Bleach 10 Best Soundtracks, Ranked

Bleach is an anime drenched in style, from the character designs, the powers, and of course, the music. The soundtrack for the anime is composed by the legendary Sagisu Shiro, who has worked in shows like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Berserk, and Magi The Labyrinth of Magic. Bleach’s original soundtrack is incredibly diverse and has become a prime example when anime fans think of great OSTs.

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Sagisu’s work is capable of making the audience audibly cry in one scene and then feel the greatest hype in another. Bleach’s music always goes to different styles and instruments when needed, famously using Spanish Flamenco for the Espada and, most recently, German war anthems for the Quincy. There’s abundant musical greatness in Bleach, but these are the best there are.

10 Nothing Can Be Explained

A big part of Bleach is Ichigo’s journey of self-discovery and personal growth, and accompanying many of the scenes between him and Zangetsu is Nothing Can Be Explained. The ominous instrumentation reflects the hidden truths inside Ichigo and his Zanpakutou. While the lyrics speak of Ichigo’s pain and trauma as a child. This theme is directly associated with Ichigo’s personal struggle and grief. Making it one of the most recognizable songs among fans.

9 Soundscape To Ardor

This beautiful yet haunting theme accompanies some of the series’ saddest moments. Orihime’s sorrowful goodbye to Ichigo is one of Bleach’s most powerful scenes, and this is a perfect theme to accompany it. The overpowering violin comes in to drown fans in Inoue’s intense pain as she leaves her friends and loved ones.

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The piano melody immerses the audience in the wounded hearts of the characters. It’s a piece directly linked to Bleach’s emotional core. This theme is a classic, but its instrumentation lacks a bit compared to upcoming entries.

8 Power To Strive

Ichigo vs Grimmjoww is one of the most famous fights in the series, and as such a legendary fight, Power To Strive serves as its soundtrack perfectly. The hard-hitting electric guitar goes along with Grimmjoww’s badass personality, and the sounds of metal banging feel like Ichigo’s Zangetsu clashing against the Sexta Espada’s claws. The high violin evokes emotions of the two fighters’ rushing adrenaline as they fight to the death.

7 Escalón

Hirako Shinji is one of the most interesting characters introduced in the Arrancar Arc; his mysterious, cool, jester-like persona attracts the audience immediately. His theme, Escalon, utilizes alien-like sounds along with Mexican-styled instrumentation.

Escalon is Spanish for stairs step, linking to the design of Hirako’s Hollow Mask. This fight theme has a party-like feeling that goes well with the character, who always styled his opponents with a huge grin. But this song’s limited screen time holds it back a bit.

6 What Can You See In Their Eyes?

Vasto Lorde Ichigo vs Ulquiorra is one of the greatest fights in all anime, and this theme accompanies the terrifying transformation of our protagonist into a mindless, overpowering monster. The chants sing about the destructive and deadly battle between the two enormous opposing forces. A fight that decides the fate of Ichigo, but in his hollowed-out eyes lies nothing but destruction. The intense music and chorus follow his descent into the violent depths of Hollowification.

5 La Distancia Para Un Duelo

When anime fans think of Espada, they immediately remember their iconic Spanish guitar soundtrack. This theme plays several times throughout the Arrancar Arc when the iconic antagonists fight our heroes. Their world and powers are all named in Spanish, so Sagisu Shiro took it to employ Flamenco influences in their music. The title of this theme is Spanish for “the distance for a duel,” acting as Espada’s battle theme. It accompanies their world perfectly. Having this piece here only speaks of the greatness of the next entries.

4 4BLM_101_Chokkaku

Ichigo arriving to fight an evolved Aizen after his training in the Dangai will always be an exhilarating moment for Bleach fans. The theme starts with the blood-pumping guitar with the distortion ramped up. The drums kick in, and Ichigo’s power is felt throughout.

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And then it comes, a hard rock remix of Number One signals the audience that the hero is here. Ichigo has achieved transcendent power, and hearing his classic melody with this metal remix reflects that perfectly.

3 Treachery

Aizen Sousuke is one of the most iconic and famous villains in anime. His presence in the story is so monumental that his theme song, Treachery, has become almost as iconic as him. An instantly recognizable ominous melody leading up to that famous chorus. The lyrics describe Aizen’s betrayal and his zanpakutou’s power of complete hypnosis and dismantling of the senses. The theme feels all kinds of sinister and overpowering, a perfect fit for evil incarnate Aizen Sousuke. You’re no good, and you mean no good, treacherously.

2 Clavar La Espada

Few anime soundtracks are as well-known as this one. Clavar La Espada takes the Flamenco music for the Espada to extreme levels of greatness. The fast-paced violin, Spanish guitar, and clapping create this exhilarating emotion that not just accompanies a sword fight perfectly but is also just an incredible piece of music. Some anime OSTs transcend their context and become wonderful pieces people can listen to at their leisure, this being a perfect example. However, in Bleach, only one theme surpasses that standard.

1 Number One Bankai

At Jump Festa 2021, Bleach had a special panel where after ten years of waiting, the trailer for Thousand Year Blood War was unveiled. And in it, Ichigo Kurosaki’s iconic theme song played, but with a fresh coat of paint. Hazel Fernandez’s classic vocals come back for this modernized version of the most iconic main character OST in anime. It perfectly signals Ichigo’s growth and character while also never failing to spark excitement in the hearts of Bleach fans. So baby, now you feel like Number One, shining bright for everyone.

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