Summary
TheBleachanime 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, andthe elite Sternritter, no one can aptly gauge the enemies' level of strength in theBleachseries. 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 May 25, 2025, 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.
14Ichibe 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 charactersintroduced 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.
13Gremmy Thoumeaux
Gremmy Was Limited Only By His Imagination
In terms of actual practical ability,Gremmy Thoumeauxis one of the most powerfulBleachantagonists 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.
12Sosuke Aizen
Aizen Has Always Proven To Be Stronger Than Most
Aizenhas always been a character who can turn situations around in theBleachuniverse. 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.
11Askin 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 Vaarproved 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.
10Ichigo Kurosaki
The Protagonist Of The Series Is Always Leveling Up
Fans have seen the protagonist of theBleachanime 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 asa 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.
9Genryūsai 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 quitea few unique techniquesto 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.
8Toshiro Hitsugaya
This Childhood Prodigy’s Bankai Reaches Full Maturity
After the former captain of the 10th division, Isshin Shiba, lost his powers,Toshiro Hitsugayatook 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. Afterhis bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, reaches full maturity, Toshiro becomes a master of ice.
7Yhwach
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,Yhwachserves as the major antagonistof theBleachThousand-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.
6Gerard Valkyrie
This Sternritter Makes The Impossible Possible
The Quincy and ValkyrieGerardadopts 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 variouscaptains of the Gotei 13at the same time and overpower them.
5Shunsui Kyoraku
Kyoraku Proved Strong Enough To Replace Yamamoto As Captain Commander
After the death of Yamamoto, the ex-captain commander of the Gotei 13,Shunsuiwas 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.
