Anime has had plenty of iconic hits over the past decades, though some stand out above others for the impact they left behind on the medium as a whole. One of those anime series is undoubtedly Bleach, originally airing back in 2004, and ending in 2012; a sequel series, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, started in 2022. Besides its overarching popularity due to things like high-quality animation, intense fight sequences, and complex world-building, Bleach was also part of the “Big Three” — influential anime from the 2000s, including One Piece and Naruto.
Besides Bleach’s plot and action scenes, the series is highly regarded for its menacing villains that add weight to the hero’s goal and are perceived as actual threats. The Espada, Bleach’s primary antagonists, consist of the top ten strongest Arrancars in Aizen’s army. They act as the biggest threat against the Gotei 13, and are often used to directly oppose Ichigo’s quest throughout the series. While the Espada are technically ranked 0 to 9 in terms of relative strength, there are a few fluctuating circumstances regarding the power level and skill shown by them in Bleach. In this list, we’ll be taking a closer look at the strongest members of the Espada and what makes them contenders for the strongest Arrancars.
10) Zommari Rureaux
Zommari was ranked as Number Seven of the Espada, and represented the form of death of intoxication. His general bearing is that of a calm, reserved man who often meditates to preserve his demeanor. Zommari is noted for disliking Shinigami severely, blaming them for the destruction of Hollows in the past. This desire to slaughter all Shinigami leads to Zommari showing very little restraint in battle against them, and very little mercy in the event of victory.
As befitting a member of the Espada, Zommari is considered a master at manipulating his spiritual power. He also boasts the fastest Sonido among his fellow members, showcasing this fact against Byakuya Kuchiki in battle. When activating his Resurrección, a pumpkin-like covering appears over the lower half of his body, covered in eyes. These eyes are able to control one object for each of them; for example, an eye can lock onto a person’s limb and subject it to Zommari’s control.
9) Szayelaporro Granz
Szayelaporro was ranked as Number Eight of the Espada and represented the form of death of madness. His role in the Espada ranks was that of a sadistic scientist. In addition to this, Szayelaporro was partially responsible for the attack on Nelliel that reverted her to the form of a child, having teamed with Nnoitra to do so. His general attitude is considered cocky, narcissistic, and unstable enough that he’s been known to unseal opponents’ powers in battle against himself.
Regarding his strength, Szayelaporro’s main abilities lie in his mind. He is regarded as a brilliant inventor, inventing the majority of Espada’s spiritual weapons; besides this, he’s also a scientist, researcher, and can create intricate traps that place opponents at an immediate disadvantage. When releasing his Resurrección, Szayelaporro’s body morphs to include tentacle-like appendages, as well as wing-like appendages that are often utilized as a defensive shield. During this form, he’s able to enact a skill called Carbon-Copy, essentially creating a clone of his opponent that will use the person’s own abilities against them. Additionally, his technique, Teatoro de Titere, produces a voodoo doll creation whose internal organs take damage at Szayelaporro’s will.
8) Yammy Riyalgo
Yammy Llargo was a member of the Espada ranked at Number 10, though he was later promoted to Number 0. His designation was the form of death of rage. Yammy is a powerful opponent; however, his greatest weakness lies in the reckless manner of combat he typically engages in. Additionally, Yammy is shown to be easily outsmarted and tends to only look forward to fighting strong opponents that he finds worthy in battle. The only member of the Espada that Yammy seemed to respect or care for was Ulquiorra, going so far as to grieve his death later on.
In terms of raw power, Yammy possesses a great amount and is said to be the only Espada that is able to conserve Reiryoku through the acts of eating and sleeping. This act is what lets his power accumulate, finally allowing Yammy to access his Resurrección and boost himself towards the top of the Espada power ranking. A notable skill of Yammy’s is his use of Gonzui, essentially allowing him to drain the souls of living people. When releasing his Resurrección, Yammy grows to an overwhelming size, his rage fueling his overall strength and growth. In this form, his Cero, Bala, and general power reach exponential levels, though his speed and lack of tactical thinking are huge drawbacks for his fighting skill.
7) Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez
Grimmjow was the official Number Six of the Espada before he later left the group following his defeat in battle against Ichigo. He was the form of death of destruction. Before evolving into his current form, Grimmjow was a panther Adjuchas-class Menos that led a similar group who dreamed of eating enough Hollows to become Vasto Lorde. His personality has been described as cunning, blunt, and extremely short-tempered; his ruthlessness and disregard for authority don’t stop Grimmjow from having his own personal morals regarding the ethics of battle.
Grimmjow’s power in terms of physical strength is considerable; he’s both a master of hand-to-hand combat style and can also fight proficiently with his Zanpakutō. The control he has over his Resurrección is strong enough to partially transform his hands alone without fully unleashing his power. When his Resurrección is activated fully, Grimmjow takes on an animalistic appearance, with his normal skills of Curo and Hierro advanced. His technique, Garra de la Pantera, fires multiple bombs from Grimmjow’s elbow at once, which deal high levels of damage; his strongest attack, Desgarrón, lets him form ten blades from his claws that slice the enemy in his line of sight at devastating speed.
6) Nnoitra Gilga
Nnoitra was ranked as Number Five of the Espada and represented the form of death of despair. Previously, he was ranked as Number Eight, though his skill and proficiency grew as Nnoitra has very little restraint in killing entire colonies of Hollows. His initial bond with Nelliel at the time is something that shaped later actions, as Nnoitra constantly challenged Nel’s ideals and strength in battles between them; this would accumulate in Nnoitra assisting Szayelaporro in attacking Nelliel and converting her to her childlike state. His personality is shown to be full of bloodlust, with cruel and sadistic tendencies that prompt his killing of Hollows and Arrancar that stand in his way.
When looking at Nnoitra’s power level, he is recognized as having the strongest Hierro of the other Espada, with a durability and regeneration level that allows him to escape most battles unscathed. He’s also very skilled with his Zanpakutō, using its size and shape to launch hard blows or even throw the blade like a projectile. The release of his Resurrección is called Santa Theresa, forming two massive scythe-like blades behind him that rapidly attack and block his opponent. In this state, he can regenerate limbs, replace the scythes from his own body, and boost his own strength.
5) Tier Harribel
Tier Harribel was a member of the Espada and was ranked at Number Three, representing the form of death of sacrifice. Previous to joining their ranks, Harribel was a Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande with a shark-like appearance, and led a small group of female Adjuchas. After Aizen is defeated, Harribel resumes a leadership role over Hueco Mundo. Her personality is viewed as ruthless, with a softer, loyal side to those she protects and cares for. She’s one of the more level-headed members of the Espada, not prone to entering the heat of battle for the sake of it.
Harribel is particularly skilled with a sword, able to hold her own against numerous strong enemies, and has been shown to be ambidextrous with her sword hand. She’s also shown to have a strong Hierro that allows her to tank a decent amount of damage, while her Cero fires off in a yellow blast, unlike the typical red seen by other Espada members. When fully releasing her Resurrección, Harribel gains water manipulation abilities, such as boiling water with her blade or launching it at enemies in powerful torrents. Additionally, her skill Ola Azul lets Harribel garner energy within the hollowness of her blade and fire it off in a yellow blast of Reiryoku.
4) Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck
Nelliel was a former member of the Espada, ranked Number 3; after she was attacked by two fellow members, she reverts to a child-like form temporarily, though she does convert back when protecting Ichigo against Nnoitra. Nelliel is composed, rational, and usually tends to think before jumping into a fight with little desire to kill those who don’t directly threaten her. Her loyalty and sense of compassion are also displayed, especially in her later bond with Ichigo that persists even when she is no longer in her childish form.
Her abilities were considered powerful as befitting her rank, with Nelliel classified as both a master swordsman and an excellent hand-to-hand fighter. She’s unique in her ability to absorb incoming Cero and duplicate the blast while rerouting it, creating a Cero Double that deals high levels of damage. When she activates her Resurrección, Nelliel takes the form of a centaur, with her lower half appearing to be that of a horse. In this form, her technique is called Lanzador Verde, which essentially lets Nelliel toss a lance at her opponent that gains power and speed, acting as a drill that can break through most defenses of strong opponents.
3) Barragan Louisenbairn
Barragann is one of the older members of the Espada, and was ranked at Number Two among their power levels. His jurisdiction was the form of death by old age. Before Aizen recruited him, Barragann acted as the God-King of Hueco Mundo and governed over Las Noches. Despite this power and prestige, Barragann grew bored with the lack of challenge and was promised the ability to grow if he followed Aizen, to which he accepted. In general, his personality is described as self-absorbed and egotistical, often behaving in a regal manner that reflects his former status as a king.
His power scale is considered one of the strongest among the Espada, with skills relating to time and death. For example, Barragann can project a force field around himself in battle that can slow the passage of time; simultaneously, he can rapidly age the person he touches. Unlike others, Barragann’s Zanpakutō is in the shape of a huge axe that he’s able to wield with deadly precision. In his Resurrección form, Barragann can activate his technique Respira, a black cloud that rots, decays, and ages whatever it touches with alarming speed. Additionally, he has access to the technique Gran Caída, a powerful conjuration of his double-sided axe.
2) Coyote Starrk
Coyote Starrk was ranked as Number 1 of the Espada originally, and represented the form of death of solitude. His past is stranger than many of the other Espada, as Starrk was technically half of an Arrancar’s soul; his other half, Lilynette Gingerbuck, is in the form of a young girl who accompanies him so that Coyote will never have to be alone. When he’s initially recruited by Aizen, Starrk and Lilynette are surrounded by the deceased corpses of Hollows that died from the sheer power radiating from them both. Starrk’s general personality is different from his strength, often depicted as lazy, unenthusiastic, and unwilling to take any initiative to lead the other Espada.
Starrk is shown to be excellent with both a sword and pistols in a fight, holding his own against many skilled opponents. His Sonído is considered the fastest and most masterful, with a speed that can make him appear as if he’s teleporting in battle. Because of the immense power he possesses, Starrk is not allowed to unleash his full power within Las Noches for fear that he may accidentally destroy it, similar to his killing Hollows without meaning to. His sealed power is not in a Zanpakutō, but rather in Lilynette, who forms into twin pistols that contain her consciousness. He’s able to manipulate his soul when in his ultimate form, creating a pack of wolves that hunt down his enemy and explode upon biting them. His skill, Colmillo, produces dual swords composed entirely of spiritual energy.
1) Ulquiorra Cifer
Ulquiorra is placed as the Number Four Espada member, though many fans debate that his actual strength places him at the top of the list. His designation was that of the form of death of nihility. Before joining the Espada, Ulquiorra was a Hollow that wandered the dark alone with no senses besides his sight, giving him a feeling of emptiness and unease. As an Espada, Ulquiorra is said to be detached from most things around him, with a general disdain even for his fellow Espada members, whom he will harm if they stand in his way. Despite his callousness and general unfeeling nature, he’s exceedingly loyal to Aizen and the plans his leader decrees him to carry out.
In terms of power, Ulquiorra is shown to be incredibly skilled with swordfighting and hand-to-hand battle. He’s viewed as a master of Sonído, often carrying out attacks with tremendous speed and agility. His Cero, a light green, is also considered extremely powerful and can be fired with little build-up, reaching high speeds and impacting his opponent with devastating force. Ulquiorra is shown to have enhanced Bala and Hierro, giving him additional offensive and defensive capabilities. When using his Resurrección, Ulquiorra becomes bat-like, growing a massive pair of wings that he can use for flight and evasion. In this state, his technique is called Luz de la Luna, a skill that amasses green javelin weapons thrown at high speed to shatter enemy defenses and deal damage. What truly makes Ulquiorra stand out from the other Espada is the fact that he can reach a second stage of Resurrección, enhancing and changing both his energy javelins as well as his strength, aura, speed, and appearance.
Who is your favorite member of the Espada? Tell us about your favorite Bleach moments in the comments below.
