Top 20 Biggest Flexes in Bleach

#20: Kenpachi Gives Ichigo a Free Shot

When it comes to making an entrance, Kenpachi Zaraki certainly doesn’t disappoint. His first encounter with Ichigo has his spiritual pressure making him feel like he’s been stabbed. But coming face to face with the mighty captain proves even more disheartening. Kenny loves a good fight, but he’s so strong that he doesn’t feel that it’s fair to face someone as inexperienced as Ichigo. So, he decides to give Ichigo a handicap! Kenpachi exposes his chest and offers to let Ichigo stab him. As if that weren’t a big enough flex, when Ichigo tries to attack him, Kenpachi is completely unharmed, and Ichigo is the one bleeding. How’s that for an UNO Reverse?

#19: Shinji Catches Aizen Creepin’

In a flashback arc, we see Captain Shinji Hirako give a late-night pep talk to then-newly minted captain, Kisuke Urahara, advising him on both his new subordinate and how to do the job. As he leaves, he lifts up his hand and pulls away the veil hiding his camouflaged lieutenant, Sosuke Aizen. Anyone getting the better of Aizen is impressive. And while Aizen probably allowed himself to be discovered here, which is a flex in itself, Shinji still manages to deliver a line so hard that we can’t help but stand in awe.

#18: Hollow Ichigo Wrecks Ulquiorra

Ichigo gets flexed on plenty by Ulquiorra (more on that later), so it’s only fair that he returns the favor. After seemingly being killed by the Cuatro Espada, Ichigo resurrects in a complete hollow form. He then proceeds to flex on Ulquiorra for the rest of the battle. Hollow Ichigo calls his sword back to his hand like it’s Mjolnir. He practically tears Ulquiorra’s arm off. He drags Ulquiorra’s eyeliner-covered face along a wall. Hollow Ichigo even grabs and crushes Ulquiorra’s strongest attack with his bare hands! And to cap it all off, he steps on the Espada’s face to fire a Cero at him point blank - talk about disrespect!

#17: Kenpachi Does a Pro Swordsman Move

When Kenpachi fights Nnoitra Gilga, he seems to meet a kindred spirit. They’re both arrogant, fight-crazed maniacs. Even after unleashing his full spiritual pressure though, Nnoitra continues to injure him. Kenpachi, deciding he should start taking the fight seriously after all, decides to use the one lesson in swordplay that actually stuck with him - using both hands can lead to stronger attacks. It’s almost a flex on the viewers, since it makes us all go, “Wait, has he only been swinging his sword one-handed in every fight?” And then, when he does use the power of 2 hands, Kenpachi manages to nearly kill Nnoitra with 1 hit!

#16: Mayuri Out-Sciences Szayelaporro

The entire fight between these two mad scientists can basically be summed up like this, “Oh yeah? Well I’m science-ier!” Shinigami scientist Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Espada scientist Szayelapporro Granz each pull out one ridiculous body modification after another to survive the other’s attacks. But ultimately, Mayuri is the one better prepared. He reveals to Szayelapporro that he implanted a drug in his lieutenant Nemu which is now in the Espada’s system which makes his perception superhumanly fast. So fast in fact, that his body can’t keep up, allowing Mayuri to slowly stab Szayelapporro through the heart, which he perceives as taking a century or more. Mayuri may consider perfection the death of progress, but this is a nearly perfect flex.

#15: Ichigo Changes the Weather

Once Ichigo’s Shinigami powers are restored, so too is his swagger. After regaining his abilities, Ichigo faces off against his fellow ex-substitute Shinigami, Ginjo. He unleashes an apparent attack against Ginjo, who remarks that his Getsuga Tenshō is stronger, but still no match for him. Ichigo quickly corrects him. That was no Getsuga, he just swung his sword. He then goes on to show him a real Getsuga Tenshō. The resulting attack not only slices the mansion behind Ginjo in half, it also dispels all the clouds in the sky! The forecast should have accounted for flexing.

#14: Aizen Saves Soul Society in a Chair

As one of the series’ big bads, Sosuke Aizen has plenty of opportunities to flex, even after he’s defeated. Things look dire for Soul Society, with eyeball monsters raining down from the Soul King’s Palace. Soul Society’s unusual savior is Aizen. Despite being confined to a chair and his spiritual pressure suppressed, he’s able to flatten hundreds of the creepy crawlies using that weakened pressure alone. Aizen follows it up by annihilating the rest of them using a Kidō spell. He may try to flex too hard and fails to shoot down the Soul King’s Palace with his spiritual pressure alone. Even so, the fact that he makes the rest of the Shinigami look like clowns, while being stuck in a chair is still impressive.

#13: Yamamoto’s Bankai

Basically every Shinigami’s Bankai is an opportunity to flex, and as the Captain Commander, Yamamoto’s is especially powerful. Yamamoto’s battle against Yhwach sees him unleash his Bankai for the first time onscreen. Its mere activation sucks all the moisture out of Soul Society in an instant. Just touching his blade eradicates whatever it touches to nothingness, as well as a wide swath around it. His body is wreathed in flames as hot as the sun, making him literally untouchable. And as if all those utterly broken powers weren’t flexes enough, Yamamoto can also bring back the skeletal undead bodies of everyone he’s ever killed with his fiery sword. We can hardly handle the heat ourselves!

#12: Ichigo Calls An Ambulance - But Not For Him

Even before Ichigo acquired Shinigami powers, he still managed to flex on his opponents. In a flashback, Chad has been tied up by some bullies with a grudge. Just as their ringleader is threatening to destroy a coin important to him, Ichigo shows up in dramatic fashion. Kicking the guy in the face, Ichigo searches his pockets for his cell phone, and steps on his face. But the most disrespectful thing of all is Ichigo calling the hospital and requesting an ambulance. Not for himself, or Chad - but one for each of the five guys still standing. What a boss.

#11: Ichigo Blocks the Sōkyoku

The whole Soul Society arc is initially building up to Rukia’s execution. With most Captains in attendance, she’s sentenced to death by the Sōkyoku. The huge blade is enormously powerful and takes the form of a fiery phoenix when unsealed. And just as Rukia is resigned to her fate, who should appear at the last moment? Ichigo, of course. The fact that he managed to move fast enough to block the Sōkyoku with several of the strongest Shinigami nearby is flex enough. But then, Soi Fon reveals that the Sōkyoku has power equivalent to 1 million Zanpakutō! And Ichigo isn’t even done flexing in this scene! We’ll come back to that though.

#10: Yamamoto Throws Hands

Walking inferno that he is, Captain-Commander Yamamoto is a force to be reckoned with. Of course, like everything else, Aizen has a plan for him. He reveals that Wonderweiss, a strange absent-minded Arrancar, has been specifically engineered to seal away Yamamoto’s fiery Zanpakutō. Since Yamamoto is left without his strongest weapon, Aizen is assured of his victory. However, Yamamoto proceeds to beat Wonderweiss with his bare hands! The thousand-year old shinigami has been the strongest for a long time for good reason, and his Zanpakutō is only a part of the reason why! Even if Wonderweiss could speak, he’d still be speechless!

#9: Hachi Turns the Tables on Baraggan

Barraggan Luisenbairn is easily one of the most terrifying Espada - his ability, Respira, can rot away basically anything. He also survives the Zanpakutō equivalent of a point blank nuke to the face! However, Baraggan makes the mistake of using Respira against Hachi. The unassuming Visored may get his arm disintegrated away, but he’s a barrier expert. Hachi places his arm in a barrier and then sends it into Baraggan’s stomach! The pink-mustachioed man pulls the ultimate big brain Uno reverse! Hachi can’t defeat him, so he uses Baraggan’s own overwhelming power to do it! Congrats - you played yourself!

#8: Kenpachi’s Eyepatch

Speaking of overwhelming power, Zaraki Kenpachi is strength personified! The battle hungry Shinigami captain obtained his position through raw physical power and unreal spiritual energy. During several of his battles, Kenpachi’s foes manage to tear off his eyepatch. But, in addition to an undamaged eye, they unleash his true spiritual pressure! Kenpachi loves revealing to his opponents that his eyepatch seals a large portion of his enormous spiritual energy! He deliberately weakens himself so that he can enjoy fights longer and actually struggle! If making yourself weaker just so your opponent stands a chance isn’t a flex, then what is?!

#7: Ichigo Takes Aizen Elsewhere

Aizen loves to flex on other characters throughout “Bleach.” So it’s fitting then that when Ichigo arrives to finally put an end to the villain, that the protagonist gets to flex on him in return. Ichigo arrives just in time to save his friends from Aizen, debuting a new badass look. However, while he may look stronger, he doesn’t seem to be giving off any spiritual pressure. But senses can deceive, as Ichigo decides that he and Aizen should fight elsewhere - and then enforces that decision by grabbing Aizen by the face and leaping a few miles to a nearby wasteland! The absolute disrespect is a wonder to behold!

#6: Ichigo Blitzes 3 Lieutenants

Ichigo makes a flashy entrance to save Rukia and then entrusts Renji to help get her to safety. The Shinigami don’t take that lying down though. The captains send 3 lieutenants in pursuit. However, Ichigo stands in the way. The Shinigami all release their Zanpakutō. After planting his own Zanpakutō in the ground, Ichigo proceeds to take all 3 of them out in one hit with his bare hands, as if to say, “I don’t even need a sword to beat you all!” Treating Shinigami one step below captain level like fodder, and not even using his sword against them, is a massive flex!

#5: Ulquiorra Makes Ichigo Feel Despair

Espada Ulquiorra Cifer utterly dominates Ichigo whenever the two encounter each other. Ichigo can’t seem to overcome the pale, deadpan villain no matter what he does. After Ulquiorra enters his Resurrección form, he proceeds to give Ichigo a complete beatdown, even in Ichigo’s strongest form. However, after noticing that Ichigo hasn’t dropped his sword in the face of his clearly superior power, Ulquiorra decides to make him feel true despair! He unleashes his unique second Resurrección form! Ulquiorra is already winning! But, he releases his true power just to rub Ichigo’s nose in it!

#4: Kenpachi Makes Gremmy Imagine Defeat

This paragon of Shinigami strength faces many powerful opponents, but the one with perhaps the most broken ability is Quincy Sternritter, Gremmy. Gremmy can make whatever he imagines into reality. You’d think that would make Gremmy unbeatable, but this is Kenpachi we’re talking about! Throughout their fight, Kenpachi repeatedly defies Gremmy’s expectations, from cutting a meteor, to surviving the vacuum of space, to escaping unscathed from explosions or a hail of gunfire. Kenpachi is just HIM. He’s so “HIM” in fact, that Gremmy tries to imagine surpassing him - but can’t! Now that’s a flex - making someone who can make anything he imagines into reality believe it’s impossible to overcome you!

#3: Aizen Trolls Everyone

Not only is Aizen a brilliant mastermind and storybreakingly powerful, he’s also a grade-A troll! Confronted by Shinigami captains past and present in the fake Karakura town, Aizen looks like he’s outnumbered and outgunned. That is, until he proceeds to easily and rapidly defeat each and every one of them! Cutting them down, throwing them into each other - even when they briefly look like they’ve got the upper hand, it’s just Aizen hypnotizing them into attacking one of their own! He may supposedly have shared rank with some of them, but this exchange serves to prove just how far beyond them Aizen is!

#2: Ichigo Runs Circles around Byakuya

Ichigo’s first time releasing his Bankai is incredible! The hype alone is a flex! However, after revealing his surprisingly simple Bankai form, Ichigo proceeds to seemingly teleport to Byakuya and hold his Zanpakutō to his throat! Now, he could have won the fight right then and there! But in a further flex of his newly obtained power, Ichigo proceeds to literally run rings around Byakuya, outspeeding the stoic Shinigami captain and his tiny dancing blades. Ichigo doesn’t just want to beat Byakuya, he wants to one-up the arrogant Shinigami first!

#1: Aizen Holds up a Finger

When Aizen is unmasked as the Big Bad behind it all, it’s basically an excuse for the seemingly humble captain to flex on everyone. His pursuit of Rukia sees a wounded Renji and Ichigo team up to save her. While even they admit it’s unlikely they can win, they still believe they can create an opening. Ichigo charges Aizen, his theme music blaring - at least, until Aizen stops both Ichigo’s theme and his sword, with just a single finger! At this moment, Ichigo isn’t “number one” - Aizen is! This feels like a flex not only on Ichigo, but also on the viewer, for thinking Ichigo had a chance!

Is there an awesome “Bleach” flex we forgot? The biggest showcase of aura would be to catch us out and share your picks in the comments!