In Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, the Sternritter are an elite army of Quincy warriors, working directly under Yhwach, who handed out his Schrift like cheat codes. Every single one of them walked into Soul Society thinking they were untouchable. Spoiler alert, but almost none of them made it out alive. In fact, some died comically with a single hit.
Some took three captains to bring down. A few didn’t even lose a straight fight; they just got fed to Yhwach’s own plans. Let’s take a look at every single Sternritter who died in Thousand-Year Blood War, ranked from the ones who barely got a highlight reel to the ones who made Soul Society bleed. Let’s dive in.
21. Shaz Domino Dies With a Single Attack
Now this is where the actual weakness is, as Shaz Domino barely got a real fight. When he was introduced, he was bragging about being a Sternritter, but before he even got to finish his sentence, we saw the POV of Ichigo absolutely dominating him with a single strike. His reiatsu simply vanished, making everyone aware of what just happened.
What makes him interesting is that later it turns out that he was a being conjured into existence by Gremmy Thoumeaux’s The Visionary (more on that in a minute) who eventually became independent enough to fight on his own.
20. Jerome Guizbatt Dies by the Hands of Kenpachi
Jerome, Sternritter R, could transform into a massive ape-like beast and unleash a roar that can affect low-level Soul Reapers from a distance. That’s a legitimately scary ability against random Shinigami footsoldiers. However, the reason he ranks this low is that that’s all he had going for him.
Against Kenpachi Zaraki, he was simply too weak. Jerome was one of three Sternritter who confronted Kenpachi during the first invasion, and Kenpachi simply cut him clean in half without even breaking a single drop of sweat. Kenpachi later carried Jerome’s body over his shoulder like a sack of laundry.
19. Loyd Lloyd – The Lesser Twin
Loyd Lloyd shares his Schrift, The Yourself, with his twin brother Royd, and the power lets him copy the appearance and fighting style of whoever he’s up against. On paper, that’s an incredible ability, since it means he can mirror a captain-level fighter’s exact moveset. And to be honest, it is strong, but just not for him.
In practice, Loyd tried using it on Kenpachi Zaraki, which was probably the worst possible matchup. Copying someone’s technique doesn’t help much when the original opponent is a monster with zero technique of his own to copy. Kenpachi killed him with ease.
18. Nianzol Weizol – Outpaced by Faster Blades
Nianzol was Sternritter W, The Wind, and his ability let him generate a diversion field that literally bends incoming attacks away from his body. That’s a lot like Gojo’s infinity from Jujutsu Kaisen, but it isn’t that strong.
The problem is that “bending attacks away” only works if the attacker isn’t fast or numerous enough to overwhelm the field outright. Divine General of the North Senjumaru Shutara used her Shikai, Shigarami, to impale him with a barrage of spikes that simply outpaced whatever his wind field could redirect. Hence, he is not invincible.
17. Berenice Gabrielli – Just Another Victim of Kenpachi
Berenice Gabrielli, Sternritter Q, wielded The Question, an ability meant to confuse and disorient enemies before delivering a finishing blow. It’s a solid ability for messing with someone’s head mid-fight or simply harming them with objections.
However, his ability has an obvious flaw. If he can’t speak or the opponent can’t listen, he is useless. Kenpachi Zaraki ripped his throat out with his bare hand before the fight even had time to develop into something worth animating. He ranks a bit higher than others because of his creative ability, but compared to those above him, he is weak.
16. BG9 Gets Cut Down Right Alongside Cang Du
BG9, Sternritter K, is one of the strangest members of the whole Wandenreich, as it is very robotic. It fought Captain Sui-Feng, stealing her bankai with its medallion, and came loaded with extendable tendrils that can rip data straight out of a defeated opponent’s body.
It is also very durable, but none of that durability mattered once Sui-Feng got her hands on a Hollowfied bankai and blasted BG9 with Jakuhō Raikōben at full power. BG9 survived the explosion, but surviving wasn’t the same as winning. Dragged in front of Yhwach afterward, its life was taken along with Cang.
15. Cang Du Proved to Be Useless, Even for Yhwach
Cang Du, Sternritter I, could harden his entire body with The Iron, which gives him amazing defence. On top of that, he can use his Reihi to create claws that he uses as weapons. Combine all that with his physical fighting style, and it made him a tough enemy to put down in a straight fight.
He actually managed to fight Toshiro Hitsugaya on equal footing for a while, which is nothing to scoff at. But surviving a fight isn’t the same as winning it, and losing was enough to get him executed. That is why he ranks this low, because while he survived, he was eventually killed by Jugram for being incompetent.
14. Pepe Waccabrada – The Puppet Master Gets Eaten
Pepe Waccabrada, Sternritter L, had one of the creepiest abilities in the entire anime. The Love let him make others fall in love with him, and they love him so hard that they would strike even their own friends. He used it on Shuhei Hisagi and even on his own comrade Meninas McAllon.
Liltotto Lamperd came looking for him after he tried to enslave her and her friends, and Pepe folded instantly, begging for his life. Liltotto eventually killed and ate him with her Glutton ability. This is the reason why he ranks low, because while he can take control of others, he does not fight on his own at all.
13. Driscoll Berci – Not Even His Bones Survived
Driscoll Berci, Sternritter O, wielded The Overkill, an ability that makes him stronger with every kill. He killed hundreds of Soul Reapers and grew really strong, and he proved his strength by killing Lieutenant Chojiro Sasakibe and stealing his bankai.
Unfortunately for him, that murder happened right in front of Yamamoto. Driscoll tried taunting Yamamoto with Sasakibe’s stolen bankai, and Yamamoto responded by making sure not even his bones get to exist anymore, but using his Ryūjin Jakka. Arrogance can be considered his weakness. If he lived long, he may have been higher on this ranking.
12. Robert Accutrone Is Killed by Yhwach Himself
Robert Accutrone, Sternritter N, was one of the older and more composed Sternritter, skilled enough with a spirit pistol to fight Captain Shunsui Kyoraku to a standstill and even shoot out his right eye. He was also sharp enough to realize something the younger Sternritter never picked up on: Yhwach saw all of them as disposable.
That realization turned out to be completely correct as Yhwach used Auswahlen to drain the remaining Sternritter for his own gain. A beam of light came down and disintegrated Robert on the spot, leaving nothing behind but his skeleton and uniform. He ranks around the middle for being smart and extremely skilled with his spirit weapon.
11. Quilge Opie – Split Down the Middle
Quilge Opie, Sternritter J, has the ability called The Jail, which could trap anyone inside a nearly indestructible reishi barrier, one strong enough to survive a point-blank bankai-powered Getsuga Tensho from Ichigo.
Quilge fought hard, even absorbing power from Ayon to keep pace with Ichigo’s bankai. He trapped Ichigo in his cage one last time and was about to finish off everyone nearby before losing his stolen power. That’s exactly when Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez showed up out of nowhere and sliced him clean in half vertically. His strength put him in perfect mid-tier among the ones who died, as he is probably the first one who gave a proper fight.
10. Mask de Masculine Had James Behind Him All Along
Mask de Masculine’s real power wasn’t his own attacks; it was his tiny companion James, who could cheer him on to recover from almost any injury and even duplicate himself for backup, which made Mask incredibly hard to put down in a straight fight, since he could basically shrug off fatal damage as long as James was alive to hype him up.
However, the trick only worked as long as James survived, and Renji Abarai’s new bankai, So’o Zabimaru, finally caught and destroyed James. In short, without his hype man, Mask is not that strong, which makes him rank lower than the real monsters. Furthermore, if it was just James, he would have ranked way lower in this ranking.
9. Bazz-B Burns Bright Before Burning Out
Bazz-B, Sternritter H, controlled fire-based reiatsu through his fingers, with each additional finger raised making the attack exponentially stronger. Burner Finger 1 alone could melt Hitsugaya’s ice bankai, which speaks volumes for his strength.
His real story, though, was his grudge against Jugram Haschwalth, his childhood friend turned Sternritter Grandmaster. Furious that Yhwach abandoned Sternritter like sacrifices, Bazz-B challenged Haschwalth directly, throwing everything he had- Burner Finger 3, 4, and eventually Burning Full Fingers- at his former friend.
For a short time, he went toe-to-toe with one of the strongest villains in the entire anime, which makes him rank higher than more than half of the Sternritters.
8. ÄS Nödt Traps Everyone in Their Own Fear
ÄS Nödt, Sternritter F, used Fear, which let him fire thorn-like arrows that inflict overwhelming dread on anyone hit, and the effect itself isn’t stopped by physical barriers. Once someone’s overwhelmed with fear, they’re basically defenseless, letting ÄS Nödt finish them off at his leisure.
His Vollstandig form, which looks like something out of a horror anime, makes it even worse for opponents, as it surrounds him and his target in a sphere covered in eyes that blast fear from every angle at once, making escape nearly impossible.
Still, Rukia eventually found her opening with the help of her brother and froze him solid with Hakka no Togame, shattering him into pieces. He is truly terrifying, which makes him rank this high in the overall list.
7. Royd Lloyd Can Copy Anyone to Near Perfection
Royd Lloyd, the other half of The Yourself alongside his twin Loyd, the one we already mentioned in this ranking, took the exact same power and did something completely different with it. Where Loyd tried it on Kenpachi and died instantly, Royd used it to impersonate Yhwach himself, memories and all.
He even held his own against Yamamoto’s bankai for a stretch of the fight before finally being cut down. Royd proved that The Yourself, in the right hands, is one of the scarier Schrift in the entire war, even if it ultimately couldn’t save him from the strongest captain in Soul Society’s history.
6. Pernida Parnkgjas Rewrites the Body From the Inside Out
Pernida, Sternritter C and the literal left arm of the Soul King, didn’t need to throw a single punch to be terrifying. The Compulsory let it hijack an opponent’s nervous system remotely, twisting bones and flesh from a distance or even forcing someone to end their own life if they were weak enough.
Its downfall came after Nemu sacrificed a chunk of her own soul to land a crucial hit; Pernida’s severed remains still latched onto her and devoured her, trying to absorb more information from her body. That backfired horribly, and its cells divided so violently that it eventually burst apart entirely. It’s important to note that its abilities don’t come from Yhwach, which justifies the high rank.
5. Askin Nakk Le Vaar’s Poison Makes Him Nearly Unkillable
Askin can manipulate the lethal dosage of anything he’s absorbed, meaning he can turn something as ordinary as someone’s own blood into a fatal poison just by adjusting the numbers in his head. That is a really broken ability, and that is what makes him rank this high.
Fighting Kisuke Urahara, Askin nearly claimed victory, taking out one of Urahara’s eyes and forcing him into his bankai. But Urahara gained the upper hand because his bankai could restructure anything, allowing him to open a path for Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez to rip Askin’s heart out from behind, a lethal tag-team move Askin genuinely wasn’t prepared for.
4. Gremmy Thoumeaux Turns Imagination Into Reality
Now we are in the territory where you would question, “Wait, how can someone like him die?” Gremmy has one of the most broken abilities in the entire anime industry, period. The Visionary lets him make anything literally he imagines become real, with no clear upper limit. In fact, you may even find characters that were simply his imagination.
However, there is also a really big flaw with his ability, as he would die if he accidentally imagined his death into existence. Facing Kenpachi Zaraki for the first time in his life, Gremmy ran into an opponent whose sheer confidence and bloodlust he couldn’t out-imagine (which speaks more about Kenpachi than it does about Gremmy). If this weakness wasn’t there, he would be at the top.
3. Lille Barro Never Misses
Lille’s ability lets his rifle pierce through absolutely anything in its line of sight with perfect accuracy. And since there is no projectile involved and it happens without delay, you cannot dodge it, which explains why he is ranked this high in the ranking.
Lieutenant Nanao Ise wields Shinken Hakkyoken, a blade that reflects the power of whatever god its user is facing. When Lille fired his strongest attack, Trompete, straight at her, Nanao sent that same blast right back at him. Lille’s god-like form was shattered into powerless, flamingo-like clones that fell to the Seireitei below, effectively ending his divine reign of terror.
2. Gerard Valkyrie Is a Miracle Himself
Gerard is arguably the single hardest character to permanently kill in the entire anime. The Miracle means any damage done to him just turns into a miracle instead, meaning he can regenerate from anything, including having his body cut clean in half or his head crushed, and it makes it obvious why he ranks this high.
The only real way to stop him is to destroy the Quincy cross acting as his actual core, which nobody in that fight managed to pull off. In the end, Gerard wasn’t beaten in combat at all. He died when Yhwach used Auswählen.
1. Jugram Haschwalth – Yhwach’s Silent Right Hand
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Credit: Studio Pierrot -
Credit: Studio Pierrot -
Credit: Studio Pierrot
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Credit: Studio Pierrot -
Credit: Studio Pierrot -
Credit: Studio Pierrot
Jugram is Yhwach’s literal other half, a rare Quincy born with the power to give strength to others instead of taking it, which is exactly why Yhwach trusts him above every other Sternritter. His own Schrift, The Balance, lets him redirect misfortune between himself and his opponent, meaning any injury done to him, or any good luck an enemy experiences, just gets rerouted back at them instead.
On top of that, Jugram wields The Almighty whenever Yhwach is asleep, letting him see the future, though unlike Yhwach he can’t actually alter what he sees, only react to it. The combination of both makes it obvious why he is the top-ranked. Jugram Haschwalth also died after being drained of his power by Yhwach through the Auswählen
| RANK | STERNRITTER |
| 21 | Shaz Domino |
| 20 | Jerome Guizbatt |
| 19 | Loyd Lloyd |
| 18 | Nianzol Weizol |
| 17 | Berenice Gabrielli |
| 16 | BG9 |
| 15 | Cang Du |
| 14 | Pepe Waccabrada |
| 13 | Driscoll Berci |
| 12 | Robert Accutrone |
| 11 | Quilge Opie |
| 10 | Mask de Masculine |
| 9 | Bazz-B |
| 8 | ÄS Nödt |
| 7 | Royd Lloyd |
| 6 | Pernida Parnkgjas |
| 5 | Askin Nakk Le Vaar |
| 4 | Gremmy Thoumeaux |
| 3 | Lille Barro |
| 2 | Gerard Valkyrie |
| 1 | Jugram Haschwalth |
Which of these characters do you want more of? Let us know in the comments.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is streaming on Hulu.
