Summary
- The quality of fights in Bleach is a standout feature, with battles showcasing amazing cinematics and mind-blowing powers.
- Despite criticisms, fans love revisiting awe-inspiring clashes in Bleach, where characters showcase creative powers and strength.
- Enduring moments in Bleach include fights like Ichigo vs. Aizen, Renji vs. Mask De Masculine, and more, showing power and strategy.
Bleach is a series that had a ton of potential before squandering it by the end of its run. It's a shame since the powers of the Shinigami and the idea of such entities existing in the real world were pretty captivating, but a lack of consistency in terms of power levels and story quality ultimately proved to be the series' downfall. It didn't help that Bleach recycled some of the elements from its arcs, making these stories feel less interesting over time.
However, one thing that Bleach excelled in time and time again was the quality of its fights. Some of the best battles in Bleach are a joy to watch due to their amazing cinematics and mind-blowing powers that are on full display. Even after all the criticisms that have been levied against Bleach, fans still love revisiting its many awe-inspiring fights and the sheer power scaling on display here. Despite some odd moments here and there, the creative powers of the many characters in Bleach left viewers guessing for better or worse.
Updated on January 21, 2025 by Ritwik Mitra: Bleach is one of the most popular shonen anime around right now courtesy of a stellar adaptation that is doing justice to the awe-inspiring battles of The Thousand-Year Blood War. Fans can witness some awe-inspiring fights as the Shinigami of Soul Society fight off the Quincy Invasion and take on some of the strongest warriors ever seen in the series. Some of the best Bleach fights are a joy to witness as combatants reach new heights of power, unveiling incredible moves that are a treat to witness every single time.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
29 Shuhei Hisagi VS Findorr Calius
Victor: Shuhei Hisagi
- Location: Fake Karakura Town
- Conflict: White Invasion
Shuhei Hisagi is a rather underrated Shinigami that many people don't talk about. Despite having a striking character design and having connections with Kanami Tosen, Hisagi's status as a lieutenant means that most people don't rate him all that high as a Shinigami because of his lower status. However, this shouldn't take away from his status as a Shinigami.
After all, he's shown his power as a powerful Soul Reaper several times, and a great example of the same is when he decides to fight against Findorr Calius. This Fraccion is one of the many Arrancar serving under Barragan and ends up being dominated by Hisagi as the Shinigami shows the true extent of his powers.
28 Ichigo Kurosaki VS Ikkaku Madarame
Victor: Ichigo Kurosaki
- Location: Seireitei
- Conflict: Ryoka Invasion
Ichigo's strength had been tested before entering Soul Society, but it wasn't until his confrontation with Ikkaku that fans got to see the progress he'd made as a Shinigami. It was the first time he would battle against a high-ranking member of the Gotei 13, and Ichigo didn't disappoint. Despite being put against the ropes, he showed his trademark resilience that helped him weather the early onslaught of Ikkaku's attacks.
Once Ichigo whipped out his Getsuga Tensho, Ikkaku learned to respect the power of this Substitute Shinigami. The two exchanged blows before another blast of Reiatsu from Ichigo seals the deal and helps him attain victory in this battle. However, he didn't let Ikkaku die and healed his wounds, earning the respect of this shinigami and getting one step closer to saving Rukia after one of Bleach's best fights in its early run.
27 Renji Abarai VS Mask De Masculine
Victor: Renji Abarai
- Location: Wandenreich City
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
Renji is a fun and boisterous character whom viewers are initially introduced to as one of the antagonists during the Soul Society arc. However, it's only after his defeat at the hands of Ichigo that he reveals his true feelings for Rukia, begging Ichigo to save her at all costs. After being introduced to the Royal Guard, it's revealed that Renji still doesn't know the true name of his Zanpakuto, leading to him using an inferior version of what could've been a way more powerful Bankai.
Bleach: Worst Shinigami, Ranked
Not all shinigami introduced in the Bleach series are quite as impressive in terms of strength. Here's which ones turned out the weakest.
This changes after his encounter with Ichibe Hyosube, who reveals the true name of his Zanpakuto and allows Renji to reach his true potential. His Bankai ends up being so powerful that the powerful Quincy, Mask De Masculine, doesn't stand a chance during their battle as his body is completely eviscerated by Renji's true Bankai.
26 Yasutora Sado VS Shunsui Kyoraku
Victor: Shunsui Kyoraku
- Location: Seiretei
- Conflict: Ryoka Invasion
The Captains of the Gotei 13 are no joke, but Shunsui Kyoraku is in a class of his own. After learning of the intruders in Soul Society, he decided to intervene personally, stepping in Chad's way. Since he made a promise to Ichigo to help him at all costs, Chad didn't back down from this fight and tried to mow down Shunsui and head towards Rukia by any means necessary.
However, it was clear from the get-go that this battle was one-sided and Chad stood no chance. He unleashed numerous energy blasts against his foe, only for Shunsui to humiliate him. He was cheeky enough to drink sake in the early goings of this fight before ending Chad's hopes of victory with a single slash across his chest, ending the fight in a simple yet flamboyant manner that showed just how powerful yet calm Shunsui was.
25 Ichigo Kurosaki & Uryu Ishida VS Kugo Ginjo
Victor: Ichigo Kurosaki & Uryu Ishida
- Location: Naruki City
- Conflict: Tale of the Lost Agent
While the Fullbring arc was disappointing in the eyes of many fans, the fights could still be great if viewers gave them a chance. After having his powers stolen by Kugo Ginjo, many people wondered how Ichigo would be able to come out victorious following this betrayal. Thankfully, the Shinigami of Soul Society came back in the nick of time and gave Ichigo the powers he needed to become a Shinigami once again.
He teamed up with Ishida to show Ginjo how horrible a mistake he'd made by trying to cross one of the most dogged and determined shonen protagonists of all time. A tense battle follows where Ichigo eventually comes out victorious, letting Ichigo move on from this Fullbring chapter as Yhwach made his debut and sparked the beginning of one of the best arcs in the series full of the best Bleach fights.
24 Yoruichi Shihoin VS Sui-Feng
Victor: Yoruichi Shihoin
- Location: Forest near Sokyoku Hill
- Conflict: Ryoka Invasion
The Soul Society arc is full to the brim with some of the best fights in Bleach, and one surprisingly riveting fight occurred between Sui-Feng and her mentor, Yoruichi. For the longest time, the student believed that her master had betrayed and left Soul Society, taking out her frustration by trying to defeat Yoruichi using her Shikai and physical attacks.
Bleach: 10 Strongest Sternritter Schrifts In The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc
These are the most powerful sternritter schrifts in Bleach's Thousand-Year Blood War Arc.
There's a heartfelt energy to this fight where Sui-Feng tries to understand why Yoruichi abandoned her, with her emotions getting the better of the young shinigami multiple times. Eventually, she is unable to take out her teacher and falls to her knees, exhausted and accepting of the fact that she won't be able to best Yoruichi.
23 Genryusai Yamamoto VS Driscoll Berci
Victor: Genryusai Yamamoto
- Location: Soul Society
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
There's no denying that Yamamoto is one of the most powerful characters in the show. However, most people would argue that he hasn't spent too much time showing off his skills barring an odd appearance here and there during the battle at Fake Karakura Town. So, when Kubo was building up to the big fight against Yhwach, Kubo needed to find a way to show just how powerful Yamamoto was.
This led to the total whitewash of Driscoll Berci at the hands of this legendary Captain-Commander, who derided this Quincy for the poor showing of his subordinate's stolen Bankai before obliterating a man who was totally out of his depth. Watching Driscoll be obliterated into ashes is one of the best moments in an arc full of highlights.
22 Ichigo Kurosaki VS Sosuke Aizen
Victor: Ichigo Kurosaki
- Location: Soul Society
- Conflict: Invasion of Soul Society
Given that this encounter was the final fight in which Aizen would serve as the main antagonist, many people expected a lot from this battle. However, Ichigo's powerup was so unfair that even a Hogyoku-fused Aizen didn't stand a chance against the protagonist.
The fight had its fair share of cool moments, with Ichigo man handing Aizen in the coolest way possible. However, there's no denying that this battle would've been even more memorable had Aizen and Ichigo been on equal footing. The random power-up that Ichigo receives moments before a fight against a souped-up version of one of the most powerful shinigami of all time is also hard to digest and further sours a battle that shouldn't been Bleach's crowning moment.
21 Yhwach VS Ichigo Kurosaki
Victor: Ichigo Kurosaki
- Location: Seireitei
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
It seems that the final confrontation between Ichigo and any antagonist is bound to fall just short of the mark for some reason on the other. In the case of this battle, it turned out that Yhwach was simply too powerful for Ichigo and his friends to even make a dent.
Bleach: 8 Characters With The Most Losses, Ranked
While many of these Bleach characters are strong in their own right, they've still been bested on more than a few occasions throughout the series.
While Ichigo's new Bankai form was done away without any aplomb, the rest of the fight was fun and had pretty high stakes indeed. With Uryuu's help, Ichigo managed to find Yhwach in a tough spot and sliced through him to end the battle. It's a battle that suffered from much of what made Ichigo's fight against Aizen so disappointing, and fans can only hope that the anime adaptation does something to improve the final fight in Bleach.
20 Mayuri Kurotsuchi VS Pernida Parnkgjas
Victor: Mayuri Kurotsuchi
- Location: Royal Realm
- Conflict: Quincy Blood War
Mayuri is one of the best shinigami in the entire show. He seems like nothing more than a creep before showing just how nefarious and deadly his powers are.
His fight against Pernida is easily the toughest battle Mayuri's been in. With enough help and the judicious use of his Bankai, Mayuri somehow managed to take out this threat before the same could happen to him.