Bleach teems with a smorgasbord of characters, from the Arrancar and the Quincy to the Shinigami and their Zanpakuto Spirits. There are about as many villains as heroes in the story, many of whom unwittingly follow their leaders to their inevitable doom. Interestingly, the most accomplished antagonists in Bleach aren’t necessarily the strongest.
On the contrary, it can be argued that victory generally requires a combination of intellect, power, and charisma. Further, many Bleach villains are given long and fruitful character arcs, which consequently increases their chances of success.
10 Rudbornn Chelute Is Responsible For Maintaining Hueco Mundo’s Security
Rubronn Chelute, Hueco Mundo’s official security guard, is a rather unique Arrancar. Unlike his Espada cousins, he rarely fights unless pushed into a corner, as seen through his interactions with Unohana and Isane Kotetsu.
Rudbornn eliminates Dordoni and Sanderwicci for failing to fulfill their master’s expectations, and later challenges Rukia to battle. Rudbornn’s powers have enormous potential, so it’s unfortunate that he never gets to showcase them properly. He is knocked out of the story after Yammy attacks and incapacitates him.
9 Bambietta Basterbine Is A Force Of Nature On The Battlefield
Bambietta Basterbine enjoys tormenting those around her, including her allies and subordinates. Yhwach likely accepts her outrageous behavior because she’s a force of nature on the battlefield. Bambietta successfully steals Komamura’s Bankai, rendering him helpless.
She returns to Soul Society as a member of the Wandrenreich vanguard, which is when she unleashes her powers, simultaneously killing several shinigami. Bambietta also manages to defeat Shinji Hirako, an experienced captain and vaizard. However, she is no match for Komamura’s modified Bankai, Kokujo Tengen Myo’o: Dangai Joue.
8 Quilge Opie Survives Attacks From Arrancar As Well As Ichigo Kurosaki
If the Wandenreich are Nazis, then Quilge Opie is their Gestapo enforcer. As the leader of the Jagdarmee, he treats his unlucky captives like they’re cattle heading for the slaughter. Menoly Mallia, Franceska Mila Rose, Loly Aivirrne, Emilou Apacci, and Cyan Sung-Sun attempt to assassinate Opie, but he rebuffs their attacks effortlessly.
Even Ichigo is forced to take cover from Opie’s Vollständig, Biskiel. Although the Tres Bestias conjure Ayon, the mindless monster ends up being absorbed by the villain’s Sklaverei technique. In fact, Opie only dies when Urahara and Grimmjow arrive on the scene.
7 Lille Barro Nearly Destroys The Royal Realm During His Battle With Shunsui And Nanao
Lille Barro believes himself to be Yhwach’s greatest creation, simply because he was the first to receive the Quincy Emperor’s gift. Despite his overt smugness, it’s clear that he has been fighting by Yhwach’s side for at least a thousand years.
While his backstory is ambiguous, the fact that Lille successfully survives and thrives for such a long time is a testament to his abilities. He is unquestionably powerful, arguably stronger than Captain-Commander Shunsui. Nanao Ise’s Shinken Hakyokken is the only weapon capable of destroying Lille’s Jilliel.
6 Gremmy Thoumeaux Manages To Incapacitate Zaraki Kenpachi At Full Power
As the Visionary, Gremmy Thoumeaux’s imagination is his limit, allowing him to generate constructs at the drop of a hat. These include everything from missiles and meteors to sentient life and outer space. Gremmy proudly declares himself the most powerful of Yhwach’s Sternritters, a boast he backs up with devastating attacks.
Kenpachi struggles to defeat Gremmy, even after releasing Nozarashi for the first time. Further, the Sternritter weakens Kenpachi so much that the latter becomes easy prey for Candice Catnipp and her crew.
5 Aaroniero Arruruerie’s Ability Allows Him To Boost His Reiryoku To Astronomical Levels
Aaroniero Arruruerie is an Espada derived from a Gillian, making him constitutionally different from his siblings, all of whom were either Vasto Lordes or Adjuchas before their transformation.
This alone makes Aaroniero’s accomplishments remarkable. More importantly, the 9th Espada’s Resurrección Glotonería allows him to boost his reiryoku levels by preying on weaker Hollows. Considering that there’s no cap on his consumption, Aaroniero can theoretically absorb enough reiatsu and surpass the other Espada.
4 Baraggan Louisenbairn Was Once The God-King Of Hueco Mundo
Baraggan Louisenbairn, the so-called God-King, is the embodiment of pride — his zanpakuto is named Arrogante. Before Aizen humiliates him in his own “royal court,” Baraggan claims lordship over the infinitely vast desert of Hueco Mundo, effectively subjugating its inhabitants.
In an anime-only storyline, he disdainfully orders Tier Harribel to serve him or disappear, implying that she doesn’t have the power to question his authority. In the end, however, Baraggan’s death is as pitiable as his life.
3 Jugram Haschwalth Ensures That The Sternritter Don’t Step Out Of Line
Jugram Haschwalth, or Sternritter B, “The Balance,” is considered to be Yhwach’s other half. The exact specifics of their relationship are ambiguous, except that Haschwalth safeguards the Almighty Schrift when Yhwach is asleep. Haschwalth serves at his majesty’s leisure, receiving significant privileges in the process.
As Yhwach’s chosen lieutenant, he refuses to tolerate disobedience or dissension in the Wandenreich ranks, and personally executes anyone caught failing in their duties. Haschwalth ultimately dies as a consequence of Yhwach’s Auswählen.
2 Aizen Pushes Soul Society To The Brink Of Disaster
Aizen spends a few centuries casually lounging about Soul Society, pretending as though he has no intentions of ripping the universe apart at the seams. Following his betrayal, he quickly exits Seireitei to the safety of Hueco Mundo, from where he launches an all-out war on the Gotei 13.
Aizen’s actions result in countless deaths, albeit mostly on his side. He continues to evolve with the help of the Hogyokyu, at least until Ichigo catches up to him. Aizen also helps the Shinigami defeat Yhwach at the end of the Thousand Year Blood War arc.
1 Yhwach Defeats Shinigami Powerhouses And Absorbs The Soul King
Yhwach’s triumph can only be measured on the cosmic scale. He defeats and kills Yamamoto Genryusai long before awakening his Almighty, and later does the same thing to Ichibei Hyosube. His Schrift is technically insurmountable, even by the likes of Aizen Sosuke.
Yhwach obtains a divine level of power after absorbing his father, the Soul King, leaving Team Ichigo completely distraught. The heroes barely manage to eke out a victory — they use Still Silver in order to stall Yhwach’s Almighty and finish him for good.
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