10 Bleach characters who deserved more screentime

Bleach characters are among the most intricately designed in the world of anime. The series features characters with a wide variety of skills and abilities. However, some characters, like Unohana and Ukitake, deserved more screen time, as their presence in the anime was cut short. Many characters were shown to contribute to the storyline but were not extensively focused on, leaving the impression of a missed opportunity.

As the fans await the anime finale for Bleach: Thousand Years of Blood War, many past and present characters with unique backstories are brought to the limelight. Here are some such Bleach characters who deserve more limelight than they got.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga/anime and reflects the writer's opinion.

Bazz-B, Retsu Unohana, and 8 other Bleach characters who deserved more screen time

1) Isshin Kurosaki

Isshin Kurosaki, Ichigo's father, is one of the Bleach characters who deserves more screen time. Isshin is one of the earliest characters introduced in the anime, appearing in the first episode. His identity was revealed as a former Soul Reaper captain afterward.

Isshin played a key role in Ichigo’s backstory. He served as a base for Ichigo's Shinigami and Quincy bloodline revelation during the Thousand Years of Blood War arc. However, as the anime progressed, his appearances became less frequent in the middle sections due to the shift in the focus of the main story.

Later, during the Thousand Years of Blood War arc, his arc felt rushed due to this gap, diminishing its impact. More screen time, especially in the middle of the series, could have explored his character further and added depth to the overall narrative.

2) Bazz-B

Bazzard Black, Bazz-B (Image via Pierrot)

Another missed opportunity in Bleach's storytelling is that of Bazzard Black, aka Bazz-B. He was one of the prominent characters among the Quincys to feature during the Thousand Years of Blood War arc. A flashback was seen between him and Jugram Haschwalth, the right-hand man of Yhwach.

Bazz-B had a backstory and history with Yhwach that could have been developed more as an aid to their conflict eventually, along with his childhood with Jurgram. A detailed presentation of him among other Bleach characters was missing, which might have provided more depth to his character and powers.

3) Jugram Haschwalth

Jugram Haschwalth is the right-hand man of Yhwach. He is portrayed as one of the strongest Bleach characters. Jugram possesses the power to enhance the abilities of other Quincys, which is why Yhwach became interested in recruiting him. Yhwach intended to use Jurgram's powers in the future for his self-conquest.

The entire feature of his childhood with Bazz-B and his training under Yhwach was either rushed or left incomplete, with limited screen time. The fact that a weak boy who barely knew how to fight suddenly became so powerful and relevant was given no visual explanation.

Although he played a major role later in the series, his earlier absence created gaps in his character development. A deeper dive into his character, accompanied by more screen time, could have enhanced his story, as he was a key part of the Thousand Years of Blood War arc, being one of the main antagonists.

4) Tessai Tsukabishi

Tessai Tsukabishi was introduced early into the series in episode 6, as an employee of Kisuke Urahara's shop. One of Bleach's lesser-known characters is Tessai due to his limited appearances. Tessai was the former captain of the Kido Corps at the Seiretei and a master at Kido himself. During the earlier parts of the anime, Tessai provided a great deal of support to Ichigo's storyline.

However, as the series progressed, his character got lost and was never seen again. Tessai's past affiliation with the Soul Society was rushed and left out visually throughout the anime. His story could have progressed more in the anime, creating a missed opportunity, just like other Bleach characters.

5) Chad

Yasutora Sado, known as Chad, is one of Ichigo's close friends. Chad is one of the Bleach characters whose screen time decreased as the series progressed. He has been seen assisting Ichigo during multiple combats throughout earlier episodes of the series as a key support character and his friend.

Though his ample screening during the early stages of the anime, he was again brought back prominently during the end of the Thousand Years of Blood War arc. This intermission of his character screening could have added more character depth for his later appearance.

6) Jushiro Ukitake

Jushiro Ukitake was the captain of the 13th division from the Gotei 13, one of the Bleach characters, and probably one of the captains who had the least appearances in the anime.

During the earlier episodes, he was rarely seen due to his illness and deteriorating health. He was featured again later in the anime, during a flashback of his role as the right arm of the soul king. Ukitake played a crucial role during the Thousand Years of Blood War arc when he sacrificed himself to protect the Soul King.

Apart from these particular incidents, Ukitake has minimal screen time during the entire anime, leaving gaps in his storyline. His role as a captain is also something fans missed out on for the same reason.

7) Gin Ichimaru

Gin Ichimaru was the captain of squad 3 from the Gotei 13. He was also one of the main antagonists from the first season after he was seen betraying the Soul Society accompanied by Sosuke Aizen and Kaname Tosen.

Gin is one of the Bleach characters who has played an essential role in the series, but barely any information is revealed about him during his time. Gin's character was always left in the shadows due to his fewer appearances and less-known history during the anime.

Only during the final climax of the first season did Gin's character get focused on, and even then, it was shown briefly. The entirety of his role as a captain, and other agendas later revealed, felt incomplete due to a lack of visuals. More depth to such a prominent character could easily have been provided with more screen time.

8) Retsu Unohana

Retsu Unohana was again one of those Bleach characters who have been rushed throughout the series. Unohana was the captain of Squad 4 in the Gotei 13.

She was seen briefly earlier, during the anime, but was uncovered mostly during the Thousand Years of Blood War arc. She was generally portrayed as a calm-collected woman who believed in healing others earlier in the anime. Later on, as the story progressed, it was revealed during her fight with Zaraki that she was the first Kenpachi.

This whole plot of her transformation from someone innocent and calm who believed in healing others into a Kenpachi, someone who loves to fight, was entirely missing. Her limited screen time creates huge gaps in her storyline and role in the anime.

9) Ryuken Ishida

Ryuken Ishida is one of the Bleach characters who barely appeared earlier in the anime. Ryuken is the son of Soken Ishida and Uryu's father. He was known as the last Quincy until his son was born, who contested the title.

He was featured heavily during the Thousand Years of Blood War arc, however, his missing previous appearances did not add to his character-building. Being someone prominent from the Quincy faction, he deserved more instances to build his role.

10) Shinji Hirako

Shinji Hirako is a former Vizard and the current captain of squad 5 from Gotei 13. As a Vizard, Shinji is one of the Bleach characters among soul reapers who have acquired the powers of hollowfication. Shinji has also been seen helping Ichigo when he struggles with his hollowfication, acting as a mentor.

He was featured heavily till the battle with Aizen and returned to the Seireitei as a captain, followed up with his appearance during the Thousand Years of Blood War arc. Between these two instances, he was completely left out of the anime. His entire role as a captain during this time was left out due to this reason.

The visualization of his character jumping between timelines did not do justice to his character in the end. He was seen at his peak at the end of the Thousand Years of Blood War arc, but there was no revelation of how he got there.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of Bleach characters who have unique storylines. While most of them are reflected extensively throughout the anime, most of them feel unfinished or incomplete. A major contribution to such difference is their limitation of screen time.

With the series still ongoing, an expectation of certain Bleach characters' storyline development can be placed. As the climax approaches between the Soul Reapers and the Quincys, certain characters start to take shape and set the stage for an epic finale.

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Edited by Bharath S