Though Bleach was a popular anime, it was the fights which really made the show. Fights are what separated the episodic nature of Bleach and gave the show a sense of continuity and an overarching plot. The list of Bleach’s best fights is a long one and it would be impossible to list all of the 10 best anime fights of Bleach, but we’ve narrowed it down to ten.
These are the fights that make you want to stand up and cheer, the ones that leave you on the edge of your seat, and the ones that you just can’t stop watching. From Ichigo’s fight with Aizen to Uryu’s battle with Mayuri, these are the fights that have made Bleach one of the most popular anime of all time.
These fights were not just great because of the animation or the choreography but also because of what they meant to the characters and the story.
For those who haven’t watched this one yet then, Bleach is set in a world where there are Soul Reapers, who are tasked with guiding the souls of the dead to the afterlife. The anime follows the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a Soul Reaper who gains the ability to see ghosts after coming into contact with a Hollow. He then becomes a Soul Reaper and helps protect his friends and family from Hollows. Bleach’s last and long-awaited Thousand Year Blood War Arc is set to release in late 2022. So, if you haven’t watched this one yet then this is the right time to binge-watch the series.
| Japanese Name | Bleach |
| Where To Watch | Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu |
| Studio | Pierrot |
| Dubbed | Yes |
10. Grand Fisher VS Ichigo
Let’s start the list with our protagonist Ichigo faces his first major test in the fight against Grant Fisher.
Grand Fisher is Ichigo’s first major challenge, and the battle with this hollow marks Bleach’s first serious battle, providing a much-needed break from the simple episodic episode with lower stakes. Because it is early in Bleach, the powers displayed are still very simple, very vanilla compared to what we have been used to.
Still, I believe this fight ranks among the best in Bleach because it affects the status quo and how character-driven it was. He had a lot of meaning in it, and it was also this fight that showed us Ichigo’s potential and where he can go in terms of strengthening and finding his resolve.
09. Kenpachi VS Nnoitra
Kenpachi and Nnoitra are a match made in heaven. They are both ferocious fighters who represent opposing factions. Their paths crossed in the Hueco Mundo Arc, and it was a bloodbath, just as everyone expected.
Both fighters slashed and struck each other with their strongest blows, activating each other’s released forms. The slugfest of heavyweights between Kenpachi and release Nnoitra was unforgettable. However, I believe it belongs somewhere lower on the list due to how anticlimactic the fight’s conclusion feels.
It’s good emotionally and with a bit of a backdrop, but Kenpachi’s new power-up is something as simple as fighting with two hands, which feels a little too tame. On the other hand, it fits his character perfectly, and when Thousand Year Blood War comes, you’ll see more craziness that’s out for this captain.
08. Kyoraku VS Starrk
Many captains have fantastic fights, and Kyoraku has one in the show. He reminds me a lot of the previous entry. Kyoraku versus Starrk, like Kenpachi versus Nnoitra, is a perfect match. This one, like the previous one, pits a captain against his doppelganger.
It’s the battle of the easygoing but super-strong combatants this time. Starrk is the number one Espada for a reason, and he just thrashed two Visored. We haven’t seen much of Kyoraku’s exploits at this point, but we do know that he’s a senior captain who is much closer to Yamamoto tear than people believe.
Overall, this fight has a more relaxed and casual vibe to it. While the two are engaged in a heated argument, it appears to be more of a dance and a contest of wills. Starrk’s lack of aggression and Kyoraku’s stern, calm demeanor, including his powers involving literal child’s play, actually work well together.
It’s a good fight, but as you’ll see in Thousand-Year Blood War, Captain Kyoraku’s life isn’t always fun and games. I’ll just leave you guessing about his new abilities for those who haven’t yet gotten their hands on spoilers.
07. Uryu VS Mayuri
To continue the captain battles, we have Uryu versus Mayuri. Insufferable genius collides with insufferable genius. This battle against the Shinigami Captain was Uryu’s personal highlight of the entire Bleach anime thus far. It’s the long-awaited battle between Shinigami and Quincy, and it raises the stakes in an already tense battle.
Mayuri’s backstory was revealed, making this situation extremely personal for Uryu. Uryu is facing his first real challenge since joining Soul Society, and Mayuri’s terrifying Powers keep him in trouble for much of the fight. He does, however, overcome all of Mayuri Zanpakuto’s debilitating effects, only for the mad scientist to reveal his grotesque Bankai. That makes Uryu’s victory moment all the more satisfying.
With such overwhelming odds stacked against him, he decides to go all in before blasting the gigantic baby away. Despite his high billing, Uryu had never had a major accomplishment prior to this fight, but after fighting Mayuri, he now has one.
06. Kenpachi VS Tosen
Zaraki had previously been a wild card before kicking asses in Hueco Mundo. In the Soul Society Arc, our heroes first encountered an unlikely ally in the form of the menacing Kenpachi Zaraki. Zaraki is more than willing to fight his polar opposite Tosen because he does not appear to be bound by the code of honor that the top Shinigami upholds regarding the impending execution.
Tosen takes his sweet time dancing around Kenpachi thanks to his crippling Bankai, creating a clash between the methodical and the unrestrained. Kenpachi’s instincts eventually adapt to the situation, and the fight ends with him turning the tide in a big way with such a daring move.
It takes a true lunatic to consider getting stabbed to locate an opponent, but if there’s a true madman and someone tough enough to tank it out, it’s none other than Kenpachi.
05. Renji VS Byakuya
The Soul Society Arc fights continue with Renji versus Byakuya. As Captain and Lieutenant, Renji and Byakuya play interesting roles. Rather than the expected superior-subordinate relationship, Renji has always viewed his captain as a competitor, an object to be surpassed.
With his desire to save the rookie taking the highest priority, Renji finally found the motivation to train for Bankai and finally defeat his captain. Byakuya begins by looking down on Renji, mentioning their vast disparity in prowess, but he soon regrets his words as Renji bravely puts on a great show against him.
Renji repeatedly puts his captain on the ropes with his Bankai, but as the battle progresses, you’ll notice something: he’s not actually doing visible damage to Byakuya. Byakuya then summons his own Bankai, easily defeating Renji.
Still, this is a fight about the emotional stakes and how it represents Renji’s character development. The Lieutenant’s development and character are highlighted in this fight but don’t tell me that giant bone snake isn’t impressive.
04. Ichigo VS Aizen
In most cases, the best fight is the one in which the protagonist is placed against the greatest villain of the tale, but not so in this instance. In terms of visual spectacle, Ichigo vs. Aizen has a lot of awesome sprinkled all over it, but the fight itself isn’t much of a fight, to be honest.
Despite Aizen’s best efforts, it’s only Ichigo dominating him. We see Ichigo stop a sword with his hand and also break through a full-powered Black Coffin with his hand in the callback. It’s the culmination of an insane feat in which he forces Aizen to continue evolving before unleashing the final Getsuga Tenshou.
It feels great to see Aizen finally lose his call after so many arcs of being one step ahead of the heroes. He’s finally met his match and the tables have turned after being so smug and on top of the situation for so long. While the fight itself isn’t much to write home about if we ignore Ichigo doing well Aizen stuff against Aizen. Its conclusion completes the ark and allows Ichigo to understand Aizen on a deeper level than before.
03. Ichigo VS Ulquiorra
Ulquiorra proved to be Ichigo’s most difficult challenge to that point in the story. Before their final confrontation in Las Noches, Ulquiorra and Ichigo had clashed several times. The Espada had won every time, and Ichigo was destroyed in increasingly severe ways with each victory.
Ichigo is still unable to compete with the mightiest Espada despite all of his power-ups and confidence boost from the Arc. In fact, Ichigo dies the most during this fight.
Yes, he had a lot of those before Ulquiorra, but seeing him get blasted that hard in front of Orihime is painful. It’s undeniably the ark’s darkest hour, which makes this fight all the more memorable. The appearance of Ichigo’s new hollow form, on the other hand, makes this fight even more memorable.
Ulquiorra is completely defeated by Ichigo’s new form, which even downplays Ulquiorra’s ultimate attack. Ichigo had gone completely insane, and it was quite the sight to behold. The emotions used to describe this chilling scene that led to the battle’s conclusion would be wonder, astonishment, and fear.
02. Ichigo VS Grimmjow
Ichigo vs. Grimmjow is an epic rivalry that deserves nothing less than an epic showdown to end. Grimmjow has long been Ichigo’s primary antagonist, even a personal rival in the Arrancar Arc. Sure, there’s the thing about Orihime escaping Ulquiorra and the number for Espada repeatedly stomping our hero, but the connection with Grimmjow felt more personal than natural.
If we’re talking about character archetypes, he does remind me of a blue headed Renji. However, this was at a point when the overall power scale had increased significantly, resulting in a much more visually spectacular fight. While I wouldn’t completely disagree that this Arc mirrors Soul Society while changing the actors, the payoffs for some parts of this Arc ended up being a lot better, and this fight is just one of them.
The fight had such a hot-blooded intensity that it finished Grimmjow’s character Arc while also providing a contrast to Ichigo and the source of his unyielding will. We also got a super badass moment with Ichigo grabbing Grimmjow’s heavily injured protagonist and simply powering through Grimmjow’s ultimate attack for the finish.
01. Ichigo VS Byakuya
The great Arc, like the Soul Society Arc, deserved a climax like Ichigo versus Byakuya. It has everything a final boss fight should have. The hype for both fighters exists because both have defeated multiple lieutenants and demonstrated their power. It also coincides with Ichigo’s first public demonstration of his two most iconic abilities, Getsuga Tenshou and Bankai.
This is an emotional fight with good build-up and excellent pacing throughout. Both show off a lot of their abilities, and we get more character development from Ichigo’s hollow taking over the fight. Both fighters take turns grabbing control of the momentum, and while the fight lasted a long time, it never felt like it was just pointless power exchanges.
This is a complete package, and this fight had it all. It has one of the most glorious endings, with the two making one final charge after Ichigo fights out of his hollow form in an attempt to take control. Without a doubt, Ichigo VS Byakuya fight is the best fight in Bleach anime until 2022.
However, Thousand Year Blood War is coming in 2022, so who knows, maybe we will get an even better fight from this one.
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