In all three of the big anime series, the one constant they all share is that you are guaranteed to get riveting fights of epic proportions. Bleach in particular is known for some of the best fight scenes that are definitely worth watching again, and in today's article, we will make a detailed list of the top 10 such fights that deserve multiple viewings. Beware, this article may contain spoilers.
10. Kurosaki Ichigo vs. Kūgo Ginjo
Kurosaki Ichigo fights Kūgo Ginjo.
Being the last fight in the anime, Ichigo vs. Ginjo might not have lived up to the hype expected of a final fight, but in Bleach's defense, there is another arc that follows which did not receive an anime adaptation at the time this fight ended. Nevertheless, this is among the best fights due to the emotion involved between Ichigo and Ginjo.
Ichigo meets Ginjo, a substitute Shinigami like himself, who teaches him about Fullbring abilities after he loses his Shinigami powers fighting Aizen. However, Ginjo is a fugitive of Soul Society who seeks revenge for their treachery. As expected, he eventually crosses swords with Ichigo, who continues to dutifully protect his family and Soul Society.
Seeing Ichigo regain his Shinigami powers and combine them with his newly found Fullbring abilities makes for a pretty entertaining fight, and the cherry on top is hearing Ichigo activate his Bankai, something we thought we might never hear again!
9. Aizen Sōsuke vs. The Gotei 13
Aizen Sōsuke fights The Gotei 13.
You will be hard-pressed to find a better anime villain than Aizen Sōsuke. The former 5th Division Captain of the Gotei 13 soon gets to face the comrades he betrayed in the Soul Society arc, and the fight that ensues is nothing like we expected to see. In a fight where all the Gotei 13 Captains and their lieutenants are present, Aizen toys around with them with seemingly little effort.
Despite having the advantage of numbers, the Gotei 13 are unable to inflict any real damage on Aizen. Using his Shikai that possesses hypnosis, Aizen tricks Captain Hitsugaya, who ends up stabbing Momo Hinamori. Even the presence of Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai seems to pose little threat to him when he reveals an ace up his sleeve to deal with the deadly destructive powers of the veteran Shinigami.
At the end of the fight, all we can do is marvel at Aizen's power and wonder if there is any character who can defeat the imposing Shinigami who is always ten steps ahead of everyone.
8. Kurosaki Ichigo vs. Abarai Renji
Kurosaki Ichigo fights Abarai Renji.
Kuchiki Rukia's decision to give her Shinigami powers to Kurosaki Ichigo came with dire consequences, having broken the immutable laws of Soul Society. Her brother, Captain Kuchiki Byakuya, apprehends her under orders from Soul Society and takes her back for judgment, where she is sentenced to be executed.
Ichigo and his friends form a rescue party and invade Soul Society, and Ichigo's path is halted by Abarai Renji, Byakuya's lieutenant, who is acting at the behest of his captain to repel all the invaders. The two rivals fight in the first serious fight of the anime, and the brutality of the fight gives us an idea of how dangerous Ichigo's opponents are.
Eventually, Renji reluctantly concedes, and Rukia being Renji's childhood friend, Renji is convinced by Ichigo to let him through, as he is her only chance of survival from her doomed fate.
7. Uryū Ishida vs. Mayuri Kurotsuchi
Uryū Ishida fights Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
The Soul Society arc is one of the most loved arcs of Bleach due to the abundance of spectacular fights and the introduction of new characters. One such fight is between Ichigo's classmate and friend, Uryū Ishida, versus the Captain of the 12th Division of Gotei 13, Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
Ishida, unlike Ichigo, is a Quincy, a rare race of beings that can sense souls, Hollows included. Mayuri, the President of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, is already well acquainted with Quincies due to his research on them, and this results in a twisted, bizarre fight. Although Ishida claims victory here, we quickly learn how powerful and deadly Mayuri can be.
6. Kurosaki Ichigo vs. Zaraki Kenpachi
Kurosaki Ichigo fights Zaraki Kenpachi.
If Aizen is the brains of the anime, then Zaraki Kenpachi is the brawn. A formidable, reckless brute who lives only for the thrill of fighting, Kenpachi's sole objective in the Soul Society arc was to find Ichigo, so he could test how strong he was. As the Captain of the 11th Division, a combat-only division, Kenpachi is the Shinigami who has won the most battles in the entire Gotei 13.
Ichigo soon enough meets Kenpachi after defeating his third seat, Ikkaku Madarame, and once they begin to fight, Ichigo quickly realizes how ridiculously strong a Captain-level opponent is. Ichigo is fatally wounded and left for dead, and his saving grace comes in the form of Zangetsu, his Zanpakutou's spirit, who comes to his aid.
Receiving a boost in his reiatsu, Ichigo returns to the fight, much to the excitement of Kenpachi, and a wild, destructive battle between now evenly matched opponents ends in a draw with both of the Shinigami falling down wounded. With one of the best soundtracks, this is easily the most entertaining fight in the anime.
5. Kurosaki Ichigo vs. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez
Kurosaki Ichigo fights Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
When Arrancars were introduced, we got one of the best character designs in the entire anime with the 6th Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Right off the bat, Grimmjow became one of the best opponents Ichigo ever faced due to his direct combat style and deadly power, which pushed Ichigo to surpass his limits.
Grimmjow went to great lengths, including kidnapping Inoue Orihime, to force Ichigo to fight him three times, and by the time they met for the third and final time, Ichigo was convinced that their showdown was unavoidable, which strengthened Ichigo's resolve, resulting in his victory.
4. Kurosaki Ichigo vs. Ulquiorra Cifer
Kurosaki Ichigo fights Ulquiorra Cifer. Starts at 1:00.
If I had to pick the most brutal fight in the anime, this one takes the prize, no contest! The 4th Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer, was simply a force of nature, and with little interest in fighting unless ordered to, he was undoubtedly the most challenging opponent Ichigo ever faced in the anime.
Time and time again, Ulquiorra mopped the floor with Ichigo, and it seemed like Ichigo never had a chance in hell of winning against him. In their final showdown in Hueco Mundo, Ichigo's Bankai and Hollow Mask are still not enough to make Ulquiorra sweat, and with a point-blank range shot from a Cero, Ichigo's chest is opened wide and his fate is sealed.
In an unexpected turn of events, Ichigo turns into the deadly Hollow, Vasto Lorde, and a slug-fest of epic proportions ensues, but despite Ulquiorra releasing a second Resurrección form, Ichigo's Vasto Lorde form proves to be too powerful, trampling the Arrancar with ease and finally dealing a fatal blow with a Cero that destroys his regenerative capability.
3. Shunsui Kyōraku vs. Coyote Starrk
Shunsui Kyōraku fights Coyote Starrk.
From the moment we learned that Shunsui Kyōraku was a student of the Captain Commander and one of the oldest Captains of the Gotei 13, we eagerly waited for his fight. Bleach didn't disappoint when it was revealed that his first opponent was Coyote Starrk, Espada No. 1 and the strongest Arrancar.
Extremely similar in mannerisms and philosophies, this was a very unpredictable fight of wits. Evenly matched, the two opponents had to figure out a way to outsmart each other, and in the end, we came to learn and appreciate how powerful Shunsui Kyōraku is, but after all, he is the protégé of Yamamoto Genryūsai!
2. Aizen Sōsuke vs. Kurosaki Ichigo
Aizen Sōsuke fights Kurosaki Ichigo.
The climax of Aizen Sōsuke's ultimate plan sees him face his greatest threat, Kurosaki Ichigo, and despite having evolved into his most powerful form by merging with the Hōgyoku, Ichigo makes quick work of him by completely crushing him with a nonchalant attitude that makes it all the more interesting to watch.
After Ichigo learns how big the difference is between his power and Aizen's, he asks Zangetsu for help to defeat Aizen, no matter the cost. Having convinced Zangetsu of his resolve, he is granted the power he requires, the Final Getsuga Tenshō. In this state, Ichigo becomes Getsuga itself, and once he uses this power, he will lose all of his Shinigami abilities.
Unleashing it on Aizen causes him to take devastating damage, which is enough to make him vulnerable for a seal implanted in him earlier to take effect and seal his powers, granting Ichigo and his allies a much-needed victory. What makes this a fight worth watching again is the joy in relishing Aizen's defeat after going on about how invincible he is.
1. Kurosaki Ichigo vs. Kuchiki Byakuya
Kurosaki Ichigo fights Kuchiki Byakuya.
The reason why this fight tops this list is that this was a fight that was destined to happen eventually after Kuchiki Byakuya totally overwhelmed Ichigo when he came to apprehend Kuchiki Rukia. This final fight, the most anticipated of the series, came down to a battle of what is legally right versus what is morally right.
Being a haughty Shinigami from noble origins, Byakuya viewed Ichigo with apathy and contempt, a fact that made it all the more apparent why he needed to crush the man who led to Rukia's cruel sentence. However, Ichigo was well-prepared this time, and for the first time, we see his powerful Bankai in action.
As if that isn't enough, Ichigo's inner Hollow appeared for the first time, escalating the battle. In the end, they both reach a stalemate, and Ichigo manages to get through to Byakuya, who finally gives and entrusts his sister to the unflinching Shinigami he so despised before.
