The anime adaptation of the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc has been a massive success for the Bleach franchise, and this should come as no surprise given its epic action sequences and memorable character moments. Several characters got a chance to finally show their true power, but a few Bleach characters didn’t reveal their full power before the end.
Most of the Bleach characters who never used their full power were Soul Reapers who decided to either not use their Bankai or were unable to. Several Soul Reapers did not even use their Shikai during combat, and one Captain died before he could ever use Bankai. One of the strongest Quincy in the series did not use his full power either, even though he should have fought plenty in the final stages of the war.
Isshin Kurosaki Cannot Unleash His Full Power if He Is Already Injured
Isshin previously led the Shiba Clan and served as the Captain of Squad 10, but he left that life behind after meeting and falling in love with Masaki Kurosaki. Ichigo inherited a lot of power from Isshin, and it was thanks to his father that he learned to use the Final Gentsuga Tensho against Aizen. It took years for Isshin to regain his full power, and in doing so, he can send a Hogyoku-enhanced Aizen flying with a flick of his finger.
Bleach fans got a glimpse of Isshin’s power in a flashback when he revealed his Shikai against White, an artificial Hollow with Vasto Lorde-level strength. He can combine his blood with Engetsu to produce intense and volatile flames. He would have used Bankai, but Aizen injured him before he could release it. Isshin’s Bankai allegedly takes a huge physical toll on his body, to the point it cannot be used if he is already wounded.
Ryuken Ishida Is the Only Elite Quincy Who Never Revealed His Full Power
Ryuken is Uryu’s father, and although he was one of the characters abandoned in the Thousand-Year Blood War, the argument can still be made that he is the strongest pure-blooded Quincy in the Human World. His power is seemingly comparable to a Soul Reaper Captain. He delivers the Still Silver Arrowhead to Uryu, which is a big deal because it temporarily nullifies Yhwach’s powers.
Ryuken possesses a large amount of spiritual energy, and he inherited most of his power and techniques from his father, who once served Yhwach. He has mastered every traditional Quincy technique, and he can change the size of his bow at will or fire multiple arrows at once. That said, Bleach fans have never seen Ryuken use any of the advanced techniques that Uryu has, and it is unclear whether he has a Quincy: Vollstandig form.
Jushiro Ukitake Never Got a Chance to Reveal His Bankai Before Sacrificing Himself
Jushiro was one of the first Soul Reapers to graduate from Yamamoto’s academy and served as the Captain of Squad 13 for at least 200 years. He played a crucial role in the Thousand-Year Blood War because he sacrificed himself to summon Mimihagi, the Soul King’s right arm. If not for Jushiro, Yhwach would have destroyed the Three Worlds a lot sooner.
Jushiro dealt with a lethal illness his entire life, which is why he could not fight for long periods of time. That said, he could still fight Captain Commander Yamamoto and Coyote Starrk with Captain Kyoraku’s help. Jushiro has shown what his Shikai can do, but he died before he could use Bankai in a fight. There is a high chance Jushiro will fight again in the Hell Arc, so he may show off his full power in the future.
Yoruichi Shihoin Has Never Used Her Zanpakuto During Combat
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Image via Studio Pierrot -
Image via Studio Pierrot -
Image via Studio Pierrot
More than a century ago, Yoruichi was the Captain of Squad 2 and the Commander of the Stealth Force. She has mastered Shunpo to such a degree that she has earned the “Flash Goddess” nickname. The argument can be made that she is the fastest character in Bleach. Yoruichi has also mastered Shunko, a hybrid fighting style that utilizes Kido and hand-to-hand martial arts.
Askin Nakk Le Vaar was one of Yhwach’s Royal Guards, and Yoruichi would have obliterated him if his Schrift and Quincy: Vollstandig had not made him immune to her spiritual energy. Yoruichi is one of the strongest female characters at the end of the series, but she has never gone all-out. She prefers to rely on her speed and martial arts skills during combat, which is why she has never used Shikai or Bankai. In fact, she has never even drawn her Zanpakuto, not even when she fought Aizen.
Kirio Hikifune Did Not Fight With Her Actual Zanpakuto in the Soul King’s Palace
Squad Zero consists of five Captain-level Soul Reapers who are said to be stronger than the entire Gotei 13 combined. Kirio was the Captain of Squad 12 before being promoted to Squad Zero for creating the Gikon pills that separate a Soul Reaper’s soul from their Gigai. She could not beat Pernida in a one-on-one fight, but that is understandable since it was literally the Soul King’s left arm.
Kirio’s Shikai manifests as a large, two-handed Wok Chuan, but she never demonstrates its special ability. Instead of fighting with her Zanpakuto, she utilized the Cage of Life to produce energy-draining tree branches. Like most of Squad Zero’s members, Kirio’s full power was restricted by the Blood Oath’s Seal, which could only be broken if three other squad members sacrificed themselves. As a result, Kirio cannot use her Bankai like normal Soul Reapers.
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Tenjiro Kirinji Only Revealed Part of His Shikai During the Thousand-Year Blood War
Tenjiro was once a Soul Reaper Captain, but he was promoted to Squad Zero after inventing Kaido, the healing Kido that was primarily used by Captain Unohana. Sui-Feng is one of the fastest characters in Bleach, yet Tenjiro dashed behind her before she could even notice. If it were not for the overpowered nature of The Deathdealing, Tenjiro likely could have defeated Askin on his own.
Tenjiro revealed his Shikai during the battle in the Soul King’s Palace. It emits a light that temporarily blinds his opponent right before he attacks. This light is the reason why Tenjiro was able to pierce Haschwalth’s shield without suffering any bad luck. Tenjiro could not use his Bankai because his full power was blocked by the Blood Oath’s Seal.
Oetsu Nimaya Never Used His True Zanpakuto Against Yhwach’s Royal Guard
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Image via Studio Pierrot -
Image via Studio Pierrot -
Image via Studio Pierrot
Oetsu was named to Squad Zero because he created the Zanpakuto, the weapon used by every Soul Reaper in existence. Like other members of Squad Zero, he is incredibly strong and fast, and based on his performance in the Soul King’s Palace, he is the group’s best swordsman. He cut down Yhwach’s entire Royal Guard in seconds, including Lille, Gerard, and Pernida, who were all basically God-tier beings.
The impressive thing about Oetsu is that he did this without using his actual Zanpakuto. He used a katana called Sayafushi, which he personally forged. It is so sharp that it can cut through virtually anything. Not only has Oestu not used Bankai, but he also has not used Shikai. Considering the fact that his true power was also sealed, his Bankai would have likely sent tremors throughout reality upon release.
Sosuke Aizen Never Decided to Use His Bankai While at 100% Power
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Image via Studio Pierrot -
Image via Studio Pierrot -
Image via Studio Pierrot
Aizen was the primary villain for much of Bleach‘s story, but he still fought Yhwach alongside Renji and Ichigo in the final act of the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. He obtained immortality after fusing with the Hogyoku, and his immeasurable spiritual energy forced Yhwach to name him one of the five Special War Powers. Aizen can defeat a dozen Captain-level characters on his own, but his full power has still not been revealed.
In the time Aizen has been in Muken, his power has significantly increased, but no one knows the full extent, as most of his strength was still sealed when he fought Yhwach. His Kyoka Suigetsu’s Shikai places others under complete hypnosis, and it still worked against Yhwach, one of the strongest Gods in shonen anime. Aizen has still never revealed his Bankai, which is odd, because if his Shikai can affect an omnipotent God, his Bankai should be broken.
- Release Date
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2004 – 2012-00-00
- Network
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TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC, BS TV Tokyo
- Showrunner
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Tite Kubo
- Directors
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Mitsutaka Noshitani, Junya Koshida, Hodaka Kuramoto, Yasuto Nishikata, Hiroaki Nishimura, Kazunori Mizuno, Akira Shimizu, Rokou Ogiwara, Kazunobu Shimizu, Akane Inoue, Hikaru Murata, Tomoko Hiramuki, Kazuo Nogami, Taiji Kawanishi, Shigeki Hatakeyama, Eiko Nishi, Takushi Kimura, Koji Aritomi, Ogura Shirakawa, Kiyomu Fukuda, Yukio Okazaki, Mitsue Yamazaki, Yasuhiro Matsumura, Eitarou Ano
- Writers
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Masahiro Okubo, Masashi Sogo, Kenta Shimoyama, Genki Yoshimura, Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, Rika Nakase, Michiko Yokote, Natsuko Takahashi, Kento Shimoyama
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Masakazu Morita
Ichigo Kurosaki (voice)
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Fumiko Orikasa
Rukia Kuchiki
