Bleach's first Quincy character is Ishida Uryu, a classmate of Ichigo, Orihime, and Sado. He doesn't explain much about his heritage, save that his grandfather had been one of the last-surviving Quincy. Like the Shinigami, these spiritually aware beings are capable of destroying Hollows, except they don't rely on Zanpakutos.

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Instead, the Quincy employ a unique arsenal of techniques presumably crafted by their founder. Until Bleach's final arc, the only Quincy characters are Uryu, Soken, and Ryuken — all members of the same family. Several new Quincies attack the Seireitei during the Thousand-Year Blood war, shattering the Gotei 13's illusion of safety. This group, known as the Sternritter, effectively overwhelms the Shinigami of Soul Society.

Updated on December 19th, 2022 by Ajay Aravind: The story doesn't mention exactly when the Sternritter were created. Some of them came into being very recently, whereas others are over a millennium old. Yamamoto defeated Yhwach around 999 years before the events of the story, sentencing him to centuries of stasis. When Yhwach awakens, he instantly triggers an Auswählen that kills both Uryu and Ichigo's mothers, Kanae Katagiri and Masaki Kurosaki. He subsequently assembles the Sternritter and mounts an invasion of Soul Society. The Quincies may not be as well-characterized as their Shinigami counterparts, but they're just as interesting in terms of plot development.

15 Candice Catnipp Could Have Technically Killed A Weakened Kenpachi

candice catnipp in the colorized bleach manga

Candice Catnipp is unquestionably one of the strongest Sternritter in Yhwach's army, although her impressive accomplishments failed to garner the fandom's attention. Along with Giselle, Meninas, and Liltotto, Candice manages to overpower a weakened Kenpachi.

She could have technically killed him with her Thunderbolt had Ichigo not blocked the attack in time. In fact, the only reason Ichigo successfully defeats her is because of his recent Royal Realm power-up. Anything less than Getsuga Juujisho may not have been enough to neutralize someone as invulnerable as Candice.

14 Bazz-B Advertises The Sheer Intensity Of His Flames While Fighting Hitsugaya And Matsumoto

Bazz B is an integral member of the Sternritter and wields "The Heat," arguably one of the most dangerous powers in Bleach. He manages to overwhelm Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya and Vice-Captain Rangiku Matsumoto with his considerable talent, advertising the sheer intensity of his flames throughout the battle.

At the same time, Bazz-B's childish mentality is a major combat disadvantage, as he often loses focus in the middle of a fight. In other words, Bazz-B regularly allows his emotions to get the better of him, like when he recklessly attacks Jugram Haschwalth, his former best friend.

13 Mask De Masculine's Superstar Simultaneously Defeats Two Captain-Level Shinigami

Mask De Masculine is a wrestler-themed Quincy, holding the title of “The Superstar”. He can be easily identified by his wrestling mask or by his wrestling fighting style. His Schrift takes the form of a smaller man known as James, a big fan of Mask whose entire existence revolves around encouraging the Sternritter.

Whenever James cheers Mask on, the latter becomes stronger, faster, more durable, and heals from his wounds rapidly. The Superstar allows Mask De Masculine to defeat two Captain-level Shinigami during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, although he's later vanquished by Renji Abarai.

12 Äs Nödt Uses Reishi Thorns To Induce His Target's Worst Fears, Thereby Neutralizing Them

Äs Nödt is a peculiar character, even by Quincy standards. He lived most of his life as a sickly man at death's door, at least until Yhwach blesses him with a Schrift of his own. Äs Nödt bears "The Fear," a fitting epithet for a man terrified of dying and going to hell.

This malicious Sternritter attacks his targets with thorns, but he's just as capable of destroying enormous buildings without exerting much effort. Äs Nödt's thorns produce a black substance that presumably induces his target's worst fears. Simply being struck by this Schrift is enough to neutralize Captain-level enemies, including the likes of Byakuya Kuchiki.

11 Soken Ishida Was Probably One Of The Greatest Warriors Of His Time

soken ishida flashback in bleach

As a devoted Quincy, Soken Ishida persistently maintains his family tradition. His son Ryuuken refuses to follow in Soken's footsteps, which is why he chooses to teach Uryu instead. Given his premature demise, very little is known about this character's strengths and weaknesses.

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Soken probably knows how to use the Letzt Stil, even if the show doesn't showcase his expertise. However, it can be safely assumed that he was an incredibly proficient combatant at some point. Unfortunately, Soken's advanced age prevents him from fighting at his peak potential. As a result of his growing debilitation, he perishes while battling a group of giant Hollows.

10 Pernida Parnkgjas Overrides The Nervous System Of Its Opponents With Incredible Efficiency

Nemu vs Pernida

Pernida is the left arm of the Soul King, which is believed to govern progress. Pernida's intellect evolves at a rapid pace, transforming the Soul King's left arm into a sentient being. As a member of the Sternritter as well as Yhwach's Schutzstaffel, Pernida bears the title of "The Compulsory."

Pernida can efficiently override the nervous systems of its opponents, using a network of nerves that emerge from its macabre fingers. Pernida frequently uses this ability to contort its victims into grotesque shapes, causing enormous damage. Even Mayuri Kurotsuchi would have perished against Pernida if Nemu hadn't sacrificed her body to save him.

9 Loyd Lloyd Defeats Kenpachi And Engages Yamamoto In A Head-On Battle

Royd Lloyd disguised as Yhwach holding Kenpachi by the throat

Royd Lloyd and Loyd Lloyd are identical twins, albeit with radically different skill sets. Royd can supposedly mimic his opponent's Reiatsu as well as their combat techniques, allowing him to fight on par with Zaraki Kenpachi.

Meanwhile, Loyd can only copy someone's personality traits and core memories, so he should have been considerably weaker than his brother. And yet, Loyd effortlessly defeats Kenpachi and engages Yamamoto in a head-on battle. Fans still don't understand how Loyd managed to survive Zanka no Tachi's incandescent heat without instantly evaporating.

8 Uryu Ishida Helps Ichigo Defeat Yhwach By The End Of The Story

Uryu is the first Quincy shown in the series and, owing to his incredibly hard training and determination, he becomes one of the strongest Bleach characters overall. As a testament to his formidable power, Uryu receives an invite to the Wandenreich, where Yhwach officially proclaims him to be his successor.

Uryu consequently acquires "The Antithesis," the only ability in existence that could possibly thwart Yhwach himself. When Uryu employs this Schrift against Jugram Haschwalth, however, the latter casually reverses the damage with "The Balance." Uryu helps Ichigo defeat Yhwach by the end of the story, completing his character arc with dignity.

7 Gremmy Thoumeaux Brings His Wildest Fantasies To Life

Gremmy Thoumeaux summons a meteor in Bleach: Brave Souls

Gremmy Thoumeaux's Schrift can only be described as haxx — anyone capable of bringing their wildest fantasies to life is inevitably going to be overpowered. "The Visionary" manifests everything in this Sternritter's imagination, from cookies and milk to molten lava and incendiary missiles.

Gremmy forces Kenpachi to release his Shikai for the first time, although the Shinigami notably retains his Reiatsu-reducing eyepatch. Gremmy can also create life with "The Visionary," making him vastly stronger than the vast majority of his Quincy brethren. Anyone other than Kenpachi might not have won against him.

6 Jugram Haschwalth Collects And Redirects Misfortune At His Hapless Opponents

jugram haschwalth staring in Bleach

As the Grandmaster of the Sternritter and Yhwach's second-in-command, Jugram Haschwalth plays a seminal role throughout the Thousand-Year Blood War. The timeline is a bit wonky, so fans aren't exactly sure how old this Sternritter is. That said, Jugram is probably a thousand years old, give or take a few centuries.

"The Balance" grants Jugram the ability to collect any "misfortune" from his surroundings and redirect it at his opponents. This Schrift is extremely dangerous and almost impossible to evade, explaining why he's such an intimidating combatant. Furthermore, he can magnify the amount of misfortune experienced by his enemies.

5 Askin Nakk Le Vaar Can Control The Lethal Dose Of Any Substance In Existence

Askin Nakk Le Vaar is yet another member of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel. As an elite Quincy, he wields a cryptic Shrift known as "The Deathdealing." Askin proves to be a major threat to Soul Society, leaving the strongest fighters in a pinch. This is because his ability allows him to control the lethal dose of any material, no matter how innocuous.

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This includes substances like water, blood, Reiatsu, and air. Askin's attacks are practically fatal because there's nothing in the world capable of countering them. Escaping is an option, but even this comes with great risks. Generally speaking, Askin's powers cannot and should not be underestimated.

4 Lille Barro's Jilliel Effortlessly Counters Kyoraku Shunsui's Karamatsu Shinju

Lille is the leader of Yhwach’s personal guard, which is a reflection of both the faith Yhwach has in him as well as an indicator of his immense power. Lille is called "The X-Axis," a term that highlights his sniping expertise. Whenever he takes a shot, it automatically pierces through everything in the line of fire.

Lille's abilities are far more significant in his Jilliel form, which makes him effectively intangible. Shunsui Kyoraku unleashes his Bankai for the first time in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, but the Captain-Commander's overwhelming strength and Reiatsu aren't enough to kill Lille Barro.

3 As The Heart Of The Soul King, Gerard Valkyrie Can Convert Damage Into Power

Known as "The Miracle," Gerard Valkyrie is easily the strongest Sternritter in Bleach. As the Heart of the Soul King, Gerad cannot be killed by ordinary Shinigami like Byakuya Kuchiki and Toshiro Hitsugaya. Even Zaraki Kenpachi's Bankai fails to defeat Gerard, who merely resurrects himself after being bifurcated.

Gerard converts any form of damage into power, consequently boosting his own already formidable Reiatsu reservoir. Toshiro Hitsugaya's Completed Daiguren Hyorinmaru seemingly freezes Gerard solid, but the Sternritter nonchalantly breaks out of his ice-prison. However, Yhwach's Auswählen manages to strip Gerard of his powers in an instant.

2 Masaki Kurosaki Showcases Her Remarkable Powers Against White

Masaki Bleach

Masaki Kurosaki isn't nearly as strong as the Sternritter, but her blood runs in her son's veins. As such, it can be argued that Ichigo's Quincy traits come from his mother. That said, Masaki isn't exactly weak, showcasing her remarkable combat techniques during White's attack.

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She attracts the lab-grown Vasto Lorde's attention before killing it with a Heilig Bogen at point-blank range. Isshin later mentions that Masaki could have nonchalantly crushed Grand Fisher if Yhwach hadn't stolen her Quincy powers. Ichigo owes a great deal to his Shinigami father, but his mother's bloodline accelerates his evolution.

1 Yhwach Is The Son Of The Soul King And The Strongest Character In Bleach

Yhwach is the son of the Soul King and one of the most powerful beings in existence. As the leader of the Quincy, Yhwach has fought many wars against Soul Society, only to be defeated on each occasion. Unfortunately, Yhwach finally manages to kill Yamamoto during the First Wandenreich Invasion in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.

The so-called Father of the Quincy possesses numerous abilities, such as healing, the power to grant Schrifts, future sight, future matter alteration, soul distribution, Reishi assimilation, among countless others. After absorbing the Soul King, Yhwach gains even more abilities, making him the strongest being in Bleach.

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