The 15 Most Underrated Bankai In Bleach, Ranked

In Bleach, achieving Bankai is supposed to be the big moment. Swords evolve, outfits glow up,
and suddenly the battlefield looks like a heavyweight title match between demigods. Yet with so many
Soul Reapers, visoreds, and even game-original characters flexing their final releases, some truly
incredible Bankai ended up flying under the radar.

This ranked list dives into the most underrated Bankai in Bleach – forms that are terrifyingly
strong, creatively designed, or story-rich, but never got the screen time or hype they deserved.
We’ll look at their abilities, how they’re used in the manga, anime, novels, and games, and why
they deserve more love from the fandom.

What Makes a Bankai “Underrated”?

Before we start swinging spiritual weapons around, it’s worth defining what “underrated” means here.

• Limited screen time: The Bankai appears once or twice, or only in supplemental media.
• Overshadowed by flashier powers: Other captains and antagonists steal the spotlight.
• Misunderstood mechanics: The Bankai’s abilities are complex, subtle, or not fully explained.
• Under-valued in fan debates: Power-scaling discussions frequently ignore or downplay it.

With that in mind, let’s enter the Seireitei power rankings and look at the 15 most underrated Bankai
in Bleach, from awesome-but-obscure to “why isn’t everyone screaming about this?”.

The 15 Most Underrated Bankai In Bleach, Ranked

15. Matsuri Kudō – Ryūkyū Kotōmaru

We’re starting with a deep cut: Matsuri Kudō, a Shinigami who appears in the Nintendo DS game
Bleach: The 3rd Phantom. Her Bankai, Ryūkyū Kotōmaru, outfits her with a dragon head
on her shoulder, fur accents, and a flowing cape. It massively boosts both offense and defense, turning
her into a mobile fortress with an enlarged energy blade and enhanced durability.

Because Matsuri comes from a game and not the main anime, many fans have never even heard of
Ryūkyū Kotōmaru. That’s a shame, because as a design it fits Bleach perfectly: thematic, stylish,
and strong without being totally broken. In another universe, this would’ve been a fan-favorite
captain’s Bankai instead of a hidden gem on handheld hardware.

14. Suì-Fēng – Jakuhō Raikōben

Suì-Fēng is built around stealth, speed, and subtle assassination – so the fact that her Bankai,
Jakuhō Raikōben, is basically a spiritual shoulder-mounted nuke is already hilarious. It turns her
arm into a golden missile launcher capable of firing a blast so powerful it creates city-block sized
explosions and forces even high-level opponents on the defensive.

Fans often downplay Jakuhō Raikōben because Suì-Fēng herself dislikes it and treats it as “too loud”
for a covert ops captain. But in a straight war scenario like the Thousand-Year Blood War, a guided
homing missile of pure reishi is insanely valuable. This is one of the most visually spectacular and
tactically devastating Bankai that rarely gets credit outside its few big moments.

13. Kaname Tōsen – Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi

Tōsen’s Bankai, Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi, creates a pitch-black dome that nullifies
all senses except touch for everyone inside except Tōsen. Sight, hearing, smell, and even spiritual
sensing vanish. Inside that dome, most opponents are reduced to blind flailing while Tōsen, who’s
lived in literal blindness his whole life, remains perfectly comfortable.

Because of his later betrayal, fans often focus more on Tōsen’s ideology than his abilities. But in
terms of pure hax, Enma Kōrogi is terrifying: it’s basically a one-man field of sensory deletion.
Used against almost any foe who relies on spiritual perception, this Bankai can turn a fair fight into
a one-sided execution.

12. Sajin Komamura – Kokujō Tengen Myō’ō

Komamura’s Kokujō Tengen Myō’ō is a simple concept done on a gigantic scale: he summons an enormous
armored samurai that mirrors his movements, giving him absurd reach and destructive power. Later,
he evolves it into an armorless, demonic form that trades defense for near-immortality, allowing
him to keep fighting even after taking fatal damage.

In a series full of stylish, abstract powers, a giant samurai avatar can seem “basic.” But the raw
impact of Komamura’s Bankai, especially in its upgraded form, is enormous. It’s a battlefield-level
weapon that screams classic shonen – and yet it rarely ranks highly in power discussions, largely
because Komamura himself isn’t treated as a top-tier fighter.

11. Ikkaku Madarame – Ryūmon Hōzukimaru

Ryūmon Hōzukimaru perfectly matches Ikkaku’s personality. It splits into three massive weapons
– a monk’s spade, a guandao, and a central axe – forming a brutal, clanging whirlwind of steel.
The dragon crest on the central blade slowly fills with color as the battle goes on, signaling that
Ikkaku’s power is still climbing the longer he fights.

The problem? Ikkaku is stubbornly obsessed with secrecy. He hides his Bankai so he can stay under
Kenpachi’s command rather than get promoted. In-universe, that means almost no one knows he has
a Bankai at all. Out-of-universe, it means fans sometimes treat him like a glorified lieutenant,
when Ryūmon Hōzukimaru proves he’s captain-class material when he actually tries.

10. Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi – Kinshara Butōdan

Rose is a musician first and a captain second, and his Bankai, Kinshara Butōdan, reflects that.
When released, enormous disembodied hands appear to conduct a troupe of petal-like dancers – the
“Dancers of Death.” Kinshara Butōdan attacks by weaponizing sound and illusion, allowing Rose to
create devastating, reality-blurring performances that damage enemies who fall under its spell.

In an anime that often focuses on swords and explosions, a music-based illusion Bankai doesn’t always
stick in people’s minds. But conceptually, it’s one of the most creative in the series. In a world where
mental attacks and sensory manipulation matter, Kinshara Butōdan deserves a lot more strategic respect.

9. Renji Abarai – Sōō Zabimaru

Renji’s early Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru, was cool but clunky. His true Bankai, Sōō Zabimaru, is a massive
upgrade that many fans still underestimate. In this form, Renji wears a serpentine bone armor complete with
a skull-like shoulder piece that can extend into a huge blade. Its signature technique, Zaga Teppō,
crushes the target inside a spiritual snake jaw before detonating them with a blast of energy.

Because Renji spent so much of the series losing early fights, his late-game glow-up doesn’t always land
with casual viewers. But Sōō Zabimaru is a legitimate endgame-level Bankai that lets him stand shoulder
to shoulder with top-tier fighters by the time the Thousand-Year Blood War arc rolls around.

8. Chōjirō Sasakibe – Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū

Chōjirō Sasakibe, Yamamoto’s long-suffering lieutenant, spends most of the series standing politely in
the background and pouring tea. Then, late in the story, we finally learn about his Bankai,
Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū, an electrically charged, weather-warping technique that summons a dome of lightning
and lets him rain down devastating bolts on his enemies.

It’s implied that this Bankai was strong enough to leave a permanent scar on Yamamoto’s commander’s hall
back in the day. When a guy who almost never raises his voice has a Bankai that literally reshapes the sky,
that’s the definition of “sleeper threat.” Unfortunately, we see very little of it, which keeps it firmly
in underrated territory.

7. Mayuri Kurotsuchi – Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō

Mayuri’s Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō is nightmare fuel in Bankai form: a giant caterpillar with the head of
a golden baby, wrapped in a cloak, spewing lethal poison gas. As if that weren’t enough, Mayuri frequently
modifies it, adding bizarre new adaptations like layered nerves and counter-evolution to outsmart enemies
who think they’ve figured it out.

Because Mayuri often wins his fights through preparation, drugs, and dirty tricks, fans sometimes forget
that his Bankai is also absurdly strong. In a drawn-out battle, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō is basically an
evolving bioweapon factory that can be tuned to counter almost any threat.

6. Tōshirō Hitsugaya – Daiguren Hyōrinmaru

Hitsugaya’s Daiguren Hyōrinmaru is one of the coolest-looking Bankai in the series – literally
and figuratively. Ice wings, dragon motifs, clawed feet, massive ice constructs, and the ability to freeze
nearly anything make it a fan favorite visually. As his control improves, the Bankai matures into an
adult form with frightening battlefield range and defensive versatility.

So why is it on an “underrated” list? Simple: Hitsugaya spends a lot of time being outclassed by elder
monsters like Aizen and the Sternritter, which tricks some viewers into thinking his Bankai is weak.
In reality, it’s a late-game powerhouse that just happens to be wielded by someone who’s still growing
into his full potential.

5. Ichigo Kurosaki – Tensa Zangetsu (True Form)

Putting Ichigo’s Tensa Zangetsu on an underrated list sounds wrong at first – he’s the protagonist,
after all. But his true Bankai, the refined black-and-white blade that fuses his Hollow and Quincy
sides, shows up late and disappears quickly when Yhwach literally breaks it and absorbs much of its power.

As a result, we never really see Tensa Zangetsu go all-out for long. We get glimpses of its insane speed
and amplified Getsuga Tenshō, and we’re told it has the power to “cut through fate,” but it never gets
the extended showcase that other Bankai enjoy. For what it symbolizes and what it could have done,
Ichigo’s final Bankai is surprisingly underappreciated.

4. Shinji Hirako – Sakasama Yokoshima Happō Fusagari

Shinji already has one of the most broken Shikai in the series, reversing an enemy’s perception of
direction. His Bankai, Sakasama Yokoshima Happō Fusagari, revealed in the novel
Can’t Fear Your Own World, escalates that trick into full-scale chaos. It creates a massive flower-like
construct and forces everyone in range – friend and foe alike – to turn on the person they perceive
as their enemy.

This Bankai is so dangerous that Shinji is explicitly warned not to use it in crowded situations, since it
doesn’t distinguish allies from opponents. That restriction makes it tactically niche, but in the right
scenario it’s a nightmare: a forced betrayal field that can collapse entire squads from the inside out.

3. Retsu Unohana – Minazuki (Bankai)

For most of the series, Unohana plays the role of serene, gentle healer. Then her Bankai,
Minazuki in its released state, reveals her true nature: a legendary killer from the early days of
the Gotei 13. In Bankai, her blade liquifies into a blood-red, corrosive substance that engulfs the area,
rapidly killing and regenerating both her and her opponent over and over.

The result is less a standard power-up and more a controlled slaughterhouse. Used against Kenpachi,
Minazuki becomes a tool for brutal “training,” forcing him to die, revive, and grow stronger repeatedly.
It’s one of the most disturbing and psychologically rich Bankai in the series, but because it’s confined
to a single major fight, it doesn’t always get the credit it deserves.

2. Shunsui Kyōraku – Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū

Shunsui’s Bankai, Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū, turns the battlefield into a deadly stage play.
It unfolds in acts, each representing a different chapter of a tragic story: shared wounds, spreading
“illness,” drowning despair, and finally a finishing blow that impales the enemy with shadowy blades.
The power affects a wide area but is targeted at a single opponent, making it both theatrical and cruel.

Many fans recognize it as “cool” but don’t fully appreciate how busted it is. Karamatsu Shinjū is
essentially forced tragedy: once Shunsui commits to the performance, the enemy is dragged through
a scripted sequence of suffering. It’s arguably one of the most frightening Bankai conceptually, and
it’s only Shunsui’s own laid-back, reluctant personality that stops it from being used more often.

1. Kisuke Urahara – Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame

At the top of the underrated list stands the hat-and-clogs genius himself. Kisuke Urahara’s Bankai,
Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame, manifests as a towering, many-armed woman draped in red. Its core
ability is terrifyingly broad: the power to restructure anything it touches. In combat, that means it can
slice open and rearrange an enemy’s body, carve apart terrain, or surgically repair Kisuke’s own injuries,
as shown when he uses it to restore his eyes mid-battle.

Despite how wildly versatile and broken this ability is, Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame only appears briefly
in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. Urahara himself is already so absurdly smart and prepared that fans tend
to focus more on his schemes than his Bankai. But if you step back and think about it, the power to reshape
matter and bodies on command might be one of the most dangerous abilities in all of Bleach – and it still
doesn’t get the same hype as more traditional “giant explosion” Bankai.

How These Underrated Bankai Reshape Bleach’s Power Scale

Looked at together, these Bankai highlight how broad Tite Kubo’s imagination really is. Some are giant
avatars, some are subtle psychological weapons, some are biological horror shows, and some are reality-editing
tools disguised as sword upgrades. If you only focus on the most meme-able or frequently animated powers,
you miss how many characters are secretly walking around with apocalyptic potential.

They also show a recurring theme: personality and narrative framing matter as much as raw power. A
character like Urahara hides his Bankai until absolutely necessary; others like Shinji or Suì-Fēng use
theirs only under specific conditions. The result is that some of the strongest abilities in the series
are, ironically, also the most low-key. That tension between power and restraint is part of what keeps
Bleach compelling long after you’ve memorized everyone’s sword names.

Fan Experiences: Why Underrated Bankai Keep Bleach Alive

One of the best parts of being a Bleach fan is the endless debates. Ask a group of viewers to rank the
strongest Bankai and you’ll get a completely different list every time – and that’s before someone brings
up the novels, the games, or the still-unanimated scenes from later arcs. The “underrated Bankai” conversation
sits right at the heart of that fandom culture.

For many fans, the first time seeing a lesser-known Bankai is a mini “origin story” moment. Maybe it was
watching Ikkaku stubbornly hide his power in the Soul Society arc, and realizing that this loud, bald
brawler was secretly captain-level. Maybe it was reading the Thousand-Year Blood War manga and finally
seeing Unohana’s Minazuki or Urahara’s Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame in action, and suddenly re-evaluating
everything you thought you knew about their roles in the story.

These moments often happen late, after a viewer already thinks they understand the power scale. That’s why
they’re so memorable. You’re not just watching a cool new technique; you’re watching the series quietly tell
you, “By the way, this person was terrifying all along, we just didn’t show you yet.” It rewards long-term
investment in the story, and it turns re-watches into treasure hunts: now that you know what these characters
can really do, every earlier scene hits differently.

Online discussions keep that energy going. Threads arguing whether Shunsui’s Bankai is more broken than
Tōsen’s sensory dome, or whether Urahara’s restructuring ability is secretly top-three material, help
breathe new life into arcs that aired years ago. As the Thousand-Year Blood War anime continues to adapt
late-game content, newer fans are experiencing these Bankai for the first time, while older fans get the
satisfaction of seeing previously manga-only moments finally animated.

There’s also a more personal angle. A lot of viewers find themselves drawn to certain Bankai because they
resonate with the character’s personality or struggles. Shinji’s chaotic, double-edged Bankai appeals to
people who like morally gray, unpredictable fighters. Komamura’s giant guardian reflects loyalty and
sacrifice. Unohana’s bloody Minazuki speaks to the idea of confronting a violent past in order to heal
the future. When a Bankai is “underrated,” it often just means not enough people have connected with it
yet – and that’s an opportunity for new fans to make it their favorite.

In that sense, underrated Bankai help keep Bleach feeling fresh. Long after the final chapter, fans are
still discovering, debating, and reinterpreting these powers. Each new adaptation, game, or spin-off has
the chance to shine a spotlight on abilities that barely got a page or two before. If anything, the most
underrated Bankai might have the brightest future – because their best showcases might still be ahead.

Conclusion

From Matsuri Kudō’s game-exclusive dragon armor to Urahara’s reality-editing goddess, these 15 Bankai
prove that “underrated” doesn’t mean “weak.” It usually means “brief,” “complicated,” or “overshadowed
by louder characters.” As Bleach continues to reach new audiences through the Thousand-Year Blood War
anime and ongoing discussions, there’s plenty of room for these hidden gems to finally get the attention
they deserve.

Whether you’re here to argue power levels, appreciate Kubo’s wild creativity, or just enjoy giant spirit
weapons blowing up the sky, revisiting these Bankai is a reminder of how rich the series really is. The
next time someone says only a handful of Bankai truly matter, you’ll have fifteen very strong counterexamples
ready to go.

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meta_title: The 15 Most Underrated Bankai in Bleach, Ranked

meta_description:
Discover the 15 most underrated Bankai in Bleach, ranked with in-depth analysis, abilities, and fan insights.

sapo:
From Urahara’s reality-bending Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame to Shinji’s chaotic, novel-only Bankai, this
in-depth guide ranks the 15 most underrated Bankai in Bleach and explains why they deserve way more hype.
Explore overlooked abilities, key battles, and fan experiences that reveal just how powerful these final
releases really are – and how they secretly reshape Bleach’s power scale.

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