In a shonen action anime like Bleach, the protagonist’s powers and personal relationships matter the most in their development. That said, fans can still enjoy the character’s aesthetics, because a character’s appearance speaks volumes about who they are. It helps that in Bleach, author Tite Kubo lovingly expressed his fondness for trendy urban fashion with his characters, both in the main series and in bonus art, and Ichigo Kurosaki is always involved.
This means that, over time, Ichigo Kurosaki has donned a variety of outfits, most of them being combat outfits. Even a basic outfit like a set of black Soul Reaper robes can be customized in all kinds of ways, and Ichigo always makes it look good. He has also worn some notable “civilian” outfits as well, including a few fits from the bonus art books to expand his wardrobe that much more. Ichigo’s outfits can thus be ranked according to style and their symbolic relevance to his character arc.
10 Ichigo’s First Soul Reaper Outfit Was a Basic Start
It Didn’t Make Him Stand Out
Ichigo Kurosaki had a serious glow-up when he gained Rukia Kuchiki’s Soul Reaper powers while they both faced Fishbone D. To suit his new power-up, Ichigo obtained a set of black Soul Reaper robes that mirrored Rukia’s own, and it marked the start of a new era in Ichigo’s life. While symbolic, that outfit was also rather plain compared to what came next.
At the time, Ichigo both looked like and fought like an ordinary Soul Reaper, a far cry from the flashy outfits and powers he would later wield as a shonen hero. That’s why Ichigo’s initial Soul Reaper outfit ranks last among his most noteworthy duds, but in all fairness, he had to start somewhere. That outfit was plain so the next few would look that much cooler by comparison.
9 Ichigo’s School Uniform Keeps Him Grounded and Relatable
That Reinforced the Pseudo-Isekai Vibes
Ichigo’s school uniform had practically nothing to do with Soul Reapers and zanpakuto, but it did play a deceptively important role in Bleach‘s narrative. What sets this anime apart from the rest of the shonen “big three” is that Bleach starts off in the real world, as opposed to a fantasy world of ninjas or fruit-eating pirates. That fact was symbolized by the main characters’ school uniforms.
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Design-wise, Ichigo’s and Orihime’s outfits are nothing special in an industry packed with high school anime, but that’s not the point. Ichigo’s school uniform keeps him grounded as a 21st century teenager for whom the Soul Society is a foreign and exotic realm, not home. Unlike Naruto and Luffy, Ichigo Kurosaki knows what it’s like to walk to school, take tests, and get ready for graduation.
8 Ichigo’s Post-Time Skip Bankai Outfit Didn’t Last Very Long
He Lost to Yhwach While Wearing It
This particular outfit is a riff on Ichigo’s original bankai outfit, and it’s the outfit Ichigo was seen wearing in the first cour of the Thousand-Year Blood War story arc. The post-time skip bankai outfit is a stylish and cool one, but it also didn’t last that long, so fans didn’t see much of it. Most importantly, this outfit didn’t really break new ground for Ichigo, so it’s not that special.
Ichigo had this outfit on when he activated bankai while fighting Sternritter J, Quilge Opie, in the grim deserts of Hueco Mundo early in the TYBW story arc. Ichigo also wore it during his brief time in the Soul Society’s battle, facing Yhwach in that outfit and suffering total defeat in the process. Ichigo could only stare in shock as Yhwach snapped Ichigo’s bankai in half, proof that Ichigo still had a ways to go with his powers, complete with new outfits to match.
7 Ichigo’s “NICE VIBE” T-Shirt is One of His Best Pieces of Casual Clothing
Any Trendy Youth Would Want to Wear It
Most of the time in Bleach‘s anime, Ichigo Kurosaki was seen wearing uniforms, either school or Soul Reaper uniforms, but he still had a closet of everyday wear, too. That was part of the fun of the Agent of the Shinigami story arc, with Ichigo rotating through different shirts and jeans in his everyday life. That helped set him apart from Luffy and Naruto, who didn’t have street clothes like that.
The single best example was when Ichigo put on a simple but cool purple T-shirt with the English words “NICE VIBES” on the front, which is just the kind of thing a cool teen would wear in everyday life. Funnily enough, while Ichigo’s shirt paid a compliment to everyone’s vibes, the tsundere punk Ichigo Kurosaki was unlikely to say such a thing with his own words.
6 Ichigo’s Fullbring Outfit Was a Flashy New Getup
It Symbolized His Return as a Warrior
After the 17-month time skip in Bleach, Ichigo Kurosaki had no powers, since he gave them all up to defeat Sosuke Aizen via his Mugetsu powers. Then, a stranger named Kugo Ginjo offered to help Ichigo get some new powers with an ability called Fullbring. Ichigo was skeptical at first, but then he accepted Kugo’s offer and gained Fullbring, an approximation of his lost Soul Reaper powers.
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That gave Ichigo one of his most unique outfits, one that had more white on it than most of his other getups as a Soul Reaper warrior. While the Fullbring outfit clearly paid homage to Ichigo’s bankai outfit, it also had new elements that almost looked skeletal. Ichigo fought in that outfit for a brief time until he regained his true Soul Reaper powers and outfits with Rukia’s aid.
5 Ichigo’s Current Shikai Outfit Includes a Hat and Cloak
In That Outfit, He Defeated Bambietta’s Team
This particular outfit ranks in the middle among Ichigo Kurosaki’s best costumes because it’s symbolic of how powerful he has become in the endgame of Bleach‘s overall story. It’s the last battle outfit Ichigo will ever wear in the anime, and in the process, it represents his triumphant return as the best hope for the entire Soul Society.
That means a lot, and this new shikai outfit thus means a lot, but it’s a repeat of what Bleach fans have already seen, so it only ranks in the middle among Ichigo’s best outfits. That said, the new shikai outfit in the Thousand-Year Blood War story arc does look stylish and cool, with some red on the left shoulder pad to add some variety in the colors.
4 Ichigo’s Outfit in All Colours But the Black Has a Royal Pattern on It
Purple is a Good Color For Him
Author Tite Kubo clearly had fun dressing up his characters in all kinds of eye-popping outfits in all the bonus art, which includes what fans can find in the book All Colours But the Black. On the book’s cover, fans can find Ichigo Kurosaki in a brand-new outfit, all while holding his shikai and giving the viewer a stern look.
Ichigo is dressed up in a purple, high-collared coat with a white fur cuff on the sleeve, and the coat is unzipped enough to reveal the shirt underneath. Ichigo’s new outfit also features a gray-green glove and most notably, royal-looking patterns of lions on the coat. That, combined with the color purple, gives Ichigo a regal look.
3 Ichigo’s Mugetsu Getup is Dark and Sinister
He Almost Looked Like a Villain in it
By the time the battle for the fake Karakura Town began, Ichigo Kurosaki was stronger than ever with his bankai and his half-other powers, but not even that was enough for him to take down Sosuke Aizen. It seemed no one could stop Aizen as he powered up with the Hogyoku, so Isshin Kurosaki decided to help his son train in the Dangai.
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When Ichigo re-emerged, he had his Mugetsu outfit, becoming one with Getsuga itself. That outfit totally overhauled Ichigo’s vibe, lengthening and darkening his hair to the point he was almost unrecognizable. He also had dark gray bandages on his torso and face, along with a fearsome new version of Zangetsu. It was an eerie outfit, but Ichigo used it to fight for good, and Aizen was eventually vanquished.
2 Ichigo’s Execution Hill Outfit Was a Symbol of Hope
Everything Felt Different When Ichigo Arrived in it
Ichigo Kurosaki powered up several times in the Soul Society story arc, and the final power-up granted him his bankai, which he obtained after two years of training. Ichigo even got a cool new outfit to mark his return to the battlefield once he had bankai, dramatically interrupting Rukia’s execution while wearing it.
Ichigo had bandages wrapped on his arms and torso, all while wearing a huge beige cloak with a high collar that hid part of his face. The outfit even had a thick rope around the collar for visual flair. Ichigo briefly wore this stunning outfit while fighting to save Rukia, and while the outfit didn’t last long, it still represented the return of much-needed hope for Ichigo’s best Soul Reaper friend.
1 Ichigo’s Bankai Outfit Remains His Most Iconic Look
It May be Considered Ichigo’s “Main” Look
Ichigo Kurosaki’s best outfit of all is the one he gained when using his bankai for the first time on Sokyoku Hill. With Ichigo awakening his best power yet, he needed a terrific outfit to match the occassion and build up the hype, and he had just the thing. His new outfit was almost like a suit-robe, giving him a lean and focused appearance that contrasted with loose, flowng Soul Reaper robes.
That aesthetic matched Ichigo’s new bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, which was a leaner, meaner version of traditional bankai. That made Ichigo defy conventional wisdom of bankai being huge and flashy, and of course, his outfit changed the same way. This wasn’t a one-time thing, either, because Ichigo was seen in this bankai outfit many more times in future Bleach battles, including his best fights in Hueco Mundo. All that is why Ichigo’s original bankai outfit is his best and most iconic of all.
Bleach revolves around Kurosaki Ichigo, a regular always-grouchy high-schooler who for some strange reason is able to see the souls of the dead around him.
- Release Date
- September 6, 2006
- Cast
- Johnny Yong Bosch , Michelle Ruff , Stephanie Sheh , Jamieson Price , Derek Stephen Prince , Wally Wingert
- Seasons
- 16
- Creator
- Production Company
- Story By
- Tite Kubo
- Writers
- Tite Kubo , Masashi Sogo
- Number of Episodes
- Network
- Funimation
- Directors
- Noriyuki Abe , Jun’ya Koshiba
- Showrunner
- Tite Kubo
- Producers
- Tasuku Honda , Yoshihiko Tominaga , Genki Negishi
- Character(s)
- Ulquiorra (voice) , Ryūsei ‘Kenryū’ Kenzaki (voice) , Ugaki (voice) , Avirama Redder , Kurōdo (voice) , Noitora (voice) , Uncredited , Maki Ichinose (voice) , Jinta Hanakari (voice) , Noba , Aaroniero Arruruerie (voice) , Lirin (voice) , Mashiro Kuna (voice) , Wonderweiss Margera (voice) , Hyōrinmaru (voice) , Uryu Ishida (voice) , Nel Tu (voice)
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