Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26475399-20151228215405/@comment-26475399-20151230153336

Kaestal wrote: well, my theory on Final Getsuga is that it doesn't just take away their powers if used, but it also removes their Zanpakutou spirit as well, something that has always been with them even without any Shinigami training.

Essentially what the Final Getsuga does is grant the user immense power but at the cost of quite literally carving their soul apart.

I do believe you are onto something with that. In fact, when Ichigo used FGT, he never saw Tensa Zangetsu or Hollow Ichigo since. So for him, it's like... they were removed as the manifestations that they were. Although Ichigo never fully lost his powers, and that's how they were able to be jumpstarted and reawakened (the powers themselves, despite the manifestations apparently being gone*) and the end of the Fullbring arc. Which i believe has to do with Ichigo's Quincy nature coming into play, as a Quincy can regain their powers after Letzt Stil; and Ichigo's Quincy spirit had a hold of his other true powers, so that's why they didn't disappear either. But if a Shinigami -- a pure Shinigami, at that -- were to use such a technique, then i can see it being as you said: removing their Zanapkuto spirit and thus carving their soul apart.

I like your theory, man.

(* To further comment on the marked statement i included above, you might wonder how Ichigo retained the powers if his manifestations were gone. Here's what i think: Ichigo accepting the blade during FGT training, Tensa says, "This Tensa Zangetsu is you yourself". When the form of Hollowfied Tensa Zangetsu disappeared, i believe all their powers absorbed into Ichigo, though they as manifestations technically "died" and left. It was even said at some point (i forget where, exactly) that Ichigo had himself become his own Zanpakuto spirit, essentially. (My suggestion is that it wasn't complete until Soul Palace training, but it had a head start upon FGT training.) If anybody wishes to comment on this other theory of mine, just quote this comment and remove all but this paragraph to address this specifically. Sorry to distract anybody from the main topic, though, heheh.)