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One of the Big Three of the anime and manga industry, Tite Kubo’sBleachhas an array of characters who time and time again have proved their worth within the story. From Kuchiki Byakuya to Kenpachi Zaraki, almost every major character has been significant to the narrative and has lived up to the expectations of the fans of the series.
However, there are still some characters who, despite having a promising start, couldn’t be of much use to theBleachstoryline. These characters had great potential, but because of some inconveniences, they couldn’t get much screen time or have proper character development within the narrative.
1Soul King
The supposed ruler of Soul Society and the father of Yhwach, Soul King was the most supreme power withinBleach. His existence is tied to the cosmic balance of the Three Worlds, and he is protected by the Royal Guard, the strongest force in Soul Society.
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Whilethe Soul King was incredibly significantto the centralBleachnarrative, he didn’t live up to the expectations of fans at all. His entire contribution to the Soul Society was pointing out which souls could enter the Soul Society.
Considering the fact that he was the strongest entity in existence, he was supposed to prove himself in some way. However, he was easily sliced up by a single attack from Ichigo, and that too unintentionally. The Soul King could have been the most enticing entity ofBleach, butTite Kubowasted his potential.
2Yasutora Sado
Sado, also known as Chad, was one of Ichigo’s closest allies inBleach. He was a Fullbringer who had the powers of Brazo Derecha de Gigante, which allowed him to cover his arm with different forms of armor that constantly got upgraded as he faced a new danger.
Sado was a classmate of Ichigo Kurosaki and a member of his group who helped him face all kinds of danger. Considering his significance within the narrative, Sado should have at least reached a little closer to Ichigo in terms of powers and strength.
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However, he just remained a supporting character and couldn’t contribute much to the centralBleachstoryline. He had a lot of potential and deserved a lot more than he was originally given.
3Orihime Inoue
Another ally of Ichigo inBleach, Orihime Inoue served as the supposed love interest in the central storyline. While she had a decent ability that allowed her to heal and protect her allies, her significance within the narrative was limited to her being the love interest of Ichigo.
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Although she played a significant role in the Arrancar arc, it didn’t contribute much as the entire focus was shifted to Ichigo and other characters who were involved in a battle. Thus, Orihime lost her importance within theBleachstoryline.
Orihime later marries Ichigo, and the two have a child together, which feels like a happy ending, but considering her role in the story, she deserves more screen time than she originally got. She could have been a great character if she had received proper development.
4Rangiku Matsumoto
Rangiku Matsumoto, the lieutenant of the 10th Division of the Gotei 13 and one of the few female Soul Reapers inBleach,served as a major supporting character inBleach. She had quite a lot of moments within the central narrative, but most of them were limited to fan service.
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While Rangiku was quite intelligent and powerful in terms of abilities, her character wasmainly used for fan service, which got a lot of hate and criticism from fans. She was a lieutenant, but despite that, her significance within the story didn’t amount to much.
Ideally, she could have contributed a lot to the central storyline considering her relationship with the anti-hero Gin Ichimaru, but all of her potential got wasted. She, just like other female characters, was only presented for the fan service moments inBleach.
5Toshiro Hitsugaya
Toshiro Hitsugaya served as the captain of the 10th Division in the Gotei 13 and is one of the most important characters ofBleach. Although he was one of the youngest Soul Reaper captains inBleach, his power and his Bankai were some of the strongest in the entire series.
And while he has a lot of feats in terms of battles, most of the wins come from him just barely surviving, which questions his ability as a captain of the Soul Society. Unlike other captains, Toshiro had a different character development, and if Kubo wanted, he could have used it in his favor.
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However, the character of Toshiro didn’t get much screen time till the end (considering his importance), and thus his potential was entirely wasted. He could have added a lot to the storyline and could have been one of the greatest written characters inBleach.
Bleachis available to watch on Hulu.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2959
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
