Any decent shonen action anime will have its own clearly-defined combat system, and the Naruto and Bleach franchises, among others, have taken this to heart. Both of these shonen series make heavy use of their respective energy systems, chakra and spirit energy, but fans might wonder just how much overlap they actually have.
In the Naruto universe, chakra is life energy that allows a ninja to use ninjutsu and genjutsu, and tailed beasts such as Kurama have a lot of it. In Bleach, all spiritual beings, such as Soul Reapers and Arrancars, have spirit energy that can fuel a variety of abilities. In some ways, chakra and spirit energy are analogous, but some key differences keep them apart.
10 SIMILAR: Chakra & Spirit Energy Appear As Colorful Auras
Many animated series use visual cues for the presence of supernatural energy and power, and Naruto and Bleach follow that trend (not to mention typical Super Saiyans). In Naruto, a character's chakra may appear on their hands or feet when in use, usually appearing blue. Kurama's chakra, in particular, is reddish-orange.
In Bleach, a Soul Reaper's spirit energy will surround him or her as their spiritual pressure, which may be a variety of colors. Kenpachi Zaraki's aura is yellow, for example, and Byakuya Kuchiki's aura is white.
9 DIFFERENT: Chakra Comes In Elemental Varieties
It's true that some Bleach characters use elemental attacks, but chakra is more firmly rooted in elemental varieties than spirit energy is. It is possible for ninja to use generic blue chakra, but as the toad sage Jiraiya told Naruto, the five basic elements can be infused in chakra.
Wind, fire, earth, water, and lightning are the main options, and Naruto himself naturally has wind chakra, allowing him to create the windmill Rasengan technique. Spirit energy can be used for elemental attacks, but it doesn't work the same way as chakra elements.
8 SIMILAR: Energy Ties Into Vitality & Strength
Chakra and spirit energy are supernatural power sources for combat, but they are also intertwined with mundane health and strength. This typically goes one way; that is, a naturally strong, durable character will have the potential for more chakra or spirit energy.
If spirit energy and chakra were factored out temporarily, it would be fairly easy to guess which Naruto and Bleach characters would be the strongest, and a character like Kenpachi is clearly a powerhouse, whether or not spirit energy is factored in. He has a lot of spirit energy, and he's got a powerful physique to match.
7 DIFFERENT: Spirit Energy Is Made Up Of Particles
Spirit energy can also be described as spirit particles, almost like supernatural molecules. In fact, all "physical" matter in the Soul Society and in Hueco Mundo is made up of spirit particles; in a sense, flesh and stone are one and the same.
The Soul Society and Hueco Mundo each have spirit particles in their atmospheres, and the Quincy people can collect those particles and condense them to create spirit energy for combat. Quincy archers can even break down solid matter with the Seeleschneider and harvest the spirit particles that got scattered about.
6 SIMILAR: Chakra & Spirit Energy Can Heal People
Many shonen series include a healing system, and chakra and spirit energy can both be used to mend flesh (but not raise the dead). In Naruto, characters such as Sakura Haruno and her mentor lady Tsunade can perform medical ninjutsu, which has saved many lives.
Sakura's and Tsunade's Bleach counterparts are Captain Retsu Unohana, Isane Kotetsu, and Hanataro Yamada, all of whom can use medical kido spells to rapidly stabilize and heal a patient right there on the battlefield.
5 DIFFERENT: Chakra Usage Often Involves Hand Signs Or Scrolls
Using arcane spells or abilities in fantasy anime often means using the right incantations, runes, or even sacrifices, and the Naruto franchise does this more than Bleach. In the Naruto universe, chakra is much more easily molded and channeled when scrolls and hand signs are used (though there are exceptions).
In this universe, twelve hand signs, one for each animal of the Chinese zodiac, can be "weaved" in chains to act as a code for a certain jutsu. Sasuke Uchiha used to do that to perform the fireball jutsu, and then there are scrolls for summoning animals along with a small blood sacrifice and a decent amount of chakra.
4 SIMILAR: Both Systems Have Codified "Spells" In Them
The exact nature and usage of ninjutsu and kido spells differ, but overall, they are similar in the fact that users of either style can choose from a whole library of well-established techniques. Neither ninja nor Soul Reapers have to invent techniques from scratch when a fight starts.
Chakra can be used as fuel for just about any jutsu if the user uses the correct hand signs or bloodline traits, and spirit energy can fuel a variety of kido spells, each with their own name and poetic incantation. This makes chakra and spirit energy far more cohesive and RPG-like in their use. There's a book of spells for each.
3 DIFFERENT: Chakra Can Be Used To Create Illusions More Easily
Both of these franchises include characters who can make illusions, but Captain Sosuke Aizen and his shikai are an exception for Bleach. Spirit energy rarely affects the mind, but chakra can routinely be used to disrupt the enemy's senses. After all, ninja put more emphasis on tricks and misdirection than brute force (at least, the series started off that way).
Some ninja have more genjutsu aptitude than others, but in general, any ninja can train to perform at least elementary genjutsu and disrupt the chakra flowing to the opponent's eyes, ears, and other sensory organs. Characters such as Itachi Uchiha and Kurenai Yuhi are especially adept at this.
2 SIMILAR: Chakra & Spirit Energy Range From Subtle To Extremely Destructive
Chakra and spirit energy can be used in a remarkable variety of techniques, from healing to shooting fireballs or creating illusions. Both energy systems can be used either for subtle and tricky abilities, such as a stealthy genjutsu, or they can be used to blast the landscape apart.
Characters in each series fall everywhere on this spectrum. Ino Yamanaka can ambush a foe and possess them with her mind transfer jutsu, while chakra might instead fuel the nine-tailed fox's mouth blasts. Spirit energy can be used to create magic ropes to tie up a foe, or an Espada might fire a Cero Oscuras and blow up half the battlefield with it.
1 DIFFERENT: Spirit Energy Can Weigh Down On Other People
It's true that in Bleach, spirit energy cannot easily create illusions. But it can be used for another distinct purpose: to literally bring the enemy to their knees and prevent them from moving, as though crushing them under a giant hand. Powerful Bleach characters are often seen doing this, especially in the Soul Society arc.
A sufficiently powerful person, such as a Soul Reaper Captain, can manifest his or her spirit energy to form a dense aura of spiritual pressure, and a weaker person will be crushed under the weight, unable to fight or even move. Captains can do this to capture a rogue criminal without even having to perform kido. Rarely, if ever, has Naruto chakra ever been used like that.