Bleach is one of the big three anime series known for the best character designs, which often translate to their actions and goals. There are many forums where anime fans have tried to make a ranked list of the best Bleach characters that are awesome, and in today's article, we have decided to oblige our loyal readers and create a detailed and thorough ranked list.
10. Uryū Ishida
Uryū Ishida is skilled at sewing clothes.
Uryū Ishida is one of the protagonists of Bleach and a close friend of the main protagonist, Kurosaki Ichigo. He is a member of the Quincy, a rare species of living beings that can detect human and Hollow souls, and much like the Shinigami, they can kill Hollows using spirit weapons.
Ishida's main goal is to avenge his mother's death, which was caused by Yhwach. Initially shown to be skeptical of Shinigami, he later changed his attitude towards them after interacting with Ichigo and becoming his trusted ally and friend.
For the duration of the story, Ishida proves to be an awesome character due to:
- Possessing High Intelligence: Ishida has shown several times how intelligent he is. One such time was when he fought against the Captain of the 12th Division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and despite being paralyzed by him and being at a disadvantage, he was able to turn the tables on him and incapacitate him, emerging the victor in that battle.
- Being Loyal: Despite seeming to have conflicting loyalties due to being a Quincy who often fights alongside a Shinigami, he is shown as someone who values loyalty to his family and friends above all.
- Possessing extraordinary fighting skills: As a member of the rare Quincy race, Ishida possesses unique fighting skills and, having the ability to absorb spiritual particles, he can create his own spirit weapons.
9. Abarai Renji
Abarai Renji has been a member of 3 Divisions.
Abarai Renji is one of the main protagonists of Bleach and a close friend of the main protagonist, Kurosaki Ichigo. He is the lieutenant of the 6th Division under Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. His main goal is to surpass Kuchiki Byakuya and become a stronger Shinigami.
What makes Abarai Renji such an awesome Bleach character is:
- He is very loyal: Renji has been shown to value loyalty to his friends, allies, and captain more than anything else, up to the point of going against unjust rules imposed by Soul Society.
- He is a Shunpo expert: Knowing the limitations of his Shikai, Renji learned Shunpo to better keep up with opponents that can counter his Shikai, making him a versatile fighter.
- He pushes Ichigo to become a better person: From the onset, Renji and Ichigo developed a brotherly rivalry, and this proved to be useful to Ichigo, particularly because he strived to become a better fighter than Renji.
8. Shunsui Kyōraku
Shunsui Kyoraku's best friend is Juushirou Ukitake.
Shunsui Kyōraku is a supporting character in Bleach and the Captain of the 8th Division. Being one of the oldest Captains of the Gotei 13 and having been taught specifically by Captain-Commander Genryūsai Yamamoto, he is one of the most powerful and skilled Shinigami in the series. Although seemingly having no ambition initially, it is later shown that his goal is to protect Soul Society and all its inhabitants.
Kyōraku Shunsui is one of the best characters due to:
- His aptitude as a Shinigami: Having learned everything he knows from the Captain Commander, Kyoraku is an extremely formidable opponent who can duel with two swords due to his ambidexterity.
- His aptitude for Kidō and Shunpo: Unsurprisingly, Kyoraku can use Kidō and Shunpo with little effort due to the many years of experience that he possesses.
- His skill in strategy and deceit: Kyoraku dislikes fighting, and where possible, he prefers to sit out on battling. However, this makes him a very good strategist who can conjure elaborate tactics to defeat any opponent.
- His fashion sense: Kyoraku is the only captain who wears a flowered kimono over his captain uniform, displaying a unique sense of style.
7. Aizen Sōsuke
Aizen Sosuke is an incredibly skilled calligraphy artist.
Aizen Sōsuke is one of the main antagonists in Bleach and the former Captain of the 5th Division. He betrayed Soul Society and waged war against them in his bid to gain power. His ambition is to ascend to the highest level and overthrow the Soul Society king, and he attempts this by merging himself with the Hōgyoku and gaining immortality.
Despite being a villain, Aizen Sōsuke is one of the most awesome characters in Bleach due to:
- His intelligence: Aizen possesses genius-level intellect and is only rivaled by Urahara Kisuke.
- His aptitude for strategy: Always several steps ahead of his opponents, Aizen is a master strategist who plans everything to the smallest detail, making him nigh invincible.
- His immense Reiatsu: Aizen is one of the few Shinigami that possesses a monstrous level of Reiatsu, capable of knocking out other Shinigami.
- His Zanpakutō: Aizen's Zanpakutō has the ability to control the senses of its opponent, rendering a hypnosis effect that is indistinguishable from reality.
6. Tōshirō Hitsugaya
Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto are childhood friends.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya is one of the supporting characters in Bleach and the captain of the 10th Division. Although he is the youngest Captain in the Gotei 13, his maturity and responsibility make him one of the most effective Captains. His goal is to fulfill his potential and become a strong Shinigami capable of being the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13.
What makes Tōshirō Hitsugaya one of the best characters is:
- His maturity and responsible nature: Despite being the youngest captain, Tōshirō seems to be very mature for his age, and his ability to delegate responsibilities to his squad makes him an effective leader.
- His prodigious nature: Tōshirō has displayed a high aptitude for intelligence and natural talent, graduating the Shinigami Academy within one year and becoming the youngest Captain in Gotei 13's history.
- His aptitude for strategy: Capable of perceiving deception and having great battle instincts, Tōshirō is one of the best strategists in Bleach.
- His potential: It has been stated that Tōshirō Hitsugaya is capable of becoming the youngest Captain Commander and also has the potential to surpass the Captain-Commander, Genryūsai Yamamoto.
5. Byakuya Kuchiki
Byakuya Kuchiki was married to Rukia's sister, Hisana.
Byakuya Kuchiki is one of the supporting characters in Bleach and the Captain of the 6th Division. He hails from one of the four noble clans in Soul Society and is the current head of the Kuchiki Clan. His goal is to preserve law and order and maintain a peaceful Soul Society.
Byakuya is a fan favorite, and this is apparent due to:
- His cool nature: Depicted as an indifferent, aristocratic Shinigami who never loses his calm, Byakuya is one of the most arrogant Captains in the Gotei 13.
- His skill in Shunpo: Possibly the most adept user of Shunpo, Byakuya is known for his high level of skill in Shunpo that enables him to evade his opponents' attacks with ease.
- His Kidō proficiency: Byakuya is a formidable Kidō expert who has been shown to use high-level spells of Kidō without any incantations.
4. Zaraki Kenpachi
Like Roronoa Zoro, Zaraki Kenpachi is poor at directions.
Zaraki Kenpachi is one of the supporting characters in Bleach and the captain of the 11th Division of the Gotei 13. He holds the current title of Kenpachi, a title given to the strongest Shinigami. His goal is to find powerful opponents that he can battle, as he lives for fighting.
Although seeming like a mindless brute, Zaraki Kenpachi is one of the most awesome Bleach characters due to:
- His laid-back nature: Unless it involves fighting, Zaraki rarely cares about anything and seems to ignore most things, leaving most responsibilities to his lieutenant.
- His immense Reiatsu: As the strongest Shinigami, Zaraki possesses an immense Reiatsu, so much so that he wears an eyepatch that seals his power so he can fight opponents without defeating them too quickly.
- His natural talent for combat: Despite not attending the academy, Zaraki displays a high aptitude in combat, and his perceptive nature enables him to create strategies that exploit his opponent's weaknesses.
3. Urahara Kisuke
Urahara Kisuke is the inventor of gigais.
Urahara Kisuke is one of the supporting characters in Bleach, the former captain of the 12th Division, and the founder of the Shinigami Research Department. He currently lives in the Human World and owns a small Shinigami store. Urahara does not seem to have any particular goal, but he enjoys discovering and creating new inventions.
What makes Urahara Kisuke an awesome Bleach character is:
- His laid-back eccentric personality: Urahara possesses a care-free attitude and never seems to take anything seriously, making sarcastic remarks and presenting himself as a simple man despite his apparent power and skill.
- His genius-level intellect: Urahara is the only person who has been shown to rival Aizen's intellect, and his work as the founder of the Shinigami Research Institute further solidifies this.
- His combat skill: As a former captain, Urahara is one of the most skilled Shinigami, possessing great swordsmanship, great aptitude for strategy and tactics, and many other skills such as Shunpo and Kidō.
2. Kuchiki Rukia
Kuchiki Rukia was the first character Kubo Tite created.
Kuchiki Rukia is one of the protagonists in Bleach, a close ally and friend of Kurosaki Ichigo, and the lieutenant of the 13th Division under Captain Jūshirō Ukitake. She is also the adopted sister of 6th Division Captain Kuchiki Byakuya. Her goal is to follow in the footsteps of her brother and become a strong Shinigami capable of protecting her friends.
Rukia is one of the most awesome and popular characters due to:
- Her compassionate nature: Rukia is extremely compassionate despite her cold exterior and deeply cares for her comrades' well being.
- Her adorable nature: When she is in the human world, her adorable nature is revealed when we are shown her love for rabbit-themed items.
- Her tragic past: She might not be the most powerful character, but Rukia has been through a lot in the past, and she has grown from her past experiences considerably.
- Her relationship with Ichigo: Rukia was the one who started it all when she transferred her Shinigami powers to Kurosaki Ichigo, and since then, their relationship has blossomed into a great dynamic.
1. Kurosaki Ichigo
Kurosaki Ichigo's Xcution Registry Number Was 007
Kurosaki Ichigo is the main protagonist in Bleach and a Substitute Shinigami. He is one of the most powerful characters in the anime. His goal is to protect his family and friends while carrying out his duties as a Substitute Shinigami.
Ichigo is definitely the most awesome character in the story, and this can be attributed to:
- His abilities: Ichigo possesses Shinigami, Hollow, and Quincy abilities, making him the most powerful character in the story.
- His strong sense of justice: Even before Ichigo was a Substitute Shinigami, Ichigo always came to the aid of the weak and often stood up to bullies.
- His complex nature: Ichigo possesses a complex nature that sees him depicted as a person seeking vengeance while at the same time protecting his enemies. Unlike other characters, Ichigo is shown to have a deep understanding of his opponent's feelings and the capability to sympathize with them.
- His friendships and allies: As a Human and Shinigami, Ichigo bridges the gap between the Human world and Soul Society, and as such, he has made many friends with whom he would not normally get along, including a Quincy like Ishida, who initially harbored a deep hatred for Shinigami.