Bleach is a series that needs no introduction, with The Thousand-Year Blood War proving to be a spectacle in every way that has wowed fans and renewed interest in the series once again. The lackluster nature of this manga following Aizen's defeat was a sore spot for many fans, and it didn't help that the anime was also slated to end before adapting the entire story.
With the new adaptation, there are chances that the show's trajectory can change for the better, with Yhwach establishing himself as a pretty interesting antagonist who has already made a resounding impression with his cold-blooded murder of Yamamoto. He's just one of the many great villains in Bleach, with Kubo's striking art design doing a great job of making the show's antagonists feel pretty unique in their own right.
7 Kaname Tosen
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The betrayal at the end of the Soul Society arc in Bleach was one of the best ways to cap off this arc. After everything seemed like it was going back to normal, the trio of Aizen, Gin, and Tosen decided to show their true colors and made their move against Soul Society. Out of this trio, most people have to admit that Tosen didn't have the biggest impact of the lot.
However, his dynamic with Komamura and Hisagi still makes him pretty interesting, with their fight being a long time coming. Despite Tosen throwing everything but the kitchen sink at his opponents during this battle, his friends manage to get the upper hand. Ultimately, Tosen revealed that his hatred for Soul Society arose as a result of everything ignoring the death of his dear friend, Kakyo. The blatant injustice here pushed him down a dark path, and even his friends couldn't help him see the light.
6 Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez
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At a glance, Grimmjow seems like nothing more than a hothead who let his temper get the better of him too many times. Along with Ulquiorra, Grimmjow served as a thorn in Ichigo's side time and time again. Their confrontations were a joy to witness, with both characters revealing their powers in these amazing confrontations that pushed both fighters to their very limits.
The fact that he's still alive is a source of joy for many fans who want to see Grimmjow enjoy some form of redemption, with his backstory being as tragic as they come. After Ichigo hones his skills extensively, he finally managed to defeat this Arrancar in a resounding fashion after a long and grueling battle.
5 Gin Ichimaru
The calm and composed Gin surprised everyone when it was revealed that he defected from Soul Society along with Aizen and Tosen. No one expected this intriguing character to be part of this traitorous trio, with Rangiku being especially affected by the brazen manner in which her dear friend turned his back on everything they loved.
However, as the story went on, it was clear that there was more to Gin than what met the eye. His conversation with Ichigo was an eye-opening moment, with Gin revealing soon after that he was working against Aizen all along. The man was fiercely loyal to Rangiku and swore to kill Aizen from the moment this nefarious villain hurt her for his own selfish needs.
4 Ulquiorra Cifer
After the end of the Soul Society arc, it was clear that a new chapter in Bleach needed to hook people by introducing riveting characters who could stand against the heroes. Such was the case with Ulquiorra Cifer, a character so mysterious yet interesting that viewers couldn't help but wonder what this Arrancar was all about.
This powerful Espada understood the power of human feelings while interacting with Inoue, but he never really managed to redeem himself before his battle against Ichigo. After completely dominating the Substitute Shinigami, Ichigo revealed a monstrous power that took the 4th Espada out with ease and would've hurt Inoue too, had the protagonist not come back to his senses.
3 Byakuya Kuchiki
While Byakuya is definitely a hero in every sense of the word now, there was a time when Rukia's brother served as the biggest antagonist of the series. He is partly the reason why the Soul Society arc was such a brilliant time, with Ichigo failing to understand how the notion of honor could be so strong that someone would sacrifice their own family!
Ultimately, after unlocking his Bankai, Ichigo managed to get the truth out of Byakuya and make him understand the error of his ways. As a result, Rukia's execution never came to be...but a larger threat loomed over Soul Society soon after.
2 Yhwach
The Thousand-Year Blood War is proving to be quite a spectacle indeed, and a major reason why is because of a riveting antagonist. The idea of the Quincy coming back to gain what is rightfully theirs adds to the lore and worldbuilding of the series, given their age-old conflict with the Shinigami.
The son of the Soul King has wasted no time in showing just how ridiculously strong he really is, and the members of Soul Society need to train quite hard if they wish to tackle this threat once again. Yamamoto's death was a huge blow, and the Shinigami need to go on the offensive if they don't want to be steamrolled by the Sternritter once again.
1 Aizen Sosuke
Aizen's betrayal of Soul Society is one of the most shocking moments in Bleach, with this soft-spoken Captain revealing himself to be a mastermind who was working in his own interests all along. This Shinigami is so powerful that his Shikai itself can completely nullify the threat of an opponent.
It's a shame that this character was done away with so shamelessly by Ichigo in one of the worst moments in the entire series. The fact that his Bankai hasn't been revealed yet is another sore spot, and fans can hope that the current anime adaptation changes things for the better.