The Big Three once dominated the anime and manga world, and Bleach was one of them. Throughout the series, protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki has several adventures, introducing viewers to the fascinating Shinigami of Soul Society. The Captains of the Gotei 13 are particularly powerful, albeit not nearly as strong as the protagonist. Still, it takes Ichigo a long time before he achieves Captain-level power.
Every Shinigami possesses a unique Zanpakuto, which they can release in two forms. The Shikai is the foundation of their abilities and works effectively against low-level opponents. On the other hand, the Bankai is extremely rare and can only be employed by the strongest combatants in Soul Society. Fans initially believed very few people could even obtain a Bankai, but all that changed after Ichigo collided with Soul Society. All things considered, however, not all Bankai are built the same.
Updated on May 8, 2025, by Ajay Aravind: The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc brought Bleach back into the limelight, especially after the manga ended in 2016. This culminating storyline introduced new characters and powers, many of which fans had never seen before. Given all the new Bankai introduced in the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc, this list is updated with more of the strongest Bleach Bankai and to reflect CBR’s current style guide.
23 Ryumon Hozukimaru Was Once a Fearsome Bankai
User: Ikkaku Madarame
For a time, the Bleach anime stated that only Captains could learn to use Bankai, with Ichigo Kurosaki being the exception for plot reasons, seeing how he is the shōnen protagonist. Renji then also used a Bankai, much to everyone’s surprise. Not long after the fondly-remembered Soul Society arc, the Bankai rule was broken yet again with Ikkaku Madarame, the 3rd seat of Squad 11.
Ikkaku’s Shikai wasn’t strong enough to defeat the Arrancar named Edrad Leones, so out of desperation, Ikkaku released his Bankai, Ryumon Hozukimaru. According to its wielder, this Bankai is lazy and must be provoked into using its full strength by causing and suffering injuries in the heat of battle. Thus, this Bankai starts weak but charges up strength as the fight continues until its full power is reached. That made Ryumon Hozukimaru an interesting melee Bankai, although it was destroyed during its introductory fight. As a result, it ranks last on this list.
22 Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Korogi Attacks the Enemy's Senses
User: Kaname Tosen
Captain Kaname Tosen claimed to detest violence and bloodshed, giving him a pacifistic theme that clashed with his former role as a Shinigami Captain. That’s why he had a Shikai that could simply knock out a target with an intense sonic attack that would not draw blood, focusing on the sense of sound rather than the body.
Tosen’s Bankai was a much stronger version of that, trapping Tosen and his enemy together in a large black balloon. In that realm, Tosen’s enemies cannot see or hear anything, giving Tosen a serious advantage in battle while he uses his blade. The only weakness is that if the enemy can touch Tosen’s weapon, their senses are restored — a weak point that Kenpachi Zaraki exploited at the cost of getting stabbed in the chest.
21 Tekken Tachikaze Harnesses the Elemental Power of Wind
User: Kensei Muguruma
The first Shinigami to become a Visored, Kensei Muguruma, was once the Captain of Squad 9. He already had his Bankai, so fans expected it to pack a punch. Unfortunately, Kensei’s character arc showed how average Tekken Tachikaze was on the battlefield. Based on the same concept as his Shikai, Tekken Tachikaze harnessed the elemental power of wind and transformed it into devastating offensive moves.
For example, Kensei’s Bankai transforms his single weapon into two enormous knuckle blades, highlighting his preferred combat style. Tekken Tachikaze can indeed pack a punch, as seen when he casually sends Masc de Masculine flying into a building. However, the fact that Wonderweiss Margera and Sternritter S overpowered Kensei’s Bankai makes Tekken Tachikaze a child’s toy compared to most other Bankai.
20 Kinshara Butodan Has Dangerously Elegant Artistic Powers
User: Rojuro Otoribashi
Rojuro Otoribashi may not be one of Bleach‘s most popular characters, but his Bankai is a sight to behold. It is called Kinshara Butodan, and upon activation, a large pair of floating hands appear above him, and one of these hands holds a conducting wand. Several large golden figures also appear, and their purpose is to dance to the rhythm of the music that Rojuro produces.
Rojuro’s music and dance combination creates illusions that can inflict physical damage. One dance creates a surging whirlpool of water, while another engulfs enemies in flames. Rojuro has stated that his illusions can even force his opponent to stop breathing. The third dance, known as Ein Heldenleben, was never seen because Rojuro was defeated by Mask before he could use it. This makes Kinshara Butodan one of the most underwhelming Bankai seen so far, keeping it at #20 on this list.
19 Jakuho Raikoben Is a Strange Weapon for an Assassin
User: Soi Fon/Sui-Feng
Captain Soi Fon of Squad 2 is a trained assassin, meaning she favors stealth, martial arts, and her stinger-like Shikai in battle rather than brute force or swordplay. She can even use Shunko. However, none of that was powerful enough to deal with Baraggan Luisenbairn, the 2nd Espada, so Soi Fon reluctantly activated her Bankai, Jakuho Raikoben. In reality, the tempestuous force of her Bankai is a perfect reflection of Soi Fon’s true nature.
Soi Fon’s Bankai is mounted on her right arm and fires a powerful missile that explodes with extreme force, enough to injure a high-ranked Espada like Baraggan. She used it again against BG9, or Sternritter K, after stealing it back in the Thousand-Year Blood War. Despite this Bankai’s power, though, Soi Fon does not like it and only uses it when there is no other option.
18 Fushi no Kojo Is the Ideal Bankai for a Shinigami
User: Shuhei Hisagi
Although Shuhei Hisagi has always been Kensei Muguruma’s subordinate, the Squad 9 Vice-Captain might have developed a Bankai stronger than Tekken Tachikaze. Hisagi’s Shikai Kazeshini manifests as bladed scythes linked by a single chain and represents his role as a Shinigami. The chain symbolizes the life in Hisagi’s hands, whereas the blades are death. That said, Hisagi only mentioned having achieved his Bankai in the final chapter, and fans never see it in the manga.
Meanwhile, the semi-canonical novel Can’t Fear Your Own World has finally introduced Hisagi’s Bankai, which author Tite Kubo has officially canonized. Known as Fushi no Kujo, it makes Hisagi’s relationship with life and death even more potent. Hisagi’s Bankai forces both him and his opponent into a battle with even odds, as Fushi no Kujo uses their combined reiatsu to restore any wounds. With this Bankai, Hisagi can challenge even the captains of the Soul Society.
17 So'o Zabimaru Was Vastly Upgraded from Hihio Zabimaru
User: Renji Abarai
In the Soul Society story arc, Renji surprised everyone when he revealed his Bankai, which was known as Hihio Zabimaru at the time. Renji’s Bankai formed a snake skeleton with a thick fur collar, a segmented weapon that could perform devastating melee attacks as well as fire energy blasts from its mouth. He used that Bankai against foes like Byakuya Kuchiki, Ilfort Grantz, and Szayelaporro Grantz.
Later, in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, Renji trained with Squad 0 and gained his true Bankai, So’o Zabimaru. That Bankai was even more powerful than the first, having enough firepower to take on Sternritter S, Mask de Masculine, and burn him to cinders with no hope of regenerating. Thus, Renji succeeded where Rojuro and Kensei had miserably failed. Renji has also been seen using this Bankai against Uryu Ishida himself in a recent anime-only battle, where Renji faced the wrath of Uryu’s Feder Zwinger technique.
16 Koko Gonryu Rikyu Can Spawn and Control Lightning
User: Chojiro Sasakibe
Captain-Commander Yamamoto’s power was evident from the Soul Society arc, but it initially portrayed his vice-captain, Chojiro Sasakibe, as weak. Despite using his Shikai Gonyrumaru, Sasakibe was instantly knocked out by a single punch from Ichigo. However, the Thousand-Year Blood War arc revealed Sasakibe’s backstory, proving him as one of the strongest combatants in the Gotei 13.
Sasakibe had developed his Bankai thousands of years before the main storyline, so it stands to reason that Koko Gonryu Rikyu would be a powerhouse. This Bankai generates a cloud of lightning, which alters the weather and produces directed lightning storms. These bolts were so powerful that they left a permanent scar on Yamamoto’s head. It’s unfortunate that fans only saw Sasakibe’s Koko Gonryu Rikyu in action after being stolen by a villain.
15 Kamishini No Yari Is by Far the Fastest Weapon in Bleach
User: Gin Ichimaru
Gin Ichimaru only sided with Sosuke Aizen the supervillain because he wanted to avenge Rangiku. This revelation is the reason why his death is so sad. Meanwhile, his Bankai is called Kamishini No Yari, and it can extend and contract his sword at 500 times the speed of sound, and its cutting power and force are greatly enhanced. Gin also used that Bankai smartly, trying to distract Ichigo with the incredible length of the blade, while the key factor was the speed at which it could extend and retract.
Kamishini No Yari’s true ability turns Gin’s blade into dust for a second whenever it extends or contracts. His blade also contains a deadly poison, and if he leaves a piece of his sword inside his enemy, he can cause their body to break down and dissolve at the cellular level. This technique, called Korose: Kamishini no Yari, would have defeated Aizen had it not been for the Hogyoku activating yet another transformation. All things considered, Gin’s Bankai ranks at #15 on this list.
14 Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo Is Continuously Enhanced and Modified
User: Mayuri Kurotsuchi
Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi uses his Shikai so rarely that fans can barely recall what Ashisogi Jizo looks like. However, his Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo is the first Bankai to be revealed in Bleach. It took the form of an enormous caterpillar with a baby’s head when Mayuri battled Uryu Ishida, but the latter managed to destroy the Bankai with a Letzt Stil.
Mayuri proceeded to enhance and modify Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo far beyond its natural limits, transforming it into a monumental force of nature. He then battled Pernida Parnkgjas using a radically different Bankai, which proved to be significantly stronger than the original version. This version is referred to as Modified Bankai: Matai Fukuin Shotai and contains thousands of surface nerve layers that can resist most attacks. Captain Mayuri’s Bankai even offered some temporary respite by eating Pernida.
