Board Thread:New on Bleach Wiki/@comment-27120311-20151025235010/@comment-27392440-20160101141530

Just because his hollow and zanpakuto powers came from the same being it doesn't mean that the powers worked as one. Notice how his inner hollow/zanpakuto never had a hollow form until after he embraced that power unconsciously in the fight with Ulquiorra, I think it shows that his inner spirit had powers/nature of both but could only develop one at a time based on what Ichigo was willing to embrace. This is a pretty good theory I think as to why he had arrancar like powers after fusing with that spirit and old man Zangetsu as he finally embraced all sides of that inner spirit's power, even the hollow part, and shows why he probably doesn't have the mask because it serves no purpose anymore (further evidence is shown in the fullbringer arc if you look carefully and notice that Ichigo hasn't just gotten his powers back but seems much stronger than he was before in a way I don't think fusing with the remnants of his fullbring can explain). As for the inner hollow zanpakuto not having manifested since FGT, didn't it manifest when Ichigo tamed an asauchi and even take its form, mask and all?