Hollowfication



Hollowification is the term used to describe when a Shinigami gains Hollow powers. In doing so, the Shinigami's strength greatly increases as well as their agility, speed, stamina and pain tolerance. In addition, the Shinigami may also obtain access to Hollow powers such as Cero. The most well-known group of Shinigami who have undergone Hollowfication are the Vizard. There are eight members of the Vizard, whom were all either captain-class or lieutenant-class (excluding Ichigo Kurosaki, who they count as one of their number). As Aizen stated, "a normal soul can't contain the prototype" when undergoing Hollowfication, therefore Shinigami have to be the ones who undergo this process.

After a Shinigami obtains Hollow powers, they must don their Hollow mask in order to access them. The mask eventually crumbles after a certain period of time, which varies for each Vizard. For example, on her first try, Mashiro Kuna could maintain her mask for at least 15 hours without tiring. On the other hand, Ichigo could only maintain his mask for four seconds at first, though he managed to train enough with the Vizard to maintain it for a confirmed 11 seconds prior to his second battle with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. This is the reason they go under special training to build up their stamina so they could hold their masks for a longer period of time. The appearance of each Hollow mask is different to the individual.

The Vizard, sans Ichigo, fell victim to Hollowification as a result of Sōsuke Aizen's experiments about 100 years before the current storyline to create a Shinigami/Hollow hybrid, and were stabilised in their hybrid forms by exposure to the Hogyoku. It is unknown how Aizen achieved this process but it was considered a failure because they weren't perfect hybrids. Ichigo, on the other hand, obtained his Vizard powers differently, by awakening as a shinigami while his spiritual body was in the process of transforming into a Hollow. As a result of regaining his Shinigami powers, a Hollow had spawned within his conscience. After eventually subjugating his inner Hollow, Ichigo is finally able to don his Hollow mask like the other Vizard can.

In Bleach: Fade to Black, Rukia Kuchiki endures a different form of Hollowification, resulting in Dark Rukia.