When a Soul Reaper uses their Bankai inBleach, you know that the fight is about to get more intense. A lot of Bankai have crazy abilities that even change the perception of an opponent. A few of them are capable of completely crippling an enemy and eventually killing them.
While the Bankai used in earlier arcs of the show are not as intense, we see some awesome ones in the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. A lot of Zanpakuto wields even take their abilities to a whole new level by evolving their Bankai. This List ranks them all based on their strength and their intensity.
The list contains spoilers from the Thousand Blood War Arc, so you may want to avoid reading the passages if you haven’t read the manga.
10Minazuki
Everyone thought of Retsu Unohana as a mere healer, until she finally revealed her Bankai in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. Minazuki is a Bankai that covers the Zanpakuto in blood, which was quite a surprise to see considering Retsu’s usually gentle demeanor.
Minazuki is capable of dealing whip-like strong attacks with the blood covering the sword. It can shoot blood projectiles at an opponent catching them off-guard. Offense isn’t all that Minazuki is capable of, as it can heal Unohana instantly as well.
9Senbonzakura Kageyoshi
Senbonzakura Kageyoshi is one of the most iconic Bankai seen in the Bleach franchise. When Byakuya drops his Zanpakuto to the ground, multiple blades are summoned. They break and scatter into tiny blades that can damage an opponent severely.
Senbonzakura Kageyoshi has various forms that Byakuya uses throughout different arcs. The Ikka Senjika Form shown during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc is highly strong, as he hits an enemy with all the summoned Senkei swords around him.
8Nozarashi
Kenpachi Zaraki’s Bankai was certainly very anticipated by fans, as it didn’t disappoint. Zaraki didn’t know the true name of his Zanapakuto making him unable to use his ultimate ability for many earlier arcs in the Bleach anime, but the pay-off was worth it.
Nozarashi changes Kenpachi’s physical appearance, making him much stronger. His Zanpakuto resembles a cleaver, which is quite strong and allows him to rip apart anything within moments.
7Hakka no Togame
We don’t see Rukia’s Bankai until the Thousand Year Blood War Arc, and its reveal is a satisfying one as she defeats As Nodt with it. Her Zanpakuto Sode No Shirayuki is considered the most beautiful sword in Soul Society, and when Rukia uses Hakka No Togame, her figure becomes alluring.
With Hakka no Togam’s ability, Rukia can freeze anything to absolute zero temperature, leading opponents to their deaths. The area around her becomes unbearably cold as well, and once she is done attacking, she becomes immobilized for a while, till her body defrosts.
6Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame
Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame is a highly versatile Bankai depending on how Kisuke Urahara uses it. It acts like a surgeon and can change the structure of anything by operating on it. So, it can inflict tremendous damage by cutting open any opponent.
Urahara can also heal any fatal injuries using the Bankai on himself, like when he restores his eyes in the middle of the battle. It can also perform support roles for its allies, such as increasing the strength of their bodies.
5Sakashima Yokoshima Happofusagari
Sakashima Yokoshima Happofusagari can mess up the perception of anyone caught in it. It affects everyone who ends up within the range of the mist the Zanpakuto produces, once the Bankai is activated. The activation animation for the Bankai encloses Shinji in a flower, which is aesthetic to look at.
While the Bankai does not do any physical damage to anyone, it leaves the opponents disoriented when they start attacking their allies. The distortion of reality inside the mind of any adversary is a fearsome ability to have.
4Katen Kyokotsu: Karamatsu Shinju
Katen Kyokotsu is a highly lethal Bankai that can affect anyone with a certain range, even Kyoraku himself, limiting him to only use it when his allies aren’t around, considering its double-edged nature.
His Bankai plays out in four different acts, each with different abilities. The Nidanme act is very disturbing as the enemy starts bleeding from black spots covering their body. In the final act, Kyoraku cuts up his opponent’s throat with a thread, leading them to death.
3Zanka No Tachi
Zanka No Tachi is a powerful Bankai with a lot of firepower within it. It can eradicate opponents in mere seconds with its scorching heat. It also increases Genryusai’s body temperature near the sun, making him hard to approach while he is using it.
With his Zanka no Tachi, Minami: Kaka Jumanokushi Daisojin ability, he can summon the corpses of those who were killed by his Zanpakuto. Genryusai was the only one, who got close to beating Yhwach with his Bankai alone.
2Shirafude Ichimonji
The True forms of Squad Zero captains are certainly on another level with their ability to alter reality. Ichibe’s Bankai Shirafude Ichimonji can rename something, essentially changing its essence, which gives it a new identity having the characteristics of the name.
Other than objects, it also works against an animate being, as we can see in Ichibe’s battle against Yhwach, he names him “Black Ant,” giving him the frail characteristics of a weak insect. While he fails to beat Yhwach, Ichibe’s bankai would have been enough to defeat any other strong opponent in Bleach.
1Shatatsu Karagara Shigarami no Tsuji
Senjumaru’s Bankai was certainly a nice surprise to see in the anime, as it was not shown in the original manga. It’s so strong that the three other members of Squad Zero had to commit suicide just to unlock the sealed true form of Senjumaru’s Zanpakuto.
Her Bankai brings out different dimensions to fight multiple opponents while they are separated from each other. It’s not only strong but also visually appealing to those who find Japanese culture aesthetic. Shatatsu Karagara Shigarami no Tsuji can distort reality for those trapped, leading them to their death.
