Who are the big bad guys in the popular anime/manga franchise Bleach? Well, that depends. During the Soul Society arc, the mighty Soul Reaper Captains were the villains, enforcing Rukia's unfair execution. Later, they and Ichigo's allies united against the common threat of Sosuke Aizen and the deadly Espadas, the top ten arrancar.
But the action isn't over yet! After the battle against the Fullbring, Ichigo's greatest enemies yet arrive: the Vandenreich, complete with 26 Captain-like Sternritter Quincies! A Quincy is a Soul Reaper's sworn enemy, and the battle that ensued was a bloody one. Still, while some of the Sternritters were pretty cool characters, others were pretty plain or felt like a drag. By this point, readers had seen a lot, and some Sternritters didn't have anything new to offer.
10 Coolest: As Nodt
Who is that chilling fellow with the mask and studded outfit? This is As Nodt, Sternritter "F", who can control fear itself. He's a confident and patient man who doesn't go into battle without knowing exactly how to win. He even stole Byakuya's bankai with a medallion, and nearly killed his enemy with it.
But As has his own powers, too. He can fling around dart-like Quincy arrows that induce absolute terror and panic in their targets, and the fear can puncture any defenses. If things get rough, As can activate his final form, envelop his foe in a dome covered in eerie eyes, and bring them to their knees with crippling fear. He very nearly claimed Rukia's life this way.
9 Lamest: Candice Catnipp
This young woman is one of the give girls among the Sternritter, who form a loose team (and often get on each other's nerves). Candice is Sternritter "T", and she can create lightning with her arrows. Her full form, complete with wings, pushes her lighting to new heights.
But that's all she does. Her power has no creative angle, but instead relies on direct and brute-force attacks that don't even remotely work on Ichigo. Plus she's got a lousy attitude and has no sense of cooperation. If the Sternritter really want to take down the Soul Society, maybe they should learn to be team players!
8 Coolest: Gremmy Thoumeaux
Meet Gremmy, or Sternritter "V". What can he do with his Quincy powers? Anything you can imagine! Actually, whatever he can imagine. That's right: somehow, Gremmy has harnessed the power of human imagination itself, and this power is just as flexible and scary as it sounds.
When fighting Yachiru and later Kenpachi, Gremmy can manifest absolutely anything into reality, and he even trapped Kenpachi in the void of outer space at some point. He can also "imagine" his injuries vanishing, and this will heal him. But alas, Gremmy's imagination power isn't absolute, and Kenpachi's stubborn power carved its way through Gremmy's defenses to slice him in half.
7 Lamest: Cang Du
We never even saw the full potential of Sternritter "I", Cang Du. This serious, confident man can harden his skin like iron, and theoretically make himself invulnerable. Imagine him taking on a whole crowd of lesser Soul Reapers like a bulldozer that way!
Too bad he didn't. Instead, he stole Daiguren Hyorinmaru, lost it, and was killed by Jugram's own power. Really, Cang Du was all talk, and he failed to finish off Toshiro and Rangiku even when they were at his mercy.
6 Coolest: Bazz-B
Even his name is pretty fun. Bazz-B. Anyway, this punkish Quincy is Sternritter "H", or The Heat, and his power is just what it sounds like. He does more than throw around fireballs, though. He gave Captain Hitsugaya a real fight when he started showing off more and more of his power.
Bazz-B bases his power on his fingers, and the more fingers used, the more power he unleashes. He calls it Burner Finger, from one to five. Burner Finger One can create a piercing, thin jet of flame, while Burner Finger Four can envelop his arm in a fiery sword and Burner Finger Full creates a vicious vortex of fire!
5 Lamest: Gerard Valkyrie
That's a pretty big fellow, isn't he? Gerard Valkyrie is one of the top four Sternritter, and he is "M", or The Miracle. As he takes damage in battle, he continues to grow larger and unlock more powers. He claims to be a warrior of God, invulnerable to everything.
But that's just too simple. He's a tough guy who gets tougher as the battle goes? Is that it? The battle against him really drags on, and more than once we think he went down, only to get up yet again. It may get frustrating for some readers, and we're longing to see Hitsugaya finally take him out. Can't we move on already?
4 Coolest: Giselle Gewelle
What a chilling expression! Giselle Gewelle is another member of the "girl squad" among the Sternritters, and she is Sternritter "Z", or The Zombie. Not that she's a zombie herself; rather, she can use her blood to control people, either alive or dead, as "zombies." No one is immune!
Quincies need to be dead for this to work, and Giselle personally killed a badly-injured Bambietta to prep her as a zombie. But living Soul Reapers can be used, such as Rangiku and Hitsugaya, not to mention Kensei. It took the mad science of Captain Kurotsuchi to put a stop to Giselle's rampage and return everyone to normal.
3 Lamest: Robert Accutrone
Robert is Sternritter "N," but we never even find out what N stands for (for that matter, we never see the full power of Sternritter "K" either). Robert is a pretty plain guy, and he kind of looks like an accountant or lawyer sort of guy. Pretty straight-laced.
But Robert doesn't have any cool powers to contrast with his really ordinary appearance. Yes, he's fast, and he can use spirit pistols with enough force to injure one of Captain Kyoraku's eyes. But he does little else, and when Yhwach activated his full power, Robert's entire essence is drained dry, leaving just a skeleton.
2
Coolest: Quilge Opie
Quilge Opie is Sternritter "J", and he can create roughly spherical masses of energy that can trap whoever is inside. Not even Ichigo could easily break free, and that's quite a useful power to shift the tide of battle.
In fact, Quilge is one of the first Sternritter we meet, and he's the commander of the Hunting Corps, a ruthless and calculating boss. Those are some good qualities for a villain to have, and he fought quite a few enemies in a row without going down. Ultimately, though, Ichigo's bankai proved too much for him to handle. Quilge did, however, show some creativity by absorbing Ayon and using its power.
1 Lamest: Lilotto Lamperd
Time for another member of the Sternritter girl squad: Lilotto Lampted, or The Glutton. Her power allows her to stretch out her mouth and devour people, and it can stretch pretty far.
This is a funny power, but it's not especially fearsome, and she mainly used it to attack several Squad 11 Soul Reapers. Lilotto was among several Sternritters killed when they turned on Yhwach, too, and she met an inglorious end.