The golden age of Shonen during the 1990s and 2000s saw many promising shows in the industry, but very few could compete with the popularity of One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. All three of these series eventually earned the title of the “Shonen Big Three,” as a testament to their popularity and unparalleled storylines not just in Shonen Jump, but in the entire demographic. While the term Big Three was completely fan-made, it highlighted the global influence and popularity of such shows. One Piece, being the oldest one, is still continuing, while Bleach and Naruto have long concluded their manga series. Bleach is all set to wrap up its main story this year, while Naruto’s spin-off manga, Boruto, is serializing its second part.
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All of these series have featured several powerful villains over the years, thanks to the creators’ incredible power systems. These stories follow the protagonists’ journey as they learn more about how to control their abilities until they are basically unstoppable. However, even every hero must face an obstacle, which is why these villains exist to push them past their limits. So, here’s how they would rank in terms of power.
3) Kaguya Otsutsuki
Naruto is easily the weakest verse out of the three, which is why, despite having otherworldly powers, Kaguya is at the bottom of the list. She is also the most controversial villain of the series since her unexpected entry that changed the entire course of the story was met with criticism. Even now, some fans express their dissatisfaction with introducing her in the final stages of the story. Regardless of how the final stretch was written, her powers can’t be denied. She was the first being who possessed chakra on Earth after consuming the fruit of the God Tree to gain divine power.
Not only was she immortal, but she also possessed unparalleled powers, making her practically untouchable. Her signature technique, the Expansive Truth-Seeking Orb, had the power to obliterate entire dimensions and reduce everything in its path to nothingness. Team 7 did everything they could to stop her, even after Naruto and Sasuke gained powers from the Sage of the Six Paths. However, even then, all they could do was seal her since there was no other way of stopping her.
2) Imu
While One Piece is still ongoing, it’s pretty evident at this point that Imu is going to be the final antagonist. He was first introduced in Chapter 906, which was released in 2018, but the manga only recently revealed what he looks like. Imu’s entire existence is considered taboo in the world since no one was ever supposed to sit on the Empty Throne. In Chapter 1179, the Final Saga takes an unexpected turn when Imu descends into the lower world and arrives in Elbaph.
The chapter introduces him as Saint Nerona Imu, the King of the World and the creator of the World Government, as a member of the 20 Allied Nations. The true extent of Imu’s powers still hasn’t been revealed yet, but the manga showed enough to convince fans that he is the greatest threat the world has ever seen. Not only is Imu practically immortal, but no one, not even Luffy in his Gear 5 form, can touch him.
1) Yhwach
Bleach has one of the most powerful verses in the entire Shonen, much more than Naruto and One Piece. As such, it’s no surprise that the final antagonist of Bleach is by far the most powerful one in the list. His Schrift, The Almighty, doesn’t just allow him to see the future; it allows him to twist and reshape it to his advantage, essentially guaranteeing the best possible outcome. He is so ridiculously overpowered that he can literally break weapons in the future before the fight even starts, like when he shattered Ichigo’s Tensa Zangetsu.
However, that’s not even the most powerful ability; what makes him truly terrifying is his ability to steal others’ powers, experiences, and knowledge. He can do all that just by touching them. Not to mention that he elevated his strength to cosmic levels after merging with the Soul King. His defeat only happened thanks to years of planning by Ryuken, the combined efforts of the Soul Society, and Yhwach’s own arrogance and unshakable faith in his invincibility.
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