Highlights
- Bankai is the ultimate release of Shinigami's Zanpakuto, boosting power and conferring unique abilities, but some Bankai in Bleach are weak and ineffective.
- Komamura's Bankai amplifies his attacks but also reflects damage on himself, making it a larger target for opponents.
- Renji's Bankai lost its cutting ability and became more of a weapon for grabbing, making him struggle in close-range combat.
For those capable of activating it, Bankai is the ultimate release of Shinigami's Zanpakuto in Bleach, boosting their power to levels unseen while conferring unique abilities that correspond to the nature of their blade. All Captains in the Gotei 13 are expected to be able to perform Bankai, with the only exception among them being Kenpachi Zaraki, the Captain of the 11th Division, until he eventually awakened it. Generally used as a trump card against powerful opponents, activating Bankai is not something an opponent would normally take lightly.
That being said, certain Bankai in Bleach are ridden with their own set of faults — be it a complex activation process, lack of offensive power, or poor alignment with the user's fighting style. Quite a few such cases have been observed among the Shinigami of the Gotei 13, where their Bankai have been reduced to purely cosmetic power-ups rather than an actual ace up their sleeves. On this note, these are some of the weakest Bankai seen in the series to date, ranked in decreasing order of effectiveness.
8 Kokujo Tengen Myo'o (Sajin Komamura)
Sajin Komamura's Bankai permitted him to summon a giant spectral warrior who would mimic all of his movements to amplify the effects of his attacks in scale and force. There was a caveat to this as all the damage inflicted upon the giant would also be reflected on Komamura's own body. In effect, this made it a larger target for opponents, and despite its offensive potential, Komamura's Bankai would struggle against more versatile Zanpakuto.
That being said, the Dangai Joue version of this Bankai, which also utilizes the Humanization technique, is an entirely different prospect as it regenerates instantly from any damage.
7 Kamishini no Yari (Gin Ichimaru)
Many in Soul Society regarded him as a genius, which is potentially why Gin Ichimaru was able to survive so long with such a tame Bankai. Gin's Bankai expanded upon his Shikai ability to extend his blade at high speeds. Interestingly, this power was used more as a verbal deterrent rather than in actual combat. Additionally, Gin is known to have lied about its speed and maximum extension length which might make it even weaker than it initially appeared.
Granted the first demonstration of its power was quite impressive, as it managed to level much of Fake Karakura Town, but this is more due to Gin's intellect and mastery of this relatively tame power rather than the Bankai's own strength.
6 Hihio Zabimaru (Renji Abarai)
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Another extension-based ability, Renji's false Bankai was definitely eye-catching when first revealed. The now iconic design of its skeletal whip-like form, culminating in a snake skull is one of the most memorable features of his fight against Byakuya during the Soul Society Arc. However, it has often been stated that Renji had to train even harder than most to get accustomed to the full range of motion that his Bankai could execute.
Moreover, it also lost its ability to perform cutting attacks, turning into more of a weapon for grabbing and crushing opponents. Renji was often defeated at close range due to these reasons and even struggled to win contests of strength against opponents over larger distances.
5 Tekken Tachikaze (Kensei Muguruma)
By virtue of being a Hakuda specialist who excels in hand-to-hand combat, Kensei Muguruma's Bankai takes shape as a pair of knuckle blades that can augment his punches with destructive force and concentrated wind pressure. The explosive power of his strikes continues to assault opponents as long as his fists remain in contact with them, making it quite deadly for mid-level opponents at short ranges.
That being said, while this ability can take down Gillian-class Hollows with relative ease, it has not shown much effectiveness when deployed against higher-level opponents, which is why it does not rank among the stronger Bankai of the Gotei 13.
4 Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Korogi (Kaname Tosen)
A fitting ability considering Tosen has been blind since birth, his Bankai, Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Korogi, creates a large dome that envelopes both Tosen and his opponent. Within this dome, all his enemy's senses — including their sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch — are nullified. For most, this experience would be akin to being trapped within a silent black void.
Tosen is also able to wield his sealed Zanpakuto within the dome and attack his opponents, which is where its main weakness emerges. Anyone touching his blade is immune to the dome's effects. Kenpachi Zaraki exploited this aspect of its power and used his superhuman durability to withstand attacks and grab Tosen's blade, allowing him to immobilize Tosen and defeat him at close range.
3 Ryumon Hozukimaru (Ikkaku Madarame)
One of the few Lieutenants in the Gotei 13 capable of using Bankai, Ikkaku specializes in melee combat and his Bankai has also been designed to cater to this. Ryumon Hozukimaru consists of two weapons: a Chinese monk's space and a guandao, connected by chains that lead to a center section shaped like an axe that floats behind Ikkaku's back.
While his Bankai does provide some boost in power, it takes some time to charge up to its full strength and does not offer any offensive or defensive abilities like other Bankai. This makes it fairly one-dimensional to begin with, and the weapon itself has broken in combat indicating that it is quite brittle as well.
2 Jakuho Raikoben (Sui-Feng)
Although Sui-Feng's Bankai does boast a decent amount of offensive power, it really cannot compare to the more versatile Bankai that have been shown in the series so far. In essence, Jakuho Raikoben takes the form of a massive gold missile launcher that can deliver a precision strike culminating in a devastating explosion.
Fairly useful for long-range combat, the main pitfalls of this ability are its size, flashy appearance, extreme recoil, and lack of mobility which contradict Sui-Feng's role as a covert operative who relies primarily on her speed and stealth. Hence, she generally detests using her Bankai as it hurts her pride and also drains her of a great deal of energy as it is difficult for her to use it multiple times in a single day.
1 Kinshara Budotan (Rojuro Otoribashi)
Rojuro Otoribashi — commonly known as Rose — possesses one of the more complex Bankai among the Gotei 13, as it uses music to create illusions that can inflict physical damage upon an opponent once they have been trapped within the illusion. With it, Rose can create whirlpools of water, large amounts of fire, or even stop an opponent's heart from beating.
This may seem quite fearsome at first, but the ability's most glaring weakness is its reliance on sound. If an opponent stifles their sense of hearing completely, the ability will be entirely ineffective against them, making his Bankai possibly the easiest to sidestep in the entirety of the Gotei 13.