Ichigo has come a long way since just being able to see ghosts around his home of Karakura Town, now fighting an apocalyptic battle against the Quincy King Yhwach. Lucky for him, he’s gained a load of powers along the way and some new revelations that make Ichigo one of Bleach’s strongest living beings. With Thousand Year Blood War coming back in a couple of weeks with Ichigo and the Soul Society mounting their counter-attack, here’s everything that goes into Ichigo’s newest Zanpakto and power set.
As revealed in the final episodes of Thousand Year Blood War’s first part, Ichigo’s family lineage is much, much more complicated than anyone could have known. While his father’s status as a former Soul Reaper has been known for quite some time, with Isshin Kurosaki stepping in to save and train his son at the last possible second from Aizen, Ichigo only just learned about the truth of his mother’s lineage and how his parents met.
So, in this episode of “How I Met Your Mother: Bleach”…
Ichigo’s Soul Reaper Powers
- Gained from: His father, Isshin Shiba.
- Isshin was a former Soul Reaper, Captain of the 10th Division, and Head of the Shiba Clan.
- Left the Soul Society for Ichigo’s mother, Masaki Kurosaki, and took her last name as a human.
Ichigo’s father was a Captain in the Gotei 13, leading the 10th division with Rangiku as his Vice-Captain. Isshin was a carefree and easygoing guy during his Soul Reaper days, taking things easy after he had come up in the somewhat poor Shiba Clan, taking care as the uncle of Kuraku and Ganju Shiba who later (unknowingly or not) assist their cousin to break into the Soul Society. When Isshin went to assist in capturing a Hollow in Karakura Town, encountering Aizen’s early Hollow/Human hybrid experiment White as well as Masaki Kurosaki, some of the final pieces were set in place on Yhwach’s grand chess board.
Ichigo inherited his father’s massive spiritual pressure as well as his Zanpakuto ability of Getsuga, Ichigo forming it into Getsuga Tensho while throwing it at anything that moves. Additionally, it was Isshin’s knowledge of Getsuga that allows him to train Ichigo to achieve it, which allows Ichigo to defeat Aizen in turn.
Of course, Isshin is only one component, leading to the other main contributor of Ichigo’s hybrid powers…
Ichigo’s Quincy Powers
- Gained from: Masaki Kurosaki, Ichigo’s mother and one of few remaining Quincies.
- Was originally intended to marry Uryu’s father, Ryuken Ishida.
- Instead married Isshin after he saved her from White, the experimental Hollow.
Masaki Kurosaki was the last surviving member of a Pure Quincy bloodline and was taken in by the Ishida family to have her marry Ryuken, the last Pure Quincy of their bloodline. Masaki and Ryuken never truly bonded though, and when Masaki was bit while saving Isshin from White, killing the Hollow in the process, it began her transformation into a Hollow.
Isshin gave up his own Shinigami powers to save her, using a suppressing device made by Kisuke Urahara and exiling them from the Soul Society and Quincy, respectively. They would get by, and eventually have a family together until Masaki was tragically killed by the Hollow Grand Fisher, unaware that her Quincy powers had been taken away instantaneously in the same moment, making her vulnerable as she protects Ichigo.
Her death here releases the Hollow powers of White and gives Ichigo his first encounter with a Hollow, setting up his future as a Vizard and ability to draw on it with his final Zanpakuto and Bankai. While his Quincy and Hollow powers were both inherited through his mother, only one of those got their start somewhere else…
Ichigo’s Hollow Powers
- Gained from: White, during his attack on Masaki
- White was created by Aizen as one of his first successful hybrids of Shinigami and Hollow
- Killed by Masaki and Isshin after a destructive fight in Karakura Town, but infected Masaki.
White was an early success in Aizen’s experiments to create the perfect being. While it was formed from several Soul Reapers Aizen had quietly dispatched, the Hollowfication process gave White a fierce, demonic-looking mask with a human-like appearance otherwise. After going on a killing spree in the human world and slaughtering several Shinigami, Isshin decided to investigate and eventually confront the out-of-control experiment. Isshin had his ass handed to him in return by White.
Thankfully, Masaki would save Isshin from certain death by using her Quincy powers, but not before being bit by White, spreading the Hollow toxin developed by Aizen into her Spiritual Pressure. Though White was subdued by Isshin’s power, with plenty of help from Urahara as well, it was never completely killed and has instead been living inside Ichigo since his birth.
Now, with his history finally known and a new Zanpakuto formed with Ichigo’s full powers of Shinigami, Hollow, and Quincy, Ichigo can finally strike back at the Sternritter who laid the Soul Society to waste, killing General Yamamoto in the process. While his new powers won’t be evident right from the start, Ichigo’s final Zanpakuto will release a final, devastatingly powerful Bankai that combines the best of all three into the ultimate form of Zangetsu when Bleach returns later this month.
