Bleach: The 14 Strongest Characters In The Thousand Year Blood War

Highlights

• Captains of the Gotei 13 have leveled up in strength in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.
• New characters like Ichibe Hyosube and Aizen showcase unprecedented abilities and power.
• Fans are left to question who the strongest characters are in the Bleach series with these power-ups.

The Bleach anime series has been airing for a long time, and now it approaches its end. With the currently airing Thousand-Year Blood War arc, the scale of strength has been tipped upside down. Captains of the Gotei 13 have become way stronger than they used to be, and captain commanders like Yamamoto have finally shown what they are capable of.

Moreover, with the rise of Yhwach, his Wandenreich, and the elite Sternritter, no one can aptly gauge the enemies’ level of strength in the Bleach series. With new and returning characters showing new heights in abilities, fans are left to wonder: who are the strongest characters in the Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War arc?

Updated February 25, 2023, by Oluwatokiloba Folami: With the Thousand Year Blood War arc of the Bleach anime series, various powerful new characters, such as Ichibe Hyosube, the rest of the Royal Guard, Yhwach, his Wandenreich, and Sternriter, have been introduced. With so many powerful new characters being added, the most powerful characters in the series are not what they used to be. Moreover, various new captains and shinigami, such as Kenpachi and Rukia, have leveled up, showing new levels of ability. With new and old characters having power-ups, the strongest characters of the Thousand Year Blood War arc of Bleach might be different from what fans would normally expect.

14 Ichibe Hyosube

The Leader Of The Royal Guard Was A Challenging Foe, Even For Yhwach

The commanding officer of the Royal Guard, Ichibe Hyosube, is undoubtedly one of the strongest characters introduced in the Thousand Year Blood War arc. In terms of ability, Ichibe might even surpass Yamamoto, the late captain commander of the Gotei 13.

Ichibe is a legendary character who has lived for a very long time. He named all the Zanpakuto’s in existence, and so he knows all about them. With his true name manipulation ability, Ichibe can cut the power of any being in half, greatly reducing their prowess. Moreover, the leader of the Royal Guard has coined ways to bring himself back from near-death experiences, making him truly hard to kill.

13 Gremmy Thoumeaux

Gremmy Was Limited Only By His Imagination

In terms of actual practical ability, Gremmy Thoumeaux is one of the most powerful Bleach antagonists ever portrayed; however, his childish nature saw him defeated by Kenpachi. Even though Grammy was defeated, his power was nothing to sneeze at.

Grammy could bring anything he imagined to reality, making his mind the only limit of his ability. By imagining Yachiru’s bones to be cookies, her bones did indeed turn to cookies, and Grammy was able to snap them easily. Moreover, Grammy could also summon a meteorite simply by imagining one and turn his body as hard as steel by imagining it.

12 Sosuke Aizen

Aizen Has Always Proven To Be Stronger Than Most

Aizen has always been a character who can turn situations around in the Bleach universe. Even Yhwach recognized his prowess by inviting him to join his Wandenreich as a war power. Fortunately for Soul Society, Aizen declined the offer and fought against Yhwach instead.

After Yamamoto’s death, Soul Society became more and more devastated, and with no choice left, Aizen was reluctantly freed by Shunsui Kyoraku to combat Yhwach and save Soul Society. Once freed, Aizen showcased his powerful abilities by defeating many of Yhwach’s subordinates, and even deceiving Yhwach, if only for a limited time. With his mastery of reiatsu, kido, and shunpo, Aizen showed that he was not to be underestimated.

11 Askin Nakk Le Vaar

With The Deathdealing, This Quincy Was Difficult To Defeat

This Quincy served as a member of Yhwach’s sternritter, and while he was seen as a character used for comic relief, Askin Nakk Le Vaar proved he was one of the strongest. In terms of sheer ability, Askin Nakk Le Vaar’s ability, The Deathdealing, allowed him to control the lethal dose of any element.

By increasing or reducing the lethal dose of any element, he could turn said element against his enemies, or develop resistance to them, making him immune to their effects. After Askin Nakk Le Vaar showcased his powerful abilities, several of Soul Society’s captains had to band together to defeat him, and even then, it was not an easy battle.

10 Ichigo Kurosaki

The Protagonist Of The Series Is Always Leveling Up

Fans have seen the protagonist of the Bleach anime series, Ichigo Kurosaki, level up many times. From being the weakest shinigami to becoming strong enough to defeat an individual like Aizen, Ichigo is truly no longer the weakling he once was.

Ichigo has never stopped growing in strength, as seen in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. With his powers as a Soul Reaper, a Hollow, a Quincy, and a Fullbringer, few can face the full power of Ichigo Kurosaki and come out unscathed. With his many powers, Ichigo borders on being the strongest being in the series.

9 Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto

The Captain Commander’s Bankai Could Incinerate Soul Society

Despite his early death in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, the former Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, still serves as one of the most powerful characters portrayed during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. While his Shikai is destructive, his Bankai, Zanka no Tachi, is outright terrifying. With his Bankai, Yamamoto’s sword becomes flaming hot, and he adds quite a few unique techniques to his arsenal.

While he was the Captain-Commander, Yamamoto valued loyalty above all else. He felt that as a member of the Gotei 13, his life could be laid down for the Soul Society. And with his death, he proved his conviction was real.

8 Toshiro Hitsugaya

This Childhood Prodigy’s Bankai Reaches Full Maturity

After the former captain of the 10th division, Isshin Shiba, lost his powers, Toshiro Hitsugaya took over his position as captain. While Toshiro has never been a weakling, his youth and inexperience often make other characters shine more than him. However, with the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, Toshiro has once again reminded fans and the characters in the series why he is a child prodigy.

His growth has been intense, with him getting stronger and stronger with each battle. After his bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, reaches full maturity, Toshiro becomes a master of ice.

7 Yhwach

The Orchestrator Of Soul Society’s Destruction Dreams Of Creating A World In His Image

The son of the Soul King and father of the Quincy, Yhwach serves as the major antagonist of the Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War arc. As the final antagonist, Yhwach is extremely powerful. His ability, The Almighty, allows him to see and shape the future according to what he desires.

Moreover, after defeating and assimilating the Soul King, Yhwach gained even more powerful abilities. Yhwach also has a great spiritual power that allows him to wield Yamamoto’s Bankai. His abilities allow him to stand above many of his adversaries and effectively lead the Wandenreich.

6 Gerard Valkyrie

This Sternritter Makes The Impossible Possible

The Quincy and Valkyrie Gerard adopts the look of the Norse god Thor. He is very loyal, holds the utmost respect for Yhwach, and battles his enemies without fear.

As a member of the Sternritter, Gerard serves as one of Yhwach’s elite guards. He is incredibly powerful, and his ability, The Miracle, makes him even more so. The Miracle makes impossible events possible. With it, Gerard managed to come back from being bisected. He also managed to face various captains of the Gotei 13 at the same time and overpower them.

5 Shunsui Kyoraku

Kyoraku Proved Strong Enough To Replace Yamamoto As Captain Commander

After the death of Yamamoto, the ex-captain commander of the Gotei 13, Shunsui was promoted to captain of the first division and the new captain commander. In disbelief about his promotion, Shunsui got his act together and took up his new position.

As someone capable of being the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13, Shunsui is not to be underestimated. His bankai, Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū, allows him a variety of techniques that incapacitate his opponents. Moreover, Shunsui’s abilities are so strong that he prefers to activate them when his allies are not near him.

4 Kenpachi Zaraki

With His Indomitable Will And Zanpakuto, Kenpachi Sliced Through A Meteor

The captain of the 11th division of the Gotei 13, Kenpachi Zaraki, is known for his aggressive and battle-thirsty tendencies. Prior to the Thousand-Year Blood War, Zaraki had always been powerful. However, his potential had never been fully tapped.

After Shunsui Kyoraku got promoted to captain commander of the Gotei 13, he noted that they could no longer afford to waste Zaraki’s potential and had Unohana train him. Zaraki emerged stronger and reborn from the endless battles with Unohana. He grew strong enough that he was able to face and defeat some members of Yhwach’s Sternritter.

3 Jugram Haschwalth

Jugarm Is Yhwach’s Second In Command

Despite his meek demeanor, Jugram Haschwalth, the grand master of the Wandenreich’s Sternritter and second in command, is not to be underestimated. Haschwalth bears similarities to Yhwach, and that is why Yhwach took him under his command. Unlike other Quincies, both Yhwach and Haschwalth cannot absorb reishi like other Quincies.

Instead, they can amplify the powers of those around them. Because of his ability to use a spiritual weapon, Haschwalth uses a physical sword that he carries around with him, and he has honed his swordsmanship well. Haschwalth’s power, The Balance, allows him to redirect fortune and misfortune. This ability has allowed him to trample on many others.

2 Byakuya Kuchiki

Byakuya’s Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, Has Allowed Him To Mow Down Many Enemies

The Captain of the 6th division and 28th head of the Kuchiki family, Byakuya Kuchiki has always faced his enemies with elegance and grace. Despite the invasion of the Wandenreich, Byakuya’s elegance and morale have not decreased at all.

While he let his guard down against the Quincy Äs Nödt, Byakuya regained his composure and gave his battle all he had. Byakuya’s bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, allows him to transform his sword into many tiny blades that attack his enemy. The blades are so numerous that Byakuya can use them for offense and defense simultaneously.

1 Retsu Unohana

The First Kenpachi Is More Bloodthirsty Than She Appears

The former captain of the 11th division, Retsu Unohana was known by many to be a kind healer. However, underneath this kind persona of hers, Unohana had a much darker side that loved combat. After the death of Yamamoto, Shunsui Kyoraku, the new captain commander, kept Unohana in charge of teaching Kenpachi Zaraki Zanjutsu.

During their ‘training’ and battle, fans bore witness to how powerful Unohana had been. During her battle with Zaraki, Unohana had him at his wits’ end many times. However, she continuously healed him when he was on the verge of death so that he would come back stronger than her.