Not everyone is born naturally gifted and can often struggle to hone their skills for years on end; whereas others always appear to be one step ahead, with their intuitive minds leading the way. Gaining the upper hand over one’s enemies doesn’t always require brute force, as themost intelligentBleachcharacterscan attest to.
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Some may viewBleachas sensationalized swordplay; however, many characters would argue that there are deeper elements to this revered Big Three shonen series. Each of these experts has practically revolutionized specific fields with their out-of-the-box thinking and innovative contributions (whether morally acceptable or otherwise.)
The following content contains spoilers not yet revealed in the anime’s first cours ofBleach: Thousand Year Blood War, currently streaming onHuluandDisney Plus.
10Kisuke Urahara (Shinigami)
This great scientific mastermind may not be a Seireitei resident any longer (after being wrongfully exiled for Aizen’s crimes), but he has certainly left his mark on the Shinigami’s Society and way of life.
Not only is Urahara the originator of theShinigami Research and Development Institute, but he also founded the groundbreakingGigai Technologywith an assortment of special features, theShin’eiyakumedication (which will be particularly usefulduring theThousand Year Blood War), and much, much more. Additionally, Urahara arguably has the greatest understanding of howKidōworks, creating his own high-level spells, and is also one of only two people in existence to make aHōgyoku.
9Jugram Haschwalth (Quincy)
One does not simply become Yhwach’s right-hand man and advisor without enough intelligence to back him up, and this blonde beauty has brains by the bucketload. Jugram Haschwalth is often the voice of calm reason when Yhwach allows his emotions to run rampant and is the de-factoleader of the Quincywhen the tyrant is otherwise engaged.
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ThisSternritter Grandmasterhas not always had the best self-confidence in his own talents, and so he learned from a very young age to partner up with powerful people for self-preservation (the irony is thathemadethemstronger by proximity.) Jurgam has beenstrategizingsince day one, and his constant attentiveness has surely assisted in keepingThe Balanceunder control, producing the most favorable outcomes for Yhwach’s “other half.”
8Sosuke Aizen (Arrancar Army)
Aizen is essentially the yin to Urahara’s yang; the perfect example of what happens when a big thinker gets seduced by the dark side. This highly manipulative psychopath manages to hide his malicious intentions from the Gotei 13 for over a century, barely raising any suspicion during his numerous blood-soaked experimentations.
This Shinigami traitor not only creates the firstHōgyokubut discovers how to control it, and becomes the first to cultivate the distastefulHollowficationrituals, subsequently creating hisArrancar Armyand making himself practically immortal.Aizen also produced the niftyCaja Negación, a pocket-sized, inescapable alternate-dimension prison, and isstillingeniously meddling with the war on Seireitei in theThousand Year Blood War.
7Kirio Hikifune (Royal Guard)
This feisty Squad Zero mama arguably offers the most comfort to her visitors, with her ample supply of scrumptious food and compassionate demeanor. Thanks to Kirio’s ingenious thinking, she has determined a way toinfuse her own Reiatsu into herfood,giving it incredible rejuvenating propertiesin the process.
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Kirio does not get much recognition for her greatest accomplishment, which involved the creation ofSoul Candy, aka Gikongan,which grants Shinigami the powers to work in the Human Realm by separating one’s spirit from their body and usingArtificial Soulsto fill in the gaps.Urahara eloquently picked up where Kirio left off, and together, the whole Gigai process was completed.
6Szayelaporro Grantz (Espada)
Aizen’s mad scientist is in a league of his own, arguably with only Mayuri posing much of a challenge when it comes to inquisitive sadism.The 8th Espada planned aheadby transforming his own Fracción into emergency energy supplies, perfect for consumption (to boost his own reserves, naturally.)
Szayelaporro also constructs an inescapable labyrinth in Heuco Mundo, with interchanging hallways, which he uses to herd his unfortunate prey to their doom. His scientific mind has an insatiable thirst for knowledge that is ceaselessly assessing individuals' strengths and weaknesses. Szayelaporro contributes greatly to the cause with his multipleReiatsu controlling DevicesandRokureichū,which could accurately evaluate an enemy’s power level.
5Tōshirō Hitsugaya (Shinigami)
When the word “child prodigy” pops up, the first person to come to mind is the talented Tōshirō, theyoungest recordedGotei 13 CaptaininBleachhistory.This powerhouse has had an intense connection with Hyōrinmaru since very early on; even before his Shinigami days began, and he surpassed his elders atShin’ō Academy to graduate early.
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Wise beyond his years, “Whitey’s” critical thinking has often saved him on the battlefield, not to mention he was one of the few tosuspect Gin Ichimaruand eventually connect the dots back to Aizen, uncovering most of his ploy in the process. Hitsugaya has natural talents in combat and detective work; now, he just needs to work on the charm!
4Askin Nakk Le Vaar (Quincy)
Like any wise warrior, Askin is selective about which battles he participates in and would rather observe and gather information instead of impulsively leaping into action. Not only ishe an accomplished Sternritterbut Askin is one of fourSchutzstaffel,due to his godlike influence and seamlessstrategizingduring combat.
HisDeathdealingpowers take a great deal of concentration to wield, as Askin has to be constantly thinking about what to ingest and at what level (while taking body mass, genetics, and otherpharmacologyfactors into consideration) so as to create the desired effect. Moreover, Askinanalyses his opponent’s Reiatsuso swiftly that his counter-move is practically instinctive, virtually concurrent, and unavoidable in most cases.
3Ichimaru Gin (Arrancar Army)
Gin’s genius has been evident since childhood, as he excelled leaps and bounds ahead of his peers, completing the grueling Shin’ō Academy course at break-neck speed and knocking Kaien Shiba off his thrown as theyoungest Shinigami initiate.
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This snake is the ultimatemaster of deceptionand has been pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes,even longer than Aizen.Deciding to play the long game, Gin ensures his placement at the traitor’s side, earning his trust, and eventually figuring out a way tobreak Kyōka Suigetsu’sseemingly invincible hold. Hismanipulative mindhas proven to be a game-changer on the battlefield, as he seems to always be one step ahead of his opponent.
2Oetsu Nimaiya (Royal Guard)
The"God of the Sword"may seem flashy, eccentric, and a bit of a party animal, but he forms the very backbone of what it means to be a Shinigami today.
Oetsu is essentiallythe architect behind Zanpakuto, after somehow finding a way to convert the Reishi from fallen Shinigami back into an energy source while maintaining their individual characteristics. TheseAsauchican then be fused into weapons and take up a life of their own; if that’s not super-genius intelligence, nothing is! Furthermore, Oetsu can technicallywield up to six Bankaisimultaneously (which includeshis alluring Zanpakuto Spiritassistants.)
1Mayuri Kurotsuchi (Shinigami)
Mayuri is arguably the most misogynistic Shinigami in power (besides maybe Iba), however, his brilliant mind and quick-witted comebacks make him more bearable overall. It’s probably easier to list the things Mayurididn’tinvent, as he always seems to have some new contraption or serum up his sleeve, to perfectly counter each situation.
From hispoisons(and cures) to those strange, detatachable body parts, to hisNikubakudankamikaze bombs, the creation ofFake Karakura Town,and more, the 12th Division Captain is more than well prepared! Mayuri even manages tocreate a daughterfor himself; not in the conventional way, but through successfulGigai experimentations.He is also one of the few known to possess enough skills torepair a Zanpakutoand has turned himself into a virtually indestructible force; an Inspector GadgetSoul Reaper with a rather ruthlessside.
