Post by bankaiichigo on Mar 16, 2011 12:57:51 GMT -5
Shinigami Application
In Character
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General Information
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Name: Ichigo Kurosaki
Actual Age: 160
Appearing Age: 16
Gender: Male
Appearance:
Ichigo looks like a normal teenage boy; the one exception to that is his spiky orange hair, a trait that he has been ridiculed about for years. He is a fairly tall, lean-built person with peach skin and brown eyes. Since becoming a Shinigami he has become noticeably more muscular, as noted by his sister Karin. When in his spiritual form, Ichigo wears standard Shinigami attire with the addition of a strap across his chest. Initially it was a thick brown belt to hold his Zanpakutō sheathe, but it later became a red rosary-like strap. Ichigo's appearance has caused several people, including Jūshirō Ukitake, to notice a similarity to Kaien Shiba; the former lieutenant of the 13th Division. After training in the Dangai, Ichigo's hair grows considerably and is noticeably taller, as stated by his friends. However, after Ichigo loses all his spiritual powers, his appearance reverts to the way it before his Dangai training.
Personality:
When he was young, Ichigo considered his mother to be the center of his world.[8] Ichigo always smiled whenever he was with Masaki and he was regularly at her side, holding her hand. Despite crying whenever he lost in a match at the dojo he attended, Ichigo started to smile again as soon as he saw Masaki when she came to pick him up.[9] At a very young age, Ichigo heard his father saying that his name means "to protect one thing", which instilled in him a desire to protect his mother. When his sisters were born he began attending a dojo for the sake of protecting them, since then the number of people he wished to protect has continued to grow,[10] causing Ichigo to risk his life to protect both his family and strangers.[11][12]
As a Human teenager, Ichigo's personality is much more complex. Stubborn, short-tempered, strong-willed and impulsive, he attempts to maintain a detached and "cool" image, despite claiming not to care about what other people think about him. He generally keeps his face set in a permanent scowl, with his eyebrows drawn together.[13] His outspoken, hot-headed demeanor is a trait Ichigo himself acknowledged, and that if somebody picks a fight with him, he cannot help fighting back. He coldly refers to his teachers as “instructors”.[14] He is shown to be genuinely compassionate and empathetic about others, as seen by him promising to bring a Plus flowers[15] and a toy plane[16] or soothing others when they become upset.[17] Ichigo is also a capable student, ranked 23rd in his high school.[18] He studies regularly and does not neglect his schoolwork, claiming that he has "nothing better to do at home", though he actually works as hard as he does simply to overcome the misconceptions many have about him, which are based on his hair color and fighting.[19] Ichigo hates fortune telling, horoscopes, feng shui, psychics and anyone whose trade involves taking money from people for things that they cannot see.[20] He has difficulty remembering people's faces and names.[21][22] Ichigo becomes extremely shy and uncomfortable around nude or immodestly dressed women, a fact both Rangiku Matsumoto and Yoruichi Shihōin have teased him for.[23] Ichigo has some trouble with authority and traditional respect, often quite rude and disrespectful when talking to those older than himself, calling Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto "gramps" and referring to several of the Shinigami captains by their given names.[24]
When it comes to fighting, Ichigo has a complex sense of honor; he regularly seeks to exact revenge for the actions of his opponent, such as instilling the fear of being murdered in Shrieker [25] and cutting off the right arm of Yammy Llargo in retaliation for him ripping Yasutora Sado's right arm apart.[26] He would often taunt and belittle his opponents when fighting, sometimes even attacking without warning.[27] Ichigo has a strong desire to win his fights[28] and to win them in what he views as a legitimate manner. To this end, he has refused the aid of his inner Hollow, even when knowing that it would allow him to win.[29] Similarly, after regaining control of his body, he tells Ulquiorra to cut off his limbs so that they may have a fair fight[30] and refuses to kill him when he is dying; saying that it was not the way he wanted to win.[31]
Ichigo has even shown that he despises those who mistreat their allies in any way, even if they are his own enemies. He is disgusted when an individual berates his/her own allies, such as when Yammy calls Ulquiorra Cifer, Nnoitra Gilga, and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez "trash".[32]. He also expresses anger towards those who go as far as attacking their own allies, expressing that he cannot forgive those who murder their own comrades.[33]
Despite Ichigo's strong sense of honor, his will to win can waiver at times, which directly affects his overall energy levels and fighting abilities. His absolute resolve is depicted by his eyes glowing bright blue and his body being engulfed in a bright blue aura. The same is included with his Hollow powers, in which his eyes glow yellow and his aura turns black. Ichigo’s abilities at their peak allow him to hold his own, if not contend, against the toughest opponents. His will to protect his friends is shown to be so great that, even when battle-worn, he can fight at deceptively high levels, as seen when he effortlessly caught Grimmjow’s punch when in his released state.[34] However, at the same time, his lack of resolve to win can also impede his spiritual energy and fighting prowess, shown when he goes into a state of depression and self-loathing when he loses a major battle or lets a friend down; after losing his fight against Yammy and Ulquiorra, thanks to the crippling fear of his inner Hollow, Ichigo's will became so weak, he was unable to even defeat a weak Hollow until Rukia helped restore his resolve.
History
Birth, parents, childhood, maturity/puberty, teenage years, adult life, Shinigami Academy, friends, training, etc. Everything in terms of what goes on in one's life should be placed here.
However, we do require a good lengthy history; 5 paragraph minimum, of five sentence minimum each. That's twenty five sentences, at the bare minimum; fairly easy. Each paragraph can hold a key point in their lives; it's simple. First paragraph, describing parents, birth, and where they grew up. Second paragraph, childhood to teenage years. Third paragraph, discovery of spiritual awareness and entrance into Shinigami Academy. Fourth paragraph, discovery of Shikai. The fifth can be placed anywhere, and can hold key points in the character's life. See? Easy, I just gave you pretty much a template to work with.
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Skills
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Skills
Ichigo is an orange-haired 15-year-old teenager able to see spirits. He meets Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki in the midst of a hollow attack. After Rukia is heavily injured by the hollow, she is forced to transfer her Soul Reaper powers to Ichigo so that he can kill the hollow and save their lives and his family.[12] Though he defeats the hollow, Ichigo absorbs almost all of Rukia's spiritual power, and he is forced perform her Soul Reaper duties until she recovers her powers.[13] When Ichigo was nine, he tried to save a spirit to be eaten by the hollow Grand Fisher, and his mother, Masaki Kurosaki, was killed by the hollow while protecting Ichigo.[14] Even after that discovering the hollow was responsible, Masaki's death continues to influence Ichigo by causing him to feel guilt for his inability to protect those close to him and therefore, he thanks Rukia for giving him the powers to protect them.[15][16]
Ichigo with the spirit of Zangetsu while wielding his zanpakutō in its shikai form.
When his actions eventually attract the attention of Soul Society, Rukia is taken back to the spirit world to be executed, and Ichigo leads an effort to save her.[17] To rescue her, Kisuke Urahara trains him to become a Soul Reaper with his own powers allowing him to release the shikai of his zanpakutō named Zangetsu (斬月?, literally "cutting moon")(In chapter 66 it's name is kisuki).[5] Unlike most Soul Reapers, who can seal their zanpakutō after releasing it, Ichigo's zanpakutō is always in its released form. Zangetsu's spirit takes the form of a middle-aged man, voiced by Takayuki Sugo in the Japanese anime and by Richard Epcar in the English dub.[18][19] Zangetsu is portrayed as wise and calm in most matters, and fond of testing Ichigo. Zangetsu's special ability is the Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝?, literally "heaven-slicing lunar fang", translated in the English anime as "piercer of heaven"), a wave of spirit particles released from his blade's edge. Correspondent to the name, the wave is shaped like a crescent moon.[20] Zangetsu's bankai, named Tensa Zangetsu (天鎖斬月?, literally "heavenly chain cutting the moon"), shrinks the sword down to a fully black one while his uniform also changes to an outfit similar to Zangetsu's. Ichigo's bankai is a compression of his spiritual pressure, rather than a vast expansion as is usually the case. By compressing his power, Ichigo can move at incredibly high speeds.[21]
However, Ichigo partially becomes a hollow in the same training, titling him later on as a visard.[22] This leaves him with an insane inner hollow spirit that grows in strength as the series progresses and tries to take control of his body to fight. This control has manifested itself in several ways during the series, first as a berserker rage and later as a physical transformation. Within Ichigo's inner world, the hollow takes the form of Ichigo's evil alter ego and mirrors his appearance.[23][24]
Upon Ichigo's arrival in Soul Society, he repeatedly clashes with high-ranking Soul Reapers as he approaches Rukia Kuchiki's location. With the assistance of Ichigo's newfound allies, Rukia is saved, though she quickly falls into the hands of Sōsuke Aizen.[25] Aizen, the mastermind behind Rukia's execution, fulfills his plans by removing the Hōgyoku from her body. While he is unable to kill her, he and his accomplices manage to flee Soul Society as the Soul Reapers reunite against him.[26] In the aftermath, Ichigo is made a "Substitute Soul Reaper" and is allowed to return home with his friends.[27]
Ichigo's appearance while performing bankai and using his hollow mask.
Aizen, through the use of the Hōgyoku, creates an army of arrancar that attacks Ichigo and his friends in the human world. When Ichigo and company are unable to deal with the arrancar threat, Soul Society sends a group of Soul Reapers to help them.[28] In order to fight the arrancar Ichigo is taught to control his hollow by the Visored, Soul Reapers with hollow powers, allowing him to call upon his hollow powers at will and without sacrificing control by donning his hollow mask.[29] Ichigo can initially only maintain this form for eleven seconds, but the limit and strength of his mask increases substantially during his fights in Hueco Mundo.[30][31] Although they fend off the arrancar with the bolstered defenses, they are unable to prevent the abduction of Ichigo's friend, Orihime Inoue. When Soul Society refuses to save her, Ichigo and his friends go to Hueco Mundo to rescue her on their own.[32] With the help of a few friendly arrancar he meets along the way, Ichigo is able to reunite with Orihime.[33] However, she is recaptured by Coyote Stark. Ichigo then engages Ulquiorra Ciffer in combat and subsequently kills him in a new hollow form.[34] He later goes to Karakura Town to protect it from Aizen. Upon his failure, Ichigo begins training with his father Isshin to control the final Getsuga Tenshō. Concluding his training, Ichigo fights Aizen again within the real Karakura Town, weakening Aizen at the expense of his Soul Reaper powers. As Ichigo's powers fade away, Urahara seals Aizen within a kidō barrier, intending to allow Central 46 to decide his fate.
The series then undergoes a timeskip of 17 months, during which Ichigo becomes a senior in high school, Yuzu reaches her graduation and Karin now has the powers that Ichigo had prior to becoming a Soul Reaper. Ichigo's life has taken a fairly normal state, and in a discussion with Keigo about Rukia, although he says that he does not miss her, he doesn't seem to be truthful. When Ishida is badly injured by a new enemy, the appearance of Ginjou Kugo and the mysterious group Xcution, of which his friend Yasutora "Chad" Sado is a member, presents Ichigo with a chance to regain his Soul Reaper powers in return of helping Ginjou and his group be free of their own "Fullbringer" powers. With their help, Ichigo unlocks his own Fullbring powers through his Substitute Soul Reaper Badge, manifesting in the form of Tensa Zangetsu's flanged tsuba.
[edit] In other media
Ichigo appears in the featured films of series; protecting a Soul Reaper named Senna in Memories of Nobody, aiding in the search for Tōshirō Hitsugaya in the The DiamondDust Rebellion.[35][36] and investigates a mysterious incident, involving mass amnesia of most Soul Reapers, especially Rukia, who was kidnapped by two mysterious rogues in Fade to Black.[37] He also appears in both of the original video animations; fighting against a hollow called the Grand Fisher in the first one and combating the rogue Soul Reaper Baishin in the second one.[38][39] In the Bleach video games, Ichigo is a playable character in every game, including the Heat the Soul and Blade Battlers series. In some games, his hollow form and bankai state are available as separate characters.[40][41] In Rock Musical Bleach, a musical based on the Bleach series, he is played by Tatsuya Isaka.[42] His character is featured in two volumes from the Bleach Beat Collection CD soundtrack series which features themes composed by his Japanese voice actor, Masakazu Morita. These include the first of them in which he is the only character and the fourth season's fourth volume along with Rukia.
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Zanpakutō
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Name: Zangetsu
Unreleased Appearance
The spirit of Zangetsu resembles a tall (about the height of Kenpachi Zaraki) 40 to 50-year-old man with unkempt facial hair and long ragged black hair. He dresses in tattered all black garbs with narrow sunglasses and a long flowing overcoat that flares out into ragged ends. Because of the spirit's appearance, Ichigo calls him "Old-man Zangetsu" (斬月のオッサン, Zangetsu no ossan) as a result. Zangetsu has also been called the "black-clothed man" (黒衣の男, kokui no otoko).
In Bankai form, Tensa Zangetsu resembles a teenage version of himself and appears to be closer to Ichigo's age. He has long ragged black hair. He is dressed in a tattered, black hooded cloak that flares out into ragged ends. When Ichigo enters his inner world for the first time in Bankai, he finds that the skyscrapers in the inner world are submerged under breathable water.
Katana (刀): The term katana may be applied to the standard-size, moderately-curved, Japanese sword with a blade length of greater than 60 cm (23.6 inches). The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade, a circular or squared guard, and a grip long enough to accommodate two hands.
Wakizashi (脇差 (わきざし); meaning "side insertion"): A short blade between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 inches), with an average of 50 cm (20 inches). It is similar to but shorter than a katana, and usually shorter than the kodachi (小太刀 (こだち); meaning "small sword"). The wakizashi was usually worn together with the katana. When worn together the pair of swords were called daishō, which translates literally as "large and small". The katana was often called the long sword and the wakizashi the companion sword.
Nodachi (野太刀 (のだち); meaning "field sword"): The nodachi was more difficult to wield due to its size and weight. The length of the nodachi's hilt varied between twelve to thirteen inches (30 to 33 centimeters). Its cutting capability and range exceeds that of a katana, due to its weight and size.
In addition to the upgraded forms, the sealed form of a Zanpakutō can also be radically altered, though such alterations are purely cosmetic and usually don't offer any significant advantage in battle; one exception is Ikkaku Madarame's Hōzukimaru, whose hilt stores a blood-clotting ointment.
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Zanpakutō Spirit
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Name: Zangetsu
Gender: Male
Spirit Appearance
The spirit of Zangetsu resembles a tall (about the height of Kenpachi Zaraki) 40 to 50-year-old man with unkempt facial hair and long ragged black hair. He dresses in tattered all black garbs with narrow sunglasses and a long flowing overcoat that flares out into ragged ends. Because of the spirit's appearance, Ichigo calls him "Old-man Zangetsu" (斬月のオッサン, Zangetsu no ossan) as a result. Zangetsu has also been called the "black-clothed man" (黒衣の男, kokui no otoko).
In Bankai form, Tensa Zangetsu resembles a teenage version of himself and appears to be closer to Ichigo's age. He has long ragged black hair. He is dressed in a tattered, black hooded cloak that flares out into ragged ends. When Ichigo enters his inner world for the first time in Bankai, he finds that the skyscrapers in the inner world are submerged under breathable water.
Personality
Zangetsu is a calm, level-headed Zanpakutō, in stark contrast to his hot-tempered master. He often acts as a mentor to Ichigo and always tries to push his master to become stronger.
While Ichigo's inner world is one of tall glassy skyscrapers, Zangetsu claims in episode previews to prefer more lush, natural surroundings, like bright, sunny skies, green forests and animals. Oddly the Inner Hollow professes to demand the same things as well. [3][4] When Muramasa 'frees him of Ichigo's control, his reason for turning on Ichigo is very unique compared to the other rogue Zanpakutō spirits; while their reasons are all self serving, Zangetsu does not wish to leave Ichigo; he merely wishes to see Ichigo achieve his true potential and find out who is the stronger of the two.
In Bankai, Zangetsu seems to portray the same cool and calm collectiveness as he would when not in Bankai; however, he is far more aggressive.[5] While fused with Hollow Ichigo, it seems that Zangetsu is the dominate personality, though he is prone to occasional outbursts like the Hollow once had.[6] During Ichigo's Dangai training, Zangetsu explains that what Ichigo wants to protect is not what he wants to protect. He later reveals that what he wanted to protect was Ichigo himself.
Relationship to Master
Zangetsu is kind toward Ichigo, although Ichigo sometimes thinks he hates him. Zangetsu is one of the people who can take Ichigo's
confidence.
Inner World
It is black with blue higlighting and as if it is skyscrapers reaching for the heavens. When in bankai, it is merely a dark heaven with forest like skyscrapers.
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Zanpakutō Shikai
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Call Out Phrase: Zangetsu!
Shikai Appearance
The shikai is the same appearance as normal.
Shikai Abilities
Getsuga tenshou, Rezolve, Zangetsu slash
Name of Ability
* Description of Attack - An attack that is like a glowing shape of Zangetsu that charges at the enemy.
* Type -Distance
* Range -1 mile
* Limitation -1
In Character
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General Information
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Name: Ichigo Kurosaki
Actual Age: 160
Appearing Age: 16
Gender: Male
Appearance:
Ichigo looks like a normal teenage boy; the one exception to that is his spiky orange hair, a trait that he has been ridiculed about for years. He is a fairly tall, lean-built person with peach skin and brown eyes. Since becoming a Shinigami he has become noticeably more muscular, as noted by his sister Karin. When in his spiritual form, Ichigo wears standard Shinigami attire with the addition of a strap across his chest. Initially it was a thick brown belt to hold his Zanpakutō sheathe, but it later became a red rosary-like strap. Ichigo's appearance has caused several people, including Jūshirō Ukitake, to notice a similarity to Kaien Shiba; the former lieutenant of the 13th Division. After training in the Dangai, Ichigo's hair grows considerably and is noticeably taller, as stated by his friends. However, after Ichigo loses all his spiritual powers, his appearance reverts to the way it before his Dangai training.
Personality:
When he was young, Ichigo considered his mother to be the center of his world.[8] Ichigo always smiled whenever he was with Masaki and he was regularly at her side, holding her hand. Despite crying whenever he lost in a match at the dojo he attended, Ichigo started to smile again as soon as he saw Masaki when she came to pick him up.[9] At a very young age, Ichigo heard his father saying that his name means "to protect one thing", which instilled in him a desire to protect his mother. When his sisters were born he began attending a dojo for the sake of protecting them, since then the number of people he wished to protect has continued to grow,[10] causing Ichigo to risk his life to protect both his family and strangers.[11][12]
As a Human teenager, Ichigo's personality is much more complex. Stubborn, short-tempered, strong-willed and impulsive, he attempts to maintain a detached and "cool" image, despite claiming not to care about what other people think about him. He generally keeps his face set in a permanent scowl, with his eyebrows drawn together.[13] His outspoken, hot-headed demeanor is a trait Ichigo himself acknowledged, and that if somebody picks a fight with him, he cannot help fighting back. He coldly refers to his teachers as “instructors”.[14] He is shown to be genuinely compassionate and empathetic about others, as seen by him promising to bring a Plus flowers[15] and a toy plane[16] or soothing others when they become upset.[17] Ichigo is also a capable student, ranked 23rd in his high school.[18] He studies regularly and does not neglect his schoolwork, claiming that he has "nothing better to do at home", though he actually works as hard as he does simply to overcome the misconceptions many have about him, which are based on his hair color and fighting.[19] Ichigo hates fortune telling, horoscopes, feng shui, psychics and anyone whose trade involves taking money from people for things that they cannot see.[20] He has difficulty remembering people's faces and names.[21][22] Ichigo becomes extremely shy and uncomfortable around nude or immodestly dressed women, a fact both Rangiku Matsumoto and Yoruichi Shihōin have teased him for.[23] Ichigo has some trouble with authority and traditional respect, often quite rude and disrespectful when talking to those older than himself, calling Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto "gramps" and referring to several of the Shinigami captains by their given names.[24]
When it comes to fighting, Ichigo has a complex sense of honor; he regularly seeks to exact revenge for the actions of his opponent, such as instilling the fear of being murdered in Shrieker [25] and cutting off the right arm of Yammy Llargo in retaliation for him ripping Yasutora Sado's right arm apart.[26] He would often taunt and belittle his opponents when fighting, sometimes even attacking without warning.[27] Ichigo has a strong desire to win his fights[28] and to win them in what he views as a legitimate manner. To this end, he has refused the aid of his inner Hollow, even when knowing that it would allow him to win.[29] Similarly, after regaining control of his body, he tells Ulquiorra to cut off his limbs so that they may have a fair fight[30] and refuses to kill him when he is dying; saying that it was not the way he wanted to win.[31]
Ichigo has even shown that he despises those who mistreat their allies in any way, even if they are his own enemies. He is disgusted when an individual berates his/her own allies, such as when Yammy calls Ulquiorra Cifer, Nnoitra Gilga, and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez "trash".[32]. He also expresses anger towards those who go as far as attacking their own allies, expressing that he cannot forgive those who murder their own comrades.[33]
Despite Ichigo's strong sense of honor, his will to win can waiver at times, which directly affects his overall energy levels and fighting abilities. His absolute resolve is depicted by his eyes glowing bright blue and his body being engulfed in a bright blue aura. The same is included with his Hollow powers, in which his eyes glow yellow and his aura turns black. Ichigo’s abilities at their peak allow him to hold his own, if not contend, against the toughest opponents. His will to protect his friends is shown to be so great that, even when battle-worn, he can fight at deceptively high levels, as seen when he effortlessly caught Grimmjow’s punch when in his released state.[34] However, at the same time, his lack of resolve to win can also impede his spiritual energy and fighting prowess, shown when he goes into a state of depression and self-loathing when he loses a major battle or lets a friend down; after losing his fight against Yammy and Ulquiorra, thanks to the crippling fear of his inner Hollow, Ichigo's will became so weak, he was unable to even defeat a weak Hollow until Rukia helped restore his resolve.
History
Birth, parents, childhood, maturity/puberty, teenage years, adult life, Shinigami Academy, friends, training, etc. Everything in terms of what goes on in one's life should be placed here.
However, we do require a good lengthy history; 5 paragraph minimum, of five sentence minimum each. That's twenty five sentences, at the bare minimum; fairly easy. Each paragraph can hold a key point in their lives; it's simple. First paragraph, describing parents, birth, and where they grew up. Second paragraph, childhood to teenage years. Third paragraph, discovery of spiritual awareness and entrance into Shinigami Academy. Fourth paragraph, discovery of Shikai. The fifth can be placed anywhere, and can hold key points in the character's life. See? Easy, I just gave you pretty much a template to work with.
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Skills
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Skills
Ichigo is an orange-haired 15-year-old teenager able to see spirits. He meets Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki in the midst of a hollow attack. After Rukia is heavily injured by the hollow, she is forced to transfer her Soul Reaper powers to Ichigo so that he can kill the hollow and save their lives and his family.[12] Though he defeats the hollow, Ichigo absorbs almost all of Rukia's spiritual power, and he is forced perform her Soul Reaper duties until she recovers her powers.[13] When Ichigo was nine, he tried to save a spirit to be eaten by the hollow Grand Fisher, and his mother, Masaki Kurosaki, was killed by the hollow while protecting Ichigo.[14] Even after that discovering the hollow was responsible, Masaki's death continues to influence Ichigo by causing him to feel guilt for his inability to protect those close to him and therefore, he thanks Rukia for giving him the powers to protect them.[15][16]
Ichigo with the spirit of Zangetsu while wielding his zanpakutō in its shikai form.
When his actions eventually attract the attention of Soul Society, Rukia is taken back to the spirit world to be executed, and Ichigo leads an effort to save her.[17] To rescue her, Kisuke Urahara trains him to become a Soul Reaper with his own powers allowing him to release the shikai of his zanpakutō named Zangetsu (斬月?, literally "cutting moon")(In chapter 66 it's name is kisuki).[5] Unlike most Soul Reapers, who can seal their zanpakutō after releasing it, Ichigo's zanpakutō is always in its released form. Zangetsu's spirit takes the form of a middle-aged man, voiced by Takayuki Sugo in the Japanese anime and by Richard Epcar in the English dub.[18][19] Zangetsu is portrayed as wise and calm in most matters, and fond of testing Ichigo. Zangetsu's special ability is the Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝?, literally "heaven-slicing lunar fang", translated in the English anime as "piercer of heaven"), a wave of spirit particles released from his blade's edge. Correspondent to the name, the wave is shaped like a crescent moon.[20] Zangetsu's bankai, named Tensa Zangetsu (天鎖斬月?, literally "heavenly chain cutting the moon"), shrinks the sword down to a fully black one while his uniform also changes to an outfit similar to Zangetsu's. Ichigo's bankai is a compression of his spiritual pressure, rather than a vast expansion as is usually the case. By compressing his power, Ichigo can move at incredibly high speeds.[21]
However, Ichigo partially becomes a hollow in the same training, titling him later on as a visard.[22] This leaves him with an insane inner hollow spirit that grows in strength as the series progresses and tries to take control of his body to fight. This control has manifested itself in several ways during the series, first as a berserker rage and later as a physical transformation. Within Ichigo's inner world, the hollow takes the form of Ichigo's evil alter ego and mirrors his appearance.[23][24]
Upon Ichigo's arrival in Soul Society, he repeatedly clashes with high-ranking Soul Reapers as he approaches Rukia Kuchiki's location. With the assistance of Ichigo's newfound allies, Rukia is saved, though she quickly falls into the hands of Sōsuke Aizen.[25] Aizen, the mastermind behind Rukia's execution, fulfills his plans by removing the Hōgyoku from her body. While he is unable to kill her, he and his accomplices manage to flee Soul Society as the Soul Reapers reunite against him.[26] In the aftermath, Ichigo is made a "Substitute Soul Reaper" and is allowed to return home with his friends.[27]
Ichigo's appearance while performing bankai and using his hollow mask.
Aizen, through the use of the Hōgyoku, creates an army of arrancar that attacks Ichigo and his friends in the human world. When Ichigo and company are unable to deal with the arrancar threat, Soul Society sends a group of Soul Reapers to help them.[28] In order to fight the arrancar Ichigo is taught to control his hollow by the Visored, Soul Reapers with hollow powers, allowing him to call upon his hollow powers at will and without sacrificing control by donning his hollow mask.[29] Ichigo can initially only maintain this form for eleven seconds, but the limit and strength of his mask increases substantially during his fights in Hueco Mundo.[30][31] Although they fend off the arrancar with the bolstered defenses, they are unable to prevent the abduction of Ichigo's friend, Orihime Inoue. When Soul Society refuses to save her, Ichigo and his friends go to Hueco Mundo to rescue her on their own.[32] With the help of a few friendly arrancar he meets along the way, Ichigo is able to reunite with Orihime.[33] However, she is recaptured by Coyote Stark. Ichigo then engages Ulquiorra Ciffer in combat and subsequently kills him in a new hollow form.[34] He later goes to Karakura Town to protect it from Aizen. Upon his failure, Ichigo begins training with his father Isshin to control the final Getsuga Tenshō. Concluding his training, Ichigo fights Aizen again within the real Karakura Town, weakening Aizen at the expense of his Soul Reaper powers. As Ichigo's powers fade away, Urahara seals Aizen within a kidō barrier, intending to allow Central 46 to decide his fate.
The series then undergoes a timeskip of 17 months, during which Ichigo becomes a senior in high school, Yuzu reaches her graduation and Karin now has the powers that Ichigo had prior to becoming a Soul Reaper. Ichigo's life has taken a fairly normal state, and in a discussion with Keigo about Rukia, although he says that he does not miss her, he doesn't seem to be truthful. When Ishida is badly injured by a new enemy, the appearance of Ginjou Kugo and the mysterious group Xcution, of which his friend Yasutora "Chad" Sado is a member, presents Ichigo with a chance to regain his Soul Reaper powers in return of helping Ginjou and his group be free of their own "Fullbringer" powers. With their help, Ichigo unlocks his own Fullbring powers through his Substitute Soul Reaper Badge, manifesting in the form of Tensa Zangetsu's flanged tsuba.
[edit] In other media
Ichigo appears in the featured films of series; protecting a Soul Reaper named Senna in Memories of Nobody, aiding in the search for Tōshirō Hitsugaya in the The DiamondDust Rebellion.[35][36] and investigates a mysterious incident, involving mass amnesia of most Soul Reapers, especially Rukia, who was kidnapped by two mysterious rogues in Fade to Black.[37] He also appears in both of the original video animations; fighting against a hollow called the Grand Fisher in the first one and combating the rogue Soul Reaper Baishin in the second one.[38][39] In the Bleach video games, Ichigo is a playable character in every game, including the Heat the Soul and Blade Battlers series. In some games, his hollow form and bankai state are available as separate characters.[40][41] In Rock Musical Bleach, a musical based on the Bleach series, he is played by Tatsuya Isaka.[42] His character is featured in two volumes from the Bleach Beat Collection CD soundtrack series which features themes composed by his Japanese voice actor, Masakazu Morita. These include the first of them in which he is the only character and the fourth season's fourth volume along with Rukia.
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Zanpakutō
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Name: Zangetsu
Unreleased Appearance
The spirit of Zangetsu resembles a tall (about the height of Kenpachi Zaraki) 40 to 50-year-old man with unkempt facial hair and long ragged black hair. He dresses in tattered all black garbs with narrow sunglasses and a long flowing overcoat that flares out into ragged ends. Because of the spirit's appearance, Ichigo calls him "Old-man Zangetsu" (斬月のオッサン, Zangetsu no ossan) as a result. Zangetsu has also been called the "black-clothed man" (黒衣の男, kokui no otoko).
In Bankai form, Tensa Zangetsu resembles a teenage version of himself and appears to be closer to Ichigo's age. He has long ragged black hair. He is dressed in a tattered, black hooded cloak that flares out into ragged ends. When Ichigo enters his inner world for the first time in Bankai, he finds that the skyscrapers in the inner world are submerged under breathable water.
Katana (刀): The term katana may be applied to the standard-size, moderately-curved, Japanese sword with a blade length of greater than 60 cm (23.6 inches). The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade, a circular or squared guard, and a grip long enough to accommodate two hands.
Wakizashi (脇差 (わきざし); meaning "side insertion"): A short blade between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 inches), with an average of 50 cm (20 inches). It is similar to but shorter than a katana, and usually shorter than the kodachi (小太刀 (こだち); meaning "small sword"). The wakizashi was usually worn together with the katana. When worn together the pair of swords were called daishō, which translates literally as "large and small". The katana was often called the long sword and the wakizashi the companion sword.
Nodachi (野太刀 (のだち); meaning "field sword"): The nodachi was more difficult to wield due to its size and weight. The length of the nodachi's hilt varied between twelve to thirteen inches (30 to 33 centimeters). Its cutting capability and range exceeds that of a katana, due to its weight and size.
In addition to the upgraded forms, the sealed form of a Zanpakutō can also be radically altered, though such alterations are purely cosmetic and usually don't offer any significant advantage in battle; one exception is Ikkaku Madarame's Hōzukimaru, whose hilt stores a blood-clotting ointment.
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Zanpakutō Spirit
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Name: Zangetsu
Gender: Male
Spirit Appearance
The spirit of Zangetsu resembles a tall (about the height of Kenpachi Zaraki) 40 to 50-year-old man with unkempt facial hair and long ragged black hair. He dresses in tattered all black garbs with narrow sunglasses and a long flowing overcoat that flares out into ragged ends. Because of the spirit's appearance, Ichigo calls him "Old-man Zangetsu" (斬月のオッサン, Zangetsu no ossan) as a result. Zangetsu has also been called the "black-clothed man" (黒衣の男, kokui no otoko).
In Bankai form, Tensa Zangetsu resembles a teenage version of himself and appears to be closer to Ichigo's age. He has long ragged black hair. He is dressed in a tattered, black hooded cloak that flares out into ragged ends. When Ichigo enters his inner world for the first time in Bankai, he finds that the skyscrapers in the inner world are submerged under breathable water.
Personality
Zangetsu is a calm, level-headed Zanpakutō, in stark contrast to his hot-tempered master. He often acts as a mentor to Ichigo and always tries to push his master to become stronger.
While Ichigo's inner world is one of tall glassy skyscrapers, Zangetsu claims in episode previews to prefer more lush, natural surroundings, like bright, sunny skies, green forests and animals. Oddly the Inner Hollow professes to demand the same things as well. [3][4] When Muramasa 'frees him of Ichigo's control, his reason for turning on Ichigo is very unique compared to the other rogue Zanpakutō spirits; while their reasons are all self serving, Zangetsu does not wish to leave Ichigo; he merely wishes to see Ichigo achieve his true potential and find out who is the stronger of the two.
In Bankai, Zangetsu seems to portray the same cool and calm collectiveness as he would when not in Bankai; however, he is far more aggressive.[5] While fused with Hollow Ichigo, it seems that Zangetsu is the dominate personality, though he is prone to occasional outbursts like the Hollow once had.[6] During Ichigo's Dangai training, Zangetsu explains that what Ichigo wants to protect is not what he wants to protect. He later reveals that what he wanted to protect was Ichigo himself.
Relationship to Master
Zangetsu is kind toward Ichigo, although Ichigo sometimes thinks he hates him. Zangetsu is one of the people who can take Ichigo's
confidence.
Inner World
It is black with blue higlighting and as if it is skyscrapers reaching for the heavens. When in bankai, it is merely a dark heaven with forest like skyscrapers.
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Zanpakutō Shikai
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Call Out Phrase: Zangetsu!
Shikai Appearance
The shikai is the same appearance as normal.
Shikai Abilities
Getsuga tenshou, Rezolve, Zangetsu slash
Name of Ability
* Description of Attack - An attack that is like a glowing shape of Zangetsu that charges at the enemy.
* Type -Distance
* Range -1 mile
* Limitation -1