Board Thread:New on Bleach Wiki/@comment-27120311-20151025235010/@comment-26475399-20160106193209

Furthering my belief that Ichigo no longer holds the ability to Hollowfy, i've come up with this explanation:

The first time Ichigo ever wore the mask, was when Hollow Ichigo took over, during the fight with Byakuya. It seems to me -- and i just now realized this -- that Hollowfication was always just an effect that occurred from Hollow Ichigo being in control. So it seems that Hollowfication wasn't actually a power, in reality; just more of a side effect.

Ichigo gained the ability to control the Hollow through Visored training. His inner Hollow had stepped aside now, and Ichigo witnessed him disappear upon defeat (then was surprised to see him during FGT training). But truth of the matter was that he wasn't really gone, as Ichigo later found out.

Through the Visored training, Ichigo basically put Hollow Ichigo on a short leash. So while Ichigo saw that Hollow Ichigo was out of the way now, he was able to use the Hollowfication himself, instead of fearing that Hollow Ichigo would take over. So the way i see it, the mask only existed because Hollow Ichigo truly wasn't gone for good; he simply allowed Ichigo to use it, and didn't try to overtake or undermine Ichigo. The mask was due to the influence of Hollow Ichigo's presence (Ichigo just didn't realize how it was truly working).

Such is the case for the Visoreds, i believe. I'm a supporter of the proposition that they have both a Zanpakuto spirit and a Hollow manifestation within their inner worlds; two separate entities. And, as noted, they have gained control of their inner Hollows, and as a result, their inner Hollows sit back and provide them with a side ability that essentially consists of them providing a slight amount of their own presence (not enough to override their host's mentality, though) for the purpose of spiking the Visored's powers.

Again, just wanna say this is only my opinion of how it all works.

Now, furthering my mention of Hollow Ichigo vanishing upon defeat during Visored training. As shown in FGT training, Tensa Zangetsu ripped Hollow Ichigo out of Ichigo's chest. So it appears to me that Hollow Ichigo hid himself there, thus his vanishing (that's where he went). This was him subjecting himself to Ichigo and letting him have control, while being the one to provide the mask, and using it as the vessel for Ichigo's true power (or rather, a very small part of it).

So that's kinda how i view Old Man / Tensa Zangetsu and Hollow Ichigo in the way they have vanished. They have now absored into Ichigo's soul; but with them, they're not just hiding. In this case, they gave all their powers to Ichigo and left him as the owner of all their powers. In my theory, their essence remained, until Soul Palace training. After all of that had been completed and Ichigo made peace with it all, i believe the manifestations left for good this time, giving their all to Ichigo. Every power of which they were manifestations, is now only his to own and wield.

"From now on, I fight alone."