Shounen is the most popular genre; and in that genre, there are 2 of the most popular anime of all time, a part of the Big 3.
Yes, we are talking Naruto and Bleach. Both anime are loved by millions of people around the world. Bleach vs Naruto is the topic we’ll be taking a look at and comparing both of them head to head and see which one is better.
Note: Read the complete article for a better understanding of both anime comparisons.
Bleach
Bleach is a supernatural anime about a boy who has awakened his supernatural shinigami powers and now has to help thee souls depart onto the afterlife while defeating hollows who are corrupted souls. Bleach has an interesting cast with multiple military organizations.
The side characters are just too good, the main cast isn’t that great except the protagonist Ichigo and there are overall good villains too. The plot is simple and character-driven, there aren’t many underlying themes, and the character designs are great with great fights.
Naruto
Naruto is a show about facing hardships and overcoming obstacles in life without giving up. The themes of Naruto are a lot deeper than in Bleach, and not only that but the main cast consists of great characters who serve as an inspiration for the viewers.
The villains especially are great and the fight scenes are considered one of the best in all anime mediums.
Similarities Between Bleach And Naruto
- The biggest similarity between the two anime is that both the protagonist use their mother’s last name instead of their father’s, with Naruto using “Uzumaki” and Ichigo using “Kurosaki”.
- Both the rival characters Sasuke and Uryu share the same Japanese voice actor.
- The main villains manipulate the situations from the start.
- The final villains Kaguya and Yhwach Bach return after a long period and serve the role of the main villains.
- Both Naruto and Ichigo have monsters inside them that they eventually tame.
- The fathers of both protagonists are in higher positions, which isn’t revealed until really late in the story.
Bleach vs Naruto (Differences Between Bleach And Naruto)
- Both Naruto and Ichigo are different when it comes to their ambitions, with Naruto having a goal to achieve while Ichigo doesn’t have any goal, he’s just a chill guy.
- The themes are different where bleach follows the supernatural shinigami in action and Naruto follows the ninjas in action.
- Almost everyone uses swords in bleach while in Naruto the fights are based on hand-to-hand combat.
- The rival formula in both the anime is different, Ichigo has had multiple rivals throughout the story, he gets a new rival every arc while Naruto has had only 1 true rival and that is Sasuke.
- Bleach has multiple organizations and factions like the Espada, Xcution, and the Quincies for the heroes to deal with while Naruto has had only 1 major organization The Akatsuki to deal with throughout the story.
Characters
Both anime have a wide variety of characters whether they are on the good side or the bad side.
Protagonists
Bleach and Naruto have 2 of the most liked protagonists.
Ichigo Kurosaki
Ichigo is one of the most popular MCs with a cool design and unlike most other protagonists Ichigo doesn’t have the main goal of achieving something, he’s just a chill guy who wants to live with his friends and family.
After losing his mother he became cold and started acting edgy. His character design is pretty cool though, he even gets multiple transformations in a single arc which adds more to his character.
Naruto Uzumaki
Unlike Ichigo, Naruto has the goal of becoming the Hokage and being acknowledged by everyone, at first Naruto acts like a prankster to get everyone’s attention but as the story progresses he becomes more mature.
Most of the time Naruto doesn’t let his emotions get the better of him either and instead aims to help even his enemies walk down the right path again.
Antagonists
The following are the most impactful antagonists in both shows.
Aizen
The man who is responsible for everything happening in the bleach storyline. And one of the strongest characters in bleach and one of the most popular antagonists overall. Where everyone who follows him is because of his strength, a man who has seen no equal to himself, that is the man called Aizen.
Madara Uchiha
One of the coldest antagonists out there with good intentions but the execution was questionable. The Ghost of The Uchiha, Madara is one of the most badass and beloved villains. Just his swagger was enough for the viewers to see how goated this character was going to be. He became so strong that even the writer didn’t know how to defeat him.
Themes
Both shows have taken inspiration from Buddhism, but there are more inspirations as well while Naruto has also mixed Japanese mythology with Hinduism. While Bleach has taken inspiration from real-world things.
Coming of Age
Ichigo
Ichigo had to become stronger mentally for his family after he lost his mother and we can see how he changed, he became colder and some might even call him edgy but only for his family.
Naruto
Naruto, on the other hand, was immature at the start but his morals were very high as time progressed he became more mature, and spending time with Jiraiya made him wiser than everyone around him.
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Loss Of Innocence
Ichigo
For Ichigo, the breaking point was when Tsukishima turned everyone Ichigo cared about against him. It was the first time Ichigo wanted to outright kill anybody. That was when Ichigo finally broke down.
Naruto
Naruto even when facing these kinds of situations, doesn’t want to go for the kill instead wants his enemies to realize what they have done and get back on the right track. Naruto just wants peace.
Plot
Plots of both series have been discussed below.
Bleach
Bleach has a simple, character-driven plot, with not many underlying themes not to say there aren’t any. The best about bleach is the side characters’ involvement in the plot and the epic fights that happen throughout the story.
Naruto
With Naruto, there are many underlying themes that you have to understand by giving it thought yourself and once you realize it you’ll be able to understand even some real-life scenarios better. The villains play a huge role in the overall plot of Naruto.
Conclusion
So in conclusion, we can say that both are interesting in their own right. Still, both have different routes they take while Bleach is all about action and fantastic characters, Naruto has those same things.
Still, it has something more to offer as well as the ideologies and philosophies presented in Naruto are just phenomenal. The overall animation and action in both shows are great with Naruto having still one of the best hand-to-hand combat fight scenes. After comparing both shows, we can all agree on one thing everyone can relish both of these shows.
