The combat system of Bleach is largely based around soul-cutting swords, or zanpakuto, but that's not all. Mobility is a key factor, too, and many Bleach fighters are rather quick on their feet. Some of them are dedicated entirely to speed, while others merely use their quick moves to dodge enemy attacks.
Most Soul Reaper officers can perform the flash step, or shunpo, and Arrancars, or unmasked Hollows, can perform a similar move called the sonido (sound). It's a given that nearly all Bleach characters can move quickly in short bursts, at least, while the fastest characters can go much further, and make more creative use of their remarkable speed. With that in mind, which characters are the fastest of all?
10 Ichigo Kurosaki Is Fast, But Not The Fastest
Ichigo Kurosaki never had a chance to learn how to perform shunpo, but all the same, he has become one of Bleach's fastest characters through sheer willpower and his bankai, Tensa Zangetsu. At first, Ichigo was rather slow, but his intense training with Kisuke Urahara changed that in time for the Soul Society story arc.
By the time Ichigo obtained his bankai, he became fast enough to compete with Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and Grimmjow Jaegerjaques. However, Ichigo is not a trained assassin or acrobat, which hinders his mobility somewhat. His movements aren't terribly refined for most of the series, though for a brief time, he was actually fast enough to keep up with Aizen. That was an exception, though.
9 Kisuke Urahara Is A Scientist Assassin
At first, the ex-Captain Kisuke Urahara seems rather silly, but the reality is that he is a hardened fighter and a former assassin. He used to be an elite assassin in the Soul Society, something Hiyori Sarugaki once remarked upon, and Kisuke's skills haven't dulled much in the century since his departure.
Kisuke prefers to use kido spells and his zanpakuto in battle, but he can also outmaneuver lower-ranked Espadas and other foes in battle, and no doubt he held back when sparring with Ichigo. He was an assassin for a reason.
8 Captain Soi Fon Is A Captain-Assassin In Squad 2
Captain Soi Fon is another assassin character, and she isn't exactly retired the way Kisuke is. Soi Fon is still actively serving as squad 2's Captain, meaning she has every reason to keep her skills sharp and her body well-honed for combat. And it pays off handsomely.
Unlike most Soul Reapers, Soi Fon has shaped her fighting style around speed, stealth, agility, and martial arts, rather than swordplay. She can take a foe completely unawares and sting them to death with her lethal shikai, Suzumebachi. No one ever sees it coming. And using Shunko can make her even faster.
7 Ulquiorra Schiffer Moves With Explosive Speed In His Released Form
Ulquiorra Schiffer, the stone-cold 4th Espada, is well-balanced all around. He is an expert with the sword, he's quick, and he can fire powerful cero blasts at his enemies. Ichigo can barely keep up with him, and when Ulquiorra releases his zanpakuto, his speed becomes devastating.
In his released state, Ulquiorra can pounce from atop a tower and get right in Ichigo's face, all in the blink of an eye. Even when using bankai, Ichigo was overwhelmed with this level of speed and barely reacted in time to avoid an early death.
6 Coyote Starrk Can Race Across Las Noches With Impossible Speed
The primera Espada, Coyote Starrk, is much faster and stronger than his easygoing personality would suggest, making him the Espada version of Captain Shunsui Kyoraku. Coyote Starrk is light and quick on his feet, and he once raced all the way across Las Noches to capture Orihime Inoue on Aizen's orders.
Ichigo and Captain Kenpachi Zaraki were taken by total surprise when Sarrk appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and once Starrk seized Orihime, he fled with equal speed, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
5 Zommari Rureaux Can Make Speed Clones, Or Gemelos Sonido
The 7th Espada, Zommari Rureaux, told Byakuya that he himself is the fastest of the ten Espadas, and it didn't take Zommari long to prove it. In his sealed state, Zommari can use a sonido so advanced that it makes speed-based, illusory clones that look and act like the real thing. No other Arrancar could do that.
Byakuya could hardly keep up with these speed clones, and if he hadn't borrowed a tricky technique from lady Yoruichi Shihoin, Zommari would have killed him. Oddly, Zommari's released form, Brujeria, doesn't move at all; Zommari just sits there.
4 Captain-General Yamamoto Is Much Faster Than He Looks
Despite his advanced age, Captain-General Yamamoto is one of the fastest Soul Reapers alive, and he can outpace most other Captains, such as Ukitake and Kyoraku, while racing around the Soul Society. Old age has hardly slowed him down at all.
This confirms Yamamoto as one of Bleach's fastest characters, though he rarely does much about it. In most of Yamamoto's fights, he tends to stay still and use his enormous powers to finish off his foes, such as when he used his fearsome bankai against Yhwach, the Quincy king.
3 Yhwach Can Surprise Even Yamamoto With His Bursts Of Speed
Yhwach, the Quincy king, doesn't often rely on his speed during battle, since he has enough firepower to easily block an enemy's attack and take them down with his sword, arrows, and other techniques. But if he must, Ywhach can move with astonishing speed on the battlefield.
At one point, Yhwach moved with hirenkyaku, the Quincy version of the flash step, and even took the powerhouse Yamamoto by surprise, something very few Bleach characters can do. That alone proves his quick he is.
2 Yoruichi Shihoin Is The Famed Goddess Of Flash
No Bleach character is better defined by their incredible speed than lady Yoruichi Shihoin, known as the "goddess of flash." She is also a trained assassin, having once taught Soi Fon, and she is nearly untouchable in battle. Not even a whole platoon of ninja can take her down.
Yoruichi can even run quickly and outrun her enemies while carrying Ichigo, and if she activates Shunko (a technique she invented herself), her speed is boosted even further. After all, Yoruichi is a martial arts master, which means speed is essential.
1 Captain Sosuke Aizen's Speed Is On Another Level Entirely
Captain Sosuke Aizen has it all: a powerful, kido-based zanpakuto, mastery over kido spells, a brilliant mind, expert swordsmanship, and of course, astonishing speed. During the final battle for Karakura Town, Aizen was seemingly untouchable, no matter whom he was fighting.
Even when facing Ichigo with his Hollow mask on, Aizen could casually outmaneuver Ichigo, practically toying with him. Aizen can even slip past multiple high-level opponents at the same time, including Soul Reaper Captains and high-level Visored opponents with their masks on. Incredible.
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