Some cast members in the Bleach anime helped make it one of the finest shonen titles of its time. Protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki helped prop up Bleach as a cool, strong-willed hero who risks it all to defend his friends, and viewers also love Uryu Ishida and Rukia Kuchiki as supporting characters. The likes of them have lots to offer, which sets them apart from cast members who do more harm than good.
Certain Bleach characters were definitely trying to do something, but the end results just held Bleach back. In some cases, it's a real shame when characters ruin their part of Bleach, since their designs and personal arcs suggest that they could have done so much more. Those characters are all about unfulfilled promises as would-be heroes or villains, and they weigh down the entire anime. Bleach would have been better off rewriting these characters or even omitting some of them.
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Chad Failed to Be Bleach's Roronoa Zoro
Chad Keeps Making Promises He Can't Keep
It's not uncommon for shonen heroes to have a "tough guy" sidekick who has a simple and reliable fighting style. Tanjiro has Inosuke watching his back in Demon Slayer, Yusuke has Kazuma in Yu Yu Hakusho, and Luffy has the mighty Roronoa Zoro in One Piece. As for the Bleach anime, Yasutora "Chad" Sado promised to be Ichigo's own version of Zoro, and he dropped the ball. Chad was always one or even two steps behind both his allies and enemies, with him only scoring victories against minor foes who didn't really matter, such as Gantenbainne Mosqueda.
This is a serious shame, since Chad has the makings of an outstanding character who's a stellar example of positive masculinity. Chad timidly kept that promise in Bleach's first arc when the power levels were lower, and fans loved the "bro" friendship between Ichigo and Chad. But then Chad fell behind and stayed there, to the point it felt like he was squandering his spot in the hero's main squad. Chad partly ruined Bleach by failing to keep his promise as a counterpart to Zoro and Kazuma, but at least Chad had a happy ending in the manga as he pursued a successful career in boxing.
Yammy Was an Annoying Brute Who Changed the Rules For No Reason
The Espadas Didn't Need a Meathead Like Yammy
While it's not unusual for villains to have unbearable personalities and unsympathetic goals in anime like Bleach, Espada #10, Yammy Llargo, took it too far. There was nothing to know about him aside from what fans already saw in his brutish, unforgiving behavior. He was sheer muscle and nothing more as Bleach's version of Nappa when Yammy and Ulquiorra first arrived in Karakura Town. Yammy has no backstory or worthwhile motive aside from crushing people for fun, which makes him unbearable to watch.
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
It's a total waste to have a cheap thug like Yammy among the elite Espadas when that group has more worthwhile members such as Harribel, Grimmjow, and even Coyote Starrk. What is more, Yammy tossed in an unnecessary complication when he released his zanpakuto to change his rank. He went from #10 to #0, possibly to suggest that his size, strength, and rage had zero limits in released form. However, it felt like a silly twist for the sake of it, and the fandom was not impressed. The entire lineup of the Espadas had to shift one spot to make room for this, and Yammy didn't make the most of it before Kenpachi and Byakuya vanquished him.
Momo Hinamori Infuriated Bleach Fans With Her Attachment to Aizen
Toshiro Was Deeply Concerned About His Infatuated Friend
Bleach features some lovable Soul Reaper officers like Rukia, Renji, Rangiku, and even Ikkaku, but Momo Hinamori is a different story. She was introduced in the Soul Society Arc as the loyal Lieutenant of squad 5, a book-loving girl who adored Captain Sosuke Aizen as her mentor and possibly father figure. Momo's blind devotion was meant to make the shock and brutality of Aizen's betrayl hit that much harder, and in that regard, Momo contributed the story. The problem is that Momo's arc lingered on that for much too long.
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It was at first endearing, then annoying and even worrisome to see Momo so fixated on Aizen, both before and after Aizen's betrayal. It felt like Momo's entire life was wrapped around Aizen, even including the fact Momo valued Toshiro as her childhood friend. What is more, Momo kept underperforming in battle or fought for the wrong reasons, and once again, Aizen was often involved. Bleach fans were desperate for Momo to finally move on, and when she finally did, it turned out she had nothing to say or do under Captain Shinji Hirako's command. With Aizen factored out, Momo was empty, and that put a sour note on the anime.
Orihime Inoue Didn't Have What it Took to Become Best Girl
It's No Wonder the IchiRuki Shippers Root Against Orihime
In some ways, Orihime Inoue had the makings of Best Girl in the Bleach anime. She has a genuinely kind and lovable personality, and Orihime is also remarkably self-sufficient and responsible for her age. She is almost like the ideal girl next door, complete with the power of Shun Shun Rikka, but Bleach's writing held her back. Orihime should have been a sweeter version of Sakura Haruno or a role model for the likes of Ochaco Uraraka, but that potential was wasted in her arc. For one thing, Orihime makes Bleach feel regressive with her lengthy "damsel in distress" sequence in the Arrancar Saga.
As far as the fandom is concerned, Orihime also ruined Bleach as a romantic rival for Rukia where Ichigo is concerned. Orihime and Rukia weren't seen fighting over Ichigo as a romantic prize, but the fandom sees it that way. Fans can't stand how Orihime managed to win this unofficial love triangle in the end, what with Rukia having a stronger arc and more chemistry with Ichigo. This is a more subjective example of a character ruining their part of Bleach. Still, there's no denying how a large chunk of the fandom boos Orihime as the "weak" girl who got too much plot armor and too much screen time as Ichigo's companion.
Keigo Asano Contributed Exactly Nothing to the Anime
His Lewd Antics May Make Modern Viewers Uncomfortable
Ichigo's classmate Keigo Asano is one of the most unlikable cast members in Bleach, even if he eventually toned down his unbearable antics. Keigo and his stuffed animal counterpart, Kon, are both a product of their time as shameless skirt chasers who have nothing better to think about. It's normal for anime to feature boisterous, energetic characters who always want to hang out and never use their indoor voice, but Keigo does this in a questionable way. He is the original Minoru Mineta, a lewd boy who eagerly chases every attractive girl he finds in his school.
Keigo will make any modern anime viewer uncomfortable with his pervy antics, even if the girls have a habit of pushing him away before he can take things even further. There was simply no reason to design Keigo like this, and something similar can be said about his classmate, Chizuru Honsho. Both characters dampen the mood and make things awkward anytime Bleach indulges in the "school life" part of its narrative, and that's a blow to the reverse-isekai part of the anime.
- Showrunner
- Tite Kubo
