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When a Shinigami unleashes their Bankai, things get serious.
Welcome to WatchMojo, where we’re counting down the Top 20 most powerful and iconic Bankai in Bleach, ranked by strength, visual impact, and importance to the story. From Ichigo Kurosaki’s fierce Tensa Zangetsu to Captain Yamamoto’s devastating Zanka no Tachi, these Bankai have left a lasting mark on anime history.
Which Bleach Bankai is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
Welcome to WatchMojo, where we’re counting down the Top 20 most powerful and iconic Bankai in Bleach, ranked by strength, visual impact, and importance to the story. From Ichigo Kurosaki’s fierce Tensa Zangetsu to Captain Yamamoto’s devastating Zanka no Tachi, these Bankai have left a lasting mark on anime history.
Which Bleach Bankai is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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Short filmTranscript
00:01Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the most iconic weapons
00:10employed by the cast of Bleach over the course of the anime.
00:14No manga spoilers here, so have no fear.
00:21Hey, don't blame us, Ginjo's the one who didn't give it a name.
00:29After revealing himself as the arc's resident villain, the leader of the Fallbringers snatched
00:39away Ichigo's power for himself and his team.
00:42This apparently included access to Bankai, taking on a Halloween-esque guise.
00:48It certainly boosted the overall strength of Ginjo's sword swings, but beyond that, essentially
00:54made him fodder for Ichigo's return to being a Shinigami.
00:59Much like its owner, it was gone in the blink of an eye.
01:09The Lieutenant of the First Division was among the least developed characters in Bleach's
01:18long history, but at the very least, he was given a posthumous upgrade courtesy of a Bankai.
01:25Though never used throughout the series, we see that Sasakibe's command over lightning was
01:34strong enough to even scar the likes of Yamamoto, making it a prize tool to be taken when the
01:40Quincy Army invaded the Soul Society.
01:44Considering the kind of damage it can do, we have to wonder why he didn't bust this out
01:49against Aizen.
01:5918.
02:00Kinshara Butodan.
02:02Just as operatic as its user, Rose's love of all things musical was taken to the next
02:07level with this reveal.
02:13A performance of pure pain, he summons a series of sentient golden mannequins, which in turn
02:20unleash various elemental techniques that could bring even the hardiest Sternritter to their
02:26knees.
02:27Unfortunately, Rose was cut off before he could unveil his grand finale, which was a real shame
02:33because this thing was shaping up to be an instant killer.
02:40No, you idiot!
02:41It does not mean we cannot destroy both the iron and water effectively.
02:50I mean this thing wouldn't be a confession of what they call us.
02:52That's right, my confession is a confession of my confession, but the one has to tell the
02:56soul of people when we learn to find what is considered a confession of mine.
03:00Number 17 Tekken Tachikaze
03:08Simple yet effective, much like Kensei himself, this Bankai is all about punching power and little else.
03:16Combining Kensei's immense physique with his Zanpakuto's affinity for wind techniques,
03:21this pair of gauntlets allow him to unleash devastating punches that can send foes flying.
03:30No fancy gimmicks or long-ranged attacks here.
03:39If you want to scrap, then this pair of knuckle blades is the ideal.
03:43Especially when wielded by someone of Kensei's stature.
03:47Would not want to be on the receiving end of one of those.
03:51Number 16 Minazuki
03:53The reveal of Unohana as the first Kenpachi was a twist none of us had on our bingo cards.
04:00But the results speak for themselves.
04:12Despite priding herself as a healer, her Bankai is all about dealing death.
04:18In an effort to restore Kenpachi's Araki to his full strength, Unohana goes all out, revealing her sword's true bloody form.
04:31Able to unleash sanguine slashes and constructs, her already immense swordsmanship is fortified beyond measure.
04:39There was a reason why she was the strongest in her heyday.
04:44Number 15 Sakashima Yokoshima Hapo Fusugari
04:48Fans were given a real treat when they got to see Shinji's Bankai for the first time ever, considering it wasn't articulated even in the manga.
05:04Taking his already broken ability to switch up a person's senses a step further, the former Vizod now has the power to completely switch a person's recognition of friend and foe, allowing him to sit pretty while his enemies slaughter themselves.
05:29It's the ultimate gotcha weapon.
05:32Just a shame, he likely won't have the chance to bust it out again.
05:36Number 14 Shitatsu Karakara Shigerami no Sushi
05:41Squad Zero and No Joke
05:48To the extent that in order for one of them to unlock their Bankai, the other members have to willingly take themselves out.
05:55That's the gravity of their true power.
05:58In the case of Senjumaru, she takes Yuhabak's personal guard on a magic carpet ride to hell.
06:04Trapping her victims inside her various tapestries, Senjumaru can subject them to all manner of executions, from evisceration to being reduced to nothing more than dust.
06:17Her needlework is just too OP.
06:29At least for a long time that he's not done.
06:31I'm sorry.
06:32Now, he's coming back to the final point.
06:33I didn't know that he's going back to engage the whole thing.
06:34My motivation has been given a chance to stop us, so he's never had a chance to get a chance.
06:35Let's say this is impossible.
06:36This is impossible.
06:37I know.
06:38I was just the absolute point.
06:39I'm only unconscious and I wasn't going back to that point.
06:40This is impossible.
06:41I couldn't believe.
06:42This isn't impossible.
06:43I could never ask.
06:44I'm scared.
06:45That's what I'm just saying.
06:46I'm not still going to ask.
06:47I'm just not sure.
06:48I am a good idea.
06:49I'm afraid of how I'm pushing into luck.
06:50I'm trying to get my bonkai right now.
06:52long before Bankai were even a thing.
07:00Fitting with his motif of combining brushwork with swordplay, when unleashed this form allows
07:06Ichibe to change a being's entire existence by simply rewriting it.
07:12So if he wanted to take a godly figure like Yuhabak and reduce his strength to that of
07:17an ant, all it takes is a simple scribble, and it comes to pass.
07:32Number 12 Suzumushi Suishiki – Enma Korogi Remember when this thing was actually being
07:38used?
07:42Geez, Toshen was on the villain bandwagon for so long, we actually forgot he was in
07:49possession of a Bankai, and an oddly fitting one at that.
07:54First shown to us against Kenpachi, the sword creates a self-contained dimension of darkness
07:59that numbs the senses of all those caught within, leaving Toshen free to hunt them down like
08:05rabbits at his leisure.
08:13It's a shame that we couldn't see him dish this out during his antagonist phase, but we're
08:18guessing the memory of Kenpachi breaking it still haunts him.
08:27Number 11 Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo – Leave it to the crazy scientist of Soul Society to take
08:34your worst nightmares, blend them together, and summon it as his ultimate weapon.
08:47Nothing says, you are going to die screaming, quite like the sight of a giant insect with
08:53a distorted infant's face that breathes out waves of poison.
09:04Whether you're crushed under its many ligaments, wholly devoured, or infected with its numerous
09:09toxins, this Bankai above all else stands as a true symbol of madness and horror.
09:16Then again, that's pretty much Mayuri's calling card.
09:28Number 10 Kokujou Tengen Mew – Now this is how you make an impact.
09:39If you thought that Komamura's reveal as a talking, bulky wolf was a shocker, then just
09:44wait until he summons this colossal set of pitch-black armor.
10:01Copying every move the Fury Captain makes, it does come with the unfortunate side effect
10:06of reflecting all the damage it takes onto its master.
10:10But the payoff is worth it when you see just how strong this Iron Giant really is.
10:15After getting that blade brought down on your cranium, it's doubtful you're going to be
10:19getting back up again.
10:23While it's essentially just an upgraded form of Ichimaru Shikai, the results are still devastating,
10:42to the point that it nearly managed to get won over on both Ichigo and Aizen.
10:47Not only can the blade stretch itself up to 13 kilometers, but it can extend and retract
11:01at 500 times the speed of sound, allowing him to slice apart anyone or anything faster than
11:08they can think.
11:17Or just cut an entire town in half when he feels like showing off.
11:21Then there's his ace in the hole, wherein he can leave a slither of the blade inside someone,
11:27creating a deadly poison capable of reducing even a self-proclaimed god to mulch.
11:41Number 8 – Jakuho Raikouben Soifan may not be a fan of this Bankai
11:46on account it's pretty much the antithesis of stealth, but you can't argue with its raw
11:51power.
12:08Turning a weapon of silent assassination into a magical rocket launcher, the force is great
12:14enough to devastate even the strongest of hollows, as well as incinerate everything around them.
12:28If the first shot doesn't leave you in pieces, then all she has to do is reload and try again,
12:34until her target falls victim to the nuclear stinger at her disposal.
12:50Number 7 – Ryoman Hozukimaru Out of all the non-captains we thought would
12:56end up getting their hands on a Bankai, Ikaku was pretty low on the list, but nonetheless ended
13:03up becoming a pleasant surprise when he pulled it out of the bag against the Arankar invaders.
13:21Going from a simple spear to that of three large vicious blades, one of which just happens
13:27to be a guillotine that can store and unleash an explosion of potent reishi.
13:32The bold ball of luck would have a much easier time of it if he had used this form more often.
13:38Alas, his determination to remain in squad 11 outshines his eagerness to bring out the
13:43big guns in a fight.
13:50And the last one is a game of the game of the game of the game.
13:57About time Rukia got her time to shine.
14:05After being on the sidelines for way too long, Rukia reveals just how far she has come as a
14:11shinigami, namely in the form of a Bankai that nearly pushed Hitsugaya off his pedestal as king of cold.
14:28Assuming an elegant guise of a frost-laced maiden, Rukia is now able to expand the reach of her blade's icy influence, reducing all around her to absolute zero.
14:35Including overzealous Quincy, who believe themselves far superior.
14:42We had been waiting to see what the captain commander could possibly have in his arsenal given that his Shikai was already beyond the pale in terms of destructiveness.
14:49And that's when he busted out his Bankai.
14:56We had been waiting to see what the captain commander could possibly have in his arsenal given that his Shikai was already beyond the pale in terms of destructiveness, and that's when he busted out his Bankai.
15:08The immensity of his flames is channeled into four different states, being that of his sword coating his body like armor, summoning charred corpses of fallen foes, and a final slash that could split apart soul society if he wanted to.
15:33It's a demonstration of unrivaled power that Yuhabak could never overcome if not for some sleight of hand.
15:40If not for some sleight of hand.
15:47The
16:08of the Gotei 13's Bankai is no slouch when it comes to its release form, going from an
16:14extendable blade all the way to a giant constructed serpent that can separate into several large
16:20fragments and reform at will.
16:32Not only does it afford Renji plenty of range on the battlefield, but also comes with some
16:37serious firepower in the form of a giant laser that can roast any unprepared foes.
16:56Its lethal potential skyrocketed after some fine-tuning from Squad Zero, turning it into
17:01a death trap that few can hope to stand against.
17:05Number 3 – Daiguren Hyōrinmaru Possibly the most frequently used Bankai across
17:10the entire series, and wouldn't you know it, it belongs to everyone's fan-favorite white-haired
17:16child prodigy.
17:20Hitsugaya's mastery over his Zanpakuto not only allowed him to unlock his final form in
17:29record time, but it's one of the coolest as far as designs go.
17:38With icy wings and claws now attached to his body, not only does he look the part of a dragon
17:44hybrid, but can also conjure up a whole variety of Sub-Zero techniques that can put anyone on
17:50ice.
17:57Number 2 – Senbonzakura Kageyoshi A barrage of a billion petals that are each as sharp as
18:05steel, Byakuya's Bankai is a beautiful death sentence if ever there was one.
18:16While trying to outrun or overcome the sea of razor petals is nigh impossible, especially
18:23if the Elder Kuchki increases their speed, that's not the only form his Bankai can take, transitioning
18:29into a fleet of swords that he can summon whenever he desires.
18:38But wait, there's more!
18:40Should all else fail, he can summon one last blinding sword, providing an angelic guise
18:46meant to smite any foe that has managed to survive so far.
18:53It's only one behind me, but the second one is a super ghost.
19:11You can't do anything, the dragon is a flat, so it's actually a very hard one.
19:16Then make sure to go into your settings and switch on notifications.
19:211.
19:22Tensa Zangetsu What else was it going to be?
19:30While originally a Hawking Black Blade that could still do some serious damage, Ichigo's
19:35intensive training and burning desire to save Rukia managed to unlock its ascended form.
19:42While appearing as a simple katana, what this Bankai loses in size, it makes up for in spades
19:48with its speed, granting the strawberry increased agility and movement to the point where he
19:54can even shred any enemy as though they were paper.
20:08And that's to say nothing of the major upgrade it provided to the Ketsuga Tensho.
20:23Which Bankai do you wish you had in your possession?
20:26Let us know in those comments below.
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