Updated September 16, 2023 104.7K votes 21.0K voters 846.9K views
Over 21.0K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 20 Best Bankai In 'Bleach'
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Vote up the Bankai that you'd want by your side in a fight.
In the world of Bleach, a Soul Reaper is nothing without their bladed partner, the Zanpakutō. In addition to being a Soul Reaper's main weapon for combat, these Japanese-style swords also contain hidden powers called Bankai, that give their wielder extraordinary advantages in combat. One Zanpakutō can summon a skeleton snake demon, whereas another calls forth an indestructible samurai giant.
There is an amazing number of incredibly powerful Bankai wielded by heroes and Bleach villains alike, but which ones are truly supreme?
If your favorite Bankai is the Hakka no Togame check out the best Rukia Kuchiki quotes.
It's only fitting that an oddball characer like Kisuke Urahara wields a Bankai that's a little out of the ordinary. The Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame takes the form of a massive, beautiful woman with braided hair arranged in loops. When it's called forth, it offers Urahara the power to restructure anything to his liking.
This restructuring can be used for offense or defense, as the Bankai can split open structures, repair buildings, and heal physical wounds.
Don't let this old man fool you, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai is anything but a helpless grandpa. He's a hell of a fighter, especially when he activates his bankai — the Zanka no Tachi — which allows him to wield the fires of Hell.
Withheld as a last resort, Shunsui's Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū is a frightening maneuver that causes its victims considerable physical and mental harm. When Shunsui points his weapon downward, he unleashes the black tendrils of his Zanpakutō onto the battlefield.
Horrifically, the Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū distorts its victims' perception of reality to make them feel hopeless. If that weren't enough, anyone under the Zanpakutō's control feels every wound inflicted upon the wielders body.
The Bankai Kenpachi Zaraki uses has no name. However, that doesn't stop the nameless Bankai technique from being trouble for anyone unlucky enough to encounter it. Kenpachi's Bankai transforms him into a red-skinned demon that's capable of causing mass destruction, sort of like The Incredible Hulk.
Anyone who is squeamish around blood will be creeped out by the way Retsu Unohana activates her Bankai. The moment its unleashed, the blade of Retsu's Zanpakutō liquefies into a dark red substance that eerily resembles blood.
From the blood-like liquid emerges a remarkably strong shortened katana, that yields uniformly gruesome results.
Byakuya's Bankai — the Senbonzakura Kageyoshi — has the power to summon thousands of blades from the ground that rain down on an enemy like a violent hail storm. Because of the incredible speed of the numerous projectiles, no one can accurately see or dodge the Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.
As if that isn't enough, all the blades summoned by the Senbonzakura Kageyoshi can also be used to shield Byakuya from danger.
