000 || CHARACTER PROFILE
PROFILE
character / Kurosaki Ichigo
series / BLEACH
player / britt
email / chasingastarlight@gmail.com
canon / Chapter 318
arrival / May 3, 2007
residence / Building 1, Room 15
SPECS
name / Kurosaki Ichigo
age / 18 [16 in canon]
dob / July 15, 1985
hair color / orange
eye color / brown
height / 175cm / 5’9”in [he’s grown a bit though lol]
weight / 61kg / 135lb [and gotten fatter too]
distinguishing features / ORANGE FREAKING HAIR, scowls all the time, usually sulking
blood type / AO
nationality / Japanese
hometown / Karakura Town, Tokyo, Japan
family / Kurosaki Isshin [father], Kurosaki Masaki [mother, deceased], Kurosaki Karin & Yuzu [twin little sisters]
occupation / high school student, substitute shinigami, Vizard
sexuality / heterosexual [seriously shut up 8|]
clothing / usually something between fashionable and insane, lots of t-shirts and pants in clashing colors, tons of superfluous accessories; guaranteed: tight Engrish t-shirt, tighter jeans or slacks, sneakers
speech / uses “ore” and “omae,” for those into that kind of thing. Basically, very casual, usually insulting lmfao. Standard brash shounen hero language. He never bothers being polite, even less so if he doesn’t know you.
colors / red, black
theme / “News from the Front” by Bad Religion
hobbies / playing guitar, listening to music, kicking ass, studying, helping out in the clinic, brooding
likes / tight clothes, chocolate, spicy food, Yuzu’s cooking, Shakespeare, Al Pacino, Mike Ness, punk music, kung fu movies
dislikes / people, getting hassled, firecrotch jokes, Ichigo 2, you
trivia /
• His name, “Ichigo,” is a homonym for “strawberry,” though the kanji for his name actually means “one protector” or “he who protects (one thing).” It’s also a homonym for the numbers one and five, hence why he’s born on the 15th and started out as 15 years old. The mangaka loves puns okay.
• Started training in karate when he was four. It’s said that he’s good enough to beat Tatsuki, the second strongest high school girl in Japan, so basically, CAN FUCK YOUR SHIT UP.
• In his world, he gets picked on a lot for his orange hair, so he’s fought a buttload of bullies.
• Ever since he was young, he could see ghosts, but he always denied it whenever people asked.
• Has a habit of misreading people’s names, on top of forgetting them altogether. Tatsuki suspects he still doesn’t know half of his own class.
• Studies a lot simply to avoid getting hassled by his teachers, who already think he’s a punk ass bitch for his hair.
• Consequently, he’s ranked 23rd in the school.
• However, HE LACKS ANY AND ALL COMMON SENSE.
• His oldest friend is Tatsuki, who he met in karate class when they were kids. Basically, she’s been kicking his ass since they were four.
HISTORY
The most important bit of Ichigo’s history is the death of his mother. It happens pretty early on in Bleach in like, one chapter, but then Ichigo spends five gajillion chapters emoing over it while he fights the Grand Fisher.
The story goes: nine-year-old Ichigo and his mother were walking home from his karate class in the rain (not-so-subtle rain symbolism!), when Ichigo, who can’t tell the difference between living people and dead people, sees a girl by the river who looks like she’s about to fall in. So like the good little hero he was, he ran to save her. What he didn’t know back then that the girl was a lure created by the Grand Fisher, who preys on spiritually sensitive women. Like Masaki. And Ichigo just fell for his trap.
Somewhere along the way, Ichigo gets knocked out, and he wakes up moments later with a dead mommy and no clue how it happened, just that it was somehow His Fault.
The point of the flashback is this: Kurosaki Masaki was practically a saint, and as Ichigo puts it, the center of his family’s universe. There’s lots of talk about how awesome and perfect she is, and Ichigo loved her with all his wee little heart. But the main point is that before Masaki died, Ichigo was a happy kid, all smiles and laughter and cute orange hair and d’awww, but after she died, he turned into… well, the jerk he is today, out of the Overwhelming Pain and Guilt. It’s also because of his mother’s death that he has this almost obsessive need to protect people, and the subsequent guilt he feels if he can’t.
There are a few other little stories thrown in there too, like how he met Tatsuki in karate class and she kicked his ass and made him cry. She also talks about how in the weeks after his mother’s death, Ichigo wandered the banks of the river where she was killed.
He also met Chad when they were in middle school, after a run-in with a bunch of bullies. Because Chad refused to fight for himself, Ichigo beat up the bullies himself, and they promised that they would always fight for each other. Ichigo then met Keigo and Mizuiro soon after, on the first day of high school, when he and Chad protected them (nevermind they got them involved in the first place) from a group of bullies.
PERSONALITY
At first glace, Ichigo is your pretty stereotypical shounen anti-hero. He’s surly, rude, grumpy, easily annoyed, cocky, cynical, stubborn, loner-ish, slightly--okay, mostly--retarded, impulsive, and reckless. He kind of even looks like an anti-hero, since he’s all scrawny and scowl-y and usually sitting alone in one corner of the classroom with that giant chip on his shoulder. Whenever he finds a semi-rare occasion in which speech is necessary, it’s usually to mouth off or be a jerk. Which is why most sane people find him scary.
But that’s just at first glance. Sure, he’s all of those things (especially retarded), but what 99% of people don’t see is there’s another side to him, a kind of nice side. Like an iceberg. Sort of. The nice part of Ichigo is actually quite heroic, protecting people who need protecting and doing anything and everything he can to save his friends. He’s also pretty idealistic in that way, believing that he’s just doing what all people should do, because they all should be good, should be heroic, and it pisses him off quite a bit when they’re not. He has a genuine distaste for bullies, people who pick on those weaker than them, and he actually kind of enjoys handing their asses to them.
Not that he’s like Jekyll and Hyde. It’s just that nice side of his doesn’t fit into his image, so he does everything he can to build his rep as a bad boy; God forbid someone actually noticing he cares or something.
But he does care. Very much, actually. He genuinely cares what people think of him, though he claims that whatever he does to fit in is so he stops getting hassled, and he cares about other people, though once again, he would rather die than admit it. Secretly, he takes the meaning of his name--he who protects--very seriously (thanks for that hero complex, Dad), and before the storyline of Bleach, he actually wishes that something crazy happens to him so that he could have the power to protect people.
But even through his anti-heroness, Ichigo’s still just a young and stupid teenage boy. He puts a lot of stock into his rep, man, and anything that messes with his rep freaks him out a bit. Like his father, he is pretty easily excitable and once excited, loud. Especially when it comes to porn naked people. And porn.
And even though he appears stupid (iceberg analogy!), he’s actually a top student. Which means he is stupid, but he’s got a few book smarts and good study habits. His street smarts aren’t half bad, either, though his real problem is that he lacks anything remotely like common sense or foresight. Which means his mouth runs off and he starts doing stuff way way wayyyyy before his brain starts working.
In that vein, he’s usually completely oblivious to just about everything going on around him, especially if they involve feelings. He’s one of those can’t see the forest for the trees kind of people, because piecing together the Big Picture can be too much work, sometimes. And though he usually means well, he has a general disconnect with most of his friends; he understands them, yes, on a couple levels, but when shit starts to get complicated, he just doesn’t get it. Take his treatment of Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro, and you have Classic Ichigo, failing to take into account how they might feel about the situation.
Because when Ichigo starts getting Ideas, there’s usually no stopping him. Unless you kick him in the face.
So what ends up happening is you take his hero complex, mix it with his bitterness over his mother’s death, then add some general obliviousness, forget to put in a little common sense, mix liberally, and you have Ichigo. Ta-da!
ABILITIES
HIS POWER LEVEL IS OVER NINE THOUSAND.
(okay, srsly, copypasta time.)
Despite having very little official training as a Shinigami, Ichigo is a captain-level combatant, capable of fighting on at least equal footing against all but the toughest of enemies effortlessly. Also, unlike most lieutenant and captain Shinigami, Ichigo is able to fight with his full power in both the human and spiritual worlds. While captains and lieutenants have their power limited to a fifth of its normal level during trips to the real world in order to avoid unnecessarily influencing those living there, Ichigo holds no position in the Gotei 13 and thus has no such limit.
• Advanced Growth Rate: According to Aizen and Urahara, Ichigo's most astounding ability is his growth rate: he grasps the basic control of advanced techniques in days where it would take even months or years for the most gifted Shinigami. One example is the Bankai of his Zanpakutō, which he learns in three days (albiet with the assistance of a special device invented by Urahara). For a normal Shinigami, this same feat would require hundreds of years of combat experience and at least ten additional years of special training. He also gains mastery of flash steps while training with Yoruichi, which was done over the same period as his Bankai. Also, Ichigo was able to learn with no assistance how to detect another's spiritual energy as he proved he can used a spirit ribbon to find Yuichi Shibata (in bird form), felt Chad losing spirit energy (but that he was alive), he sensed Rukia's strength weakened in Hueco Mundo, and in the second movie came from the city to countryside to check up something he had felt.
• Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Physically, Ichigo is in top form even when not in his spiritual body. Ichigo has been trained in martial arts since he was a small child, both professionally and by his father (although most of his training revolves around sneak attack). He regularly fights with and defeats bullies and gangsters, and is an even better martial artist than Tatsuki Arisawa, the second-strongest girl in all of Japan. It should be noted that he was able to effortlessly dispatch three Lieutenants using only his hands.
• Genius and Perceptiveness: Despite his somewhat punkish attitude, Ichigo has shown himself to be very clever, intelligent, and perceptive. In his high school, Ichigo's grades are almost always near the top, even despite his work as a Substitute Shinigami. Aside from that, Ichigo appears to be able to determine the pattern of his opponent's battle methods and correctly deduce a proper counter-strategy to defeat his opponents attacks; such as in his battles with both Ikkaku Madarame and Renji Abarai where he would have been successful in dodging their weapons if not for unforeseen abilities.
• Determination: It seems that Ichigo's power is tied to his determination or will to win. It's shown that when he focuses on victory, his strength is enhanced. In the anime, this is depicted by his eyes glowing bright blue, including when he is in his Vizard form, in which case his iris is a glowing yellow. This effect has been shown while he was battling Renji for a second time, and when he defeated his inner hollow. In his last battle against Grimmjow, Ichigo had most of his mask beaten off and was on the verge of collapse as Grimmjow prepared his finishing blow. However after noticing Orihime, who was saddened by watching him get hurt, Ichigo managed to catch Grimmjow's hand without effort or looking, and gripped tight enough to prevent him from moving away. Ichigo then managed to make a clean slash into Grimmjow (despite the fact he had lost most of the benefits from his hollow mask), whereas before most of the damage that he had inflicted that actually made Grimmjow bleed was from Getsuga Tenshō techniques.
• Enhanced Strength: When he is in his Shinigami body, Ichigo's already impressive strength is greatly enhanced. His overall abilities are great enough that he can effortlessly wield Zangetsu with one hand, and in one case, even fought off three Shinigami lieutenants and their released Zanpakutō bare-handed in rapid succession; he shattered one of their Zanpakutō in a single punch.
• Enhanced Durability: Like all Shinigami, Ichigo's physical endurance is strengthened to the point where he can effortless survive attacks that would easily kill normal humans. Ichigo is even capable of withstanding attacks that would be fatal to most Shinigami such as taking a direct hit from Grimmjow's explosive darts (though Ichigo's powers were augmented through the use of his Hollow mask at the time) without any apparent sign of injury and could even withstand (with some effort) Ulquiorra Schiffer's Cero blast.
• Immense Spiritual Energy: Ichigo has been noted on several occasions to have tremendously vast levels of spiritual energy, even by captain-level Shinigami standards. It is so great that even when worn-out in battle, he can continue fighting effectively and even unleashing Getsuga Tenshō techniques. Fourth Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer has claimed that Ichigo's spiritual power at its peak is even greater than his own, but that it fluctuates wildly when he is in conflict with his inner hollow. The strongest example of his his spiritual energy was when it was when it at least equalled that of Kenpachi Zaraki, a Shinigam who is also well-known for his inconceivable spiritual energy. Because he has far more spiritual energy than his body can contain, it leaks out constantly, preventing him from hiding it and effectively making stealth impossible when dealing with other spiritually-aware creatures. However, he has learned how to harden his spiritual energy to enhance the strength of his attacks or act as a barrier to reduce the impact of attacks on him if not block them completely.
• Expert Swordsmanship Specialist: In terms of fighting style, Ichigo relies mostly on his Zanpakutō and the use of flash steps to move at hypersonic speeds, and thus would be considered a swordsmanship specialist. His overall skill has been shown capable of competing on equal grounds against swordmasters of Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki's caliber.
• Flash Steps Expert: Taught flash steps by Urahara and Yoruichi, the "Goddess of the Flash". While not particularly versed in the various techniques, he was able to learn enough of the basics to keep up with and even surprise Captain-level Shinigami with his speed. Even Byakuya Kuchiki, one of the most proficient users of flash steps in Soul Society, complimented Ichigo's might and proficiency in it.
• Substitute Shinigami Status: Though Ichigo has become a Shinigami, he is still a living human being and resides in Karakura Town. His status in the Soul Society is actually ambiguous. His "rank" as Substitute Shinigami was accepted by the others so he can continue to fight Hollows. Ichigo seems to get orders from the Soul Society by Rukia's cellular. But he ignored the only real order he ever received by General Yamamoto, which was to not go after Orihime. It is still unknown where he is really situated in the Soul Society's order, since he can act by himself and go on his own missions. Ichigo and his friends have been welcome in the Soul Society ever since Aizen escaped, even when they are not with him. They can even explore the division quarters. Though this might stem fron the fact that the Soul Society needs as many allies as they can get in the war against Aizen and the Arrancar. Ichigo is perhaps best-treated and best-respected by Captain Shunsui Kyōraku of the 8th Division, Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of the 11th Division, and Captain Jūshirō Ukitake of the 13th Division, who often assist him in his missions and will even disobey their orders in order to ensure his survival. Captain Soifon of the 2nd Division and Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya of the 10th Division occasionally help Ichigo in his assignments (whenever they are ordered to by Yamamoto), but are quick to turn against him should the need ever arise, as seen during Orihime's capture, The Kasumiōji Crisis, and the Kusaka Endeavor. Captain Sajin Komamura of the 7th Division have never interacted with either Ichigo or his friends.
• Pure Blood Shinigami: When Grand Fisher learns Isshin Kurosaki was a Shinigami, he said Ichigo was a "pure-blood" Shinigami. It seems to be an explanation for his strength although it is strange since Isshin had lost his power for twenty years and Ichigo and his sisters are humans. Ichigo did say his mother could not see Grand Fisher so he is half Shinigami, half human. This can mean his sisters have latent Shinigami powers. An example of this is they can see spirits. Karin can fully see spirits such as small Hollows. Yuzu however seems to only be able to see the outline of spirits.
ZANPAKUTOU
Zangetsu (斬月, Moon Cutter or Cutting Moon): Unlike most Zanapakutō, which can be sealed into their original form, Zangetsu is always in its Shikai form. Yoruichi Shihōin has stated that his Zanpakutō is a full-time released form type, implying that it is simply a type of Zanpakutō that, once in Shikai form, remains in said state.
The spirit of Zangetsu resembles a 30 to 40 year-old man, and 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). Zangetsu is portrayed as wise and calm in most matters, and fond of testing Ichigo in unusual ways, many of which have a purpose completely contrary to the stated goal. Zangetsu has displayed the ability to temporarily close fatal wounds during combat, though whether or not this is a unique ability is unclear. However, since Ichigo developed an inner hollow (as a result from having his shinigami powers restored), Zangetsu and the Hollow are both the source of Ichigo's power and share the same spirit body in Ichigo's inner world, the stronger presence retaining more control (and overall appearance) of their body.
When Ichigo first becomes a Shinigami, his Zanpakutō is a standard looking katana, but oversized with an equally oversized sheathe on his back, with a red handle, rectangular tsuba, and red tassel on the end of the handle. The large size is due to Ichigo's immense spiritual power, which he didn't know how to control. As a result, the sword itself was rather weak, since very little spiritual power was used to create it. Nevertheless, it was powerful enough to subdue Gillian-class Menos and lesser Hollows. Byakuya Kuchiki cuts off most of the blade during his first encounter with Ichigo and Kisuke Urahara subsequently slices it down to the hilt during their training, forcing Ichigo to learn the name of his Zanpakutō in order to release its true form.
During Ichigo's battle with his Inner Hollow, it mirrored Zangetsu's Shikai and Bankai when fighting Ichigo while he was training with the other Vizard's having a Zangetsu with a white blade and black edge, and when in Bankai wearing a white and black version of Zangetsu's black and red coat.
SHIKAI
The Shikai form of Zangetsu resembles an oversized, though more elegant, cleaver blade without a hilt or tsuba. The sword is as tall as Ichigo is, 1.75 meters, and has a black blade with a silver edge. Ichigo carries his Zanpakutō on his back by the cloth wrapped around the handle. When not in combat, the cloth extends to cover the rest of the sword and falls away when necessary, shrinking back to a manageable size. The cloth can also be used to swing the weapon like a flail and toss it at opponents, but this is rarely done. This was first demonstrated by Ichigo's inner Hollow, then again by Ichigo himself while rescuing Rukia. It is the much more powerful form of Zangetsu.
• Shikai Special Ability: Zangetsu's special ability is the Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝, Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer; "Piercer of Heaven" in the English anime), which fires concentrated energy blasts from the tip of the blade in the shape of a crescent moon or in a shape of a wave. Ichigo uses this ability without knowing its name several times, but masters the technique later on when he discovers its name. As stated by Zangetsu in the anime, knowing the name of an attack increases its power greater than not knowing its name. The Getsuga Tenshō is a powerful technique with great force. While it is currently the only attack Ichigo knows from Zangetsu, Ichigo has used this technique in several different manners, such as striking the ground to create an omnidirectional blast to knock away incoming attacks.
BANKAI
Tensa Zangetsu (天鎖斬月, Heavenly Chain Moon Cutter or Heavenly Chain Cutting Moon): is considered completely out of the ordinary for any Zanpakutō. Unlike most Bankai forms, which usually create some sort of massive creature or effect, Ichigo's Bankai actually shrinks his sword down to a daitō (Japanese long sword) with a black blade, handguard in the shape of the manji (which is the kanji for "ban," meaning "full"). The cloth wrapped around the hilt is replaced by a short chain with a broken link, similar to that of a Plus. In addition to his sword, Ichigo's robe is replaced with a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat with red lining that is closed at his chest, much like that of Zangetsu himself. (later the robe's red lining is changed to white).
As explained by Byakuya Kuchiki, Ichigo's Bankai is a compression of his remarkable power, rather than a vast expansion as other Bankai are. This vastly compressed power enables to reach levels of physical prowess most Shinigami would have their bodies give out at. It allows Ichigo to move at very high speeds exceeding those of flash steps, and gives him matching agility and reflexes (possibly equaling if not, surpassing Yoruichi's speed) along with allowing him to use his natural strength to its limits as shown from how effortlessly he blocked a punch from Yammy, an Espada known primarily for his immense strength. The Shunpo's speeds are also enhanced in this state, allowing him to use flash steps at a speed much greater than Byakuya Kuchiki's.
In addition, his already immense spiritual energy has grandly and explosively increased, and now has a deep black spiritual energy with a crimson outline. Furthermore, the fact that all of his energy is "compressed" means that usage of his Bankai doesn't expel as much spiritual power as other Bankai from the point of activation; thus allowing him to use Tensa Zangetsu at a much longer duration than any other Bankai users of his level. With enough usage and acquired height, Ichigo can even appear as though he is flying. Ichigo's initial inexperience with controlling his Bankai led to a serious drawback; the force of his compressed spiritual power caused all of his bones to crack as stated by his inner Hollow, gradually decreasing his speed and power over time. This drawback has not been mentioned since its introduction, so it has (presumably) been overcome.
• Bankai Special Ability: Zangetsu's special ability remains Getsuga Tenshō. When used with Zangetsu's Bankai, these potent blasts are black with a red outline and their path can be controlled, with explosively augmented power and speed. During Byakuya Kuchiki's fight with Ichigo, he refers to this attack as a "Kuroi Getsuga" (黒月牙; "Black Moon Fang"). This term simply refers to the darkened color of the attack, not its actual name. When used with his Bankai and Hollow mask in combination, Ichigo's tremendous speed allows him to move faster than the Getsuga Tenshō itself, allowing him to fire multiple blasts from different directions. The Kuroi Getsuga was first displayed by Ichigo's inner Hollow, and initially carried the risk of causing his inner Hollow to surface if used too much. With Ichigo's later control over his inner Hollow, this is no longer a problem. Ichigo is also capable of utilizing Getsuga Tenshō to augment blade swings, as seen in the fight with Byakuya Kuchiki, and the manifestation of Ichigo's inner Hollow. In fact it has come to a point where it literally just comes out of Ichigo's body, replacing his blue aura.
VIZARD
Vizard are Shinigami who have obtained the power of a hollow through a process known as hollowification. In order to use this power, they must don the mask of the hollow within them. Because he began to turn into a hollow while attempting to recover his Shinigami powers, Ichigo was turned into a Vizard.
Ichigo's hollow mask manifests in the appearance of what could best be described as a menacing skull. While pure white on the left side, the mask possesses a total of nine red stripes spread across three spots on the right side of his mask. The red stripes on Ichigo's hollow mask changed in thickness after he subjugated his hollow, covering almost the entirety of the mask's right half during his third battle with Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. The significance of this has yet to be revealed, although the prevailing theories are that it represents Ichigo's control over Hollow Ichigo, or the usage of his hollow powers.
After training with the Vizard and subjugating his inner hollow, Ichigo can use his hollow mask while retaining his personality, but could originally only wear it for eleven seconds at a time. His limit and Hollow powers hreatly increases during his third battle with Grimmjow, but to what extent is unclear. His hollow powers became strong enough (comparable to the times when he was possessed) to block Grimmjow's Gran rey cero without any effort and has shown the capacity to "repair" his mask when it has began to crack during this fight. His overall limit is barely a fraction of the amount other Vizard can maintain their masks. After the time limit, the mask breaks and Ichigo loses its benefits. Subsequent attempts to use the mask can only be maintained for an instant. Its possible that his time limit increased due to him fighting with it in Hueco Mundo.
Below is a list of the effects of Ichigo's hollowification:
• Hollow Mask: The hollow mask was originally a sign of Ichigo's possession by the hollow within him, but after his training with the Vizard it has become indication that he is merely utilizing his hollow powers. To access Hollow Ichigo's power, Ichigo must summon Hollow Ichigo's mask onto his face, which is normally done by placing one of his hands over his face and concentrating spiritual matter on it in order to manifest the mask (previously it had appeared on it's own before he mastered the hollow within him). With the mask in place, Ichigo has access to most if not all the abilities of a hollow, even subconsciously using a cero during his training with the Vizard.
• Hollow Combat: When Ichigo fights with his mask on his fighting style becomes more instinctive than practiced. The hollow mask also makes Ichigo more ruthless, akin to the battle style of Hollow Ichigo. Throughout the duration the mask is in place, Ichigo has shown less concern for injuries to his person, even going so far as to ignore grievous wounds to continue fighting.
• Mask Shielding: The mask has also shown the ability to block attacks on Ichigo's body from within his robe, serving as a shield to stop or lessen attacks on him, sometimes saving his life. One example is when the mask blocked several hits from Renji's zanpakuto during their fight.
• Power Augmentation: While wearing the mask, Ichigo's hollow powers supplement his Shinigami powers, giving him a vast increase in both strength and speed. The explanation for this is that since Hollows boost their natural abilities by obtaining spirit power around them, either by absorbing it in its ambient form or devouring it directly from another living being, Ichigo attains power from two separate sources: that from himself (drawn using his Shinigami powers), and that from his immediate environment (drawn with the help of his Hollow powers), allowing him to draw power from both sides. It could even be suggested that the Hollow mask allows Ichigo to recapture the energy he constantly leaks into the environment, making him more efficient.
• Getsuga Tenshō: When Ichigo wears his mask, the power, speed, blast area, force, and size of the Getsuga Tenshou becomes drastically augmented to the point of seriously harming a foe to a certain degree.
• Time Limit: Unlike his Vizard counterparts (who can maintain their hollow masks for hours without tiring), Ichigo originally had a limit of eleven seconds before the mask would break. As he fought in Hueco Mundo, however, the limit increased exponentially and substantially to the point where he was able to maintain the mask throughout his third battle with Grimmjow Jeagerjaques.
• Cero: During his fight to subjugate his hollow, Ichigo's soul was overtaken by his hollow. In that state, Ichigo had shown the ability to use cero but it is unknown if this ability is usable in his Vizard form. So far, only Shinji Hirako of the Vizard has shown the ability to use a cero with his mask on.
RELATIONSHIPS
CANON
lol coming soon 8)..............
IN CITY
• Martha Jones: Ichigo’s boss at the clinic. Despite the fact that he mouths off and bitches about his workload, he genuinely likes and respects her, as both a doctor and someone who will smack him over the head with her clipboard when he does something stupid. Also, SHE MET SHAKESPEARE.
• Doumeki Shizuka: One of the first (tenuous) friends Ichigo made in the City, and still someone who constantly pesters him to this day. Also Ishida’s roommate, so Ichigo has to wonder about his sanity.
• Ichihara Yuuko: CRAZY LADY. She plots with Yoruichi, which is really all Ichigo needs to know.
• Luke Skywalker: A nakama of Ichigo’s, for the time he was in the City. Ichigo first met him while he was drunk and comparing penis sizes with Renji, and it really got their friendship off on the right foot lmfao; eventually they came to respect each other as kindred world/galaxy-savers. Before he peaced out, Ichigo gave Luke a gay tattoo of the kanji of the word “nakama,” and Luke gave Ichigo a holocron that he still keeps on his dresser to this day.
• Allen Walker: GAY. Ichigo’s new bff. SNOWCROTCH. They met during Allen’s first week in the City, and have been harassing each other ever since. As fellow shounen heroes, they have a lot in common, even if they don’t know the half of it yet. Ichigo can trust Allen to get his back, and (hopefully) vice versa.
• Cross Marian: CREEPY AS HELL. GET OUT OF HIS CEILING.
• Nara Shikamaru: ALSO GAY. Another new bff. PINEAPPLE. Ichigo only learned his name through Allen, so it was already too late for him to call Shikamaru anything other than “Pineapple.” Even though he hates how calm and composed Shikamaru is, Ichigo can still call him a friend. Just not to his face.
character / Kurosaki Ichigo
series / BLEACH
player / britt
email / chasingastarlight@gmail.com
canon / Chapter 318
arrival / May 3, 2007
residence / Building 1, Room 15
SPECS
name / Kurosaki Ichigo
age / 18 [16 in canon]
dob / July 15, 1985
hair color / orange
eye color / brown
height / 175cm / 5’9”in [he’s grown a bit though lol]
weight / 61kg / 135lb [and gotten fatter too]
distinguishing features / ORANGE FREAKING HAIR, scowls all the time, usually sulking
blood type / AO
nationality / Japanese
hometown / Karakura Town, Tokyo, Japan
family / Kurosaki Isshin [father], Kurosaki Masaki [mother, deceased], Kurosaki Karin & Yuzu [twin little sisters]
occupation / high school student, substitute shinigami, Vizard
sexuality / heterosexual [seriously shut up 8|]
clothing / usually something between fashionable and insane, lots of t-shirts and pants in clashing colors, tons of superfluous accessories; guaranteed: tight Engrish t-shirt, tighter jeans or slacks, sneakers
speech / uses “ore” and “omae,” for those into that kind of thing. Basically, very casual, usually insulting lmfao. Standard brash shounen hero language. He never bothers being polite, even less so if he doesn’t know you.
colors / red, black
theme / “News from the Front” by Bad Religion
hobbies / playing guitar, listening to music, kicking ass, studying, helping out in the clinic, brooding
likes / tight clothes, chocolate, spicy food, Yuzu’s cooking, Shakespeare, Al Pacino, Mike Ness, punk music, kung fu movies
dislikes / people, getting hassled, firecrotch jokes, Ichigo 2, you
trivia /
• His name, “Ichigo,” is a homonym for “strawberry,” though the kanji for his name actually means “one protector” or “he who protects (one thing).” It’s also a homonym for the numbers one and five, hence why he’s born on the 15th and started out as 15 years old. The mangaka loves puns okay.
• Started training in karate when he was four. It’s said that he’s good enough to beat Tatsuki, the second strongest high school girl in Japan, so basically, CAN FUCK YOUR SHIT UP.
• In his world, he gets picked on a lot for his orange hair, so he’s fought a buttload of bullies.
• Ever since he was young, he could see ghosts, but he always denied it whenever people asked.
• Has a habit of misreading people’s names, on top of forgetting them altogether. Tatsuki suspects he still doesn’t know half of his own class.
• Studies a lot simply to avoid getting hassled by his teachers, who already think he’s a punk ass bitch for his hair.
• Consequently, he’s ranked 23rd in the school.
• However, HE LACKS ANY AND ALL COMMON SENSE.
• His oldest friend is Tatsuki, who he met in karate class when they were kids. Basically, she’s been kicking his ass since they were four.
HISTORY
The most important bit of Ichigo’s history is the death of his mother. It happens pretty early on in Bleach in like, one chapter, but then Ichigo spends five gajillion chapters emoing over it while he fights the Grand Fisher.
The story goes: nine-year-old Ichigo and his mother were walking home from his karate class in the rain (not-so-subtle rain symbolism!), when Ichigo, who can’t tell the difference between living people and dead people, sees a girl by the river who looks like she’s about to fall in. So like the good little hero he was, he ran to save her. What he didn’t know back then that the girl was a lure created by the Grand Fisher, who preys on spiritually sensitive women. Like Masaki. And Ichigo just fell for his trap.
Somewhere along the way, Ichigo gets knocked out, and he wakes up moments later with a dead mommy and no clue how it happened, just that it was somehow His Fault.
The point of the flashback is this: Kurosaki Masaki was practically a saint, and as Ichigo puts it, the center of his family’s universe. There’s lots of talk about how awesome and perfect she is, and Ichigo loved her with all his wee little heart. But the main point is that before Masaki died, Ichigo was a happy kid, all smiles and laughter and cute orange hair and d’awww, but after she died, he turned into… well, the jerk he is today, out of the Overwhelming Pain and Guilt. It’s also because of his mother’s death that he has this almost obsessive need to protect people, and the subsequent guilt he feels if he can’t.
There are a few other little stories thrown in there too, like how he met Tatsuki in karate class and she kicked his ass and made him cry. She also talks about how in the weeks after his mother’s death, Ichigo wandered the banks of the river where she was killed.
He also met Chad when they were in middle school, after a run-in with a bunch of bullies. Because Chad refused to fight for himself, Ichigo beat up the bullies himself, and they promised that they would always fight for each other. Ichigo then met Keigo and Mizuiro soon after, on the first day of high school, when he and Chad protected them (nevermind they got them involved in the first place) from a group of bullies.
PERSONALITY
At first glace, Ichigo is your pretty stereotypical shounen anti-hero. He’s surly, rude, grumpy, easily annoyed, cocky, cynical, stubborn, loner-ish, slightly--okay, mostly--retarded, impulsive, and reckless. He kind of even looks like an anti-hero, since he’s all scrawny and scowl-y and usually sitting alone in one corner of the classroom with that giant chip on his shoulder. Whenever he finds a semi-rare occasion in which speech is necessary, it’s usually to mouth off or be a jerk. Which is why most sane people find him scary.
But that’s just at first glance. Sure, he’s all of those things (especially retarded), but what 99% of people don’t see is there’s another side to him, a kind of nice side. Like an iceberg. Sort of. The nice part of Ichigo is actually quite heroic, protecting people who need protecting and doing anything and everything he can to save his friends. He’s also pretty idealistic in that way, believing that he’s just doing what all people should do, because they all should be good, should be heroic, and it pisses him off quite a bit when they’re not. He has a genuine distaste for bullies, people who pick on those weaker than them, and he actually kind of enjoys handing their asses to them.
Not that he’s like Jekyll and Hyde. It’s just that nice side of his doesn’t fit into his image, so he does everything he can to build his rep as a bad boy; God forbid someone actually noticing he cares or something.
But he does care. Very much, actually. He genuinely cares what people think of him, though he claims that whatever he does to fit in is so he stops getting hassled, and he cares about other people, though once again, he would rather die than admit it. Secretly, he takes the meaning of his name--he who protects--very seriously (thanks for that hero complex, Dad), and before the storyline of Bleach, he actually wishes that something crazy happens to him so that he could have the power to protect people.
But even through his anti-heroness, Ichigo’s still just a young and stupid teenage boy. He puts a lot of stock into his rep, man, and anything that messes with his rep freaks him out a bit. Like his father, he is pretty easily excitable and once excited, loud. Especially when it comes to porn naked people. And porn.
And even though he appears stupid (iceberg analogy!), he’s actually a top student. Which means he is stupid, but he’s got a few book smarts and good study habits. His street smarts aren’t half bad, either, though his real problem is that he lacks anything remotely like common sense or foresight. Which means his mouth runs off and he starts doing stuff way way wayyyyy before his brain starts working.
In that vein, he’s usually completely oblivious to just about everything going on around him, especially if they involve feelings. He’s one of those can’t see the forest for the trees kind of people, because piecing together the Big Picture can be too much work, sometimes. And though he usually means well, he has a general disconnect with most of his friends; he understands them, yes, on a couple levels, but when shit starts to get complicated, he just doesn’t get it. Take his treatment of Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro, and you have Classic Ichigo, failing to take into account how they might feel about the situation.
Because when Ichigo starts getting Ideas, there’s usually no stopping him. Unless you kick him in the face.
So what ends up happening is you take his hero complex, mix it with his bitterness over his mother’s death, then add some general obliviousness, forget to put in a little common sense, mix liberally, and you have Ichigo. Ta-da!
ABILITIES
HIS POWER LEVEL IS OVER NINE THOUSAND.
(okay, srsly, copypasta time.)
Despite having very little official training as a Shinigami, Ichigo is a captain-level combatant, capable of fighting on at least equal footing against all but the toughest of enemies effortlessly. Also, unlike most lieutenant and captain Shinigami, Ichigo is able to fight with his full power in both the human and spiritual worlds. While captains and lieutenants have their power limited to a fifth of its normal level during trips to the real world in order to avoid unnecessarily influencing those living there, Ichigo holds no position in the Gotei 13 and thus has no such limit.
• Advanced Growth Rate: According to Aizen and Urahara, Ichigo's most astounding ability is his growth rate: he grasps the basic control of advanced techniques in days where it would take even months or years for the most gifted Shinigami. One example is the Bankai of his Zanpakutō, which he learns in three days (albiet with the assistance of a special device invented by Urahara). For a normal Shinigami, this same feat would require hundreds of years of combat experience and at least ten additional years of special training. He also gains mastery of flash steps while training with Yoruichi, which was done over the same period as his Bankai. Also, Ichigo was able to learn with no assistance how to detect another's spiritual energy as he proved he can used a spirit ribbon to find Yuichi Shibata (in bird form), felt Chad losing spirit energy (but that he was alive), he sensed Rukia's strength weakened in Hueco Mundo, and in the second movie came from the city to countryside to check up something he had felt.
• Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Physically, Ichigo is in top form even when not in his spiritual body. Ichigo has been trained in martial arts since he was a small child, both professionally and by his father (although most of his training revolves around sneak attack). He regularly fights with and defeats bullies and gangsters, and is an even better martial artist than Tatsuki Arisawa, the second-strongest girl in all of Japan. It should be noted that he was able to effortlessly dispatch three Lieutenants using only his hands.
• Genius and Perceptiveness: Despite his somewhat punkish attitude, Ichigo has shown himself to be very clever, intelligent, and perceptive. In his high school, Ichigo's grades are almost always near the top, even despite his work as a Substitute Shinigami. Aside from that, Ichigo appears to be able to determine the pattern of his opponent's battle methods and correctly deduce a proper counter-strategy to defeat his opponents attacks; such as in his battles with both Ikkaku Madarame and Renji Abarai where he would have been successful in dodging their weapons if not for unforeseen abilities.
• Determination: It seems that Ichigo's power is tied to his determination or will to win. It's shown that when he focuses on victory, his strength is enhanced. In the anime, this is depicted by his eyes glowing bright blue, including when he is in his Vizard form, in which case his iris is a glowing yellow. This effect has been shown while he was battling Renji for a second time, and when he defeated his inner hollow. In his last battle against Grimmjow, Ichigo had most of his mask beaten off and was on the verge of collapse as Grimmjow prepared his finishing blow. However after noticing Orihime, who was saddened by watching him get hurt, Ichigo managed to catch Grimmjow's hand without effort or looking, and gripped tight enough to prevent him from moving away. Ichigo then managed to make a clean slash into Grimmjow (despite the fact he had lost most of the benefits from his hollow mask), whereas before most of the damage that he had inflicted that actually made Grimmjow bleed was from Getsuga Tenshō techniques.
• Enhanced Strength: When he is in his Shinigami body, Ichigo's already impressive strength is greatly enhanced. His overall abilities are great enough that he can effortlessly wield Zangetsu with one hand, and in one case, even fought off three Shinigami lieutenants and their released Zanpakutō bare-handed in rapid succession; he shattered one of their Zanpakutō in a single punch.
• Enhanced Durability: Like all Shinigami, Ichigo's physical endurance is strengthened to the point where he can effortless survive attacks that would easily kill normal humans. Ichigo is even capable of withstanding attacks that would be fatal to most Shinigami such as taking a direct hit from Grimmjow's explosive darts (though Ichigo's powers were augmented through the use of his Hollow mask at the time) without any apparent sign of injury and could even withstand (with some effort) Ulquiorra Schiffer's Cero blast.
• Immense Spiritual Energy: Ichigo has been noted on several occasions to have tremendously vast levels of spiritual energy, even by captain-level Shinigami standards. It is so great that even when worn-out in battle, he can continue fighting effectively and even unleashing Getsuga Tenshō techniques. Fourth Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer has claimed that Ichigo's spiritual power at its peak is even greater than his own, but that it fluctuates wildly when he is in conflict with his inner hollow. The strongest example of his his spiritual energy was when it was when it at least equalled that of Kenpachi Zaraki, a Shinigam who is also well-known for his inconceivable spiritual energy. Because he has far more spiritual energy than his body can contain, it leaks out constantly, preventing him from hiding it and effectively making stealth impossible when dealing with other spiritually-aware creatures. However, he has learned how to harden his spiritual energy to enhance the strength of his attacks or act as a barrier to reduce the impact of attacks on him if not block them completely.
• Expert Swordsmanship Specialist: In terms of fighting style, Ichigo relies mostly on his Zanpakutō and the use of flash steps to move at hypersonic speeds, and thus would be considered a swordsmanship specialist. His overall skill has been shown capable of competing on equal grounds against swordmasters of Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki's caliber.
• Flash Steps Expert: Taught flash steps by Urahara and Yoruichi, the "Goddess of the Flash". While not particularly versed in the various techniques, he was able to learn enough of the basics to keep up with and even surprise Captain-level Shinigami with his speed. Even Byakuya Kuchiki, one of the most proficient users of flash steps in Soul Society, complimented Ichigo's might and proficiency in it.
• Substitute Shinigami Status: Though Ichigo has become a Shinigami, he is still a living human being and resides in Karakura Town. His status in the Soul Society is actually ambiguous. His "rank" as Substitute Shinigami was accepted by the others so he can continue to fight Hollows. Ichigo seems to get orders from the Soul Society by Rukia's cellular. But he ignored the only real order he ever received by General Yamamoto, which was to not go after Orihime. It is still unknown where he is really situated in the Soul Society's order, since he can act by himself and go on his own missions. Ichigo and his friends have been welcome in the Soul Society ever since Aizen escaped, even when they are not with him. They can even explore the division quarters. Though this might stem fron the fact that the Soul Society needs as many allies as they can get in the war against Aizen and the Arrancar. Ichigo is perhaps best-treated and best-respected by Captain Shunsui Kyōraku of the 8th Division, Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of the 11th Division, and Captain Jūshirō Ukitake of the 13th Division, who often assist him in his missions and will even disobey their orders in order to ensure his survival. Captain Soifon of the 2nd Division and Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya of the 10th Division occasionally help Ichigo in his assignments (whenever they are ordered to by Yamamoto), but are quick to turn against him should the need ever arise, as seen during Orihime's capture, The Kasumiōji Crisis, and the Kusaka Endeavor. Captain Sajin Komamura of the 7th Division have never interacted with either Ichigo or his friends.
• Pure Blood Shinigami: When Grand Fisher learns Isshin Kurosaki was a Shinigami, he said Ichigo was a "pure-blood" Shinigami. It seems to be an explanation for his strength although it is strange since Isshin had lost his power for twenty years and Ichigo and his sisters are humans. Ichigo did say his mother could not see Grand Fisher so he is half Shinigami, half human. This can mean his sisters have latent Shinigami powers. An example of this is they can see spirits. Karin can fully see spirits such as small Hollows. Yuzu however seems to only be able to see the outline of spirits.
ZANPAKUTOU
Zangetsu (斬月, Moon Cutter or Cutting Moon): Unlike most Zanapakutō, which can be sealed into their original form, Zangetsu is always in its Shikai form. Yoruichi Shihōin has stated that his Zanpakutō is a full-time released form type, implying that it is simply a type of Zanpakutō that, once in Shikai form, remains in said state.
The spirit of Zangetsu resembles a 30 to 40 year-old man, and 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). Zangetsu is portrayed as wise and calm in most matters, and fond of testing Ichigo in unusual ways, many of which have a purpose completely contrary to the stated goal. Zangetsu has displayed the ability to temporarily close fatal wounds during combat, though whether or not this is a unique ability is unclear. However, since Ichigo developed an inner hollow (as a result from having his shinigami powers restored), Zangetsu and the Hollow are both the source of Ichigo's power and share the same spirit body in Ichigo's inner world, the stronger presence retaining more control (and overall appearance) of their body.
When Ichigo first becomes a Shinigami, his Zanpakutō is a standard looking katana, but oversized with an equally oversized sheathe on his back, with a red handle, rectangular tsuba, and red tassel on the end of the handle. The large size is due to Ichigo's immense spiritual power, which he didn't know how to control. As a result, the sword itself was rather weak, since very little spiritual power was used to create it. Nevertheless, it was powerful enough to subdue Gillian-class Menos and lesser Hollows. Byakuya Kuchiki cuts off most of the blade during his first encounter with Ichigo and Kisuke Urahara subsequently slices it down to the hilt during their training, forcing Ichigo to learn the name of his Zanpakutō in order to release its true form.
During Ichigo's battle with his Inner Hollow, it mirrored Zangetsu's Shikai and Bankai when fighting Ichigo while he was training with the other Vizard's having a Zangetsu with a white blade and black edge, and when in Bankai wearing a white and black version of Zangetsu's black and red coat.
SHIKAI
The Shikai form of Zangetsu resembles an oversized, though more elegant, cleaver blade without a hilt or tsuba. The sword is as tall as Ichigo is, 1.75 meters, and has a black blade with a silver edge. Ichigo carries his Zanpakutō on his back by the cloth wrapped around the handle. When not in combat, the cloth extends to cover the rest of the sword and falls away when necessary, shrinking back to a manageable size. The cloth can also be used to swing the weapon like a flail and toss it at opponents, but this is rarely done. This was first demonstrated by Ichigo's inner Hollow, then again by Ichigo himself while rescuing Rukia. It is the much more powerful form of Zangetsu.
• Shikai Special Ability: Zangetsu's special ability is the Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝, Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer; "Piercer of Heaven" in the English anime), which fires concentrated energy blasts from the tip of the blade in the shape of a crescent moon or in a shape of a wave. Ichigo uses this ability without knowing its name several times, but masters the technique later on when he discovers its name. As stated by Zangetsu in the anime, knowing the name of an attack increases its power greater than not knowing its name. The Getsuga Tenshō is a powerful technique with great force. While it is currently the only attack Ichigo knows from Zangetsu, Ichigo has used this technique in several different manners, such as striking the ground to create an omnidirectional blast to knock away incoming attacks.
BANKAI
Tensa Zangetsu (天鎖斬月, Heavenly Chain Moon Cutter or Heavenly Chain Cutting Moon): is considered completely out of the ordinary for any Zanpakutō. Unlike most Bankai forms, which usually create some sort of massive creature or effect, Ichigo's Bankai actually shrinks his sword down to a daitō (Japanese long sword) with a black blade, handguard in the shape of the manji (which is the kanji for "ban," meaning "full"). The cloth wrapped around the hilt is replaced by a short chain with a broken link, similar to that of a Plus. In addition to his sword, Ichigo's robe is replaced with a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat with red lining that is closed at his chest, much like that of Zangetsu himself. (later the robe's red lining is changed to white).
As explained by Byakuya Kuchiki, Ichigo's Bankai is a compression of his remarkable power, rather than a vast expansion as other Bankai are. This vastly compressed power enables to reach levels of physical prowess most Shinigami would have their bodies give out at. It allows Ichigo to move at very high speeds exceeding those of flash steps, and gives him matching agility and reflexes (possibly equaling if not, surpassing Yoruichi's speed) along with allowing him to use his natural strength to its limits as shown from how effortlessly he blocked a punch from Yammy, an Espada known primarily for his immense strength. The Shunpo's speeds are also enhanced in this state, allowing him to use flash steps at a speed much greater than Byakuya Kuchiki's.
In addition, his already immense spiritual energy has grandly and explosively increased, and now has a deep black spiritual energy with a crimson outline. Furthermore, the fact that all of his energy is "compressed" means that usage of his Bankai doesn't expel as much spiritual power as other Bankai from the point of activation; thus allowing him to use Tensa Zangetsu at a much longer duration than any other Bankai users of his level. With enough usage and acquired height, Ichigo can even appear as though he is flying. Ichigo's initial inexperience with controlling his Bankai led to a serious drawback; the force of his compressed spiritual power caused all of his bones to crack as stated by his inner Hollow, gradually decreasing his speed and power over time. This drawback has not been mentioned since its introduction, so it has (presumably) been overcome.
• Bankai Special Ability: Zangetsu's special ability remains Getsuga Tenshō. When used with Zangetsu's Bankai, these potent blasts are black with a red outline and their path can be controlled, with explosively augmented power and speed. During Byakuya Kuchiki's fight with Ichigo, he refers to this attack as a "Kuroi Getsuga" (黒月牙; "Black Moon Fang"). This term simply refers to the darkened color of the attack, not its actual name. When used with his Bankai and Hollow mask in combination, Ichigo's tremendous speed allows him to move faster than the Getsuga Tenshō itself, allowing him to fire multiple blasts from different directions. The Kuroi Getsuga was first displayed by Ichigo's inner Hollow, and initially carried the risk of causing his inner Hollow to surface if used too much. With Ichigo's later control over his inner Hollow, this is no longer a problem. Ichigo is also capable of utilizing Getsuga Tenshō to augment blade swings, as seen in the fight with Byakuya Kuchiki, and the manifestation of Ichigo's inner Hollow. In fact it has come to a point where it literally just comes out of Ichigo's body, replacing his blue aura.
VIZARD
Vizard are Shinigami who have obtained the power of a hollow through a process known as hollowification. In order to use this power, they must don the mask of the hollow within them. Because he began to turn into a hollow while attempting to recover his Shinigami powers, Ichigo was turned into a Vizard.
Ichigo's hollow mask manifests in the appearance of what could best be described as a menacing skull. While pure white on the left side, the mask possesses a total of nine red stripes spread across three spots on the right side of his mask. The red stripes on Ichigo's hollow mask changed in thickness after he subjugated his hollow, covering almost the entirety of the mask's right half during his third battle with Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. The significance of this has yet to be revealed, although the prevailing theories are that it represents Ichigo's control over Hollow Ichigo, or the usage of his hollow powers.
After training with the Vizard and subjugating his inner hollow, Ichigo can use his hollow mask while retaining his personality, but could originally only wear it for eleven seconds at a time. His limit and Hollow powers hreatly increases during his third battle with Grimmjow, but to what extent is unclear. His hollow powers became strong enough (comparable to the times when he was possessed) to block Grimmjow's Gran rey cero without any effort and has shown the capacity to "repair" his mask when it has began to crack during this fight. His overall limit is barely a fraction of the amount other Vizard can maintain their masks. After the time limit, the mask breaks and Ichigo loses its benefits. Subsequent attempts to use the mask can only be maintained for an instant. Its possible that his time limit increased due to him fighting with it in Hueco Mundo.
Below is a list of the effects of Ichigo's hollowification:
• Hollow Mask: The hollow mask was originally a sign of Ichigo's possession by the hollow within him, but after his training with the Vizard it has become indication that he is merely utilizing his hollow powers. To access Hollow Ichigo's power, Ichigo must summon Hollow Ichigo's mask onto his face, which is normally done by placing one of his hands over his face and concentrating spiritual matter on it in order to manifest the mask (previously it had appeared on it's own before he mastered the hollow within him). With the mask in place, Ichigo has access to most if not all the abilities of a hollow, even subconsciously using a cero during his training with the Vizard.
• Hollow Combat: When Ichigo fights with his mask on his fighting style becomes more instinctive than practiced. The hollow mask also makes Ichigo more ruthless, akin to the battle style of Hollow Ichigo. Throughout the duration the mask is in place, Ichigo has shown less concern for injuries to his person, even going so far as to ignore grievous wounds to continue fighting.
• Mask Shielding: The mask has also shown the ability to block attacks on Ichigo's body from within his robe, serving as a shield to stop or lessen attacks on him, sometimes saving his life. One example is when the mask blocked several hits from Renji's zanpakuto during their fight.
• Power Augmentation: While wearing the mask, Ichigo's hollow powers supplement his Shinigami powers, giving him a vast increase in both strength and speed. The explanation for this is that since Hollows boost their natural abilities by obtaining spirit power around them, either by absorbing it in its ambient form or devouring it directly from another living being, Ichigo attains power from two separate sources: that from himself (drawn using his Shinigami powers), and that from his immediate environment (drawn with the help of his Hollow powers), allowing him to draw power from both sides. It could even be suggested that the Hollow mask allows Ichigo to recapture the energy he constantly leaks into the environment, making him more efficient.
• Getsuga Tenshō: When Ichigo wears his mask, the power, speed, blast area, force, and size of the Getsuga Tenshou becomes drastically augmented to the point of seriously harming a foe to a certain degree.
• Time Limit: Unlike his Vizard counterparts (who can maintain their hollow masks for hours without tiring), Ichigo originally had a limit of eleven seconds before the mask would break. As he fought in Hueco Mundo, however, the limit increased exponentially and substantially to the point where he was able to maintain the mask throughout his third battle with Grimmjow Jeagerjaques.
• Cero: During his fight to subjugate his hollow, Ichigo's soul was overtaken by his hollow. In that state, Ichigo had shown the ability to use cero but it is unknown if this ability is usable in his Vizard form. So far, only Shinji Hirako of the Vizard has shown the ability to use a cero with his mask on.
RELATIONSHIPS
CANON
lol coming soon 8)..............
IN CITY
• Martha Jones: Ichigo’s boss at the clinic. Despite the fact that he mouths off and bitches about his workload, he genuinely likes and respects her, as both a doctor and someone who will smack him over the head with her clipboard when he does something stupid. Also, SHE MET SHAKESPEARE.
• Doumeki Shizuka: One of the first (tenuous) friends Ichigo made in the City, and still someone who constantly pesters him to this day. Also Ishida’s roommate, so Ichigo has to wonder about his sanity.
• Ichihara Yuuko: CRAZY LADY. She plots with Yoruichi, which is really all Ichigo needs to know.
• Luke Skywalker: A nakama of Ichigo’s, for the time he was in the City. Ichigo first met him while he was drunk and comparing penis sizes with Renji, and it really got their friendship off on the right foot lmfao; eventually they came to respect each other as kindred world/galaxy-savers. Before he peaced out, Ichigo gave Luke a gay tattoo of the kanji of the word “nakama,” and Luke gave Ichigo a holocron that he still keeps on his dresser to this day.
• Allen Walker: GAY. Ichigo’s new bff. SNOWCROTCH. They met during Allen’s first week in the City, and have been harassing each other ever since. As fellow shounen heroes, they have a lot in common, even if they don’t know the half of it yet. Ichigo can trust Allen to get his back, and (hopefully) vice versa.
• Cross Marian: CREEPY AS HELL. GET OUT OF HIS CEILING.
• Nara Shikamaru: ALSO GAY. Another new bff. PINEAPPLE. Ichigo only learned his name through Allen, so it was already too late for him to call Shikamaru anything other than “Pineapple.” Even though he hates how calm and composed Shikamaru is, Ichigo can still call him a friend. Just not to his face.