Bleach: TYBW - 5 Strongest Characters
The Thousand-Year Blood War arc in Bleach brings some of the most intense battles in the series, introducing new power levels, Bankai evolutions, and terrifying Quincy abilities.
With the Soul Society facing its greatest threat from Yhwach and his Sternritter army, only the strongest warriors can stand against the destruction. From legendary Shinigami captains to monstrous Quincy overlords, these five characters stand at the top of the war.
5. Jugram Haschwalth – Yhwach’s Right-Hand Man
Jugram Haschwalth is Yhwach’s second-in-command and the Sternritter with The Balance, an ability that redistributes misfortune—meaning any bad luck he faces gets transferred to his enemies.
His spiritual energy is on par with the strongest captains, and he can use The Almighty when Yhwach is asleep, making him nearly untouchable. His swordplay and Quincy skills overwhelm Bazz-B, his childhood friend, proving why he is the strongest Sternritter after Yhwach himself.
4. Ichigo Kurosaki – The Ultimate Hybrid Warrior
Ichigo’s Getsuga Jujisho combines two Getsuga Tenshous for amplified destruction. He withstands attacks from Yhwach, breaks out of his future manipulation, and lands fatal blows on the Quincy King. As the child of multiple bloodlines, Ichigo becomes the strongest Soul Reaper of his era.
3. Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto – The Inferno of the Soul Society
Before his death, Captain-Commander Yamamoto was the strongest Shinigami in history, wielding Zanka no Tachi, a Bankai that burns at 15 million degrees—hotter than the sun’s surface. His sword erases anything it touches, and his attacks can incinerate the entire Seireitei.
His South ability, Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin, resurrects his fallen enemies as flaming corpses, making him truly fearsome. Yamamoto annihilates Sternritter “O” Driscoll Berci with one attackand nearly kills Yhwach before being tricked. Had his Bankai not been stolen, he might have changed the course of the war.
2. Ichibe Hyosube – The Monk Who Names All Things
Ichibe Hyosube, leader of the Royal Guard, wields true power over names, making him one of the most broken characters in Bleach. His Shikai, Ichimonji, turns anything it touches into nothingness by erasing its name, stripping enemies of their abilities.
His Bankai, Shirafude Ichimonji, lets him rewrite names, altering their very existence. He overpowers Yhwach in battle, reducing him to near death, until Yhwach’s Almighty ability negates his defeat. Ichibe’s raw knowledge of spiritual energy, hand-to-hand combat skills, and manipulation of existence itself put him just below the Quincy King.
1. Yhwach – The Almighty Ruler of the Quincy
Yhwach, the Father of the Quincy and leader of the Wandenreich, is the single most dangerous being in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. His Schrift, “The Almighty,” allows him to see and alter the future, making him nearly impossible to defeat.
He effortlessly destroys the Soul King, absorbs his power, and rewrites reality itself. With his Sankt Altar, he steals Bankai abilities, including Yamamoto’s Zanka no Tachi. Even Ichigo, with his strongest form, struggles against him, proving why Yhwach is an absolute force of destruction.
