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Jun 04, 2023

10 Bleach Villains That Fans Loved More Than the Heroes

Bleach fans sometimes loved villains like Grimmjow and Coyote Starrk more than they liked Ichigo and his friends. Bleach is packed with exciting and sometimes twisted villains in every story arc. As

Bleach fans sometimes loved villains like Grimmjow and Coyote Starrk more than they liked Ichigo and his friends.

Bleach is packed with exciting and sometimes twisted villains in every story arc. As an action anime, Bleach features some brutal and unforgivable villains like Nnoitora Gilga and the sinister Äs Nödt, but the anime also includes some surprisingly likable antagonists. Some Bleach villains really stole the show, and at times, they were actually more compelling and exciting than Ichigo and his friends.

Some of the most popular Bleach villains include the Arrancars under Sosuke Aizen's command, the mighty Sternritter in the Quincy empire, and even certain Soul Reapers. Notably back in the Soul Society arc, most of Bleach's Soul Reaper characters were antagonists who fought Ichigo's team, and they have all been redeemed and became fan-favorites, both then and now.

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Even the most selfish and manipulative anime villains like Sosuke Aizen get a lot of fans, since they have darkly compelling charisma, incredible powers, and fascinating dialogue. That puts Sosuke Aizen in the same league as anime villains like Griffith from Berserk and Dabi from My Hero Academia, among others.

Ex-Captain Sosuke Aizen killed Central 46, betrayed the Soul Society, and waged war with an Arrancar army to seize the empty throne of heaven, and he stole the show the entire time. Bleach fans couldn't help but marvel at Aizen's cold confidence and monologues, even as he tried to tear the Soul Society apart.

In the Soul Society arc, Aizen had two accomplices working for him, Captain Kaname Tosen of squad 9 and Captain Gin Ichimaru of squad 3. Between them, Gin was more popular, with his fox-like face and unsettling yet charming exterior. He always spoke in a sarcastic sing-song voice, masking his true intentions.

Gin's vaguely goofy behavior as a villain made him fun to watch, and then fans learned the semi-sympathetic truth about him. He had planned all along to betray Aizen, though he was defeated and needed Ichigo to finish things. Gin also got one last chance to speak with his childhood friend, Rangiku Matsumoto, which fans appreciated.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaques was introduced as the 6th Espada under Aizen's command early in the Arrancar saga. Right away, Grimmjow captured everyone's imagination as a handsome and aggressive antagonist with his honorable side, making him feel more balanced than thugs like Yammy Llargo.

Grimmjow started a bloody rivalry with Ichigo and wanted more than anything to prove himself by beating Ichigo fairly, which was a somewhat sympathetic goal. Grimmjow also got along relatively well with Orihime Inoue and once fought off his fellow Espada, Ulquiorra, just so he could fight Ichigo again. Later on, fans were delighted to see this villain return in the TYBW arc as a reluctant ally.

RELATED: 10 Bleach Villains Who Didn't Deserve Redemption

The 4th Espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer, appeared often in the Arrancar saga as Aizen's most loyal and trusted minion of all. Bleach fans were intrigued when they saw Ulquiorra's nihilistic side in action, contrasting him thematically with his captive Orihime, who believed in the intangible "heart" more than anything.

Ulquiorra was convinced that human emotions and bonds were worthless, but when he was defeated, he changed his views. In his last moments, Ulquiorra wanted so badly to see Orihime's heart, and Orihime was ready to show him. However, Ulquiorra crumbled away just before he could see it.

Tier Harribel was the 3rd Espada under Aizen's command. Even if she didn't have much interaction with Bleach's main heroes, she was still a fascinating villain because of her genuinely protective feelings for her three minions, setting her apart from other Espadas.

Harribel was like a big sister for Apacci, Sung-sun, and Mila Rose, and she fought only to avenge them, not to spread evil and misery. That made her a real standout and a sympathetic character, especially after Sosuke Aizen unfairly cut her down after growing impatient with her performance. In hindsight, Harribel really did nothing wrong, and Bleach fans give her credit for that.

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Coyote Starrk was the most innocent Espada of them all, and despite being the strongest, he didn't identify with combat and bloodshed at all. Instead, the surprisingly gentle Coyote Starrk just wanted friends, and he saw the other Espadas as his friends, even if they didn't return the favor.

All that made Starrk highly sympathetic, and when combined with his innocent humor and incredible combat skills, he was more compelling than Bleach's actual heroes. Many Bleach fans must have been sad to see him finally defeated, dying in a futile conflict without a chance to seek true happiness.

Askin Nak Le Vaar is Sternritter D, wielding a fearsome power called The Deathdealing. This fascinating ability lets Askin change the lethal dosage of any substance in the opponent's body, even their own blood. He is also vastly powerful, and was chosen as one of four members of Yhwach's elite guard, along with Lille Barro, Gerard Valkyrie, and Pernida.

Askin is a popular Bleach villain not just because of his creative powers, but also his goofy, casual personality, which anime fans tend to like. Askin took his duty seriously as a Sternritter, but he was still a great source of comic relief and had interesting interactions with Grimmjow, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and Oetsu Nimaiya.

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In the Soul Society arc, most Soul Reapers were hostile towards Ichigo and his friends as temporary villains. That included memorable powerhouses like Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, who was Bleach's obligatory "I want to fight the strongest" shonen character.

Kenpachi made a powerful impression as a bloodthirsty but honorable warrior who loved combat more than anything. He even used his eyepatch to restrain his powers and savor the fight for longer, which gave Ichigo a chance. Kenpachi was eventually defeated, and it was impressive how even a monster like him had the courage to admit he needed – and wanted – to get stronger for next time.

Captain Shunsui Kyoraku was one of many temporary villains in the Soul Society arc, and he made a great first impression as a friendly, polite Soul Reaper who never meant anyone any harm. In fact, he offered Chad a drink when they crossed paths, and he urged Chad to turn and leave rather than fight an unwinnable battle.

Later in that arc, Shunsui and his friend Jushiro Ukitake realized they were on the wrong side, and confronted their old mentor Yamamoto about it. That was yet another sign that Kyoraku was a lovable and honorable character fans should root for, even if he was technically an antagonist at the time.

Despite being introduced as a cold-blooded antagonist, Bleach fans recognized the antagonist Byakuya Kuchiki as a standout character. Byakuya may have been Ichigo's nemesis in the Soul Society story arc, but fans couldn't help but love his haughty, aristocratic ways combined with his good looks and beautiful yet deadly zanpakuto release.

Byakuya also got substantial character development during his time as a villain, so Bleach fans could at least understand where he came from, boosting his likability. Byakuya had broken the law twice as the scion of the wealthy Kuchiki family, so he was determined to follow the law even if that meant sending Rukia to her execution, all to be the noble everyone expected him to be. In the end, though, Byakuya knew what was right and decided to protect Rukia – just in time for Aizen to make his move.

Louis Kemner has been a fan of Japanese animation since 1997, when he discovered Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z in elementary school. Now he's a bigger anime/manga fan than ever, and is ready to share what he knows with readers worldwide. He graduated high school in 2009 and received his Bachelor's in creative writing from UMKC in 2013, then put his skills to work in 2019 with CBR.com. He's always looking for a wonderful new anime to watch or manga series to read.