10 Strongest Bankai and Wielders
Bleach is known far and wide in the anime community for many different things ranging from the excellent art style to squandered potential. But many fans will agree that Bleach has some of the most incredible fights and a power system that is easy to enjoy. It may lack the depth of Nen or the variety of Chakara, but it is fun to watch, and anyone can follow along without needing any prior information.
This is all because of the swords they use, which are their primary weapons, and each of the swords, or Zanpakutos, to be exact, are different from each other and have an innate ability. Each Zanpakuto can evolve into two stages, with Bankai being the strongest. And to that end, this article will rank ten of the strongest Bankai and their users. You can also find the Zanpaktous listed here at our merch site, where you can get the most authentic swords from Bleach and other shows.
10. Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi (Kaname Tōsen)
Now to many, this might seem like an odd choice since there are many other stronger Bankai in the series, but we need to remember that an overpowered Bankai will not win every battle if the wielder is not strong. To that end, Tosen and his Bankai Suzumushi Tsuishiki are one of the strongest in the series, as they have abilities that complement each other. His Bankai power is to turn the surrounding environment inside a set area silent and devoid of light. This helps him remove his opponents as he has learned to fight in this state due to his blindness. In this state, he could even take out first stage Bankai Hollow Ichigo.
9. Hakka no Togame (Rukia Kuchiki)
Rukia is one of the characters introduced into the story, and due to this, we see her improve from being a simple foot soldier to a respected captain. Most of this is due to her Zankpakuto and Bankai, which can turn the surrounding area into absolute zero and kill anyone caught in it. But due to the difficulty of mastering it, she has only used it a handful of times. But going off feats alone, Hakka no Togame might be one of the few who can tank an attack from Bankai Yamamoto and Bankai Zaraki / Bankai Kenpachi.
8. Pantera (Grimmjow)
One of the main villains and a personal rival of Ichigo, Grimmjow is an awakened hollow created by Aizen to take over the soul of society. Due to the nature of their creation, he also gained a Zanpakuto and his version of a Bankai called Resurrección. When he calls upon Pantera, he can transform into a hybrid of a hollow panther and a human with enhanced abilities and senses. All his powers are boosted in his form, and he can even go against the likes of Bankai Ichigo and draw.
7. Kamishini no Yari (Gin Ichimaru)
Gin is one of the earliest captains introduced into the story, whose motives are always mysterious. He also betrays the soul society and tries to kill many of its members when leaving with Aizen. His Bankai Kamishini no Yari has a scary power with just a single swing. He can cut up to 13 Km and do it 500 times faster than the speed of sound. The likes of Bankai Zaraki / Bankai Kenpachi and Bankai Yamamoto only match this basic power level. Even Bankai Hollow Ichigo had trouble with it.
6. Murciélago (Ulquiorra Cifer)
Ulquiorra was one of the strongest villains Ichigo faced in the series, and this was due to his hollow powers and his Resurreccion Murciélago. It, once released, transformed him into a black-winged devil while also boosting his abilities to the max that even Bankai Hollow Ichigo, at full power, had a hard time with him. But alas, he could not hold his own against a rampaging Ichigo and lost.
5. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi (Byakuya Kuchiki)
Besides being one of the coolest-sounding Bankai in the series, it is also one of the strongest, as it has an effortless ability to scatter into different Sakura petals. Each of these petals can turn into a sword and attack the enemy. He is also seen using advanced versions of this ability when he returns from the second battle with Quincy. The potential of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi is said to rival Bankai Yamamoto.
4. Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame (Kisuke Urahara)
Kisuke is one of the most fun and enjoyable characters to watch as he is always joking around and seems to know about everything and anything that’s about to happen. But his Bankai Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame is a different beast. It can easily rip you apart with its ability to disassemble and reassemble anything it touches in seconds.
3. Kyōka Suigetsu (Sōsuke Aizen)
Calling Aizen one of the strongest in the universe of bleach would not be an understatement, as he can quickly destroy the strongest of the foes in mere seconds with his Zanpakuto. Aizen canonically has never used his Bankai, even when he battles Yhwach. He can put anyone that has seen his Kuoka Suigetsu into complete hypnosis where the victim is unaware of the actions he or she is making. With this ability, he could fool the entire soul society and have even destroyed it had it not been for his ego.
2. Tensa Zangetsu (Ichigo)
Ichigo is the story’s main character and has one of the most complex sets of abilities in the entire series, as he has different kinds of blood inside of him. This has also resulted in his Zanpakuto changing every arc. Tensa Zangetsu, compared to other swords, has no unique, innate ability other than boosting Ichigo and his given abilities to the max. This makes it so that he can go head-to-head with the strongest characters in the series.
1. Nozarashi (Kenpachi Zaraki)
Kenpachi Zaraki is one of the best characters in the entire series; he also has some of the most enjoyable fights. This is due to his nature of fighting everyone he sees as an equal. And due to this, he had forgotten the name of Zanpakuto, and in his lowest moment, when fighting Quincy for the second time, he was finally able to unleash his Bankai, which has no name. It also has one purpose Nozarashi the Bankai of Kenpachi cuts, meaning it can cut anything in its way, from physical matter to intangible concepts. This makes Bankai Zaraki or Bankai Kenpachi one of the strongest in the entire series.
