough to land him on this list. While his laid-back personality and cowardice lead fans to believe he is weak, Askin uses this to his advantage. With the designation D: Deathdealing, he is the only low-ranking Sternritter Yhwach promoted to Schutzstaffel.

Askin has one of the most unique powers in Bleach, which allows him to control the lethal dose of anything after consuming a certain amount of said object. This overpowered ability can make air or reishi poisonous, easily defeating Ichigo and Grimmjow. He is also immune to a powerful attack forever if he survives the first one, which helps him defeat Yoruichi. This power, combined with his rapid speed, makes him one of the strongest characters, and fans should be excited for his next anime appearance perhaps in 2025.

11

Gerard Valkyrie

Debut Episode: 380

Known for its great anime openings and music, Bleach introduced the top commanders of the Quincies with a fitting military-themed track. While not the leader of the Schutzstaffel, Gerard Valkyrie certainly has a commanding and authoritative presence that is a fit for any army. This Thor-esque Quincy has the designation M, as in Miracle, and is a loud and aggressive figure rushing into battle without hesitation.

Initially, Gerard didn’t have a Schrift, and his powers were innate. His abilities allowed him to manipulate probability, power up based on belief, and cheat death, creating miracles however he saw fit. As a Schutzstaffel member, fans know he is strong, such as when he took on every member of Squad Zero. While undoubtedly strong, Gerard barely makes it onto this list. However, fans can expect big things from the character in the current season, which could raise his rank in the future.