Best 6-Star Characters In Bleach: Brave Souls (2024)

With the much-awaited "Thousand-Year Blood War" arc arriving this October in anime form, fans of Bleach might want to once again explore some of the series’ most iconic arcs and storylines, and the Bleach Brave Souls game is a fun way to do just that. In this action-adventure gacha title, players build their dream team of three Bleach characters to relive the story, exploring fan-favorite arcs and discovering secrets that players may not have noticed in the manga.

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As with other collectible character games, Brave Souls does have its own set of powerhouse characters, particularly among the coveted 6 Star Characters. Who are the best 6-Star Bleach Brave Souls characters?

Updated on September 13, 2023, by Rhenn Taguiam: With Boruto: Naruto Next Generations gearing up for its time skip arc and One Piece staying rather elusive in Luffy’s quest for the eponymous treasure, fans of the acclaimed “Big Three” of Shonen Jump’s previous generation of stories may be pumped for the continuation of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War arc’s anime adaptation. And those craving for Shinigami action can still rely on Brave Souls for a relatively accurate retelling of the anime’s best arcs, featuring the attractive roster of rare characters. In that regard, certain 6-Star characters remain must-haves in a player’s arsenal, with tempting options including themed versions of characters, Anniversary-exclusive iterations of characters, and a form unlocked during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.

17 Ichigo Kurosaki (2nd Anniversary, Speed)

Ichigo Kurosaki being the protagonist of Bleach meant he’s the recipient of some of the anime’s best transformations, with the in-story explanation of a complex heritage making him all the more impressive as a character. However, Ichigo’s position as a protagonist also allowed games such as Brave Souls to dabble into other transformation concepts, with Ichigo Kurosaki (2nd Anniversary) reflecting such creativity.

Envisioned as a take on Ichigo that mastered his full Hollowfication, this form merges the tattered coat of his Bankai with red details, fur on his sleeves, and a half-Hollow mask. This form also comes as a Speed character emphasizing overall damage buffs (Bruiser, Devastation, Frenzy). His Special Move (The Power to Protect All) being an AOE aerial Getsugatensho cement this all-rounder damage toolkit, on top of stat growth projected to make him one of the most potent 6 stars in the gacha title.

16 Gin Ichimaru (Cacao Society Version, Technique)

The Brave Souls game featuring thematic events is not new to the gacha genre, although the more fantastical take on its Cacao Society version adds a new spin to the supernatural action shonen franchise. Chief among its additions is Gin Ichimaru (Cacao Society Version), giving the ever-smiling Gin a purple tight-fitting garb and replacing his wakizashi Zanpakuto Shinso with a pair of daggers.

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Now introduced as an assassin in Cacao Society, this Gin variant is a Technique character boasting quite the debuff specialization. His Ephemeral Memory (Special Move) inflicts huge damage on top of Poison, with skills providing further damage (Devastation) and status duration (Debilitator). This, on top of his damage buffs, makes him quite the strong 6-Star character, especially for teams who need a status dealer.

15 Szayelaporro Grantz (Resurrection, Heart)

Among Aizen’s Espada is the Arrancar Szayelaporro Grantz (Resurrection), one of the most sad*stic characters to ever be introduced in the series - with a sinister take on combat to rival the Quincy As Nodt. And this is for good reason, as his nature as a scientist allowed him to create “dolls” of his enemies that he can torture at his whim. The only person to ever stop him was fellow scientist Mayuri of the Shinigami, who lured Szayelaporro to consume a concoction that slowed time for him so much that Mayuri’s lethal stab wound would take centuries for him to feel.

In the game, Szayelaporro is a potent 6-Star, especially in the context of his overall toolkit. Skills alone, such as Long Reach, Havoc, and Adrenaline, greatly expand the reach and enhance the multi-target nature of his attacks. This is on top of Melee (Poison) attack style and his Teatro de Titere (Special Move) that creates a doll that copies the form of its opponent and deals immense damage on top of inflicting Poison on any enemy target it hits.

14 Nanao Ise (Resurrection, Heart)

Contrary to her bubbly uncle and Captain Shunsui Kyoraku of 1st Division, Nanao Ise is a strict warrior who holds everything about the Shinigami in high regard. Such is her commanding presence that she’s not just an expert in Kido techniques but even boasts high mobility via Shunpo. In fact, Shunpo allowed Nanao to be just as fast as masters Kyoraku and 13th Division Captain Jushiro Ukitake, proving that Nanao is more than meets the eye.

Nanao exemplifies the nature of the support unit as not entirely being dedicated to healers, especially since her toolkit involves debilitating the enemy lines so the rest of her team can land the killing blow. For instance, Skills such as Sprinter, Bruiser, and Berserker alone vastly improve her offensive output. But it’s her Weaken Defense, which adds a defense debuff to her Special Move, that takes the crown. This is due to the fact that her Hyapporankan/Gochu Tekkan (Special Move) not only deals immense damage to foes but also paralyzes them on hit.

13 Sosuke Aizen (Fourth Fusion, Technique)

The defection of Aizen came as a complete shock to Bleach fans during the first few arcs in the manga, and his true plan was only ever revealed when he came into the possession of the almighty Hougyoku. Courtesy of this ever-powerful artifact, Aizen has gone into slow fusions in order to fully assimilate its power, with Sosuke Aizen (Fourth Fusion) serving as proof of his attainment of the status as being beyond everything that is both mortal and Shinigami.

This Aizen variant emphasizes the nature of an offensive unit as just that - pure offense. Skills of his such as Bruiser, Frenzy, and Devastation alone greatly boost his damage output. And it doesn’t help that Long Reach and Enhancer greatly improve this Aizen variant’s overall range and Special Move prowess. Players may want to pay close attention to Aizen’s Full Incantation Kurohitsugi (Special Move), as this attack not only deals immense damage but even has the slightest chance of instant-killing foes.

12 Kenpachi Zaraki (The Lost Agent, Speed)

Despite his notoriety as a blood-lusting warrior, Kenpachi Zaraki (The Lost Agent) is easily one of the most powerful characters in Bleach lore. Aizen, arguably a few steps away from godhood, himself cited Kenpachi as one of the biggest threats to his plans. This proved true even until the final few arcs, as Kenpachi’s thirst for fighting can defeat outright reality manipulators and nigh-immortals.

Kenpachi’s reputation as the “OG Berserker” of Bleach is emphasized further in this variant. His deadly nature is further augmented with further range (Long Reach), stronger AOE (Havoc), and boosting most damage types (Berserker, Devastation, Flurry). Icing to the cake here would be Poise, which disables stagger should Kenpachi take damage. This is all the more beneficial for his straightforward nature, as his Demon’s Strike (Special Move) is an immense damage-dealing move that doesn’t have unique gimmicks but compensates well for incredible damage output.

11 Shuren (Movie, Technique)

It appears beyond Soul Society and the Mortal World is an actual Hell, where souls are sent when they are wicked in life. This is exactly the theme of Bleach: The Hell Verse, the fourth feature film of the Bleach series, where Ichigo contends with pyrokinetic Hell denizen Shuren (Movie 4) as he executes a plan to control all of existence.

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Shuren is definitive proof that some of the deadliest characters in Brave Souls work best when dealing damage over time, and this is what the character exemplifies. Key to this character’s build are Skills such as Bombardment, Debilitator, and Fire Duration that greatly boost his Special’s duration and damage dealt. This massively augments his capabilities, especially when Hell’s Fire (Special Move) not only deals immense damage but also Burns anyone it hits, practically becoming a deadly DOT when combined with similar effects such as Poison.

10 Sojiro Kusaka (Movie 2, Mind)

It’s in the second Bleach film, The DiamondDust Rebellion, that fans get introduced to Sojiro Kusaka. This red-eyed warrior was once both friend and rival to Toshiro Hitsugaya until his death, only to be resurrected for nefarious reasons. Aside from being almost on par with the Shinigami Captain with his swordsmanship, Sojiro also has the same Zanpakuto, Hyorinmaru, and therefore control over ice.

Sojiro’s Movie 2 Variation is hailed as one of the most powerful 6-star characters in Bleach: Brave Souls. His “Frigid Barrage” Special summons an ice dragon that inflicts Freeze on all enemies. More than that, his skillset does allow Sojiro to be an effective setup creator, with Weaken Defense (Skill) weakening opponents and Debilitator (Skill) enhancing the length of status ailments.

9 Yukio Hans Vorarlberna (The Bond, Mind)

Calm and collected to a point, youngster Yukio Hans Vorarlberna serves as No. 005 of the Fullbringer organization Xcution, where he uses his Fullbring “Invaders Must Die” to tap into his video game-like pocket dimension. After acquiring some of Ichigo’s power, Yukio’s evolved Fullbringer allows him to bring his game “into the real world,” giving him some degree of special abilities such as weaponized glitches.

In Brave Souls, Yukio’s The Bond Variant is one of the best 6 Star Characters precisely for his upgraded “Invaders Must Die” ability. Through the “There’s No Escape!” Special, Yukio can unleash video game cubes as weapons to deal massive damage and inflict Paralysis against foes. He’s also somewhat efficient as a damage dealer since Debilitator (Skill) extends the length of his inflicted ailments, whereas Bombardment (Skill) increases the number of hits of his Special Move that can potentially affect more foes.

8 Soi Fon (Thousand Year Blood War, Heart)

Hailed as one of the fastest beings in the entirety of Soul Society, Soi Fon is no one to be trifled with. Serving as the 2nd Division Captain, Soi Fon’s sheer mastery over speed led her to become the commander of Soul Society’s Stealth Forces as well. It’s expected for someone with her mobility to outpace opponents in combat, and this makes her one of the best 6 Star Characters in Brave Souls as well.

Thanks to her “Mukyu Shunko” Special, Soi Fon taps into her supreme footwork and attacks faster than ordinary eyes can follow. In her wake is massive damage to unfortunate targets. What’s more, Soi Fon possesses a Melee (Transform) ability that, when used, gives her an enhanced form with stronger Melee (Buff) attacks. When combined with her Special Move, Soi Fon becomes an excellent finisher.

7 Orihime Inoue (The Bond, Heart)

Throughout the series, Orihime Inoue stays by Ichigo’s side as one of his human confidantes. And when she unlocked her latent psychic powers via the Shun Shun Rikka, her supportive arsenal became a massive help to Ichigo and his allies. In Brave Souls, Orihime's The Bond variant shows her still trying to grasp the full extent of her abilities.

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However, this iteration of Orihime is still one of the most useful 6 Star Characters in the game, especially with her healing prowess. Her “I Won’t Hold You Back!” Special not only heals her team for massive health, but Orihime also does so while attacking with her Koten Zanshun. This effectively gives Orihime’s ordinary support role a combative edge. Not only that, her special Melee (Barriers) and Melee (Heal) allow her to both give defensive and healing buffs to allies throughout combat.

6 Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto (One-Armed, Technique)

There’s no doubt that Genryusai Yamamoto will go down in legend as perhaps the strongest Shinigami Captain in existence. After all, he isn’t just the commander-in-chief of all the Shinigami by title. As proven by his combat prowess, he can take on multiple Shinigami Captains at once while only using a single arm. And it took the likes of Aizen and Yhwach to even harm Genryusai, both of whom are some of the most powerful beings in Soul Society.

In Brave Souls, Genryusai's One-Armed Variation takes the cake, with the character representing the time Aizen was able to cut his arm in their fierce confrontation. Through “All-Engulfing Ocean Of Fire,” Genryusai can unleash a huge explosion that inflicts Burn on opponents around him. Combined with status-prolonging Debilitator (Skill) and the anti-stagger Poise (Skill), Genryusai is an unstoppable damage dealer.

5 Ichigo Kurosaki (Fourth Anniversary - Fully Hollowfied, Mind)

Series protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki isn’t simply a Shinigami, but rather someone who possesses the natural powers of a Hollow as well. As a celebration of Brave Soul’s Fourth Anniversary, an entirely new version of Ichigo’s Full Hollow form can be acquired as a 6-Star character. This Full Hollow form is horrifying in the manga, and its terrifying prowess can be felt in the game.

Through “Immanent God Blues,” this Ichigo can unleash a powerful aerial Cero that can inflict massive damage on opponents. This attack and Ichigo’s overall damage toolkit become all the deadlier when combined with enhancements such as anti-staggering Poise (Skill), as well as Decreased Damage Taken (Skill) from Captains.

4 Yachiru Unohana (Thousand-Year Blood War, Heart)

Despite being all smiles, Yachiru Unohana is one of the deadliest Captains among all Shinigami. This isn’t because of her status as the 11th Division Captain but rather her legacy as the first “Kenpachi.” Even her name means “Eight-Thousand Styles,” denoting her mastery over the blade. It’s said that when she and Kenpachi finally clash, one of them is bound to die. Yachiru finally unleashes the full extent of her power in the "Thousand-Year Blood War" arc, and it’s this variant that makes her one of the best 6 Star Characters in Brave Souls.

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Thanks to her Special “Minazuki (All Things End),” Yachiru unleashes her Bankai, which not only deals massive damage but also heals her allies. Not only that, the Special has a small percentage of instant-killing a foe. Her role as a DPS/Healer is further augmented with anti-stagger Poise (Skill) and team-based healing perks of Medic (Skill).

3 Yasutora Sado (The Bond, Speed)

Of all Ichigo’s allies, Yasutora Sado, aka Chad, is perhaps the kindest. While being more of a bruiser, he has more to offer than meets the eye. After all, it seems Chad's massive strength is a result of his nature as a Fullbring, endowing him with arms that have enhanced abilities.

With the “Brazo Izquierdo Del Diablo” Special, Chad unleashes a punch that not only damages opponents immensely but also Paralyzes them. Moreover, Chad has a Melee (Buff) feature that further augments his attacks. These make him an effective bruiser, especially since he also possesses the anti-stagger Poise (Skill) and buff-boosting Enhancer (Skill).

2 Kenpachi Zaraki (The Belief, Power)

Kenpachi Zaraki is one of the most unstoppable powerhouses among all the Shinigami Captains. While he relishes in combat, he has a soft spot for his ever-so-loyal companion Yachiru. In his The Belief variant in Brave Souls, Kenpachi is seen accompanied by Yachiru as he checks up on Ichigo in the human world.

Thanks to his “The Demon Awakens” Special, he “transforms” and unleashes an attack that deals massive damage and Weakens enemies. This leaves them vulnerable for the team or Kenpachi to finish off. Thanks to anti-stagger Poise (Skill), ailment-prolonging Debilitator (Skill), and buffs for all his attacks, Kenpachi is a solid all-rounder in terms of damage.

1 Nnoitora Gilga (Can’t Feel Your Own World, Mind)

Despite being a rather “minor” Espada in the series, Nnoitora Gilga boasts one of the most powerful skills in the Bleach universe, especially when he attains his Hogyoku-empowered form. Instead of wielding scythes, his body seems to become made of spiritual blades, giving Nnoitora access to as much slashing fun as possible.

His “Santa Teresa Guadana” Special will have Nnoitora attack with his words, inflicting Paralysis alongside devastating damage. When he uses Melee (Transform), Nnoitora gains Melee (Buff), giving himself bonus stats for a duration. This actually makes Nnoitora quite a competent sub-tank, as he also possesses anti-stagger via Poise (Skill), defenses when quests begin via Star Barrier (Skill), and overall attack bonuses.

Bleach Brave Souls was released in 2016 for PS4, Android, iOS, and PC.

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