Zangetsu (Zanpakutō spirit)

"I refuse to carry a king who's weaker than me and get cut to ribbons with him. If you're weaker than me, then I'll destroy you, and take your crown for myself." — Zangetsu in "NO SHAKING THRONE"

Overview

Anime Continuity

Image Gallery

Zangetsu (Zanpakutō spirit)
English	Slaying Moon
Kanji	斬月
Characteristics
Race	Hollow-Zanpakutō Spirit hybrid
Gender	Male
Height	174 cm (5'8½")
Weight	61 kg (134 lbs.)
Bankai	Tensa Zangetsu
Professional Status
Master	Ichigo Kurosaki
First Appearance
Manga	Volume 13, Chapter 110
Anime	Episode 39
Video Game	Bleach: The Blade of Fate
Voices
Japanese	Masakazu Morita
English	Johnny Yong Bosch
Spanish	Eduardo Garza (Latin America)

This page is about Ichigo Kurosaki's Zanpakutō Spirit and inner Hollow. For the representation of his Quincy powers, see Zangetsu (Quincy Powers).

Zangetsu (斬月, Slaying Moon) is the manifested spirit of Ichigo Kurosaki's Zanpakutō as well as his inner Hollow. He has been variously called Hollow Ichigo (虚 (ホロウ)一護, Horō Ichigo), more properly called the Hollow within Ichigo (一護の内面の虚 (ホロウ), Ichigo no naimen no Horō) or White Ichigo (白一護, Shiro Ichigo).

Zangetsu is the result of the fusion between the Hollow White that Ichigo inherited from his mother and the Shinigami powers he inherited from his father.

Appearance

Zangetsu as he first appears.

Zangetsu appears to be virtually identical to Ichigo Kurosaki, except inverted in color. He is a fairly tall and lean-built being possessing white skin, black lips, a blue tongue, black nails, and white hair. His eyes consist of black pupils, white irises (yellow in the anime), and black sclera. While Ichigo wears a standard black Shinigami shihakushō, Zangetsu wears a white shihakushō with a black cloth belt.

When he is pulled out of Ichigo by the other Zangetsu, he wears a mask greatly resembling Ichigo's Hollowfied form from his battle against Ulquiorra Cifer, and has white, waist-length hair along with a white version of Ichigo's shihakushō in his Bankai state.

When Hollow Zangetsu fuses with Quincy Zangetsu, they both transform into a teenage version of Quincy Zangetsu, resembling Ichigo in height and age, with a notably slimmer build and slightly shorter hair. The resulting fusion gives Quincy Zangetsu Hollow Zangetsu's characteristics, including elements of both their appearances. His attire becomes a more refined, robe-like version of Hollow Zangetsu's Shikai overcoat, lacking the undershirt and sunglasses, but featuring white lining and a hood. This version also incorporates elements of Hollow Zangetsu's white Bankai coat, the black remnants of his horned mask, white hair, a Hollowfied left eye, and a blue tongue, all blending seamlessly with Ichigo's appearance and black sword in his Bankai. This fused form of both Zangetsus strongly resembles Yhwach as a teenager.

When manifested outside Ichigo's inner world from one of Ōetsu Nimaiya's Asauchi, Zangetsu's appearance is marginally the same, retaining Ichigo's physical build and hair. However, his face appears almost skull-like, similar to the Hollow mask that Ichigo wears when he draws on his Hollow powers.

Personality

Zangetsu's most distinctive features are his maniacal laughter and psychotic smile. He is highly disrespectful, especially toward Ichigo, whom he constantly belittles for being weak and often tells that he is not strong enough to fight. He has a sarcastic nature, falsely apologizing to Ichigo Kurosaki when he expresses frustration for not being able to get rid of him, claiming that his failure to disappear brings tears to his eyes. Zangetsu is also dismissive, telling Byakuya Kuchiki that he is nameless when he first takes over Ichigo's body and refusing to answer when asked if he is a Hollow. Zangetsu is domineering, invasive, and self-centered; he enjoys the thrill of battle and has possessed Ichigo multiple times in order to fight his opponents. He is vicious, brutal, murderous, merciless, and sadistic, slashing at enemies and heavily wounding them with no concern for their well-being. Unlike Ichigo, he battles like a berserker, ignoring injuries and overpowering his enemies with brute strength and force.

Zangetsu firmly believes that true power comes from a ruthless, primal drive for destruction, not from reason or strategy. He doesn't tolerate Ichigo's tendency to fight using his head and defeat enemies through logic, thinking it will eventually get both of them killed. Instead, he prefers to fight with pure brutality and bloodlust. He believes only those with an insatiable hunger for battle, a "killer instinct," can truly dominate and lead. Zangetsu has an unforgiving view of strength in which there's no place for mercy or hesitation in combat. His contempt for weakness and his desire to be the "king" show his arrogance and pride, and he tries to push Ichigo to embrace a more brutal, destructive side in order to overcome him. He's also extremely arrogant, calling himself Ichigo's master and believing he's unbeatable by Ichigo. Zangetsu sees Ichigo as the "king" of his inner world, with himself as the "horse," and he refuses to back a king weaker than him. He says that if Ichigo is unworthy, he'll crush him and become the king himself. This reveals Zangetsu's power-driven personality, as he values strength and believes those in control should be worthy of it, willing to take over if Ichigo isn't fit to lead. On top of that, Zangetsu is a selfish megalomaniac, as part of the reason he helps Ichigo unlock his abilities is so he can take that power for himself. He has a tough-love approach to training Ichigo, berating him for not trying to unleash his Zanpakutō's full potential while pressuring him in combat.

While battling the Visored, Zangetsu remains mostly silent and chooses not to engage in conversation, unlike his previous confrontation with Byakuya. In his fight with Ulquiorra Cifer, Zangetsu once again remains silent, ignoring Ulquiorra when he asks who he is. He is also ruthless and animalistic, roaring loudly at Ulquiorra and savagely mutilating his body. Ulquiorra describes Zangetsu's behavior as very Hollow-like, while Uryū Ishida characterizes it as utterly inhuman. While he knocks aside Orihime Inoue and Uryū by striking the ground, he shows no interest in them and does not directly attack them. However, when Uryū attempts to reason with him and prevent him from stabbing Ulquiorra's throat, he impales Uryū and prepares to annihilate him using Cero before being interrupted by Ulquiorra's Lanza del Relámpago. This shows that while he will not attack others so long as they don't interest him, he will not hesitate to kill them should they get in his way.

For all his harsh exterior, Zangetsu is not completely devoid of positive traits. While he has a high opinion of his capabilities, he is still capable of admitting defeat; when Ichigo reforms his Zanpakutō after Zangetsu breaks it and stabs him, Zangetsu acknowledges that Ichigo has some "killer instinct" and accepts him as his "king," though he warns him that he will throw him off and crush his skull should he deem him even slightly weak. He is also willing to let himself be defeated when necessary, knowing that he needed Ichigo to win against him during their first encounter. He displays concern for Ichigo, albeit pragmatically, telling him to stay alive if he wants to master his abilities. He also shows protectiveness towards Ichigo, having repeatedly manifested masks around Ichigo's body to shield him from fatal wounds, though this is arguably due to wanting to avoid dying himself along with Ichigo, as Ichigo's death will result in his own. Though known for his wildness and unpredictability, Zangetsu has a softer, gentler side which he only displays towards the other Zangetsu, the manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy powers. He is respectful towards the manifestation and seems to be content in his presence. His respect for the manifestation extends to the point where he criticizes Ichigo for only learning his name and not trying to get to know him. He is also cooperative with the manifestation, willing to assist him however he can to help train Ichigo and fusing with him to test Ichigo.

When Zangetsu merges with his Quincy powers counterpart, the resulting fusion combines elements of both Zangetsus' personalities. The merged spirit typically maintains a calm demeanor, as seen in the Quincy powers manifestation, but is occasionally prone to outbursts reminiscent of Zangetsu's fiery nature, as well as moments of harshness, such as when he forcefully throws Ichigo toward a building. In a moment of vulnerability, the spirit confesses to Ichigo that he wants to protect him and expresses pride in his growth, even shedding a tear.

Plot

Agent of the Shinigami arc

Ichigo's encrochment.

While Ichigo Kurosaki undergoes training to acquire his own Shinigami powers, Kisuke Urahara subjects Ichigo's soul to a process called encroachment, which risks transforming Ichigo into a Hollow if he doesn't gain Shinigami powers. Tessai Tsukabishi severs Ichigo's Chain of Fate before using Bakudō #99, Part 1. Kin to prevent Ichigo from using his arms to scale the sides of the shaft. After three days in the shaft, Ichigo begins to transform into a Hollow. When the Bakudō restraining Ichigo begins to break, Tessai uses Bakudō #99, Part 2. Bankin. When Jinta Hanakari says it will kill Ichigo, Tessai states he must restrain him before he completes the transformation into a Hollow. Before the final part of the spell strikes him, Ichigo escapes in the large explosion created by the awakening of his Shinigami and Hollow powers. Although he succeeds in gaining his power, he emerges from the pit with Shinigami robes and a Hollow mask, the latter of which he later discards.

Soul Society arc

During Ichigo's more difficult battles, the mask he thought he discarded kept reappearing on his body in places where there would normally have been fatal wounds.

Ichigo's Hollow mask after being used as a shield.

As Ichigo fights Renji Abarai, Renji uses his Zanpakutō, Zabimaru to hit Ichigo near his heart, but the sword is stopped for some reason. After the fight, as Hanatarō Yamada heals Ichigo, he discovers the Hollow mask Ichigo thought he threw away was what blocked Zabimaru. Thinking of the mask as a good luck charm, Ichigo wants to keep the mask, but Hanatarō, fearing it, insists that Ichigo throws it into the sewers.

Later, Ichigo runs into Eleventh Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, who stabs him in the chest. Seemingly dying, Ichigo is pulled into his inner world by the manifestation of his Quincy powers. The manifestation hurls Ichigo's Zanpakutō toward Zangetsu, the Zanpakutō Spirit, who, telling Ichigo to move aside, leaps into the air and catches it. Confused, Ichigo asks what Zangetsu is, prompting the Zanpakutō Spirit to ask him what he means while addressing him as "partner." Explaining that he wants to see if Ichigo is worthy of wielding him, the manifestation tells Ichigo that if he wants to use Zangetsu again, he must take him back with his hands, for his opponent will be himself. Ichigo is forced into a fight with the Zanpakutō Spirit, wielding an Asauchi while the spirit holds Zangetsu. The Zanpakutō Spirit taunts Ichigo into taking Zangetsu from him and pressures Ichigo, who struggles to completely block the former's blade. The Zanpakutō Spirit exerts his Reiatsu, which burns the air around them, and begins to spin Zangetsu by its cloth, warning Ichigo that he should watch out or risk being killed. The spirit uses Deadly Darts and throws Zangetsu at Ichigo, but misses. Calling Ichigo pathetic, the spirit mocks him, saying that he wields a mighty sword but asks how he got it so bloody. The spirit then tells Ichigo that he believes he's become best friends with the manifestation simply by asking his name, always thinking of himself and never trying to bring out Zangetsu's true power or understand him. The spirit explains that there is more to the manifestation's power, and if Ichigo can open his heart and lend Zangetsu his power, he will become stronger. Stating that Ichigo does not care about his Zanpakutō and thinks he only has to train himself, Ichigo reflects on the spirit's words, realizing they are true and deciding he wants to understand Zangetsu more. Preparing to wrap this up, the spirit tells Ichigo he will show him what it means to make the most of Zangetsu and that he will never wield Zangetsu again. Moving to attack, Zangetsu is surprised to see himself wielding the Asauchi, while Ichigo wields Zangetsu. Seeing that the manifestation has deemed Ichigo worthy of using him, Ichigo awakens back in the real world.

As Zangetsu stands there with a broken katana, still somewhat confused, he asks the manifestation if that's what he wanted. Telling him it is, the manifestation says he is sorry to have bothered him. Zangetsu, giving him a warm smile, tells him it was no problem, as they needed Ichigo, the "king" of his inner world, to win, and that he'll help out any way he can. As he goes home, Zangetsu begins to fade away and tells the manifestation to train Ichigo well, for his power will eventually be his.

In the real world, as Kenpachi and Ichigo prepare for their last strike, Kenpachi's Reiatsu takes the form of a skull, while Ichigo's takes the form of his Hollow mask. After the battle, Yoruichi Shihōin takes Ichigo to heal him. As he awakens, she comments on how a Hollow mask saved Ichigo's life. Surprised, Ichigo mentions how Hanatarō threw it away, prompting Yoruichi, with a concerned look of fear, to get rid of the mask, much to Ichigo's dismay.

Zangetsu attacks Byakuya from behind.

During Ichigo's rematch with Sixth Division captain Byakuya Kuchiki at Sōkyoku Hill, Ichigo is pushed into a corner, having been struck by Byakuya's Hadō #4. Byakurai. As Byakuya prepares to deliver the final blow and swings his sword down, Ichigo, possessed by Zangetsu, catches it with his bare hand. Calling Ichigo a fool, Zangetsu tells him that he can't allow him to die. When Ichigo looks up, a mask forms over the upper left half of his face, much to Byakuya's surprise. When Byakuya asks who he is, Zangetsu states that he has no name and slashes Byakuya down his torso. As Byakuya puts some distance between them, Zangetsu comments that Ichigo is no good and that his own Reiatsu's weight is causing his bones to creak, before telling him that he will show him how to use Bankai as he crushes the sword he grabbed from Byakuya. As Byakuya calls another sword to his hand and prepares for another attack, Zangetsu fires a Black Getsuga Tenshō. Zangetsu moves behind Byakuya and fires another one before appearing directly behind the Shinigami captain as the two attacks meet. As they both survive the explosion, Byakuya notes Zangetsu's Reiatsu mask are akin to a Hollow's and asks if he is one. Zangetsu responds by asking who knows and telling him that the answer is irrelevant to him. Suddenly, Ichigo, regaining control, rips off his mask and tells him to stop interfering. Zangetsu protests, saying Ichigo is the one interfering and they can win if he leaves this to him. As Zangetsu is pulled into Ichigo's inner world, Byakuya remarks that Ichigo was able to cut him when Zangetsu controlled him, but that's not what he wants.

Arrancar arc

Ever since Ichigo's fight against Byakuya, the mask stopped coming back. From that point on, Ichigo could hear Zangetsu calling out to him, and around the time of Arrancar invasion, he feels Zangetsu's influence dangerously growing over him. During Ichigo's fight with Yammy Llargo, Zangetsu interrupts Ichigo's thought process and tells him to call upon him for help, claiming that he can defeat the Arrancar. This interruption costs Ichigo the fight, resulting in Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado being seriously injured. Later, when Ichigo confronts a Hollow to regain his fighting confidence, he feels Zangetsu trying to take over for an instant, which leads him to be punched by the Hollow. During another Arrancar invasion, Ichigo ends up fighting Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and is subsequently forced to use a Black Getsuga Tenshō, which is one of Zangetsu's moves, making it easier for him to take over. Though he turns one of Ichigo's eyes black, Ichigo manages to overcome Zangetsu's influence.

When Ichigo finds the Visored, he fights Hiyori Sarugaki, who tries to get him to use Hollowfication and his Bankai. When Ichigo Hollowfies, Zangetsu takes control of Ichigo again and grabs Hiyori by her throat, threatening her to the point where all of the Visored had to subdue him. Seeing the uncontrollable power of Zangetsu, the Visored agree to train Ichigo to control him. As Shinji Hirako knocks Ichigo unconscious with Tanma Otoshi and has Hachigen Ushōda place a barrier around the building, he warns Ichigo not to let Zangetsu consume him and to consume him instead. Afterwards, Ichigo awakens and confronts Zangetsu in his inner world.

Ichigo and Zangetsu prepare to release their Bankai.

Zangetsu greets Ichigo, this time referring to him as "king." He remarks that Ichigo looks so glum and asks why. When Ichigo asks where the manifestation of his Quincy powers is and takes out his sword, Zangetsu asks him whether he's referring to the blade in his hand or his own blade, revealing a white version of Ichigo's Zanpakutō. Noting that Ichigo wants to know where the other Zangetsu is, he leaps into the air and clashes his sword with Ichigo's, claiming that he is Zangetsu. Meanwhile, the Visored take Ichigo's body down to an underground training area. Hachigen uses Bakudō #75. Gochūtekkan to summon five iron pillars to subdue Ichigo. However, Zangetsu awakens and easily gets up, causing the pillars to crumble. The Visored then proceed to take turns fighting Zangetsu, starting with Lisa Yadōmaru, who introduces herself to him and tells him it's nice to meet him.

In the inner world, as Ichigo persists in asking Zangetsu where the manifestation is, Zangetsu explains that he is Zangetsu; he and the manifestation were originally one being, for both are Ichigo's Reiryoku, and Zangetsu was part of the manifestation. Stating that, although they both share one physical body, their relationship has changed over time, he compares himself and the manifestation to flesh covering the bones when life rules, and the bones being exposed when death rules. He further explains that his powers increased, becoming dominant as the manifestation became a part of him, and that the more Ichigo tried to draw on the manifestation's power, the easier it became for him to dominate Ichigo's soul. Ichigo realizes that the manifestation will be the center of his spiritual powers again if Zangetsu is defeated, though Zangetsu declares that defeating him will be impossible. Ichigo, preparing to activate his Bankai, tells Zangetsu to look at his blade before he says that, though Zangetsu still insists that he still won't be able to defeat him. Both of them then proceed to release their respective Bankai, resulting in the destruction of the building on which they are standing.

In the real world, as Lisa continues to fight Zangetsu, the latter briefly pauses as a hole opens up in his chest. Seeing that Zangetsu has a white version of his Tensa Zangetsu, Ichigo asks when he learned Bankai, to which Zangetsu answers that he learned it the same time Ichigo did. Zangetsu asks Ichigo why he looks so angry, wanting both of them to have fun with this. Ichigo only tells Zangetsu to shut up as he swats him through two buildings before firing a Black Getsuga Tenshō. Batting it away one-handed, Zangetsu unleashes his own highly powerful red-colored Getsuga Tenshō, which destroys a nearby building.

In the real world, Lisa Yadōmaru fights the possessed body of Ichigo and switches places with Kensei Muguruma after ten minutes. Battling him, Kensei knocks him away with his elbow, declaring that he will kill Zangetsu. When Kensei stabs him in the shoulder with his Shikai, Tachikaze, Zangetsu uses High-Speed Regeneration to quickly heal his wound. Kensei then uses his Shikai's special ability, Bakudantsuki, to knock away Zangetsu, blasting off Ichigo's arm. Regenerating once more, Zangetsu manifests a large mouth from his arm and attempts to bite Kensei with it, but it is quickly blasted away with Bakudantsuki once more. Afterwards, Ichigo's body begins to undergo serious Hollowfication and becomes a reptilian-looking Hollow.

Zangetsu stabs Ichigo.

In the inner world, Zangetsu tells a heavily injured Ichigo that he's not good enough, remarking that he was the first to use the Getsuga Tenshō with their Bankai activated. He then proceeds to call Ichigo a dumb kid trying to imitate the master. Moving close to Ichigo, he grabs his Tensa Zangetsu and turns the blade white while telling him he cannot use Bankai, destroying his sword. Seeing his weapon crumble before him, Ichigo is told by Zangetsu that the blade he wields isn't Zangetsu, but that he himself is Zangetsu. Zangetsu then quickly grabs Ichigo by the face and throws him towards a building. Calling him an idiot, he asks why Ichigo is standing there without a weapon before asking him what the difference between a king and the horse he rides is. Assuring Ichigo that it's not a riddle or a guessing game, but an important truth, Zangetsu explains that it's not shape, strength, or ability that determines which of two identical beings will be the dominant leader, lending its power to the other like a horse to its rider. Instead, it's a killer instinct, and Ichigo's lack of one, combined with his desire to defeat enemies through reason, means that he'll never be able to defeat Zangetsu. Stabbing Ichigo in the stomach with Tensa Zangetsu, he tells him that while he doesn't know about the manifestation, he refuses to play horse to a king weaker than himself and be slain with him, threatening to become the king himself by crushing him if he's weak. Regaining his will, Ichigo grabs the sword in his stomach and transforms it into his black version. Pulling out the sword, Ichigo attacks the now defenseless Zangetsu by impaling him through the stomach. As Zangetsu begins to disintegrate, he admits that Ichigo had a little killer instinct after all and accepts Ichigo as his "king," but reminds him that either one of them can become the king or the horse and warns him that he will throw him off and crush his skull the moment he senses the slightest weakness in him. He tells Ichigo if he truly wants to control his powers, he must stay alive. It was later revealed this was all planned by Zangetsu and the manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy powers in order to teach Ichigo how to properly utilize Bankai.

As Love Aikawa begins to fight the fully Hollowfied Ichigo, he realizes the battle is going to be tough. Zangetsu charges up a Cero, forcing Love to Hollowfy himself to defend it. Before Zangetsu can unleash it, though, his body begins to break apart, resulting in an explosion of Reiatsu. When the smoke clears, Ichigo, wearing his Hollow mask, comes out of the husk of what is left of the full Hollow form. As the husk falls to the ground and shatters, Shinji has Hachigen bring down the barrier, and Ichigo falls as his Hollow mask falls off. Remembering Zangetsu's words of threatening to take over Ichigo should he deem him weak, Ichigo says that he will not let that happen.

Fake Karakura Town arc

Zangetsu takes control of and transforms Ichigo's body.

During Ichigo's final battle with Ulquiorra Cifer in Hueco Mundo, the latter seemingly kills the former by blasting a point-blank Cero Oscuras through his chest. An immensely horrified Orihime Inoue uses Santen Kesshun to catch Ichigo's falling body and tries to heal Ichigo with Sōten Kisshun to no avail while Uryū Ishida holds Ulquiorra off. After Ulquiorra defeats Uryū, Orihime begins to panic and frantically begs for Ichigo to help her. She fails to notice Ichigo's hair growing longer and beginning to resemble a mane. As Ichigo wills himself into protecting Orihime, Zangetsu takes over and transforms Ichigo's body once more.

Zangetsu rips off Ulquiorra's arm.

Shocked at his enemy's unexpected revival, Ulquiorra demands to know who he is. Summoning his Zanpakutō to his hand without touching it using Chain, Zangetsu destroys a large portion of the ground with his sword, knocking away Orihime and Uryū. Ulquiorra asks Ulquiorra once more who he is, which Zangetsu only answers with a roar. Believing that Zangetsu cannot understand him, Ulquiorra fires a Cero Oscuras, but to his surprise, Zangetsu fires a Cero powerful enough to counter it. As Ulquiorra refuses to believe that a human could unleash a Cero, especially one powerful enough to quash his own Cero Oscuras, Zangetsu suddenly appears behind him and effortlessly rips off his left arm, roaring loudly. Both Orihime and Uryū are shocked, with Orihime wondering if that's really Ichigo.

Zangetsu's Cero creates an explosion.

Quickly activating High-Speed Regeneration to restore his arm, Ulquiorra reveals that his most remarkable ability isn't his offensive power, but his capacity to instantly regenerate any non-vital body part. Still believing that he cannot be defeated, Ulquiorra creates a Lanza del Relámpago from his hands and tells Zangetsu to stay right where he is, not wanting to risk using it at close range. When the attack misses, causing a massive explosion in the desert, Ulquiorra states to himself that it's a difficult technique to control. As he prepares a second spear, Zangetsu suddenly appears next to him with enough speed to bypass his Pesquisa, causing Ulquiorra to realize that he hadn't used Shunpo, but rather Sonído. When Zangetsu throws Ulquiorra's detached arm at him, Ulquiorra slashes it away with the Lanza del Relámpago. Ulquiorra taunts Zangetsu, asking if he really thought that would cause him to hesitate and telling him not to make him laugh. He thrusts his spear at Zangetsu, only for him to catch it with his bare hands and crush it, leaving Ulquiorra dumbfounded. Zangetsu slashes Ulquiorra's torso and horn and slams him to the ground. As Ulquiorra laments that he cannot believe he was defeated by a human turned Hollow, Zangetsu steps on his head and begins charging a Cero. Commenting on how Zangetsu shows no mercy, something very Hollow-like, Ulquiorra states because Zangetsu has beaten him, he has no reason to live, and tells him to do it. Zangetsu releases the Cero, creating a vast and powerful explosion on the dome of Las Noches.

Ulquiorra survives, but his left arm, both legs, and lower torso are blown away in the blast. Tossing his tattered body aside, Zangetsu prepares to impale his throat with his sword. As he is about to attack, Uryū grabs Zangetsu's arm and attempts to reason with Ichigo, telling him that there's while Ulquiorra may be their enemy, there's no need to further mutilate him and that it's over. When Zangetsu does not budge, Uryū yells at Ichigo that he won't be human anymore if he does this. In response, Zangetsu impales Uryū with Tensa Zangetsu and knocks him away, leaving Orihime distressed. As this occurs, part of Ichigo's control over his body surfaces, unconsciously reaffirming his desire to protect Orihime. Just as Zangetsu is about to finish off Uryū with a point-blank Cero, Ulquiorra, having partially regenerated, blasts Zangetsu with a Lanza del Relámpago and severs his horns, causing his Cero to disperse skyward. The explosion shatters Ichigo's mask, and he falls to the ground. As his body and leg begins to regenerate, Ulquiorra thinks to himself it is merely a front, for his internal organs were decimated from Zangetsu's Cero and cannot regenerate. Though he believes Ichigo is finally dead, the hole in Ichigo's chest completely repairs itself, and Ichigo gets up, surprising Ulquiorra with his ability to use High-Speed Regeneration.

Zangetsu stands before Ichigo after being ripped out by the manifestation.

Later, when Ichigo is fighting the manifestation in his inner world, the manifestation makes his way to Ichigo and rips Zangetsu out of Ichigo's body. When Ichigo sees Zangetsu, he is in his Bankai state as well, but he is now wearing a black mask with horns and white lines stretching vertically across the eyes, along with long hair. He greets Ichigo, who is shocked at his appearance, noting that it has been a while since they last met. He then asks Ichigo what's with his face and if he recognizes him.

The merged form of Zangetsu and the manifestation.

Wondering how Zangetsu is standing before him, Ichigo remarks that he should have disappeared after Ichigo defeated him during his training with the Visored. Zangetsu reminds Ichigo of his words: that if he wanted to control his power, he must not die before his return. As Ichigo expresses frustration for not having gotten rid of Zangetsu, the latter sarcastically apologizes, claiming that his failure to disappear brings tears to his eyes. When Ichigo asks why his appearance has changed, the manifestation explains that he defeated Ulquiorra in this form and adds that Ichigo fears it, for the destructive power of this form overwhelms his heart to the point where he can't even Hollowfy properly. When Ichigo asks if he has to clobber Zangetsu, the manifestation tells him he is incorrect and he will fight both of them at once. Subsequently, the two Zangetsus fuse and take on a new form, much to Ichigo's confusion. Upon merging, they take on a hybrid appearance: Zangetsu's white Bankai coat, the black remnants of his horned mask, white hair, a Hollowfied left eye, and a blue tongue, all combined with Tensa Zangetsu's appearance and black Bankai sword. Stating they are two parts of a single being, the source of Ichigo's power, they ask if he is ready.

The merged spirit impales Ichigo.

Cutting Ichigo's own Tensa Zangetsu in half, the merged spirit throws Ichigo into a building and notes Ichigo still will not fall. When Ichigo says he will not fall until he tells him what the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō is, the merged spirit states that he does not intend to tell him and charges at him. Ichigo thinks to himself that the merged spirit could have easily defeated him at the beginning if he really wanted to, as their powers were that unequal, and that if he really did not want to teach him the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō, he could stop fighting him and hide. As they clash, Ichigo wonders why he feels loneliness flowing from the spirit's sword. Much to the merged spirit's surprise, Ichigo lets go of his blade and allows himself to be stabbed. The spirit praises Ichigo for realizing that the only way to acquire the secret of Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō is by accepting his blade. Ichigo remarks that he does not feel any pain from being stabbed, which the spirit explains is due to Tensa Zangetsu being him and being unable to hurt him should he chose to accept it. Beginning to shed tears, he asks Ichigo if he remembers earlier in the battle when he said what Ichigo wanted to protect was not what he wanted to protect. Stating what he wants to protect is Ichigo, he reveals the secrets of the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō should be passed to him through his blade. Telling Ichigo he will lose his Shinigami powers if he uses Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō, the merged spirit bids Ichigo farewell.

The Thousand-Year Blood War arc

Upon returning to Ōetsu Nimaiya's palace, the Asauchi which Ichigo chooses takes on the form of Zangetsu. Later, during the forging of Ichigo's new Zanpakutō, Nimaiya reveals that Ichigo’s inner Hollow is his true Zanpakutō. The Hollow known as White, created by Sōsuke Aizen and inherited from his mother, fused with his Shinigami powers and became his Zanpakutō.

Ichigo senses both Zangetsu and the manifestation in his new Zanpakutō.

When Ichigo confronts the manifestation in his inner world, the manifestation reveals he always used the powers of Zangetsu to teach Ichigo how to use his Zanpakutō, and Zangetsu was always the one to save Ichigo's life, but the manifestation did not want Ichigo to become a Shinigami, so he suppressed Zangetsu and became Ichigo's primary source of power. After gaining access to the full power of his Zanpakutō, Ichigo states he believes both Zangetsu and the manifestation are Zangetsu. Upon gaining his new Zanpakutō, Ichigo realizes the larger blade represents Zangetsu, while the shorter blade represents the manifestation.

Powers & Abilities

Zangetsu's unpredictable fighting style.

Master Swordsman: Zangetsu's skill in swordsmanship has developed alongside Ichigo Kurosaki's. However, while Ichigo fights in a deductive and logical manner, Zangetsu fights in a style more akin to a berserker, relying on instinct and reflexes with little to no regard towards his own well-being. Despite this, he is a keen strategist, using his speed to attack Byakuya Kuchiki from two sides with Black Getsuga Tenshō and then appear above him to keep from escaping by jumping above the two sided attacks. He also claims to be a better user of Bankai than Ichigo.

• Deadly Darts (デッドリー・ダーツ, Deddorī Dātsu): Unlike Ichigo, Zangetsu liberally uses the cloth on his blade to swing his Zanpakutō like a flail and toss it at opponents for mid-range combat. With this technique, he has demonstrated tremendous aim and control of where and how it strikes. The blade moves very fast when thrown, and its impact can damage a building. If the person dodges the attack, Zangetsu can use the cloth to manage the sword's direction and try to hit the target once more. By gripping the cloth, he withdraws the blade and swings it to attack again.

Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Drawing from Ichigo's experience, Zangetsu is a highly capable unarmed fighter. While mostly relying on his Zanpakutō in battle, he will occasionally use unarmed attacks to surprise and incapacitate his opponents.

Highly Perceptive Combatant: Despite his arrogant and insane demeanor, Zangetsu is a very insightful and crafty fighter. While regularly mocking Ichigo, his mocking also has deep rational knowledge behind it which ultimately helps Ichigo come to better understand himself and his powers.

Immeasurable Spiritual Power: Zangetsu can emit a tremendous amount of red Reiatsu capable of burning the air around him and intimidating Ichigo. When Zangetsu began taking over Ichigo's body, Ulquiorra Cifer, the Cuatro Espada, stated Ichigo's Reiatsu fluctuated from weak to higher than his own. He was powerful enough to instantly overpower a Hollowfied Hiyori Sarugaki and leave her frightened.

Superhuman Strength: While Ichigo clashed with Zangetsu, he realized that he was unable to completely block the latter's blade. After taking over Ichigo's body, he grabbed Hiyori's throat, breaking most of her mask, and would have choked her to death if the other Visored had not interfered. He was strong enough to easily lift the five iron pillars from Hachigen Ushōda's Gochūtekkan and cause them to crumble by standing up. He could also throw Ichigo into a building with enough force to damage it.

Superhuman Speed: Zangetsu is crafty and agile in his movements, being able to catch his blade in midair and perform a salto before landing. He was fast enough to catch Ichigo off guard and attack him, as well as grab Hiyori's throat before she could defend herself. He was also fast enough to attack Byakuya and injure him with a Black Getsuga Tenshō while leaving him no time to defend himself.

Advanced Growth Rate: Like Ichigo, Zangetsu has an astounding growth rate. He gains any power Ichigo does, evidenced by the fact that he learned Bankai at the same time Ichigo did.

The Hollow mask used as a shield in Ichigo's fight against Kenpachi Zaraki.

Mask Shielding: Because Ichigo's life is necessary for his very existence, Zangetsu protects him by manifesting a Hollow mask. During Ichigo's more difficult battles, he manifested the mask to block attacks on Ichigo's body from within his shihakushō, serving as a shield to stop or lessen attacks on him, sometimes saving his life. The mask blocked several hits from Renji Abarai's Zanpakutō, which could have been fatal. Although the mask was thrown away afterwards, it reappeared while Ichigo was fighting Kenpachi Zaraki, preventing his torso from being cut in two.

Manifested Forms

Zangetsu begins to possess Ichigo's body.

Possession: Zangetsu can take over Ichigo's body and powers when Ichigo falls unconscious in a fight or when he is heavily weakened and injured. When this occurs, Ichigo's sclera blacken, and his irises glow golden-yellow in combination with a Hollow mask forming on the left side of his face. Ichigo can resist Zangetsu's influence and regain control over his body by ripping off the mask. During his time as the dominant spirit inside Ichigo's mind, Zangetsu could call out to Ichigo, eventually interrupting his thought process, and try to take over in the middle of a fight. If Ichigo manages to drive him back, only his eyes will change for a moment, and the mask will not begin to form. Zangetsu's influence is great enough to force Ichigo's eye to blacken while Ichigo is in his human body.

Zangetsu's initial Full Hollow form.

Hollow Form: When Zangetsu takes full possession of Ichigo's body, the body undergoes a full transformation into a Hollow creature. His mask resembles a human skull, complete with a jaw joint and rounded forehead, and has dark red stripes on the left side. This form is a white humanoid lizard with three-toed feet and a tail, with black marks all over its noticeably more muscular body. It possesses long orange hair and reptilian eyes seen through the eyeholes on its full mask. Unlike normal Hollows, this form used an actual weapon, using Ichigo's Zanpakutō.

• High-Speed Regeneration: Like some Hollows, Zangetsu possesses the ability to instantly regenerate any wound and even a missing limb.

• Enhanced Getsuga Tenshō: Zangetsu's Getsuga Tenshō completely surrounds his blade. The extent of its power is unknown, for it has never been utilized in this form.

Zangetsu charges a Cero.

• Cero: Zangetsu can fire a potent Cero from either his fingertips or his entire hand. This Cero is crimson and tri-focused. It was dangerous enough to force Love Aikawa to Hollowfy to defend himself.

• Extra Appendage: In his full Hollow form, Zangetsu can grow a large, mouth-like appendage from his arm, which will try to consume his current target.

• Enhanced Durability: In addition to advanced recovery powers, Zangetsu is equally difficult to injure. After being elbowed and pushed back by Kensei, he got up and continued his assault.

Zangetsu's new Hollow Form.

New Hollow Form: Ichigo later has his body taken over by Zangetsu once again. This time, the full transformation is very physically different in appearance, and far more powerful than the previous one. In this form, Ichigo has long straight hair, reaching down to his waist, and a Hollow hole, smaller than his previous one, decorated with markings stretching from the hole across his chest and shoulders. He has retractable claws on his fingertips and toes, small, furry red tufts, two starting from his collarbone and stretching around his neck and one each on his wrists and ankles, and white skin. In this new form, he has a different Hollow mask. It covers Ichigo's entire head, and its markings are different, for it has four spike-shaped marks, two of them stopping by the forehead and the other two stretching past the eyes and teeth, going past his chin and joining with the marks on his chest. There are small marks resembling a heart, but with the top and bottom open, extending from the inner corners of his eyes. The mask features two long forward-pointing horns, with black strips extending from their center towards the tips. Zangetsu has his own monochrome version of this form.

• Chain (チェイン, Chein): After transforming, Zangetsu called his Zanpakutō to his hand with a simple gesture akin to pulling on an invisible chain.

Zangetsu's new Hollow Form charges a Cero.

• Enhanced Cero: Zangetsu's crimson Cero has become exceedingly more powerful, completely overwhelming Ulquiorra's Cero Oscuras and causing a massive amount of destruction to his surroundings. It is fired from between the tips of his horns. However, if one of his horns is cut off, he is unable to form the Cero properly, and any energy already gathered will implode.

• Enhanced Strength: In this form, Zangetsu can destroy a large portion of Las Noches' roof with the wake of a single slash of his sword. He easily tore off Ulquiorra's left arm without much resistance from his Hierro, crushed Ulquiorra's strongest attack, Lanza del Relámpago, with his bare hand, and forced it to collapse before Ulquiorra even got a chance to throw it. He also easily slashed Ulquiorra from his left shoulder to his lower right hip through his Hierro and effortlessly threw a slab of rock about the size of a house with a single hand.

• Enhanced Durability: Zangetsu's durability has greatly increased, allowing him to withstand several large explosions in his battle with Ulquiorra at close range with no visible damage. His skin and hands are strong enough to catch and hold onto Ulquiorra's strongest attack, Lanza del Relámpago, without any damage inflicted onto him.

• Enhanced Speed: Zangetsu moves at exceedingly fast speeds, able to easily outspeed and attack Ulquiorra before he can defend himself.

• Sonído: When Ulquiorra was about to throw his Lanza del Relámpago at Zangetsu, the latter instantly appeared behind him with enough speed to bypass his Pesquisa. According to Ulquiorra, this was not the result of using Shunpo, but rather Sonído.

• Enhanced Spiritual Power: Zangetsu's already vast Reiryoku increases drastically, easily overwhelming the power of Ulquiorra's Resurrección: Segunda Etapa.

• High-Speed Regeneration: After Ulquiorra shattered Ichigo's mask, the energy from his Hollow transformation surged upward before descending in the form of a powerful force. This energy not only regenerated the flesh lost from the wound caused by Ulquiorra's Cero Oscuras, but it also healed the injuries Ichigo had sustained in the battle. Ulquiorra, observing the phenomenon, remarked on the unexpected regeneration.

Zanpakutō

Zangetsu (斬月, Slaying Moon) As a result of White fusing with Ichigo's Shinigami powers, Ichigo's inner Hollow is also his Zanpakutō Spirit. Zangetsu and the manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy powers are both the source of Ichigo's power and initially shared the same spiritual body in Ichigo's inner world before Ichigo had his Zanpakutō reforged. Zangetsu originally used a black Zangetsu obtained from the manifestation. After he becomes the dominant spirit inside Ichigo's mind, Zangetsu carries his own white version of Ichigo's Zanpakutō.

Zangetsu's Shikai.

• Shikai: The Shikai form of Zangetsu resembles an oversized khyber knife. It has no tsuba and no proper hilt; what Zangetsu holds is the cloth-wrapped tang. The sword is as long as Zangetsu is tall, and has a silver blade with a black edge. The cloth wrapping on the tang seems to react to Zangetsu'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 be used to swing the weapon like a flail and toss it at opponents for mid-range combat, and can wrap up wounds. The wide blade can be used as a shield from incoming attacks. Unlike most Zanpakutō, which can be sealed into their original form, the blade is always in its Shikai form.

Shikai Special Ability: While primarily used for melee combat, the blade possesses a special ability.

• Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝, Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer; "Piercer of Heaven" in the English anime): At the instant of the slash, the blade absorbs Zangetsu's Reiryoku and releases highly condensed Reiatsu at the tip of the blade, which magnifies the slash attack and flies forward. This slash takes the form of a red crescent moon or the shape of a wave.

Zangetsu's Bankai.

• Bankai: Tensa Zangetsu (天鎖斬月, Heaven Chain Slaying Moon): Zangetsu's Bankai shrinks his sword down to a daitō with a white blade, crossguard, and handle. The crossguard has four prongs bent out to form the shape of the manji (which is the kanji for "ban," meaning "full", as in "full release"). The blade itself is durable enough to withstand even the strongest of attacks, making it quite effective in blocking and deflecting incoming attacks. Instead of the cloth Zangetsu's Shikai has, a short length of chain with a broken link at the end dangles from the base of the hilt. The chain can be used to spin the sword with one finger. In addition to his sword, Zangetsu's robe is replaced with a long-sleeved, ankle-length white coat with black lining which is closed at his chest and left to flare out into ragged ends.

Bankai Special Ability: Tensa Zangetsu, much like its Shikai form, is used heavily for melee combat, but possesses a certain special ability.

Zangetsu uses Getsuga Tenshō.

• Enhanced Getsuga Tenshō: Tensa Zangetsu retains the use of Getsuga Tenshō, which can be used in the same manner, but in an enhanced form. When used in Bankai, these potent blasts, white with a red outline, can have their path controlled, and possess explosively augmented power and speed. When Zangetsu uses this technique in the physical world, it is black in color. During Byakuya Kuchiki's fight with Ichigo, Byakuya refers to this attack as a "Black Getsuga" (黒月牙, Black Moon Fang), referring to the attack's darkened color. Both Ichigo and Zangetsu have stated the Black Getsuga Tenshō was originally the latter's technique.

• Hyper-Speed Combat: Zangetsu takes all the power of his Bankai and compresses it into a small, condensed form, which allows him to perform high-speed combat. His new speed allows him to move behind a Shunpo master like Byakuya and attack him. He can appear in front of a Shunpo expert like Ichigo, leaving no time to react.

• Enhanced Strength: His physical strength increases greatly, catching Byakuya's Senkei with his bare hand, and throwing Ichigo into a building, giving him a serious wound to his forehead as a result.

• Enhanced Durability: Unlike Ichigo, Zangetsu took a short time to recover and did not get wounded after being thrown into a building. He can deflect Ichigo's Black Getsuga Tenshō with a single unarmed hand.

• Enhanced Spiritual Power: Zangetsu's Reiatsu easily surpass Byakuya's own. While in Bankai, Zangetsu's Reiatsu is red.

Merged Form

See also: Zangetsu (Quincy Powers)

Zangetsu merged with the manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy powers.

After the manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy powers pulls Zangetsu out of Ichigo during the latter's Dangai training, the two spirits merged into one form, which combined aspects from both spirit's appearances; Zangetsu's white Bankai coat, black horn mask remnant, white-colored hair, and left Hollowfied eye alongside the manifestation's appearance, right blue eye, and white Bankai sword, though the sword's tsuba is black like Zangetsu's. In this form, the manifestation explains he and Zangetsu were technically two parts of the same being, with both of them together representing all of Ichigo's spiritual powers. Ichigo claims if this merged spirit really wanted to, he could have defeated him from the start of their battle, further stating they were this far apart in power.

• Enhanced Strength: The merged spirit is strong enough to break Ichigo's Bankai sword completely in two.

Appearances in Other Media

Video Game Appearances
Blade Battlers	Blade Battlers 2nd	The Blade of Fate	Dark Souls	The 3rd Phantom	Flame Bringer
Tasogare ni Mamieru Shinigami	Shattered Blade	Versus Crusade	Heat the Soul	Heat the Soul 2	Heat the Soul 3
Heat the Soul 4	Heat the Soul 5	Heat the Soul 6	Heat the Soul 7	Soul Carnival	Soul Carnival 2
Hanatareshi Yabou	Bleach Advance: Kurenai ni Somaru Soul Society	Erabareshi Tamashii	Soul Resurrección	J-Stars Victory Vs	Brave Souls
Paradise Lost	Jump Force	Rebirth of Souls

Movie Appearances
Memories of Nobody	The DiamondDust Rebellion	Fade to Black	The Hell Verse	Live-Action Film	BURN THE WITCH

Zangetsu's Full Hollow form charges a Cero in Bleach: The Hell Verse.

• Zangetsu is featured prominently in the movie Bleach: The Hell Verse, being the object of desire for both Shuren and Kokutō, in which its Cero is strong enough to destroy the chains which bind the Togabito to Hell and damage the Gates of Hell.
• Zangetsu shares a Bleach Beat Collection with Ichigo Kurosaki in the first volume of the second session. Masakazu Morita performs the last track, "Zan," as Zangetsu in a trio with the seiyū of Ichigo and the other half of Zangetsu.

• It should be noted in many of the video games, Zangetsu's Shikai version of the Getsuga Tenshō is colored the same as Ichigo's (blue-white). He is also referred to as "Ichigo Kurosaki (Ura/Reverse)" in ode to the Japanese term used for EX Mode characters in fighting games despite the fact that unlike EX Mode characters, Zangetsu can be selected and played on the same team as Ichigo in a majority of team-based fighting games.

• His New Hollow Form is playable in the video games Soul Carnival 2 and Heat the Soul 7. In the Heat the Soul series however, he originally fought only in his Bankai form in Heat the Soul 3 and 4; Heat the Soul 5 introduces both his Shikai and Bankai forms as playable; he also uses normal Ichigo's Tensa Kyōga super in Bankai mode in the said series as well.
• In Soul Resurrección, Zangetsu is playable in his New Hollow Form and can use a number of new techniques:
  • Issen Getsuga (一閃月牙, Lone Flash Moon Fang): he fires a horizontal blast of red-black Reiatsu at an opponent. Despite sharing the same name as one of Ichigo's techniques from another video game, this is a completely different attack.
  • Mushin (無心, Heartless/Insentient): he rushes at opponent in midair and slashes them several times if he hits them.
  • Hōkō (咆哮, Roaring Howl): Zangetsu roars and releases a massive amount of red energy, which damages all opponents around him.
  • Cero Gigante (特大虚閃 (セロ・ヒガンテ), Sero Higante; Spanish for "Giant Zero", Japanese for "Extra-Large Hollow Flash"): he charges an enormous red Cero between his horns before firing it at the opponent, as his Ignition Attack.
• In Blade of Fate, his moveset is a complete mirror of normal Ichigo's, while having the shorter Bankai activation cutscene in the game.
• Dark Souls not only modifies his stats (to have him move faster than Ichigo, have higher damage and have less health), but also changes the animations to all of his attacks (making him wield his version of Zangetsu one-handed) along with new moves:
  • Special Attack A turns into "Tobasu ze?" ("飛ばすぜ?", "Gonna fly?"), where he flails his blade straight forward via Deadly Darts after twirling it once.
  • Special Attack B turns into "Ose~!" ("遅えっ!", "Too/How slow!"), which while akin to Ichigo's Engetsuzan attack, is instead a blockable-command grab that involves Zangetsu pushing his opponent's face into the ground via his free hand (using his new crouching light attack animation) and launching them away afterwards upon releashing his hold on them.
  • Special Attack E turns into "Kurae!" ("食らえ!", "Eat this!"), which is a version of Ichigo's Daihazan attack that instead of slashing up boulders, slashes up dust clouds that while having a lingering hitbox, do not inflict any damage.
  • Super Move A becomes "Kirikizande yarō?" ("切り刻んでやろうか?", "Shall I mince you?"), where it is a stronger version of Special Attack A that involves Zangetsu flail-spinning his blade beside himself repeatedly to have to rapidly slice up the opposition before finishing with a short-ranged forward toss of the sword.
• In the Blade Battlers games, Hollow Ichigo often fights by flailing around his weapon via his Deadly Darts technique, while only his guard break and two special attacks involve him wielding the weapon normally. Unlike normal Ichigo, Hollow Ichigo can perform a Getsuga Tenshō in midair, while also gaining the following techniques:
  • Oborogiri (朧斬り, Haze Cutter): he performs a somersaulting energy slamming-slash, used as his directional special attack.
  • Bunmawashi Giri (ぶん回し斬り, Wave-Around Slasher): a Deadly Darts variation where Hollow Ichigo spins his sword around like a flail above his head at a slanted angle for a while, making it a slight counterpart to normal Ichigo's Senpūgiri. It is used as his Super in Shikai state, but the aforementioned Senpūgiri replaces this move in Bankai state.
  • Shien (紫炎, Violet Flame): His primary finishing attack in the first game is a variation of Deadly Darts. After spinning his blade around and shooting it at the foe to pin them at a large rock, he then channels purple reiatsu along Zangetsu's wrapping to then strike the foe with an explosion.
  • Niren Getsuga (弐連月牙, Double Moon Fang): His neutral/EX Super Move in Blade Battlers 2nd in Shikai mode, where he slashes out 2 Getsuga Tenshō in quick succession in the form of an X forward.
    • Also in Blade Battlers 2nd, his actual white Bankai form is used. It functions the same as normal Ichigo's Bankai in terms of moveset (save for his basic string finisher being a forward sword thrust instead of a launching slash, and his special attacks being the same).
• In the Heat the Soul series, Hollow Ichigo in Heat the Soul 3 only made an appearance briefly powering up normal Ichigo in his Bankai state via activating one of his supers, where Ichigo covers his face and upon being attacked, counters with either his upward strong attack (if hit with a kick) or a zoom-in cinematic into an upwards slash (if hit with a deep punch), resulting in Ichigo's face being covered with his Hollow mask. Being in this state empowers all of Ichigo's strong attacks to fire sword beams.
  • Curiously, Hollow Ichigo was only first playable in Bankai form starting from Heat the Soul 4, and his Shikai form is playable starting from Heat the Soul 5. His moveset is overall akin to Ichigo's but with some movements altered. He also has a variation of his Getsuga technique in Shikai form as his primary Super Move, where after slashing his foe once to start the attack, he uses Shunpō to fire a Getsuga Tenshō from each side twice, then finishes with a slash from behind the victim that forms a 3-way pincer attack.
    • Hollow Ichigo's Bankai state also differs from normal Ichigo in that not only is his throw different (teleports forward a set distance to grab the foe in range, then blasts them away with his free hand with a surge of reiatsu; all based on a close-range attack done vs. Ichigo within Zangetsu's inner world), but all of his strong attacks fire sword beams akin to the Hollow mask being always active (which are colored pure white in this game series). Also unlike normal Ichigo, he is still able to use the Tensa Kyōga super by itself without any other preconditions as of Heat the Soul 6.
• His iconic close-range stab in Bankai form against normal Ichigo is given the name Reishiki Getsuga (零式月牙, Zero Method Moon Fang) in Blade Battlers 2nd as his Bankai state neutral/EX Super Move, where a large wave of red reiatsu is released when he pulls out his sword.
  • However, in the Heat the Soul games as of 4, the attack's name is instead Yomotsu Kaze (黄泉津風, Yellow Spring Ferry Wind), as one of his supers. After connecting with casually slinging the sword by its broken-chain at the foe, Hollow Ichigo then rears away and toss-thrusts the sword into the foe, which mirrors the original gut-stabbing scene more closely and no energy of any sort is released when he forcefully removes the sword.
• Hollow Ichigo also makes a cameo in Jump Ultimate Stars where akin to Heat the Soul, he can briefly possess normal Ichigo in his Bankai state. For Ichigo's 7 Koma via his Special Attack A (where Ichigo fires his Black Getsuga Tenshō), Hollow Ichigo will briefly possess him akin to the fight during Byakuya for that one moment where the startup will be slower, but the attack will deal more damage before Ichigo forcefully removes the mask like with his Ultimate Action/Taunt. However, triggering this powered-up Getsuga Tenshō which can happen only occassionally will debuff Ichigo with a temporary self-SP drain. Just like during the first time Hollow Ichigo used the Black Getsuga, he performs it with an upwards-inward slinging slash.
• In Brave Souls, Zangetsu is a playable character known as White Ichigo, and appears in his Shikai, Bankai, and Hollowfied forms; merged with Tensa Zangetsu to form "White Zangetsu"; as an assist character alongside Ichigo, based on their team-up in the Zanpakuto Unknown Tales anime original arc; and in his New Hollow Form.

An alternate-universe Zangetsu from the Spirit Society.

• Zangetsu is also playable as an alternate-reality version of himself from a yōkai-themed version of Soul Society known as the Spirit Society, where his design is based on the oni. In this form, Zangetsu is a melee normal attack character with the "Speed" Attribute and the "No Affiliation Killer" ability who has a chance to inflict Weaken with every attack. His unlockable skills are "Berserker +40%", "Bruiser +30%", "Damage to Weakened Enemies +20%", "Debilitator +5 secs.", "Flurry", "Guard Break", "Poise", "Sprinter +1", and "Strong Attack Recharge Time -12%", while his Soul Trait is "Normal Attack Damage +20%" and his Innate Ability built in at ★5 is "Fire Resistance". Zangetsu's special is Shinmetsu no Kageki (真滅の禍撃, Truth-Destroying Calamity Strike), where he unleashes his true power, debuffing nearby enemies while inflicting immense damage and inflicting Weaken.

Censorship

• When Zangetsu took control of Ichigo's body for the first time and grabbed Byakuya Kuchiki's sword, his hand wasn't bleeding in the anime, as it was in the manga.
• In the anime, after Ichigo was hit by Zangetsu's Getsuga Tenshō, the former was less injured by the attack compared to the manga.
• In the anime, after Zangetsu threw his sword at Ichigo and impaled him, only part of the sword is shown impaling him, rather than the whole sword in the manga.
• Zangetsu imploding and disintegrating after being defeated by Ichigo was drastically toned down in the anime. In the manga, Zangetsu's arm started to implode, and part of his skeleton was shown as he was disintegrating, followed by an explosion in the Ichigo's inner world. In the anime however, Zangetsu's arm was instead glowing with Reiryoku, his skeleton wasn't visible, and there wasn't an explosion in the inner world.

Trivia

• Despite not having been given a name in the anime, on a television with closed captioning, he is called "Kamen" or "White Ichigo".
  • There are also occasions where his name is literally a backwards-rendition of Ichigo's full name as "Ogihci/Ikasoruk" (or even having his name's kanji completely mirrored). This is notable in both of the first two Bleach DS games and in the Heat the Soul games.
• On the cover of the 289th Bleach chapter "The Scarmask," part of a skull with a similar appearance to that of Zangetsu's new Hollow form can be seen.
• When Ichigo Kurosaki takes on a new Hollow form in his fight against Ulquiorra Cifer, the chapter sketches reveal his Substitute Shinigami Badge is broken.
• During his fight with the manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy powers during the Zanpakutō Unknown Tales arc, Zangetsu uses what appears to be a black Getsuga Tenshō despite his Zanpakutō still being in Shikai at the time. Whether this is an effect of the full Hollow transformation or a mistake of the anime producers is unknown. However, it should be kept in mind the black Getsuga Tenshō was originally Zangetsu's attack.
• Despite having white irises in the manga, the anime and other adaptations based on it colors them yellow.
  • Similarly, his teeth as shown in his first appearance, were colored black; this was retconned in later appearances to be white-colored teeth.
• In episode 82, Zangetsu's eyes were mistakenly colored with brown irises and white sclera in the original Japanese release, instead of yellow irises and black sclera. However, this was corrected in Viz's official English subbed and dubbed releases. In episode 114, during a flashback of Ichigo's, the eyes were still colored incorrectly.
• In Bleach: The Blade of Fate, Bleach: Dark Souls and the first Bleach: Blade Battlers game, he possesses Ichigo's black Bankai as opposed to his own white one, due to the games being released at a time where Zangetsu's own version of the Bankai state was not revealed yet.
  • Uniquely in Dark Souls, he possesses portraits that show him with both versions of his teeth (black teeth in his selection portrait carried over from Blade of Fate, and white teeth in his versus portrait).
• The aforementioned Niren Getsuga used by Zangetsu/Hollow Ichigo in Bleach: Blade Battlers 2nd coincidentally predates the usage of Ichigo's eventual usage of Getsuga Jūjishō, and ironically is another variation of Getsuga Tenshō first performed by Zangetsu before Ichigo in this instance (albeit is a non-canon instance).
• So far the Heat the Soul series is the one instance where Hollow Ichigo/Zangetsu's voice is rendered without the iconic Hollow echo, even when possessing Ichigo in Heat the Soul 3, likely due to the hardware limitations of the PSP. The same applies to normal Bankai Ichigo whenever he activates his Hollowfication.
  • This lack of a Hollow voice echo filter also applies to the DS fighting games, but somehow only in the Japanese versions (the English dubbed versions retain the Hollow voice filter).

Quotes

• (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "What are you doing, partner? If you just stand there... I'll kill you!"

• (To the manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy powers) "He's strong... Zangetsu... train him well... because one day, that power will become all mine."

• (To Byakuya Kuchiki) "Who am I? I have no name!"

• (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "That "Zangetsu" thing you're talking about... aren't you holding it right there? Or maybe... could it possibly be the one... that I have here?"

• (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "I am... Zangetsu!"

• (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "Ichigo, I don't know if you understand or not,... but, Zangetsu and I have always been one and the same. Both Zangetsu and I are a part of your spiritual power, and I was apart of Zangetsu! We all share the same body, and whenever the 'dominant' person changes, the outer appearance also changes. When one is dominated by 'life', one is flesh. When one is dominated by 'death', one becomes bones. It's the same reasoning. My power expanded, and so the ruling power went to me. And this way, Zangetsu became a part of me instead. The more you try to use Zangetsu's power, the easier it is for me to control your soul!"

• (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "Ichigo, what's the difference between a king and the horse he rides? Don't worry, it's not a riddle or some stupid guessing game. It's an important truth. Is it shape, ability, strength? When two beings are exactly the same, how do they decide which of them will be king and lead them into battle, which will lend its strength to the other, like a horse? What allows one to dominate another? A killer instinct!!! How else does one powerful being dominate another? That's what it takes to be a king! An insatiable hunger for battle! For power! The will to mercilessly crush any enemy! To tear them apart! To hack them to pieces! A ravenous bloodlust!! The will to rip off skin! To gouge flesh! To crush bone and mangle sinew! Somewhere, carved deep into your primordial unconscious, you have to want to kill!!! And you don't have it! You fight with your head! You try to defeat your enemies with reason! That's why you'll never defeat me, Ichigo!!! I refuse, Ichigo. I don't know about Zangetsu, but there's no way I'll ever play horse to a king who's weaker than I am, and be slain with him. If you're weaker than me, I'll crush you, and become the king myself."

• (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "Shit. Looks like your instincts, and your desire to fight, aren't completely gone. Guess there's no way around it. You got me. I have to recognize you as the king, for now. But don't you ever forget! Don't forget that either one of us can become the king or the horse. If you ever give me the chance. I'll drag you down and crush your skull! And one last warning. If you really want to control my power, make sure you don't get yourself killed before I come back!"

Battles & Events

• Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Byakuya Kuchiki: Rematch
• Ichigo Kurosaki & Izuru Kira vs. Gō Koga (anime only)
• Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Jin Kariya: Final Fight (anime only)
• The Cold War
• Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez
• Visored Training
• Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Shūsuke Amagai (anime only)
• Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Ulquiorra Cifer: Final Fight
• Arrival in Karakura Town
• Ichigo Kurosaki & Hollow Ichigo vs. Zangetsu & Muramasa (anime only)
• Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Ōko Yushima (anime only)