Today's anime fans love Bleach as an iconic shonen series that helped inspire the likes of Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer, but even Bleach needed its own inspirations. If fans rewind things back by one generation, long before Tanjiro or Yuji ever fought a monster, fans will see how author Tite Kubo got inspiration for his supernatural monster hunter series. To begin with, the whole idea emerged from Mr. Kubo's desire to draw a blade-wielding grim reaper in black robes, hence Rukia Kuchiki's genesis at the start of Bleach's creative process.

Bleach may also owe its origins to movies and even real-world religion and philosophy, such as the Nietzschean principles of Sosuke Aizen's villain quest or Yhwach's Judeo-Christian name. As for the anime industry itself, a few names stand out as the bedrock on which the story of Bleach is built. One of those names won't surprise today's Bleach fans, but the other three might.

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By Louis Kemner

Dragon Ball Laid the Foundation For Bleach and Its Competitors

Bleach Has Plenty of Transformations in its Runtime

The legendary Dragon Ball directly inspired each member of the shonen "big three," but not always in the same way. Dragon Ball's winning formula helped make modern shonen anime possible, with ideas such as a hungry himbo hero, transformations, glowing auras, and constant training sequences being invented or popularized in Goku's story. It's easy to see now Naruto Uzumaki and Monkey D. Luffy are the next Goku, while things are a bit subtler for Ichigo Kurosaki and Bleach. Dragon Ball's influence appears more limited in Bleach, but it's definitely there.

The execution and style of these tropes feel markedly different between Bleach and Dragon Ball, which helps make Bleach feel more distinctive. For one thing, Ichigo is not a Goku clone on the outside, having a normal appetite and a non-himbo attitude. That being said, Ichigo is always ready to transform his zanpakuto, himself, or both to effectively go Super Saiyan when battling the likes of Byakuya Kuchiki, Grimmjow, and Yhwach. The idea of transforming to power up isn't limited to Super Saiyan-style characters, either; most Bleach warriors do this, with Soul Reapers activating their zanpakuto, Arrancars releasing their original Hollow bodies, and Quincy using Vollständig.

Yu Yu Hakusho is the Original Story of a Punk High Schooler Fighting Monsters

Yu Yu Hakusho Remains Popular and Relevant to This Day

Anime fans can name three anime in a row that inspired each other, with the same protagonist archetype found in each. First came Yu Yu Hakusho, which wowed shonen fans in the 1990s with Yusuke Urameshi's cool design as a delinquent student with strong fists and a good heart. Yusuke had to fight supernatural and demonic foes all throughout Yu Yu Hakusho with the aid of his buddies, and that idea should sound quite familiar by now. It no doubt helped shape Ichigo, the substitute Soul Reaper and his own squad of heroes, then Yuji Itadori and his pals in Jujutsu Kaisen. It's such a cool idea, the anime industry has been doing it from the early 1990s to now.

There may be some differences setting apart Tite Kubo's shonen creation from Yu Yu Hakusho, such as Bleach's lack of any major tournaments and far more emphasis on weapons as opposed to martial arts. Otherwise, these two shonen anime feel like cousins, with each effectively juggling a grounded real world with fantasy realms like the Soul Society and the Demon Plane. Both anime also feature a rival fighter turned hero, with Uryu Ishida being the next Kazuma Kuwabara. What is more, both anime thrive even if the main hero's goals are much more modest than trying to become Hokage or pirate king. Sometimes, fighting just to protect one's friends and keep the streets safe is enough.

Saint Seiya Had a Role in Shaping Bleach's Weapon-Based Combat System

The Sanctuary Arc Likely Inspired Bleach's Golden Age

Three characters in Saint Seiya pose together.

Saint Seiya is one of a few major manga/anime franchises that helped lay the groundwork for Bleach's creation around the turn of the millennium. Saint Seiya may not quite be on Dragon Ball's level of popularity and influence, but it's still an impressive part of Bleach's pedigree. The story and worldbuilding of Bleach and Saint Seiya may not have a lot in common, but the overall tone and style are definitely in lockstep. Saint Seiya, just like the younger series Bleach, is about heroes who power up with special weapons and outfits while fighting supernatural foes. There is even a sequence involving Hades and the afterlife.

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By Louis Kemner

There is one way the plots of Saint Seiya and Bleach align: the Sanctuary Arc that launched Saint Seiya. This arc has remarkable parallels with Bleach's famed Soul Society arc, and both arcs are considered the peak of their respective series. Indeed, the Sanctuary Arc sees four mighty heroes fighting their way through temples to battle terrifying foes while striving to rescue a girl, Saori Kido, before it's too late. Both arcs even involve a shocking reveal for the villains. Arguably, Bleach does this in a more iconic way, with Captain Sosuke Aizen not only faking his death but revealing his cold-blooded villainy after years of being trusted as a seemingly gentle man.

GeGeGe no Kitaro Inspired Tite Kubo to Draw Manga About the Supernatural

GeGeGe no Kitaro is Obscure to Western Fans But Still Has a Place in Anime History

GeGeGe no Kitaro main characters in a group.

It's not uncommon for a huge manga/anime franchise like Bleach to trace its roots back to other major titles such as Dragon Ball and Yu Yu Hakusho. When titles like those become mainstream and highly popular, everyone is going to take notice, from casual fans to aspiring manga authors like Tite Kubo. However, it's vital for series like Bleach to also draw inspiration from more obscure sources that speak to the creator's personal tastes. That helps enrich the manga/anime industry so viewers don't just get the same story every few years. Thus, it's important how Bleach is inspired by the likes of GeGeGe no Kitaro.

This particular manga/anime franchise is practically unknown in the West, so its obscure origins help make Bleach feel that much more original to Western consumers. Most importantly, it was GeGeGe no Kitaro that helped fuel Tite Kubo's interest in spirits and the supernatural, along with some elements of Japanese folklore and culture. Many aspects of Hollows and Soul Reapers may be Mr. Kubo's own invention, but he still needed to get a creative spark from somewhere, and that's where GeGeGe no Kitaro comes in. As for story and plot, there's not a lot of overlap between GeGeGe no Kitaro and Bleach. Still, fans may note that Kitaro, the protagonist, faces Western spirits such as Dracula, similar to how the Japanese-style Soul Reapers face the German-inspired Quincy empire under Yhwach's command.

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