When it comes to Shonen action anime, fans might choose their favorite character based on who is the coolest, the toughest, the most creative, or any other metric. Meanwhile, an anime can have a Best Boy and a Best Girl, and there can be only one of each! As for Bleach, there's a handful of really cool ladies to choose from for Best Girl, but really, it probably comes down to Rukia Kuchiki and Yoruichi Shihoin.
Rukia is tied with Ichigo as the most central character, and author Tite Kubo created her before anyone else. Yoruichi, meanwhile, is a stylish rogue who was instrumental in Rukia's rescue before execution. With that in mind, let's see why each one deserves to be crowned Best Girl.
10 Rukia: she started it all
Every story needs an inciting event to get things moving, and it can be anything from a stranger arriving in town to getting an important phone call. In Bleach, Rukia kick-starts things when she hunts the hollow Fishbone-D, only to take a serious blow and hand off her powers to Ichigo to win the day. Now, Ichigo undergoes training under Rukia's wing, and the story is ready!
9 Yoruichi: super ninja
Most Soul Reapers stand and fight rather like samurai, but Yoruichi takes it a step further. Like her apprentice Soi Fon, this woman was trained by the Omnitsukido, the ninja corps, and she specializes in stealth and assassination. On a mission, Yoruichi's targets will never even see her coming, and that makes her really cool. And with her petite frame and athletic build, she can outmaneuver just about anyone. Don't forget that she's the queen of the flash step, either. Good luck catching her!
8 Rukia: to the rescue
Early on, Rukia was dragged back to the Soul Society as a convict, and she faced an impending execution (as part of Aizen's plans). Ichigo and his friends rescued her, and once Orihime ended up in Las Noches as a prisoner, Rukia sprang into action. She knew the despair of imprisonment, and she vowed to give her very life to see Orihime returned home safe and sound. Even when nearly sliced in half from Aaroniero's attacks, Rukia dragged herself forward until she collapsed. Now that's a friend!
7 Yoruichi: a big surprise
Hey, look at that: a talking back cat, with a cool deep voice. It's just like Kisuke Urahara to make a friend like that. At first, Ichigo and the rest thought they were hanging out with an intelligent cat named Yoruichi... until Yoruichi revealed herself as a full-grown woman in a puff of smoke! Ichigo couldn't believe his eyes, and it was a fantastic twist during the Soul Society arc. In fact, Yoruichi likes to tease people by morphing into a nude woman out of her cat form. What a sense of humor she's got.
6 Rukia: confirmed kill
Pictured is Rukia about to meet the Noveno (9th) Espada, Aaroniero. At first, Aaroniero got the upper hand by assuming Kaien's form and shikai, which left Rukia unwilling to strike him down. But blasting a hole in the wall doused the Espada in sunlight, revealing him as a freakish arrancar with two heads in a glass flask! Rukia took a mortal wound, but after steeling her resolve, she used a brand-new ice move to impale Aaroniero's head and slay him. Not bad! Not many characters can say they've killed an Espada.
5 Yoruichi: melee master
it was mentioned earlier how Yoruichi is a sort of Soul Reaper ninja. To that end, she's not only stealthy and fast, but she's a master at hand to hand combat. We hardly ever see her use kido or swords, but with those skills, does she even need them? She easily kicked around the 10th Espada Yammy Llargo, and she can outmaneuver even Byakuya with her shunpo. Best of all, she can use Shunko, an incredible melee-kido hybrid that envelops her body in white lightning and boosts her physical powers even further.
4 Rukia: such a darling
Not only is Rukia tough and cool, but she's so adorable! With her big eyes, petite frame, and wacky sense of humor, it's easy to see why everyone wants to be her friend. She adores rabbits, and collects all kinds of rabbit-y things, even a Mod Soul dispenser. When explaining Soul matters to Ichigo, she'll draw anyone, even Ulquiorra, like a rabbit (don't criticize her art style, though!). Finally, it's hilarious that she used advanced acting skills to convince Isshin and Yuzu to let her crash at the Kurosaki house.
3 Yoruichi: the rogue one
In her day, Yoruichi was a loyal Captain and a well-respected warrior and noblewoman. But she gave all that up to rescue Kisuke Urahara from a horrible fate, and she secured his freedom at the cost of her Captaincy. But Yoruichi didn't let that get her down, and she's a rogue agent who always shows up right on time to save the day. This is what makes her so much fun: you never know what she'll do next!
2 Rukia: she's been through a lot
Don't underestimate Rukia just because she doesn't weigh 90 pounds soaking wet. This petite girl is a badass, and she survived a mortal wound from Aaroniero and still crawled her way to Orihime, as mentioned earlier. She's not one to back down from a challenge or pity herself, that's for sure. Rukia and Renji both survived the mean streets of the Rukon District and enrolled as Soul Reapers, and her full potential was realized. And later, when battling the Sternritters, she even unlocked her own bankai, Hakka no Togame. She slew Sternritter "F" As Nodt with one swing.
1 Yoruichi: a real pal
Yoruichi is a woman of noble birth and a trained ninja. You'd expect a real hardass, but no! Yoruichi is a kind and compassionate person, and she can easily make friends with just about anyone. To know her is to like her, and she's quick to defend her allies and confront a bully. And as mentioned earlier, she's got a great sense of humor and knows how to keep a cool head. All this helps keep her grounded, and that's a good thing, too, given all she goes through.