Top 10 Bleach Girls

Written by Shiggins

I really miss Bleach.

For the longest time, Bleach was considered one of "The Big Three". It was able to stand alongside Naruto and One Piece due to it's popularity in the West, but it eventually lost favour and had an ending more rushed than the Flash's medical exam. However, I want to remember Bleach whenever I can, despite it's final chapters, so here are the top 10 female characters of the entire Bleach series. Both anime and manga, but canon only!

10. Yachiru Kusajishi

Start with the small! Kenpachi's constant sidekick and one of the more confusing characters on our list, Yachiru was named after the only woman he ever respected and was given the title of lieutenant of the 11th Division, probably due to Kenpachi picking favourites, as well as the President of the Shinigami's Women Association. Of course, we later discovered what she really was and it all got strange, but that was the final arc in a nutshell.

Yachiru was always an enigma of the franchise, hinted at but never properly addressed. Her levity and innocence, masking a darker bloodlust, worked perfectly with Kenpachi's forward and brutal style, and they made the other more charming as a result. Her Shikai is also quite a lot of fun, although it brings up a lot of questions that she actually has one since we know what she is...


9. Tier Harribel

Out of every character on this list, Harribel might have gotten the most insulting ending. This is the former Tres (3rd) Espada of Aizen's army, the only woman of the ten, and she was an absolute monster in battle, as well as a fierce leader in her own respect. After the events of the Arrancar arc, we discovered she was the new leader of Hueco Mundo... and yet she got captured and was never seen again.

Her design is absolutely awesome, with an odd combination of shark and bone, and the way she used her Resurrecion in her fight against Hitsugaya was a lot of fun. It's a shame what happened to her, from being betrayed by Aizen to captured by Yhwach to forgotten by Tite Kubo... but I remember her, and her attitude towards the other Arrancar, both good and bad, and I don't regret placing her in my top 10. I just regret we didn't get a real ending for her, other than this one I wrote myself.


8. Orihime Inoue

Out of everyone on this list, I feel like none are going to be as divisive as Orihime, Ichigo's love interest (even though many thought it'd be Rukia for some reason) and underused healer of the group. If you ask anyone to think of Orihime, most of them will remember when she said "Kurosaki-kun" a million times in a row, and played the damsel in distress during the stuff with Aizen. She really didn't get to do a lot.

I'm choosing to put her 8th on this list because of the times she was allowed to do more than be a hostage however. When she was funny or determined, it was fun. Orihime was a fun character at times, and she was there to give an emotional scene or two that the series needed as well at the time. Not exactly the deepest character, but a fun one. Fun enough to be 8th at least... but I won't go any higher.


7. Bambietta Basterbine

Man, I loved the first wave of villains during the Quincy arc. As Nodt, Mask de Masculine, Bazz-B, and of course the Femritters, led by Bambietta "E", as in "Explode". One of the more casual-seeming of the villains, Bambietta was painfully short-lived by comparison of the rest of her team, but she made an impact while she was here, including fighting Komamura, killing her own underlings for relief, and even being a destructive zombie with a sickening lust for Giselle.

Maybe I'm a sucker for a good sadist, but Bambietta really felt like someone who was thrown away too quickly, especially since her death was one of many that left us with the more boring Sternritter out there. For all we know, she and the others could have easily saved the final arc from becoming an absolute trainwreck, and I am aware I'm giving that ending a lot of crap in this article. But how could I not?!


6. Retsu Unohana

When we first met her, the Captain of the Fourth Division was a sweet woman who acted as the perfect doctor of the entire Soul Society. She flew a giant manta ray, scared the crap out of people who talked back to her, and was a constant help for all who needed it. Eventually, she was revealed as the original "Kenpachi" that our own Kenpachi respected and looked up to, creating a new whole side to her that's absolutely intriguing.

Unohana before was a fun character, but her time as Yachiru Unohana is just fascinating. We see a woman who not only wants to help, but is repressing everything she once was in order to do so. She's a healer who used to massacre, a wise woman who craved only blood, and even in her final moments, she was a guide, despite the level of blood and destruction she brought forth with her true personality no longer being unhindered by her new life. In short, she was awesome.


5. Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck

Well, this name just sounds dirty. And let's be honest, people want it to be with this girl. The highest-ranked Arrancar on this list, Nelliel was once an Espada herself before her rivalry with Nnotria Gilga was taken to a new level and she was robbed of her power and memory, becoming a little girl in the process. Eventually, she was found by Ichigo and became his companion, regaining her strength and being badass in the brief scenes we saw.

Obviously, her little form is adorable so we enjoy that, but her adult form was cool, strong and able to be fun when the time came. She knew when to be serious and when to enjoy herself, and it created some great stare-offs with her rival Espadas, most notably Grimmjow and Nnoitra. It's a shame we didn't get more of her.


4. Soi Fon

A lot of people will disagree with me, but I don't care. I love Soi Fon, and this is my list, and I want her up high. And no, it's not just because her hair is short or one of her outfits is revealing. It's those facts and I like her as a character and fighter. Captain of the Second Division, Soi Fon is the lover successor to Yoruichi and has the Zanpakuto theme of "Instant Kill", also known as "Fuck you, I win".

In a way, that sums up her attitude in general. She isn't interested in your abilities, your stories, or even your threats against her own underling. She will kill you if you cross her, unless you make her cry because you're Yoruichi. Her fights are great bouts with fast choreography, her abilities are fun, and she's a good laugh if you like a bit of violence. Also, her hair is short and one of her outfits is revealing.


3. Rangiku Matsumoto

I was surprised at how high the lieutenant of Hitsugaya got, but you can't blame me. What may have come across as an excuse for fanservice originally quickly became a hilarious and meaningful character who takes no shit, and a perfect counter to the super-cereal captain of white hair and short body.

Her big scene with Orihime is sweet, despite it being a naked one, her fight against the Fraccion of Harribel was a goodie (even if Momo came in to ruin it), and she's one of the few characters on this list who absolutely owns her sexuality, which makes her quite the contrast from the rest of the cast. And of course, you can't forget her bizarre yet intriguing relationship with Ichimaru Gin. To sum up, Matsumoto was Not-so-Momo (Oft, that was bad. Even for me).


2. Yoruichi Shihōin

Why is her cat form clearly a man? Is she playing a massive prank on everyone, since we know she enjoys seeing their reactions? Because honestly, anyone would have that reaction if this goddess went from cat to human, regardless of gender. Maybe that's part of what makes Yoruichi so great, knowing she's mysterious and strange yet fully in control in spite of it, or even because of it!

Partner to Kisuke Urahara, aka the best character in the franchise, Yoruichi was the Captain of the Second Division and the ultimate ninja, before all the Aizen tomfoolery began and she was forced to run. She has great banter with basically every character she comes across, a lovely design that really stands out from everyone else, and I can't stress this enough, she is an amazing fighter. Her final battle against Askin Nakk le Vaar is the final great moment of the entire series, and she was a major reason why that was. Meow-valous.


1. Rukia Kuchiki

It had to be Rukia Kuchiki. Every other position was debated, but nobody else could be at the top of this list except the main female protagonist, friend of Ichigo, lieutenant of the 13th Division, and sister of Byakuya. How could I not choose her, with her beautiful design, her massive expressions, her hilarious violence, and her constant fish-out-of-water comedy that contrasts wonderfully with the ice-themed kills she dishes out.

Rukia's Bankai is one of the best, her relationship with Ichigo is a perfect one of friendship that I wish more people could have appreciated instead of getting angry she wasn't making babies with him, and her growth as a person and fighter throughout the series is possibly the most underappreciated. She's the soul of Bleach, and we wouldn't have the series without her.


Honourable Mentions:

Harribel's Fraccion

Lisa Yadomaru

Nemu Kurotsuchi

Kukaku Shiba

Tatsuki Arisawa

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Born under the stars of the Dark Gods, Shiggins owns the power of the Great Eye and is utterly magnificent in his omniscience. If you dare to discover more about someone as great as him, then go ahead. And to all my friends and family members, YOU are wrong and I should be disappointed! Not the other way round!,. You can find out about him or ask him stuff on ask.fm/shigginsishere or go to his tumblr page http://otakugajeel.tumblr.com/