Ichigo wears a Hollow mask. ichigo story

Bleach's protagonist, Ichigo, is a 15-year-old teenager. At first glance, he may seem like a very gloomy guy, because. his eyebrows are always furrowed, giving him a very angry look. However, in reality, he turns out to be much kinder and more sensitive than his appearance suggests. Ichigo has a natural red hair color, which is very annoying for the high school students in his school, so he often has to fight with them. He cares little about what others think of him and seems to enjoy fighting.

Ichigo lives with his father, Kurosaki Isshin, and two sisters, Karin and Yuzu. His father owns a small medical clinic, which is located right in their house, so the whole family is forced to help him. Ichigo and his father constantly "fight" as a joke. Karin is a very active girl, she is also able to hold back her feelings, while Yuzu is very passive and emotional.

From the outside, the Kurosaki family looks quite normal, except for one thing - Ichigo is able to see and communicate with ghosts. All members of his family somehow possess some kind of spiritual abilities, but Ichigo has them most developed. Karin's abilities are weaker - she can only see ghosts (but not Shinigami or Hollows), and Yuzu only hears ghosts and sees vague outlines.

As the story continues, the spiritual power and abilities of everyone around Ichigo increase. Even his classmates and friends begin to feel the presence of ghosts. All this is happening because Ichigo has a huge "Reiatsu" (reiatsu) - a spiritual power that he can not yet control well enough.

STORY

When Ichigo was 3 years old, his mother - Masaki (Masaki) sent him to study karate. His first opponent was Arisawa Tatsuki, his classmate in the future. Ichigo lost this fight, because of which he began to cry. However, as soon as his mother came closer, he began to smile, forgetting about the defeat. His mood always lifted when he saw Masaki. At the age of 9, Ichigo lost his mother - she was killed by a Hollow named Grand Fisher, although Ichigo did not understand this at the time. For the boy, this was a huge loss. At first, he did not yet realize that his mother had died, and spent days at the place of her death, trying to wait for her. The death of Masaki had a strong impact on the rest of the family - Karin became stubborn and stopped crying, and Yuzu took over all the chores around the house.

When Ichigo entered middle school, he met Sado Yasutora, whom Ichigo gave the nickname Chad. The two guys became close friends through a fight they got into together. Despite his enormous size and strength, Chad never fought for himself - he could only fight to protect others. After becoming friends, Ichigo and Chad decided that from now on they would only fight for each other's sake.

At the beginning of the series, Ichigo meets the shinigami Kuchiki Rukia. He interferes with the Shinigami's work, causing Rukia to get injured. In order to save Ichigo's family from the Hollow, Rukia is forced to transfer her spiritual power to Ichigo, causing him to become a Shinigami and complete what Rukia started. The girl disappears...

The next day, Ichigo meets Rukia again at school, disguised as a new student. What was his surprise when he sees that Rukia looks like a completely normal person that all classmates can see! She explains to Ichigo that she uses a gigai, a temporary body that Shinigami use for various purposes, but often to regain their lost power. While she recovers her Reiatsu, Ichigo is forced to fulfill her duties of destroying Hollows and sending Pluses to Soul Society. So far, Ichigo is only able to become a shinigami after Rukia uses a special gauntlet to "knock" the soul of a shinigami out of Kurosaki.

Ichigo successfully destroys the Hollows, but one day Grand Fisher appears in his path - a Hollow that has eluded Shinigami for 50 years. He attacks Karin and Yuzu. Ichigo learns that Grand Fisher killed his mother and wants revenge, but the Hollow runs away again. Ichigo then meets Ishida Uryuu, a Quincy who opposes Shinigami but wishes to protect ordinary people from evil spirits. With it, Ichigo destroys many Hollows, and even Menos Grande, a larger and more dangerous type of Hollows. However, Ichigo loses his Shinigami power after fighting Abarai Renji and Kuchiki Byakuya. ) is Rukia's brother. They are both shinigami and came to the human world to arrest Rukia for being in the human world for too long and committing the crime of transferring power to a human. Ichigo is desperate and eager to save Rukia, so he goes to Urahara Kisuke, the man who saved his life after fighting two Shinigami.

Urahara begins to train him and returns his Shinigami abilities to him. Immediately after this, Ichigo begins his journey to Soul Society. Ishida Uryu, Chad and their classmate Inoue Orihime are sent with him. In Soul Society, the guy had to fight with many shinigami of the level of captains or vice-captains, which he defeated. The first was a fight with Jidanbou - the watchman of Seireitei - the place where shinigami live. This opponent was easily defeated by Ichigo, but then Kurosaki was nearly killed by Ichimaru Gin. After Ichigo and his friends got to the Seireitei, there was a fight with Madarame Ikkaku (Madarame Ikkaku) - an officer of the 11th division. This fight also ended in victory for Ichigo.

Later, Ichigo meets Abarai Renji, who dreamed of taking revenge on Ichigo for the previous defeat, but he fails to defeat Ichigo, and Renji asks him only one thing - to save Rukia. further Ichigo expects a fight with Zaraki Kenpachi (Zaraki Kenpachi) - the captain of the 11th Division. In a hard fight, Ichigo still achieves victory, although he himself is left to bleed. He is rescued by Shihouin Yoruichi. She explains to Ichigo that he won't be able to save Rukia with the level of power he currently has and trains him in the final stage of the zanpakutō release, the Ban-kai.

Ichigo completes his training in 3 days. He goes to Rukia's execution and rescues her with the help of Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Juushiro. 3 vice-captains are sent to stop Ichigo, whom he easily defeats and comes face to face with Kuchiki Byakuya. Ichigo uses his Bankai against Byakuya, but is unable to land a decisive blow on him when he had the chance. The fight continues until Ichigo loses all his strength... In Ichigo's soul, he awakens as a Hollow, who inflicts an injury on Byakuya. Both opponents are exhausted... Byakuya admits his defeat and promises not to try to kill Rukia again. After learning that all the events in Soul Society were planned by Aizen Sousuke, Ichigo engages him, but is easily defeated. Before leaving Soul Society, Ichigo receives a "Shinigami License", which not only allows him to be considered a Shinigami legally, but also warns him of the appearance of Hollows.

Finally, Ichigo and his companions return to the human world, but without Rukia, who has chosen to remain in Soul Society. Life returns to its former course ... However, the idyll is broken after the appearance in Ichigo's class of a newcomer named Hirako Shinji (Hirako Shinji). The guy turns out to be one of the mysterious vizards. He invites Ichigo to join them, but is refused. Later, two Arrancars, Yami and Ulquiorra, come to the human world. They were ordered by Aizen to locate Ichigo, who is considered a threat to him. On their way, Arisawa Tatsky accidentally ends up, who is seriously injured by the Arrancars. Chad comes to the rescue, but he is also easily dealt with. Orihime also tries to help, and as Yami is about to kill her, Ichigo appears and cuts off his hand in revenge for what he did to his friends. Ichigo's inner Hollow awakens again and takes over, making Ichigo and Orihime an easy target for Yami. Just then, Yoruichi and Kisuke appear.

Ulquiorra decides that their mission is complete, as Ichigo is weaker than Aizen thought, and they both leave. Ichigo despairs and loses all desire to be a shinigami, as he considers himself incapable of protecting his loved ones. However, everything passes when six shinigami appear at Ichigo's school - Madarame Ikkaku, Ayasegawa Yumichika, Abarai Renji, Matsumoto Rangiku, Hitsugaya Toshiro and Kuchiki Rukia. Rukia sends him to fight the Hollow. After talking with Rukia, Ichigo awakens the will to live and the desire to be a Shinigami. In the evening, all the Shinigami meet at Ichigo's house and decide what to do with the danger posed by the Arrancars. Ichigo discovers who the Arrancars really are. After this conversation, all the Shinigami except Rukia leave in search of places to stay for the night. Rukia stays to sleep in the Ichigo sisters' room.

That same night, six Arrancars appear in Karakura without Aizen's knowledge. They believed that the mistake made by Ulquiorra, who left Ichigo alive, should be corrected. This mission involved finding and destroying anyone with a strong Reiatsu. One of the Arrancars, D-Roy, was immediately destroyed by Rukia. However, Rukia was then seriously injured by Grimmjow (Grimmjow Jaggerjack), after which Ichigo had to fight him. But even with the Bankai released, Ichigo couldn't do any harm to Grimmjow, who blocked all of Ichigo's attacks with his bare hands. With the help of Getsuga Tenshou, Ichigo finally manages to slightly hurt Grimmjow. Kurosaki realized that he was only able to use Getsuga Tenshou 3-4 times before losing control of himself and his inner Hollow. Grimmjow is about to draw his Zanpakutō when Tousen Kaname intervenes and takes Grimmjow to Hueco Mundo. Aizen is very unhappy with his unauthorized departure. Ichigo is left alone with his defeat.

After this fight, Ichigo realizes that he must find a way to control his inner Hollow. He remembers the Visored and starts looking for Shinji. In an abandoned room, he finally finds Shinji Hirako and seven other Visoreds. When he asked if Kurosaki was going to join them, Ichigo replied. that he came only to learn how to control his inner empty. Ichigo challenges Shinji to a fight. As the two fought, the other Visored took notice. that both use their power to the fullest. The fight was interrupted by Sarugaki Hiyori, who decides to fight Ichigo herself. Hiyori releases his inner Hollow, after which Ichigo is on the verge of death. However, Kurosaki manages to lose control of his other self again and lashes out at Hiyori with renewed vigor, nearly killing her. The Visoreds stop him. After returning Ichigo to his Shinigami state, Shinji explains that he is not able to fully control his Hollow, but can drive him to the very depths of his soul. Ichigo begins training with a chair-like machine that sends Ichigo to his inner world, where Zangetsu and Ichigo's inner empty world reside. ichigo and his empty one appear opposite each other, both in the hands of Zangetsu, only the empty Zangestu has white, to match

his colorless appearance. Ichigo learns that the Hollow's personality is currently dominating Zangetsu's. Some time later, both release their Bankai. Ichigo uses Getsuga Tenshou against the empty one, but this attack has no effect, because. originally belonged to the empty. The Hollow manages to injure Ichigo with this technique. Ichigo's sword falls apart.

The Hollow explains to Ichigo that the difference between the two is that the Hollow has a killer instinct while Ichigo doesn't. Ichigo needs a reason to fight. This is why the Hollow considers himself superior and stronger than Kurosaki.

After this conversation, something also woke up in Ichigo's soul, and he was able to grab the Hollow by his zanpakutō and force him to drop his sword. It took all his strength to do so... Meanwhile, danger was approaching in the form of Kenpachi's jagged sword. Ichigo, surprised and confused, asks him what he's doing here, and he smiles and replies, "Who did you call Kenpachi?"

The creature, which took the form of Kenpachi, taught Ichigo a lesson in combat, after which he was able to defeat his Hollow. The Hollow laughed at how Ichigo was able to defeat him and reminded him that he would return if he relaxed again. But then he surprised Ichigo by wishing him good luck.

Naturally, these events did not take place in a vacuum. As Ichigo battled in his thoughts, his body battles the Vizards under the control of his inner Hollow.

Vizard Fox Yadoumaru (Lisa Yadoumaru) enters to fight Ichigo, later she is replaced by Kensei Muguruma. He manages to hurt Ichigo, but he immediately began to regenerate at an amazing rate. Meanwhile, Shinji coordinates the efforts of all the Visored.

Finally, Ichigo returns to his normal self. Some time later, he continues to train with Hiyori to increase his own strength.

A month later, the Arrancars reappear in Karakura. At this point, Ichigo is only able to stay in his hollow form for 11 seconds, but he still fights Grimmjow. However, despite the fact that Grimmjow lost his arm, Ichigo was still unable to win with an 11-second limit. His mask resolves and he receives a vicious counter. Ichigo is on the verge of defeat, but Rukia and later Shinji Hirako come to the rescue. He fights Grimmjow until the Arrancars are ordered to retreat.

Rukia takes Ichigo to his father's clinic for treatment. While Ichigo is sleeping, Orihime visits him. She was taken prisoner by the Arrancar and was given time to say goodbye to one person. Orihime tries to kiss Ichigo while he is sleeping, but can't. She confesses her love to him...

Later, Ichigo wakes up to find that his wounds have healed. trying to understand. who cured him, Ichigo receives a message about an urgent meeting of shinigami. The meeting takes place at Orihime's house, where Toshiro Hitsugaya Toushiro and Rangiku Matsumoto Rangiku temporarily lived. Captain Ukitake reveals that Orihime has been kidnapped by the Arrancar. Ichigo replies that she visited and cured him, which convinces Captain Yamamoto of her betrayal. Renji asks to be allowed to go to Hueco Mundo to free her, but is refused. The Shinigami are ordered to return to Soul Society, leaving Ichigo alone.

Despite the ban, Ichigo decides to prepare to rescue Orihime at Urahara's shop. There, he teams up with Ishida and Chad. The three of them decide to rescue Orihime.

Urahara sends them to Hueco Mundo. There, they are immediately attacked by two Arrancar, and Aizen becomes aware of them. Ichigo tells his friends not to interfere and let him deal with the Arrancars himself, but they ignore his words and destroy them themselves. Their destination is Las Noches, a castle in the middle of the desert, Aizen's hideout. They come across three empty ones chasing someone. human-like. Ichigo attacks the Hollows, and learns that the target is not really a human, but an Arrancar girl named Nell, and the Hollows are her "brothers". They escort Ichigo and his friends through the desert, but are suddenly attacked by another Hollow. He is destroyed by the sudden appearance of Renji and Rukia.

They all break into Las Noches together and decide to split up and go in 5 different directions. The "relatives" decide to follow Ichigo, but lose each other. Nell is the only one. who along with Ichigo. They are attacked by an Arrancar of Dordonii, a former member of the Espada, now number 103. At first, Ichigo refuses to use his Bankai against him, believing it to be too weak, but then he is forced to do so in order to save Nell, who was trying to protect Ichigo and was attacked by the Dordonii. The Arrancar forces Ichigo to transform into a Hollow, and Ichigo inflicts several wounds on him, thus winning.

ZANGETSU

Like all shinigami, Ichigo has a Zanpakutō. His name is Zangetsu, "cutting the moon". For the material form in the form of a man 30-40 years old, Ichigo nicknamed Zangetsu "uncle".

During the first sealed stage, Zangetsu appeared to be a normal giant-sized Zanpakutō. This was due to the high reyatsu (spiritual power) of Ichigo. Initially, Ichigo carried the Zangetsu in a huge sheath on his back. The first Zangetsu was defeated by Kuchiki Byakuya during their first fight. The Shikai form of Zangetsu is an "incomplete sword", without scabbard or hilt. It looked like a huge butcher's knife. Ichigo's Zanpakutō differs from others in his Shikai form due to his high level of power. Kurosaki also didn't know the name of his Zanpakutō yet.

Zangetsu's special ability is Getsuga Tenshou - "moon fang that pierces the sky". The Zanpakutō fired balls of compressed energy in the shape of blue crescents. At first, Kurosaki used this ability without knowing the name, but then, after learning the name, he fully mastered it.

Bankai Zangetsu - Tensa Zangetsu - "celestial chain that cuts the moon" - was completely different from all zanpakutō. It looked like a normal "nodachi" katana (175 cm long), with a black blade and a short broken chain tied to the handle.

The enormous power of the Bankai allowed Ichigo to build up speed in excess of the shunpo (shunpo). During the second battle with Kuchiki Byakuya, Ichigo used Getsuga Tenshō in his hollow form, giving birth to a new technique called Kuroi Getsuga (Black Moon Fang). It was the same crescents, but now red and black, and Ichigo could already control their trajectory. Ichigo realized that this was a personal technique of his inner Hollow, and if he used it more than 3-4 times, the Hollow would take control of Ichigo's body.

The protagonist of anime and manga, a red-haired schoolboy who has had the supernatural ability to see ghosts since childhood, even knows one ghost girl well and brings flowers to the place of her death. However, he is not inclined towards mysticism, and although he reads horoscopes, he claims to not believe them. One day, his loved ones are attacked by an evil spirit, "empty", but a girl named Rukia Kuchiki appears, who intervenes in the battle and saves the Kurosaki family. During the battle, she is seriously injured and is faced with a choice: die or transfer some of her supernatural powers to Ichigo so that he can fight in her place. So Ichigo gets acquainted with the world of shinigami - "guides of souls", warriors who protect people, fighting evil empty spirits, and help good souls go to another world.

Appearance and character

Ichigo is almost a typical anti-hero. A rebel, a bad guy who is forced to act as a hero against his will, however, he is attached to friends, ready to protect loved ones to the last and risking his life for them. He is a schoolboy with bright red hair that annoys his classmates and causes constant teasing and fights, but he willingly beats up bullies, stating that he does not care about other people's opinions, thereby maintaining the image of a lone wolf. Despite this, he studies well, reads and studies a lot, and is also on the honorable 18th line in the list of the best students in the school. As it turns out later, he spends so much energy on studying in order to overcome the negative attitude of teachers, which arose again due to the unusual hair color, unsociableness and the habit of hitting back offenders. Because of his hair color, he does not even go to the hairdresser, and his younger sister Yuzu cuts his hair. He is not thrilled with his newfound powers and initially states that he refuses to help Rukia because he doesn't want to fight monsters for the safety of strangers.

A family

She lives in the fictional town of Karakura with her two younger sisters, Karin and Yuzu, and her father, Isshin Kurosaki, who runs a small hospital. When Ichigo was nine years old, his mother Masaki was killed by a Hollow that Shinigami couldn't kill for 50 years and called the "Big Angler" due to his ability to transform his upper tentacles into different people. He has a warm relationship with his sisters (he even once tells his girlfriend Orihime Inoue that older brothers are born first in order to protect their little brothers and sisters), and even with his father, who constantly attacks from around the corner from different angles. excuses: "Late! .. We always have dinner at 19:00!", and when Ichigo dodges the blow, he proudly proclaims: "I have nothing more to teach you."

Childhood

When he was four years old, his mother took him to karate classes. There, he met the tomboyish girl Tatsuki Arisawa and at first was beaten by her, after which he began to cry bitterly, instantly calming down only in the arms of his mother. According to Tatsuki, Ichigo was a sissy who clung to her hand, looked very happy and smiled all the time when Masaki was around. When Ichigo was nine years old, Masaki was killed by a Hollow named Grand Fisher ("Big Angler"). Death came in a couple of days, but it was no longer the fault of the Hollow. Little Ichigo, along with his mother, walked along the river bank and saw a black-haired girl fall right into the water, even then he could see ghosts, but did not know how to distinguish them from living people, so he rushed to help, and when he came to, the girl disappeared, and Masaki was dead. Ichigo didn't understand what happened. The only thing he knew for sure was that his mother died protecting him, and when asked

Ichigo is the main protagonist of the story and one of the most popular Bleach characters. In the popularity rating, which is regularly calculated by the magazine Shonen Jump, he held first place for a long time, although according to the results of the last vote held in 2008, he dropped to 3rd place, losing to Rukia Kuchiki and soul conductor Toshiro Hitsugaya. A variety of merchandise is produced with it, including key chains, plush toys, and figurines. Ichigo is voiced by Masakazu Morita, who was awarded "Best Newcomer Actor" at the 2007 Seiyu Awards for this role.

Character Description

Appearance and character

Ichigo is a fifteen-year-old high school student with bright red hair that annoys the upperclassmen and causes constant teasing and fights. A short-tempered Ichigo willingly beats up bullies, states that he doesn't care about other people's opinions, and maintains a lone wolf image. He is not thrilled with his newfound powers and initially states that he refuses to help Rukia because he doesn't want to fight monsters for the safety of strangers. As noted on the Anime News Network website, Ichigo is “…an antihero. A rebel, a bad guy who is forced to be a hero against his will." However, he studies well, reads and studies a lot, and is also on the honorable 23rd line in the list of the best students in the school. As it turns out later, he spent so much energy on studying in order to overcome the negative attitude of teachers, which arose again because of the unusual hair color, unsociableness and the habit of hitting back offenders.

Since childhood, he has a supernatural ability to see ghosts, even knows one ghost girl and brings flowers to the place of her death. However, he is not inclined towards mysticism, and although he reads horoscopes, he claims to not believe them.

Ichigo doesn't like going to the hairdresser because he gets asked about his hair color, so Yuzu cuts his hair. Ichigo's birthday is July 15th. Name Ichigo (一護, ichigo) is a homonym for the Japanese word " strawberry"(jap. 苺 or イチゴ), so some heroes call him "Berry" or even "Berry-chan" (chan is a diminutive suffix). "Strawberry" is written in other characters and is a typical Japanese female name. Jidanbo, the gate keeper in the city of soul guides, jokes about this, and Ichigo proudly replies that the hieroglyph in his name iti(一) means "first" and th(護) comes from the word "guardian". Father once told Ichigo that his name means "one who protects". Ichigo once tells his friend Orihime Inoue that older brothers are born first to protect their little brothers and sisters.

Family and friends

Ichigo lives in the fictional town of Karakura with his two younger sisters, Karin and Yuzu, and his father, Isshin Kurosaki, who runs a small hospital. His mother Masaki died when Ichigo was nine years old.

Ichigo has a warm relationship with his sisters and even with his father, who constantly attacks from around the corner under various pretexts: "Late! .. We always have dinner at 19:00!", And when Ichigo dodges the blow, he proudly proclaims: nothing to teach you." Reviewer for

After Ichigo's spiritual powers were fully released due to Rukia's intervention, he began sharing them with his friends involuntarily due to his frequent presence and general inability to control the power. As a result, some classmates begin to see spirits, while others gain special powers, like Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue.

Ichigo has a habit of misreading other people's names, such as his classmates Uryū Ishida and Yasutora Sado (who became Chad). His poor memory for faces and names is humorously played up. After meeting Uryuu Ishida for the first time, Ichigo could not remember his name for a long time and considered options such as "Willy Ishida" and "Wally Ishida", and when he saw the characters 雨竜 ( Uryuu), read them as "Ametatsu". According to Ichigo's childhood friend Tatsuki Arisawa, he only remembers half of the people in his own class.

In fact, Ichigo is not at all indifferent to the feelings of strangers. He is attached to friends, ready to protect loved ones to the last and risks his life for them. A reviewer on the ActiveANIME website sympathetically writes that "Ichigo, with his indifferent appearance and kind heart, is liked by viewers at first sight."

Childhood

When Ichigo Kurosaki was four years old, his mother took him to karate classes. There he met the tomboyish girl Tatsuki Arisawa and at first he was beaten by her all the time, after which he began to cry bitterly, instantly calming down only in the arms of his mother. Tatsuki describes Ichigo as a sissy who clung to his mother's hand, looked very happy and smiled all the time if Masaki (黒崎真咲 Kurosaki Masaki ? , Kurosaki Masaki) was nearby. He could see ghosts even then. When Ichigo was nine, Masaki was killed empty nicknamed Grand Fisher (jap. グランドフィッシャー gurando fissia:? , English Grand Fisher- "great fisherman"). Little Ichigo, along with his mother, walked along the river bank and saw a black-haired girl fall into the water. At that time, he did not know how to distinguish living people from ghosts, so he rushed to help, and when he came to, the girl was gone, and Masaki was dead. Ichigo never understood what happened; the only thing he knew for sure was that his mother had died protecting him. When asked by Rukia about who killed Masaki, he directly answers: "I killed her." The death of her mother changed the whole Kurosaki family: Karin vowed never to cry again and cultivated an iron character, Yuzu took up housework, Isshin hung a huge poster of Masaki on the wall, and Ichigo was tormented by guilt and subsequently determined to become strong enough to protect those he loves. For the sake of loved ones, he is ready to fight to the last - a motive that arises in many battles.

As the days go by, Ichigo's friends (such as Orihime) begin to show spiritual abilities as well. Rukia is unable to regain her strength in any way, which does not go unnoticed in Soul Society. Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and Lieutenant Renji Abarai are sent for her. Ichigo tries to intervene, and the strength awakened in him allows him to defeat Lieutenant Abarai, but there is no chance to cope with the captain. Kurosaki barely makes it out of the fight alive and loses his soul guide abilities. He is picked up by Kisuke Urahara, helps to regain his strength to meet his zanpakuto, and then sent to Soul Society, where Rukia was about to be executed for giving her powers to a mortal. There, Ichigo alternately battles Ikkaku Madarame, Renji, and Kenpachi Zaraki (learning the nature of his sword better in the process), and also masters Bankai under Yoruichi Shihōin. He arrives at the execution site on time and defeats the three lieutenants with ease. Byakuya intervenes, who is much more experienced than Ichigo in both normal combat and Bankai use. In the end, Ichigo manages to win, however, for the first time his "inner empty" appears. It turns out that Rukia is still needed by Sōsuke Aizen for his own purposes, but Ichigo cannot defeat him. Aizen finishes his business and leaves the Soul Society, Ichigo and his friends return home, and Rukia remains in the Soul Society.

Unlike most lieutenants and captains, Ichigo can fight at full strength in both the regular world and Soul Society. While captains and lieutenants are given 80% strength limits, Ichigo is not a member of the Gotei 13 and does not have any restraining seals. However, he managed to impress the Soul Society, so Jushiro Ukitake appointed Ichigo as "acting soul guide" and presented a special medallion as a sign that Ichigo was now a comrade and ally of soul guides.

The powers of the empty

Ichigo combines the powers of both soul guides and empty. When he was training with Kisuke Urahara, the Chain of Destiny was badly damaged and separated from the heart, which usually results in turning into a Hollow. Ichigo managed to cope and awaken the conductor of souls in himself, but a piece of empty still stayed inside. The inner empty Ichigo is his evil alter ego, which invariably grins, mocks, humiliates and teases Ichigo, and also dreams of completely taking over the body, savoring the opening prospects. Empty, in his own words, is a symbol of the thirst for battle and murder. He can use all of Ichigo's techniques, including Getsuga tensho and Bankai, and does it a little more successfully than his "master", fights like a berserker and completely ignores the injuries that the body receives. Usually appears in a white kimono with a black sash; looks like Ichigo's twin brother with snow white skin and black eyes with orange irises.

masked ichigo

At different story stages, the Empty manifests itself in different ways. At critical moments, a Hollow mask simply appeared on the body, which protected from mortal injury and which Ichigo himself did not suspect. During the battle with Byakuya Kuchiki, the mask covered half of his face and the Hollow completely took control of Ichigo for a while. A similar situation was repeated several times, with the surface of one eye first turning black, and then the Empty appeared - saving, as he claimed, both of them from imminent death.

At first, Ichigo panicked, not even using the zanpakutō, because he was afraid that he would completely lose control of himself, and the Hollow would take over the soul. After some time, he learned about the existence of the Vizards - a group of soul guides that fight in this way, that is, literally putting on a Hollow mask and gaining a huge advantage in battle. When Ichigo came to the Vizards to ask for help, he was forced to arrange a battle with his "inner self", and for some time he completely turned into an empty one, outwardly similar to a huge white lizard with long red hair. In this form, Ichigo used several combat techniques that only Hollows can normally do, such as Sero's fire shot. However, he subdued the Hollow and has been able to use the mask ever since while retaining his sanity. While wearing the mask, Ichigo becomes very strong, but can maintain it for no more than eleven seconds. In the battle with Grimmjow, the time limit has increased, but it is not known to what extent. In any case, compared to the Vizards, this is a very short period of time. As the seconds expire, the mask crumbles and falls off, and Ichigo loses his speed and other advantages in combat.

In the last chapters, it becomes clear that Ichigo's time limit for using the mask has increased greatly, and he also acquired the second degree of release, in which he has the ability to use sero, the power of which is even greater than that of sero oscuras (according to Ulquiorra, the strongest option grey) and sonido. In the second form, Ichigo grows long hair, a pattern appears on his body, arms and legs turn into claws, and the mask increases and acquires horns, between which his unknown gray is concentrated. Also, in the second form, Ichigo has a very noticeable increase in the volume of riyatsu and the speed of movement. In this form, he has super-fast regeneration and telekinesis (he can pull his Zanpakutō into his hand).

Zangetsu

Seiyu: Sugo Takayuki

Zanpakutō Ichigo's name is Zangetsu (Japanese 斬月 Zangetsu? , "Cutting Moon"). The spirit of the sword is an independent character in Bleach and looks like a dark-haired man in his 30s-40s, which is why Ichigo constantly calls him "old man" (Jap. オッサン ossan?). Zangetsu is very calm and collected, can give wise advice, respects strength and occasionally checks Ichigo. Despite the fact that he seems indifferent to the problems of his owner, this impression is deceptive. The world of Zangetsu is heavily influenced by Ichigo:

Ichigo, I hate the rain. Rain falls in this world too. When your heart is troubled, the sky becomes cloudy. When you're sad, the rain starts to fall at a terrifying rate. […] If you trust me, I will never let it rain. Ichigo, trust me. You are not fighting alone.

Zangetsu himself does not appear immediately. When Ichigo first becomes a soul conduit, the zanpakutō looks like a regular katana, greatly enlarged. Ichigo did not even know about the existence of names for swords, so he could only fight with direct attacks. The weapon seemed to be too large and clumsy, due to Ichigo's inability to control spiritual powers as well as infuse them into the sword, so the blade itself was quite weak - for example, Byakuya Kuchiki cuts it in half with ease during the first encounter with Ichigo. A similar operation is carried out by Kisuke Urahara, who once left the sword without a blade at all: he simply cut it into pieces. At the end of the first story arc, Ichigo learns the name of his sword and awakens shikai. AT shikae Zangetsu looks like a huge cleaver, comparable in size to Ichigo's height (174 cm). It is usually in a sling behind the back, with the blade wrapped in bandages, with which the sword can be spun like a flail.

Notes

Morita Masakazu. World Art. Retrieved June 26, 2008.
Tite Kubo. Chapter 7 // Book 1. Death and strawberries. - M.: Eksmo, 2008. - T. 1. - S. 188.
Tite Kubo. Chapter 209 // Bleach. - Tite Kubo. Chapter 307 - Bleach.
Bleach - Accessories - Ichigo metal key chain. VizMedia. Retrieved June 27, 2008.
Bleach: Chibi Ichigo Key Chain .
Amazon.com: Seated Ichigo plush figure. Amazon.com. Retrieved June 27, 2008.
Amazon.com: Bleach figurines: Ichigo Kurosaki & Rukia Kuchiki.
Seiyu Awards:第一回声優アワード　受賞者発表 (Japanese) . Retrieved March 20, 2008.
Tite Kubo. Chapter 34 // Bleach. - Shueisha, 2002. - T. 4. - S. 9-10. - ISBN 4-08-873310-X
Bleach Exile: Bleach Characters » Kurosaki Ichigo . Retrieved March 20, 2008.
Tite Kubo. Chapter 2 // Book 1. Death and strawberries. - M.: Eksmo, 2008. - T. 1. - S. 72.
Melissa Harper Bleach DVD 1 Review. Anime News Network (January 22). Retrieved March 15, 2008.
Tite Kubo. Chapter 34 // Bleach. - Shueisha, 2002. - V. 5. - S. 6. - ISBN 4-08-873335-5
Tite Kubo. Chapter 27 // Bleach. - Shueisha, 2002. - V. 4. - S. 1. - ISBN 4-08-873310-X
Magazine interview Weekly Shonen Jump, 2004, No. 42.
Episode 125 of the anime.
Ichigo talks about this in episode 21 of the anime.
Tite Kubo. Chapter 19 // Bleach. - Shueisha, 2002. - V. 3. - S. 55. - ISBN 4-08-873275-8
Tite Kubo. Chapter 5 // Book 1. Death and strawberries. - M.: Eksmo, 2008. - T. 1. - S. 144.
Tite Kubo. Bleach Official Character Book SOULs. - Tokyo: Tite Kubo. Eksmo, 2008. - T. 1. - S. 12-13.
Tite Kubo. Chapter 1 // Book 1. Death and strawberries. - M.: Eksmo, 2008. - T. 1. - S. 62.
"New School Term, Renji has Come to the Material World?!" Review (English) . May 21st). Retrieved June 27, 2008.
Tite Kubo. Chapter 35 // Bleach. - Shueisha, 2002. - T. 5. - S. 9-10. - ISBN 4-08-873335-5
Episode 11 of the anime. This scene is missing from the manga.
Bleach DVD 1 Advance Review. ActiveANIME (November 8th). Retrieved March 17, 2008.
Tite Kubo. Chapter 18 // Bleach. - Shueisha, 2002. - T. 3. - S. 3-5. - ISBN 4-08-873275-8
Tite Kubo. Chapter 21 // Bleach. - Shueisha, 2002. - Vol. 3. - ISBN 4-08-873275-8
Tite Kubo. Chapter 18 // Bleach. - Shueisha, 2002. - Vol. 3. - P. 43. - ISBN 4-08-873275-8

ichigo - a schoolboy who since childhood has a supernatural ability to see ghosts, even knows one ghost girl well and brings flowers to the place of her death. However, he is not inclined to mysticism and, although he reads horoscopes, he claims that he does not believe them. One day, an evil spirit, "empty", attacks his loved ones, but a girl named Rukia Kuchiki appears, who intervenes in the battle and saves the family Kurosaki. During the battle, she is seriously injured and is faced with a choice: die or transfer some of her supernatural powers to Ichigo so that he can fight in her place. So Ichigo gets acquainted with the world of shinigami - "guides of souls", warriors who protect people, fighting evil empty spirits, and help good souls go to another world.

Appearance and character

Ichigo is almost a typical anti-hero. A rebel, a bad guy who is forced to act as a hero against his will, however, he is attached to friends, ready to protect loved ones to the last and risking his life for them. At the beginning of the manga, Ichigo is 15 years old. He is a schoolboy with bright red hair that annoys his classmates and causes constant teasing and fights, but he willingly beats up bullies, stating that he does not care about other people's opinions, thereby maintaining the image of a lone wolf. Despite this, he studies well, reads and studies a lot, and is also on the honorable 18th line in the list of the best students of the school. As it turns out later, he spends so much energy on studying in order to overcome the negative attitude of teachers, which arose again because of the unusual hair color, unsociableness and the habit of hitting back offenders. Due to the color of his hair, Ichigo doesn't even go to the hairdresser and gets his hair cut by his younger sister Yuzu.

Ichigo has a habit of making mistakes in reading other people's names, as was the case, for example, with his classmate Yasutora Sado, who, due to Ichigo's inattention, became a Chad, and after the first meeting with Uryu Ishida (another of his classmates), Ichigo could not remember him for a long time name and considered options such as "Willie Ishida" and "Wally Ishida", and when he saw the characters 雨竜 (Uryuu), he read them as "Ametatsu". According to Ichigo's childhood friend Tatsuki Arisawa, he only remembers half of the people in his own class.

A family

Ichigo lives in the fictional town of Karakura with his two younger sisters, Karin and Yuzu (left).

And father Isshin Kurosaki, who runs a small hospital. When Ichigo was nine years old, his mother Masaki was killed by a Hollow that Shinigami couldn't kill for 50 years and called the "Big Angler" due to his ability to transform his upper tentacles into different people. Ichigo has a warm relationship with his sisters (he even once tells his girlfriend Orihime Inoue that older brothers are born first to protect their little brothers and sisters.), and even with a father who constantly attacks from around the corner under various pretexts: "Late! .. We always have dinner at 19:00!", and when Ichigo dodges the blow, he proudly proclaims: "I have nothing more to teach you." A reviewer for IGN notes that "Ichigo's relationship with his father has always been interesting because of its unconventional nature; they are more like two quarreling friends than father and son.”

Childhood

When Ichigo Kurosaki was four years old, his mother took him to karate classes. There, he met the tomboyish girl Tatsuki Arisawa and at first was beaten by her, after which he began to cry bitterly, instantly calming down only in the arms of his mother. According to Tatsuki, Ichigo was a sissy who clung to her hand, looked very happy and smiled all the time when Masaki was around. When Ichigo was nine, Masaki was killed by an empty one named Grand Fisher - “great angler”. Little Ichigo, along with his mother, walked along the river bank and saw a black-haired girl fall right into the water, even then he could see ghosts, but did not know how to distinguish them from living people, so he rushed to help, and when he came to, the girl was gone, and Masaki was dead. Ichigo did not understand what happened, the only thing he knew for sure was that his mother died protecting him and to Rukia's question about who killed Masaki, he directly answers: "I killed her." The death of her mother changed the whole Kurosaki family: Karin vowed never to cry again and cultivated an iron character, Yuzu took care of the house, Isshin hung a huge poster of Masaki on the wall, and Ichigo was tormented by guilt and subsequently determined to become strong enough to protect those he loves. For the sake of loved ones, he is ready to fight to the last - a motive that arises in many battles.

Further developments

With the appearance of Ichigo Kurosaki, the Bleach anime and manga begin. He meets with

Rukia Kuchiki chasing another Hollow. Rukia, surprised that Ichigo can see her, talks about the work of soul guides. Meanwhile, a Hollow appears, drawn in by Ichigo's "appetizing" spiritual energy. In battle, Rukia has to give up all of Ichigo's power so that he can save his family, after which Rukia completely loses her supernatural abilities and actually turns into an ordinary person. Since then, Ichigo has been forced to fulfill the duties of a conductor of souls: to protect the inhabitants of the city, fighting with Hollows, and send good souls to the Soul Society. Over time, some of Ichigo's classmates begin to see spirits, while others gain special abilities - like

Yasutora Sado and

Orihime Inoue.

Rukia is unable to regain her strength in any way, which does not go unnoticed in Soul Society. Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and Lieutenant Renji Abarai are sent for her. Ichigo intervened, and the power awakened in him allowed him to defeat Lieutenant Abarai, but Byakuya saved Renji at the last moment and delivered a special blow to Kurosaki, due to which he lost his soul conductor abilities. He is picked up by Kisuke Urahara, helps him regain his powers, get acquainted with his zanpakuto, and then sends him to the Soul Society, where Rukia is about to be executed for giving her powers to a mortal. There, Ichigo alternately fights Madarame Ikkaku, Renji Abarai, and Kenpachi Zaraki (learning the nature of his sword better during the battle), and also masters Bankai under Yoruichi Shihōin. He arrives at the execution site on time and defeats the three lieutenants with ease. Byakuya intervenes, who is much more experienced than Ichigo in both normal fighting and using Bankai. In the end, Ichigo manages to win, however, for the first time, his "inner empty" appears. Sousuke Aizen, the captain who was thought to have been killed by the intruders, appears at the execution site. From him, Ichigo learns that Rukia's kidnapping and execution were planned by Aizen, who was looking for a path to possibilities far beyond the powers of an ordinary soul conductor and even a captain. The intervention of Ichigo and his friends was part of the renegade captain's plan as a distraction for the entire Soul Society, thanks to which Aizen was able to accomplish his main goal - stealing a powerful artifact called the Hogyoku (崩玉 Ho:gyoku?), which gives incredible power . The Hōgyoku was sealed within Rukia's body and could be retrieved with a powerful weapon that was used for ritual executions. Aizen steals the Hogyoku from Rukia's body with a spell he created. After that, having overcome the resistance of the captains who came to the rescue, he leaves the Soul Society, capturing his accomplices, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen. Ichigo and his friends return home, while Rukia stays in the Community.

During the bounto arc, Ichigo and Rukia team up again, with Ichigo defeating Kariya, the leader of the bounto. Then he resumes a normal life, again begins to go to school. Aizen's Arrancar invasion soon begins. Kurosaki faces Grimmjow Jaegerjak, but loses due to his inability to use his Hollow powers. Ichigo is annoyed by his weakness and inability to protect his friends, so he goes to

Vizards, conductors of souls with the powers of the empty, able to control them within themselves. Ichigo takes control of his "inner self" and learns to put on his Hollow mask, although he can only maintain it for 11 seconds. In the next battle with Grimmjow, he gains an advantage for a short period, but the mask falls off very quickly - he is saved only by the appearance of Rukia and the Vizard Hirako Shinji. Grimmjow returns to Hueco Mundo: he was only setting up a diversion to kidnap Orihime Inoue. Ichigo, despite the prohibition of the commander-in-chief Yamamoto-Genryusai, does not leave his girlfriend in trouble and, together with Ishida and Chad, goes to Hueco Mundo. There, he meets Nel Too and fights several battles, including a revenge-seeking Grimmjow. But in order to return Orihime, Ichigo has to fight Ulquiorra Sifer, one of the strongest Arrancar, whom Ichigo defeats in a semi-conscious state, becoming a berserker and moving into a state of the second level of releasing the power of the empty. Ichigo's next task is to defeat Sosuke Aizen, because of all the conductors of souls, only Ichigo is not affected by his hypnosis. Wounds inflicted on Aizen heal instantly. He informs Ichigo that the battles he went through and the skills he gained were all planned by Aizen himself from the beginning. Such a statement shocks Ichigo, but his father comes to his aid, as well as Urahara and Yoruichi, who begin to fight Aizen. Ichigo himself entered the battle with Gin. Despite fierce resistance, Aizen defeated all opponents and, together with Gin, went to Karakura, but Isshin and Ichigo went after them. In the Divider of Worlds, Ichigo, with the help of his father, underwent special training and raised his strength to an incredible level. Arriving in his city, he demonstrated overwhelming power while fighting Aizen and ultimately, with the help of Urahara, defeated Aizen, but as a result of the final battle, he loses the powers of the conductor of souls.

Almost a year and a half after losing his powers, Ichigo meets a man, Kugo Ginjo, who introduces him to a group of people with unusual abilities - they can contact any objects around them through the interaction of their souls (both the object and the contact), as well as change their shape or increase their power. Such control was called "Total Subordination". In addition, Ginjou offers help and says that he can restore the lost powers of the channel of souls. Ichigo begins to undergo special training, where he learns new abilities, for example, obedience to the soul guide badge. Meanwhile, an unknown person begins to attack Ichigo's friends. Uryu Ishida becomes the first victim, after which he ends up in the hospital. The next target is Orihime, however, she ends up not getting any injuries, but learns the identity of her assailant, Shukuro Tsukishima. Ichigo continues to train. He learns that Yasutora Sado also wields full subjugation in the form of the Giant's Right Hand and Devil's Left Hand abilities. Soon, Tsukishima arrives at Ginjo's headquarters, and at the same time, Ichigo releases his power called "Soul Conduit Shroud". Ginjou and Ichigo had to retreat in order to complete Ichigo's submission. Arriving home late at night, Ichigo discovers that Tsukishima has changed the memories of everyone, including the people of Karakura, with his submission, only Ginjo and Ichigo know what is really going on. With the help of Ishida, Ichigo learns that Ginjo is actually in cahoots with Tsukishima to absorb Ichigo's powers. The conspirators win, but Kurosaki's father, Urahara, comes to Kurosaki's aid, as well as Rukia Kuchiki, who successfully restores his soul conductor powers by transferring part of the reiatsu of the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13 with the sword prepared by Kisuke and awakening the part of Ichigo's power that Ginjo will devour couldn't. Renji, Byakuya, Kenpachi, Hitsugaya, and Ikkaku also appear at the mansion to help Kurosaki, whose Shinigami appearance and power have been transformed since the return of his power. Hitsugaya reveals the reasons for handing over the reiatsu to Ichigo: the first is to repay the debt since Ichigo saved the Soul Society, and the second is to defeat Ginjo, who is actually the first acting Shinigami.

Combat skills

Over the course of several dozen episodes, Ichigo's abilities grow weakly, practically remaining in one place, but even in this situation, he is quite successful in waging war with the Hollows. Although Ichigo is not formally a soul conductor, his powers are at the level of a captain's. Aizen Sosuke and Kisuke Urahara said that Ichigo's main trump card was his amazing learning speed, and Rukia was amazed several times by grasping a new technique (which takes weeks or even years to learn for an ordinary soul guide) in just a few days. For example, he learned to use Shunpo ("lightning steps") in two days of training with Yoruichi Shihōin, while mastering Bankai at the same time. Urahara calls his abilities "frightening." As for physical characteristics, Ichigo studied martial arts from early childhood, constantly fought with classmates and Tatsuki Arisawa (in Japan, she is the second in martial arts among women).

The powers of the empty

Ichigo with a Hollow mask

Inner Empty (Ichigo's alter ego) - Hichigo

Ichigo combines the powers of both Soul Conduits and Hollows. When he was training with Kisuke Urahara, the Chain of Destiny was nearly destroyed, which usually results in him turning into a Hollow. Ichigo managed to cope and awaken the power of the conductor of souls in himself, but a piece of the empty still remained inside. The inner empty Ichigo, named Hichigo (this name was given to him by the Bleach fans) is his evil alter ego, he invariably smirks, mocks, humiliates and teases Ichigo, and also dreams of completely taking over the body, savoring the opening prospects. Empty, in his own words, is the embodiment of the thirst for battle and murder. He can use all of Ichigo's techniques, and does it more successfully, unlike his "master", fights like a berserker and completely ignores the injuries that the body receives. Usually appears in a white kimono with a black sash; looks like Ichigo's twin brother with snow white skin and black eyes with orange irises.

At different story stages, the Empty manifests itself in different ways. At critical moments, a Hollow mask simply appeared on the body, which protected from mortal injury and which Ichigo himself did not suspect. During the battle with Byakuya Kuchiki, the mask covered half of his face and the Hollow took complete control of Ichigo for a while. A similar situation was repeated several times, with the surface of one eye first turning black, and then the Empty appeared - saving, as he claimed, both of them from imminent death.

At first, Ichigo panicked and didn't even use the zanpakutō, fearing that he would completely lose control of himself and the Hollow would take over his body. After some time, he learned about the existence of the Vizards - a group of soul guides that fight in this way, that is, literally putting on a Hollow mask and gaining a huge advantage in battle. When Ichigo came to the Vizards to ask for help, he was forced to fight with his "inner self", and for some time he completely turned into an empty one, outwardly similar to a huge white lizard in bone armor and with long red hair. In this form, Ichigo used several combat techniques that only Hollows can normally do, such as Sero's fire shot. However, he subdued the Hollow and has been able to use the mask ever since while retaining his sanity. While wearing the mask, Ichigo becomes very strong, but can only maintain it for a maximum of eleven seconds. In the battle with Grimmjow, the time limit increased greatly, apparently equaling the Vizards. When time runs out, the mask crumbles and falls off, and Ichigo loses all of his form's benefits in combat. However, as you gain more control over the mask, the time it takes to use it increases and the pattern on the mask changes. So, initially, the mask had three stripes above the eye socket, later five more stripes appeared below it.

In chapter 350 of the manga and episode 271 of the anime, it is revealed that Ichigo has acquired a second form of the full release of the Hollow's power:

Long hair grows in his chest, a hole appears in his chest like an empty one, a pattern appears on his body, claws grow on his arms and legs, the mask increases and horns grow on it, between which gray is concentrated, the strength of which is greater than that of the gray oscuras (according to Ulquiorra is a gray that can only be used in the Resurrection). The ability to use sonido, regeneration and telekinesis (used to pull zanpakuto) also appears, the volume of reiatsu, physical strength and speed of movement greatly increase. However, in this form, Ichigo is unable to consciously control himself. This transformation also changed Ichigo's usual mask: the asymmetric stripes on the right half of the mask disappeared, instead two longitudinal stripes appeared that crossed the eyes. But the new shape of the mask only lasts for a few seconds and, according to Ichigo, feels "heavy". In the fight against Aizen, the hold time of the mask increased greatly again. Just like Kuro Getsuga's punching power also changed, becoming much bigger and denser and stronger.

In the fourth animated film "Hell Chapter", the second form of the release of the empty appears again: it turns out that the power of gray in this guise is so great that it can destroy the previously invulnerable chains of hell that restrain sinners and prevent them from entering the world of the living.

Zanpakutō
Zanpakutō Ichigo's name is Zangetsu (斬月 Zangetsu?, Chopping Moon). The spirit of the sword is an independent Bleach character and looks like a dark-haired man in his 30s-40s,

Due to which Ichigo constantly calls him "old man" (jap. オッサン ossan?), however, in his Bankai state, his appearance changes and he already looks like a young man with long hair.

Zangetsu is always very calm and collected, can give wise advice, respects strength and sometimes checks Ichigo. Despite the fact that he seems indifferent to the problems of his owner, this impression is deceptive. The world of Zangetsu is more dependent on Ichigo.
Zangetsu himself does not appear immediately. When Ichigo first becomes a soul conduit, the zanpakutō looks like a regular katana, greatly enlarged. Ichigo did not even know about the existence of names for swords, so he could only fight with direct attacks. The weapon seemed too large and clumsy, due to Ichigo's inability to control spiritual powers and also infuse them into the sword, so the blade itself was weak and rather fragile - for example, Byakuya Kuchiki easily cuts it in half during the first meeting with Ichigo. A similar operation is carried out by Kisuke Urahara, who during the training left the sword without a blade at all, simply cutting it into pieces. At the end of the first story arc, Ichigo learns the name of his sword and awakens his shikai. In shikai, Zangetsu looks like a huge cleaver, comparable in size to Ichigo's height (174 cm). Usually it is in a sling behind the back, and the blade is wrapped in bandages, with which you can rotate the sword like a flail.

The Bankai is called Tensa Zangetsu (天鎖斬月?, "Heavenly Chain that Cuts the Moon").

It is somewhat unusual: the sword does not increase in size, turning into some kind of monstrous creature, but rather shrinks like a daito, turns completely black and acquires a new guard. However, in combat, the blade of the sword can be seen to glow blue. The black chain attached to the hilt is reminiscent of the Chain of Destiny that all pluses (good souls) have. Due to its small size, this "elegant" Bankai is often underestimated by enemies ("It's not a Bankai", "A Bankai can't be that small", etc.). According to Byakuya, this Bankai is not an expansion of abilities, as usual, but a compressed version of them. Ichigo, as if under pressure, can develop tremendous speed, greatly exceeding "lightning steps", as well as an ultra-fast reaction - the hero does not move, but practically flies and, as it were, is in several places at the same time. He was even able to repel each of the thousand blades summoned by Byakuya. But according to the Hollow, Ichigo's inexperience with the Bankai caused the pressure of the Reiatsu to break all of his bones; over time, he learned to use his Bankai without harm to his health.

Zangetsu's special ability is the Getsuga Tensho (月牙天衝?, "Fangs of the Moon Piercing the Sky"), which releases energy from the tip of the sword in the form of a blue sickle. This strike was used intuitively at first, but Ichigo learned to control it almost as soon as he learned the name Zangetsu. Zangetsu himself said that "knowing or not knowing the name of the attack affects the power of the blow." In his Bankai form, the punch appears black with a red border, so Byakuya initially refers to it as Kura getsuga (黒い月牙?, "Black Moon Fang"). However, this wording reflects only the color (Jap. kuroi - "black"), but is not the real name. Also in Bankai, Ichigo can control the getsuga, changing its shape, as well as releasing it at the moment of physical contact with the enemy, intensifying the blow. Kuroi getsuga Ichigo borrowed from his inner Hollow. While in his Bankai state, he can fly and his entire reiatsu transforms into a form similar to that of a Soul Conduit's attire. Ichigo can turn half of the form for protection like Hierro Arrancar - used to defend against Ulquiorra's Cero Oscuras, or can turn it into a terrible in strength, density and huge in size Kuroi getsugu. There is also a technique called "Final Getsuga Tensho", but Zangetsu initially refuses to teach Ichigo it. However, as a result of a long training, it turns out that the final getsuga is nothing more than the transformation of Ichigo himself into a getsuga,

It gives colossal power for a short time, but the price of its use is the subsequent loss of the powers of the conductor of souls. A side effect of three months of training with the Tensa Zangetsu and an inner void was Ichigo's mastery of a new power. His reiatsu has grown so much that it has ceased to be felt, and the zanpakutō has changed - the pattern of the guard has increased and the chain has lengthened to such an extent that it wraps around Ichigo's right arm, symbolizing the increased unity of zanpakutō and guide of souls. Also, in the last battle with Aizen, Ichigo used the Final Getsuga and subsequently lost all the power of the channel of souls.

Subjugation of souls

17 months later, after meeting with the Subduers, Ichigo learns that with their help he can regain his Shinigami powers back. Accepting their help, during training, he masters the ability of "Full Submission". The item that activates them for Ichigo is his Shinigami badge (All of Ichigo's battles left an imprint on the "soul" of his badge when he used it, keeping memories of them). In the beginning, "Submission" looked like a giant Tensa Zangetsu guard formed from reiatsu (that is, in the form of a swastika). With it, Ichigo could make shots of reiatsu, which looked like wheels with a certain number of spokes (it changed with each new shot, from 3 to 6, and the fewer spokes, the weaker the shot). According to Ichigo himself, the feeling when using Subjugation was very similar to that of Getsuga.

During the second training, Ichigo's Submission evolves. It becomes similar to his shinigami form, woven from reiatsu. At the same time, a blade appears on the right hand, similar in shape to the Zangetsu Shikai. At this stage in the development of Ichigo's abilities, it becomes clear that the true form of his Submission is a reiatsu veil, in which he literally envelops himself (this is interesting: Ichigo's clothes when using Bankai were also part of him, like the sword). "Being dressed in strength is his true nature."

During his first fight with Shukuro Tsukishima, Kurosaki already instinctively uses the subjugation of surrounding objects to help him in battle (for example, by subduing the ground under him, he is able to push off a much greater distance than with a normal jump, and accelerate, while also subduing air around you). However, after it, it becomes clear that this form is not yet completed Submission, as Tsukishima easily defeats Ichigo, and only Ginjo's intervention in the battle saves him.

At the last training session with the "Subduing", Ichigo, blinded by Kugo Ginjou, begins to feel the reiatsu of the surrounding people again, and with his help, he completely completes his Submission. It also takes the form of a mantle, but now appears as white armor with bone plates on Ichigo's face. The certificate itself becomes the guard of the sword, which appears along with the armor and is stored in a sheath on the back. While Subjugation is active, Ichigo can use a light-colored Getsuga Tensho with a very fast attack speed.

Soul Conduit Updated Powers

After Kugo Ginjo, with his memory restored thanks to Tsukishima, absorbs Ichigo's powers with his "Execution Cross", Rukia comes to Kurosaki's aid. She transfers her reiatsu and the reiatsu of the Gotei 13 members to Ichigo with a sword Urahara created for this very purpose. The previously learned Subjugation of Souls transforms the normal form of a Shinigami - Ichigo has a collar, breastplate, greaves and bracers in the form of a cross, similar to the symbolism of his certificate. The zanpakutō has also changed - now the Zangetsu has a hilt strongly reminiscent of the hilt of his former Bankai (leather bound with a piece of chain at the end), and his blade is blacker, curved and larger. Now Kenyatsu alone (reiatsu pressure generated by swinging zanpakutō) Zangetsu is stronger than the original Getsuga tensho. Getsuga herself becomes colossally huge and destructive.