Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25360536-20140920031731/@comment-25801533-20150607220325

@Kman111:

I feel like it's bad form to cite a fan-made wiki page that has no citation for the particular line that you are referring. If you have hard evidence that a cross MUST be used to form a weapon then I would absolutely love to see it.

As for me implying that this is not the case, I sort of am, but with reservation. It may be possible for other quincy to form weapons without the cross, we haven't seen (that I am aware of) that it cannot be done. If it cannot then there is a reason Ichigo would be the only exception. He is both a soul reaper and a quincy. Quincy form weapons from the energy of the environment, while soul reapers have a weapon that is "imbued" with their power. Soul reapers cannot form a weapon like qunicys, and qunicys must use reishi manipulation as they do not have spiritual pressure themselves to force out to make a weapon. Ichigo, being both, would be able to force his spiritual pressure out into a zanpakuto like a soul reaper, but since he doesn't have one, can use that spiritual pressure to form the weapon. He is unique in that he is the only one to be both soul reaper and quincy at the same time. Urahara said it him self that Ichigo's sword is nothing more than reishi.