Bleach is a mega-popular shonen action series starring a massive cast of characters, and these highly diverse characters can be sorted and categorized in all kinds of ways, such as combat strength or the greatest number of victories. But these characters can also be viewed from a more subjective lens, such as sheer coolness.
Being cool is an elusive definition, but in general, a fictional character is cool if they have a stylish visual design, impressive confidence and bravado, a unique philosophy, or an indescribable "it" factor that draws fans to them. With all that in mind, Bleach fans know coolness when they see it, and they can generally agree on who the coolest Soul Reapers are, even if fans might disagree on who should be #1.
10 Renji Abarai Is Ichigo's Battle Buddy
Renji was one of the first Soul Reapers to appear in Bleach, making his debut near the end of Season 1 as one of Ichigo's earliest rivals. Renji was also one of the first Soul Reapers seen using shikai, wielding a melee-type shikai called Zabimaru. He later unlocked bankai as well.
Renji has a pretty cool visual design with his fierce red hair, his forehead tattoos, and his intense eyes. He also has a reckless and stylish fighting style with Zabimaru's various forms, and his tough-guy attitude helps round him out as a cool Soul Reaper.
9 Rukia Kuchiki Is A Tough, Lovable Tsundere
Rukia was the very first character to appear in all of Bleach, scouting Karakura Town late one night to track down Fishbone-D. Ever since then, she has been one of Bleach's coolest characters thanks to her tough but lovable tsundere personality, her gorgeous ice-based zanpakuto, and more.
Rukia is confident and smart in battle, and she also represents compelling themes such as keeping people alive in her intangible heart to gain strength. She is also very kind to Ichigo's little sisters and anyone else who might need her help, too.
8 Captain Jushiro Ukitake Has Unshakable Confidence
Captain Jushiro Ukitake leads squad 13, though he rarely takes part in battles himself due to his illness. Despite all that, Ukitake is easy to both like and respect as a Soul Reaper, being a confident, charismatic and responsible person who always knows what to do.
This makes for a pretty slick character, and there's still more. Ukitake can use two zanpakuto in battle and redirect his foes' energy right back at them, which is a pretty neat trick in Bleach. Ultimately, Ukitake nobly gave his life to help protect the Soul King from Yhwach.
7 Captain Sajin Komamura Solemnly Does His Duty
The commander of squad 7, the wolf-headed Sajin Komamura, impressed Bleach fans when he discarded his helmet and stopped hiding his face out of shame. Now he is more self-assured than ever, and he fully commits himself to his duty as a proud wolf.
Sajin is pretty cool that way, and there is more. He also has a noble but tough attitude in battle, letting his fearsome bankai speak for himself while coolly throwing his opponents' mocking words right back at them. He also sacrificed his heart to assume a human form and defeat the Sternritter at any cost.
6 Yachiru Unohana Is Scary & Pretty Cool As Kenpachi's Mentor
At first, Bleach fans knew squad 4's commander as Captain Retsu Unohana, a soft-spoken medical expert who can heal anyone with her kido spells and shikai. But that's a facade. She is actually Yachiru Unohana, the first Kenpachi and a deadly, bloodthirsty warrior. It was she who first met Kenpachi Zaraki, in fact.
Captain Unohana was much cooler in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, where she revealed her terrifying true self and challenged the current Kenpachi to a duel to the death. In the end, Unohana gave her very life in mortal combat so Kenpachi could realize his true potential.
5 Captain Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto Is The Ultimate Soul Reaper
The head Captain, Yamamoto, is pretty cool when he wants to be. He often gives off a "tough old veteran" vibe that fans like, and he's had some pretty great moments in Bleach to prove how cool he is. One example was when he confidently took on Ayon and Wonderweiss, beating the latter to death with his fists.
Later, a squad of Quincy broke into Yamamoto's office to declare war, and they remarked on the lack of security guards. Yamamoto then gave them a stern look and explained that he was his own security, which is a pretty cool thing to say.
4 Captain Shunsui Kyoraku Is Tough But Laid-Back
Captain Shunsui Kyoraku is cool in all kinds of ways, from his neat visual design to his playful but deadly shikai and bankai abilities with his twin-bladed zanpakuto. He also tends to relax and act goofy, such as when he made a dramatic appearance before Chad in the Soul Society arc.
Kyoraku is a longtime veteran who knows what he's doing, but he doesn't take himself too seriously, which makes for a winning combination. And his goofy personality makes him even more imposing when he does get serious in battle, such as against Coyote Starrk and the Sternritter.
3 Captain Byakuya Kuchiki Is An Aristocratic Warrior
Captain Byakuya Kuchiki tends to act like the wealthy nobleman he is, and at first, that made him unappealing as Ichigo's enemy. Later, though, Bleach fans got a better-rounded view of this redeemed Captain, and they came to appreciate his stern, confident ways as a highborn warrior.
Byakuya is cool in almost every way there is. He is impressive and confident in battle as a cold-blooded fighter, he has a gorgeous but vicious bankai, he has a slick visual design, and he never shows any fear or mercy in battle, either. He's also a total tsundere.
2 Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya Is A Fan Favorite
Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya can actually be compared to My Hero Academia's Shoto Todoroki in many ways. Both of them are stern but well-meaning boys with ultra-cool ice powers and a cool, confident attitude to match, rounded out by their hidden good side.
Toshiro takes himself seriously, which is fun to watch, but he also can't deny being a kid, which makes him even more compelling in Bleach. He also keeps getting stronger, figuring out new ways to use Hyorinmaru. He even unlocked an adult form, something fans loved.
1 Captain Kenpachi Zaraki Lives For Battle
The brutal commander of squad 11 is Captain Kenpachi Zaraki himself, a warrior who made a strong first impression in the Soul Society arc. He managed to become even cooler since then, constantly getting stronger and intimidating his enemies with his bloodlust and his bold words. He's also the one who defeated a powerful foe merely by switching to kendo, or two-handed sword combat.
Only an ultra-cool character like him could declare "Because I'm Kenpachi" and make it so cool and exciting, meaning his reputation has reached an all-time high both in-universe and among anime fans. Kenpachi also has his amusing tsundere side to make him even more likable than ever.