The clear answer to the question is a big No. Naruto is not better than Bleach, it is more like which anime you watch first. If you will look at anime fans around you they are toxic as they just cannot digest facts. Naruto fans or Toxic Naruto fans think that Naruto is the only greatest anime out there. Naruto and Bleach are both part of the BIG 3 Anime and there is a reason to do so. Bleach remained in the dark for many years but recently almost after a decade it made a comeback and shocked everyone.
The animation that the new arc in Bleach got is just unmatchable for Naruto and the shocking fact is that both anime have been animated by the same studio, Studio Pierrot. I do accept the fact that the Naruto series has ended way before that so let’s just forget about it. Keeping toxicity aside, I am here to recommend all Naruto-obsessed fans to watch Bleach too. I will also compare both anime and most of the people like me who have watched both of them will agree for sure.
Let me tell you something that Naruto was the first anime that I have ever watched. Naruto anime hooked me and made me fall in love for a long time. You know I also made a promise that it will remain my favorite and it was my favorite until I watched Bleach. Let’s discuss Bleach first and then I will proceed to compare them.
Why Bleach Feels Boring To Watch?
The first thing you need to take before watching Bleach is to forget about other anime. Otherwise, you will compare Bleach again and again with your favorite anime series. I do agree that Bleach feels boring to watch but later I found that it’s because I was not interested to watch. Bleach was boring but only for 15-18 episodes. Later on, it made almost the same impact on me as Naruto made.
Bleach has a lot and a lot of fillers even more than the Naruto series. Almost 40% of the series are fillers. There is a filler episode that I don’t recommend you skip. That episode is about all women and girls in Bleach wearing a swimsuit. So do watch it.
In What Terms Bleach is Better than Naruto?
Bleach has a unique worldbuilding. The character design seems mature and suits the taste of the majority of the audience. The main thing that made Bleach ahead is the action. Now Bleach without fillers only has 203 episodes excluding the TYBW arc. So in only 203 episodes, it offers better action. You will not see the use of Talk no Jutsu in Bleach. Bleach offers pure evil villains, unlike Naruto where the majority are broken heroes.
Now let’s start the comparison between the two.
Naruto or Bleach- Which is Better?
In the first place, we should compare anime like this to an individual’s taste. My motive is just to tell you that drop some respect to Bleach and if you want to prove my points then you have to watch anime first. Both are great in their place and I like both of them just Bleach is a little more likable anyways let’s start the comparison:
Character Design and Backstory-
When it comes to character design, Bleach gets full marks. At the start, because of old animation, it may seem a little dull with after a few episodes it gets better. In Naruto anime, character designs are good in comparison to other animes but not better than in Bleach. Bleach just offers beautiful character designs.
In terms of backstory, Naruto gets full marks. Almost all major characters and villains in Naruto have a backstory that connects to our hearts. It’s not like Bleach characters have not any backstory they have but not in comparison to Naruto. Maybe in the upcoming Cour of the new arc, we might witness a lot of backstories. So both are equal as one is better in character design and the other is better in backstory.
Protagonist-
It totally depends on the individual but I prefer Ichigo over Naruto. Ichigo is cool and more intelligent than Naruto and also he is a high school student too. Naruto on the other hand is better written than Ichigo as he goes from being a child to an adult in the end.
Naruto is a ninja while Ichigo is a soul reaper and if you want to know who would win in a battle then it is Ichigo. Ichigo is more powerful than Naruto.
Storyline
Naruto has a more in-depth story than Bleach. The story that Naruto anime depicts is motivational. Naruto goes from being nothing to the most powerful ninja. It also gives a lot of motivation to people to work harder and to do good deeds. On the other hand, Bleach’s story is hard to understand in words it’s complex as Ichigo has no motive like Naruto, he just wants to protect the people he loves. So if you want motivation then Naruto might be a good choice for you. It is not like Bleach teaches you nothing. Like other anime, both series also promotes the power of friendship.
Painful Death
Naruto has a more painful death than Bleach. Actually, in Bleach no one dies until the fight between Espadas, and Aizen against Soul Reaper (excluding TYBW). But be ready soon Bleach will overtake as much more intense fights are coming so we might witness the death of favorite characters that we never expected. So just for now Naruto has the upper hand on Bleach.
Villains
Both anime has a lot of villains but has only one that can be referred to as the main antagonist. Madara Uchiha from Naruto and Aizen from Bleach are the main antagonists of their respective series. In terms of villains, Bleach is better. You will agree with me if you have witnessed the evil deeds of Aizen-sama. He is a truly evil antagonist having no sense of fear and loss. I find Aizen way cooler than Madara. If you are wondering who is more powerful then it is Aizen.
There is a similarity in both anime and that is an evil organization. The evil organization in Naruto was Akatsuki and in Bleach was Espada (ruled by Aizen). Akatsuki’s main work was to extract tailed beasts to combine of all them to create one. On the other hand, Espada was created to make the work of Aizen easy by fighting and eliminating soul reapers coming their way.
In terms of the in-depth story of the villain, Naruto wins whereas in terms of cool villain and power level Bleach wins.
World Building
There are 5 major villages in Naruto separated based on the type of region it is. It is nothing special or unique. But in the case of Bleach, there are 3 different worlds, the first is the world of the living (Human World), the second is the Soul Society and the final is Hueco Mundo. The world-building in Bleach is not too vast but unique in itself. In all three worlds, different species live. In the world of living human lives, in Soul Society souls and soul reapers lives and Hueco Mundo is a place for hollows and Arranacar.
Overall both are good and likable in their own way but if one has to be selected I would select Bleach for its uniqueness and simple world-building.
Female Cast-
Both the show offers a lot of great female cast but I prefer Bleach because of its character design. Naruto female casts are good but Bleach is just good. If Naruto offers Tsuande’s 106cm then Bleach also has Matsumoto, I exactly don’t know about the size but they are huge.
In Naruto, females are not that much powerful whereas in Bleach female casts are powerful as they consist of lieutenant and captain level Soul Reapers and also Arranacrs too. The female cast of Bleach plays a huge role in the story too.
Overall I prefer Bleach female casts over Naruto.
Side Characters-
Now side characters do not mean Sasuke (from Naruto) or Ishida (from Bleach) only it includes all major supporting characters. It is hard to choose one but I think Naruto has little upper hand in it. Naruto side characters are well written than Bleach side characters. Again in terms of power Bleach is far ahead.
Actually, character writing and other stuff do not even matter if you are enjoying something. Fans only drag such things to argue and to prove superiority. The main supporting partner in Naruto is Sasuke and Kakashi (Sakura=trash). The impact made in the series by Kakashi and Sasuke is just amazing but such an impactful side character is missing in Bleach.
Power system and Weapon-
Here a winner cannot be declared out of two. It is something that totally depends on personal preferences. In Naruto, the base of everything is Chakra using which performs different Jutsu which also vary from element type. Ninjas not able to use chakra learns taijutsu (hand-to-hand combat). In Bleach, the base of power of spiritual pressure for all but Quincy mostly needs Reishi. Soul Reapers depends on their Zanpakuto and Spiritual Pressure while Quincy depends on their arrows and schrift whereas hollows have different strength.
In terms of weapons, Bleach wins. Every single Soul Reaper has Zanpakuto (Soul-cutter sword). In Nauto we hardly see the use of weapons as they mostly depend on Jutsu performed with the help of hand signs. The Zanpakuto is very powerful and its ability and potential varies from user to user. It is not something that someone can steal as Zanpakuto has their own will too. So Bleach here is ahead of Naruto.
Soundtracks-
The soundtrack is as important as other aspects. Using the right soundtrack at the right moment filled a particular scene with more depth. Again it comes to personal preferences but Naruto’s soundtrack gives an old and traditional vibe whereas Bleach has a more modern soundtrack. I like Bleach soundtracks more, they just feel better. Also, many fans agree that Bleach has produced some powerful soundtracks.
Manga-
Bleach manga art style is better than Naruto manga. It somehow resonates with the seinen art style but at the same time follows the art of shounen too. Naruto manga is good and has amazing details too but Bleach manga feels less cartoony.
Fanbase-
Naruto has more fan base than Bleach. Bleach recently started to get more recognization with the release of a new TYBW arc. Naruto was always a fan favorite and even on social media, I used to see more Naruto edits. Even after being part of BIG 3 Bleach really was neglected by the fans. I recently saw many people finally giving it some respect. But if one has to be a winner then it is Naruto as the Naruto fanbase is more. At the same time, a few of them are a little toxic too.
Things I Hate Aout Naruto Series
First of all, I feel like there were a lot of characters with great potential but they just got wasted. Also, the use of Talk no Jutsu does not make any sense. Something we expect for action but Talk no Jutsu always limits the potential of an action scene. Moreover, the presence of a purely evil villain is something that the series missing. But even with so much thing lacking, it feels to watch. I don’t mind other things but Talk no Justsu sometimes ruins our expectations.
Overall, both are great at their place. I prefer Bleach over Naruto because I like the fight scene and action more with many evil characters. Your taste might be different from mine. In the end, don’t get obsessed with one anime give other anime equal respect. I also try to watch different anime from time to time. Once you will love anime not just a particular show you will enjoy all the titles out there.