Tite Kubo's supernatural action anime series Bleach has Ichigo Kurosaki as the star, but this series has a lot of colorful supporting characters for fans to love, too. On his quests, Ichigo can count on Rukia, Chad, Orihime, Uryu, and Renji to have his back, even in the terrifying deserts of Hueco Mundo or in the final battle against Yhwach and his Quincy thugs.
Every series needs a Best Girl, and as for Bleach, we've narrowed it down to Rukia Kuchiki vs Orihime Inoue for that title. Both girls appear early and often in the anime, and Ichigo's story just wouldn't be the same without them. Now, factoring in their combat power, personality, and best moments, which of these great characters will be crowned Best Girl?
10 Rukia: Story Catalyst
Rukia has a distinct honor that no other Bleach character can claim: she started the entire story. In fact, author Tite Kubo created her before any other character, since he wanted to draw black-robed Soul Reapers. Thus, Rukia was born, and the rest of Bleach followed.
Ichigo always had spiritual powers inside, but it was Rukia's arrival that awakened them, during that battle against a minor hollow named Fishbone-D. During the very first episode, Rukia made the fateful decision to transfer her power to Ichigo, and young Mr. Kurosaki's life was never the same again.
9 Orihime: Incredible Bravery
Both Rukia and Orihime are brave girls who will face any danger for their friends, but Rukia has the benefit of Soul Reaper training and experience, while Orihime doesn't. This makes it all the more impressive how Orihime will dive straight into danger for her friends.
She's just an ordinary high school student, like Ichigo, and she could have kept that normal life. But her intense loyalty and courage led her to join Ichigo in storming the Soul Society to rescue Rukia, and she has stared down Captains, arrancars, and monsters ever since.
8 Rukia: Tough Talk
We've established that both of these girls are brave and loyal, but Rukia has another psychological edge: her tough attitude. She is a good friend for sure, and a wonderful person, but she's also quick to dispense some tough words when necessary.
This made Rukia the ideal trainer for Ichigo, and even after the Soul Society incursion, Ichigo needed some words of encouragement, and Rukia whipped him into shape with ease. We just love Rukia's fine balance of humor, sweet scenes, and badass moments.
7 Orihime: The Six Fairies
Orihime is not a Soul Reaper (or even a substitute one), nor is she a Quincy. But she does have a unique power: her hair clips. With them, she can summon a squad of colorful fairies, and they are unlike anything we have ever seen.
The fairy in black clothes is Tsubaki, and while Orihime can launch attacks with him, her real powers come from her near-unbreakable barriers and her unmatched healing power. With these fairies, Orihime can undo any phenomenon or creation, and this will even restore lost limbs and heal grievous wounds. This is how Grimmjow was healed and reclaimed his rank as Sexta Espada.
6 Rukia: Bankai User
We knew early on that Captain Byakuya Kuchiki was a fearsome bankai user, and his Senbonzakura Kageyoshi is not to be underestimated. For a while, we were sure that his little sister's zanpakuto would not go beyond shikai, but we were proven wrong.
In the desperate battle against the Sternriters, Rukia wielded her own icy bankai, Hakka no Togame, to defeat Sternritter "F" As Nodt. It froze him solid and slew him with one blow, and Byakuya was immensely proud of her. So were we.
5 Orihime: Bittersweet Goodbye
This was a scene that stole our hearts. The arrancars arranged to abduct Orihime, and to cover their tracks, they allowed Orihime to visit one person to say goodbye. She chose Ichigo, who was asleep at the time.
Ichigo couldn't hear a word, but Orihime confessed what she really felt about them and their relationship with her trademark blend of goofy humor and tear-jerking honestly. In fact, this scene pays tribute to the older Shonen series Yu Yu Hakusho, which had a similar scene.
4 Rukia: Going Rogue
For a time, Rukia was a wanted outlaw, having illegally given her powers to a human (Ichigo), and she was dragged back to the Soul Society. Later, she was exonerated, but she couldn't bear the idea of Ichigo going to Hueco Mundo without Soul Reaper support.
So what did she do? Rukia (and Renji, too) defied Captain-General Yamamoto's orders and infiltrated Hueco Mundo to back up Ichigo's trio, since their friendship came before anything else. Better yet, Byakuya himself gave Rukia his blessing to do this.
3 Orihime: Inspiring Words
We mentioned earlier that Rukia can use tough talk to get Ichigo into shape. True enough, but she's not the only one with a gift for words. In Las Noches, Ichigo was struggling to defeat Grimmjow in their duel, and Orihime and Nel could only watch.
Until, that is, Nel cheered Ichigo on, and Orihime took a turn, too. With tears in her eyes, Orihime pleaded Ichigo to put his own life first and survive no matter what. That was all she wanted. And with those few words, Orihime totally revitalized Ichigo's power, and he went on to defeat Grimmjow a few moments later.
2 Rukia: Defeated Aaroniero
This the Noveno Espada, Aaroniero, who ate the hollow that once fused its body with that of Kaien Shiba. During the Last Noches invasion, Aaroniero assumed Kaien's form, and even used Kaien's memories and zanpakuto, to fool Rukia and fight her with a distinct advantage.
But not for long. Rukia knew that the real Kaien's heart lived on in her, even if Aaroniero claimed Kaien's body, and she mustered all her strength to turn around a bad situation and slay Aaroniero once and for all. At last, Kaien's soul can rest in peace.
1 Orihime: Her And Ulquiorra
When the arrancars captured Orihime and took her to Las Noches, Ulquiorra was put in charge of her, and he tried to break her will and crush her with his own brand of nihilism and despair. But Orihime's spirit never broke, even when she was reduced to tears.
She firmly believed that she and her friends shared one heart, and that heart would allow them to triumph. Ulquiorra scoffed at the idea, but in his dying moments, he had second thoughts, and he reached out to Orihime to try and see this "heart" of hers, right before he dissolved. This fascinating relationship has long since captured the imagination of Bleach fans, especially in fan fiction and fan art dedicated to this particular pairing.