Ichigo Kurosaki

is the protagonist of the Bleach series. The series begins with Ichigo receiving Shinigami powers as a result of a run-in with Rukia Kuchiki, the Shinigami assigned to patrol Karakura Town. These powers come at the cost of Rukia's own and, as a result, Ichigo concedes to work as Rukia's stand-in, fighting to protect people from evil spirits called Hollows and sending good spirits, Pluses, to Soul Society. Zangetsu, Ichigo's zanpakutō, was voted the 3rd most popular zanpakutō in a recent Bleach Poll.

Appearance
For the most part, Ichigo appears like a normal teenage boy; the one exception to that is his spiky orange hair, a trait that he has been ridiculed about for years. He is a fairly tall person with white skin and brown eyes. Also, since becoming a Shinigami, he has become noticeably more muscular, as noted by his sister Karin.

Personality
Personality-wise, Ichigo is a stubborn, short-tempered, occasionally confrontational, spontaneous, determined, outspoken, strong-willed, witty, cynical, impulsive young man, and is extremely protective of his friends and family. This latter trait is the driving force behind most of his actions and almost all of the story arcs have stemmed from him rushing off to save someone, usually females.

He attempts to maintain a detached and "cool" image, despite claiming to not care about what other people think about him. For this reason, he generally keeps his face set in a permanent scowl. However, despite this "tough guy" image he tries to maintain, he becomes extremely shy and uncomfortable around nude or immodestly dressed women, a fact both Rangiku Matsumoto and Yoruichi Shihōin have teased him for. It is also noted by Lisa Yadōmaru that Ichigo enjoys to read her erotic mangas though he denies it. He is also rather cocky and has been known to taunt and belittle his opponents when fighting. Conversely, he can also go into a state of deep depression when he loses a major battle or lets a friend down. Ichigo has a habit of misreading other people's names, such as Uryū Ishida and Yasutora Sado (the latter case results in Sado's nickname, Chad). One of the series running gags is that he keeps forgetting his classmate's faces and names, with his friends claiming he only knows half the class. However, he seems to remember names much easier later on in the series.

Although his cocky, hot-headed, and spontaneous nature (as opposed to his true personality) makes him appear rather dimwitted to more composed and calculating individuals (particularly Uryū), Ichigo is a capable analyst when required, and can instinctively catch on to some things much quicker than those around him. His natural orange hair and rebellious disposition tend to annoy many bullies in his school, who constantly pick fights with him. Ichigo claims that he does not care about other people's opinions about him (both in regards to his hair and other subjects), and seems to enjoy fighting people. Similarly, he is also a capable student, ranked 23rd in his school, studies regularly and doesn't neglect his schoolwork; he claims that he has "nothing better to do at home". It is later revealed that he works as hard as he does simply to overcome the misconceptions many teachers have about him, based on his hair color and interactions with other students. It is shown in a recent omake that even with his Shinigami status he is still able to pass exams, though his teacher gave him remedial exams because of his constant disappearances.

Due to his constant fights with bullies, many students are rather afraid of him. Despite this, he has a warm and kind heart, defiantly looks out for those placed in his charge, and is, to a degree, quite compassionate once he understands another's point of view. Rukia even states in the first movie that "he only looks scary". This trait makes him quite likable to children. As such, he has never threatened or raised his voice to his younger sisters, Karin and Yuzu. However, he has some trouble with authority and traditional respect, and is often quite rude and disrespectful when talking to those older than himself; he tends to call General Yamamoto "gramps" and refers to some captains (particularly Kenpachi, Byakuya, and Hitsugaya) by their given names, despite verbal protests from Byakuya and Hitsugaya (Hitsugaya suggests at one point that Ichigo does so on purpose). However, he does give Japanese honorifics towards those who've earned his respect, such as Yoruichi and Ukitake.

Interestingly enough, several female characters in the series have possibly developed romantic feelings for him, often due to his inwardly compassionate nature, namely Orihime Inoue, Neliel Tu Oderschvank, Ririn, and possibly Rukia Kuchiki and Senna (in the first movie).

History
Ichigo was born as the son of Isshin Kurosaki and Masaki Kurosaki 15 years before the main storyline. His sisters, Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki were born a few years later. During his childhood, Ichigo was signed into a karate class by his mother. In the class, Ichigo met and eventually was befriended by Tatsuki Arisawa, who would beat Ichigo in every match they had. Tatsuki would also help Ichigo if he was being picked on by bullies and cheer him up if he was upset.

On June 17, when Ichigo was nine years old, he was taken home from his karate class by his mother. He saw a girl near the river and saw her falling into it. Concerned, Ichigo ran after to save her, not aware that the girl was really a lure from the Hollow Grand Fisher. Masaki, concerned about her son's safety, ran after Ichigo to protect him, but she was killed by Grand Fisher as a result. Because everyone loved Masaki very much, Ichigo blamed himself for his mother's death and went missing for some time before being found by a very concerned Tatsuki. With the death of their mother, Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin all changed drastically. Ichigo still blamed himself for his mother's death as time went on.

Three years before the main storyline, Sora Inoue was brought to the Kurosaki Clinic from a car accident. Ichigo met Orihime Inoue, Sora's younger sister during this time. However, Sora died in the Kurosaki Clinic.

Ichigo eventually entered Mashiba Junior High School. During this time, Ichigo had finally defeated Tatsuki in a karate match and left the class soon afterward. Ichigo regularly got into fights with thugs, due to the unusual color of his hair. During one of these fights, he met Yasutora Sado. He mispronounced his name on his name tag as "Chad", and continued to call him as such from that day. They made a pact to protect each other and have remained good friends since. Because of the amount of fights they got into, Ichigo and Chad were given reputations of being gangsters themselves.

Ichigo and Chad eventually went to Karakura High School, and their reputations followed them as well, causing a few classmates (namely Keigo Asano) to be nervous about their presence there. During a fight with Reiichi Ōshima (and another student), Ichigo and Chad met Mizuiro Kojima and Keigo Asano, the latter of which they saved. While Keigo was initially afraid of Ichigo and Chad, both he and Mizuiro eventually became friends with them.

Agent of the Shinigami arc
At the beginning of the series, Ichigo sees and confronts Rukia Kuchiki, a Shinigami, when she enters his home for a soul. During their conversation, a Hollow attacks, having tracked Ichigo back to his house. Because of Ichigo's interference with Rukia's work in his personal effort to protect his family from the Hollow, Rukia is wounded and forced to transfer her powers to him in a desperate measure to save the Kurosaki family. During the transfer, Ichigo absorbs almost all of Rukia's powers rather than taking half, as she had intended. Having her Shinigami abilities and his own immense spiritual power, Ichigo makes short work of the Hollow and Rukia leaves.

The next day Rukia shows up in Ichigo's class, now apparently a normal human as the other students are capable of seeing her. Rukia informs Ichigo that she is using a Gigai — an artificial body used by Shinigami when they need to recover their powers or stay in the human world for extended periods. While she recovers her abilities, Rukia insists that Ichigo take over her job, battling Hollows and performing Konsō in her stead. At this time, he is only able to transform into a Shinigami when a special seal on Rukia's glove is used to separate his soul from his body, and therefore cannot become a Shinigami without her present. Their acquisition of the Mod Soul (Kon) removes this dependency.

Ichigo's new duties set off a flurry of activity both in the Human world and Soul Society. While visiting the grave of his deceased mother, the Hollow Grand Fisher, who has evaded the Shinigami for over fifty years, comes to the human world and attempts to consume Ichigo's sisters, Karin and Yuzu. It is at this point that Ichigo finds out that Grand Fisher killed his mother and seeks revenge. Rukia tries to keep Ichigo from fighting, as she feared the Hollow was too strong, but Ichigo orders her to go with Kon and take his sisters home. She is reminded of Kaien Shiba's last fight as a fight for honor, and reluctantly follows his orders. Ichigo greatly wounds Grand Fisher, but the Hollow manages to escape.

During a duel with Uryū Ishida, a Quincy, a massive amount of Hollows, including a Menos Grande, are drawn to the human world and defeated in one form or another, mostly by Ichigo and Uryū. Chad and Orihime also have their dormant powers awakened as a result, and each defeat a Hollow on their own. Ichigo's victory against the Menos draws the attention of Soul Society, triggering an unexpected chain of events. Meanwhile, Uryū and Ichigo develop an uneasy friendship as Shinigami and Quincy, with both of them apparently saving each other's lives.

Soul Society arc
After drawing the attention of Soul Society, Ichigo loses the Shinigami powers he gained from Rukia after being swiftly defeated by the Shinigami captain Byakuya Kuchiki who, along with Renji Abarai, arrests Rukia and takes her back to Soul Society. The damage Ichigo suffers renders him a powerless Human soul, while he discovers that Rukia is guilty of a felony for transferring her powers to a human and remaining in the Human world for so long. Desperate to save Rukia, he undergoes intensive training with Kisuke Urahara that nearly costs him his soul, but awakens his own Shinigami abilities by doing so as well as creating a Hollow inside himself. After training with Urahara, he leaves for Soul Society with Urahara's mysterious feline friend Yoruichi, along with Orihime, Chad, and Uryū. Even though Rukia had told him not to go after her, he decides to not listen to her and return the favor of saving his life.

Ichigo battles against many Shinigami during his time in Soul Society, managing to tie or defeat numerous lieutenant-level and captain-level Shinigami. Much of the time he is seriously wounded, and on several occasions he barely survives, but each time his incredible endurance carries him through until he is able to be healed. A Hollow mask, a remnant of his training with Urahara, also consistently appears and reappears on his person to block what would normally be fatal blows. The first fight is with Jidanbō, a Seireitei gatekeeper, which Ichigo wins easily, but he is in turn effortlessly repelled by captain Gin Ichimaru. Ichigo enters Seireitei accompanied by Ganju Shiba after being launched from Kūkaku Shiba's spirit cannon. He then proceeds to fight Ikkaku Madarame. Ichigo beats Ikkaku, even after Ikkaku reveals his zanpakutō's Shikai, and learns that he will be hunted down by Kenpachi Zaraki, who will seek out the strongest of the intruders.

Ichigo is then met by Renji Abarai, who seeks revenge for his earlier defeat. Renji gravely injures Ichigo, who becomes stronger during the fight and manages to barely defeat Renji using a direct Getsuga Tenshō; after which Renji begs him to rescue Rukia, his childhood friend, upon changing his mind regarding his loyalties. Renji is taken into detention for trying to fight alone and losing, while Ichigo is healed by Hanatarō Yamada in Seireitei's sewage system. It is revealed here that Ichigo's hollow mask was able to lessen the damage from what would have been fatal blows by Renji, causing Hanatarō to discard the mask in fear. Ichigo finally encounters Kenpachi Zaraki on his way to the Shrine of Penitence, where Rukia is held, and at first can hardly injure the powerful captain, who, according to Hanatarō, is immortal. Ichigo finally calls upon the strength of his zanpakutō and perhaps his inner Hollow (his spiritual power manifests into his Hollow mask during the clash - whereas Kenpachi's is a Golden Skull) to defeat Kenpachi. In the aftermath of the fight, both Ichigo and Kenpachi are left incapacitated after admitting defeat from the other, Kenpachi being evacuated by his lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi while Ichigo is rescued by Yoruichi. Since that, Ichigo thinks that Kenpachi seeks revenge and Ichigo is highly frightened of him, running away from him when he asked for another fight, even feeling his will to kill him from far away. When in reality, Ichigo is simply one of the most challenging fighters that Kenpachi has ever faced; added with the fact Kenpachi loves to fight only fuels this misconception. Yachiru has also stated in the Japanese dub that "Ichi is Ken-chan's best friend".

Before his Bankai training and after his fight with Kenpachi, Ichigo goes to the tower where Rukia is being held to save both Hanatarō and Ganju from Byakuya Kuchiki. Upon his arrival he confronts Byakuya, even though he is not at full strength. The fight goes better than his first confrontation with Byakuya but this time Yoruichi stops the fight and insinuates on Yoruichi and Byakuya having a past together. Yoruichi then takes Ichigo to the secret training ground for his Bankai training.



Yoruichi tells Ichigo that he cannot save Rukia with his present power and asks him to train to achieve the Bankai of his zanpakutō. Upon completing the training, he, along with Yoruichi and sympathetic captains Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake, separately converge upon the Sōkyoku to stop Rukia's execution. At the last possible second, Ichigo stops the execution, and proceeds to dispatch three lieutenants — Marechiyo Ōmaeda, Isane Kotetsu and Chōjirō Sasakibe — barehanded. Along with being able to stop the Sōkyoku, a blade with the power of 1 million zanpakutō, he proves that he has truly become more powerful within the three days. He is then confronted by Byakuya Kuchiki.

At first they fight without releasing their zanpakutō, Byakuya casually analyzing Ichigo as he fights, noticing an impressive difference. Ichigo eventually coerces Byakuya to use Bankai. Ichigo is unable to keep up just using his Shikai, and he reveals his Bankai against Byakuya, using his speed to outmaneuver Senbonzakura and eventually injure him for the first time. Byakuya counters using the second form of his own Bankai, and after a while Ichigo's bones begin to break under his Bankai's spiritual compression, giving Byakuya the chance to paralyze him with a single Kidō attack (shot through his shoulder). This leaves him in critical condition. At this point, Ichigo's inner Hollow surfaces and injures Byakuya to the point that both combatants have almost no power left. After regaining control of himself, Ichigo faces off against Byakuya in a final clash, each channeling all their energy into a single attack. After this final clash, neither has the strength to fight, but Byakuya admits his defeat because his blade was destroyed by Ichigo's. Byakuya then uses Flash Steps to depart, leaving Ichigo barely standing, the only thing supporting him being his zanpakutō.



Through a message relayed through Kidō by Isane Kotetsu, Ichigo then finds out that the events in Soul Society were an elaborate plot masterminded by Sōsuke Aizen and confronts him alongside Renji Abarai. Unable to defeat Aizen, Ichigo is left struggling to stay conscious with his spinal column almost completely severed (according to Aizen), and Rukia is taken from the group, while the Hōgyoku is removed from her soul. He is unable to do much of anything without the help of the remaining captains before Aizen departs for Hueco Mundo.

Prior to leaving Soul Society, Ichigo is given a badge by Ukitake that serves as a license that allows him to hunt Hollows in his area officially. It is a multipurpose artifact that functions like Rukia's glove for the task of removing souls from bodies. Unlike her glove, but similar to her cellphone, it alerts him to the presence of Hollows. He also speaks to Rukia who has decided to stay in the soul society even after they had tried to kill her. He leaves with an understanding for her and his Shinigami powers.

Bount arc
In the anime, after his adventures in Soul Society, Ichigo not aware he is unable to perform Bankai outside of Soul Society and faces off against three mod souls in a series of games set by Urahara which involved kidnapping Ichigo's friends, unbeknown to Ichigo. When Ichigo attempts Bankai he is unable to, and undergoes training with three Modified Souls (Ririn, Kurōdo and Noba).

After the training, which ends up unsuccessful, he finds out about the Bounts and confronts Yoshino Sōma, who uses a powerful fire-type Doll. Ichigo is unable to win, even with the help of Rukia Kuchiki. However, he is unintentionally saved by another Bount, Ryō Utagawa. Utagawa appears later to try to eat Uryū's soul, and a battle between him and Ichigo's group ensues. Yoshino then appears and takes Uryū away. While visiting Uryū in the hospital, the group is met by Hō and Ban, Bount twins who use Dolls that manipulate water. Ichigo attempts to defeat them, but any damage sustained to the Dolls quickly regenerates. He discovers that when the twins are separated, their ability to control their Dolls is greatly reduced, and with some assistance from Ganju Shiba, the group succeeds in blowing the weakened Dolls up with fireworks, killing the Bount twins in the process. Ichigo and company then infiltrate Jin Kariya's mansion in search of Uryū.

Upon entering Kariya's mansion, Ichigo engages Udagawa in battle, during which he obliterates a large portion of the house. His spiritual power surprises both Udagawa and Maki Ichinose, a Shinigami deserter who joined forces with the Bounts. Ichinose confronts Ichigo and the two fight until Kariya takes over and overpowers Ichigo. As Ichigo is at the brink of defeat, Kisuke Urahara and his assistants arrive to rescue them, demolishing the remainder of the mansion in the process.

Later on, Ichigo fights Gō Koga and his Doll, Dalk, after the Bitto nearly killed Keigo Asano. Ichigo is slowly beaten, allowing his Hollow form to appear. Ichigo manages to repel his Hollow self and take over, only to succumb to his previous injuries. Izuru Kira soon appears to lend a helping hand, disabling the Doll. Koga retreats, unwilling to kill such young men due to an incident in his past with a young Bount.

Ichigo then invades the Bount hideout that Ugaki is defending with Chad, Orihime, Rukia, Renji and the modified souls. Four Shinigami lieutenants who had entered the cave earlier and fought Ugaki's Doll, Gesell, assist them. Finally, only Renji and Ichigo continue into the depths of the cave to find Ugaki. Renji decides to take on Gesell one on one with his bankai so that Ichigo will have the strength to take on the remaining Bount. Renji's attacks send Gesell on a fury that ends when Ugaki is killed by his own Doll (possibly due to the Doll being influenced by Kariya). The cave begins to crumble and Yumichika Ayasegawa convinces Ichigo to leave them behind and go further into the cave.

Ichigo finds the remaining Bount and they open a portal to an unknown destination. Ichigo starts a battle with Kariya. Kariya defeats Ichigo's Shikai and threatens to kill him using Zangetsu. The threat convinces Ichigo to recover his will to fight and regain his ability to use his Bankai. The fight continues, with both adversaries now evenly matched. They are interrupted by Uryū Ishida, who helps the Bounts reach Soul Society, believing he will get stronger there and defeat the Bounts.

In Soul Society, Ichigo's group uses Kūkaku Shiba's house as their initial base of operations and separate to search for the Bounts. After the Bount Yoshi almost kills Rukia Kuchiki, she is saved by Byakuya. Ichigo asks Byakuya for assistance, but Byakuya refuses, making it clear that he still dislikes Ichigo.

Later, Ichigo comes across Kariya and Byakuya fighting in a forest and joins in. Despite being outnumbered, Kariya is able to hold his own. Ran'Tao, the Shinigami who created the Bounts, steps in and takes Ichigo and Uryū Ishida (who arrive soon after) back to her home in Rukongai. Ran'Tao explains to Uryū and Ichigo about how her spirit powers were sealed and how she was banished for creating the of the Bounts, among other things.

After departing from Ran'Tao's home, they meet up with Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Rangiku Matsumoto, and Renji Abarai, who are in the middle of a battle with former Shinigami Maki Ichinose. This does not last long though as Kenpachi Zaraki arrives and challenges Ichinose, allowing the others to pursue the Bounts.

At the Technological Institute, Ichigo and Chad catch up to Kariya, but are unable to stop him. Their battle inadvertently unearths the Jōkaishō, a massive energy source, which Kariya had been searching for. Kariya absorbs the energy and uses its destructive potential as a threat to keep Ichigo at bay. He then gives the whole of Soul Society a day to think about their impending destruction. With permission from Matsumoto, Ichigo uses the 10th Division as a base of operations during this time.

The next day, Ichigo saves both Uryū and Rantao from Kariya, and the two battle. During this fight, Kariya summons his Doll, Messer. After much effort on Ichigo's part, the battle ends in a final power clash, with Ichigo the victor. As he dies, Kariya tells Ichigo that he regrets not being able to watch if he will walk down the same path he did, because they were both burdened with great powers. This leads Ichigo to wonder whether Kariya's actions were intended to end his own eternal life.

Arrancar arc
After returning from Soul Society with his friends but without Rukia, Ichigo's life briefly returns to the relatively peaceful state at which it was before he left. This serenity is broken with the arrival of new student Shinji Hirako. Shinji, who reveals himself as a recruiter for the Vizard, approaches Ichigo and attempts to convince him to join his organization. Ichigo persistently refuses, even after being warned that his inner Hollow will eventually take over and destroy everything in sight. Shortly afterward, two Arrancar, Yammy Rialgo and Ulquiorra Cifer, appear in Karakura Town in order to locate and evaluate Ichigo's strength. Upon seeing Chad injured, Ichigo battles Yammy using his Bankai, and manages to cut off the giant's right arm. Before he could progress, however, Ichigo's inner Hollow soon interferes, paralyzing Ichigo, and Yammy injures both him, and Orihime. The arrival of Yoruichi Shihōin and Kisuke Urahara forces Ulquiorra into strategic retreat. Ulquiorra returns to Aizen believing that Ichigo is a waste of his and Aizen's time.

After his failure against the Arrancar, Ichigo loses his will as a Shinigami since he cannot protect his friends. This mood lasts until the arrival of Gotei 13's expeditionary force: six Shinigami sent to the human world under the command of Tōshirō Hitsugaya. Rukia, who is among them, forces Ichigo to defeat a Hollow, all the while chastising him. This causes him to regain his spirit and reaffirm his commitment to protect his friends, the first being Orihime Inoue. Later that day, Ichigo discusses the growing Arrancar threat with Hitsugaya's force and learns what the Arrancar actually are. Rukia is formally accepted into Ichigo's home, sleeping in the same room as his sisters, ops for sleeping in his closet again.

That night, six Arrancar under the command of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez invade Karakura Town, intending to finish what they view as an incomplete mission on Ulquiorra's part. They split up, seeking targets with spiritual power. Chad's house is targeted, first by Di Roy Linker, who is quickly dispatched by Rukia, and then by the much mightier Grimmjow, who eliminates Rukia in a single strike. Ichigo uses his Bankai, but Grimmjow manages to block Ichigo's attacks with his bare hands. Desperate, Ichigo uses his Getsuga Tenshō to damage Grimmjow. In his Bankai form, using the move allows his Hollow side to become dominant, and Ichigo remarks that two or three more uses of it would allow his Hollow to completely take over. Kaname Tōsen interrupts the fight and takes Grimmjow back to Hueco Mundo, leaving an unsatisfied Ichigo to sulk in his apparent loss and worry over an injured Rukia.

Ichigo, unable to control his inner Hollow, accepts Shinji Hirako's offer and seeks out the Vizard in order to gain control. During a sparring match with Hiyori Sarugaki, he loses control to his Hollow side once more and nearly kills her. After reverting back to his Shinigami state, Ichigo is informed that he cannot simply keep his Hollow in check with his body or mind, but must force it into the very core of his soul. After a brief period of unappreciated training, Ichigo is told to confront his Hollow side within his inner world. There, Ichigo squares off against his Hollow self. Even after several exchanges, Ichigo is unable to damage the Hollow, while badly injured and stabbed himself. Finally, Ichigo is defeated, and his sword shatters. After a brief discourse with his Hollow, and then another with an inner manifestation of Kenpachi Zaraki (in the anime, Byakuya Kuchiki and Jin Kariya appear before this, and force him to fight their battles again. Ichigo is defeated by both of them), Ichigo realizes his trouble is that he lacks pure fighting spirit, instead needing reasons to fight his opponents. His spirit rekindled by this revelation, Ichigo is able to make a comeback, seizing the Hollow's sword and impaling him on it. With his Hollow subdued for the moment, Ichigo fades back to reality. When he comes to, he learns that while he was fighting internally, his outer body had transformed into that of a powerful and berserk Hollow. The Vizard had taken turns battling this monster to keep it in check. Ichigo then trains with Hiyori to increase the amount of time he can stay in masked form.

A month later, the Arrancar once again invade Karakura, and Ichigo brashly heads off to fight Grimmjow even though he can only remain in his masked form for eleven seconds. This backfires, as despite using his masked form and Grimmjow's loss of an arm since their last meeting, Ichigo is unable to defeat him within the eleven-second limit. His mask crumbles, and Ichigo is brutally counterattacked. On the brink of defeat and pinned to the ground, Ichigo is granted a short reprieve by Rukia. As Grimmjow recovers from Rukia's attack, Shinji Hirako appears and fights him until the Arrancar retreat by order of Ulquiorra. When tending to Ichigo's wounds, the Vizard Hachigen Ushōda reveals that Ichigo's spiritual power has been contaminated somewhat by Grimmjow's. As per his instructions, Rukia takes him back to the Kurosaki Clinic to recover. While in a deep sleep, he is visited by Orihime, who has been taken prisoner by the Arrancar and given a twelve hour reprieve by Ulquiorra to say good-bye to just one person. Orihime tries to kiss Ichigo while he sleeps, but is unable to. She does, however, confess her love for him.

Later, Ichigo wakes from a bad dream and realizes that the wound from his wrist is healed. Trying to sense by spiritual pressure who has healed him, he is visited by Hitsugaya, who tells him to come immediately for an emergency Shinigami meeting. The meeting is held at Orihime's apartment where Hitsugaya and Matsumoto took up residence and done via a live-conference device connecting Soul Society and the human world. Captain Ukitake greets them and informs them Orihime was taken by an Arrancar and might have been killed. Ichigo informs them that she visited him to heal him the night before, which leads Yamamoto to believe that Orihime has betrayed them. Renji requests permission to go to Hueco Mundo to rescue her but the request is denied, as Yamamoto believes that the death of one person and the death of the world are weighted on a scale, thus saving Orihime is not important overall. Ichigo asks to go save Orihime by himself, but Yamamoto once again denies the suggestion, stating that Ichigo is a significant asset to Soul Society. The Shinigami are ordered to return to Soul Society to fortify their defenses, leaving Ichigo alone.

Despite Yamamoto's decision, Ichigo decides to make preparations with Urahara to single-handedly retrieve Orihime from Hueco Mundo. At school, Tatsuki Arisawa confronts him about her sightings in which she becomes angry and violent over his reluctance to explain himself. She reveals to him that she is able to sense his and Orihime's spiritual energy, and can see Ichigo and other Shinigami. She is restrained by Keigo and Mizuiro while Ichigo walks away coldly telling his friends not to get involved. At Urahara's shop, Ichigo is joined by Uryū with his Quincy powers restored and Chad with a new more powerful right arm. After some convincing, the trio agree to help each other rescue Orihime and Urahara opens a gate to Hueco Mundo. Ichigo leads Chad and Uryū into Hueco Mundo but unknown to him, Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro had followed him and witnessed his departure.

Hueco Mundo arc
As Ichigo, Chad, and Uryū enter Hueco Mundo, they are immediately detected by Aizen and attacked by two Arrancar, Demōra and Iceringer. Ichigo is then told to stay back and simply watch as Chad and Uryū engage the two Arrancar by themselves. Once they are victorious, the room and passageway collapses around them, forcing the trio to race outside where they see their destination, a castle in the middle of a barren desert.

They see what looks to be a human being chased by three Hollows. After Ichigo attacks the three, it is revealed that the "Human" is actually an Arrancar named Nel Tu; the Hollows are her two "brothers" and their pet. After becoming friends, the expanded group travels to the wall of Las Noches, where they are attacked by a sand-based Hollow, Lunuganga. The Hollow is immune to their attacks, but the group is saved by Renji and Rukia, the latter of which freezes Lunuganga in a circle of ice.

Ichigo and his group break into Las Noches and split into five directions, leaving Nel and her brothers behind. The siblings decide to follow Ichigo but get lost. Nel is the only one who catches up to Ichigo, arriving just in time to see Dordonii Alessandro Del Socacchio, a Privaron Espada with the number 103.

As Ichigo and Dordonii fight, the difference in power between the two quickly becomes apparent. Dordonii suggests that Ichigo use his Bankai, so he will at least stand a chance, but Ichigo refuses, noting that it would only be a sign of weakness if he were to use his Bankai in every battle. Hoping to force the issue, Dordonii releases his zanpakutō, thus greatly increasing his power. Now commanding two wind elementals, Dordonii is more than a match for Ichigo. When Dordonii tries to fire a Cero blast at Ichigo, Nel steps in, absorbing the blast and firing it back. Enraged, Dordonii attacks Nel, who is then saved by Ichigo, now using his Bankai.

Dordonii, not satisfied with Ichigo's Bankai, wishes to see his Hollow form. He even resorts to attacking Nel in an attempt to force Ichigo to transform. Ichigo sets Nel aside and tells Dordonii he will show him his Hollow form, but for only a second. Dordonii is pleased at first, but Ichigo defeats him in one blow. Dordonii is healed a bit by Nel, and unexpectedly attacks Ichigo again, who blocks the attack and runs away with Nel, and finally encounters Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra tells Ichigo that Rukia has been killed, which Ichigo denies. Ichigo attempts to leave to save Rukia, reasoning that he and Ulquiorra have no quarrel and thus no reason to fight. Ulquiorra reveals that he was the one who kidnapped Orihime and successfully goads Ichigo into fighting. Though Ichigo starts out well, he proves to be no match for Ulquiorra, who explains that even if Ichigo managed to somehow win, there would be three other Espada who are stronger still, as Ulquiorra reveals himself to be the 4th Espada. Ulquiorra then impales Ichigo's chest with his hand. He leaves after telling Ichigo to leave Hueco Mundo if he is able to.

Grimmjow brings Orihime to heal Ichigo before he can die, wanting to fight him at full strength. Ulquiorra discovers this and attempts to retrieve Orihime, but Grimmjow uses a portable Negación field to temporarily imprison him, thus allowing the two to battle unimpeded. Much like Kenpachi before him, Grimmjow insists that Ichigo not battle for his friends, instead just wanting him to focus on killing him, and reveals that he kept the scar from their first battle as a reminder to fight and kill Ichigo to prove that he is stronger.

The advantage shifts between the two combatants at random, with Ichigo donning his Hollow mask while Grimmjow releases his zanpakutō, eventually ending in Ichigo's favor. Grimmjow, badly injured and reverted back to his unreleased state, tries one more attack, which Ichigo blocks bare-handed. Suddenly, Nnoitra Jiruga appears, incapacitates Grimmjow, then attacks Ichigo, revealing that he is the 5th Espada and is thus more powerful than Grimmjow, whom Ichigo barely defeated.

As they fight, Nnoitra notices Nel, recognizes her as the former third Espada, Neliel Tu Odershvank, and explains to Ichigo that Nnoitra gave Nel the crack in her mask. Nel denies this accusation heavily as Nnoitra attacks Ichigo again, eventually snapping his wrist. Seeing Ichigo hurt triggers Nel's transformation into her adult form. Nel attacks Nnoitra after revealing her ex-Espada status and easily matches him. She releases her zanpakutō and overwhelms Nnoitra; but, just before finishing him, reverts to her child form. Nnoitra kicks Nel and the enraged Ichigo attacks again, only to be slammed into the ground. Nnoitra then orders his Fracción, Tesla, to switch with him and kill Ichigo and takes hold of Orihime. Tesla also releases, but just as he is about to kill Ichigo, Ichigo is once again saved at the last moment by Kenpachi, who defeats Tesla in one strike and briefly explains that along with him, Byakuya, Retsu Unohana, and Mayuri Kurotsuchi have come to perform an intrusion on Las Noches before engaging in combat with Nnoitra. As Kenpachi and Nnoitra fight, Orihime heals Ichigo and Nel to full health. When Nnoitra, thinking for a moment that Kenpachi is dead, attacks Yachiru Kusajishi, Orihime rushes to defend her, while Ichigo, trying to stop Orihime, is stunned that he cannot break through her healing shield.

Kenpachi kills Nnoitra, and as he orders Orihime to heal him, Stark appears, apparently reluctant as he snatches Orihime away to bring her to Aizen. Aizen makes an announcement to all of Hueco Mundo, stating that Orihime is in the fifth tower, should anyone want to retrieve her, and that he has closed the gargantas that the captains used for entry into Hueco Mundo. He informs them that he is leaving to destroy Karakura and orders Ulquiorra to take charge of Las Noches. Ichigo tells Kenpachi that his duty is not to defend his town, but to protect his friends, and flies to rescue Orihime as Ulquiorra declares his challenge to Ichigo. Before he gets far though he is attacked by the Exequias, but is assisted by Renji, Chad, and Rukia who start fighting them while he continues on. Before Ulquiorra can interrogate Orihime's mind further, Ichigo reaches them. In order to protect Las Noches, Ulquiorra brandishes his sword and begins dueling with Ichigo.

Fake Karakura Town arc
Later on, Ichigo is seen with a wound on his right shoulder done by Ulquiorra during the battle. As his fight with Ulquiorra continued, Ichigo was shown to be capable of fighting on equal footing with the Espada though he could not gain advantage either. Between blows, Ulquiorra taunts Ichigo, telling him that even if he were to defeat him and rescue Orihime, it would be meaningless as she was already one of them, to which Ichigo retorted that that isn't his decision to make. Ulquiorra agreed, replying that it was Aizen's decision before resuming their battle. Later, Ichigo notices that he can keep up with Ulquiorra and understand his movements better than their first encounter. He thinks that it is either because he has become more like a Hollow or Ulquiorra has become more Human within the period between their two battles. At one point, Ichigo manages to catch Ulquiorra's wrist, much to Ulquiorra's surprise, and cut through his Hierro leaving a small nick. When Ichigo reveals his inference about him becoming more capable of following Ulquiorra's movements and the possibility of Ulquiorra becoming more Human, Ulquiorra responds by increasing his reiatsu. He begins to attack more fiercely, catching Ichigo off guard, and he is saved by Orihime's shield.

As Ulquiorra attempts to taunt Orihime, Ichigo stops him by stating how he always thought he was more the silent type; Ichigo then uses Getsuga Tenshō in his blade to attack Ulquiorra. While fighting, Orihime is ambushed by Loly and Menoly, who overheard Aizen's message to the intruders. Ichigo notices this and tries to save Orihime from them, ignoring Loly's threat of ripping out Orihime's eye. However, Ulquiorra stops Ichigo from reaching them (but he states that he's not helping them). Their fight is interrupted when Yammy arrives in the throne room. Yammy notices that Ichigo has gotten stronger since their first meeting and offers Ulquiorra help, but Ulquiorra denies his assistance. Afterwards, Yammy notices Loly and Menoly and defeats them both and sets his sights on Orihime. He asks Ulquiorra if he could kill her and Ichigo once again tries to help her, but Ulquiorra still prevents him from leaving their battle. Orihime is ultimately saved by the timely arrival of Uryū Ishida, who uses a special landmine (developed by Mayuri Kurotsuchi and specifically designed for Arrancar) to injure Yammy.

After Uryū sends Yammy falling to the bottom of Las Noches, he explains that Mayuri healed Renji first, then healed him. Ichigo then orders him to protect Orihime, so she wouldn't be injured during his fight with Ulquiorra. Ichigo dons his Hollow mask and manages to gain the upper hand against Ulquiorra, even managing to begin piercing his blade, as well as fully repulsing a Cero blast. Realizing how strong Ichigo has become, Ulquiorra heads to the top of Las Noches as Ichigo chases him. After reaching the top himself, Ichigo realizes that they are above the dome of Las Noches. Ulquiorra explains to him that within Las Noches, two actions are forbidden: the first is that the Espada must never use the Gran Rey Cero, while the second is that the top four Espada are forbidden from releasing their zanpakutō. This is because both actions have the power to destroy the fortress. He then proceeds to release his own zanpakutō, Murciélago, with the command "Bind". As Ichigo stares up at Ulquiorra, he warns Ichigo to not let his guard down and fight with all his might. He then attacks Ichigo with a powerful spiked weapon, that breaks off the upper-right portion of Ichigo's mask. Ulquiorra notes that Ichigo had reflexively defended himself with a Getsuga Tenshō, and if he had not the attack would have decapitated him. Ichigo then starts to realize how much more powerful and faster Ulquiorra is. He then regenerates his mask and uses Getsuga Tenshō on Ulquiorra's request and sees nothing happens.

Ichigo then prepares for Ulquiorra's "Black Cero", but is completely overwhelmed by the attack and has his entire mask destroyed in the process, becoming critically injured. The Cero itself takes out about half of the dome of Las Noches. Ulquiorra then proceeds to attack Ichigo, further damaging him while proclaiming Hollow's superiority to Humans. When Ichigo prepares to fire another Getsuga, Ulquiorra surprisingly loses his cool and launches another devastating series of attacks. Ulquiorra asks Ichigo why he will not put down his sword, noting the large gap in power between them. He explains that he always knew that Ulquiorra was strong, but nothing he sees him do will stop him from fighting. Ulquiorra then states that Ichigo has still not realized the meaning of despair, and transforms into a new form.



Ulquiorra explains to the stunned Ichigo that only he among the Espada has a second release form, which not even Aizen hasn't witnessed. Ichigo still tries to fight the Espada and show no fear, and attempts to defend himself from attacks but is too slow. Ulquiorra expresses his inability to understand Ichigo's resolve, believing it is a Human's "heart" which causes them pain and will eventually result in their deaths. When Ichigo explains he has no choice but to win the fight, Ulquiorra calls him a fool. After he whips Ichigo with his tail, Ichigo reforms his Hollow mask, however this time his eyes remain human; his mask is broken apart easily shortly after, and Ulquiorra lifts him by the neck again with his tail. Orihime arrives to the top of the dome just in time to see Ulquiorra send an Instantaneous Cero Oscuras through Ichigo's chest, seemingly killing him.

Orihime is devastated by Ichigo's supposed death and attempts to aid him, but Ulquiorra appears before her and tells her that she is not powerful enough to save him. Uryū intervenes and fights Ulquiorra while Orihime tries to heal Ichigo, but there seems to be no change in his condition. Noticing that Uryū is losing his battle with Ulquiorra, Orihime begins to panic and pleads Ichigo to help her. Ichigo slowly begins to move as his hair grows longer, almost resembling a mane.

Hearing Orihime's desperate cry for help, Ichigo's inner Hollow takes over in a transformation completely different then the previous one he had.

With the defeat of his Hollow self at the hands of Ulquiorra, Ichigo regains control of his body with no memory of what has transpired, only to find a half beaten Ulquiorra and his zanpakutō embedded in Uryū's body. Ulquiorra retrieves Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu, hands it back to Ichigo, and tells him that they will finish their fight. Seeing the damage inflicted on his opponent, Ichigo tells him to cut his limbs so that they may have a fair fight, however, as the Espada prepares to do so, he begins to disintegrate. Ulquiorra tells Ichigo to finish him off, however Ichigo refuses stating that, that was not the way he wanted to win. The 4th Espada, slightly surprised, then admits his interest in the trio as Ichigo, Uryū, and Orihime watch Ulquiorra fade into the wind.

Powers & Abilities
Ichigo has always been a spiritually-aware human, being able to see ghosts since he was 9 years old (and possibly earlier). Despite having very little official training as a Shinigami, over time, Ichigo's fighting abilities have become powerful enough to rival that of captain-level Shinigami, Menos-class Hollow, and Espada-ranked Arrancar, capable of fighting on equal footing against all but the strongest and the most powerful of foes.

Master Swordsmanship Specialist: In terms of fighting style, Ichigo relies mostly on his zanpakutō and the use of Flash Steps to move at high speeds, and thus would be considered a swordsmanship specialist. His training with Urahara taught him many things about swordsmanship, leading to his victory in earlier battles. His overall skill has been shown capable of competing on equal grounds against sword masters of Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki's caliber. He is basically on a "learn as you go" training regimen. Thus far, his skill has developed by fighting rather than formal instruction. He, like Urahara, learned his Bankai within a short time, even ahead of schedule. So far he has become even more capable with every fight, having in turn defeated three captains, a handful of seated officers and lieutenants, and an Espada-level Arrancar.

Flash Steps Expert: During his training with Yoruichi, Ichigo learned how to use this technique so as to fight evenly with Byakuya. While not particularly versed in the various techniques, he was able to learn enough of the technique itself to keep up with and even surprise captain-level Shinigami with his speed. Even Byakuya Kuchiki, one of the most proficient users of Flash Steps in Soul Society, complimented Ichigo's might and proficiency in it. Despite this, his inexperience with Shunpo has been seen various times as with his battles against Grimmjow and Ulquiorra who were both initially able to outmaneuver him.

Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Physically, Ichigo is in top form even when not in his spiritual body. Ichigo has been trained in martial arts since he was a small child, both professionally and by his father (Though most of his father's training revolves around random sneak attacks throughout the day). He has repeatedly shown great agility and coordination in his attacks. He also regularly defeats multiple bullies and gangsters, and is a better martial artist than Tatsuki Arisawa, the second-strongest girl in all of Japan, despite fighting with a broken arm in the last few matches of the competition. While he stopped training officially after defeating her, his constant attacks from bullies and his father help keep his skills fresh. It should be noted that he was able to effortlessly dispatch three lieutenants bare-handed.

Vast Spiritual Power: Ichigo has been noted on several occasions to have tremendously vast levels of spiritual energy, even by captain-level Shinigami standards. It is so overwhelming that even when worn-out in battle, he can continue fighting effectively while still capable of unleashing Getsuga Tenshō. The 4th Espada Ulquiorra Cifer has claimed that Ichigo's spiritual power at its peak is even greater than his own, but that it fluctuates wildly when he is in conflict with his inner Hollow. The best example of the sheer amount and strength of Ichigo's spiritual energy was when shown at its peak equaling if not surpassing that of Kenpachi Zaraki, another Shinigami well-known for his exceedingly high energy levels, even when at full strength. Due to the fact that he has far more spiritual energy than his body can contain, it leaks out constantly, preventing him from hiding it and effectively making stealth impossible when dealing with other spiritually-aware creatures. However, he has learned how to harden his spiritual energy and enhance the strength of his attacks or act as a barrier to reduce the impact of attacks on him, if not block them completely. Even before this, his spiritual energy was so great he was able to withstand a Menos Gillian-class Cero and subsequently wound the same Gillian, forcing it back into Hueco Mundo while using only his sealed zanpakutō.

Enhanced Strength: When he is in his Shinigami body, Ichigo's already impressive strength is greatly enhanced. His overall abilities are great enough that he can effortlessly wield Zangetsu with one hand, and in one case, even fought off three Shinigami lieutenants and their released zanpakutō bare-handed in rapid succession; he shattered one of their zanpakutō in a single punch.

Enhanced Durability: When in Shinigami form Ichigo's physical endurance is strengthened to the point where he can survive attacks that would easily kill normal humans effortlessly. It was stated by Rukia that a Shinigami's life force is their spiritual power. As such, Ichigo is able to withstand attacks that would be fatal to most Shinigami. For example, taking a direct hit from Grimmjow's explosive darts (though Ichigo's powers were augmented through the use of his Hollow mask at the time) without any visible external injury; however, he coughed up some blood, so it is very likely he suffered internal bleeding. He could even withstand (with considerable effort) Ulquiorra Cifer's Cero blast.

Advanced Growth Rate: According to both Aizen and Urahara, Ichigo's most astounding ability is his growth rate: he grasps the basic control of advanced techniques in days where it would take several years for even the most gifted Shinigami. One example is the Bankai of his zanpakutō, which he learns in two days (albiet with the assistance of a special device invented by Urahara that was originally intended for three days). For a normal Shinigami, this same feat would require several years of combat experience and at least ten additional years of special training. He also gains mastery of Flash Steps while training with Yoruichi, which was done over the same period as his Bankai. Ichigo was also able to learn how to detect another's spiritual energy (with no assistance), as he proved he can use a spirit ribbon to find Yuichi Shibata (in bird form), felt Chad losing spirit energy (but that he was alive), he sensed Rukia's strength weakened in Hueco Mundo, and in the second movie came from the city to countryside to check up something he had felt. In the Hueco Mundo arc, during his first fight with Ulquiorra, he is instantly incapacitated by one Cero blast even with his Hollow mask (which broke within a second), but only a few hours later, he is able to withstand another Cero from Ulquiorra without undergoing Hollowfication and can analyze Ulquiorra's movements much better than before, whereas he "felt like [he] was fighting a machine or a statue", and failed to predict and counter his attacks. This feat, as Ichigo explains, was done either by experience, because Ichigo has become more of a Hollow, or because Ulquiorra has become more of a Human.

High-Level Intellect: Despite his somewhat punkish attitude, Ichigo has shown himself to be analytical, perceptive, and deductive. In his high school, Ichigo's grades are almost always near the top, despite his work as a substitute Shinigami. Aside from that, Ichigo appears to be able to determine the pattern of his opponent's battle methods and correctly deduce a proper counter-strategy to defeat his opponents attacks; such as in his battles with both Ikkaku Madarame and Renji Abarai, where he would have been successful in dodging their weapons, if not for unforeseen abilities. He is also fairly charismatic, and while some of his monologues aren't entirely inspirational and philosophical, he's able to gain the trust, respect, and friendship of even his greatest adversaries, often due to his inwardly compassionate nature and remarkable combat prowess. Additionally, it's worth noting that Ichigo has impressive leadership skills, and will sometimes act as the de facto leader of the Ryoka, despite the fact that Uryū and Renji occasionally compete with him over leadership responsibility (often due to their proud natures, equally-impressive intellect, combat prowess, and leadership skills), as seen in the Soul Society and Arrancar arcs respectively. Ichigo does exert some amount of power and authority over Urahara at times, likely due to Ichigo's aforementioned charisma, coupled with Urahara's respect for him. He will also devise and execute strategies with high speed and precision (although not nearly as much, and not in the same league, as Aizen and Urahara), and will personally lead rescue missions and large-scale assaults against his enemies.



Determination: It seems that Ichigo's power is tied to his determination or will to win. It's shown that when he focuses on victory, his strength is enhanced. In the anime, this is depicted by his eyes glowing bright blue, including when he is in his Vizard form, in which case his iris is a glowing yellow. This effect has been shown while he was battling Renji for a second time, and when he defeated his inner hollow. In his last battle against Grimmjow, Ichigo had most of his mask beaten off and was on the verge of collapse as Grimmjow prepared his finishing blow. However after noticing Orihime, who was saddened by watching him get hurt, Ichigo managed to catch Grimmjow's hand without effort or looking, and gripped tight enough to prevent him from moving away. Ichigo then managed to make a clean slash into Grimmjow (despite the fact he had lost most of the benefits from his hollow mask), whereas before most of the damage that he had inflicted that actually made Grimmjow bleed was from Getsuga Tenshō attacks. In his current battle with Ulquiorra, even after taking a direct hit from Ulquiorra's Cero Oscura and nearly incinerated, he is seen to be able to continue to fight and even use Getsuga Tensho.

Zanpakutō

 * When Ichigo first becomes a Shinigami, his zanpakutō is a standard looking katana, but oversized with an equally-oversized sheathe on his back, with a rectangular crossguard, that has a stylized flame pattern on the long sides, and a simple decorative slit on the short ones. The handle was red and had a red tassel on the end of the handle. The large size is due to Ichigo's immense spiritual power, which he didn't know how to control. As a result, the sword itself was rather weak, since very little spiritual power was used to create it. Nevertheless, it was powerful enough to subdue Gillian-class Menos and lesser Hollows, completely blocking a Cero from the former. Byakuya Kuchiki cuts off most of the blade during his first encounter with Ichigo and Kisuke Urahara subsequently slices it down to the hilt during their training, forcing Ichigo to learn the name of his zanpakutō in order to release its true form.

The spirit of Zangetsu resembles a 30 to 40 year-old man, and Ichigo calls him as a result. Zangetsu has also been called the. Zangetsu is portrayed as wise and calm in most matters, and fond of testing Ichigo in unusual ways, many of which have a purpose completely contrary to the stated goal. Zangetsu has displayed the ability to temporarily close fatal wounds during combat, though whether or not this is a unique ability is unclear, also it is simply due to the massive amounts of spiritual energy, as demonstrated by Nnoitra Jiruga.

However, since Ichigo developed an inner Hollow (as a result from having his Shinigami powers restored), Zangetsu and the Hollow are both the source of Ichigo's power and share the same spirit body in Ichigo's inner world, the stronger presence retaining more control (and overall appearance) of their body.


 * Shikai: The Shikai form of Zangetsu looks like an oversized elegant cleaver than a formal "katana". He has no crossguard and no proper hilt; what Ichigo holds is the cloth-wrapped tang. The sword is as tall as Ichigo is, 1.75 meters, and has a black blade with a silver edge. The cloth wrapping on the tang seems to react to Ichigo's will, changing length at a thought or twining about the blade in an impromptu sheath. When in combat, the cloth falls away when necessary, shrinking back to a manageable size. The cloth can also be used to swing the weapon like a flail and toss it at opponents, but this is rarely done. The cloth also can be done to wrap up wounds, as Ichigo does during his fight with Ikkaku Madarame, but this is also done rarely. Unlike most zanpakutō, which can be sealed into their original form, Zangetsu is always in its Shikai form. Yoruichi Shihōin has stated that his zanpakutō is a full-time released form type, implying that it is simply a type of zanpakutō that, once in Shikai form, remains in said state.


 * Shikai Special Ability: Zangetsu's special ability is the, which fires concentrated energy blasts from the tip of the blade in the shape of a crescent moon or in a shape of a wave. Ichigo uses this ability without knowing its name several times, but masters the technique later on when he discovers its name. As stated by Zangetsu in the anime, knowing the name of an attack increases its power greater than not knowing its name. The Getsuga Tenshō is a powerful technique with great force. While it is currently the only attack Ichigo knows from Zangetsu, Ichigo has used this technique in several different manners, such as striking the ground to create an omnidirectional blast to knock away incoming attacks.


 * Bankai: : It is considered completely out of the ordinary for any zanpakutō. Unlike most Bankai forms, which usually create some sort of massive creature or effect, Ichigo's Bankai actually shrinks his sword down to a daitō (Japanese long sword) with a black blade, the crossguard is Four prongs bent out to form the shape of the manji (which is the kanji for "ban," meaning "full"). Instead of the cloth his Shikai form had, a short length of chain with a broken link at the end dangles from the base of the hilt. In addition to his sword, Ichigo's robe is replaced with a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat with red lining that is closed at his chest, then left to flare out into ragged ends, much like that of Zangetsu himself. Ichigo's initial inexperience with controlling his Bankai led to a serious drawback; the force of his compressed spiritual power caused all of his bones to crack, as stated by his inner Hollow, gradually decreasing his speed and power over time. This drawback has not been mentioned since its introduction, so it has (presumably) been overcome.


 * Bankai Special Ability: Zangetsu's special ability remains Getsuga Tenshō. When used with Zangetsu's Bankai, these potent blasts are black with a red outline and their path can be controlled, with explosively augmented power and speed. During Byakuya Kuchiki's fight with Ichigo, he refers to this attack as a . This term simply refers to the darkened color of the attack, not its actual name. When used with his Bankai and Hollow mask in combination, Ichigo's tremendous speed allows him to move faster than the Getsuga Tenshō itself, allowing him to fire multiple blasts from different directions. The Kuroi Getsuga was first displayed by Ichigo's inner Hollow, and initially carried the risk of causing his inner Hollow to surface if used too much. With Ichigo's later control over his inner Hollow, this is no longer a problem. Ichigo is also capable of utilizing Getsuga Tenshō to augment blade swings, as seen in the fight with Byakuya Kuchiki, and the manifestation of Ichigo's inner Hollow. In fact it has come to a point where it literally just comes out of Ichigo's body, replacing his blue aura. It should also be noted that ever since Ichigo mastered his Vizard form, he produces a black aura that rages in the form of the black Getsuga Tenshō that surrounds him as he initiates Bankai, rather than a white aura that shoots high into the sky. During his second fight with Ulquiorra, Ichigo retained his Getsuga Tenshō in his blade, giving each attack the power of Getsuga.


 * Physical Enhancement:As explained by Byakuya Kuchiki, Ichigo's Bankai is a compression of his remarkable power, rather than a vast expansion as other Bankai are. This vastly compressed power enables to reach levels of physical and spiritual prowess most Shinigami would have their bodies give out at and cannot handle. It allows Ichigo to move at very high speeds exceeding those of flash steps, and gives him matching agility and reflexes, possibly equaling if not, surpassing Yoruichi's speed, along with allowing him to use his natural strength to its limits as shown from how effortlessly he blocked a punch from Yammy, an Espada known primarily for his immense strength. The Shunpo's speeds are also enhanced in this state, allowing him to use Flash Steps at a speed much greater than Byakuya Kuchiki's. In addition, his already immense spiritual energy has grandly and explosively increased, and now has a deep black spiritual energy with a crimson outline.


 * Enhanced Bankai Duration: Furthermore, the fact that all of his energy is "compressed" means that usage of his Bankai doesn't expel as much spiritual power as other Bankai from the point of activation; thus allowing him to use Tensa Zangetsu at a much longer duration than any other Bankai users of his level. With enough usage and acquired height, Ichigo can even appear as though he is flying.

Hollowfication
Ichigo's spiritual powers are not limited to just Shinigami abilities; he also possesses Hollow powers as a result of his training with Urahara. While attempting to recover his Shinigami powers, Ichigo began transforming into a Hollow from the corrosion of his severed soul chain. Ichigo succeeds in awakening his Shinigami powers, but retains his Hollow spirit inside himself from the transformation. The title page of Chapter 220 depicts the inner Hollow with the mirror writing, spelling backwards, of Ichigo's name.

At different points in the series, Ichigo's Hollow powers have manifested themselves in different ways. Initially, Ichigo's Hollow mask would appear on his body to block fatal blows, which Ichigo never noticed until after the fight had ended. During his battle with Byakuya Kuchiki, the mask appeared on his face when he was near death, allowing his inner Hollow to take over until Ichigo suppressed it. The same event is repeated multiple times after that such as when Ichigo fought Koga in the Bount Arc. While suppressing his inner Hollow, Ichigo is left effectively paralyzed, since his concentration was focused on suppressing it rather than fighting. The Hollow claims that it manifests itself to protect Ichigo during near death moments because it is connected to Ichigo, and it would be a great inconvenience to the Hollow if Ichigo were to die.

While he was training with the Vizard, Ichigo's soul was completely overcome by his inner Hollow for a short period, causing him to physically transform into a Hollow. His near-complete hollow form resembles a large, humanoid lizard. In this form, Ichigo demonstrated several high-level abilities, including: Rapid regeneration, Enhanced strength, Body-shaping and Cero.

In this form, Ichigo also demonstrates being able to generate other bizarre Hollow-like appendages from his body, like the large, eyeless, worm-like entity that he used against the Vizard Kensei Muguruma in retaliation to Kensei blasting him with energy gathered and fired from his released zanpakutō. However, this form didn't last long as Ichigo emerged from the Hollow shell as his standard Shinigami self wearing a Hollow mask.

Vizard
Vizard are Shinigami who have obtained the power of a Hollow through a process known as Hollowfication. In order to use this power, they must don the mask of the Hollow within them. Because he began to turn into a hollow while attempting to recover his Shinigami powers, Ichigo was turned into a Vizard. Ichigo's Hollow mask manifests in the appearance of what could best be described as a menacing skull. While pure white on the right side, the mask possesses a total of ten red stripes (a total of ten can be seen during his latest fight with Ulquiorra) spread across three spots on the left side of his mask. The mask began with only three stripes, and has since increased. The red/black stripes on Ichigo's Hollow mask changed in thickness after he subjugated his Hollow, covering almost the entirety of the mask's left half during his third battle with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. The significance of this has yet to be revealed, although the prevailing theories are that it represents Ichigo's control over Hollow Ichigo, or the continued usage of his Hollow powers.

During Ichigo's fight with Ulquiorra, it changed to a mask that resembles a Human skull with two horns. Two stripes begin on the back of his mask and go to the front, resulting in a shape that resembles a broken outline of a heart. The eye holes also widen from their slit shapes, becoming more open.

When donning his Hollow mask Ichigo's sclera turns completely black and his irises become golden-yellow, just like his inner Hollow.



After training with the Vizard and subjugating his inner Hollow, Ichigo can use his Hollow mask while retaining his personality, but could originally only wear it for eleven seconds at a time. His limit and Hollow powers greatly increases during his third battle with Grimmjow, but to what extent is unclear. His Hollow powers became strong enough (comparable to the times when he was possessed) to block Grimmjow's Gran Rey Cero without any effort and has shown the capacity to "repair" his mask when it has began to crack during this fight. His overall limit is barely a fraction of the amount other Vizard can maintain their masks. After the time limit, the mask breaks and Ichigo loses its benefits. Subsequent attempts to use the mask can only be maintained for an instant. It's possible that his time limit increased due to him fighting with it in Hueco Mundo.

Below is a list of the effects of Ichigo's Hollowfication:

Hollow Mask: The Hollow mask was originally a sign of Ichigo's possession by the Hollow within him, but after his training with the Vizard it has become indication that he is merely utilizing his Hollow powers. To access Hollow Ichigo's power, Ichigo must summon Hollow Ichigo's mask onto his face, which is normally done by placing one of his hands over his face and concentrating spiritual matter on it in order to manifest the mask (previously it had appeared on its own before he mastered the Hollow within him). With the mask in place, Ichigo has access to most if not all the abilities of a Hollow, even subconsciously using a Cero during his training with the Vizard. Apparently, Ichigo can sustain his Hollow powers even if portions of his mask have been broken off without restoring them, as seen during the end of his fight with Grimmjow.


 * Vast Spiritual Power: While wearing the mask, the spiritual power Ichigo possesses becomes even greater than before. His spiritual power is so great, that he was considered equal to an Espada by the 3rd Espada, Tia Harribel.


 * Hollow Combat: When Ichigo fights with his mask on his fighting style becomes more instinctive than practiced. The Hollow mask also makes Ichigo more ruthless, akin to the battle style of Hollow Ichigo. Throughout the duration the Hollowfication, Ichigo has shown less concern for injuries to his person, even going so far as to ignore grievous wounds to continue fighting.


 * Mask Shielding: The mask has also shown the ability to block attacks on Ichigo's body from within his robe, serving as a shield to stop or lessen attacks on him, sometimes saving his life. One example is when the mask blocked several hits from Renji's zanpakutō during their fight, Hanatarō Yamada notes the hits could have been fatal.


 * Enhanced Strength: While using the Hollow mask, Ichigo gains a substantial increase in strength. As evident when he instinctively block an attack from Grimmjow in his released state and after unleashing his Hollowfication state in his battle with Ulquiorra, even was able to slightly pierce his sword.


 * Enhanced Durability: As in his third fight with Grimmjow, Ichigo shielded Orihime from a barrage of Grimmjow's dart bullets which have enough destructive force to destroy a large building. Even after taking this barrage, he was still able to fight and defeat Grimmjow, even destroying one of his Desgarrón claws, which was Grimmjow's most powerful technique.


 * Power Augmentation: While wearing the mask, Ichigo's Hollow powers supplement his Shinigami powers, giving him a vast increase in both strength and speed. The explanation for this is that since Hollows boost their natural abilities by obtaining spirit power around them, either by absorbing it in its ambient form or devouring it directly from another living being, Ichigo attains power from two separate sources: that from himself (drawn using his Shinigami powers), and that from his immediate environment (drawn with the help of his Hollow powers), allowing him to draw power from both sides. It could even be suggested that the Hollow mask allows Ichigo to recapture the energy he constantly leaks into the environment, making him more efficient.


 * Getsuga Tenshō: When Ichigo wears his mask, the power, speed, blast area, force, and size of the Getsuga Tenshō becomes drastically augmented to the point of seriously harming a foe to a certain degree.


 * Mask Regeneration: Ichigo seems to have the ability to repair small amounts of damage that is inflicted upon his mask. This is seen during his 3rd fight with Grimmjow and during his most recent fight with Ulquiorra. This "repairing" of his Hollow mask manifests in a similar manner to the Hollow regeneration he exhibited when he was subconsciously transformed into a Hollow while being trained by the Vizard to contain his inner Hollow. It is currently unknown to what extent the damage can be to his mask before he is unable to repair it. He has also been shown to have the ability to call his mask out a second time after it shatters, but with less benefits. Also his sclera do not change, and remain human. This was first used against his first fight with Ulquiorra, although unseen, it was used to help defend against Ulquiorra's Cero, and again with his most recent confrontation with him, after he went into his released form.

Affiliation
While aligned with the Soul Society, mainly due to the threat of Aizen and the Arrancar, Ichigo is not an official member of the Gotei 13, being a substitute Shinigami, and is allowed to act on his own accord (so long as he does not threaten to disrupt the peace), such as mounting a rescue attempt on Hueco Mundo, protecting a then-fugitive of the Soul Society during the second movie, and occasionally disobeying and fighting them whenever they endanger one of his friends, as seen during the Soul Society and Amagai arcs, and the three feature-lengthed films. This is also somewhat true for the Vizard, as he refused to join their group and continues to refer to himself as a Shinigami instead of a Vizard, possibly due to his stubborn pride. His friends are quite loyal to him, and will follow his every move, regardless of whatever their current situation is, though there are occasional leadership arguments between himself, Renji, and Uryū. Others, such as Urahara and Yoruichi, he respects and considers them as his mentors, though, again, is more than likely to fight them should they endanger his friends' lives or his own, or prevent him from saving anyone he considers important to himself, and occasionally argues with them over their actions and/or decisions regarding a situation (training or otherwise), though mainly due to pride and his own reckless 'logic'.

Status as A Shinigami
Ichigo is unlike any other shinigami seen. For one thing, he's still a living human. His zanpakutō, along with his other abilities, were given to him from Rukia and 'depleted' by Byakuya. His powers were regained through Urahara's training/forced encroachment, which simultaneously gave him Hollow powers. Both methods of gaining Shinigami abilities have only been shown once, and the second has yet to be elaborated upon. Due to his Hollow powers, Ichigo should be classified as a Vizard, but he thinks of himself as nothing more or less of a Shinigami, having no interest in joining their group.

Substitute Shinigami Status: Although Ichigo has become a Shinigami, he is still a living human being and resides in Karakura Town. Not a full-fledged Shinigami, yet also not an ordinary Human, Ichigo carrys a heavy burden as he is split between protecting two worlds. This lets him relate to the Bounts, as they are also out of the ordinary, not fitting in with regular society. His status in the Soul Society remains ambiguous. His "rank" as substitute Shinigami was accepted by the others so he can continue to fight Hollows and properly defend his hometown. Ichigo seems to get orders from the Soul Society by Rukia's cellular phone, but he ignored the only real order he ever received by General Yamamoto, which was to not go after Orihime. It is still unknown where he is really situated in the Soul Society's order, since he can act by himself and go on his own missions. Ichigo and his friends have been welcome in the Soul Society ever since Aizen escaped, even when they are not with him, and can even explore the division quarters.

However, this might stem from the fact that the Soul Society needs as many allies as they can get in the war against Aizen and the Arrancar, and will likely turn on them after Aizen's defeat. Ichigo is perhaps best-treated and best-respected by Captain Shunsui Kyōraku of the 8th Division, Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of the 11th Division, and Captain Jūshirō Ukitake of the 13th Division, who often assist him in his missions, and willingly disobey their orders so as to ensure his survival. Captain Soifon of the 2nd Division and Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya of the 10th Division occasionally help Ichigo in his assignments (whenever they are ordered to by Yamamoto); however, they are quick to turn against him should the need ever arise, as seen during Orihime's capture, The Kasumiōji Crisis, the Shinenju Affair, and the Kusaka Incident. Captain Sajin Komamura of the 7th Division has never been shown with either Ichigo or his friends.

Pure Blood Shinigami: When Grand Fisher learns that Isshin Kurosaki was a Shinigami, he said Ichigo was a "pure-blood" Shinigami. It seems to be an explanation for his strength although it is strange since Isshin had lost his power for twenty years and Ichigo and his sisters are humans. Ichigo did say his mother could not see Grand Fisher so he is half-Shinigami, half-human. This can mean his sisters have latent Shinigami powers. An example of this is they can see spirits. Karin can fully see spirits such as small Hollows. Yuzu however seems to only be able to see the outline of spirits.

Relationships
Ichigo himself hasn't shown any romantic feelings towards any females in the series, with the possible exception of Senna. This is likely due to the fact that the two spent some quality time together.

There is also a strong bond between him and Rukia Kuchiki, and their love-hate relationship has been interpreted as romantic by fans and even characters (starting very early in the story). Orihime confessed her love for Ichigo while he was unconscious, and like Rukia, has had characters from early in the series interpreting their relationship as romantic. She has been shown being jealous of Rukia and Ichigo's close relationship and familiarity with each other, which brought her to tears due to her love (platonic or otherwise) for both of them. However, as with the other possible pairings at this time, it is unknown whether or not Ichigo even knows of her feelings at this time, much less returns them.

Finally, while in her adult form, Neliel Tu Oderschvank unexpectedly embraced a heavily-injured Ichigo and accidentally knocked him out, much to both her and Orihime Inoue's distress. Her adult form was, in fact, originally restored due in part to her desire to protect him from his then-current espada opponent. Like Ririn and Orihime, she has displayed jealousy over the bond between Ichigo and Rukia.

Quotes

 * (To his father) "You! Is that how you greet your son who just returned from performing a serious exorcism!?"


 * (To Orihime's brother as a Hollow) "Big brothers...you know why they're born first? To protect the little ones the come after them!! What kind of brother says that he'll KILL his own sister?! Even a MONSTER shouldn't say that!!"


 * (To Byakuya) "You said, miracles happen only once. So what's the second one?"


 * "You said I think too highly of myself? I saw every single step, Byakuya Kuchiki!"


 * "Stop telling me to leave you here and run away...it's so annoying! I told you, I don't care what you say. Heh...this is the second time now...I've come to save you, Rukia."


 * (To himself about the Arrancars Yammy and Ulquiorra) "Who are these guys? Are they Vizard?! Like Shinji and I!?"


 * "Bankai! Tensa Zangetsu."


 * "'Our pride, you said? So that pride you're saying to be so precious is that connected to killing Rukia, is it? Then I should stamp on it as you said. 'Cause that's why I obtained this Bankai!"


 * "Sorry, Grimmjow...but...I'm not gonna hold back anymore."


 * (To Nel in her child form, when Nnoitra reveals Nel's identity as the former Espada) "Of course you haven't! There's no reason for you to trick us!"

(from Ulquiorra) "At the very least, I see you as someone who must be destroyed."
 * (To Ulquiorra) "...I'm surprised. I didn't think you'd unsheathe your sword right away. I thought I'd have to get you to unsheathe it. So, does that mean you see me as a worthy opponent now?"
 * (To Ulquiorra, who is taunting Orihime Inoue) "...Shut up. I don't need to hear you go on about hesitation or whatever...none of that matters." (To Orihime Inoue) "Thank you for protecting me, Inoue. But it's dangerous, so stay back."


 * (To Ulquiorra) "The difference...in strength...what about it? Do you think I should give up...just because you're stronger than me...?  I've always known you were strong. Nothing I see now will change my mind. I will defeat you Ulquiorra."


 * "''I...must...help...her..


 * (To Ulquiorra) I won't do it...I said no! This...This isn't the way I wanted to win!!

Trivia

 * According to Shonen Jump's character popularity polls, Ichigo was consistently the most popular character in Bleach in the first three polls, but ranked 3rd in the fourth, most recent poll.
 * His zanpakutō, Zangetsu, was voted the 3rd most popular zanpakutō in a recent Bleach Poll.
 * As credited by Tite Kubo in Ichigo's character page in the 1st Manga Volume, his theme music is "News from the front" by Bad Religion.
 * Near the beginning of the series, Uryū asked Ichigo how he had managed to fight and beat Hollows since becoming a Shinigami to which he answered "Spur of the moment".
 * Unlike his Vizard counterparts (who can maintain their Hollow masks for hours without tiring), Ichigo originally had a time limit of eleven seconds before the mask would break. As he fought in Hueco Mundo, however, the limit increased exponentially and substantially to the point where he was able to maintain the mask throughout his third battle with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
 * During his fight to subjugate his Hollow, Ichigo's soul was overtaken by his inner Hollow. In that state, Ichigo had shown the ability to use Cero but it is unknown if this ability is usable in his Vizard form.
 * After the fight with Jidanbō who said that Ichigo´s name was "cute", Ichigo claims that his name comes from: ichi for first prize and go for guardian angel.
 * Ichigo has battled the most Espada, but never killed any of them. The first Espada he battled, and met, was Yammy, the 10th Espada. Ichigo, with his Bankai, easily gained the upper hand but when his Inner Hollow tried to take control, Yammy took advantage of his distraction and gave him a sound beating. The next Espada he fought was Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the 6th Espada, and he was clearly no match for him but still able to leave a scar on Grimmjow's chest. The next time Ichigo fought Grimmjow, his Hollow mask allowed him to overwhelm Grimmjow but when he reached his limit of eleven seconds, Grimmjow would've killed him had Rukia not intervened, then with the help of Shinji Hirako. The next Espada he fought was the Privaron Espada #103, Dordonii Alessandro Del Socacchio. Although he defeated him, he had Nel heal him, and it is assumed Dordonii was killed by the Exequias. Ichigo then fought the 4th Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer, and even with his Hollow Mask, he was beaten to within an inch of his life, if not, was killed. The next time Ichigo fought Grimmjow, despite the long and hard battle he won, but refused to kill him. Ichigo was then forced to fight the 5th Espada, Nnoitra Jiruga, and was easily overpowered due to having just barely beaten Grimmjow. Ichigo had a rematch with Ulquiorra and fought a battle that led to him transforming into a new Hollow Form and slit Ulquiorra in half, this time emerging victorious by Ulquiorra succumbing to his wounds, so he felt it was a hollow victory. So all in all, while Ichigo fought several Espada, he was never the one who brought down the final blow.
 * Ichigo does not know how to use any kind of Kidō, be it Bakudō or Hadō. This is due to the fact that he has never received a proper Shinigami education at the Shinigami Academy; his only training in the art was the use of Kūkaku Shiba's orb, and yet he had a great difficulty with using it.
 * Ichigo can be controlled by his inner Hollow without wearing the mask. In the final fight with Jin Kariya during the anime-exclusive Bount Arc, Ichigo momentarily succumbs to Hollow Ichigo and wounds Kariya badly without so much of an effort.
 * The number "15" on Ichigo's bedroom door is both a reference to his age and a pun on his name: ichi-go in Japanese means "one-five".
 * The remains of Ichigo's robes when he was critically injured by Ulquiorra's black Cero almost perfectly mirrors what they looked like when he was transformed into a Hollow during his Vizard training, with one of his legs showing out completely.
 * Ichigo Kurosaki has been heavily injured thanks to some of his greatest battles: He has been impaled through the chest twice, and by the same person, each time making Ichigo appear to have a Hollow hole, was also shot through the shoulder by a Byakurai via Byakuya Kuchiki, and in the foot by a Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi blade. He was also impaled in the right arm by Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez in their second fight to keep Ichigo from dodging a point blank Cero. After Ichigo's fight against Grand Fisher, Rukia implies that he had a "gaping hole in his chest," caused by on of the hollow's long claws. Total, he's been impaled at least six times, three times through the chest.
 * Ichigo is the first Shinigami to have been seen wearing a Hollow mask.
 * Ichigo has been in his Bankai state longer than any other Shinigami in the series, since he used it last in his third fight with Grimmjow in Chapter 279, he has yet to disengage it.
 * Ichigo is technically the youngest ever to achieve the Bankai stage, as he achieved Bankai at the age of 16. He is also the only Human to achieve Bankai.
 * Ichigo has fought and defeated three people who hold a position involving the number six, those three being Byakuya Kuchiki, the captain of the 6th Squad, as well as his lieutenant Renji Abarai; and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the 6th Espada. He lost to both Byakuya and Grimmjow in his first fights with them.