Top 10 Bleach Fight Scenes

While trying to rescue Rukia from execution in Soul Society, our protagonist finds his path blocked by Renji, one of the strongest foes he’s fought up to this point. The action is intense, with Ichigo struggling to overcome Renji’s superior strength… as well as his own wavering resolve. Frustrated at being unable to save Rukia himself, Renji takes out all of his anger on Ichigo. But when Ichigo gains his new determination, Renji surprisingly expresses his hope that he’ll succeed.

Next up we have another classic Soul Society fight, between Ichigo’s Quincy frenemy Ishida and this bizarre Shinigami Captain. Being a mad scientist, Mayuri’s cruel tactics and various hidden body modifications make a nice contrast to the honorable, straightforward Ishida. In addition to being the first fight to showcase a shinigami’s Bankai, the battle also packs a strong emotional punch, due to Mayuri’s experimentation and murdering of Ishida’s fellow Quincy, including his grandfather.

Although Coyote Starrk fights several opponents during the long battle between the Espada and Soul Society’s Captains, his most consistent foe is Shunsui Kyōraku. The combatants are actually pretty well matched, since they both tend to be lazy, despite how powerful they are. Starrk’s gunslinger powers are unlike anything else and Shunsui’s own abilities centered around a children’s game offer unique “rules” that keep Starrk and the audience guessing.

As one of the primary antagonists, Sōsuke Aizen manages to be intimidating as hell. A traitorous Shinigami Captain, he’s gifted with strength that dwarfs even that of his former comrades, as well as possessing near perfect hypnosis abilities. While things appear hopeless at first, the combined efforts of both current and former Captains finally manage to injure Aizen. However, this all proves to be an illusion, as they’ve actually been fooled into attacking one of their own comrades instead; leaving them wide open for Aizen to cut them all down.

Ichigo’s luck takes a turn for the worst when he runs into the Soul Society’s most notoriously violent captain. Being the first Shinigami Captain he faces, Kenpachi tests Ichigo more than any opponent before him. It’s an uphill battle for the most art, and after communing with his zanpakuto, Ichigo only manages to fight his way to a draw. Kenpachi’s bloodthirsty joy over fighting is infectious, and we can’t help but love the palpable danger and great character development this fight provides.

Speaking of hotheaded opponents, our next entry is this final fight with the 6th Espada Grimmjow. The pair clash several times throughout the Arrancar arc, but their final fight blows the others out of the water. Grimmjow appears to be the only thing preventing Ichigo from rescuing his friend Orihime - and the Espada himself is ecstatic to finally get a good fight out of the hero. The action is fast paced and excellently choreographed, making for one of the most intense bouts in the series.

This battle sees Ichigo pitted against a former substitute Shinigami, Kūgo Ginjō, whose machinations nearly robbed Ichigo of his powers entirely. Due to their similar life paths and the fact that Ginjō steals some of Ichigo’s abilities, he comes off as a dark mirror for Ichigo himself; making him a memorable opponent. Being the final fight of the series, the animation team certainly made sure Bleach would end on a high note.

The climactic battle of the Soul Society arc features Ichigo facing off against Rukia’s brother Byakuya, whose stoic and confident personality contrasts nicely with Ichigo’s hotheaded determination. Both fighters seem to have the upper hand at several points, and the back-and-forth between their respective powers, as well as the numerous iconic moments - including Ichigo’s first use of his bankai - make this one of the most memorable and exciting fight scenes in the series

After thoroughly wrecking everyone he comes across, big bad Aizen finally meets his match. Ichigo returns from training outside of time to battle the seemingly godlike villain with shocking ease. The anticipation for this fight was huge, as the entire series had been building up to it for years. While it didn’t quite live up to the hype, given that it’s relatively short and the power scaling is a little narratively convenient, it’s still immensely satisfying to see the oh-so-smug Aizen defeated at last.

If our last entry was a battle of gods, then this is one between demons. Like Grimmjow, Ichigo has a running rivalry with the emotionless 4th Espada, Ulquiorra and it comes to a head in dramatic fashion. Ulquiorra proves to be among the most challenging of Ichigo’s opponents and almost puts Ichigo out of commission for good when he shoots a Cero Oscuras through his chest. This however leads to Ichigo taking on a new powerful Hollow form, one which engages in a brutal large-scale battle with Ulquiorra that we won’t be forgetting any time soon…