Bleach is a show that has surged into the mainstream courtesy of a long-awaited adaptation of the manga’s final arc. While there are many people who criticize aspects of Bleach that stem from poor structuring and repetitive plotlines, the sheer spectacle present in this series is more than enough to convince people to check out this series despite all its flaws. There are many powerful characters in this show with unique personalities and awe-inspiring powers that are truly in a class of their own.
However, there are times when powerful characters who should easily wipe the floor with most fighters end up enjoying no victories at all, for some reason or the other. Sure, they may have won their fair share of battles before the series’ inception, but it seems that some characters just can’t back up their words when things reach a head. While circumstances can vary for each fighter, the vast majority of these characters were all bark and no bite.
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6 Retsu Unohana
Loses The Only Fight She Has In The Anime
The revelation that Kenpachi was a title passed down between elite warriors was a revelation that no one could’ve expected. For the longest time, no one could question Zaraki’s claim to be one of the strongest Shinigami in the series. However, the fact that he had never released his Shikai or Bankai was quite puzzling for people who wondered how he became so powerful without these essential moves in any Shingami’s arsenal.
After Yhwach’s attack on Soul Society, Unohana decided to reveal the truth to Zaraki — she was the original holder of the Kenpachi title before meeting a young Zaraki. This revelation was followed up by a monstrous fight where Unohana killed Zaraki only to revive him over and over again, helping him reach a new level of battle lust that he didn’t know he was capable of himself. To say that Unohana lost this battle would be rough since she did technically kill Zaraki numerous times. However, at the end of the day, the current holder of the Kenpachi title was victorious, killing Unohana in the process.
5 Nnoitra Gilga
Gets Obliterated By Kenpachi
The fifth Espada would certainly be someone who can completely decimate most enemies without breaking a sweat. Big things were expected out of Nnoitra Gilga, who was certainly quite powerful and seemed like an obstacle that just couldn’t be circumvented.
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However, Nnoitra was slated to fight against Kenpachi, making it clear that this Arrancar was bound to be toast one way or another. Despite putting up a good fight, all Kenpachi had to do was wield his sword with two hands to deal such a massive blow to Nnoitra that he was down and out for the count.
4 Gremmy Thoumeaux
Another Victim Of Kenpachi’s Coolness
Kubo really went off the charts with the powers he gave to certain antagonists in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. One member of the Sternritter who had one of the most ridiculous powers in the entire series was Gremmy Thoumeaux, a Quincy who could turn his own fantasies into reality.
The power itself is so vague that Gremmy could’ve easily one-shot every Gotei 13 captain if he was smart about using his powers. Instead, he was written solely to be a target for Kenpachi’s Nozarashi, which made its much-awaited appearance in the anime and completely destroyed this helpless Quincy.
3 Zommari Rureaux
His Mind Control Powers Did Nothing To Prevent His Death At Byakuya’s Hands
There are many powerful antagonists in Bleach who end up being done away with in no time flat, and Zommari Rureaux is a great example of the same. The power to use mind control to turn his opponents into his slaves was certainly a novel power that he used pretty effectively in his fight against Byakuya, when the Arrancar turned his own sister against him.
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Thankfully, it didn’t take Byakuya too long to use kido and dispel his hypnotizing powers before completely dominating Zommari, even making him beg for his own life at one point, which completely humiliates this character.
2 Yammy Llargo
Gets Discarded By The Duo Of Byakuya And Kenpachi
The fact that Yammy Llargo was the 0th Espada should’ve been a great concern for anyone taking him on. After all, this powerful Arrancar was potentially the strongest of the bunch in the Espada. However, what ultimately went against Yammy was the fact that he had to fight two of the strongest and coolest captains in the Gotei 13.
Both Kenpachi and Byakuya have a habit of completely humiliating their opponents. Combine their powers together, and even someone as imposing as the 0th Espada doesn’t stand a chance. At one point, Zaraki and Byakuya are so dismissive of their opponent that they start arguing about who’ll finish off the ‘weak’ foe, which enrages Yammy to no end but doesn’t change his fate of dying at the hands of the two.
1 Aaroniero Arruruerie
His Underhanded Antics Still Prevent Him From Winning Against Rukia
Emotionally manipulating an opponent into giving up instead of fighting fairly is a truly despicable way to approach a battle, which is why so many viewers absolutely hate Aaronieri Arruruerie. He’s one of the more boring members of the Espada, but shares a connection with Rukia since he absorbed the Hollow who’d taken over her senpai’s body.
This lets him use the appearance and abilities of Kaien Shiba to play mind games with Rukia, which almost succeeds. However, the Lieutenant of the 13th Division regains her composure and makes sure that this heinous Arrancar would be nothing more than a fragment of the past.
Bleach
- Release Date
- October 5, 2004
- Genres
- Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- Studio
- Pierrot
- Creator
- Tite Kubo
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