Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-24234144-20130901114601/@comment-4957813-20130901132108

This Zangetsu was never really Zangetsu, it was just a physical representation of Ichigo's Quincy powers, who pretended to be his actual Zanpakto. He reveals his true identity in the latest manga arc and also reveals that the real Zangetsu and therefore Ichigo's real Shinigami powers (aka his Zanpakuto) is actually his Inner Hollow.