Ichigo, complete Hollowfication!?

Ichigo, complete Hollowification!? is the one-hundred-twenty-third episode of the Bleach anime.

Statistics

 * Original Airdate: April 25, 2007
 * English Airdate: June 6, 2009
 * Opening Song: Alones
 * Ending Song: Tsumasaki
 * Manga Chapters: Chapter 216, Chapter 217, Chapter 218.
 * Kanji: 一護、完全ホロウ化!?
 * Romaji: "Ichigo, kanzen horō-ka!?"
 * Arc: The Arrancar arc

Summary
Although he survives the hit from Hiyori Sarugaki, Ichigo Kurosaki still gets hurt and his Hollow side slowly starts to take over. Hiyori urges him to go ahead and initiate Bankai, and she knows that he is afraid he will lose control. Claiming not to care if he uses his Bankai or not, she attacks him with her mask on again. As Ichigo is getting beat up, he wonders how Hiyori is able to put on the mask and retain control. He tells himself that that he will not surrender his soul to his Hollow side, but the darkness soon covers his eyes and that side emerges. It immediately grabs Hiyori’s throat, breaking part of her mask, and starts choking her. The other Vizard spring into action and pin Ichigo to the ground in order to save her. Shinji Hirako breaks off Ichigo’s mask and tells Ichigo, who has turned back to normal, that he cannot control his Hollow side with just his body and willpower alone. In any case, he decides that Ichigo passes and promises to teach Ichigo how to control the Hollow. Back at the Kurosaki house, Yuzu is crying because of her brother’s disappearance, so Isshin tries to cheer her up. When Rukia Kuchiki gets home, she reports that she was not able to find Ichigo either, and later that night, she wonders where he went, as she can not sense his spiritual pressure.

Ichigo spends most of the next day on a special exercise walker while the Vizard lounge around going about their normal lives. He finally gets so annoyed that they are making him do this that he kicks the machine at Hiyori, though she pulls Shinji into the path of the walker in time to take the hit. Ichigo and Hiyori start fighting about what she is making him do until she throws the machine at him and tells him to paddle until he passes out. Shinji steps in to diffuse the situation by explaining that the Hiyori Walker is the foundation for the training. How many days Ichigo can continue paddling decides the level of training - for Shinji to teach him how to control the Hollow, Ichigo has to do it for at least 3 days. In anger, Ichigo reveals that he has figured out that the machine drains his spiritual power so that the Vizard can see what his maximum is. He thinks that he can go five days on it, but there is no point to it, and he is running out of time. Shinji, however, feels that Ichigo should not be talking about time when he does not even know the Hōgyoku’s awakening period. Ichigo is shocked that Shinji has known for many years about the Hōgyoku, the Arrancar, and Sōsuke Aizen. Shinji decides to allow Ichigo to proceed to the next step. As he knocks Ichigo out with a power from his hand, Shinji tells him not to regret this.

Shinji then instructs the Vizard Hachigen Ushōda to put up a barrier around the building and opens up a passageway to an underground training area. Shinji thinks to himself that Ichigo is going to become completely Hollow, so he should eat instead of be eaten. Once underground, Shinji has Hacchi put up another barrier to contain Ichigo’s body and place a Bakudō on him. Ichigo meanwhile finds himself once again in his inner world facing his white Hollow self. When Ichigo asks where the Zangetsu is, the Hollow replies that he is Zangetsu as he pulls out a blade that mirrors Ichigo’s Zanpakutō and attacks with it. With the inner fight started, Ichigo’s body begins transforming into a Hollow and breaks through Kidō that Hacchi placed on him. Lisa Yadōmaru enters the barrier to fight Ichigo's transforming body. In Ichigo's inner world, Hollow Ichigo reiterates that he really is Zangetsu. He says that he and Zangetsu have always been one and the same, and both are Ichigo’s strength. Hollow Ichigo used to be a part of Zangetsu, but as the Hollow side got stronger, it got control and Zangetsu thus became part of it. Thus, the more Ichigo tries to draw out the Zangetsu’s power, the easier it is for his Hollow side to control his soul.

Having heard this, Ichigo concludes that if he defeats his Hollow side here, then the Zangetsu would return as the core of his power. His Hollow side thinks that it is impossible for Ichigo to do this, so Ichigo goes into his Bankai stance. In response, Hollow Ichigo takes on the same stance, and the two initiate Bankai at the same time.