Fans of Bleach who have returned for The Thousand-Year Blood War may have some questions regarding Ichigo Kurosaki‘s Bankai. The most powerful transformation of Bleach‘s protagonist looks strikingly different from how it did during the epic final battle against Sosuke Aizen, and the reason lies in a part of Ichigo’s story that fans usually try to skip: Bleach’s detested Fullbringer Arc.
Once Soul Reapers become strong enough, they are able to release the true form and powers of their Zanpakuto, known as Bankai. Because these swords are actually part of a Soul Reaper’s soul, their abilities and form vary according to the owner’s strength, personality, and training. Ichigo’s Bankai is called Tensa Zangetsu, and he obtained it through a special but dangerous method of training. When released, Ichigo’s sword actually shrinks down to a more slender form, with a short length of chain at the end. Ichigo’s robe is replaced with a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat, which is part of his Bankai and reflects the level of Ichigo’s spiritual energy. However, in Bleach’s first episode of The Thousand-Year Blood War, Ichigo’s Bankai appears strikingly different.
Ichigo’s Bankai Looks Different Because of Fullbring Powers
The reason for this change is that during his battle against Sosuke Aizen at the end of the Arrancar Downfall arc, Ichigo unleashed all the power of his Bankai to defeat his opponent, obtaining the Final Getsuga Tensho form at the cost of losing all his Soul Reaper powers forever. The entirety of the next arc, the Lost Substitute Soul Reaper arc, then deals with how Ichigo recovers his abilities through his meeting with a group of individuals who use a mysterious spiritual power called Fullbring. Fullbringers in Bleach are living humans who had encounters with Hollows even before they were born, causing mutations to their spiritual power. Ichigo’s friend Chad is revealed to also be a Fullbringer, finally offering an explanation for his unique power.
Over the course of the arc, Ichigo also awakens this power. Fullbringers need a physical object to act as the focus for their powers, and for Ichigo, that was his substitute Soul Reaper badge. His Fullbring power evolves, and the tie to his past as a Soul Reaper gradually causes it to develop to be more Soul Reaper-like. During his climactic battle with the leader of the Fullbringers, Ichigo is able to regain his Soul Reaper abilities thanks to the help of Rukia and all 13 of Bleach’s Soul Reaper Captains, and the similarity between the two causes them to merge into one. While Ichigo is unable to use Fullbring after this, the changes to his Bankai remain as a reminder of that period… even if fans who despise the arc wish it wasn’t.
Ichigo’s Bankai Has Another Big Change Ahead
In his Fullbring-improved Bankai form, Ichigo now wears a white undershirt beneath his black coat, along with black gloves with white x-shaped marks. Tensa Zangetsu’s blade is much longer and curved, with three sharp protrusions along the blunt end of the sword. The chain is now longer, going from the base of the sword’s hilt to Ichigo’s glove, forming a wide loop. However, an even bigger change to Ichigo’s Bankai occurred in The Thousand-Year Blood War‘s first part.
Ichigo’s original Zanpakuto, Zangetsu, is destroyed in battle with Yhwach early in the Thousand-Year Blood War, sending him on a quest to reforge the blade. This quest takes him to meet the original creator of all Zanpakuto in Bleach, who initially refuses to create a new blade for him. Ichigo must discover the truth of his family’s past and his own heritage before his new blade can be forged, and by the end of the first part, he’s done just that. The new Zangetsu, however, takes on a radically different look; instead of the longer, curved blade, the sword is now made up of two separate blades that are considered a single Zanpakuto. The longer blade resembles his original sealed Zanpakuto, only with a cutout in the blade, while the smaller of the two is more knife-like, with the handle built into the blade. While Ichigo has yet to activate his Bankai with these new blades in the anime, it does indeed result in another change to his appearance in the manga.
Ichigo’s Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, is one of the most iconic looks in Bleach, instantly recognizable by fans of the franchise. However, its appearance actually changes several times over the course of the series, mirroring Ichigo’s growth. Fans can expect to see Ichigo being forced to further evolve his powers, and his look in turn, in order to face Yhwach and his fearsome Quincy Empire in Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War.
