Orihime is regarded as a waste of space by some and even an awful character by others, but she has a fairly big role in Bleach and can't be ignored. While she was never a fighter, she was one of the few healers, a talent that got used time and time again throughout the series. She healed everyone, from allies to enemies.
Some of those decisions led to both smart and completely idiotic decisions on her part, such as reviving Menoly or healing Loly. At the very least, these decisions always fit her character. She sees the good side of everyone, but in the end, that naivety isn't always going to lead to sound decision making.
10 Wrong: Calling Sora's Hairpins Childish
It often gets glossed over due to Orihime's pleasant demeanor, but her past is one of the worst in the entire series. She grew up in a broken home that her brother tried to save her from due to fear that their parents may end up killing her. Not only that, but she also had to live with the guilt of calling Sora's hairpins childish. That in itself isn't awful, however, it is when you factor in that he died the very next day. It's part of why they are so cherished by her now.
9 Smart: Embracing Acidwire
This was the first real emotional moment of the series and one that was an incredibly dangerous gambit. While she knew Acidwire was a hollow version of her brother, there was no telling how much of her brother was still in there. That didn't stop her from trying to show her affection to him, hugging him as much as she could. Even while his mouth was around her, ready to eat her. The act was enough to bring forth a moment of his sanity, leading to his ultimate defeat.
8 Wrong: Hiding Her Feelings For Ichigo For So Long
Having a crush and being fearful of rejection is a perfectly normal thing. Orihime isn't wrong for feeling that way in the least, especially when you take into account her past. The issue is this isn't your standard Shojo where the whole allure is seeing if the two will end up as couple in the end.
These two aren't going on normal school adventures, they are fighting Hollows and Shinigami alike. You'd think at some point she would have come to terms with her feelings. They do end up together in the end, but it never feels as real as it could have.
7 Smart: Protecting Tatsuki
Friendship is always going to be a power in itself when your talking about a Shounen. It's a mainstay of the genre and frankly, one that shouldn't ever go anywhere. In Orihime's case, seeing Tatsuki's tears reminded her of her past of often getting picked on. It made her remember that Tatsuki was the only one that stuck up for her, giving her the resolve to do the very same for her friend. That helped activate her powers for the very first time, allowing her to defeat the hollow and heal her friend.
6 Wrong: Doubting Her Abilities
From the Soul Society arc onward, Orihime is constantly doubting her abilities, feeling like she's a waste of space. It's very prevalent during their attempted rescue of Rukia, with Orihime lamenting on how little she'd improved. She feels all of this despite her picking up on how to make the cannonball before anyone else. Orihime forgets that not every character is meant to be a fighter. There's nothing wrong with being a support character, which is exactly what she is.
5 Smart: Breaking Through The Visored Barrier
This was proof of how intelligent Orihime could be, a fact that got glossed over a lot in a series that was more about the fights. She not only found where Ichigo was training with the Visored's but found a way through their barrier.
A barrier that was made by Hachigen, one of the premier kido experts in the series. More so than just that, she did it with ease. That's quite the feat for a Shinigami, let alone a normal human like she is.
4 Wrong: Seeing Competition That Isn't There
Orihime's anxiety makes her see things that aren't there sometimes. Case in point, she always saw Rukia as competition to Ichigo's affections. Luckily, her bout of jealously doesn't last long, more so manifesting in self-doubt. Rukia wasn't the only girl that Orihime thought Ichigo liked either, as there were a few others as well, all mounting to her bottling up her feelings.
3 Smart: Healing Grimmjow's Arm
Orihime may not have liked the direct result of her actions, with Grimmjow impaling Luppi on his arm, but she can't argue with the fact that Grimmjow saved her later on. The ever jealous Loly and Menoly were brutally attacking her when he burst in, blowing Menoly clean in half with a cero. While she heals both Arrancar, if it weren't for Grimmjow's interference, there's no telling just how far their attacks would have gone. It also provided her a nice opportunity to show off how pure her spirit was.
2 Wrong: Always Staying On The Front Lines
Orihime has a bad habit of running away from a battle, only to come back shortly after. Part of this is because she can't bear to see her friends hurt, which is certainly a great trait to have. The issue is that she's often just a liability to someone like Ichigo, who will start worrying about her rather than his fight. More often than not, she ends up getting injured herself because she's too close to the fight and due to the enemy realizing that she's a healer.
1 Smart: Showing No Fear Of Ulquiorra
Her relationship with Ulquoirra was one of the most interesting in the series, as Orihime showed no fear of him despite his taunts of her. This lack of fear caught Ulquoirra's attention, rousing his interest in the human heart and spirit, an emotion that he could not fully comprehend. While her lack of fear in him didn't result in his downfall, it did result in one of the better Espada deaths as he was seen reaching out to her as he disappeared.