Fierce Fighting Conclusion! Release, the Final Getsuga Tenshō!

 is the three hundred and ninth episode of the Bleach anime.

Ichigo uses the Final Getsuga Tenshō against Aizen.

Summary
Ichigo lands a strike across Aizen's torso, but Aizen instantly backs away in a flash of light from him to a nearby cliff. Ichigo tells him that it's a strange feeling, when he put distance between them, Aizen asked him why and now Aizen is the one creating the distance. Ichigo then states why doesn't he ask the question this time and ask Aizen why did he put distance between them. Aizen wound begins to heal as he asks Ichigo if he liked that he had stopped his sword or is he happy he destroyed his Kidō and is he happy he injured his body. He then becomes enraged and yells at Ichigo to abandon his human arrogance. The diamond shape on Aizen's forehead opens up and develops in something similar to a horizontal third eye as Aizen transforms again into what looks similar to a Hybrid Arrancar-like creature with multiple wing-like appendages with Hollow skulls attached to the ends. Aizen then states that he now sees that the Hōgyoku will not truly allow him to lag behind a human. One of the hollow skulls then fires a small spiritual energy blast which impact is so devastating it can be felt miles away in Karakura Town as it creates a large crater. Ichigo survives the blast but it destroys the upper half of his shikakushō and singe's his left arm he used to block the blast. Aizen states that he sees that taking that attack only partially burned Ichigo but states that his left arm is most likely useless to him now.

He then moves to attack Ichigo striking him and sending him flying into the newly created crater. Aizen grabs Ichigo by the throat and surrounds him with his hollow mask appendages and creates a circle of charged Spiritual energy around Ichigo. He asks Ichigo if he can hear him as he goes to theorize how at one point Ichigo destroyed the barrier between Shinigami and Hollow and became transcendental. He then states that now Ichigo has lost the the power he once possessed, and that he is now a mere shadow of his former self. He further states that in his current state, he isn't worthy of having Aizen absorb him and comprehend him and that Ichigo will meet death by a true transcendental being. Aizen notes that being obliterated by him will completely free him from his inferior existence as both a Shinigami and a Hollow. Ichigo suddenly frees himself by slashing at Aizen's chest forcing Aizen to release him as well as destroying the circle of charged spiritual energy. Ichigo then tells him they should put a stop to this as he is sick and tired of Aizen's logic. Ichigo readies himself and tells Aizen he wants to show him the Final Getsuga Tenshō.

Ichigo initiates the technique causing Aizen to react in surprise to the new form he has taken. A flashback is then shown of the battle between Ichigo and Tensa Zangetsu. Tensa Zangetsu asks Ichigo if he can still stand, to which Ichigo replies he told him he would not fall until Tensa Zangetsu divulges the secret of the Final Getsuga Tenshō. Tensa Zangetsu retorts that he said he didn't feel like telling it. Tensa Zangetsu and Ichigo begin battling each other but Ichigo realizes Tensa Zangetsu doesn't want to kill him or he would do so at the beginning; and if he was serious about not telling him anything he could have just avoided the fight entirely. Ichigo can only feel loneliness flowing from Zangetsu's sword. Ichigo repels a few more attacks but when Tensa Zangetsu charges again he lets go of his swords and allows himself to be stabbed. His sword piercing through Ichigo's chest, Tensa Zangetsu tells Ichigo he has realized at last that in order to learn the Final Getsuga Tenshō he has to accept Tensa Zangetsu's sword. Ichigo feels no pain from the strike and Tensa Zangetsu remarks that it's obvious, since Zangetsu is a reflection of him being pierced by it will not be painful. Tensa Zangetsu begins to weep and when Ichigo asks him why he cries Tensa Zangetsu reminds him of what he said at the beginning of the fight, about the both of them wanting to protect different things. Ichigo says he remembers and Tensa Zangetsu says what he wanted to protect was Ichigo. Ichigo asks him to explain but Zangetsu says the sword would answer that and reveal the secret of the technique.

In the present time, Ichigo is shown in a new from and he explains to Aizen that the Final Getsuga Tenshō means becoming The Getsuga itself. He further details if he uses this technique then he loses all of his Shinigami power, that is the meaning of "Final". Aizen thinks to himself that he still can't sense Ichigo's reiatsu, and that he should be stronger then him because of how he has surpassed being a Shinigami and Hollow. Aizen then comes under the realization that Ichigo is actually at a higher level than him. This begins to enrage him, and he screams at Ichigo that such a thing is impossible, as a mere Human cannot surpass him. Ichigo calls for his Mugetsu and darkness falls all over the land.

Aizen is surrounded by the darkness and attacked causing him to plummet to the ground below. The darkness dissipates as Ichigo touches down on the ground as the blue bands covering his face begin to crack and peel off. He stands near where Aizen crashes into the ground, he watches as a large gash running from the back of Aizen's head and down his back begins to heal itself. Ichigo is surprised that he's still regenerating and he goes to where Aizen, but suddenly Ichigo's hair turns back to normal and he returns back to his original form. Ichigo falls to the ground as he realizes his Shinigami powers are disappearing. Aizen stands up and tells Ichigo that he has lost and asks him to look as his Zanpakutō begins to disintegrate. Aizen tells him that he should understand what that means. He screams ecstatically that the Hōgyoku has decided he doesn't need a Zapakutō, and likens it to Ichigo becoming one with his Zanpakutō and its powers. He then states that in fact he has risen even higher than Ichigo who has just lost that power. Ichigo then looks on as Aizen is affected by a Kidō spell and Urahara arrives on the scene.

Aizen realizes that Urahara must be behind this and he asks Urahara when he used Kidō on him. Urahara replies that it was right before Aizen's complete transformation, at his most vulnerable. Urahara goes on to say that he knew it would be virtually impossible to kill Aizen when he was fused with the Hōgyoku, so he created that seal to seal him. Aizen nods his understanding, but yells the futility of it as he is reaching a new stage of evolution and will not be stopped by a lowly Kidō. Urahara looks on impassively as Aizen's Hōgyoku-enhanced form begins to flake off of him, much to Aizen's horror.

Urahara explains that the seal he used was to activate at this moment: the moment when Aizen was weakening. He says simply: "The Hōgyoku no longer sees you as its master". Aizen, at first in disbelief, then acceptance, furiously yells at Urahara and tells him that he despises him. Aizen hates that a man of Kisuke's intellect sits idly by and is controlled by "that thing!" Urahara clarifies that Aizen is talking about the Spirit King, and comments that Aizen saw "it", the Soul King. Urahara then says that the Soul King is the lynchpin holding Soul Society together and if said lynchpin was lost, Soul Society will split and crumble. A screaming Aizen counters with that being the logic of a loser and that he a "winner" must think not how the world is but how it should be. The seal then begins to fully activate and Aizen tries to free himself, but he is too late as he is sealed into an odd triple-sword device. After this happens, the Shinigami in the Fake Karakura Town and Ichigo's friends in Hueco Mundo realize that the battle is finally over.

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book
Kon continues to play dead but the appearance of a purple haired beauty gets him to his feet. To his horror the woman's sizeable breasts turn out to be her literal weapon, used to pound him in the face and pin him to the ground, rendering him the prisoner of the SR&DI. Kon wonders what will happen to him but is informed the story shall be discontinued.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Ichigo Kurosaki
 * 2) Sōsuke Aizen
 * 3) Don Kanonji
 * 4) Mizuiro Kojima
 * 5) Keigo Asano
 * 6) Chizuru Honshō
 * 7) Tatsuki Arisawa
 * 8) Kisuke Urahara
 * 9) Shunsui Kyōraku
 * 10) Suì-Fēng
 * 11) Tōshirō Hitsugaya
 * 12) Shinji Hirako
 * 13) Orihime Inoue
 * 14) Uryū Ishida
 * 15) Renji Abarai
 * 16) Rukia Kuchiki
 * 17) Yasutora Sado

Fights

 * Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Sōsuke Aizen (concluded)

Powers and Techniques Used
Kidō used
 * Urahara's seal
 * Hadō #91, (flashback)

Techniques used

Zanpakutō released Bankai: