Despite the long-anxious 10 years of delay, Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War is making waves online. From mind-boggling animations to terrific action scenes, TYBW captivated several fans to the show.
Amid the long list of 366 episodes, Bleach was the first among the Big Three to be concluded, leaving many viewers to view it as an inferior series, compared to One Piece and Naruto. With the addition of TYBW, Tite Kubo introduced many new faces that are even outshining our old cast from the classic Bleach.
Regardless, Kenpachi Zaraki still holds the spotlight in the eyes of many fans. As the strongest Soul Reaper of his era, Zaraki has consistently proven his unmatched strength through incredible feats. Though Zaraki stands as a fearsome force, he can never surpass his predecessors, who have set terrifying standards he can’t surpass.
The Unmatched Kenpachi Legend’s Bankai Zaraki Can Only Dream of Challenging
Bleach recently marked its 20th anniversary, leaving many fans nostalgic after seeing the franchise’s recent official tribute video. Indeed, the original Bleach series holds a special place in the hearts of many anime fans.
While fans are optimistic about Bleach‘s remake, it will be interesting to see the iconic moments of the series with refined animation, especially Ichigo’s first encounter with Kenpachi Zaraki.
Kenpachi is the title that is only given to the strongest Shinigami. Currently, Captain Zaraki of the 11th Division of the Gotei 13 holds the title of the Kenpachi. Captain Zaraki lives in battle and enjoys a good fight more than anything.
Though Zaraki stands as the strongest Soul Reaper of his era, he falls short of the legendary Kenpachi, who came before him. Interestingly, there lived a Kenpachi far more powerful and terrifying than Zaraki—and it wasn’t Captain Yachiru “Retsu” Unohana.
Sōya Azashiro, better known as Kenpachi Azashiro, was the 8th Kenpachi and was a member of the prominent Azashiro Family. Kenpachi Azashiro was arguably the strongest Kenpachi, Tite Kubo, ever introduced in the entire Bleach universe.
Sōya Azashiro lived in a rougher time in the Soul Society, when noble families were vying for prominence and power. Azashiro’s Bankai story is truly heartbreaking; after witnessing his sister’s death, his Zanpakutō awakens and transcends into its Bankai state.
His sister’s death in the pit caused him to snap, manifesting his Zanpakutō spirit, Urozakuro. With this unique development, Sōya Azashiro is a unique Shinigami whose Zanpakutō is referred to by the name of the Bankai, since its effects are permanently activated.
Urozakuro is capable of manifesting herself and acts independently of her wielder. This connection stretches to both the ground and the air, remaining permanent as Azashiro’s inner world is always intertwined with the outside.
Azashiro can even reduce the oxygen levels around his opponents, leading to suffocation and death. His Bankai exists in a realm beyond what any Soul Reaper could ever imagine.
Azashiro can even counteract the effects of Aizen’s Kyōka Suigetsu, an impressive achievement given that not even Yhwach’s omniscience could penetrate Kyōka Suigetsu’s Perfect Hypnosis. Sōya Azashiro is undoubtedly the most powerful Kenpachi ever, wielding the mightiest Bankai in the entire Bleach universe, surpassing even Aizen and Ichigo.
Bleach Creator Reveals the Most Complex Character in the Series
Despite being on the good side, many fans still view Mayuri Kurotsuchi as an evil character. This is understandable given Kubo designed Mayuri as a complex character who wasn’t timid about his immoral methods. However, this only resulted in some viewers disliking his beliefs and character.
Interestingly, in a joint interview with My Hero Academia‘s creator, Kōhei Horikoshi, Kubo opens up about his initial insecurities while designing Mayuri’s character.
After learning about Mayuri being Horikoshi’s favorite character, Kubo talks about the common misjudgment readers have against him.
The mangaka revealed he never planned to portray any of the 13 Court Guard Squads as the bad guys. However, Mayuri’s complex character made the fandom misunderstand his good intentions. It’s a creator’s job to highlight the complexities of black and white through their work and Mayuri’s character is a testament to Kubo’s beliefs.
Bleach and Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War are available for streaming on Crunchyroll
