While Bleach is renowned for its memorable characters and extremely intense fights, it is also well-known for some of the most iconic openings in all of anime. Currently sitting at seventeen openings, these serve as a true testament to Bleach's phenomenal direction with its highly-praised soundtrack.
Although the openings of Bleach are of considerable quality, there are naturally some openings that stand out as the best Bleach openings for a myriad of reasons. Whether it is their story-driven nature, flawless execution, or the song's musical quality, some are just more iconic than others.
Updated July 19, 2023 by Izabella Molina: Since the release of the opening Scar by Tatsuya Kitani, the soundtrack of the Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime has since been met with extremely positive feedback from fans. However, with Part 2 of the arc now in full swing, a new opening has also come out of the works. The seventeenth opening of the anime is Stars, performed by the group w.o.d.
Therefore, this article has been updated to feature Stars in the ranking as well as any other openings that initially did not make the list. Given how Stars has replaced the previous opening for the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, it is still highly likely that more openings will follow it.
16 Shojo S (Opening 10)
Arguably the most vibrant opening in the series, Shojo S boasts flawless animation and on-point vocals, the latter of which is performed by the all-female band Scandal. Perhaps as a reference to the band, Rukia, Orihime, and Rangiku stand out prominently throughout the opening while singing and dancing to the music, as though the three women were the members of Scandal themselves.
Visual-wise, the Thirteen Court Guard Squads members are simply shown posing in what is seemingly Karakura Town. Given how this opening takes place at the beginning of the Fake Karakura Town arc, Shojo S may be a look at how the Soul Reapers would spend their time if they were not fighting Aizen and his Espada. Otherwise, the opening does not do anything unique with regard to the series or the characters and can be considered reminiscent of an idol anime opening.
15 Harukaze (Opening 15)
Also recorded by the group Scandal, Harukaze is possibly the most casual Bleach opening yet. In the first few scenes of Ichigo living a normal life, viewers may be fooled into thinking that they are watching a slice-of-life anime instead of a shonen anime. But given how the opening takes place at a time when Ichigo cannot see spirits or become a Soul Reaper, a little bit of levity is to be expected.
Things begin to heat up during the montage of the Xcution members, namely during the introductions of Giriko Kutsuzawa, Yukio Hans Vorarlberna, and Kugo Ginjo, all of whom are shrouded in menacingly dark backgrounds. But the most notable scene in Harukaze is the montage of a normal Ichigo walking through a montage of past episode title cards before finally transforming into a Soul Reaper. Overall, Harukaze may take a while to get exciting, but the payoff is truly rewarding, a sentiment that can be carried over to its corresponding arc.
14 Anima Rossa (Opening 11)
Set during the second part of the Zanpakuto Rebellion arc, Anima Rossa nicely captures the Soul Reapers of Soul Society at their most tense. This helps illustrate the sense of mystery surrounding the Zanpakuto Spirits' next move and Byakuya's machinations, both of which are the main conflicts that are threatening Soul Society at the time.
In terms of action, Anima Rossa has a few action scenes, the most notable of which is the inevitable showdown between Ichigo and Muramasa. The opening also features a scene with Byakuya walking past a hopeful Rukia, not only possibly indicating the lingering affection Byakuya still has for his step-sister, but also implying that Byakuya's motives for his betrayal may be pure after all.
13 Chu-Bura (Opening 8)
Performed by the group Kelun, the first part of Chu-Bura brings back the casual feel that was first shown in the very first opening. It also does a very good job of introducing the anime-only character Rurichiyo Kasumioji by integrating her into Karakura Town.
It is this sense of familiarity that makes the second part stand out. The peace is disrupted by the foreshadowing of Kira's conflict with Kibune and Rurichiyo's sudden abduction. With two versions of the opening to show plot progression, Chu-Bura does an excellent job of balancing the serious and casual natures of the anime-only Shusuke Amagai arc.
12 Rolling Star (Opening 5)
Like Harukaze and Chu-Bura, Rolling Star, performed by YUI, also begins with a sense of informality. The first few scenes of this opening feature the characters hanging out with each other and idyllically living their day-to-day lives, which contrasts the more serious tone of Bleach's lengthy Arrancar arc. Needless to say, like Harukaze after it, Rolling Star builds up the main conflict at the beginning of the opening.
However, in contrast to the immediate disruption as seen in Chu-Bara, Rolling Star opts for a more indirect approach. The opening foreshadows many plot points that take place either currently or shortly. These points include Orihime's lack of resolve, Aizen's schemes, Ichigo battling his inner Hollow, and Rangiku's connection with Gin.
11 D-Technolife (Opening 2)
D-Technolife can be considered to be the first indication of the series taking itself seriously. From the emotional vocals from the group Uverworld to the brief shot of a somber Rukia awaiting her execution, this opening pulls no punches when it comes to establishing the premise of the Soul Society arc.
In addition, D-Technolife demonstrates a turning point within Bleach's plot. Rather than fighting Hollows scattered in the Human World, Ichigo's group must fight other stronger and more-experienced Soul Reapers that are hellbent on defending Soul Society. The height of this new turning point is shown during both the song's climax and Ichigo's epic duel with Renji.
10 Tonight Tonight Tonight (Opening 4)
Unlike the previous three entries, Tonight Tonight Tonight proves to be quite upbeat thanks to the vocals provided by the Beat Crusaders. This is rather fitting due to this opening taking place after the Soul Society arc, which sparked the most change for the cast of Bleach.
Easily the best thing about this opening is its portrayal of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Despite only recently being Ichigo's enemies, they are now portrayed more positively, even wearing more casual clothing. While the conflict with the Bounts is also established, Tonight Tonight Tonight serves as a breath of fresh air after the intense Soul Society arc.
9 ~Asterisk~ (Opening 1)
As the first opening in the series, Asterisk serves as the first look at both the cast and premise of Bleach. While many of the featured characters would ultimately be underused and the art and design itself pales in comparison to that of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, the premise is clear as day: Ichigo Kurosaki meets Rukia Kuchiki, becomes a Soul Reaper, and fights Hollows. This ultimately set the stage for Bleach's initial monster-of-the-week premise, which dominated the first twenty episodes of the series.
Unlike the openings that follow it, Asterisk can be described as rather close-knit due to the characters introduced and the main setting. Other than a brief look at Byakuya Kuchiki, all the other featured characters reside in Karakura Town, which is featured prominently in both the opening and the episodes that follow. Not only does this establish Karakura Town as the main setting at the beginning, but it also shows the importance of the town in Bleach's overall narrative. Finally contributing to the close-knit feel of Asterisk are the vocals provided by the group Orange Range. With the vocals reminiscent of a group of friends singing in harmony, Asterisk is bound to have fans singing along to this nostalgic Bleach opening that started it all.
8 Alones (Opening 6)
Cherished as a favorite among the Bleach fanbase, Alones perfectly encapsulates a melancholic tone right from the very start. Even Kon, a usually comical character, sings alongside the rather sad vocals provided by the group Aqua Timez.
This is perhaps the biggest reason Alones is coveted among fans: the amount of emotion woven into the opening. From the depiction of Orihime's tearful goodbye to Ichigo to the latter reaching out to her as she departs for Hueco Mundo, this opening will have fans feeling the weight of the characters' emotions in just a matter of seconds.
7 After Dark (Opening 7)
While Alones weighed heavily on the emotions of fans, After Dark proved to be a revamping of Bleach's hype with its upbeat sound, provided by the group Asian Kung-Fu Generation, and its fast-paced animation. Set at a point where the Hueco Mundo arc is at its least intense, standout moments in this opening include Ichigo and his friends traversing Hueco Mundo's desert and the first glimpse at Nel Tu and her brothers.
This opening is not completely devoid of serious moments, as shown by the menacing scenes of Aizen and the Espada and Orihime slowly falling into darkness. The final scene, in which a hollowfied Ichigo lunges at Aizen, foreshadows the real goal once Orihime is rescued: defeating Aizen once and for all.