User blog comment:Godisme/My Take on Isshin/@comment-1966102-20100328074714

But there's one thing: if Isshin left soul society to protect Ichigo, that means Ichigo was a Shinigami from the beginning. So how could the humans see him? Unless Urahara made him a special long-lasting Gigai? But i actually like the Hollow theory. From what little we have seen, Hollow Ichigo is a powerfully potent fighter. Even when Ichigo "defeated" him, all he did was take back Zangetsu. He didn't beat H.I. in battle. Also, i found the way Hollow Ichigo didn't do anything to defend himself kinda lame. Surely, being so powerful, he could have done something? And if you see those battles when H.I. DOES help Ichigo, they ALWAYS win. Eg. vs. Zangetsu, Byakuya, Ulquiorra, Muramasa etc. And H.I. does seem willing to help Ichigo out even when he doesn't have to : for eg. HE was the one to tell Ichigo that he had lost his battle instinct and how to get it back. So he's kinda like an anti-hero in himself. He also prefers taunting Ichigo into doing something to defeat himself rather than taking Ichigo out.