The hit shonen anime Bleach had a lasting impact on the manga/anime world as part of the big three. All three series feature memorable character designs that helped inspire future creators, and some of Bleach's best characters definitely left an impression on fans and manga artists alike. For example, it's quite clear to anime fans that Jujutsu Kaisen's Yuji Itadori is the new Ichigo Kurosaki, minus the punk tsundere attitude.
Some Bleach characters were ultimately forgettable, such as minor side characters like Chizuru and Loly Aivirrne, but a handful of other Bleach characters had such vivid designs, they easily stuck in fans' minds for years after their introduction. It's usually the best-written and most unique characters in anime like Bleach who leave such a lasting impression, often featured in fan art, memes, and fanfiction.
10 Ichigo Kurosaki Rejects the Himbo Trend in Shonen Anime
First Appears in "The Day I Became a Shinigami"
Protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki may seem fairly straightforward as a punk teenager who glowed up to become a Soul Reaper one fateful night. But it's not even Ichigo's orange hair or black sword that makes him memorable as a Bleach character — it's the fact that he resisted the himbo trait that became popular in anime.
Dragon Ball's Goku was hugely influential, inspiring many creators to make himbo "big eater" protagonists like Luffy, Naruto, and Natsu Dragneel, all of whom clearly wanted to cash in on Goku's popularity. It can be a fun character design, but shonen needs variety, so Ichigo Kurosaki stands out as a tough, relatively mature tsundere punk who actually dislikes himbos. That left a strong impression in a world of Goku clones.
9 Rukia Kuchiki is a Tiny Tsundere Who Loves Rabbits
First Appears in "The Day I Became a Shinigami"
Rukia Kuchiki was the first Soul Reaper whom Ichigo ever met, and she was the one who gave him his Soul Reaper powers to defeat a Hollow called Grand Fisher. Still, that's not what Rukia is best known for. She left a strong impression as a tough yet vulnerable tsundere with an icy zanpakuto and an immense fondness for rabbits.
Rukia also stood out because of her painfully resonant character arc. For years, Rukia carried many emotional burdens, from her guilt for killing Kaien Shiba to her wish for Byakuya to actually acknowledge her. Over time, Rukia became stronger and more confident, earning everyone's admiration as a great hero who overcame her baggage one step at a time.
8 Coyote Starrk Will Be Remembered as the Laziest, Most Casual Espada of All
First Appeas in "Second Move of Hueco Mundo! Hitsugaya vs Yammy"
Many of the Arrancar villains were forgettable as minor antagonists with cool but generic designs, but Coyote Starrk was different. He ranked #1 among Sosuke Aizen's Espadas, but he didn't act like an elite warrior. In fact, he was comically lazy and easygoing, preferring naps and friendship over combat. He didn't even want to fight his Soul Reaper enemies during the fake Karakura Town battle.
Starrk wasn't a pacifist, though, nor was he foolish in battle. He had sharp instincts and intuition, which Captains Ukitake and Kyoraku noted, and he had immense power with cero blasts and ultra-quick movements. He even stood out with his released form, turning him into a Wild West gunslinger with thick pistols that could rapidly fire cero blasts.
7 Yoruichi Shihoin is a Cool Ninja in a World of Swordsmen
First Appears in "Kon's Great Plan"
Bleach fans remember Yoruichi Shihoin for many cool things, from her black cat form to her incredible speed to her fun-loving personality. She was once the Captain of squad 2, but she gave it all up to save Kisuke Urahara from twisted justice over a century ago. After that, Yoruichi laid low in Karakura Town in her male-voiced black cat form.
No one else in Bleach can morph into an animal like that, making Yoruichi quite the standout as a memorable anime character. Yoruichi also left an impression by using martial arts, not a zanpakuto or kido, to fight her enemies with unmatched skill. She could even beat up the low-ranked Espada Yammy with her fists and kicks, something no other Soul Reaper would even attempt to do.
6 Byakuya Kuchiki Had a Change of Heart and Became a Real Brother For Rukia
First Appears in "Kon's Great Plan"
Captain Byakuya Kuchiki made a powerful impression on Bleach fans early in the anime, when he served as a sample of what true Soul Reaper warriors can do. At the time, Ichigo was barely breaking even with Renji, so Byakuya arrived and cut Ichigo down before anyone could even see what was happening. Then, Byakuya became Ichigo's nemesis in the beloved Soul Society story arc.
Byakuya wasn't just a cold villain, though. He had a good heart locked behind his obedience of the law, and after fighting Ichigo again, Byakuya had a change of heart. He vowed to become the protective, loving big brother Rukia always needed, which redeemed his character and transformed him into a compelling kuudere character. He also stood out thanks to his beautiful yet deadly bankai with a blossom petal theme.
5 Ulquiorra Cifer is the Cold Villain Who Wanted to Understand the Heart
First Appears in "Prelude to the Apocalypse, the Arrancar's Attack"
Not long after Sosuke Aizen betrayed the entire Soul Society, his new minions entered the picture, starting with a Dragon Ball Z-inspired sequence where Ulquiorra and Yammy arrived in Karakura Town. Despite being smaller, Ulquiorra was the stronger of the two, and much smarter and more calculating, too.
Ulquiorra kept making a stronger impression as he tormented Orihime and Ichigo in the bleak desert world of Hueco Mundo, but that's not what makes fans love him. Ulquiorra left a lasting impression with his death, where he finally decided to see the intangible "heart" that bound Orihime to all her friends. That was a big step for Ulquiorra, but he died just before he could touch Orihime's hand, making his death unexpectedly tragic.
4 Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto Has a Fiery Bankai That Contrasts With His Calm Demeanor
First Appears in "Assemble! The Gotei 13"
Captain Yamamoto joined the pantheon of tough old men in anime when he revealed his true power partway through the Bleach franchise. He seemed frail at first, but he was actually well-muscled and scarred from battle, and he could even beat up Arrancars with his bare hands, such as when he beat Wonderweiss to death.
Yamamoto left a lasting impression because his calm, aristocratic demeanor contrasted sharply with his tough, scarred body and his incredibly powerful zanpakuto, Ryujin Jakka. His bankai was so powerful, it could burn down the entire Soul Society, and fans saw it in action when Yamamoto fought Yhwach during the successful Quincy invasion of the Soul Society.
3 Kenpachi Zaraki Lives Solely For the Fight
First Appears in "Gin Ichimaru's Shadow"
Right away, Captain Kenpachi Zaraki made a strong and lasting impression as a man who lives only for war. It was obvious with his visual design and personality, from his scar and eyepatch to his fixation on finding and fighting the strongest invader during the Soul Society arc. Kenpachi kept it up in the Hueco Mundo arc, but then his character was deepened in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.
Kenpachi had a theme of holding back his titanic power so he could savor his fights, to the point he requested an eyepatch that would seal part of his power. But after fighting Captain Unohana to the death, Kenpachi finally started putting duty first and fought using his true power, and he needed it all to fight Sternritter V, Gremmy Thoumeaux.
2 Kisuke Urahara Is a Goofy But Brilliant Scientist and Swordsman
First Appears in "Fight to the Death! Ichigo vs Ichigo"
Kisuke Urahara was a standout character in Bleach's earlier episodes with his goofy personality, vivid outfit, and mysterious background. At first, he felt like a novelty, but then fans saw the truth — that Kisuke is a gifted scientist and a former Soul Reaper Captain, making him both goofy and deadly. His personality may have helped inspire Satoru Gojo's design in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Kisuke kept showing off more of his strength and brilliance as Bleach continued, from training Ichigo in swordplay to opening portals to new worlds to using kido to help Ichigo seal away Sosuke Aizen during the fake Karakura Town battle. Kisuke was also privy to some of the series' most dire and intriguing secrets, meaning he could switch from silly to serious in a matter of seconds, as the plot required it.
1 Sosuke Aizen Will Always Be Remembered as the Ultimate Anime Schemer
First Appears in "14 Days Before Rukia's Execution"
Sosuke Aizen became a legendary, unforgettable shonen villain thanks to his calm arrogance and his reliance on complicated plans and his illusion-based shikai, Kyoka Suigetsu. Aizen believes that everything and everyone is a part of his plan, which has become a meme in the anime community that endures to this day. Aizen is the personification of smug, scheming villains who think everything is always going according to plan.
Sosuke Aizen also made a name for himself with his overpowered shikai. He could use perfect hypnosis to fool the five senses, and there was no time limit, either. Aizen's shikai could also affect any number of people, which made it easy for him to fool the entire Soul Society while he schemed in the shadows. In battle, he repeatedly tricked his enemies with those illusions, sometimes maneuvering his opponents into attacking each other.
