The shonen action/adventure anime Bleach features countless exciting action sequences, some of which have become legendary in the anime community. No fan will ever forget Ichigo Kurosaki's fateful showdown with Captain Kuchiki in the fondly-remembered Soul Society arc, for example, and Ichigo's fights with Grimmjow and Ulquiorra in the Hueco Mundo arc were the highlihts of the Arrancar saga. Still, Bleach offers some other great battles that fans might have forgotten about or underestimate.
It's true that many clashes in Bleach are just excuses for more action, but even those fights have something to offer, such as exploring new themes or expanding the combat system a little more. Some of the most underrated Bleach fights actually said a lot about the characters involved and what they stand for, and some of those underrated fights also had cool twists and surprises in store. Pound for pound, those underrated fights are nearly equal with the series' most definitive battles.
10 Kenpachi Zaraki vs Kaname Tosen & Sajin Komamura Was a Deceptively Tactical Fight
The best fights in the Soul Society arc include Ichigo's battles against Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki, not to mention Renji Abarai's fight against his own Captain. But Bleach fans must not overlook other, equally exciting battles like Kenpachi's clash against two of his fellow Captains. The three of them were technically on the same side, but Kenpachi's disruptive and selfish ways drew the ire of Captains Komamura and Tosen.
Komamura and Tosen tried using brute force with their shikai, but Kenpachi had a clear advantage, so Kaname Tosen tried plan B. He used bankai to trap Kenpachi in a dark, soundless arena to get the advantage, only for Kenpachi to allow himself to get stabbed and thus find Tosen. Once that happened, Kenpachi dealt the final blow, winning the fight in true Kenpachi style.
9 Rangiku Matsumoto & Momo Hinamori vs the Tres Bestias Helped Momo Glow Up
Many of the fights in the Arrancar: Downfall arc are little more than padding, but some of them are still worth revisiting, such as Rangiku's battle against Harribel's three fracciones. Those Arrancars, later known as the Tres Bestias, gave Rangiku a good fight with their animalistic released forms, and then Momo Hinamori showed up to help.
This Bleach fight is better than fans might give it credit for, since a wide variety of powers and weapons were used, from Momo's and Rangiku's shikai to Momo's kido spells and even the summoning of Ayon. This fight also allowed Momo to finally prove her worth as a Soul Reaper officer and not just get victimized by Sosuke Aizen's schemes.
8 Toshiro Hitsugaya & Rangiku Matsumoto vs Bazz-B Showed a Humbled Prodigy Using New Tactics
Toshiro Hitsugaya got his bankai stolen during the Quincy army's successful Soul Society invasion, so the natural genius Toshiro had to embrace the shonen-style power of hard work after all. It was humbling for him, and it led to him using clever new tactics alongside Rangiku to fight the Sternritter in round 2.
Toshiro and Rangiku combined the ash and ice of theri shikai to fight back against Bazz-B's intense power of The Heat, and for a moment, it was working. Even if Toshiro needed his bankai back to survive and fend off the Sternritter, it was still refreshing to see him fight that way and not just coast on his icy talents yet again.
7 Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto vs Wonderweiss Margela Was a Refreshing Melee Showdown
Even the supervillain Sosuke Aizen was wary of Yamamoto's incredible fire-based zanpakuto, so he created and modified an Arrancar named Wonderweiss Margela for the job. Wonderweiss's main job was to use his released form, Extinguir, to seal away Yamamoto's zanpakuto, and Wonderweiss did just that in the replica Karakura Town. However, Yamamoto wasn't too concerned.
It was amusing, refreshing, and impressive to see Yamamoto switch to his backup plan and use martial arts to fight back against his specialized Arrancar opponent. He even discarded his robe to reveal his well-built and scarred torso, then he unleashed devastating punches to utterly destroy Wonderweiss. Soul Reapers certainly can be trained in martial arts, such as squad 2's ninja-like members, but Soul Reapers don't use martial arts nearly enough in Bleach.
6 Izuru Kira vs Abirama Redder Showed What Squad 3 is Really About
Baraggan Luisenbairn sent his six fracciones to fight the Soul Reapers, with the bird-themed Abirama Redder being one of the first to cross swords with the enemy. Abirama taunted Izuru Kira, suggesting that Gin Ichimaru was right to abandon the likes of Kira. Then they fought, with Kira's kido unable to keep up with Abirama's released form.
Then, Kira lured Abirama to close range in a wrecked building, where Kira used his unique shikai to make Abirama's body too heavy for flight. Not only that, Kira described squad 3's grim combat philosophy, with squad 3 acknowledging battle as a grim, horrible thing that no one should enjoy or glamorize. Then, to make that point even clearer, Kira beheaded the heavy Abirama Redder without hesitation or mercy.
5 Shuhei Hisagi vs Findorr Calius Proved That Battle is Never a Game
Not unlike his ally Izuru Kira, Shuhei Hisagi of squad 9 had a grim and mature attitude about battle, being aware that violence and bloodshed are a grim last resort. That set him apart from his Arrancar opponent, Findorr Calius, who treated the battle like a game by teasing out more and more of his power. Findorr could remove parts of his Hollow mask to release more power, but he didn't go all out right away.
In the end, Shuhei won because he used his shikai and fought seriously, using his shikai like the execution tool that it was. Out of desperation, Findorr removed even more of his mask and claimed to be a Captain's equal, but it was evidently all talk. Shuhei won because he was a real warrior, not a thug playing games.
4 Yasutora Sado vs Gantenbainne Mosqueda Was a Duel of Manly Honor
In the Hueco Mundo story arc, Ichigo and his friends ventured deep into the massive fortress Las Noches, where they met a variety of foes, including the Privaron Espadas. That included the tall, melee-oriented warrior Gantenbainne Mosqueda, who fought Yasutora "Chad" Sado in a fierce melee battle, no swords or kido needed.
That fight may not have been very impactful, but it did give Chad a chance to show off his new and improved powers, allowing him to defeat a moderately powerful Arrancar like Gantenbainne. Best of all, Chad and Gantenbainne were both brutal but also respectful, making it a battle of manly honor, which shonen fans are sure to appreciate. Even after Chad won, the two of them treated each other with respect, which is a refeshing contrast with the twisted Espadas like Aaroniero and Szayelaporro.
3 Soi Fon vs Yoruichi Shihoin Was a Tearful Reunion of Master and Student
Another Soul Reaper vs Soul Reaper battle in the Soul Society arc involved the Captain of squad 2, Soi Fon/Sui-Feng, and her old mentor, the famous Yoruichi Shihoin. Out of duty, Soi Fon attacked Yoruichi, with the latter being an ally of Ichigo's, but it was also personal. Decades ago, Soi Fon had her heart broken when her beloved mentor, Yoruichi herself, mysteriously vanished.
In that fight, Soi Fon and Yoruichi both showed his impressive and ferocious martial arts can be, especially when Soi Fon's shikai and the special art of shunko are involved. Most importnatly, though, Soi Fon and Yoruichi made up, anad the rift between them was healed, which made them both happier.
2 Ichigo Kurosaki vs Ulquiorra Cifer's First Clash Served as an Ominous Premonition
Ichigo's final fight against Ulquiorra Cifer was definitely the best clash between those two characters, with Ulquiorra showing off his Segunda Etapa and Ichigo using his full half-other powers to turn the tables. Still, Bleach fans ought not to underestimate Ichigo's first battle against Ulquiorra earlier in the Hueco Mundo story arc.
Ulquiorra provoked Ichigo, and then Ichigo got roped into a losing battle. That entire fight created a proper sense of dread and horror as Ulquiorra kept one-upping Ichigo, from surviving a Getsuga Tensho to impaling his arm right into Ichigo's chest to kill him. For the first time, Ichigo's fight against the Arrancars felt hopeless, leaving Bleach fans to wonder anxiously what would happen next.
1 Ichigo Kurosaki vs Grimmjow Jaegerjaques (Second Time) is an Overlooked Clash of Rivals
Ichigo and his Espada nemesis, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, fought a one-sided battle one night, and Grimmjow was distinctly disappointed. Then, the two of them fought for the second time in Karakura Town, which was when their shonen-style rivalry finally took shape. Ichigo and Grimmjow talked trash, then traded blows, with Grimmjow finally drawing his sword and Ichigo using his Hollow mask at last.
Ichigo gained the upper hand for the first time against an Espada, and Grimmjow was clearly panicking a little. Then Ichigo's mask came off, and Ichigo was once again struggling until first Rukia, then Shinji Hirako swooped in to save the hero. Grimmjow tried to release Pantera to keep fighting, but that had to wait until next time, when Ichigo had his final battle against Grimmjow in Las Noches.
