As a shonen anime, Bleach is almost entirely built around explosive battles, starting with Ichigo's Hollow fights and leading into a vastly more complex world where combat is the norm rather than the exception. Therefore, it is strange to imagine that there are characters whose stories don't involve a lot of actual fighting.

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While a few characters don't fight at all, some merely rely on defensive responses or training those weaker than they are —and others have their battles interrupted/terminated/off-screened before they have a chance to even begin showing off their talents.

10 Ryuken Ishida Occasionally Trains His Son, Uryu

Ryuken smiles smugly Bleach

As one of the last remaining descendants of the "pure-blooded" Quincy, Ryuken's overall power is magnificent, to say the least. He manages to keep his son on his toes every time they practice, despite the perceivable increases in Uryu's strength and combat intelligence.

As such, it is quite a travesty to keep a force of nature like Ryuken on the sidelines, because he would have easily defeated Sternritter and Espada alike if given the chance. His old friend, Isshin Kurosaki, is thankfully provided the opportunity to flex his reiatsu and his zanpakuto against Aizen.

9 Kukaku Shiba Has A Katana & Can Use Hado #63

kukaku shiba smile bleach

The current head of the Shiba family following Isshin's "defection," Kukaku is evidently powerful and knowledgeable about the Shinigami arts. For instance, she has a preference for Hado #63, Raikoho, using it on Aizen and Higonyudo, but neither of these two scenarios counts as an actual battle.

Kukaku does have a katana, but it's unknown if she has had an asauchi imprinted on it, let alone being able to wield and manifest shikai and bankai respectively.

8 Shaz Domino Is Probably Incapacitated Or Killed Off-screen

Shaz Domino in Bleach

Shaz Domino's Schrift is strong enough to take on several extra characters. He uses Reishi Knives in order to attack, using them to cut through both solid objects and kido walls simultaneously.

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However, before he can finish Akon off, his comrades observe that his presence abruptly disappears when Ichigo enters Soul Society from Hueco Mundo. It's likely that Shaz is taken out of commission by the protagonist, but there's no confirmation as of yet.

7 Lilynette Gingerbuck Fights When She Fuses With Starrk

Bleach Starrk Lilynette

Unlike her masculine half, Coyote Starrk, Lilynette doesn't enter any fights in character, but largely looks on as Shunsui Kyoraku tries to bring Starrk down. She tries her best to instigate Ukitake into attacking her, but the senior captain is too wise and too experienced to fall for her feeble moves, most of which serve as comic relief rather than as serious battle.

It is only when Lilynette and Starrk recombine into their joint Resurrección that she starts to use her powers, but it's really not her at this point (just a bunch of reishi wolves).

6 Kon's Battles Are More Comical Than They are Serious

Kon relaxing at a table

Another character whose interactions with the main cast are hilarious but don't quite push the story forward is Kon, the teddy bear within which lives a mod-soul.

Although the anime delves into his adventures as part of the Karakura-Raizers, as well as a number of filler arcs, Kon abstains from actual combat as much as possible. Still, he has shown to be tolerably skilled if pushed to breaking point, but getting him there is a bigger problem.

5 Tessai Tsukabishi Doesn't Use His Massive Knowledge Of Kido

Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho

Tessai Tsukabishi, once the Gotei 13's renowned Grand Kido Commander, probably has more knowledge of kido spells than literally everyone else in Soul Society. He can, with equal ease, invoke the most powerful bakudo and the most forceful hado, that too without needing to recite the full mantra.

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Tessai has killed stray Hollows in the past, and once attempted to presumably murder Aizen with Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō, so there's no reason for him not to indulge in more interesting match-ups. He doesn't, unfortunately.

4 Neliel's Fights Are Basically Fillers For Others To Shine

Neliel in Bleach

Neliel's involvement in battle can be argued on technical grounds, seeing as she takes on Nnoitra and even manifests her Resurrección. Still, she returns to her helpless baby form right before anything serious happens, leaving Kenpachi to come in and save the day.

Nel returns to help Itsygo and co. in the final arc, where Urahara develops a special armband to prevent her from transforming into a toddler ever again. She is shown observing Kisuke's battle with Askin, and presumably rescues him after everything is over.

3 Chojiro Sasakibe Loses To Ichigo Despite Having A Bankai

sasakibe bleach

Sasakibe, Yamamoto's Vice-Captain, is revealed to have been bankai-capable in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. Sadly, his Koko Gonryo Rikyu is never seen though he tries to defeat the invading Driscoll Berci with it.

Sasakibe is killed in the process, leaving his Captain to take revenge for his death. The other time that Sasakibe fights is in the Soul Society arc, where he reveals his shikai, Gonryomaru, while trying to capture Ichigo. He is brought down by a single punch.

2 Karin & Yuzu Kurosaki Should Have Inherited Their Parent's Powers

Karin and Yuzu look surprised

It's not a stretch of the imagination to believe that Karin and Yuzu Kurosaki, Ichigo's younger sisters, might also possess some of the intense reiatsu that their big brother does.

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Considering that Ichigo obtains his powers specifically because of his genetic lineage, it's quite strange that the two girls get nearly nothing. Karin and Yuzu can barely perceive the existence of spirits, but neither of them is anywhere close to capable of becoming Shinigami (or Quincy), let alone fighting off Hollows.

1 Orihime Inoue Is Great At Defense But Doesn't Really Fight Anyone

Ichigo and Orihime fight Yhwach

Has Orihime truly gotten into a proper fight, with a full range of techniques, both offensive and defensive? Her Shun Shun Rikka spirits have tried and failed, to get the better of Espada opponents, and her true power is reserved for Soten Kisshun.

Orihime's importance to the storyline cannot be underestimated, but her only useful technique is Santen Kisshun, which functions as a defensive barrier. Although she is technically strong enough to block Yhwach's attacks after he merges with the Soul King, there aren't any real battles that Orihime has been part of.

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