There was a time when Bleach was one of the world's most popular anime and manga series, and fans rejoiced when it was announced that the Thousand-Year Blood War arc would be getting animated. What made Bleach special was the concept of Soul Reapers, who all use a special type of sword called a Zanpakuto. These swords have released forms with unique abilities, but Soul Reapers also have a type of magic called Kido at their disposal.
There are three forms of Kido, including Kaido, which is used solely for healing. Bakudo spells are meant to immobilize targets, certain spells can create seals and defensive barriers. Hado is offensive Kido that causes direct damage. There are a number of skilled Kido users, but some are true masters.
8 Byakuya Can Cast High-Level Spells With Ease
Byakuya is the head of the Kuchiki Clan and the current Captain of Squad 6, and he is a master of the Flash Step. When it comes to Kido, he is a master who can use low-level spells repeatedly and in quick succession. His advanced Kido knowledge allows these relatively weak spells to deal considerable damage.
He can cast high-level spells with ease and without needing incantations. His battle with Koga in the Zanpakuto Unknown Tales Arc may have been filler, but it was one the best fights in all of Bleach because half the battle involved Kido attacks and defenses.
7 Captain Unohana Specializes In Medical Kido
Retsu Unohana is the Captain of Squad 4, and she is one of the oldest and most experienced Captains within Soul Society. She may appear to be gentle and caring, but she is actually a powerful and deadly fighter, and her battle with Kenpachi in the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc will prove that.
She can perform high-level Bakudo spells without reciting any incantations, but her true mastery lies in Kaido. Squad 4 is Soul Society's Medical Division, so it is not surprising that she excels in healing Kido. Her proficiency with Kaido is so high, that no other Soul Reaper even comes close.
6 Hachigen Was The Kido Corps' Lieutenant
The Kido Corps is a separate military branch within Soul Society which specializes in Kido, and Hachigen served as its Lieutenant more than 100 years ago. In order to become the Lieutenant, Hacchi needed to be a Kido master, and he is especially skilled in Bakudo.
He can cast Bakudo #99 without an incantation, and he can fully control it without difficulty. After becoming a Visored and getting exiled from Soul Society, Hacchi honed his skills and created his own spells, like Time-Space Barriers and Regression. He managed to defeat the 2nd Espada by using only Kido.
5 Tessai Once Led The Kido Corps
Tessai's impact on the series has been minimal, which is unfortunate because he is actually one of the greatest Kido masters in history. Before being exiled from Soul Society 100 years ago, Tessai was the Grand Kido Chief, making him the Captain of the Kido Corps.
He can perform high-level Bakudo and Hado spells at full power without an incantation, and he can fully control them. He can heal excessive injuries, which means that he is proficient in healing Kido, and he can use forbidden Kido spells that can manipulate time and space.
4 Kisuke Urahara Is A Kido Master
Kisuke Urahara is the former Captain of Squad 12, and he is the founder of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. He has one of the series' best Bankai, but he mainly relies on Kido during combat. He can use the same high-level Kido in quick succession, but he has some difficulty casting spells above level 88 without using incantations.
Urahara can break barriers used by Soul Society's noble clans, which is something most Captains cannot do. His vast knowledge allows him to create his own spells that serve specific functions. Even Aisen said he would have lost to Urahara's Kido if he did not have the power of the Hogyoku.
3 Captain-Commander Yamamoto Was The Strongest Soul Reaper For Centuries
Genryusai Yamamoto possessed the oldest and strongest fire-type Zanpakuto, and with more than 2,000 years of battle experience, he is regarded as the strongest Soul Reaper in history. Most Kido masters need to at least say the spell's name in order to use it, but Yamamoto can use high-level Kido without saying a word, and the spell's strength barely diminishes.
As seen in the Gotei 13 Invasion Arc, Yamamoto can break out of several high-level Bakudo spells that have been placed on him at the same time, and he can produce barriers that can block all but the most powerful of attacks.
2 Aizen Can Perform Higher Level Kido With Ease
Aisen is a very charismatic villain, and he happens to be insanely powerful. Many believe that his Zanpakuto's Shikai is his most powerful ability, which it is seeing as it grants him the power of complete hypnosis, but his Kido mastery is terrifying as well.
He can produce high-level Kido without incantations, and when he used Hado #90 against Captain Komamura, he was able to neutralize him even though the spell was at just 33% power. He can block high-level Hado spells with ease, and after spending time in prison, he can now cast the highest offensive spells at full power even while his spiritual pressure is being suppressed.
1 Ichibe Hyosube Is A Master Of Names
Ichibe Hyosube is the leader of the Zero Division, which makes him one of the strongest Soul Reapers in history. He named everything within Soul Society, and his powers revolve around name manipulation. As a result, he can cast any Kido spell at full power by just saying its name. He can even nullify Kido spells.
He was able to create a secret Hado spell that is more powerful than any other offensive spell, and it is capable of destroying Yhwach's Blut Vene Anhaben, which is a forcefield that can block even the strongest of attacks.