Getsuga Tenshō

is a Zanpakutō technique unique to Ichigo Kurosaki and Isshin Kurosaki. A variation of this technique was used by Kūgo Ginjō.

Description
At the instant of the slash, Zangetsu, absorbing Ichigo's spiritual energy, releases the highly condensed spiritual energy at the tip of the blade, magnifying the slash attack, which flies forward. This slash takes the form of a crescent moon or the shape of a wave. Ichigo uses this ability without knowing its name several times, but masters the technique later on during his Bankai training. As stated by Zangetsu, knowing the name of an attack heightens its power compared to its strength when the wielder does not know its name. The Getsuga Tenshō is a powerful technique with great force, capable of creating large-scale damage and destruction. Ichigo has used this technique in several different manners, such as striking the ground to create an omnidirectional blast to knock away incoming attacks or slashing at the ground to upturn it and crush everything in its path. After Ichigo regains his Shinigami powers for the second time, his Getsuga Tenshō is shown to be noticeably larger and more powerful in its Shikai form than it was before he lost his powers. A single strike from it can disperse an entire rainstorm.

Variation

 * Enhanced Getsuga Tenshō: Tensa Zangetsu retains the use of Getsuga Tenshō and can be used in the same manners, but as an enhanced form. When used in Bankai, these potent blasts are black with a red outline, their path can be controlled, and they possess explosively augmented power and speed. During Byakuya Kuchiki's fight with Ichigo, he refers to this attack as a, referring to the attack's darkened color. Ichigo has stated the Black Getsuga is originally Hollow Ichigo's technique, which has been proven, as Ichigo had no knowledge of it during his fight with Byakuya Kuchiki, and Hollow Ichigo stated all Ichigo was doing when he used the technique was copying his inner Hollow. Ichigo can keep Getsuga Tenshō within Tensa Zangetsu to augment his sword swings.