User blog comment:Xilinoc/Ch. 550 - Blazing Bullets/@comment-5657895-20130928233056/@comment-5657895-20131001174121

I don't really like Suì-Fēng or Hitsugaya either, but they most certainly are strong and interesting. And they're both stronger than Mayuri. If you need any confirmation of this look at the Battle data that Kubo has provided, they're in the Powers and Abilities sections of the Captains.

Yeah, I've seen those. But according to that Kenpachi would be the weakest wouldn't he? He has 390 while Tosen had 460 and Kenpachi beat Bankai Tosen. Those charts are simple stats, they don't indicate real strength. Ukitake ranks lower than Toshiro but Yamamoto said that Ukitake was one of the strongest in the Soul Society, ever. THe stats are a rubric but they don't make one stronger than the other. For example, Sui Feng has higher Strength rating than Yamamoto but Yamamoto was strong enough to break Wonderweiss' hierro when even Kensei and Kuno couldn't. And with just two punches.

Mayuri is one of the weaker captains, he lost against Uryū in the Soul Society arc (although Uryū did use a super overpowered technique, so that battle isn't really a good example) and he would have been easily killed by Szayelaporro hadn't it been for him having infected Uryu with surveillance bacteria so that he could see the early parts of the fight and replace his organs.

And if Szayelaporro hadn't accidentally infected himself with the Superhuman drug through Nemu's body, the fight would have been much longer and there's no telling who'd have won. I'd say that Mayuri and Szayelaporro were the same level, and Szayelaporro was only the eight strongest Espada.

Szayel in my opinion, was stronger than Zommarri. Maybe not in terms of spiritual power but he had strategy on his side and his abilities were a lot more dangerous.

As for Mayuri, he certainly is not one of the weakest. He fights using his brain. He outsmarts his opponents. He 'cheats' if you will to win. That's what makes him strong. I think he could easily outsmart the likes of Komamura and Toshiro and Sui Feng in combat. His spiritual abilities aren't the strongest but proper strategy and planning can overcome any obstacle.