After more than 900 years, the father of all Quincies, Yhwach, is back and has declared war against Soul Society. Now, it is up to the Soul Reaper captains to stop Yhwach and his evil plot. Here are the strongest captains who will play a crucial role in the ongoing final arc of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.
Before we list down the strongest captains, we should know more about the organization they belong to known as the Gotei 13.
Related: Strongest Sternritter in Bleach Ranked
What Is the Gotei 13?
Gotei 13 or the 13 Division Imperial Guards is the military group of Soul Society and the primary military organization that a Shinigami joins after graduating from the Shino Academy.
The group was founded by Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. The primary goal of the Gotei 13 includes defending the Seireitei, deploying soul reapers into enemy zones for military operations, guiding souls to Soul Society, and deploying task forces in the Human World as a defense tactic.
Here are the strongest captains to watch out for in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War:
Toshiro Hitsugaya
As the captain of the 10th Division in the Gotei 13, Toshiro is a serious captain. In the final arc, he attends the captain meeting and learns about the infiltration by the Wandenreich.
As a captain, Toshiro has shown tremendous growth in the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. Despite being badly beaten by his enemies in several fights, Toshiro has shown that he can rise up and fight back.
His Zanpakuto is Hyorinmaru which is the strongest of all the ice-based Zanpakuto in Soul Society.
Meanwhile, Toshiro’s Bankai, named Daiguren Hyorinmaru, allows ice to flow from his Zanpakuto onto him.
Toshiro's Bankai starts from the right hand and ends up taking the shape of a dragon.
Related: When Will Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Be Dubbed in English?
Byakuya Kuchiki
Byakuya, the captain of the 6th Division and the 28th head of the Kuchiki Clan, has an aristocratic personality. He appears calm and composed even while facing a conflicting situation.
In the ongoing Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime, he kickstarts his battle against the Sternritter along with Renji.
He is up against Äs Nödt and Mask De Masculine. In his battle against Äs Nödt, Byakuya realizes how powerful the Wandenreich is and that they need to up their game if they want to beat Quincies like Äs Nödt.
Apart from Äs Nödt, Byakuya has shown his supremacy against all other opponents he faced in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.
Byakuya’s Bankai is incredibly powerful and gives him a great boost during any combat.
He is also a skilled hand-to-hand fighter and wields the Zanpakuto, Senbonzakura.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi
As the captain of the 12th Division and second president of the Shinigami Research Institute, Mayuri is a scientist who is known for having a solution ready for any problem.
As a researcher, he possesses all the qualities of a mad scientist. He is one of the first who observes the rapid disappearance of Hollows and claims "they" could be doing it.
His powers may not make him one of the strongest captains in Gotei 13, but when he has time to prepare for a battle, he can take down almost any powerful opponent.
He is an intelligent character who takes responsibility for his actions.
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Kenpachi Zaraki
Kenpachi is the captain of the 11th Division and is known as a tall and muscular Shinigami with an aggressive appearance.
He is renowned for being an extremely violent fighter in his battles. Kenpachi loves a good fight and sometimes even holds himself back to prolong the battle.
In Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Kenpachi learns that the enemy can steal Bankai.
Later, Kenpachi comes face-to-face with Jugram Haschwalth and Yhwach after beating three Sternritter.
Haschwalth asks Kenpachi how he managed to win against three Sternritter. Kenpachi explains that three of his opponents were nothing but trash.
Kenpachi moves ahead and goes on to attack Yhwach. However, Yhwach is easily able to block his sword attack with his arm. Later, Yhwach manages to defeat Kenpachi.
Kenpachi possesses brute strength which gives him an edge over his opponents, but he lacks intelligence and that holds him back in some battles.
Like him, Kenpachi’s Bankai is all about releasing a massive amount of brute force that is powerful enough to tear down nearby buildings.
Shunsui Kyoraku
The Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, and the captain of the 1st Division, Shunsui takes the first spot.
He has a flamboyant personality and a laid-back approach to life. However, he can quickly shift to using dirty tactics during battles to win against opponents.
Despite using dirty techniques, he has a sense of respect for his enemy and always prefers a one-on-one fight.
He possesses a unique Zanpakuto named Katen Kyokotsu, which is a pair of daisho blades with a wakizashi and a tachi.
Shunsui is extremely dangerous and unpredictable and he displays his true ruthless nature in battles. Moreover, he acts like a true leader and commands respect from his peers.
What do you think about these captains and how will they perform in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War?