The combat system of Bleach is largely based on zanpakuto, soul-cutting swords that can slice a monstrous Hollow in half with one swing. Most characters in this series make good use of zanpakuto and even the kido magic system, but rarely do they rely on martial arts. When martial arts are indeed used, it can be a real spectacle.
Human characters in Karakura Town such as Ichigo and Tatsuki have trained in martial arts, and many Soul Reapers have had similar training across the decades. Even a few Arrancar are expert martial artists as well, especially if their former Hollow selves were fast and agile Menos. Which Bleach characters have the most formidable skills in unarmed combat?
10 Ichigo Kurosaki Learned Martial Arts From His Father
Ichigo Kurosaki fights primarily with his zanpakuto, Zangetsu, but he's not helpless if Zangetsu is out of the picture. Ichigo received martial arts training from his father, Isshin, who is also a skilled fighter, and Ichigo puts these skills to good use from time to time.
On a slightly humorous note, Ichigo can easily beat up thugs and delinquents who harass him or his friend Chad, and Ichigo gets daily training from Isshin when the latter tries to kick Ichigo awake.
9 Isshin Kurosaki Can Really Throw A Punch
Isshin Kurosaki was once Captain Isshin Shiba of squad 10, the commander of both Rangiku Matsumoto and Toshiro Hitsugaya. Isshin, like most other Soul Reapers, relied mostly on kido and shikai to fight, but that's not all he can do.
It was Isshin who taught Ichigo how to fight, and Isshin had the benefit of a long lifespan to learn and practice these arts in the Soul Society. He even put his martial arts skills to use against Captain Sosuke Aizen during the final battle for Karakura Town.
8 Kensei Muguruma Can Knock Enemies Away With His Elbow
Kensei Muguruma is one of the eight Visoreds, a former Captain with a melee-oriented zanpakuto, Tsuchikaze. Kensei's bankai is not unlike a pair of brass knuckles, and having martial arts skills allows Kensei to make the most of that bankai.
Kensei can also perform incredible melee strikes even without the benefit of bankai, such as when he fought Hollow-mode Ichigo during training. He also took down several Menos Grande during the final fight for Karakura Town without his zanpakuto.
7 Mashiro Kuna Is Good At Kicking
Kensei's former Lieutenant in squad 9 is Mashiro Kuna, a tiny but tough Visored who is an expert with kicks. She does have a zanpakuto, but all of Mashiro's best action scenes involve martial arts. Like Kensei, she can dispatch Gillian-class Menos with just unarmed combat methods.
Mashiro didn't do much in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, but she did prove to Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi that she was the superior martial artist between them, and she intended to get him on her level. She even viewed herself as the "super Lieutenant" of squad 9.
6 Grimmjow Jeagerjaques Is A Melee Powerhouse
It is unlikely that Grimmjow Jeagerjaques received any formal martial arts training while living in Hueco Mundo, so he relies mainly on instinct instead. Fortunately for him, his instincts are sharp, like a panther's, and this pays off many times.
Grimmjow can deliver a serious beatdown without even drawing his zanpakuto, as he proved during his first fight with Ichigo. When he releases his zanpakuto, Pantera, his melee skills are boosted further, though he doesn't use any formal martial arts style. He simply fights like a beast.
5 Yushiro Shihoin Is A Ninja, Like His Sister
Yushiro Shihoin is a member of the noble Shihoin family, and, like his big sister Yoruichi, he has received extensive training in martial arts, which probably includes an assassination component. Few Soul Reapers fight like ninjas, but the Shihoins do.
Yushiro made a brief appearance in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, and he took this chance to demonstrate his advanced martial arts, including the rare shunko ability. It's a hybrid of kido and martial arts, and only melee experts can use it.
4 Captain-General Yamamoto Is An Experienced Martial Artist
Captain-General Yamamoto rarely engages in martial arts, since he typically serves as the Soul Reapers' leader instead. In battle, he usually makes use of his zanpakuto's shikai, and in extreme cases, he will also use bankai, Zanka No Tachi. But that's not his only option.
Aside from being a kido master, Yamamoto is actually a deadly martial artist, having centuries of time to train and enhance his physical abilities. He employed these skills against Wonderweiss Margela, who had used his zanpakuto release to nullify Yamamoto's flames. But nothing can nullify those fists.
3 Captain Soi Fon Is An Elite Assassin
Captain Soi Fon of squad 2 is a deadly martial artist, since she received her training from Yoruichi Shihoin herself. Soi Fon learned well, and she can now operate as a ninja and assassin in any mission. She may be petite, but her strength is impressive, and her speed, even more so.
Soi Fon has few peers or rivals in the martial arts world, and her shikai, Suzumebachi, makes her even more lethal in close-quarters combat. She doesn't always need that shikai toe win, though; kicks and punches are usually enough.
2 Kisuke Urahara Is Secretly A Martial Arts Expert
Kisuke Urahara is in a similar position as Yamamoto. He has formidable martial arts skills, but he rarely uses them, since his kido spells and zanpakuto are sufficient for most battles. One hint to his melee prowess is the fact that he once fought in squad 2, the assassination squad.
Kisuke is rarely seen using martial arts, but it is known that he can spar with Yoruichi on roughly equal terms, and give her a good workout in friendly combat. That's saying a lot.
1 Yoruichi Is The Queen Of Melee Combat
There is no doubt that Yoruichi Shihoin is Bleach's top martial artist, especially since she has been training and practicing all her life to be a ninja and melee expert. She was once squad 2's Captain, and in the present day, she can deliver a beatdown on the Espadas, such as Yammy Llargo.
Yoruichi has no true equal, though she is proud of how far Soi Fon has come, and Kisuke can keep up with her in practice sessions. In addition, Yoruichi has the fastest flash step in the Soul Society, and she invented the art of shunko and can maximize its potential.