Bleach may not have quite as many games as the likes of Naruto or One Piece, but this wildly popular anime series still has more than a few excellent titles that allow players to assume the role of their favorite Soul Reapers and Arrancar. These games span across a multitude of different genres, and though not all of them have stuck the landing for fans, the majority of them are an absolute blast to pick up and play, even if some of them can be hard as nails to complete.

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While none of the Bleach games are considered to be too brutal or unfair in their overall difficulty, there are still a few that were designed to pose a pretty significant challenge to the player, whether it be through mechanics, level design, or even just enemy AI. These Bleach games listed below are all a ton of fun to jump into, but anyone hoping to finish them should be prepared to have their skills tested, as they aren't for the faint of heart.

7 Bleach: The 3rd Phantom

• Release Date: September 2009
• Platform: Nintendo DS
• Developer: Tom Create

Unlike the majority of Bleach games which often lean into the action-adventure or fighting genres, 3rd Phantom instead borrows a note out of Fire Emblem's book and takes on a more turn-based tactical strategy approach to its gameplay. During combat, players will be able to command their units to move across an isometric battlefield where they will be able to engage with an enemy if they manage to get close enough for an attack. While the core gameplay isn't too hard to pick up, it's when digging into the deeper mechanics, which are needed for the mid to late-game encounters, that things can start getting a little more tricky.

For example, though there are three affinities that characters can be attached to because the majority of them are only tied to Power and Speed, it means acquiring someone who also has a good Tech skill is easier said than done. With a staggering 60 unlockable characters, all of whom differ in their overall effectiveness, it can also take a good amount of time to figure out who's worth bringing into battle and who's better off being left on the bench.

6 Bleach: Soul Carnival

Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.03

• Release Date: October 2008
• Platform: PSP
• Developer: Racjin

Although Bleach: Soul Carnival only features a total of 10 stages for players to run through before they can encounter the final boss, Sosuke Aizen, the game makes up for its short length by making each of these levels pretty challenging and quite difficult to overcome. The game plays like a 2D side-scrolling beat-em-up, with players taking control of numerous fan-favorite characters who must battle their way through hordes of enemies in order to reach the end of the stage in one piece.

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While this starts off pretty simple and straightforward, the game gradually becomes much more arduous as the enemies start becoming more durable and aggressive. Executing precise combos and knowing when to let off a Kido blast or special technique becomes important for holding off the hordes of enemies that appear in each and every stage, and this goes double for the boss enemies, who all have their own gimmicks that set them apart.

5 Bleach: Dark Souls

Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.04

• Release Date: October 2008
• Platform: Nintendo DS
• Developer: Treasure

Despite the name, Bleach: Dark Souls unfortunately isn't a hack n' slash action-adventure game inspired by FromSoftware's flagship series, but instead, it is a fast-paced fighting game that follows Ichigo's journey to save Rukia near the beginning of the series. Just like in the anime, the opponents that Ichigo comes up against throughout the game are challenging to take down, so players are encouraged to play around with a few combos and special abilities beforehand in order to stand a chance of facing off against the game's most brutal enemies.

Because the game wasn't made for the competitive scene, it does also feature its fair share of exploits, all of which the AI will use to their advantage, including stun-locks and infinite combos which can decimate Ichigo's health bar. Still, getting good at Bleach: Dark Souls and perfecting the combat system is satisfying, so long as players can overcome the steep learning curve.

4 Bleach: Blade Battlers 2nd

Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.05

• Release Date: September 2007
• Platform: PlayStation 2
• Developer: Racjin

Blade Battlers 2nd is a 3D arena fighter that features a massive cast of characters and an extensive story mode that, while different from the actual series, is still so much fun to play through because of how weird and strange it can be, throwing together characters who often don't even interact in the show at all. Although it's satisfying to pull off big and flashy combos, each attack in Blade Battlers 2nd also comes with a pretty long windup animation, meaning if the player is mashing a button and ends up missing their enemy, they'll be stuck in a lengthy animation where they'll be wide open to receive an attack.

Additionally, there are some missions which will put the player at a disadvantage, such as in Episode 3 where Ichigo is placed into a one on three battle, and that's just in the first few hours of the game. There are, thankfully, some pretty devastating special attacks that can help tip the scales of a fight, but because these can take quite a while to charge up, it means relying on them too heavily can be costly in the long run.

3 Bleach: Heat The Soul 6

Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.05

• Release Date: May 2009
• Platform: PSP
• Developer: Eighting

A lot of the Bleach fighting games tend to be a little more casual in how they play and are often pretty easy to pick up and play, but the Heat the Soul series of games is a little different since the core gameplay is quite complex and intense at times. For example, side stepping is important in this game, since it's the main way players will be able to outmaneuver their opponents, otherwise, the enemy AI will just keep blocking each and every attack until they find the perfect opportunity to strike.

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The overall difficulty isn't too demanding during the first few encounters, but the game introduces a massive difficulty spike once Ichigo enters the Soul Society and starts going up against the likes of Gin, Renji, and Kenpachi. Some of these enemies will even have their own special gimmicks that make their respective encounters even more challenging, such as how Kenpachi won't flinch when being attacked, meaning he can let out a barrage of sword slashes without ever being interrupted, which makes for an intense, but also brutally difficult boss fight.

2 Bleach: Heat The Soul 7

Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.17

• Release Date: September 2010
• Platform: PSP
• Developer: Eighting

Heat the Soul 7 plays more or less identical to previous entries in the series, but the reason it's often considered so much more difficult is because of just how merciless the enemies are. Ulquiorra is a prime example of this, as while his lightning-fast attacks and projectiles are already hard enough to dodge and parry in time, he also comes with a one-hit kill special ability, which is all so easy to fall into because of its absurd range.

This is just one of many examples, though, as a lot of the enemies in Heat the Soul 7 have powerful techniques stored up their sleeves, which they aren't shy about throwing out when the situation calls for it. Because players will also need to charge up their Reiatsu by standing in place in order to pull off a character's most powerful attacks, it also makes it hard to find a safe moment where doing this won't also risk being struck down with a sword slash. Considering that Heat the Soul 7 was the last game in its series, it makes sense that developers Eighting would want to make this the most challenging one of them all, and they most succeeded, considering how downright unforgiving this 3D fighter can be at times.

1 Bleach: Versus Crusade

Game FAQ Difficulty Rating: 3.38

• Release Date: December 2008
• Platform: Wii
• Developer: Treasure

Bleach: Versus Crusade's intimidating challenge does add a lot of tension to each of the fights, but it also results in even the weakest of opponents being hard to take down, primarily because of how fast they all are. Versus Crusade places a lot of emphasis on its style and presentation, and because of this, it means every time a character performs an attack, they'll slash their Zanpakuto around at a blistering pace, all while the camera flicks between numerous different angles to make the fight as cinematic as possible.

While this looks and feels amazing when these attacks are being performed on the enemy, it also means the opponent is just as fast and will often rush down Ichigo as soon as he gets back on his feet after being staggered. The speed of the game also means players will need to have fast and precise reflexes to react to everything happening on the screen in time, and though all of this does result in a flashy and visually stunning experience, it also dials up the overall difficulty in the process.

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