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Bleach: Every Major Villain, Ranked By Design

Published

2 weeks ago

December 8, 2024

Christoph Rediske

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

Villains in Bleach have unique designs that match their abilities, like Tsukishima’s minimalistic look.
Characters like Grand Fisher and Aizen stand out due to their menacing appearances and iconic styles.
Yhwach and Ulquiorra showcase impressive enemy designs that reflect their personalities and roles in the series.

Throughout the story of Bleach, Ichigo faces off against his fair share of intimidating and powerful villains, all of whom possess drastically different powers, but also designs. Bleach is a series renowned for its stylish character designs, and while this most certainly applies to the captains and lieutenants who make up the Gotei 13, it’s clear author Tite Kubo also dedicates a lot of time crafting his villains too.

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A beloved manga and anime, Tite Kubo’s Bleach has plenty of iconic shonen characters. What are the ages, birthdays, and heights of the main heroes?

Not every Bleach villain has blown fans away with their appearance, but others have gone down as iconic for how unique they look. Therefore, now that Yhwach has made his mark on the series in the Thousand Year Blood War, there’s no better time to reevaluate the villains of Bleach, purely through a design perspective. Before jumping in, it should be clarified that only one villain from each arc will be counted so that only Ichigo’s major enemies are focused on.

7 Shukuro Tsukishima (Fullbring Arc)

A Minimalistic Design That Feeds Into Tsukishima’s Sinister Abilities

At first glance, Tsukishima can seem like a pretty ordinary guy as far as his appearance goes, but that’s what makes his power, Book of the End, so much more sinister. Since Tsukishima is able to insert himself into a person’s past, it makes sense for him to have such a minimalistic look which features a white shirt paired with black suspenders alongside a pair of black pants.

The most intriguing part of Tsukishima’s design though is his facial expressions, not only the smirk that never leaves his face, but also his dead eyes, which feel like they can pierce through the soul of anyone he gazes at. Tsukishima may not have the flashiest design out there, but it still suits his sinister personality and ability.

6 Grand Fisher (Substitute Soul Reaper Arc)

One Of The Creepiest Hollows In The Series, Incorporating Plenty Of Body Horror

Grand Fisher is the menacing Hollow Ichigo attempts to take down in order to avenge his mother during the first few episodes of the series. Since Grand Fisher is a Hollow, its design is far different from that of a human, but the menacing smile, paired with the glowing red eyes and holes inserted around his face still presents him as a malicious beast that looks genuinely terrifying.

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In many of its iterations, Grand Fisher also possesses a long tentacle limb stretching out from its head, which it will use to lure in its prey. Kubo is a master at body horror, and combining an angelfish with what seems to be a gorilla results in what can only be described as a monstrosity that invokes fear every time it appears on screen during those early Bleach episodes.

5 Sosuke Aizen (Fake Karakura Town Arc)

Aizen’s Iconic Design Makes Him Appear Like A Cold And Calculated Mastermind

It honestly would be difficult to guess Aizen is the main villain of the series just by looking at him considering Kubo decided to make him one of the most stylish and well-dressed characters in the entire series. However, while his long white half-open jacket and devilish smile have become synonymous with the character, his hair is also a crucial part of his design.

Longtime fans will remember a time when, back in the Soul Society arc, Aizen disguised himself as an innocent captain, and to play the part, he kept his hair a little messy and always wore glasses. Upon his betrayal, he demonstrates his new-found rebellious attitude by throwing away the glasses and slicking back his hair, giving him a more sophisticated look which makes him appear a lot more like the maniacal mastermind he’s always wanted to be.

4 Byakuya Kuchiki (Soul Society Arc)

Byakuya’s Appearance Contains Several Small Touches That Represent His Royal Status

While Ichigo faces off against numerous Soul Reapers during his mission to save Rukia, it’s ultimately Byakuya who acts as the ‘final boss’ that stands in his way. Though Byakuya only shows up very briefly before his duel with Ichigo, a lot can be gleaned about his character from his appearance alone. While the long-flowing scarf highlights Byakuya’s elegance, which also feeds into the nature of his Zanpakuto, the silver headpieces keeping his hair together are only reserved for the head of the Kuchiki clan, putting his royal status on full display for everyone to see.

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These Bleach characters had fans guessing about their true identities and motives, with some remaining a mystery even to this day.

Though Kubo often enjoys playing around with the facial expressions of his characters, he was determined to keep Byakuya as solemn and stoic as possible, never cracking a smile and only rarely expressing frustration. Small details like this went a long way in showcasing Byakuya as a ruthless captain whose emotions have been dulled by his tragic past, and his unwavering loyalty to the harsh laws of the Soul Society.

3 Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (Arrancar Arc)

A Wild But Instantly Recognizable Look For Ichigo’s Hot-Headed Rival

When the Arrancar arrive in Karakura Town, it’s technically Ulquiorra and Yammy who get there first, but it’s Grimmjow who decides to take the fight directly to Ichigo, becoming his rival from then on. Grimmjow’s unique appearance is a huge reason why he has become such a fan favorite, with his messy blue hair and devious scowl feeding into his more reckless personality in comparison to the other Espada.

Another way Grimmjow sets himself apart is by always leaving his Espada jacket fully open, rather than trying to look professional by buttoning it up. It’s a small touch, but one that indicates just how little Grimmjow cares about formalities, or impressing his master, Aizen. Grimmjow also has what is arguably the most unique mask in the series which is attached to the right side of his face, making him look even more badass, but also a little scary.

2 Yhwach (Thousand Year Blood War Arc)

The King Of The Quincies Certainly Looks As Intimidating As Expected

As the self-proclaimed king of the Quincies, Yhwach needs to make sure he looks the part, and there’s certainly no denying this all-seeing villain contains one of Kubo’s best enemy designs in the entire series. The long red cape that follows him from behind, paired with the buttoned-up white jacket that stretches up to his neck gives Yhwach a demanding presence that perfectly suits someone of his prestigious status.

He may have an impeccable dress sense, but his absurdly long mustache and long flowing black hair also remind viewers this is a man who has been around for a very long time, only now awakening to take down the Soul Reapers once and for all. Kubo also cleverly made it so Yhwach’s design contained just enough features to make him eerily similar to Zangetsu, without making it too obvious, providing a nice bit of foreshadowing through his design.

1 Ulquiorra Cifer (Hueco Mundo Arc)

A Design That Represents Emptiness And The Sorrow That It Brings

Since the Arrancar are Hollows that possess the abilities of Shinigami and are therefore a blend between Hollow and human, it allows them to have some pretty creative designs, with Ulquiorra being a prime example. Ulquiorra represents ‘Emptiness’, and his design does a good job at showcasing that, especially the pale white skin and black lines running from his bright green eyes which almost look like tears.

Though Ulquiorra alternates between keeping his Espada cloak open and closed, he always ensures the hole near his chest is exposed as a physical representation of his lack of a ‘heart’, which becomes a big theme of his character. Ulquiorra’s more sad and depressive look almost makes him seem somewhat sympathetic as a villain, but the Hollow mask that rests on his head is always there to remind Ichigo where this guy came from, and the immense powers he withholds underneath the cold surface.

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Bleach

Release Date: September 6, 2006
Seasons: 16
Creator
Cast: Johnny Yong Bosch , Michelle Ruff , Stephanie Sheh , Jamieson Price , Derek Stephen Prince , Wally Wingert
Story By: Tite Kubo
Writers: Tite Kubo , Masashi Sogo
Network: Funimation
Directors: Noriyuki Abe , Jun’ya Koshiba
Showrunner: Tite Kubo
Producers: Tasuku Honda , Yoshihiko Tominaga , Genki Negishi
Character(s): Ulquiorra (voice) , Ryūsei ‘Kenryū’ Kenzaki (voice) , Ugaki (voice) , Avirama Redder , Kurōdo (voice) , Noitora (voice) , Uncredited , Maki Ichinose (voice) , Jinta Hanakari (voice) , Noba , Aaroniero Arruruerie (voice) , Lirin (voice) , Mashiro Kuna (voice) , Wonderweiss Margera (voice) , Hyōrinmaru (voice) , Uryu Ishida (voice) , Nel Tu (voice)