Max level for any one character = 175.
Sounds daunting, and in some ways it is
...the levels is just one of the grindy aspects of this game. However, there are a few characters that level very easily depending on where you take them.
Stark - Easiest to max in my opinion. Beat Attack Beginner will net you the most for him (~3.2k per round). I took him there around level 30 and had him maxed in no time at all.
Nnoitra - A little more difficult than Stark, but only because you need him around level 50 before you can really do any devastation. Beat Attack Intermediate, and spamming his triangle move, will net you a high reward (and give you kills towards that nasty 33,650 trophy
).
Aizen - Beat Attack Intermediate again. Spamming his Air + Circle move will give you better results than Nnoitra easily. Just remember: you need to use triangle to send those orbs out, and you don't need to focus on anyone with this technique. Those vicious purple orbs will seek out everything for ~10 seconds before disappearing, so literally jump + circle, land + triangle, REPEAT. My record is 578 on this mission with him
.
Barragan - Mission 7 on hard difficulty (after level 50 - before than just do it on normal). Using Respira (Air + Triangle) will build your combo fast. All I would do is send out Respira and move around a lot letting that move build my combo to 1k, then I would dive in using the Circle move (Death By Age). Everything fell, and usually netted me ~3.2k soul points after every round.
Gin - Mission 7 until you unlock all the combo extensions, then take him into Beat Attack Beginner. In Beat Attack, I would take Gin into one corner and spam his triangle moves turning back and forth 45 degrees after every attack. Enemies literally run to their death on that mission, so don't worry about going to them
. When Zaraki appears, don't worry about him as much - just keep focusing on the generic soul reapers.
Ichigo - Alternating between mission 7 and 19 will net you the best results. Mission 7 on Hard will net you +3k soul points, and Mission 19 on Hard will give you close to 10k (depending on your ability with combos
). I started taking him into mission 19 around level 120 and had him finished in no time at all.
Ishida - Mission 7 on normal until you have a decent amount of spirit pressure, then Beat Attack Beginner once again. Mission 19 is good for him as well after level 100 (he is much easier to build, and keep, combos with).
Kyoraku - Mission 7 on normal again, until you get most of the extended combo upgrades, then your best bet is Beat Attack Beginner spamming his triangle moves. They build a fast combo, and draw people in so you don't need to chase anyone around. Using his ignition makes his tornadoes even bigger - keep that in mind
.
Byakuya - Mission 7 again, until you get him the extended time combos, then straight mission 19. Go for hard if you can to really net the higher soul points. Byakuya basically uses the same move as Ichigo with his Jump + Circle move, so use that to build combos fast.
Halibel - Mission 7 once more, graduating u to hard difficulty once she can handle it. Focus on the pressure gauge and the refill rate perks because, after level 100 you want to take her into Beat Attack Beginner and spam the crap out of her Jump + Circle and triangle moves.
Hitsugaya - Mission 7 and 19 again. Go on normal until you get a feel for him, then just do it all on hard. His standard combo (square) is not only good build a high slash count, but it also blocks projectiles. His triangles moves really devastate everything as well. And when you use his ignition, EVERYTHING gets amplified like crazy - his square combos gain A LOT of reach
.
Now, for some of the more difficult characters...
Zaraki - No doubt the guy is a beast; plain and simple. He is so beastly that, even on hard, most missions I barely get an A rating. He kills everything way to fast, which in turn means it is frustrating trying build, and keep, a high slash count. Using circle + circle helps build the slash, but it also takes quite a bit of spirit, so if you don't have the pressure gauge you really can't spam that move. All I have been doing is going through every mission with Zaraki on hard, just to get him out of the way. Doing that I have got him up to level 113 completing mission 1 - 20 on hard with no real issues whatsoever.
Soi Fon - She has decent square combos, but in terms of leveling that is about it. Her circle move can kill everything in two hits, and that is not something you want in regards to your slash counter. Mission 7 again is where I have been taking her, and just doing everything I can to maintain a high slash count. Her triangle moves (ground only) are a decent range maneuver, but other than that you will want to get in close with her, and stay there.
Yoruichi - Same as Soi Fon: straight mission 7. The only difference between the two is Yoruichi can build an exceptional combo (1k before Zaraki shows up ) on Hard difficulty, meaning she can pull in a decent amount of soul points (+3k).
Rukia - Mission 3 at first, then graduate up to mission 7 when she is ~50. Although she is versitile, you really need the pressure gauge up to fully utilize her talents. Her circle move is great for crowd control, but eats up 3 bars I believe . Using her ignition gives her square combos much more range, so keep that in mind.
Grimmjow - Similar to Ichigo and Ishida, start him off in mission 7 and advance to hard when you feel comfortable. Around level 120 start taking him into mission 19 on hard if you like, but I found with Grimmjow that it is just as fast to build soul points to stay in mission 7. He has a decent set of moves for range and close quarters, but you need that pressure gauge up in order to really maximize that slash counter.
Hollowfied Ichigo - Mission 7 again, graduating to Hard once you feel comfortable with him. I tried Beat Attack Beginner with him a few times, but I got more points on mission 7 every time.
And now for the worst offenders...
Kokuto - he is not that fun to use, honestly. Square combos have some reach, and his triangle moves are decent enough, but unless you have a high pressure gauge you can't really utilize his other moves (Jump + Circle) and keep a high slash count. Mission 3 is where you want to go until you level him quite a bit to graduate to mission 7. Just a bland character (IMO)...
Ulquiorra - he just plain sucks. Period. Square combos have him actually backing away from crowds, meaning much of the time you are actually not hitting anyone
. His specials moves suck, with the exception of his triangle move, but that only has range for the first two hits - after that enemies have to be in your face to maximize that slash count. His ignition move is decent enough, but like Zaraki's, the enemy has an opportunity to avoid it completely
. Your best bet is, once again, mission 3 until you level him enough for mission 7.
If I left anything out please let me know in the comments.
And if you vote down please explain why in the comments.