Bleach is not only one of the most famous shonen anime ever created, but it is also one of the most influential.
Its legacy of battles is the best illustration of this, as they have survived both the manga and the original anime, even when their reputation was at its lowest. Despite Bleach's many flaws, almost no one had an issue with the battles.
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In terms of raw animation and spectacle, even the older episodes of Bleach hold up in today's shonen anime landscape. However, what makes the greatest battles of Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends so memorable is their context. Without the story arcs in which they take place, even the best animated battles of Bleach would feel hollow. It is thanks to relevant storytelling and characterization that these arcs have made Bleach the pop culture icon it is today.
10. The Lost Agent Arc put Bleach's battles back on track
Best Fight: Ichigo Kurosaki (winner) vs. Kugo Ginjo
As the last arc of Bleach before its abrupt hiatus in 2012, The Lost Agent Arc (more commonly known as The Fullbringer Arc) is often overlooked, even by the biggest Bleach fans. It's a shame because, despite its flaws, this brief Fullbringer arc redeemed and improved Bleach's animation. At the time, it was the peak of Bleach.
This arc aired shortly after the Bleach anime had been criticized for excessive censorship and filler content. Like the chapters it was based on, this arc slightly rebooted Bleach, focusing on smart and fun battles between the Shinigami and Fullbringers. Unfortunately, the Fullbringers were quickly eliminated before reaching their full potential.
9. Thousand-Year Blood War, Part 2: The Separation redeemed the chapters it adapted
Best Fight: Senjumaru Shutara (winner) vs. The Schutzstaffel
In terms of animation, Thousand-Year Blood War, Part 2 is nearly flawless. The classic and new abilities of the Shinigami are strikingly showcased, and the Sternritter’s powers, particularly their Vollstandig, look stunning on screen. The story arc even included new battles created exclusively for the anime, filling in some of the manga's most glaring gaps.
That said, while The Separation’s battles have remarkable production quality and creativity, they lack dramatic depth and tension. As interesting as the Sternritter were, they weren't as well-developed as they should have been. The Shinigami won with ease, mainly thanks to Kisuke Urahara's inventions and his overpowered enhancements. Although much better than those in the manga, the battles in this arc still felt too unbalanced.
8. Arrancar Part 6: The Appearance established new stakes and characters
Best Fight: Ikkaku Madarame (winner) vs. Edrad Liones
The first part of the Arrancar Arc was meant to immediately establish Aizen's new status as Bleach's main antagonist, and it succeeded right from the first battles. The Espada and the Visored made a memorable impression upon their arrival in Karakura. However, the true highlight of The Appearance was the ill-fated battle between Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and his gang against the Shinigami.
The battles were split into duels, allowing the Shinigami and Arrancars to show off their new abilities while foreshadowing the upcoming war. Meanwhile, the Visoreds fought Ichigo to help him tame his Hollow side. While it might lack the scale and impact of the subsequent arcs, this introductory arc was a perfect taste of what one of Bleach’s longest wars had in store.
7. Arrancar Part 4: Arrancar vs. Soul Reaper developed characters through combat
Best Fight: Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi (winner) vs. Szayelaporro Granz
The Arrancar vs. Soul Reaper arc is somewhat of a transition arc that simply propelled Ichigo and his friends to the next stage of the story, but it didn’t fall short when it came to combat. Here, some of Bleach's most powerful fighters arrived in Hueco Mundo and turned the tide. While the battles were excellent and well-thought-out, the strength of the arc lay in its character development through their fights.
The worst thing that could be said about the Arrancar vs. Soul Reaper arc was that it was one of the first times the Gotei 13 captains stole the spotlight from Bleach's true main characters. However, if the increased screen time with Bleach's usual suspects was about observing deep dives into the captains' psyches, juxtaposed with great displays of power, then the exchange was commendable.
6. Arrancar Part 3: The Fierce Battle lived up to its title
Best Fight: Ichigo Kurosaki (winner) vs. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Round 3
The Arrancar Arc gained momentum when Ichigo and his friends moved from fighting the Fraccion and Privaron Espada to facing the Espada themselves. As its title suggested, The Fierce Battle Arc was filled with intense, deeply personal duels between Bleach's heroes and their evolved Hollow rivals.
Everything was nearly perfect in this arc. Heroes and villains were at their peak, and the animation brought their decisive clashes to life perfectly. The battles felt balanced and unpredictable, giving real weight to every action. The worst part of this arc is that, while it resolved grudges, it was just another step in a sprawling war that lasted longer than it should have.
5. Soul Society Part 1: The Stealth Entrance Arc gave the heroes their first real battles
Best Fight: Ichigo Kurosaki (winner) vs. Captain Zaraki Kenpachi
Even though it was only the second season of Bleach, The Stealth Entrance Arc was where Ichigo and his friends first understood who and what they were really up against. By declaring war on the Soul Society, they realized that the world was much bigger than they had thought, full of talented fighters and dangerous monsters. Naturally, this led to epic battles.
Ichigo and his friends may have been outclassed in raw power by the officers and captains of the Gotei 13, but that didn’t stop them from proving their worth. Even though Bleach's animation at this early stage in the story was still fairly basic, the narrative arc managed to convey the intensity of the battle between monsters like Ichigo and Captain Kenpachi.
4. Soul Society Part 2: The Rescue revealed fully developed characters
Best Fight: Sosuke Aizen (winner) vs. Ichigo Kurosaki
One could argue that the second half of the Soul Society arc was where many Bleach characters truly revealed themselves through combat. This is where Ichigo completed his Bankai training and finally defeated Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, where Ishida avenged the honor of the Quincy against Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, where Renji pledged loyalty to Ichigo in defeat, and so on.
However, no one revealed their true face quite like Aizen. While his few but unforgettable battles were indeed quick and unbalanced, they succeeded in unleashing one of the most terrifying villains in shonen anime history. The age of animation in The Rescue Arc did little to diminish the impact of its most memorable fights.
3. Arrancar Part 6: The Fall of the Espada concluded the Arrancar saga on a high note
Best Fight: Ichigo Kurosaki (winner) vs. Ulquiorra Cifer
Saying that the Fall of the Espadas Arc (also known as the Espada's Fall Arc) is the pinnacle of the long Arrancar saga is an understatement. Not only is it the arc where the three strongest Espadas unleashed their full power, but it's also where Ichigo faced two of the most formidable opponents he had ever encountered. More specifically, Ichigo battled Ulquiorra Cifer and none other than Sosuke Aizen.
The battles in this arc were long and grueling. They highlighted the power of the Espada elite and the divine Aizen. Better yet, all the remaining villains had a personal story before dying, giving this arc one of the highest emotional stakes in Bleach to date. If this arc is ranked lower than it was a few years ago, it’s only because of the improvements made to the later battles.
2. Thousand-Year Blood War, Part 1: The Blood War revived Bleach after a 9-year hiatus
Best Fight: "Emperor Yhwach" (winner) vs. Captain-Commander Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto
Since the series debuted nine years after the end of Bleach and adapted the controversial final arc of the manga, it goes without saying that The Thousand-Year Blood War had a lot of expectations to meet. Miraculously, the start of Bleach's final war exceeded even the wildest hopes of fans and brought the beloved anime back to its former glory.
Animated by the recently founded Pierrot Films, The Blood Warfare modernized Bleach with exceptional animation and direction. The battles were more intense than ever, and the stakes were higher than anyone had imagined. The war in Bleach had never been as terrifying and intense as during the initial invasion of the Soul Society by the Wandenreich.
1. Thousand-Year Blood War, Part 3: The Conflict is the peak of Bleach's battles
Best Fight: Uryu Ishida (winner) vs. Ichigo Kurosaki, Round 1
The Thousand-Year Blood War had already reached the pinnacle of Bleach in terms of combat and animation, but the third part took it even further. The Conflict reduced the ranks of the Soul Reapers and Quincies to their most important fighters, and the final result was breathtaking. Not only were the battles bigger and better than ever, but they were also more emotionally charged.
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