Bleach's star is Ichigo Kurosaki, a seemingly ordinary human boy who actually packs a lot of power. One fateful night, he met the Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki, then became a Soul Reaper with her help. Ichigo became stronger and stronger ever since, but is he truly worthy of being Bleach's protagonist? Maybe not.
To his credit, Ichigo and brave and confident even in the face of serious odds, such as when facing Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and Ulquiorra Schiffer. But he also has a mean streak and isn't terribly sentimental, nor does he aspire to save the world; he just wants to protect his friends. Perhaps some other anime heroes could have done this job better.
10 Rock Lee, Who Faces Every Challenge With A Smile (Naruto)
When he first appeared in the chunin exam arc, the taijutsu specialist Rock Lee made a strong impression, and he hasn't let fans down, either. Rock Lee knows the value of hard work and discipline since he had been born incapable of performing ninjutsu. He has learned to have a good attitude about hardship and failure.
All this, combined with his gung-ho spirit and his incredible courage, makes him highly compelling, on top of his warm charisma and friendly attitude. If Rock Lee had become a substitute Soul Reaper instead, it would have been great fun watching him train hard to fight all of Ichigo's enemies as the new hero.
9 Mirio Togata, The Star Of U.A. (My Hero Academia)
In some regards, Mirio Togata's character arc mirrors that of Rock Lee, not to mention his in-universe counterpart Izuku Midoriya. Mirio actually was born with supernatural gifts, but he struggled to master them. For a time, he seemed doomed to wash out of U.A.'s training program.
Not so fast. Mirio learned to work hard, suffer hardship, and rack up experience to overcome his difficulties, and he has a kind and radiant personality that keeps his spirits up (and that of his friends). He would have been a highly compelling substitute Soul Reaper, and he'd get along great with Ichigo's friend Chad.
8 Levi Ackerman, The Ultimate Scout (Attack On Titan)
Levi Ackerman, a supporting character in this series, is a grouchy antihero just like Ichigo Kurosaki himself. Arguably, though, Levi makes the antihero trope look a lot cooler, what with his tragic background, his amusing cleaning habit, and his ability to lead any squad to victory despite the odds.
All that, and Levi doesn't have Ichigo's short temper or habit of making unnecessary enemies. In a way, Levi is an upgrade of Ichigo as Bleach's antihero swordsman protagonist, and he'd make a strong impression on Rukia and Renji Abarai, that's for sure.
7 Erza Scarlet, The Armored Wizard (Fairy Tail)
Erza Scarlet, one of the Fairy Tail guild's strongest members, is also an upgrade of Ichigo Kurosaki, just like Levi Ackerman. Erza is already similar to Ichigo, being a tough but kind sword-slinging hero who's ready to face any threat. But there's more.
Erza's tragic backstory makes her compelling, and her love story with Jellal can tug on any viewer's heartstrings. If that weren't enough, Erza also has a charming "big sister" personality and a wide variety of armored suits to keep things fresh. Ichigo can't match that.
6 Benimaru, Chief Of The Ogre Tribe (That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime)
At first, Benimaru and his ogre allies were hostile to Rimuru Tempest, mistaking him for the masked villain who destroyed their village. But after a brief and bloodless fight, Benimaru realized that Rimuru is a friend, and he swore allegiance to that noble slime. Rimuru, for his part, obtained a wonderful new warrior and ally in the process.
Benimaru is an elite swordsman who has impeccable courage and discipline in battle, and he's humble enough to know when he needs a bit more training. Being a humanoid ogre makes him cool, and he also has an amusing soft side with his little sister, Shuna. They'd fit well into the Bleach universe in place of Ichigo and his sisters.
5 Asuna Yuuki, The Other Aincrad Hero (Sword Art Online)
Kirito, the lone swordsman, was the hero who cleared the dreadful Aincrad dungeon and freed everyone from that death trap, but he didn't do it alone. By his side was Asuna Yuuki, a brave and noble girl who defied the odds and escaped virtual doom. She appeared later in ALFheim Online, too.
Asuna has a heart of gold and upstanding principles, acting as a tough and responsible big sister for anyone who needs her. That, combined with her elite skills and cool outfits, would make her an outstanding heroine of Bleach, given the chance.
4 Yuji Idatori, Sukuna's Vessel & First-Year Sorcerer (Jujutsu Kaisen)
In some ways, this dark shonen fantasy series is a successor to both Bleach and Naruto, having roughly similar combat systems and characters (with Yuji's team being like the new Team 7). This anime echoes Bleach with its "spirit hunter" elements and the fact that its main character, Yuji Itadori, is a punkish but kind high schooler.
Yuji is the new Ichigo Kurosaki in many ways, but arguably, his personality is a little more palatable, and he made a better first impression than the scowling, unforgiving Ichigo Kurosaki did. Yuji is a bit funnier, too, which also helps.
3 Suki, The Kyoshi Warrior (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
It's true that many characters are more powerful than Suki in this franchise, from Katara to Azula and King Bumi, but that is hardly the point. Suki has an outstanding personality and worldview as a warrior and as a friend, being intensely loyal, brave, self-sacrificing, and practical. She checks off all the boxes.
All this and more is what attracted Sokka to her, and if Suki were the star of her own show, such as Bleach, she would become much more powerful and be an inspiration along the way. Karin and Yuzu would absolutely look up to her as their big sister.
2 Judeau, A Loyal Band Of The Hawk Soldier (Berserk)
Although Judeau was only a supporting character in the anime and Kentaro Miura's original manga, Judeau did make a good case for himself. He may be small, but he is remarkably tough and will not cower in the face of any monster or knight. He's also capable of self-sacrifice, giving his life to ensure that Casca survived at the end of the Golden Age arc.
Judeau is skilled with knives and swords alike, and off the battlefield, he is a smart and kind person who won't take any nonsense from anyone. He would be easy to like as Bleach's new star, and he could throw knives at his foes, as well as swing Zangetsu around.
1 Jean Pierre Polnareff, The Vengeful Frenchman (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
At first, Jean Pierre Polnareff might seem too silly to be the hero of Bleach; after all, he's the one who keeps getting into mishaps in bathrooms around the world. But there really is a good case for him. Besides, Bleach has plenty of comic relief in its narrative, and Polnareff balances his silly and serious side well enough for Bleach's standards.
What is more, Polnareff is an expert with the sword, like Erza and Asuna, and he is craftier and smarter than he looks. Ichigo, meanwhile, nearly always makes the most obvious move, with little subtlety. Polnareff also lost his sister and seeks revenge, a plotline that could fit into Bleach fairy well. Perhaps it was Grand Fisher that killed Polnareff's sister, rather than J. Geil.