The original Bleach anime helped make that franchise one of the shonen "Big Three," and it had plenty of excellent episodes. More recently, Studio Pierrot has brought back the canceled Bleach anime to finish the story in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, and this time, the anime's narrative is much leaner and quicker. This tightly-paced anime can tell a lot of story in just a few episodes, so the very best episodes stand out that much more.
In the Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime, protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends face a deadly new threat, the Wandenreich, or the hidden Quincy empire. Shocking plot twists, heartbreaking deaths, exciting new powers, and intriguing character arcs all define this hard-hitting war arc to conclude Bleach's saga, and a handful of TYBW episodes do an especially fine job bringing this vicious war arc to life for anime fans to enjoy. Such episodes are a highlight reel of what makes Bleach such a shonen legend, especially in this new era.
10 "March of the StarCross" Begins the Quincy Invasion of the Soul Society
The first two episodes of the Thousand-Year Blood War anime built up tension as the Wandenreich got ready to invade the Soul Society, and in Episode 3, the assault began. While Quilge Opie kept Ichigo busy in the bleak desert of Hueco Mundo, Yhwach led the Sternritter into battle in the Soul Society, and catastrophe ensued for Bleach's heroes.
Most of the battle was off-screen in Episode 3, with "March of the StarCross" focusing on Ichigo's battle against Quilge's true powers, his Vollständig. That helped Episode 3 feel focused and more intense, with Quilge demonstrating many bizarre Quincy techniques, including his ability to absorb other spiritual beings like Ayon to steal their powers. Episode 3 was pretty fun, but it didn't have the same impact as the TYBW arc's very best, so it ranks last among the most noteworthy episodes.
9 "Everything But the Rain 'June Truth'" Tells the Incredible Story of How Isshin Saved Masaki's Life
After the disastrous first battle against the Sternritter, Ichigo Kurosaki returned home to Karakura Town, unable to complete his training with the Royal Guard/Squad 0 for the time being. Ichigo needed to learn the truth about his family tree and powers, and in two episodes, he learned the full truth via flashbacks.
Episode 12 concluded the flashback arc, with Captain Isshin Shiba the Soul Reaper gladly sacrificing his powers to save Masaki Kurosaki, a Quincy girl whom he had met. That flashback was a sweet moment for the Kurosaki family, but more importantly, it helped Ichigo overcome his years-long grief for his mother, and that prepared him to embrace his true powers at long last.
8 "The Fundamental Virulence" Turns the Tide of Battle Against the Sternritter
In the second cour of the Thousand-Year Blood War anime arc, the Soul Reapers leaped into battle to face the Sternritter, even with several bankai missing. At first, the Soul Reapers struggled even with some creative new moves on hand, but then Kisuke Urahara used special pills to Hollowfy the stolen bankai, returning those bankai to their owners.
Episode 16 saw the Soul Reapers, most of all the Captains, turn the tide against the Sternritter and finally start defeating them. Even Captain Shinji Hirako, one of the eight Visoreds, used his bankai to slaughter a platoon of Quincy troops until Bambietta attacked him. It was gratifying to see the Soul Reapers fight back like that, but Bleach's best battles still lay ahead.
7 "The Battle" Focuses on Captain Unohana's Sacrificial Final Fight
Episode 10 featured one of Bleach's most personal duels of all. By that point, Captain Retsu Unohana of Squad 4 was ready to reveal her true nature as Yachiru Unohana, the former Captain of Squad 11 and the very first Kenpachi. Years ago, she had met the young Kenpachi Zaraki and noted his immense potential, and in the present, Unohana was ready to draw it all out.
In Episode 10, Captains Unohana and Zaraki fought to the finish, with Unohana pushing her opponent to the brink to unlock his full potential at last. Kenpachi Zaraki was heartbroken when his opponent was killed in the process, showing the more human side to Zaraki, but it was worth it. By defeating Unohana, Kenpachi Zaraki was ready to learn his zanpakuto's name and become a warrior like no other.
6 "The Master" Continues the Battle Against the Four Schutzstaffel Members
The penultimate episode of cour 2 pitted the Royal Guard against Yhwach's bodyguard unit, the Schutzstaffel. That battle had begun in earlier episodes, but Episode 25 pushed it to the next level. The Royal Guard's members had tricked the Schutzstaffel, and by Episode 25, they were ready to launch their counterattack, holding nothing back.
Oetsu Nimaiya, for example, clashed with Sternritter D, Askin Nakk Le Vaar, and teamed up with Kirinji to stave off the lethal effects of Askin's power, The Deathdealing. Around the same time, Yhwach confronted Ichibe Hyosube, then used Auswählen to revive the Schutzstaffel's members, who activated their own Vollständig to turn the tide of battle once again, creating serious stakes for the next episode.
5 "The Fire" Is Captain Yamamoto's Brutal Swan Song
"The Fire" was the highlight of the Sternritters' successful invasion of the Soul Society in cour 1. Yhwach and his mortal nemesis, Captain Yamamoto, finally face off in a brutal duel, with Yamamoto revealing his long-anticipated bankai, Zanka no Tachi. Yamamoto put on a real show with it, using attacks based on the four cardinal directions to obliterate his Quincy enemy.
The shocking moment arrived when the real Yhwach showed up, finishing off his fake before stealing Yamamoto's bankai. Bleach fans could only watch in horror as Yhwach defeated and killed Yamamoto once and for all, which showed just how dire the situation was for the entire Gotei 13. A savage plot twist like that definitely makes "The Fire" rank in the middle among the TYBW arc's best episodes so far.
4 "Marching Out the Zombies" Demonstrates Giselle's Shocking Powers
"Marching Out the Zombies" may not have featured any personal fights or any serious plot twists, but it did show off how creative and fun the Sternritters' powers can be to behold. Some Sternritter had generic or unknown powers, while Giselle Gewelle, Sternritter Z, used The Zombie to fight the Soul Reapers in an all-new way.
With The Zombie, Giselle could splash her blood on her enemies, then take control of them as her "zombies," whether they're living or dead. Potentially, Giselle could turn an entire enemy army against itself, making Giselle potentially one of the most OP Sternritter of all. Then Mayuri arrived and used four zombified Arrancars to fight back, a move that vaguely echoed his last-minute arrival in Las Noches to help Renji and Uryu defeat Szayelaporro Grantz.
3 "Black" Gives Bleach's Heroes a Temporary Victory as the Stakes Keep Rising
The most recent Bleach anime episode is also one of the best so far, and a lot happened. "Black" depicted Ichibe Hyosube's battle against Yhwach, a clash of two incredible powerhouses that showed what the Royal Guard was truly capable of. Ichibe wielded the power of names and writing and used it to rename Yhwach as Black Ant and temporarily defeat him.
Elsewhere, the Royal Guard fought a losing battle against the revived Schutzstaffel, so out of desperation, three Royal Guard members gave their lives so Senjumaru could use her incredible loom-themed bankai. Senjumaru's bankai inflicted another devastating defeat on the Schutzstaffel, though some tension lingered. Anime fans know that the villains are never defeated so easily, so fans will soon find out what will happen with the "defeated" Schutzstaffel in cour 3.
2 "The White Haze" Shows Rukia and Byakuya Fighting Their Worst Enemy Together
"The White Haze" was a rematch between the Kuchikis and Sternritter F, Äs Nödt, who had previously stolen Byakuya's bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. In Episode 19, Rukia Kuchiki confronted Äs Nödt with her new ice-based powers and kept pace with her Sternritter opponent until Äs Nödt used his Vollständig, Tatar Foras.
Rukia nearly lost until Byakuya arrived to help her use her new bankai, Hakka No Togame, to turn the tables on Äs Nödt and defeat him once and for all. It wasn't just a battlefield victory, though; it was a bonding moment between the foster brother and sister, allowing their heartfelt arc to reach its conclusion at last. Byakuya fully acknowledged Rukia's strength, bringing the latter to happy tears. It was an overdue moment for them both.
1 "I Am the Edge" Is Kenpachi Zaraki's Most Incredible Fight Yet
The best TYBW episode so far in the Bleach anime focused entirely on Captain Kenpachi Zaraki's breathtaking duel against Sternritter V, Gremmy Thoumeaux, who was viewed as a monster even by his fellow Sternritter. Kenpachi used brute force and his new shikai, Nozarashi, to overcome Gremmy's imagination-based powers and win, but the fight wasn't just on a material level.
Since Gremmy's power was rooted in his mind and imagination, he could get stronger or weaker depending on how he viewed himself and his enemy, making The Visionary more of a double-edged sword than he'd admit. It was really a battle of wills, with Kenpachi having the confidence and bloodlust necessary to overcome Gremmy's complacent imagination.
