Summary
A Bankai is a Soul Reaper’s ace in the hole; a final attack to finish off an opponent for good. Considering how long it takes to even use a Bankai, let alone master it, it makes sense they would end up being so absurdly strong, but anyone who has watched or readBleachwill know all too well that there are a select few which are so insanely powerful, they are often called outright “broken.”
While it’s one thing for a Bankai to be strong, if they also have barely any drawbacks, and are also simple to use, this can result in even some of the most unpopular abilities becoming broken in terms of their effectiveness in combat. It’s clear that when writingBleach, author Tite Kubo wanted to see just how far he could push the Bankai’s power levels, with these being among the most busted of the bunch.
7Sakashima Yokoshima Happofusagari
Shinji’s Bankai Is So Absurdly Powerful That He Can’t Risk Using It When Allies Are Around
Much like Kyoraku, Shinji is unable to use his Bankai when his allies are around. Shinji’s ultimate ability completely reverts his enemies' senses, while also causing them to see friends as foes. When Shinji used this against a group of armed Quincy foot soldiers, all he had to do was let his scent enter their bodies, sit back, and watch the arrows fly.
If Shinji was areckless Soul Reaperwho had decided to go rogue and get revenge on Yamamoto and the other captains for expelling him, he could have killed more than his fair share of high-ranking individuals with this ability. When taking into account the strength, range, and reliability of this ability, it’s a good thing he decided to ally with the Soul Reapers, rather than turn on them.
6Kamishini No Yari
Gin Was Able To Slice Apart Multiple Skyscrapers In The Blink Of An Eye
Though Gin uses his long-range Shikai a few times throughout the series, his Bankai is shown only once, during his final duel against Ichigo. Originally, Gin claimed his Bankai couldextend his blade 500 times the speed of sound. Though he later admitted this was a slight exaggeration, it’s insane just how far this ability can go, and the amount of damage it can deal in the process.
When showing it off, Gin sent multiple skyscrapers flying into the air before Ichigo even knew what was happening. Though Gin wasn’t able to use his Bankai due to being killed by Aizen not long after he revealed it, it’s so overpowered that maybe this was for the best, since there’s no doubt he’d be stealing a lot of people’s kills in the final war with how lethal his Zanpakuto is in its final form.
5Kannonbiraki Benehime Aratame
Urahara Is Able To Defy The Laws Of Physics Within A Small Area
Urahara is already dangerous enough without unleashing any special abilities or techniques, but if an opponent pushes him to the limit, they’ll be forced to face his terrifyingly strong Bankai: Kannonbiraki Benehime Aratame. Once the soul of Kisuke’s Zanpakuto is summoned, everything within close proximity can be arranged and rearranged in any way Kisuke sees fit.
Whether this means fixing his eyes, bulking up his muscles, or even creating a portal, Kisuke essentially turns the world into his own playground for a limited time. The potential of this ability is unfathomable, and it’s hard to think of anyone inBleachwho would even stand a chance of escaping this Bankai with their life intact.
4Zanka No Tachi
While Yamamoto doesn’tunleash his Bankaiuntil very late in the story, just as the war with the Quincy kicks off, it was certainly worth the wait. After awakening the true power of his blade, the tip of Yamamoto’s Zanpakuto is infused with an incredible amount of bubbling heat, capable of splitting entire landscapes of the Soul Society with a single touch. That’s only scratching the surface of what this Bankai can do, though.
Zanka no Tachi cycles through four stages, each based on a direction. South, for example, allows Yamamoto to resurrect the dead comrades of his enemy as a way to get under their skin, while West transforms him into a raging ball of fire, which incinerates everything and anything in sight. The fact that Yamamoto seemed only a little worn down after using this against “Yhwach” is a testament to how crazy it truly is; certainly an ability fitting of the Gotei 13 head captain.
3Shirafude Ichimonji
Ichibe Can Play God, Assigning And Removing Names To Anything He Wants
When Ichibe reveals his Bankai during his epic duel against Yhwach, he doesn’t scream out the ability to announce its reveal. This is because Shira Ichimonji was an ability developed before the term Bankai was even around, but despite being so old, it’s honestly quite shocking just how powerful it is, even just in concept.
After covering a person with the black ink of his giant brush, Ichibe can rename his opponent, thereby erasing and toying with their properties. He uses this against Yhwach to make him as weak as a “black ant” during their fight, but in reality, Ichibe could have done plenty more damage if the Quincy King hadn’t countered him withthe Almighty. Ichibe even used his own Bankai to hide Zangetsu’s true identity from Ichigo back in Chapter 63 - literally inserting himself as the author of the story for just a moment.
2Uro Zakuro
Anyone Who Can Kill A Kenpachi In Mere Seconds Is Clearly No Ordinary Soul Reaper
Since Azashiro was the eighth Kenpachi, it means he doesn’t show up in the flesh in the main story ofBleach, but his character is expanded on a little more during the final arc, alongside the side novels, primarilySpirits Are Forever With You. Azashiro is rather unusual, since he managed to obtain his Bankai from a very young age, and since he came to acquire it, he never turned it off.
As a result, Azashiro was able to merge and control everything and anything around him, and though this makes him a tricky target to hit, he’s also been able to use it in creative ways to pile on the offense, too. In fact, Azashiro’s Bankai was strong enough to kill a Kenpachi in just a few seconds, which is far from an easy feat. It’s fair to say that if Azashiro were around in the final war,the Quincieswould have had a much tougher fight on their hands, considering how busted it is in practice.
1Katen Kyokotsu: Karamatsu Shinjuu
Kyoraku’s Bankai All But Guarantees A Kill For The Captain
When Kyoraku lets out the full name of his Zanpakuto, his opponent will have no chance of escaping certain death unless they too possess an ability so broken that they can counter it. This is easier said than done, considering Kyoarku’s Bankai warps reality itself, turning the world into a stage play where his enemies must follow specific rules during the fight, which are often stacked against them.
Making even a simple mistake will result in Kyoraku splitting his opponent in two, taking them down for good, as he makes clear during his intense duel against Lille Barro, who only barely managed to get away because of his god-like powers. ThoughKyoraku does get worn downafter using up so much Spiritual Pressure, the fact that he can unleash an ability which all but guarantees a kill, or even multiple at once, still makes it an extremely powerful technique.
