6 recurring tropes in Bleach fights, explained

With its cool character designs, memorable powers, and epic transformations, Bleach features some of the most exciting fights in the animanga panorama. This iconic franchise revolves around the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a student with the uncommon ability to see spirits. After encountering Rukia Kuchiki, a Shinigami on a mission in the Human World, Ichigo's life changes forever as he becomes a Substitute Shinigami.

His adventures take him through the afterlife as he bumps into Shinigami, Hollow, Arrancar, Fullbringer, and Quincy of all kinds. No matter who is in front of him, Ichigo plunges into battle, driven by the desire to protect his loved ones. Like most shonen series, Bleach's battle scenes are characterized by recurring tropes. In particular, Bleach is well-known for its overuse of two dynamics.

Bleach characters lose their arms in battle with the same frequency that most people change socks. Likewise, characters explaining their powers to the enemy is a common trope in fiction, but Bleach takes this cliche to the next level by making it an essential part of every key fight. Apart from that, though, it's amusing to note that Bleach antagonists have the same abilities and demeanors, just with different levels of power.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from Bleach TYBW.

Tite Kubo enjoys repeating certain patterns in Bleach fights

1) Kira fights bird-like enemies

Izuru Kira's enemies (Image via Shueisha)

Izuru Kira is a talented Shinigami who serves as the lieutenant of the Gotei 13’s Third Division. Calm and peaceful, Kira believes that people should choose every other possible option other than fighting, as there’s nothing entertaining or heroic about battles. However, when engaged in combat, Kira can become ruthless.

He uses his Zanpakuto Wabisuke to double the weight of any target he strikes, including both inanimate objects and living beings. Each strike doubles the previous increase in weight, meaning that Kira only needs a few hits to render his enemies unable to move or lift their weapon. By then, he can decapitate them with Wabisuke’s hook-shaped blade.

While Kira’s Zanpakuto literally brings people to the ground, he often fought opponents who used bird-based abilities to fly. He mercilessly killed Abirama Redder, an Arrancar whose released form looks like an eagle covered in red feathers. In Bleach TYBW, Kira cut down Lille Barro’s flamingo-looking clones.

2) Byakuya fights enemies with control-themed abilities

Byakuya's enemies (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The current head of the noble Kuchiki Clan, Byakuya is the captain of the Gotei 13’s Sixth Division. He is a skilled and versatile fighter with great expertise in all Shinigami arts. Byakuya’s trump card is his Bankai Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, which turns his sword into countless petal-like blades that he can manipulate to defend himself and attack at the same time.

Byakuya acts in a formal way and blindly follows the Soul Society’s established laws and rules, even when they go against his own wishes. In truth, however, Byakuya cares deeply for the people he loves. This inner conflict is subtly symbolized by the fact that he typically fights enemies who have control-themed powers.

He fought and defeated Zommari, an Espada who could use his Resurreciòn to take control of objects and even living beings. He also took on the Sternritter Äs Nödt, whose Schrift F “The Fear” had the power to sink people into despair, paralyzing them with sheer terror.

As if that wasn't enough, Byakuya also faced Sternritter L, Pepe, who used his ability "The Love" to take control of his victims. These battles seem to be a metaphor for Byakuya fighting his own emotions and obsession with control.

3) Byakuya and Kenpachi team up to fight giant-sized enemies

Byakuya and Kenpachi vs Yammy Llargo (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Byakuya has a very conflictual relationship with Kenpachi Zaraki, the fearsome captain of the Gotei 13’s Eleventh Division. They are completely opposite. Just as Byakuya is calm and collected, Zaraki is violent and boisterous. He thrives for battle and enjoys fighting more than anything.

Byakuya is elegant and highborn, while the brute Zaraki hails from the Soul Society’s worst district. Interestingly, when he is with Kenpachi, Byakuya seems to show his true self, acting much like he used to do when he was a child. However, he and Zaraki regularly end up clashing with each other.

Nevertheless, throughout the series, Byakuya and Zaraki were often forced to team up to fight common enemies. In both cases, their opponents were giant monster-like creatures. They first took on Yammy Llargo, who grew to a monstrous size after activating his Resurreciòn Ira.

Funnily enough, the two captains challenged each other to see who could defeat Yammy first. In Bleach TYBW, Kenpachi and Byakuya joined forces to fight the massively enlarged Gerard Valkyrie but found themselves in big trouble against the latter’s Schrift M “The Miracle”.

4) Kyoraku fights gunmen and marksmen

Kyoraku's enemies (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The former captain of the Eighth Division, Shunsui Kyoraku is the current supreme leader of the entire Gotei 13. Kyoraku is one of the most powerful Bleach characters, as he can use his Zanpakuto powers to trick his opponents through juvenile and yet lethal techniques based on children’s games.

Kyoraku’s Shikai is already dangerous, but his insane Bankai takes things to a whole new level. A laid-back and eccentric man, Kyoraku rarely fights, as he despises to do so. On the rare occasions when he enters the battlefield, however, Kyoraku is almost guaranteed to fight someone with gun-based abilities.

He defeated the Primera Espada Coyote Starrk, a fast and highly-perceptive Arrancar who used pistols to fire barrages of Cero. He also had a scuffle with another gunman, the Sternritter Robert Accutrone. Distracted by his concerns for his mentor Yamamoto, Kyoraku lost an eye to Accutrone’s gunfire.

On top of that, Kyoraku had a prolonged fight with Schutzstaffel leader Lille Barro. Thanks to his Schrift power, Lille could use his rifle to fire unblockable shots that reached the target instantly and pierced it all the way through, ignoring durability. His powers were even more absurd, as he could teleport himself, fire highly destructive energy beams, and become intangible to avoid any damage.

Even then, Lille was helpless against the Kyoraku's reality-warping Bankai. He only survived it by reviving himself to become a constantly evolving immortal being. Essentially, Lille evolved from a marksman to a full-fledged god, which was too much even for Kyoraku.

5) Ichigo gets his Bankai broken

Haschwalth breaks Ichigo's Bankai (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Bleach’s main protagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki, constantly improved his fighting skills throughout the story, to the point where he became a nearly unparalleled fighter capable of combining Shinigami, Hollow, and Quincy powers all together. Ichigo’s most iconic power-up in the series is Bankai, the Shinigami’s ability to release the full power of a Zanpakuto.

Ichigo’s initial Bankai Tensa Zangetsu allowed him to compress his power in order to perform high-speed combat. He would flank his enemies with his quickness and overwhelm them by firing powerful blasts called Getsuga Tensho. After reforging his Zanpakuto to balance his Hollow and Quincy powers, Ichigo was given a new, immensely stronger version of Tensa Zangetsu.

No matter how powerful Ichigo’s Bankai is, however, there will always be an enemy strong enough to easily break it. When Ichigo arrived in the Soul Society to stop Yhwach, the Quincy Emperor’s right-hand man Jugram Haschwalth effortlessly cut the blade of Tensa Zangetsu in half. This proved to be a major issue, as a broken Bankai can never be fixed.

With his new, reforged Zanpakuto, as well as the Royal Guard training, Ichigo became stronger than ever. Still, his Bankai was destroyed again, this time by Yhwach himself. As soon as Ichigo activated his upgraded Tensa Zangetsu, Yhwach shattered the sword without moving. This was a result of The Almighty, Yhwach’s all-powerful ability to anticipate and alter the future.

6) The main villain kills his own subordinates

Aizen and Yhwach targeting their own subordinates (Image via Shueisha)

Of the many antagonists featured in Bleach, Sosuke Aizen and the Quincy Emperor Yhwach stand out as the Soul Society’s most menacing enemies. They both embrace the archetype of the overarching villain who plans to take over the verse. Granted, this is an oversimplification, as their objectives are much more complex than that and can hardly be reduced to a mere hunger for power.

In any case, Aizen is the reason behind almost everything that happened in the first portion of the story. Aiming to overthrow the Soul King, he betrayed and left the Soul Society. He came close to achieving godhood through the Hogyoku but was eventually stopped by Ichigo Kurosaki, the very person he had manipulated to take advantage of his innate powers.

Aizen returned in Bleach TYBW to play a prominent role, this time helping Ichigo in the fight against Yhwach. The Quincy Emperor wanted to unite the Human World, the Soul Society, and the Hueco Mundo into a single plane of existence in order to create a world without fear of death. His actions, however, led to the deaths of countless people, including Ichigo and Uryu’s mothers.

To emphasize Aizen and Ywhach as threatening villains, Bleach author Tite Kubo had them torment enemies and allies alike. Disappointed by the Espada’s performance, Aizen lamented that he alone was stronger than all of them combined. Deeds followed his words as he attacked and easily defeated Tercera Espada Tier Harribel after telling her that she wasn’t strong enough to fight for him.

Yhwach killed his henchmen Luders Friegen and Asguiaro Ebern without a second thought. Moreover, he used Auswahlen to steal the powers from other Quincy, knowing full well that the process would result in the deaths of the targets. Yhwach’s Auswahlen is the cause of death for several powerful Quincy, including Robert Accutrone and even the likes of Gerard Valkyrie and Jugram Haschwalth.