The Espada are Sosuke Aizen's most powerful soldiers in Bleach, all of them being powerhouse Arrancar who agreed to fight for Aizen's cause and take on Soul Society in battle. The Espada all had their own reasons to fight, with some seeking a new purpose and others simply having nothing better to do.
All ten Espada are full-blown villains, but some of them are more like morally neutral rogues while others rank among the nastiest, most depraved anime villains of all. Regardless of the number of Fracciónes at their disposal, all the Espada vary widely in terms of motivation, backstory, and, most importantly, strength.
Updated on April 14th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: This list of the strongest Espada in Bleach has been updated to adhere to CBR's current publication standards. While the ten Espadas are long gone by this point in Bleach's story, they are still some of the most iconic and memorable antagonists in the anime, being Bleach's version of the Akatsuki or Phantom Troupe. Fans also want to know more about these mighty villains, including the voice actors who portrayed them and when they first appeared in the story.
10 Aaroniero Arruruerie Absorbed Kaien Shiba to Fool Rukia in Their Battle
Espada #9
Unlike the other Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie delights in giving his opponents false hope before dashing their dreams against reality. The main example was his duel against Rukia Kuchiki, when he wore the face of Kaien Shiba to fool Rukia and apply serious psychological pressure. Aaroniero technically has the potential to become the strongest Espada from his ability to consume other Hollows and Arrancars, effectively stealing their powers.
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As a gluttonous being, Aaroniero viewed himself as the ultimate predator, but got sloppy in released mode. Despite his strength and combat prowess, Aaroniero dies when Rukia stabs his head with her icy zanpakuto since he let his guard down. Aaroniero may have eaten 33,650 Hollows to power up as a humble Gillian-class Menos, but he never realized his true potential, so he ranks last among the ten Espadas.
9 Szayelaporro Granz Loves to Experiment on His Hapless Enemies
Espada #8
Szayelaporro Grantz may not be overpowered, but he was easily the cruelest of the Espada, being the Arrancar counterpart to Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of squad 12. Bleach lore says that Szayelaporro became a Vasto Lorde, only to reset his evolution by deliberately powering down so he could redo his Hollow evolution according to his designs.
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In the main story of Bleach, Szayelaporro was a resourceful fighter who used spirit insects to spy on his enemies, like Renji and Uryu, then devise countermeasures to nullify their powers. His sealed form alone was enough to challenge Renji and Uryu together, but his released form nearly killed them for real until Mayuri Kurotsuchi arrived to save the day. Thematically, Szayelaporro lost to Mayuri because he strove to become a perfect being, while Mayuri actually understood the paradox of striving for ever more greatness but never becoming perfect.
8 Zommari Rureaux Moves Faster Than the Eye Can See
Espada #7
What is known of Zommari's history shows that while he may not feel remorse for those he kills, he is willing to respect them in their defeat. This was shown through his attitude toward finishing off Rukia after her debilitating battle against Aaroniero Arruruerie. Even so, Zommari will stoop to dirty tactics if he can get away with it. He can also use Gemelos Sonido, an ultra-fast technique that can create after-images of himself to fool his enemies.
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In his fight against Byakuya Kuchiki, Zommari used his controlling eyes to manipulate Rukia's unconscious body, making her attack Hanataro Yamada with her blade. Against Byakuya Kuchiki, however, Zommari didn't stand a chance even after he forced Byakuya to slash his own arm and leg. On the brink of defeat, Zommari openly objected to Soul Reapers hunting Hollows like him, only for Byakuya to explain that he was killing Zommari not out of duty, but to protect his beloved foster sister.
7 Grimmjow Jaegerjaques Established a Bitter Rivalry With Ichigo
Espada #6
Grimmjow Jeagerjaques introduced himself early in the Arrancar saga as the impulsive and aggressivfe 6th Espada, who made it his personal mission to find and kill Ichigo Kurosaki no matter what Ulquiorra or Aizen said. Across the span of three different fights, Grimmjow established himself as Ichigo's shonen-style rival, a rivalry that brought out the best in both of them.
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Grimmjow was brutal and selfish like most Arrancars, but he did show an honorable side, too. He saved Orihime from Loly and Menoly bullying her, and wanted Orihime to fully heal Ichigo so the final fight would be a fair one. In battle, Grimmjow pushed Ichigo to the limit with his extraordinary agility, power, and predatory cunning, with or without his released mode. He was also the first Espada seen firing the Gran Rey Cero, a bigger and stronger version of a regular cero blast.
6 Nnoitora Gilga Strove to Become the #1 Espada
Espada #5
Nnoitora Gilga was once Espada #8, when he feuded bitterly with his stronger rival, Nelliel Tu Odelschwank. Out of sheer frustration, Nnoitora conspired with Szayelaporro to ambush and injure Nelliel, then abandon her in Hueco Mundo's desolate desert sands. Nnoitora eventually rose to #5, though he still aimed to become #1 and claimed to crush anyone who got in his way.
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Nnoitora also fought dirty in Bleach, trying to finish off a badly injured Grimmjow and not caring that Ichigo Kurosaki was wounded and exhausted during their brutal swordfight. Even Kenpachi Zaraki found it initially difficult to defeat the 5th Espada, at least until he used both his hands with kendo. In battle, Nnoitora was Kenpachi's true equal as a melee-oriented warrior, using his released mode to fight with not two, but six arms and blades. On defense, Nnoitora had the hardest hierro, or armored skin, and Ichigo couldn't even cut him.
5 Tier Harribel Saw Her Minions as Beloved Sisters
Espada #3
Tier Harribel was introduced as the calm and confident 3rd Espada, a noble warrior who viewed her three fracciones not as disposable minions, but as foster sisters, a rare sentiment among the Espadas. She watched Grimmjow fight Ichigo without interfering, then journeyed to the replica Karakura Town to fight Aizen's enemies. In particular, she went up against Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya and a few of the Visoreds.
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Harribel demonstrated extraordinary swordsmanship, easily keeping up with the famously talented Hitsugaya. She could even charge her hollow zanpakuto with a cero blast to perform a unique combo strike. Her shark-themed released form, meanwhile, boasted astonishing speed and control over vast amounts of water, all while granting Harribel a shark tooth-shaped blade for melee combat. After Aizen's downfall, Harribel became Hueco Mundo's queen, only to fall to Yhwach when the Wandenreich muscled in. Still, no matter her eventual defeat, Harraibel ranks in the middle among the strongest Espadas as a true powerhouse.
4 Baraggan Louisenbairn Once Ruled Hueco Mundo as an Empty King
Espada #2
Before Sosuke Aizen arrived, the mighty Baraggan Louisenbairn ruled all of Hueco Mundo as its uncontested king, a status he eventually found dull and meaningless. Then, Aizen dethroned him and appointed him the 2nd Espada, fueling Baraggan's deep resentment. For a time, though, Baraggan did whatever Aizen asked of him, including fighting the Soul Reapers.
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Baraggan sent his six fracciones into battle, then took over the fight against Soi Fon and Marechiyo Omaeda. Even when fighting solo, Baraggan was overwhelmingly powerful with his death aura, which could rapidly age and rot away anything, organic or not. In his released mode, Arrogante, Baraggan was even stronger, and could use a ranged attack called Respira to rot his enemies from a distance. He only lost when Hachigen Ushoda of the eight Visoreds teleported his rotting hand inside Baraggan to dissolve the 2nd Espada from within.
3 Yammy Llargo Gets Stronger With Rage
Espada #10/0
Yammy Llargo first appeared alongside Ulquiorra Cifer early in the Arrancar saga, though he made a poor showing of himself as a large but oafish Arrancar warrior. Later, he fought a losing battle against Kisuke Urahara, but when the Hueco Mundo arc was wrapping up, Yammy finally showed his true power, which took everyone by surprise.
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When Yammy released his zanpakuto, Ira, he became a giant creature with the number 0 rather than 10, perhaps to signify that his released mode has zero limits to its size, strength, and anger. Yammy could get stronger and stronger according to his rage, but in the end, not even that saved him. He lost off-screen to Kenpachi and Byakuya. Still, Bleach fans may wonder what would happen if Yammy could get bigger and stronger indefinitely, and become a truly limitless monster like no other Espada.
2 Coyote Starrk Only Ever Wanted Friends to Call His Own
Espada #1
Coyote Starrk was comedically lazy and carefree when he first appeared in Bleach, and he didn't even want to seriously fight Captains Ukitake and Kyoraku when they crossed paths at the fake Karakura Town. Reluctantly, Starrk fought them anyway, and demonstrated unbelievable speed and cunning as a warrior attuned to his sharp instincts.
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Unusually among the Arrancars, Starrk contained his released form not in his zanpakuto, but in his sole fraccione, Lilynette Gingerbuck. His released form transformed him into a gunslinger with two bulky pistols that could rapidly fire blue cero blasts, and he could also summon a large pack of explosive spirit wolves. It took repeated efforts from Bleach's strongest warriors to finally defeat him, proving why he was given the rank 1. But despite being #1, Starrk was overshadowed by one other Espada.
1 Ulqiorra Cifer Embraced Nihilism - Until He Met Orihime Inoue
Espada #4
Despite being #4, many fans argue that Ulquiorra was the strongest Espada in Bleach. While his primary Resurrección was unquestionably potent, he also had a secret ability at his disposal. Ulquiorra could release his zanpakuto a second time, spawning a slender, demonic form known as the Segunda Etapa. Its power was so immense that it dwarfed even the gargantuan building of Las Noches. Ulqiuorra managed to kill Ichigo in this form, although the hero eventually returned to life and practically vaporized the Espada's Segunda Etapa. Disregarding Ichigo's shonen-esque power-up, there's no doubting Ulquiorra's immeasurable strength.
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Interestingly, Ulquiorra never showed his Segunda Etapa to Sosuke Aizen, meaning Aizen misjudged Ulquiorra's power when assinging the Espadas their numbers. If Aizen did know of Ulquiorra's overwhelming power in his true form, then Ulquiorra probably would have been the #1 Espada after all, narrowly edging out Coyote Starrk. Based on that, Bleach fans can say Ulquiorra is the strongest Espada of them all, and one of the most interesting, too.
