Bleach: The Scariest Transformations, Ranked

Summary

• Bleach excels in terrifying transformations to strike fear into opponents with power-ups.
• Ulquiorra’s Segunda Etapa, Kenpachi’s Bankai, and Aizen’s Hogyoku Fusion form, epitomize terror
• Barragan’s Resurrección, Yhwach’s Soul King form, and As Nodt’s Vollstandig add to the series’ body horror.

Bleach is a series that excels in using effective and haunting body horror, and nowhere can this be seen more clearly than in the transformations. Any time a character receives a power-up in Bleach, chances are they will either end up looking majestic and elegant, or downright terrifying, and it’s the latter of the two that this list will be honing in on today.

Alongside the appearance, a sudden transformation can also strike fear into the opponent through its immense power, only adding to the fear factor. These kinds of unnerving transformations also aren’t regulated to the villains, as there have also been plenty of heroes, including Ichigo himself, who have rocked some pretty creepy looks after revealing a brand-new form.

8 Ulquiorra’s Segunda Etapa

Ulquiorra’s Vampiric Second Form Is The Embodiment Of Despair

• First Appearance: Episode 272

It’s made clear early on in the Arrancar Arc that each member of Aizen’s Espada possesses one power-up in the form of a Resurrección which they must only unleash when absolutely necessary. However, Ulquiorra is the one exception to this trend as, after unleashing bat-like first form, he then surprises Ichigo with his Segunda Etapa, which gives the Espada an even eerier look.

With his hole now leaking black goo and gigantic black wings stretched out from each side of his body, Ichigo can’t help but feel helpless at the sight of this terrifying opponent. The fact Ulquiorra maintains a straight face also adds to the scare factor of this iconic form, making it all the more chilling.

7 Kenpachi’s Bankai

Kenpachi Becomes A Bloodthirsty Brute Upon Activating Bankai

• First Appearance: Chapter 669

Not all Bankai will transform the person using them, since many will instead transform only the blade itself, or create a new entity entirely, such as with Mayuri’s and Komomura’s. Kenpachi has always been a little different though, and it’s not until the last few chapters of the story fans get to see his Bankai, which, while a marvel to watch in action, is also quite unnerving.

Kenpachi becomes a mindless brute in this form, with his skin turning red and being covered in black markings, presenting him as even more of a bloodthirsty combatant than he was before. His eyes turn completely white in this form, and since all he craves is a good fight, he will strike at anyone who catches his gaze, regardless of whether they are friend or foe.

6 Aizen’s Fifth Hogyoku Fusion Form

Aizen’s Final Hogyoku Form Turns The Stylish Former Captain Into A True Monster

• First Appearance: Episode 309

Once Aizen becomes one with the Hogyoku, he gradually starts cycling through different forms which, for the most part, seem fairly normal for Bleach standards. However, it’s the final form where the usually stylish and elegant Aizen becomes a true monster, with his face taking on a ghoulish appearance and his wings being stuck together as small mouths appear at the tips.

This form is obviously trying to get across just how absurdly strong Aizen was by this point, and while it definitely succeeds in doing so, a big reason why is because of how effortlessly it strikes fear into anyone who comes into contact with it. When compared to Aizen’s more god-like butterfly form, his “Monster Form”, as many fans have dubbed it, is more like something from a freaky horror show.

5 Barragan’s Resurrección

Barragan Sheds His Skin And Becomes A Royal Skeleton When He Transforms

• First Appearance: Episode 281

Before Barrag joined Aizen’s Espada army, he was once the high and mighty king of Hueco Mundo. Therefore, he already looks quite prestigious in his regular form, though no one could have expected the monstrosity he would turn into upon awakening his Resurrección.

During his fight with Soi Fon, Barragan sheds all his skin, becoming a skeleton with a crown perched above his head and a long flowing cape that follows him from behind, reminding onlookers of his royal status. Considering this form literally comes out of nowhere, and covers an entire two-page spread in the manga, it’s a shocking visual that is the stuff of nightmares.

4 Yhwach’s Soul King Form

Yhwach’s Face Becomes Absorbed In Darkness As Numerous Eyes Appear On The Surface

• First Appearance: TYBW Episode 27

Yhwach, the self-proclaimed Quincy King who plays the role of the main antagonist in the final arc, receives this form after successfully managing to absorb the power of the Soul King. Once he does, Yhwach acquires a black mask covering the top half of his face which is covered in creepy glowing eyes, gifting him with an immense amount of power, especially when paired with the Almighty.

On the one hand, it seems as though Yhwach has been entirely corrupted by this black ooze, but in reality, this was expected from the villain who always intended to seize such power, making him virtually unstoppable. Still, it’s certainly a frightening sight to look at and is enough to send a chill down the spine of even the most seasoned of horror fans.

3 Quilge’s Fusion With Ayon

Quilge Manages To Absorb Ayon To Fuse Himself With The Terrifying Hollow

• First Appearance: TYBW Episode 4

This is a rather baffling form that had a lot of fans scratching their heads when it first appeared, but it’s eventually explained that Quilge had managed to use a technique called Sklaverei to absorb the energy of the Hollow, Ayon. This leads to a horrific form that fuses features of both Quilge and Ayon together, with Quilge’s wings now being inserted with googly eyes and his face appearing to be more Hollow than human.

As a way to introduce the Quincies, Quilge does a pretty admirable job at showing just how twisted and unnerving they can be considering they possess numerous abilities similar to this one. Ichigo’s Hollow form may look a little disturbing, but it’s nothing compared to this look from Quilge.

2 Ichigo’s Vasto Lorde

Ichigo’s Hollow Takes Over His Body And turns Him Into A Sadistic Husk Of His Former Self

• First Appearance: Episode 271

The first and only time Vasto Lorde appears in the series is during Ichigo’s intense battle with Ulquiorra, where he meets his end at the hands of the Espada who spends a lot of the fight throwing Ichigo around like a rag doll. After having a hole pierced through his chest which seemingly kills him, Ichigo’s Hollow begins to take him over, just like White Ichigo predicted many episodes before when he spoke of the “Horse” taking over the “King”.

What results is a frankly demonic-looking Hollow version of Ichigo which is designed with a ragged pair of horns and a sadistic face which is enough to keep anyone up at night. The fact Ichigo’s Vasto Lorde form was able to easily overpower Ulquiorra and lashed out at his own friend Uryu, also went a long way in making this Ichigo’s scariest form by a country mile.

1 As Nodt’s Vollstandig

Despite His Fear Of Hell, As Nodt In This Form Looks Like He Crawled Straight Out Of It

• First Appearance: Episode 19

As Nodt in his basic form is already by far the creepiest of the Sternritter, but his Vollstandig takes this to a whole different level. Upon using this technique against Rukia, As grows into what can only be described as an enlarged manifestation of himself containing bleeding eyes and a mouth full of fangs.

It’s almost like a creature ripped out of a horror manga, considering how chilling As looks in this form, and it only gets worse the longer the ability goes on. As Nodt has always been known to be a character who fears being sent to hell, but this design makes it seem like he’s a creature who crawled out from the pits of hell itself. Luckily, Rukia was able to remain calm and composed when up against this creepy foe, eventually taking him out with her Bankai.