Bleach is a series that had a ton of potential before squandering it by the end of its run. It's a shame since the powers of the Shinigami and the idea of such entities existing in the real world were pretty captivating, but a lack of consistency in terms of power levels and story quality ultimately proved to be the series' downfall. It didn't help that Bleach recycled some of the elements from its arcs, making these stories feel less interesting over time.
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The manga version of Bleach may have set the foundation for the series, but the anime still does a few things better than the manga.
However, one thing that Bleach excelled in time and time again was the quality of its fights. Some of the battles in the series are a joy to watch due to their amazing cinematics and mind-blowing powers that were on full display. Even after all the criticisms that have been levied against Bleach, fans still love revisiting its many awe-inspiring fights and the sheer power scaling on display here. Despite some odd moments here and there, the creative powers of the many characters in Bleach left viewers guessing for better or worse.
Updated on June 2, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Bleach is a series that has been through various ups and downs that most fans are quite familiar with. The heights of the Soul Society arc were hard to reach, and Kubo's recycling of done-and-dusted concepts didn't really sit right with fans who wanted things to move in a fresh direction. Still, this doesn't change the fact that there are many great battles that fans have enjoyed over the course of the series, with some conflicts being more engaging than others. From intellectual confrontationto battles that involve pure brawn and everything in between, it's easy to see why there are so many personal favorites fans have when it comes to the many fights that have occurred during Bleach's run.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
23 Shuhei Hisagi VS Findorr Calius
Victor: Shuhei Hisagi
- Location: Fake Karakura Town
- Conflict: White Invasion
Shuhei Hisagi is a rather underrated Shinigami that many people don't talk about. Despite having a striking character design and having connections with Kanami Tosen, Hisagi's status as a lieutenant means that most people don't rate him all that high as a Shinigami because of his lower status. However, this shouldn't take away from his status as a Shinigami.
After all, he's shown his power as a powerful Soul Reaper several times, and a great example of the same is when he decides to fight against Findorr Calius. This Fraccion is one of the many Arrancar serving under Barragan and ends up being dominated by Hisagi as the Shinigami shows the true extent of his powers.
22 Renji Abarai VS Mask De Masculine
Victor: Renji Abarai
- Location: Wandenreich City
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
Renji is a fun and boisterous character whom viewers are initially introduced to as one of the antagonists during the Soul Society arc. However, it's only after his defeat at the hands of Ichigo that he reveals his true feelings for Rukia, begging Ichigo to save her at all costs. After being introduced to the Royal Guard, it's revealed that Renji still doesn't know the true name of his Zanpakuto, leading to him using an inferior version of what could've been a way more powerful Bankai.
This changes after his encounter with Ichibe Hyosube, who reveals the true name of his Zanpakuto and allows Renji to reach his true potential. His Bankai ends up being so powerful that the powerful Quincy, Mask De Masculine, doesn't stand a chance during their battle as his body is completely eviscerated by Renji's true Bankai.
21 Genryusai Yamamoto VS Driscoll Berci
Victor: Genryusai Yamamoto
- Location: Soul Society
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
There's no denying that Yamamoto is one of the most powerful characters in the show. However, most people would argue that he hasn't spent too much time showing off his skills barring an odd appearance here and there during the battle at Fake Karakura Town. So, when Kubo was building up to the big fight against Yhwach, Kubo needed to find a way to show just how powerful Yamamoto really was.
This led to the total whitewash of Driscoll Berci at the hands of this legendary Captain-Commander, who derided this Quincy for the poor showing of his subordinate's stolen Bankai before obliterating a man who was totally out of his depth. Watching Driscoll be obliterated into ashes is one of the best moments in an arc full of highlights.
20 Ichigo Kurosaki VS Sosuke Aizen
Victor: Ichigo Kurosaki
- Location: Soul Society
- Conflict: Invasion of Soul Society
Given that this encounter was the final fight in which Aizen would serve as the main antagonist, many people expected a lot from this battle. However, Ichigo's powerup was so unfair that even a Hogyoku-fused Aizen didn't stand a chance against the protagonist.
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The fight had its fair share of cool moments, with Ichigo man handing Aizen in the coolest way possible. However, there's no denying that this battle would've been even more memorable had Aizen and Ichigo been on equal footing. The random power-up that Ichigo receives moments before a fight against a souped-up version of one of the most powerful shinigami of all time is also hard to digest and further sours a battle that shouldn't been Bleach's crowning moment.
19 Yhwach VS Ichigo Kurosaki
Victor: Ichigo Kurosaki
- Location: Seireitei
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
It seems that the final confrontation between Ichigo and any antagonist is bound to fall just short of the mark for some reason on the other. In the case of this battle, it turned out that Yhwach was simply too powerful for Ichigo and his friends to even make a dent.
While Ichigo's new Bankai form was done away without any aplomb, the rest of the fight was fun and had pretty high stakes indeed. With Uryuu's help, Ichigo managed to find Yhwach in a tough spot and sliced through him to end the battle. It's a battle that suffered from much of what made Ichigo's fight against Aizen so disappointing, and fans can only hope that the anime adaptation does something to improve the final fight in Bleach.
18 Mayuri Kurotsuchi VS Pernida Parnkgjas
Victor: Mayuri Kurotsuchi
- Location: Royal Realm
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
Mayuri is one of the best shinigami in the entire show. He seems like nothing more than a creep before showing just how nefarious and deadly his powers are.
His fight against Pernida is easily the toughest battle Mayuri's been in. With enough help and the judicious use of his Bankai, Mayuri somehow managed to take out this threat before the same could happen to him.
17 Gin Ichimaru VS Sosuke Aizen
Victor: Sosuke Aizen
- Location: Karakura Town
- Conflict: Invasion of Soul Society
At a glance, it always felt like Gin was nothing more than a cold-hearted Shinigami who turned his back on Soul Society after teaming up with Aizen and Tosen. However, his true motivations were finally revealed after viewers got to know about his feelings for Rangiku, with the Soul Reaper developing a ton of hatred for Aizen after seeing the cruel way in which he harmed his close friend.
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This led to Gin pretending to be Aizen's friend until the critical moment when he would fuse with the Hogyoku. This is the time when Aizen would be at his most vulnerable, and Gin decides to take advantage... only for Aizen to reveal that he was way more powerful than Gin gave him credit for. Despite putting up a good fight, Gin was overpowered by Aizen, who dealt a mortal blow that spelled the end for this character.
16 Kenpachi Zaraki VS Gremmy Thoumeaux
Victor: Kenpachi Zaraki
- Location: Seireitei, Soul Society
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
Kenpachi's battle against Unohana was a test of his skills, with the chaotic Captain being brought back from the brink of death over and over again until he finally awakened the dormant power that had resided in him for so long. It was a bloody fight, with Zaraki learning the name of his Zanpakuto after the longest time following Unohana's death.
There was no better way to display his power than to use it against a Sternritter with an ability so ridiculous that even Kubo found it hard to figure out an excuse to kill him. The fact that Gremmy Thoumeaux could make his wildest fantasies come true made him incredibly overpowered, but Kenpachi wowed him with the reveal of his Shikai before obliterating a meteor coming his way. When Gremmy tried to imagine Zaraki's monstrous strength in his body, the sheer weight of this power ripped Gremmy's body apart in a gruesome display.
15 Rukia Kuchiki VS As Nodt
Victor: Rukia Kuchiki
- Location: Seireitei, Soul Society
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
Rukia has always been shy about showing her full power whenever she's thrust into battle. There are many times when she either holds back, loses her powers, is reluctant to do battle, or is stopped in her path for some reason or the other. To finally see her let loose against an enemy who used fear to fuel his attacks served as the perfect opponent for her.
Rukia had to retain her stoic nature to use a Bankai so powerful that it could kill the user herself. Freezing As Nodt and taking care of a powerful Sternritter is easily one of Rukia's biggest and most impressive victories in the entire series.
14 Kenpachi Zaraki VS Retsu Unohana
Victor: Kenpachi Zaraki
- Location: Muken
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
For the longest time, Kenpachi never really cared about his Zanpakuto and used it in such a careless manner that his sword was completely chipped all over. However, even he realized that his brutish way of fighting wasn't going to be enough to tackle the Quincy.
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This led to him fighting against Unohana in an absolutely brutal fight to unlock the true potential of his powers. This battle is important for Kenpachi's development and is one of the best moments during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.
13 Yhwach VS Genryusai Yamamoto
Victor: Yhwach
- Location: Soul Society
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
Yamamoto, the leader of the Gotei 13, was a force to be reckoned with. Tales of his legendary battling power and the brief displays showing just how strong he was made for a treat.
This was what made his fight with Yhwach such a treat, ending with one of the most shocking moments in the series. This legendary figure was defeated by Yhwach after being slashed from shoulder to waist, marking the start of a war-torn arc with one of the most shocking moments in the series.
12 Ichigo Kurosaki VS Renji Abarai
Victor: Ichigo Kurosaki
- Location: Seireitei
- Conflict: Ryoka Invasion
Ichigo versus Renji is one of the first serious fights that viewers will get to witness during the Soul Society arc. It's a great clash between Ichigo and a Shinigami who declares himself as Rukia's friend but doesn't act like it.
Their fight is a thing of joy to witness, especially due to how brutal it is. Renji's sword takes no prisoners and slices up Ichigo quite a bit before he finally attains victory.
11 Uryuu Ishida VS Mayuri Kurotsuchi
Victor: Renji Abarai
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- Location: Seireitei
- Conflict: Ryoka Invasion
Uryuu is one of the more fascinating characters in Bleach, and his origins as a Quincy are pretty great indeed. He's had his moments to shine in Bleach, with his fight against Mayuri being pretty great indeed.
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It's one of Uryuu's best fights in the series while also showing just how twisted and powerful Mayuri is. Suffice it to say that fans will fall in love with both characters by the end of this battle.
10 Ichibe Hyosube VS Yhwach
Victor: Yhwach
- Location: Soul King Palace
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
While the fight between Hyosube and Yhwach makes it seem like the latter bit the dust, the truth couldn't be further from this conclusion. Fans who aren't up to date with the manga are in for a rude awakening when the third cour airs.
Yhwach is one of the strongest characters in Bleach, and even the man with one of the most overpowered abilities in Soul Society wasn't able to best this foe. It's a testament to just how powerful the Quincy King is, and how he disposed of Yamamoto and Ichibe is proof of this.
9 Ichigo Kurosaki VS Kenpachi Zaraki
Victor: Renji Abarai
- Location: Seireitei
- Conflict: Ryoka Invasion
The first showdown between Ichigo and Kenpachi is a great battle indeed. It's the first time when viewers genuinely thought that Ichigo would lose due to how monstrous his opponent was.
Kenpachi didn't even show his full strength during this battle, so Ichigo's victory has a huge asterisk over it. If both characters fought at their full strength in the show, there's no telling just how much destruction will ensue!
8 Kenpachi Zaraki VS Nnoitra Gilga
Victor: Kenpachi Zaraki
- Location: Las Noches
- Conflict: Invasion of Hueco Mundo
Zaraki's fights are always a ton of fun to witness due to just how over-the-top this man gets during any battle. It's one of the biggest reasons why so many people love this character.
His fight against Nnoitra Gilga shows just how powerful he is. The fact that he manages to defeat this powerful Espada by simply swinging his sword with two hands is hilarious and typical for a swordsman as powerful as Kenpachi.
7 Ichigo Kurosaki VS Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez
Victor: Ichigo Kurosaki
- Location: Las Noches
- Conflict: Invasion of Hueco Mundo
Grimmjow is an Arrancar who, along with Ulquiorra, holds the title of being one of the coolest-designed villains in Bleach. The fact that he develops a rivalry with Ichigo and fights him multiple times makes him a pretty interesting character indeed.
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Each confrontation against Grimmjow is pretty brutal, with Ichigo using his Hollow mask for the last two fights. These encounters push Ichigo to the limit and force him to get better time and time again.
6 Renji Abarai VS Byakuya Kuchiki
Victor: Byakuya Kuchiki
- Location: Seireitei
- Conflict: Ryoka Invasion
After healing from his wounds, Renji realizes just how stupid he's been. He decides to fight against Byakuya and prevent his childhood friend from being executed for an unfair reason.
The battle is visceral, with both fighters revealing their Bankai as well. It's a great moment in the show that serves as a turning point for Renji's character as well.
5 Kenpachi Zaraki & Toshiro Hitsugaya VS Gerard Valkyrie
Victor: Kenpachi Zaraki & Toshiro Hitsugaya (Indirectly)
- Location: Soul King Palace
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
Gerard Valkyrie is so powerful that almost the entire Gotei 13 struggles against this immortal foe. However, the two shinigami who showcase a wealth of powers here are Kenpachi and Hitsugaya.
Kenpachi reveals a new Bankai while Hitsugaya perfects his, with both characters getting their time to shine in this battle. While the manner in which Gerard is disposed of by Yhwach's Auswahlen is pretty disappointing, this battle still has its highlights.
4 Shunsui Kyoraku VS Coyote Starrk
Victor: Shunsui Kyoraku
- Location: Fake Karakura Town
- Conflict: White Invasion
Viewers had to wait ages for Kyoraku to finally show the true extent of his powers in battle. Thankfully, this wait was more than worth it, with Kyoraku's Shikai itself being extremely satisfying to witness.
The fact that this battle happened against the Number 1 Espada was even better! It showed the gulf in power between the top-ranking Commanders of the Gotei 13 and everyone else that viewers had witnessed up till that point.
