Bleachhas two contenders for the greatest villain of the series: the scheming Soul Reaper with ambitions towards Godhood, Sosuke Aizen, and the Father of the Quincy aiming to reset the universe, Yhwach. They’re both powerful figures and incredible villains, but which one is truly the best villain inBleach?
Fans have long debated the question of Aizen and Yhwach, and on more fronts than just their respective powers. While they have a few similarities, the truth is that Aizen and Yhwach are just as much antagonists to each other as they are to Ichigo. Aizen was the major villain for the bulk ofBleach’s run, but Yhwach’s run was nothing to scoff at, and he decimated the Soul Society in a way that Aizen could only dream of. Both led armies of powerful warriors who were more than a match for the 13 Court Guard Squads' best, but only Yhwach was able to inflict major casualties on the Soul Reapers.
Yhwach Vs. Aizen: How Do They Stack Up?
The Two Villains' Powers and Personalities
Sosuke Aizen was a manipulative, scheming man, who relied heavily on his Zanpakuto’s power of illusions to mislead foes, even tricking them into attacking each other. Aizen was a Soul Reaper, but he was never aligned with them, only using his position to conduct awful Hollowfication experiments on his fellow Soul Reapers.With the power of the Hogyoku, a powerful object designed by Urahara, Aizen wanted mastery over life and death, and to eventually ascend as the new god. Aizen had immense spiritual power, was a master of Kido and spiritual pressure control, and with the Hogyoku, became utterly immortal.
Yhwach, on the other hand, was a tyrant who ruled over the Quincyover a thousand years ago, until they came into conflict with the Soul Reapers and were nearly wiped out. Since then, Yhwach has slowly recovered and plotted his revenge. Yhwach is set on creating a universe free of death (and the fear it brings), and to do so, is willing to destroy the existing universe.Yhwach has absurd levels of power, with his Schrift, The Almighty, allowing him to see into all possible futures, thus making it impossible to attack him by surprise.Yhwach later consumes the Soul King, gaining the literal power ofBleach’s God.
So Which Villain Wins Out?
Fans Have a Clear Favorite
When comparing their feats and achievements, Yhwach was a more effective villain. However,Aizen did far more to provoke the plot of the story, and with it, Ichigo’s growth, both as a character and as a Soul Reaper. Fans also love Aizen far more for his schemes and arrogant attitude, where Yhwach is sometimes treated as a “boring invincible villain.” There’s also the fact that Aizen has a very important role to play in Yhwach’s eventual defeat, proving that he was, in the end, able to outmaneuver even one with the power of God. For these reasons, it’s fair to say that Sosuke Aizen is, in fact,Bleach’s greatest villain of all time.
