Bleach's Thousand-Year Blood War arc introduces a brand new range of villains. Known as the Sternitter, these Quincy proceed to demolish Soul Society with their overpowered abilities. They each carry an assigned letter of the Roman alphabet, from A for Almighty/Antithesis to Z for Zombie.
Although their abilities are unquestionably devastating, the Sternritter don't always rely on raw strength and Reiatsu to win their fights. On the contrary, many of them are as crafty and calculating as their Shinigami counterparts, explaining why the Gotei 13 fails to defeat them during the First Wandenreich Invasion. That said, some Sternritter are obviously smarter than others.
10 Shaz Domino Successfully Outmaneuvers Characters As Smart As Akon
Shaz Domino plays a very small part during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, appearing only in the first few chapters/episodes. He exposes his barbaric nature while attacking and murdering several employees belonging to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute.
Shaz successfully outmaneuvers characters as proficient as Akon, a rather intelligent member of the SRDI. At the same time, he overtly boasts about his so-called Schrift, goading an enraged Ichigo Kurosaki into attacking him. The remaining Sternritter are instantly notified when Shaz's spiritual signature disappears, suggesting that he's either killed or neutralized by the protagonist.
9 Gremmy Thoumeaux Displays The Sheer Breadth Of His Mental Acuity & Strategic Knowledge
Gremmy Thoumeaux claims to be "the strongest Sternritter of all," a declaration that is indirectly confirmed by Askin and Haschwalth's awestruck reactions. He gleefully challenges Zaraki to battle, pompously mocking the Kenpachi's alleged weakness.
Although this arrogant behavior makes Gremmy appear childish and reckless, The Visionary is capable of vanquishing most threats. In fact, Gremmy's control over his imagination-based Schrift demonstrates the sheer breadth of his mental acuity and strategic knowledge. Then again, Gremmy accidentally kills himself by trying to be more like Kenpachi — a rather foolish decision.
8 Robert Accutrone Refuses To Fall Prey To His Own Doubts & Suspicions
Robert Accutrone bears the Schrift N, whose specific nuances haven't been disclosed in the story. His best feature is arguably his solemn demeanor, which prevents him from revealing too much about his admittedly menacing Schrift. Robert wields a pair of Reishi-infused shotguns, both of which can be fired with deadly accuracy.
Robert later triggers his Vollständig: Grimaniel, vastly increasing his overall combat prowess and effectively outclassing Shunsui Kyoraku. Although Robert staunchly believes in Yhwach's vision, he simultaneously recognizes the Emperor's lack of concern for the Sternritter. That said, he also refuses to fall prey to his own suspicions.
7 Lille Barro Is Occasionally Smart Enough To Identify His Own Limitations
Lille Barro may not be as dispassionately cunning as Haschwalth, but only because he doesn't need to hide his true feelings. He openly and shamelessly declares himself a divine entity, particularly after he metamorphoses into Jilliel. Lille's Reiatsu is so intensely concentrated that his Trompete could have easily eradicated Soul Society from existence.
However, Lille doesn't depend entirely on his immeasurable strength, as he knows that there are still dangerous enemies out there, even if he rarely admits it. Absolute power can drive anyone to the brink of mindless vanity, but Lille is occasionally smart enough to identify his limitations.
6 Giselle Gewelle's Shrewd Schemes & Perfectly Timed Deployment Impress Even Mayuri
Giselle Gewelle is one of the weirder characters to appear in the Thousand-Year Blood War, an impressive feat given the sheer number of eccentric individuals in Bleach. She holds The Zombie, a Schrift that allows her to create meat puppets from dead Quincy or incapacitated Shinigami.
Giselle nonchalantly murders Bambietta Basterbine and resurrects the corpse with her Schrift, before subsequently revealing the Zombified Captains Hitsugaya, Otoribashi, and Muguruma. Even someone as smart as Mayuri Kurotsuchi fails to counter Giselle's shrewd scheming without pulling a few dirty tricks out of his own sleeve.
5 Askin Nakk Le Vaar Deviously Downplays His Fearsome Schrift
Askin Nakk Le Vaar camouflages his true nature behind a thin veneer of modesty and deviously downplays his fearsome Schrift. As such, his opponents frequently dismiss his strength as inconsequential, only to be shocked when The Deathdealing overwhelms them.
Yoruichi's younger brother Yushiro falls for Askin's ploys and is nearly killed in the process. Yoruichi and Urahara, on the other hand, give this Sternritter a run for his intellectual money. They consistently counter The Deathdealing's effects with a variety of unpredictable tactics but, in the end, Grimmjow saves the day using nothing more than pure force.
4 Quilge Opie Formulates An Airtight Plan For The Annexation Of Hueco Mundo
The Sternritter bear several thematic similarities with the Third Reich, and Quilge Opie is probably the most Nazi-esque villain in Bleach. He enforces his iron will on the hapless denizens of Hueco Mundo, maiming and murdering anyone who dares to question his authority.
Quilge's actions can only be described as morally bankrupt, but there's no doubting his prodigious intelligence. Under Yhwach's guidance, he formulates an airtight plan for the invasion and annexation of Hueco Mundo, further highlighting his organizational skills. Fortunately, the heroes manage to turn Quilge's monumental ego to their advantage.
3 As A Cyborg, BG9 Is Somewhat Immune To Emotional Interference
Emotions are often the downfall of characters in shonen anime, especially when they allow their feelings to guide them. As the only Quincy cyborg in the Wandenreich, BG9 is somewhat immune to concepts like uncertainty and anger. However, this also means that it treats its targets like victims, subjecting even young children to horrific interrogation procedures.
BG9 tanks a direct hit from Suì-Fēng's Jakuho Raikoben and survives, albeit barely. Unfortunately for this Sternritter, Yhwach doesn't take kindly to its shameful defeat. Despite its logical mind, BG9 expresses terror when Haschwalth sentences to death, indicating that its ice-cold processors can be rattled with enough stimulus.
2 Jugram Haschwalth Relies Almost Exclusively On Rationality & Common Sense
Jugram Haschwalth was once an inept village boy who never displayed any signs of being a Quincy — that is, until Yhwach's presence activates his latent powers, recasting Haschwalth into a formidable powerhouse. As Yhwach's "other half," he bears the Almighty while the Emperor sleeps, implying that he can handle nigh-limitless reserves of power.
Haschwalth also decrypts Nanao Ise's intricately crafted Bakudo spell and slyly begins unweaving the barrier from the outside, proving his tactical expertise. Moreover, this Sternritter relies almost exclusively on rationality and common sense, renouncing any emotional ties to his past.
1 Liltotto Lamperd Doesn't Need To Fight Hard When She Can Fight Smart
Liltotto Lamperd looks and talks like a child, but her ominous Schrift paints a completely different picture of her character. She wields The Glutton, a Schrift that converts her mouth into a gargantuan weapon designed specifically to take bites out of her enemies.
Giselle, Candice, and Meninas fail to pinpoint Ichigo Kurosaki when he bursts into Soul Society from the Royal Realm, but Liltotto rapidly deduces his identity. She's far stronger than she appears, as shown when she brutally kills PePe Waccabrada as punishment for his betrayal. Liltotto doesn't need to fight hard when she can fight smart, a wise combat strategy that the other Sternritter seldom implement.