Bleach is an anime where bad things are always happening and people are always fighting. Because of this, the anime has a team of very powerful beings who are responsible for protecting many different worlds.
Other than Ichigo Kurosaki, there are dozens of other fighters who have the talent, skill, and strength to make an effect in a fight.
Some of the most powerful people in the world of Bleach are in the 13 court guard teams. Their main goal is to keep the Soul Society and the human world safe.
In the Soul Society, the Gotei 13 Captain are at the top of the list of the best fighters, and they have no trouble showing why this is the case.
Some of the captains in the Soul Society have been in charge for a very long time and have never been challenged.
Fans couldn’t be happier that it will take another couple of years for the Bleach show to finish. So, we’ve added some more information about the Gotei 13 Captain with the most power to this list.
With the release of Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War, this is no longer the case. The whole story will be told over four seasons, giving this series the treatment it deserves.
People who have read the manga are afraid about where this show will go, but there’s no denying that the story so far has been great and will continue to impress fans for a long time.
Let’s get to know these Gotei captains.
The Gotei 13 has the responsibility of protecting the Human World and Soul Society from Hollows and similar threats.
This requires great leadership, and only the most powerful Shinigami can do it.
Isane Kotetsu From 4th Division (Current)
Any shinigami who follows in Retsu Unohana’s path is bound to be compared to this tough captain, and Isane Kotetsu doesn’t really measure up to the previous captain’s huge amount of strength.
She is effective on her own, but the other captains of the Gotei 13 are much stronger.
After Yhwach dies, she becomes Captain because she is a good leader. But she hasn’t shown enough strength in battles for people to think she’s special by any stretch of the imagination.
Tetsuzaemon Iba From 7th Division
When Sajin Komamura used the Humanization Technique, he turned into a wolf for good.
This made him unable to lead his squad anymore, and after Yhwach died, his lieutenant took over as the new captain of the squad.
Tetsuzaemon Iba is a good shinigami in his own right, but fans have to accept that he is nowhere near as strong as the other Gotei 13 captains who have done more and are better at what they do.
Even at the end of the show, his bankai wasn’t shown. This shows how much of a throwaway this character is.
Sui-Feng From 2nd Division (Current)
Sui Feng is the leader of the Stealth Force and captain of the Second Division in the Soul Society. Yoruichi left the Soul Society, and Sui Feng took her place. Since then, he has been living in her shade.
Sui Feng is one of the fastest captains in the thirteen court squads, which means she is very skilled in battle.
However, she lacks patience and lets her feelings get the best of her quickly. Because of this, Sui Feng often hits too quickly, leaving herself open to a counterattack.
Sui Feng’s Zanpakuto ability was also one of the most dangerous at first, but it loses its power against a stronger opponent.
Rukia Kuchiki From 13th Division
Rukia Kuchiki is from a lower-class family in Rukongai, but because her sister married Byakuya, she is now part of the noble Kuchiki family.
She doesn’t usually show how she feels, in part because she wants to be like her older brother.
Even though Rukia gets stronger as the story goes on, she doesn’t get her Bankai until she gets to the Royal Realm.
Her Hakka no Togame has the ability to be one of the strongest Bankai in Soul Society, but she has a long way to go before that happens.
About a decade after the end of the series, Rukia becomes Captain of the 13th Division. This completes the story that began when she broke into Ichigo’s room.
Jushiro Ukitake From 13th Division (Former)
Captain Ukitake is a very well-liked captain in the Soul Society because he is cool and easy to talk to. Ukitake is also a very good fencer.
He was taught by Captain Commander and is thought to be one of his best students, along with Shunsui Kyoraku.
But even though Ukitake is a strong opponent, he is weak and easily hurt because he is fragile and doesn’t take care of himself well.
Ukitake is still strong enough to stay in the thirteen-court guard teams, but he tries to stay out of battles if he can.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi From 12th Division
Mayuri is the current Captain of the 12th division and the President of the Shinigami Research Institute. He is known for both making dangerous things and doing projects that make no sense.
Mayuri is a Shinigami who is known for being very unstable, but she has a very curious mind and is determined to figure out the secrets of science.
Mayuri is always trying new things, and this goes to his Zanpakuto. He has changed Konjiki Ashisogi Jizou so many times that it is hard to recognize.
During his fight with Pernida Parnkgjas, the so-called Left Hand of the Soul King, he uses his modified Bankai, but in the end, he can’t beat the enemy without Nemu’s help.
Kisuke Urahara From 12th Division (Former)
Shihoin is thought to be the best at fighting with his hands out of all the Shinigami in the Seireitei.
She was once the Captain of the 2nd Division, Commander-in-Chief of the Omnitsukido, and Director of the Executive Militia Corps in Soul Society.
Yoruichi has to give up her titles and special rights in order to protect Urahara and the Visoreds. She can change into a cat, which is something no one else in the series can do.
However, this special power isn’t explored after the Soul Society Invasion arc. Yoruichi is a good Captain of the Gotei 13 because she is strong and a good leader.
Kenpachi Zaraki From 11th Division (Current)
Zaraki grows up in the most dangerous part of Soul Society. Over time, he gets stronger until he can beat the tenth Kenpachi and take over as Captain from him.
Until he kills Retsu Unohana, though, he won’t get the real title.
Zaraki is a force to be reckoned with. Even when he isn’t at his full strength, he can do amazing things in battle.
His Zanpakuto, Nozarashi, helps him do more damage by making him much better at cutting.
In its Bankai form, Nozarashi turns Zaraki into a berserk whose senses and physical abilities are increased to levels that are hard to understand.
Yachiru(Retsu) Unohana From 4th Division (Former)
Unohana is the captain of the 4th Division. She is a kind, quiet, and polite woman. She uses honorifics when talking to everyone, even her coworkers, and she doesn’t get scared or upset very often.
She is nice even when she is angry, like when people from other divisions pick on her division. She keeps a smile on her face while giving off a dangerous vibe that makes people run away.
She wears the usual shinigami captain outfit, but instead of an obi, she wears an obi and braids her hair over her chest.
After Kyouraku and Ukitake, Unohana is probably the captain who has been in charge the longest. She has a way about her that makes people feel at ease.
But her anger is just as strong, so much so that members of the 11th squad freeze with fear when they are careless enough to make her angry. During her time in Kenpachi, Retsu Unohana commanded the 11th Division.
In chapters and scenes of omake, it’s clear that Unohana is interested in convenience shops in the world of the living and likes to pick out racy swimsuits for Isane when she visits the world of the living.
Toshiro Hitsugaya From 10th Division (Current)
Even though Toshiro Hitsugaya is still young, he quickly moves up in the ranks and becomes the Captain of the 10th division.
He is considered a genius, and Kyoraku Shunsui says that Hitsugaya will finally be stronger and more powerful than him.
Hyorinmaru is the name of the Zanpakuto that Hitsugaya uses. His Shikai and Bankai both have to do with controlling water and ice, but they work in very different ways.
Also, during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, Daiguren Hyorinmaru gets an important improvement that makes Hitsugaya’s already large reiryoku reservoir even bigger.
Isshin Kurosaki From 10th Division (Former)
Before becoming exiled in the Human World, Isshin Kurosaki commanded the 10th Division.
Bleach has a character named Isshin Kurosaki who helps out the main characters. He was married to Masaki Kurosaki before she died.
He is the father of Ichigo Kurosaki, Karin Kurosaki, and Yuzu Kurosaki, who is a doctor at the Kurosaki Clinic. Before this, he was a Shinigami who led the 10th Division as its captain.
Since he got his Shinigami powers back, he was able to get revenge on Grand Fisher for killing his wife in the human world by killing Grand Fisher with the help of Kon.
He then taught Ichigo how to use the ultimate Bankai (Final Release) of the spirit sword Zangetsu. Two years after Ichigo found out he was part Quincy, Isshin finally told Ichigo the truth about where he came from.
He told Ichigo how he and Masaki met for the first time and told him that Yhwach killed Masaki because he thought all Quinces were dirty.
Kensei Muguruma From 9th Division (Current)
Kensei is another member of the Visored who was brought back after the final fight with Aizen Sosuke. He was the last person to take the place of the captains who had left their posts with him.
Kensei is very strong, which is reflected in the way he fights. Kensei is a great close-quarters fighter who has gotten very good at fighting with his hands.
With his Visored abilities and his Zanpakuto, Kensei is a major danger on any battlefield, which many of his peers know.
Kaname Tosen From 9th Division (Former)
Kaname Tosen is sure that “the path with the least bloodshed” is the best way to go. Even though this belief is very admirable, it will always lead him to hurt himself.
He makes the mistake of trusting Aizen’s vision, which is why he betrays the Gotei 13 and breaks Sajin Komamura’s heart.
Tosen doesn’t really know the difference between revenge and justice, which is clear from the fact that he brutally kills his own people.
At the same time, Tosen goes on a trip of redemption right before he dies, which shows the good things about his personality even though he has a lot of problems.
Lisa Yadomaru From 8th Division (Current)
Lisa Yadomaru is the current Captain of the Gotei 13’s 8th section. She took over from Shunsui Kyoraku, who was a member of the Visored.
She usually keeps a cool head, which is a very useful trait in Soul Society, where politics are often a mess.
Even though Lisa’s attitude changes from apathetic to moody, her friends can always count on her being there.
Her Zanpakuto doesn’t look like much until Lisa uses it in a fight. Lisa bends and turns her Haguro Tonbo with such incredible speed and skill that most opponents are immediately overpowered.
Shunsui Kyoraku From 1st Division
Shunsui is Captain Commander Yamamoto’s second favorite student. Yamamoto is a skilled swordsman and captain of thirteen court guard squads, which gives him a lot of power.
Shunsui is Yamamoto’s second favorite student. He is great at fighting in every way: speed, strength, and skill. He is also the only Soul Reaper who can use two swords well at the same time.
Shunsui’s physical strength is also nothing to scoff at, as he is more than able to beat strong opponents without using his Zanpakuto and fight on equal terms with the Espada.
Still, he never fights at his full strength because he always takes things easy.
Sajin Komamura From 7th Division
Saijin Komamura is a one-of-a-kind Gotei 13 person. When he first showed up in Bleach, he was a mysterious fighter who wore a bamboo helmet to hide his face.
Later, it came out that Komamura was an Anthropomorphic Wolf who was very self-conscious about how he looked compared to the other Bleach leaders.
In terms of strength, Komamura has the right amount of mental pressure to stay a captain. But when it comes to skill and Zanpakuto ability, he doesn’t match up to the rest of his peers.
Most other captains are stronger than Komomura, and even his Zanpakuto has been easily beaten over the course of the series.
Love Aikawa From 7th Division (Former)
Love Aikawa is a member of the Visored. She was the captain of the 7th Division before a series of events led to her and other Shinigami being Hollowfied by Aizen’s strange trials.
So, they were sent into exile and had to live in the real world while they tried to find a fix.
Love is very strong, but he hasn’t shown much fighting skill in recent arcs. Because of this, the other Shinigami are much stronger than him and have left him in the dust.
Byakuya Kuchiki From 6th Division
Byakuya Kuchiki comes from a long line of strong Soul Reapers, so he has high expectations for himself as a Soul Reaper and captain of the sixth division of the Gotei 13.
Yoruichi Shihouin taught Byakuya both shunpo and swordsmanship by hand, which put him ahead of everyone else except those trained by the Captain Commander himself.
Byakuya’s Zanpakuto only adds to his strength, giving him a strike that can reach almost anywhere.
Ginrei Kuchiki From 6th Division (Former)
Ginrei Kuchiki was Byakuya’s grandfather at one point in history. However, little is known about his career.
Byakuya Kuchiki’s grandpa is a man named Ginrei Kuchiki. He was the captain of the 6th Division and the 27th head of the Kuchiki Clan more than 100 years ago, until Byakuya took over both jobs.
His son, Sjun Kuchiki, was in charge of him.
Ginrei acts like a nobleman because of this. He is always calm and doesn’t care about other people. He is also very quiet and very calm. He rarely speaks unless he wants to say something or make a point.
Shinji Hirako From 5th Division (Current)
Shinji Hirako used to be the captain of the Fifth Division, but he and the rest of the Vizored were sent away.
Shinji led the other outcasts into fight against Aizen, and the Gotei 13 helped them beat him.
Because of what he did, he was brought back into the Soul Society and made a captain again, along with a few of his old friends.
Shinji is a great fencer, but he isn’t so strong that he can easily beat his opponents.
Shinji is very good at outsmarting his opponents and making them make mistakes that he can then use to his advantage.
As a Vizored, he does have more power than most Bleach leaders, but he can’t go up against stronger opponents like Zaraki Kenpachi.
Sosuke Aizen From 5th Division (Former)
Sousuke Aizen, a genius-level person, is calm and collected.
Aizen is a smart man who is polite and soft-spoken. He often calls his subordinates by their first names. He doesn’t get scared or upset very often, and he often has everything thought out well in advance.
When challenged, Aizen acts careless and casual, trying to start a conversation and make small talk, which often makes the person he is talking to angry.
At first, Aizen seemed to be a very kind, well-respected captain, and many people, especially his Lieutenant Momo Hinamori, looked up to him.
Retsu Unohana From 4th Division (Former)
Due to her change in rank, Retsu Unohana’s past is very confusing in the Soul Society.
Retsu was chosen by the Captain Commander to be the first Captain of Squad 11 and the former holder of the Kenpachi title when the Gotei 13 was first formed.
Retsu was the most feared fighter on the battlefield because no one could match her strength.
She was so strong that her fights ended quickly, so she learned how to heal so she could fix her opponents’ wounds and fight them again.
Rojuro Otoribashi From 3rd Division (Current)
Rojuro, also known as Rose, was a member of the Gotei 13 until the Soul Society was tricked by Aizen Sosuke.
He and the other Vizored were then sent away. Rose joined Shinji, Hirako, and the other Visored until it was time for them to get back into the fight and kill Aizen.
Rose was put back in the army and given his old rank as captain of squad three because he helped win the last fight.
Rose is a great fighter who moves with ease and poise on the battlefield. Rose doesn’t like fighting, and she doesn’t get stronger when she fights. Instead, she fights with control and agility.
Gin Ichimaru From 3rd Division (Former)
Gin Ichimaru is a strange character. He smiles for no apparent reason and is always smiling.
His Zanpakuto can travel great distances at high speeds and cut almost any target in an instant.
Gin Ichimaru is one of the most famous characters in Bleach, even though he died at the end of the “Arrancar” story arc.
He acts like a traitor so that he has a chance of beating Sosuke Aizen and getting back what was taken from Rangiku. Gin’s plan fails horribly, even though he works hard at it.
Soi Fon From 2nd Division (Current)
Soi Fon is the captain of the 2nd Division. She is also an expert at assassination.
The Zanpakuto, which can kill an enemy in just two strikes and doubles as an artillery gunnon, can also kill them all.
She is also a skilled fighter in hand-to-hand and Kido combat, as well as the combination of both, known as Shunko.
Yoruichi Shihoin From 2nd Division (Former)
Shihoin is thought to be the best at fighting with his hands out of all the Shinigami in the Seireitei.
She was once the Captain of the 2nd Division, Commander-in-Chief of the Omnitsukido, and Director of the Executive Militia Corps in Soul Society.
Yoruichi has to give up her titles and special rights in order to protect Urahara and the Visoreds. She can change into a cat, which is something no one else in the series can do.
However, this special power isn’t explored after the Soul Society Invasion arc. Yoruichi is a good Captain of the Gotei 13 because she is strong and a good leader.
Shunsui Kyoraku From 1st Division (Current)
Shunsui is the current Captain-Commander of the 1st Division and the leader of the 1st Division. So, he still has the power to give orders to everyone in the Gotei 13.
When the previous Captain-Commander died, Shunsui put Yamamoto in charge right away, giving him a full vote of trust. This shows how well-respected Shunsui has become over the course of his work.
Shunsui has shown over and over again that he is strong enough to beat opponents with high ranks. His Bankai is one of the deadliest in the series.
Its unique skills force opponents to play by Shunsui’s “rules.” He can do a lot of damage with Karematsu Shinju, even to things that say they are not real.
Genryusai Yamamoto: Captain-Commander From 1st Division (Former)
Yamamoto used to lead the Gotei 13 as its Captain-Commander. In the first Great War, he made the Gotei 13 to fight against the Quincy.
Yamamoto’s Zanpakuto is the strongest one in Bleach. When he is in his Bankai form, his flames burn so hot that Ice- and Water-type Zanpakuto users can’t even use their powers because they would melt.
Yamamoto covers himself in flames that burn as hot as the sun. This gives him the power to bring back to life people he kills with his flames and make them fight for him.
Yamamoto is the strongest Captain ever because of his years of experience and these fires that are way too strong.
