Bleach was filled with brilliant combats and, though many fans had legitimate complaints about “The Thousand-Year Blood War” arc, they definitely couldn’t complain about the fights. Bankai (the final releases of Zanpakuto) were revealed, characters evolved and gained new powers, and it was all impressive and well-designed. The most powerful amongst the Quincy Empire and the Shinigami clashed in epic battles. But which clashes were the coolest?
The Quincies, the ancient mortal enemies of the Soul Society, and their leader/father, Yhwach, invaded Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society with the ultimate goal of unifying all the realms by killing the Soul King, who keeps the realms separate and stable. They are obviously opposed by the Shinigami and this leads to the decisive war that will either end with the destruction or the salvation of humanity and the Soul Society.
Yhwach Vs. Aizen, Ichigo, Renji, and Ishida
This might not have been a fight as extensive or as striking as the others, but it re-introduced Aizen to the battlefield and also brought everything to an end; it ended with the death of Yhwach, the Almighty. There were some flaws, like the deus ex machina of Still Silver, which was introduced as a way to defeat Yhwach in chapter 682, a mere four chapters before the end. However, there were also some brilliant moments and it was undeniably one of the decisive fights of the arc. After so many near-deaths, trials and tribulations, the Father of the Quincy is finally brought down, but not before showing off the true form and complete power of the Almighty, his power of Omniscience and Omnipotence. When it comes to Still Silver, it must be said that in spite of being an overly convenient plot-device, it was symbolically significant: the only thing that could destroy Yhwach was a material created by his murder of his Quincy “children.”
Rukia Kuchiki Vs. Äs Nödt
Rukia really came into her own in this fight (not that she was not great before). She shared some emotional moments with her brother, Byakuya, and she, at long last, unlocked her deadly Bankai. Äs Nödt was one of the most dreaded Quincies – in appearance and power-wise, having the ability to instill paralyzing fear into the hearts of his opponents. Rukia overwhelmed him at first, but when he activated his Quincy: Vollständig, Tatarforas, Rukia became paralyzed by his power of Fear. However, Byakuya arrived and encouraged Rukia, prompting her to say that she is not afraid, leaving her to defeat the Sternritter. She at last unleashed her devastating frost Bankai, Hakka no Togame, freezing Äs, who crumbled away. This was a formidable feat, considering that he had easily defeated Byakuya, an experienced captain, earlier during the arc.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto Vs. Royd Lloyd (Posing As Yhwach)
This was a moment of Yamamoto that fans had been waiting for: the first time ever that he released his Bankai, Zanka no Tachi. It was one of the deadliest and coolest Bankai ever, and it is a pity that Kubo did not have Yamamoto use it against the real Emperor of the Wandenreich. The most powerful fire-type Zanpakuto and Bankai in existence, Yamamoto’s Bankai can reach 15,000,000 degrees and even raise an army of Yamamoto’s undead enemies that fight at his side. The sides of Yamamoto’s Bankai were revealed in a terrifying show of power, but unfortunately it would be the first and last time fans witnessed it. Royd Lloyd used every Quincy trick in the book, but Yamamoto defeated him with relative ease. It was the Captain-Commander’s last victory before he died in battle against the true Yhwach.
Zaraki Kenpachi Vs. Yachiru/Retsu Unohana
There were so many delightful—and disturbing—details that were revealed prior to (or as a prelude to) this spectacular fight. Unohana, the gentle but powerful and respected Captain, was once the first Kenpachi and the first Squad 11 Captain. She was feared and fierce, and proficient in innumerable sword techniques. But the title of Kenpachi is given to the most bloodthirsty and capable fighter of their generation and there can only be one Kenpachi alive in each era (there were some continuity issues with this, but aren’t there always?). This clash between two Kenpachis started as training for Zaraki but developed into handling of unfinished business for both captains; it unfolded away from everything in Muken, the Central Great Underground Prison’s deepest level, so that they would not wreak havoc. Unohana almost killed and then healed Kenpachi dozens of times, until he finally unsealed his full potential and, in an emotional moment, he killed her.
Gerard Valkyrie Vs. Byakuya, Toshiro, & Zaraki
While there were others involved at the beginning of the fight against Sternritter “M” – The Miracle, they went out of commission quickly and only the Captains of Squads 6, 10, and 11 were left standing. Gerard seemed indestructible; his powers allowed him to grow stronger after every injury and he gained gigantic proportions. But this battle brought forth two brilliant revelations: Kenpachi’s Bankai and Toshiro’s adult form, and Shikai Hyōketsu, a technique of his Bankai, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, used when the latter fully matures. The battle was fierce and kept going for a long time; eventually, a combined attack seemed to obliterate Gerard completely, but he rose even stronger. In the end, he was not killed by the three captains, but by Yhwach activating his Auswählen (Holy Selection), thus taking his powers and ending his life.
There were certainly so many great fights within the “Thousand-Year Blood War” arc that narrowing it down to the best ones is very difficult, but these ones truly shined and stood out from the rest. Bleach was a manga that was defined by the fighting prowess of its heroes, and these five battles in particular really pumped some adrenaline and provided the fans some necessary closure for their favorite characters.
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