How STRONG Was Byakuya Kuchiki in TYBW? The MOST POWERFUL Noble | Bleach Discussion

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Beware manga spoilers in this video!
Upon returning from the Royal Palace, Byakuya Kuchiki had gained a newfound power - but exactly how strong did he become in the second half of The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc? Let's take a look and try to figure it out!
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[@MrTommo2304]

How strong do you think Byakuya became by the end of Bleach and how does he measure up to the rest of the Captains? Let me know your thoughts!

[@aleksamilosevic8792]

Relative to 3rd form Gerard>any other captian except Yama and Adult Toshiro

[@itsnotballer2502]

A bit not that strong I feel it was a bit underwhelming that his power up from people like the ZERO DIVISION!!! That he just came back the ability to move not one sword but all of them is a bit as I said underwhelming

[@aleksamilosevic8792]

@@itsnotballer2502 He is top 2 EOS captian

[@itsnotballer2502]

Quick idea for a true power up could be we see Byakuya make soldiers out of his blade or Samurai figure to battle Gerad or even adding to his Shukei: Hakuteiken something like an upgrade like Renji for example for his fitting character. So yea just my thoughts

[@Kangu777]

I think he done reached his peak with his bankai the only thing he can do is get more creative with his bankai as far as power he’s done

[@giovannigiorgio831]

Another reflection between Byakuya and Zaraki: they gain strength by going in opposite directions. Byakuya is taken up to the Royal Palace. Zaraki descends down into Muken.

[@antonio19xy]

Just reflects their characters the high and prideful noble and the outlander that came from nothing

[@doncinati7644]

Seeing as it’s really only Monsters in Muken it makes so much sense

[@demetriussinclair4952]

Deep

[@thediaz07]

@@antonio19xy that's super dope...love the contrast.

[@Dragonpuncher123]

Loved how you set up how clearly Byakuya and Kenpachi where mirroring each other. Never realized how clearly that was set up.

[@nobleactual7693]

Think of it this way: Byakuya has increased in power so much that As Nodt mistook his shikai for his bankai. A bankai is 5-10 times more powerful than a shikai. As such, you can say Byakuya became 5-10x more powerful after training at the Soul King's Palace.

[@Okkotsu86275]

Byakuya is clearly one of the most powerful and distinguished Captains in the whole series. He might just be the most balanced of them all.

[@cameronclophus7998]

Definitely most balanced. Master of Shunpo, Master of Kido, Zanjutsu Master, Hakudo Expert, Master Tactician, and a simple but versatile Zanpakuto.

[@huntinghunterz]

@@cameronclophus7998If we’re talking most Balanced it’s gotta go to Urahara.

[@cameronclophus7998]

@@huntinghunterz Shinigami yes. Captain no

[@huntinghunterz]

@@cameronclophus7998 Right I forgor 💀

[@billieeyelash7015]

@@huntinghunterz Urahara lowest stats are A+ but most of them are S+. He's too OP to be considered "balanced"

[@TymeTraveling777]

Theres a reason Kenpachi always wants to challenge Byakuya. Its because he knows Byakuya is a worthy opponent. Thats evident.

[@DWKCmusic]

You single-handedly reignited my love for Bleach leading into the anime coming back. Your analysis and clear love for the material is impossible to miss, much less match.

[@agathacccc2710]

You could make three Byakuya videos per month and I’d watch them all, he’s such a fascinating character

[@viskj]

I think the anime will flesh out on how strong Byakuya has become. I'm pretty sure how his new shikai is his old bankai will be further explained in detail too.

[@rosamunddrag8971]

Considering how anime made some of the moments better I believe that Kubo will change certain things for us to be blown away. I really hope for something interesting for Byakuya as well

[@martakavaliauskaite4566]

@@rosamunddrag8971 exactly

[@rukiasbankaii]

fingers crossed!!!

[@roadink-01]

Definitely... look what they did for unohana they have to....right lol

[@rosamunddrag8971]

@@roadink-01 Unohana was already scary, but god damn did they stepped her up with that voice acting and animation. I fully understand now WHY she is the fist Kenpachi 😂

[@PrinceRevolver]

Byakuya didn't have much to do in this arc but I love the development he has between Rukia, Renji and Ichigo.

[@framedthunder6436]

Probably he was killed in the original plotline of TYBW But thanks to massive Backslash Kubo was forced to revive him and Kubo had to improvise

[@alexmartin6561]

@@framedthunder6436 I was sad when he still lived in the anime. Nothing would change if kubo killed him off there. Oh well.

[@kevinfunk83]

@@framedthunder6436exactly my thoughts. Didn’t see a single comment that stated this. He wasn’t fleshed out because he wasn’t supposed to be there, that’s precisely why he feels like a background character. I honestly don’t care that he lived but it did ruin the plot a bit.

[@Mike-hy8cs]

​@Sessh _ I dont get what you guys mean. It wasnt an "anime" thing that he lived. He lived in the manga too.

[@kevinfunk83]

@@Mike-hy8cs he wasn’t supposed to live. There was outrage that he was dying and Kubo had to change it, that’s why his increase in power was never explained cause Kubo never planned to.

[@gammafrost]

If byakuya does get a final power up in the hell arc to combat the new enemies, I hope it looks something akin to his beyond Bankai form where he’s fused with his zanpakutou. He’s definitely among the top 5 captains. I personally always wanted to see a fight between him and Hashwalth

[@viskj]

He cant beat hashwalth tho, unless he pull some sort of out of the box move like what he did against Tsukishima.

[@Jon155mt]

Byakuya would’ve definitely packed up Hashwald. I wish Kubo had them fight.

[@fg009letyrds8]

Yeah, probably should be similar to Bleach Brave Souls Hakuteiken fusion, as we've yet to see the current upgraded form of it.

[@sujeetgrewal3958]

Hashwalth is insanely haxed. But I think Byakuya could win if he one shots him from the get go via Ikka Senjinka

[@deaggravv]

​@@sujeetgrewal3958except yamamoto nobody in gotei13 have even a slightly chance against jugram

[@iReiGNxx]

I actually forgot what Byakuya’s growth was like in TYBW, but it’s actually pretty cool. His attack power with senbonzakura grew tremendously, both for his shikai and bankai. But his bankai is especially dangerous now, even being reminiscent of Azashiro’s attacks.

[@lilcjunior4415]

I feel like Byakuya was probably the top 5 strongest soul reapers by the end of series

[@cosmetica5999]

Thank you captain obvious

[@animanco6833]

Oh man really hoping the anime will show the actual fight between Byakuya and the 5 sternritters. That was a epic moment and the manga didn't even bother to show it. Seriously there is no reason why they shouldn't show it. he deserves just as much of the spotlight as any character. It's a perfect representation of how after the soul society went through a crushing defeat during the first invasion, it came back stronger than ever. And considering how Byakuya is the representation of soul society, him defeating three of the sternritters is the best possible example of what's going on during the second invasion. Also I think the reason Byakuya seemingly had trouble with pepe is mainly because of how the latter use his bs mind control ability. It's just like the 7th espada abilities, except it is almost more difficult to avoid and block, and he using a controlled fighter against Byakuya instead of using him as a hostage which force Byakuya to hold back a little so it was somewhat more difficult.

[@antonio19xy]

They didn't show it because it was very effortless for Byakuya ... They just didnt bother cause hes too strong

[@adamluthfie7]

during this time, kubo was force to limit the number of chapter release since it take too long. and during this time, he is sick. so, the producer hope he can finish writing and dont be preasure by it.

[@sujeetgrewal3958]

Your wish has been granted

[@narrowminer1131]

I think that it was so difficult to show Byakuya becoming stronger due to the fact of how he battles. His fighting style is to simply overwhelm an opponent Senbonzakura and analyze how they respond. Then after finding out their abilties he uses Bankai and utterly overwhelms them now knowing how they would react. The times he was defeated were when his oppoenents had an ability they didn't use against his Shikai (hollow mask for Ichigo or Bankai sealing for the first quincy invasion). Even the fight against the Seventh espada he waited until he learned all of his opponents moves to use even Shikai. He's a careful fighter and won't pull out his big attacks until he's certain his opponent has nothing else hidden up their sleeves. This makes it very difficult to show any improvements he could have especially while having others there to assist him allowing him to use his fighting style in a more supporting role as it would excel at.

[@amesong4689]

Byakuya is the definition of an all rounder. Swordsmanship, Kido, and Shunpo. The only thing he’s missing is Hakuda

[@ravKenclaw]

I am in love with Byakuya. Also, I would LOVE to see him with some more Kido, he is one of the most strategic characters in the series, he would be LIMITLESS I swear. I also want to hear more about the secretive Kido Corps in general. Byakuya vs. Kenpachi was part of the reason I started watching after seeing scenes on here for so long.

[@rukiasbankaii]

man i just love Byakuya and i hope Kubo will do him justice in the anime, coz he deserves to get his new abilities fully shown

[@martakavaliauskaite4566]

Exactly

[@in3z322]

Fr i hope the anime adds more content of him

[@martakavaliauskaite4566]

@@in3z322 agree

[@crisis514]

Fax

[@RicardoGonzalez-cp2od]

Byakuya saying he had forgotten the true essence of senbonzakura i think mirrors how kenpachi had previously repressed his own powers. Im excited to see if byakuya gets a kenpachi level power up in the coming anime eps

[@framedthunder6436]

Zaraki is leagues above Byakuya Zaraki would be on pair ichigo and Aizen at the end of the series

[@MandatoryFruit]

@@framedthunder6436 On par is a stretch. Like Ichigo and Aizen managed to go toe to toe with Soul King Yhwach.

[@kanoreese1253]

@@MandatoryFruit It's not a stretch at all because even Orihime was able to block SK Yhwach's attacks to protect Ichigo.

[@renftw7238]

@@framedthunder6436 nah he's not "leagues" above Byakuya, Byakuya got the Soul Palace power up, I'd say they're both equal, with Byakuya being a little stronger but Kenpachi still has a lot of growth to gain.

[@phantomzero1982]

@@kanoreese1253 It is a stretch to be on par with Ichigo

[@Outsider_98]

After he returned from the royal palace, I was really hoping to see Byakuya use a more controlled form of Shūkei: Hakuteiken. So instead of using it as a final attack, imagine if he could sustain that form and continue fighting at that level of power. Also, I think the flower petals of sebonzakura kageyoshi is Byakuya’s real Shikai, and all this while he has been using it as his bankai. If think you about it, Sebonzakura functions with two concepts, expansion and contraction. On Shikai, the sword scatters into a thousand blades. While in its true bankai (Senkei), it contracts into a thousand swords. So then, why is the first stage of Sebonzakura’s bankai expanding into a million blades. Answer: that’s not its bankai, that’s its true Shikai. But then again I could be wrong. 😅

[@pokc4016]

I feel like most people are blinded by reveal of Kenpachi's and Kyoraku's bankai, so Byakuya was heavily underestimated for years, people will prolly understand that dude is literal powerhouse when arc gets fully animated

[@nerdragon2649]

I might be wrong, but I recall that one of the novels mention that Byakuya is the next in line to be Captain-Commander in case Kyōraku dies. Which, indeed, is a very fair choice. I think it serves a bit to illustrate how powerful and capable Byakuya is

[@AnswerisB]

Makes perfect sense. No one is on his power level or has as much reverence for the order of the Soul Society as him. They'd likely never have a vizard like Shinji in that place. It then opens up for Renji to be Squad 6 captain. Honestly, with all that in consideration, I'd be surprised if Kyoraku didn't die in the Hell Arc

[@cubanorasta94]

Yes, CFYOW

[@doubleh3978]

I would say he is currently the top 3 capitain in the gotei because my top 5 would be: 1 Zaraki Kenpachi 2 Kyoraku Shunsui 3 Byakuya Kuchiki 4 Mayuri Kurotsuchi 5 Toshiro Hitsugaya maybe you can swap Zaraki and Kyoraku because Zaraki has just unlocked his shikai and bankai while Kyoraku is powerful and already really experienced but i think is clear that Kenpachi is going towards Yamamoto levels of power so i will already put him above. Still doesn't change that the 3rd place should be Byakuya and i don't think it is even arguable to have him anywere below 5th place.

[@shin29534]

Toshiro over mayuri but mayuri with prep could beat toshiro

[@cap10t005]

Kyoraku has better chance of victory if he doesn't use his bankai

[@maximilianosanchez1106]

14:34 in the Soul Society arc, Byakuya didn't said he was limited to one sword he use one to fight Ichigo 'cause honor, and he didn't use one sword he lunch one to Ichigo's foot and one to finished him.

[@garrettst6168]

I think Kubo did power scaling for Byakuya better than almost any other character in the series

[@antonio19xy]

How do u think that? Byakuya has literally no upper limit in TYBW ... like we dont know what can stop him at this level

[@godreap3820]

@@antonio19xy shhh it’s okay let my boy Byakuya be great

[@antonio19xy]

@@godreap3820 byakuya is great hes my favorite character in the series ... but its incredibly hard to scale him and put a tag on how strong exactly he is

[@godreap3820]

@@antonio19xy he strong that’s all we need to know bro

[@framedthunder6436]

Byakuya facing a espada leagues above than first Bankai ichigo

[@PhilipePXF]

It's really interesting how two of Buakuya's battles were so alike. Pepe and the 7th Espada have almost the same ability but at different levels.

[@jschoma11]

There seems to be "repeat" battles like that. Byakuya vs both Zommari and Pepe. Zaraki + Byakuya vs big dudes (Yammy and Gerard) Kyroaku fights people with guns. You could even say Aroniero and As Nodt are similar fights for Rukia.

[@terrancehylton-lyons1776]

One of the Bambis has the same ability the gluttony has the same basic ability as Espada number 9 Gluttoneria

[@mustafaozdemiroglu5853]

I think after Shunsui he deserved being Captain-Commander. He is Smart He is Master on his Zanpakuto Kido,Hakuda,Shunpo After Training with Squad 0 I think he is equal to Adult Toshiro. İkka Senjika is powerful attack in my opinion.

[@MrShadow1995.]

I believe shunsui himself stated in one of the novels if he were to step down as head captain, byakuya would be his successor to take his place.

[@mustafaozdemiroglu5853]

@@MrShadow1995. Yeah,right 👍🏻

[@antonio19xy]

@@MrShadow1995. yes he did in Cant fear your own world he "threatens" Mayuri with that ... as Byakuya would be much stricter than Shunsui which would not be to Mayuris liking

[@framedthunder6436]

I don't think really Byakuya would end like Yamamoto I know he learn a lesson after soul society arc But his pride and traditions would get on the way

[@tiraedo-omozuwa3689]

@@framedthunder6436 Even though he still has pride and values tradition, through his interaction with ichigo and co throughout the series, he now know when to step back and compromise.

[@isaaccook1890]

Maybe in the anime it'll come out clearer. His petals will be faster, deadlier, more vibrant, etc. Byakuya rarely showcases himself in such a grandiose way, so the animations should give room for his more subtle improvements. edit: come to think of it, what happened to Kido? I don't think it was used at all in the TYBW arc...

[@sethrichardson8644]

It was once by Yumichika when he fought with Ikkaku against... Giselle I believe. He hurled rocks at the enemy as support if I'm not mistaken.

[@deathmark1940]

Kubo did kido rly dirty last arc

[@vhill3715]

Didn't nanao use it for a anti quincy barrier?

[@antonio19xy]

Kido was used i mean Aizen himself used some of the strongest

[@joshuasantiago8643]

It was low key stated that the Quincy's Reishi control could dismantle the energy casted by KIDO spells. Which is why, "althou not a quincy, but a fullbringer" Tsukishima stated he would be able to counter all of Byakuya's repertoir of KIDOS like Hado #33 Sokatsui or even Bakudo #63 Sajo Sabaku 😳

[@HighImPoe]

I really enjoy the voice and the way you explain things. Something i can have in the background at work and not have to see anything to Visualize it. 10/10

[@unseen289]

Ahhh dude I fucking love this channel so much, I'm no huge anime fan but bleach is a part of my childhood and now with TYBW this channel just fills my love for everything bleach. So glad you are doing so well with this channel, you're an awesome narrator and you really flesh out great ideas and points with your videos. Will happily patreon or whatever to support once my works back on track. Thanks Tommo!

[@anaideviveiros6597]

Loved this analysis, and I totally agree. Byakuya is one of my favs of Bleach, and his growth in the TYBW is remarkable, though not very clearly displayed...

[@psykopandaz]

That Robert Sternritter guy defeated Shunsui Kyoraku in a one on one fight. Byakuya defeated Robert and 2 other Sternritter at the same time. If that dont explain how powerful hes become, i dont know what does. I hope the anime really puts more focus on Byakuya.

[@lusionfx2219]

Robert didn't defeat Shunsui lol

[@psykopandaz]

@@lusionfx2219 He walked away from that fight with 2 eyes though

[@stefanogalimberti1416]

Well Kyoraku defeats the number 1 stern ritter with litterally the power to deny every logic rule

[@lusionfx2219]

@@stefanogalimberti1416 Kyoraku didn't beat Lille it was Nanao who killed him... Ohana literally says Shunsui should run no one will fault him for running since Lille is unkillable

[@lusionfx2219]

@@psykopandaz Taking Shunsui's eye does not mean he beat him... Shunsui comment on his strength by saying old man Yama would punish him if he loses to a guy like him... Meaning Shunsui let down his guard since he doesn't like fighting unless forced to.

[@Ishallreignsupreme]

He is very balanced, a kido master, shunpo master, zanjutsu master, and possibly hakuda specialist. He is just the perfect role model.

[@rafflesiadeathcscent3507]

Aizen is the perfect role model, so perfect in fact he cant be imitated at all and no one comes close to his overall stats

[@Ishallreignsupreme]

@@rafflesiadeathcscent3507 true but we know lord aizen above everyone.

[@roseakanotfakegoku]

​@rafflesiadeathcscent3507 so perfect that it makes it even more impressive that urahara is smarter than him

[@JPerryMMA3]

Byukaya and Kenpachi being mirrors of soul society was an excellent point that I hope u make a separate video for 🔥🫡. Their fighting styles. Their ideology. How they run their squads etc

[@VexedKnighmare]

I think he was going to get a 'new' or true Bankai but by that time priorities and time restraints forced that beat off the table

[@CaptainKotetsu]

The As Nodt fight made it very clear that Byakuya “Cannot” die no matter what happens.

[@PrinceRevolver]

That means absolutely nothing when characters are cut in half and live.

[@bicevipribicevipri7240]

Fr. I cried for nothing and i somehow prefer him dead😂

[@lanohuncho1045]

Byakuya’s fan base is what kept him alive

[@lusionfx2219]

@@lanohuncho1045 *toxic fanbase

[@Jon155mt]

@lanohuncho1045 *loyal fanbase

[@isaiahcross9287]

Thank you! Byakuya’s always been one of my favorites, it’s nice to know I wasn’t the only one that noticed him. A lot of these power scaling guys lack the narrative knowledge to judge where he really stands

[@robertt4116]

that was a well thought out script my man! Good work

[@dajuice4200]

Great analysis. I like the juxtaposition of Kenpachi and Byakuya. I never thought of that. Theirs is a great rivalry.

[@nicksgamingcorner290]

I love your videos I find them amazing keep up the good work mate

[@Araraki-Itto1]

I'm actually glade Byakuya didn't die. At first I thought it would be better if he had, but seeing him again after the first invasion...I saw there were many more paths with his character that could still be explored. He's such a complex character that i don't think we've seen all we can from him and honestly I wanna see how much more he can grow as a character.

[@dec2567]

I agree

[@thetwelfthdoctor9892]

I firmly disagree. His "death" scene was perfect and he basically did nothing meaningful after that. After his return from the Soul King Palace, he participated in three battle: - Rukia vs As Nodt: his intervention gave Rukia the emotional push she needed to win. That's something that could have been achieved without having him there physically. Rukia's memories of Byakuya could have done the same job or maybe even a better one. - His battle with Pepe, where nothing happened. - Everybody vs Gerard Valkyrie: Gerard was basically a sponge. Kubo used him to keep busy as many shinigami as possible so that there was an excuse for them not intervening in the other battles. Byakuya spent more than half of the battle basically staring at Gerard, not knowing how to defeat an enemy that grow stronger every time you hurt him. Even when he intervened after Hitsugaya frozed Gerard, Byakuya's new ability ended up in nothing, since Gerard rose from the grave once again and kept fighting as if nothing happened. So, as I said, Kubo kept him alive simply because fans started threatening him when he apparently killed him off but by doing so, he found himself in a position where he had to deal with a character who had no purpose of existing anymore.

[@rosegiogio9255]

I hope the anime expands on his character a bit after his survival. It’s because of his failure in the first invasion that he finally gets the courage to cut the boundaries that prevented him to show his care for Rukia and Renji. Yeah he always cared for them, but never embraced them. That’s why the scene after Rukia uses Bankai really hits emotionally, Byakuya is there to praise and acknowledge Rukia’s development, closing the gap that separated them for years and years. Again I hope the anime expands on this.

[@charminglady2011]

I agree, we see a total change in both behavior and in fighting style. We saw at 1st attack how much like Yamamoto he was. He shouldered everything. When he healed he needed to know he can trust in others. His fears were because of trauma. And he let Rukia fight.. and he stood back up! And he protected Shuhei and asisted others which was out of character at first, but then you realized he always worried for others.. We continue to see so much growth that he is truly not just the most powerful Kuchiki leader, but the one with the strongest heart. Im happy He gets the family he dreamt of and it makes you happy.

[@Jon155mt]

I firmly agree. His survival was 100% worth it due to the fact that he not only saved Rukia from As Nodt but also had a BEAUTIFUL character moment with her in the process. His character has come a long way as he’s easily on of the best written characters in Bleach. Kubo did a fantastic job with his character, the only thing I wish we saw more of from Byakuya was a solid 1v1 victory vs an elite opponent in the war.

[@sheldonwilson8185]

Byakuya has always been in the upper echelons of power amongst the captains of the Gotei 13. The TYBW didn’t have the time to truly give this iconic character a fitting final showdown and reveal just how powerful he has become. Byakuya is extremely powerful by the end of the series, and is in my opinion the third strongest captain in the current Gotei 13. Byakuya only seems to fall or be bested when his zanpakuto is removed from his arsenal. This is a testament to how powerful sebonzakura is, if an enemy has any chance in defeated Byakuya, they need to cripple his use of his zanpakuto. Shunsui and Kenpachi are the only two captains more powerful than Byakuya by the end of the series in my opinion.

[@asellape9270]

Based on examples of Yamamoto and Byakuya, i think it seems reasonable to think that as a Shinigami grows stronger, they develop a new Bankai and their old Bankai becomes their Shikai. It makes me wonder if that is actually the case, and if it is, then what were the former Shikai forms of people like Unohana, Ukitake, Kyoraku? Or maybe I’m completely wrong.

[@nicogmv2364]

It's been shown that Bankais can evolve and change over time.

[@tiraedo-omozuwa3689]

You are not completely wrong. It just depends on the characters in question. In byakuyas case his shikai became as strong as his bankai and his bankai became something else. He most likely gained a deeper understanding of how to use his ability in addition to it becoming stronger but fundamentally it's still the same senbonsakura. However in renjis case his bankai displayed an entirely new ability which is what he used to kill the wrestling sternwritter. The implication could be that he always had the ability but needed to get stronger to be able to use it or its was something entirely new.

[@ryukami404]

@@tiraedo-omozuwa3689 In Renji's case, he was actually told by Ichibe that his Zanpakto hid the true name of Renji's bankai for basically what you mentioned, Zabimaru thought Renji wasn't ready to wield it's true power at the time.

[@kiddeath1302]

@@ryukami404and on the flip side you have Yumichika who knowingly and deliberately calls his zanpakuto the wrong name, thus hindering it’s true abilities.

[@martakavaliauskaite4566]

​@@kiddeath1302exactly I hope the war he started to better understand his weapon and have deeper bond with it

[@MrYutbe57]

Doing one of those power level tier list at the end of the TYBW for all the characters would be great. Or at least the Captains and lieutenants and major 3rd seats.

[@decepticons_destroy]

Very thorough (as always) and I agree with pretty much everything u stated. A lot of Zaraki fan base might argue otherwise, but it’s quite clear that Kubo has consistently used Byakuya and Zaraki as competitors (even Zaraki called it out in the zanpakuto arc) but never had them fight to the point that we can determine who’s stronger. I think kubo could have made Byakuya’s new power more prominent in the story but I think he knew Byakuya has had plenty of screen time in other arcs.

[@lucasegberto3691]

I think in the last arc the author develops Zaraki to be the strongest in the Gotei 13(this was the real meaning of being the Kenpachi but It never makes any sense with Yamamoto alive as the strongest shinigami). So everytime in the last arc kubo is saying to us ''he is the strongest shinigami'' . Unohanna said: ''I'm stronger than anyone here besides you'', in the fight with Gremmy the tittle was ''The Strongest Sternritter vs The strongest Shinigami''. Even If they never had a conclusive fight at that point Zaraki has way more feats. Don't get me wrong as the youtuber said Byakuya has for shure become a hight tier Captain but Zaraki was just build to be above everyone in Gotei 13 and every pure shinigami alive(besides hybrids like ichigo and aizen). Even in the novel he was the only one able to fight or surpass Hikone

[@decepticons_destroy]

@@lucasegberto3691 yep I get what you’re saying and I don’t deny that Kubo’s intention is for Zaraki to be stronger than Byakuya. But like you said, it doesn’t make sense to call an episode’s title “strongest shinigami” when Yamma is/was clearly the strongest. I feel that Kubo’s hinting that Zaraki has the potential to be the strongest, but he’s not there yet. The fact that he ended the arc with Zaraki not able to handle his bankai is an indication that Zaraki has lots more to go, which in theory, mean that he can be even stronger than Aizen and Ywach.

[@lucasegberto3691]

@@decepticons_destroy It was a tittle from the battle with gremmy Yamamoto was alheady dead. I'm not a fan of zaraki or characters like zaraki and I personally hate characters like him on top of power/strengh scale but to me from the second part of final arc until the end It was clear he was the strongest pure shinigami alive. I don't think he can surpass beings like Aizen, Ichigo or Ywach because the whole point of transcend the barrier between shinigami and hollow is to become stronger than any shinigami. Aizen did this with hogyoku, Ichigo was a hybrid from the birth and Ywach is the son of sould king(Almighty included). Zaraki has an immense potential but even him has limits as a shinigami.

[@lusionfx2219]

@@lucasegberto3691 Zaraki is a demon

[@decepticons_destroy]

@@lucasegberto3691 yep fair point - strongest shinigami doesn’t mean he’s transcended. With respect to the title point, I was just saying that just coz kubo used strongest shinigami in the title doesn’t necessarily mean that he is the strongest coz ichibei is still a shinigami (and alive at the time) and I don’t believe kubo has called him out as being transcended, however I don’t think Zaraki is stronger than him. Zaraki is like Gerard, based on techniques/skills, he’s not stronger than Byakuya, but bcoz he grows stronger after near death experiences, he becomes stronger than Byakuya. At the end of that fight, he wasn’t strong enough to wield his Bankai which means he was at his full potential then, so would be same as Byakuya. But of course if they continue to fight, he would win.

[@blockycore9701]

I love your analyses!

[@AJ-kt5zo]

Hope in the new Hell Arc his Bankai takes of the zenki wings that combines with him .

[@dannytarver4533]

Byakuya is the coolest and has upped his skills like every one else. Kinpachi just had such a far way to go, not even having a shikai and everyone thinking Toshio's banki had a time limit made them look as if they had made leaps and bounds. When Byakuya did too. He started off with a 3 stage Banki how much flashier can it get? Stronger yeah

[@CaptainKotetsu]

Eos Byakuya vs Eos Kenpachi would be an interesting fight. They couldn’t be any more opposite in terms of fighting style and abilities.

[@mustafaozdemiroglu5853]

Yeah. Zaraki is stronger than him in most field but Byakuya can find a way

[@IchigoKurosaki911]

Byakuya is only better in kido and versatility Kenpachi would probably merk him.

[@sethrichardson8644]

I think Byakuya's only real chance is to go full stop from the start, before Zaraki takes him seriously. I don't think he possessed the raw power to put down a maximum power Zaraki.

[@antonio19xy]

Yea byakuya is much smarter more versatile and is a kido expert and distance fighter (in shikai and bankai) while Kenpachi is all about slicing people

[@IchigoKurosaki911]

@@sethrichardson8644 That's not happening, Zaraki respects Byakuya the most outside of Yama and Unohana of all the captains, he'd be all in from the start demon smile and everything.

[@LeoLikesLamb]

Your videos butter my biscuits thank you

[@hadiyazid]

I agreed with your previous comment where if Kyoraku were gone, Byakuya is the most suitable candidate to be Captain Commander. I can only imagine the power scal after 100 years by him, including Kenpachi, Rukia, Toshiro and Kotetsu, in particular.

[@Zephina]

You actually forgot a scene where Gerard was in his final from, renji and rukia come and he casually blocks an attack from Gerard in his strongest form.

[@itsnotballer2502]

Can we get more of these for the TYBW please these vids are awesome

[@lopaa9]

Must my birthday month with all these new vids

[@joshuagloud2449]

Byakuya was always one of the most powerful soul reaper captains in my opinion but now after everything that’s happened with his defeat by As Nodt and his training in the royal palace, that status of him being one of the strongest captains was just amplified to an even greater level!

[@gallavanting2041]

Good vid though I think you're wrong about 14:30 when you talk about Senkei. When he did it in the soul society arc he explicitly said he WOULDN'T use more than one at a time, not that he couldn't. It was him at peak pride/honor posting, so this isn't necessarily a power up, just a call back.

[@Crunchysopa52]

ya he merely told Ichigo "don't worry they won't attack you all at once.." not that "they can't attack you all at once.." I mean c'mon Tommo lol

[@healer81]

He's a fan favorite, they will show case more of his power in the anime and they will continue to write more manga on bleach

[@SasukeY2JItachi]

Who's Kenpachi's biggest rival? Byakuya! Even started by Unohana upon dying. Kenpachi loses to Royd Byakuya loses to As nod Kenpachi goes to the lowest point in muken to obtain his monster/demon power Byakuya goes to the highest point royal palace and obtains his max power. Kenpachi Bankai - becomes a demon Byakuya final Bankai - White blade with a Halo Angel and devil #RIVALS!!! Please do a video with both of them PLEASE!!!

[@MandatoryFruit]

I think it's safe to say that Byakuya is easily top 4 in terms of strength among the curreny Gotei 13 captains. The top 4 being Kenpachi, Shunsui, Byakuya, and Adult Toshiro. Where exactly he ranks among those 4 is up to interpretation. As a bit of a side note. When I was initially reading the fight against Gerard I always thought that Byakuya would finish him off. Because when Kenpachi cut Gerard in half, Gerard's body regenerated around the Quincy cross in his chest. I was so confident Byakuya, being such an intelligent combatant, would notice that and work with Kenpachi and Toshiro for an opportunity to destroy that cross once it was exposed again.

[@borninthedark7915]

Byakuya's become so OP his agency is following his subordinates around making sure they're okay and wishing a Quincy would. I actually would expect that he becomes Captain Commander in the future.

[@thebluenoble6175]

Look….after kyoraku trains him for a few hundred years, Byakuya could easily be the next head captain no question. Renji could step up and take over squad 6, I guess rikishi could lieutenant (lol😂). But kisuke urahara could also be head captain after kyoraku no problem.

[@SasukeY2JItachi]

I'd say by the end Byakuya and Kenpachi are the two strongest of the captains even when Unohana was dying she said he had rivals that he could enjoy battle with Byakuya and Ichigo who are the most noticeable and she actually fought him at his absolute peak power Bankai and still suggested that Byakuya would be a rival for him to enjoy battle with. One is all power and battle capability while the other is well-balanced tactical and with a larger arsenal which is shown in the battle with Gerard one started the battle that lasted all the way to the end still fully standing the other one came into the battle did more damage but was completely wiped out towards the end of the battle. I'd Say Mayuri and Shunsei would be next after those 2. Hitsugaya would be last simply because he has the biggest drawback like his normal Bankai just isn't going to cut it and he has to completely max out that even get to his strongest witch fighting any of those for he's not going to make it to his final Bankai.

[@lusionfx2219]

Sad truth Byakuya is not stronger than adult bankai Toshiro

[@SasukeY2JItachi]

@@lusionfx2219 he definitely is who was holding who up by the end of the

[@SasukeY2JItachi]

If raw power was the basis for how strong someone get everyone would be saying kenpachi could beat Kisuke and Mayuri wouldn't have had to save Kenpachi from Pernadea having more raw power does not put you at the top Byakuya is far more skilled at everything else then Hitsugaya has a larger arsenal more experience plus he can use his max power from the start of the battle unlike hitsugaya

[@gs_qtpie5074]

At the end of tybwa byakuya is probably the 3rd strongest captain tied with toshiro kenpachi after tybwa is by far the strongest captain though

[@lusionfx2219]

@@SasukeY2JItachi He is not adult bankai Toshiro would smoke Byakuya

[@antonio19xy]

Byakuya after returning in TYBW is really hard to scale as nowhere his limit is shown he easily takes down every foe of his and in the Gerard fight hes not breaking much of a sweat to defend him or his allies and was shown able to damage pretty much all forms of Gerard before he got killed by Yhwach himself So we didng get an upper limit really Its only minimums and thats what makes it incredibly hard to scale Pepe brought him into a corner for a sec but that was with Byakuya not being able to use his main asset.. Byakuya didnt do it for many but he definitely did impress me

[@thelightseeker94]

People seem to forget The man is the patriarch of one of the 4 royal houses. That means he has a long legacy to uphold. Not to mention he doesn't want to lose to Yoroichi.

[@dan240393]

I feel like the Trio are set up to fill the roles of the three major Captains lost during TYBW. Zaraki takes the place of Unohana, the physical combat juggernaut. Toshiro's possession of an incomparably powerful, elemental zanpakuto sets him up to fill Yamamoto's shoes. And Byakuya takes Ukitake's place as the cool headed all-rounder and generalist exemplar.

[@austinharris7653]

I know a lot of people don’t LOVE soifon but I always thought when she used her bankai that she had another because she says “I don’t like THIS bankai” I wouldve loved to see her whip out another assasination bankai

[@twilightsuzuka6252]

Keep in mind that Gerard was destroying Shikai Zaraki even before using his Volstandig. And after he used it it was implied he became even stronger than Bankai Kenpachi. Byakuya straight up destroyed him with One hit. He would have died of not for the miracle. We also later see him blocking attacks from Gerard using Shikai. I think it’s safe to say that in terms of raw attack power he is probably the strongest captain. I don’t see Zaraki or Hitsugaya having an attack as powerful as Ikka Senjinka. Shunsui is hax so I’m not including him.

[@sabener6255]

I think its clear bankai byakuya

[@erikapuno3163]

If Renji and Rukia married and had a daughter, I wish Tite Kubo will give Byakuya a wife to continue his noble bloodline.

[@angelavila4265]

Mrtommo2304 what are the chances to do more in depth videos of the filler arcs explaining things you'd want to be cannon or things you'd change!

[@Mythicalmage]

I really wish we had a databook to give us something to go off of.

[@alexostrander30]

I just figured it out! Robert is N the nimble! I really hope they tell us what it is next cour.

[@gammafrost]

Hmm that kinda makes sense

[@ThatGUY666666]

How strong exactly is hard to say due to a lack of screen time and the ridiculous nature of the Sternreitters' powers making it very difficult to gauge how strong he is. All that aside I think we can say with a very high degree of certainty that at the end of the TYBW arc he is one of the four most powerful captains, the other three being Hitsugaya, Kenpachi, and Kyoraku. Additionally, if anything happened to Kyoraku, he would be my first choice to take over as Head Captain.

[@martakavaliauskaite4566]

You are right in one of comments of people who read bleach light novels it was said that he is next in line to bee head capitain if shunsui dies

[@observemedia423]

Hoping they give byakuya more to do in the anime. You can really see why people felt that he should have just died given how little he does after

[@normalizabortion6954]

posting on sundays is so smart

[@in-craig-ible6160]

Byakuya is like a Jack of All Trades-good at everything, but not really a master of anything. Except he is. A genius sword fighter. A powerful spellcaster. An experienced martial artist. And speed to boot.

[@TysonDylan0]

I feel like an easy way to show Byakuya's growth would have been more powerful/forbidden kido spells being used to defeat a few sternritter

[@antoniokuilan9389]

I'm glad that finally someone notices that Zaraki and Byakuya are two faces of the same coin, since they both go through a similar journey in terms of character developement and strength. And the thing is that people put Zaraki way above Byakuya in terms of power just because he had a flashier power-up, but just like you acknowledge I think they're pretty much equals. And just like you said, Zaraki is much stronger physically, but Byakuya is a perfect allrounder. So in conclusion I would put Byakuya at the level of Zaraki, just below Kyoraku.

[@sebastian2308]

I think Kubo never truly showed the difference in power between captains. I believe each one of them had reached the level of strength necessary alongside other features to be worthy of that position before they got promoted. But I've never perceived that they wanted to show us who were the strongest among them. Obviously Yamamoto was probably the most powerful of all and his Bankai was the most powerful too but I don't think they wanted to emphasize that until the last arc. They've always been displayed as the ultimate defense force of the Soul Society and emphasized as an organization whose solely purpose was to protect Soul Society and its people. That being said Byakuya has always been portrayed as a ridiculously powerful character and I consider that to be true even after his defeat in the first half of the last arc. He was against a powerful foe with a tricky ability he hadn't seen or heard of before. I think he fulfilled another role in the second half of the arc and that's why he didn't get to show his full potential and his current strength at that point.

[@Yvng_Zy]

I think we will get something in the anime adaptation more for him maybe he’s going to be the one to get a fight in the anime

[@berickslime6718]

My headcanon is thay byakuya bankai, now completely changes the environment, into a field of cherry blossom trees where he dominates. Similar to Unohana blood field with minazuki

[@viskj]

I think his old bankai is already something like that. Notice that the surrounding turns dark when he used senbonzakura kageyoshi and the ground seems to turn into a ripple for the blades to rise.

[@Super-bm5qv]

Can you please do on how strong Ichibei is in the tybw?

[@Force-Multiplier]

where he stacks up for me is in equal or above TYBW Toshiro and Zaraki because they both have demerits to their power ups in TYBW TYBW Zaraki is literally "Deku's real dad" idk if the Mangaka guy at MHA saw his Bankai or not before he made MHA but that's how it felt like to me when i first saw MHA this kid is a mini Zaraki knockoff (wich is a huge detriment to him in a fight since he will potentially get weaker and weaker if the fight gets prolonged and Byakuya is much faster than him and can avoid the very dangerous task of getting close to Bankai Zaraki by fighting from afar) its also important to make known that Zaraki went down in that fight but Gerard evolved at least two more times after that and one of those two other forms was the only one with the Halo over the head meaning that it was his Volstandig YEAH ... (on Zaraki's defense he does get much stronger in CFYOW) as for Toshiro we have a different situation TYBW adult Toshiro is a very broken fighter but has a stamina threshold in that form wich he mentioned himself that that form quickly tires him and that form takes a while to activate there is another issue with Toshiro's abilities too he never ever has frozen beneath the flesh of a oponents (that's right not even to Gerard he did this we see it clearly in an occasion where Gerard breaks out of the ice by sheer strength without using The Miracle to resurrect) meaning that it's only freezing objects in their surfaces wich means that Byakuya can use protective barriers that cover everything around things and they're quite durable as seen in the 302 Bleach Manga chapter and not only that but he can also use Utsusemi wich is a teleportation ability and not just a cast off like many Bleach fans misunderstand it to be wich we see in that same fight against Zomari in chapter 299 so he has his ways to deal with Toshiro's ice wich takes 4 seconds to activate the nullification effect (4 seconds is more than ample time to do either for Byakuya hell less than one second is likely enough too) I do feel like Byakuya has no shot at beating Kyoraku due to hax since the best you could achieve against Kyoraku's shared wounds effect is a double ko (unless you have insane regeneration skills) and the fights against TYBW Zaraki and TYBW adult Toshiro can go either way in the end BUT that doesn't change that they're both having to amp themselves with self destructive skills wich means that in any prolonged fight he has an advantage over them in TYBW

[@largegroupofmales]

I wonder if the anime will make his power difference with Renji more clear, since the Mask fight kinda broke Renji's perceived strength

[@thenewperson]

Hoping Byakuya’s upgrade comes in (at least) one of the below forms: 1) *actually* having the blades reflect light in such a way that they invisible (shame we haven’t seen that since the early SS arc) 2) ability to further divide the blades, potentially to a microscopic size such that they can infiltrate and destroy an enemy from the inside out (and kinda accomplish point 1 lol) 3) ability to be a larger surface area for kido. It’s annoying that Azashiro has something like this as I always wanted this for Byakuya 4) shunko. Yeah, I know it’s uncharacteristic but consider that it’s been revealed Byakuya learned a lot from Yoruichi, this could be another thing. I wouldn’t expect it to come in the form of hakuda, so what if it follows from point 3 and is applied to his blades instead so that they’re much faster and sharper? I like the idea ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@danhammond8406]

The battle with the love guy is a repeat of the battle with the love guy with the eyes all over him

[@TripGod77]

Do you not see how 🥶 his eyes are in the thumbnail? He's ready to win. 💪🏿

[@Brentor14]

I think by the end of the series he’s probably in the top 5 of the captains top 10 out of all characters

[@Richard-lk6br]

Towards the end of the video, you mention that Byakuya being well rounded. I agree and Or at least believe that he is the most well rounded of the 3 captains fighting Valkyrie. That said, I wonder how come he couldn't try a kido attack (like hado 90) to subdue or even defeat Valkyrie (assuming kidos work on sternritter)

[@georgesbouchet7430]

Byakuya has always been my favorite captain. It was disappointing for me to not see him have a one on one fight against say, a Schuzstaffel. That's how powerful I wanted him to be after returning from the Royal Palace. But well, come to think of it, no captain soloed even one of them, so I guess my expectations were too high. That being said, I didn't really like how he had only a supporting role against Gerard. Still... I guess blowing his head up was a notable feat of power. As for his strength in relation to Zaraki's, I think it's safe to say that Zaraki became (possibly much) stronger than... maybe all the captains who made it alive in the last arc. I have a feeling Zaraki's Bankai would allow him to survive even Kyoraku's, then kill him if they were to fight. I would say Byakuya is still undoubtedly a top tier captain, but he's probably (at least a bit) less powerful than his peers. I can see Hitsugaya, Kyoraku, Mayuri and Zaraki all being stronger than him. Or maybe that Byakuya is stronger... or at least more effective in a fight than Hitsugaya, since Hitsugaya's Bankai needs time to enter its second phase. Yeah, that's probably right. Plus, Hitsugaya can flash freeze, but his destructive power is not on Byakuya's level. Maybe Byakuya > Mayuri could be arguable too. Hard to say

[@georgesbouchet7430]

Oops. Wrote more than I expected. Oh well. I forgot to add, wasn't Byakuya one of the only proficient captains when it came to using Kido ? Man didn't use it even a single time in TYBW. Anywah yeah, how Byakuya was portrayed in the last arc was meh imo. A missed oppurtunity

[@lucasegberto3691]

When It comes to Schuzstaffel. none of them were in 1v1 aganist shinigamis and that's the point: they were above their enemies so the gotei 13 had to work together to deal with them. Shunshi+nanao, Mayuri+nemu, urahara+yoruichi+grimmjow, byakuya+hitsugaya+zaraki+vizards+lieutenants. To me instead of 4 should be 7 members of Schuztaffel. So byakuya, Zaraki, Hitsugaya, Shunsui, Mayuri, Urahara and Yoruichi could 1v1 them. But I know It was important to Kubo work in smaller characters like nanao, nemu and etc so this is why we had tag fights aganist the Schuzstaffel because they were so strong and Kubo wanted to develop some characters....

[@august6281]

Byakuya is powerful. He just needs to be more durable if he were to fight one of this captain. The guy grew slimmer and slimmer each arc.

[@0eyes]

Wow, an actually good take for once on Zaraki, Toshiro, and Byakuya during that fight.

[@kennethmiller1080]

What if the "secret" fight IS him 👀

[@gammafrost]

I wouldn’t mind that. We need to see the fight between byakuya and those 5 sternritter animated

[@kennethmiller1080]

Agreed

[@landoblu]

He will forever be my fav along with Capt. Yama.

[@nicks1222223]

byakuya is descendants of one of the five ancestors he can or might become as strong as ichigo with time

[@RipsharkTV]

Im sure Kubo got the idea for Ikka senjika from Xemna's desperation move from kh2

[@rmeddy]

At one point I thought he was going to take back by his bankai by sheer force of will and shatter As Nodt's medallion, Seeing how strong Renji got,I was thinking how much stronger Byakuya got with new feats

[@isaacbrown4506]

I really want them to go further in depth in the Gerard fight and do it properly, that and a couple of other fights that we didn't really get an ending to still bothers me

[@shiningarmour6805]

I think it's stated by Kubo, that Ginjo is as strong as Byakuya after royal palace training. Which should help pinpoint just putting him a step below Fullbring Bankai Ichigo, who in turn is as strong as Masked Ichigo if not a little higher.

[@protegofiantoduri]

Please where did you get such a statement?😂😂

[@shiningarmour6805]

@@protegofiantoduri It's like a year before the Bleach renewal reveal that he started answering fans, I forget what medium. He'd even go on to answer about Kenpachi's Shikai and Bankai questions if you dig deep enough, even Shinji's Bankai. Edit: To help out, some of it is in the "Klub Outside" platform he created, which you do need to know japanese to post and a login. But yeah, Kubo's been doing a lot of one-offs in the past couple of years, and that's not limited to where he answers.

[@crisis514]

Lmaoo please, Byakuya is way stronger then that bum

[@whuwhaaa2]

He sacrificed his drip for greater power. A true hero.

[@damaniherrington4170]

i feel like byakuya toshiro and kenny at peak power are at the same level of power. I feel like their somewhat of an elite trio of the gotei 13

[@jhxzzy863]

They aren't on kenpachi's level,but Toshiro in his adult form is relative to Byakuya .

[@damaniherrington4170]

@@jhxzzy863 in tybw adult toshiro scales higher than kenpachi feats wised. You could argue byakuya does too

[@geg708]

@@damaniherrington4170 _Byakuya still needed Toshiro's help to 'finish off' Gerard so I wouldn't say that he's stronger than Bankai Zaraki, especially because Eyepatch Zaraki easily cut off Gerard's arm while Shikai Byakuya couldn't even damage it. My personal scaling is: Adult Toshiro > Bankai Zaraki > Bankai Byakuya > Shikai Zaraki > Base Zaraki > Eyepatch Base Zaraki > Shikai Byakuya ~ Bankai Toshiro_

[@damaniherrington4170]

@@geg708 i agree with this scaling tbh. i would scale bankai toshiro up there with shikai kenny. cause premature bankai tosh was still throwing the hands

[@f4rensabri]

Byakuya's fight with Pepe is similar to his fight with Zommari... Both are 'love fighters' lmao.

[@yanpyatrin1323]

BIG 5 after TYBW: 1.Kyoraku 2.Zaraki 3.Byakuya 4.Mayuri 5.Toshiro

[@permeus2nd]

We need an few more ranks above captain but below captain commander, maybe just start adding captain mk1 mk2 and so on.