Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-35078452-20180322204341/@comment-44061-20180324050604

Actually, you're making the false assumption. Zangetsu is not a hollow it is, in fact, Ichigo's zanpakuto spirit. In the case of an "inner hollow" in manifests similar to a hollow but is not one itself but simply possess the traits of one. Also, you assumed that Ichigo somehow turns into a Vasto Lorde form when in fact nobody knows what a vasto lorde looks like except its apparently human-sized, that isn't enough to state anything hollow like and human-sized is a vasto lorde. Thus why its a hollow-like form while ichigo was possessed by his inner hollow in both cases they appeared. His inner hollow took control and used its hollow-like abilities in both cases to allow for ichigo's survival. Considering that ultimately the melding of his inherited shinigami powers and inner hollow is what manifested as his zanpakuto spirit. It would make little to no sense that a hollow form of any kind controlled or otherwise would be the ultimate end result for ichigo. In all points, we come back to his shinigami powers which even in the melding is dominant with the hollow aspects largely taking a backseat and feature only in design aspects of character sometimes, with the exception being his visored mask. His acceptance is coming to terms with where his power comes from. When he did it was once again shinigami focused as always.