All of Ichigo Kurosaki's Transformations in Bleach, Explained (2024)

In Bleach, Ichigo Kurosaki was born with the ability to see ghosts, and when Hollows attack his family, he becomes a Soul Reaper determined to protect the world and help lost spirits find their way to the afterlife. With its amazing blend of action, adventure, and the supernatural, Bleach is beloved by fans around the world.

As the star of the series, Ichigo Kurosaki is one of the strongest anime characters of all time, and he goes through many transformations to boost his power to exciting new levels throughout the show. No matter what terrifying spirits or other supernatural enemies he may face, Ichigo always trains harder and pushes his powers to their limits, and by the end of the series, he proves himself to be stronger than ever thought possible.

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Ichigo's Shinigami Form Marked the Start of His Incredible Journey

At the start of Bleach's story, Ichigo experiences his first transformation when he turns from a mere human into a powerful Soul Reaper thanks to Rukia Kuchiki transferring half of her powers to him. As a result, one of Bleach's best Zanpakuto weapons manifests itself for him to use, with Ichigo now wielding the Zangetsu.

Thanks to his Zanpakuto, Ichigo is able to take on Hollows as well as other formidable opponents. After unlocking his Soul Reaper abilities, Ichigo is still fairly weak in comparison to some of the other characters in the series, but he works hard and trains every day to become stronger.

Ichigo Unlocked His Legendary Bankai Extremely Fast

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To get Ichigo ready to take on serious opponents, he quickly undergoes Bankai training after gaining his Soul Reaper abilities. By all standards, Ichigo acquired his Bankai in record time, unlocking it in just two and a half days.

With Ichigo's awesome Bankai transformation, he is able to condense his huge Zanpakuto into a small blade, with his Bankai granting him impressive super speed. His Bankai and Zanpakuto alone aren't enough to make him a serious threat, though, and Ichigo had to endure even more training before he was truly able to hold his own in battle.

Ichigo's Hollow Transformation Saved the Day

All of Ichigo Kurosaki's Transformations in Bleach, Explained (4)

The Hollows in Bleach are some of the series' earliest and most terrifying enemies, and Ichigo tapped into their power when his fight with Byakuya left him at death's door. This is one of the first times when Ichigo is seen to be extremely strong, with the Hollow inside granting him boosts to his power as it took over his body to stop him from losing the battle and dying.

The drawback to Ichigo's Hollow transformation is that he loses control and gives himself over to the evil spirit. However, the Hollow version of Ichigo is a skilled fighter, able to use Ichigo's powers to their fullest ability much more easily than Ichigo can when he's in control of himself. With that said, the risks of using his Hollow transformation are typically far too great for Ichigo to deem this transformation worthwhile in most fights.

Vasto Lorde Ichigo was a Terrifying Transformation

All of Ichigo Kurosaki's Transformations in Bleach, Explained (5)

The Vasto Lorde are Bleach's most terrifying Hollows, and Ichigo assumed their form in an intense battle against the evil Ulquiorra. Ichigo found himself outclassed and overwhelmed in the fight, with the villainous Espada tearing a hole through his chest that should have killed him if not for the Vasto Lorde's intervention.

Instead of dying, Ichigo awakened his Vasto Lorde form, completely transforming into an unrecognizable demon. Like his previous Hollow transformation, Ichigo appeared to lack any control when in his Vasto Lorde form, with the demon taking over and making quick work of Ulquiorra. This form only appeared once in the entire series, but it easily showed the immense power Ichigo had inside him.

Ichigo's Final Getsuga Tenshou Came with a Major Drawback

All of Ichigo Kurosaki's Transformations in Bleach, Explained (6)

After training hard in Dangai, Ichigo finally leveled up and knew he was strong enough to take on the powerful Aizen by using his Final Getsuga Tenshou form. With this transformation, Ichigo united with Zangetsu, taking on a striking new appearance that included long, black hair. In his Final Getsuga Tenshou form, Ichigo gains access to the Mugetsu ability, which creates a blade of deep black Reiatsu in his hand. Ichigo was able to swing this at Aizen, damaging anything caught in its blast.

Mugetsu was the one thing capable of bringing an end to Sosuke Aizen, proving just how far Ichigo had come since his early days as a Soul Reaper. The only problem with this form was the fact that unleashing the Mugetsu left Ichigo completely powerless — weaker than he was before the show even began.

Fullbring Ichigo was Surprisingly Weak

All of Ichigo Kurosaki's Transformations in Bleach, Explained (7)

With his battle against Aizen leaving him powerless, Ichigo finds himself weaker than ever before. With Mugetsu giving Ichigo his strongest form in Bleach, it makes sense that this powerful ability came at a great cost. Knowing that he needed to have some sort of protection against the enemies he would face in the future, Bleach's now powerless protagonist set out to train even harder. He soon discovered more about his status as a hybrid, which helped him unlock his Fullbring form. In addition to his Soul Reaper and Hollow powers, Ichigo learned about his status as a Fullbringer; it was thanks to his mother, who was attacked by a Hollow during her pregnancy.

Ichigo trained under Ginjo, learning more about these powers and transforming into his Fullbring form, but it still left him relatively weaker than he was at the start of his journey. Eventually, Ginjo betrayed Ichigo and stole his Fullbring powers, making this form relatively short-lived. It all worked out for the best though, because Ichigo was then able to work with Rukia to regain his Soul Reaper powers, coming back stronger than ever.

Ichigo's Shikai Returned With Augmented Power

All of Ichigo Kurosaki's Transformations in Bleach, Explained (8)

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Ichigo has one of the most powerful Shikai in the series, and after re-awakening his Soul Reaper abilities, he is able to empower Zangetsu in an exciting new way. Under the tutelage of swordmaster Oetsu Nimaiya, Ichigo learned how to communicate with Zangetsu, leading him to learn more about his hybrid nature as a Quincy and a Hollow.

Nimaiya gave Ichigo not one but two Zanpakutos, essentially doubling Zangetsu's power. Their designs appear to be a nod to his roots as both a Quincy and a Hollow, with one of the swords being long and hollow on the inside. In his dual-wielding form, Ichigo is able to perform exciting new techniques that help him prepare for the Thousand-Year Blood War.

Ichigo's Final Bankai Form is One of His Most Powerful

All of Ichigo Kurosaki's Transformations in Bleach, Explained (10)

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Now able to wield two Zanpakuto blades, Ichigo unlocks an even more powerful Bankai form than in his early days as a Soul Reaper. He can place the two blades side by side, causing a huge surge of energy to transform him and the swords. The two swords merge into one, similar to his original massive Zanpakuto.

In this transformation, Ichigo physically changes, too, with his eyes glowing yellow and black marks appearing on his face. Ichigo assumes this form during his final battle with Yhwach, proving himself powerful enough to take down one of Bleach's most irredeemable villains.

The Final Zapakuto Pays Homage to Ichigo's Early Days

All of Ichigo Kurosaki's Transformations in Bleach, Explained (12)

Ichigo finds himself in a desperate situation when he inevitably faces Yhwach, who has the power of The Almighty, giving him the ability to see the future and alter it to his liking. This makes Yhwach the most difficult villain in the entire series to take down — but luckily fate remained on Ichigo's side.

Ichigo was able to cut Yhwach in half, but the antagonist simply reversed his own death. Yhwach managed to destroy Ichigo's augmented Zanpakuto, but as it began to disintegrate, Ichigo's original prized Zanpakuto appeared in its place. All of Yhwach's meddling in the future comes back to bite him, with his destiny finally catching up with him, allowing Ichigo to use his original Zanpakuto to save the world.

Having Ichigo's original Zangetsu be the weapon he used to save the day at the end of the series was a nice homage to all the powerful forms and transformations Ichigo experienced throughout Bleach. By taking things back to the roots of the series, Ichigo's final battle offered a satisfying conclusion and also showed that he had such impressive strength inside him from the very beginning.

All of Ichigo Kurosaki's Transformations in Bleach, Explained (13)
Bleach

TV-14

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Bleachrevolves around Kurosaki Ichigo, a regular always-grouchy high-schooler who for some strange reason is able to see the souls of the dead around him.

Release Date
October 5, 2004

Cast
Masakazu Morita , Fumiko Orikasa , Hiroki Yasumoto , Yuki Matsuoka , Noriaki Sugiyama , Kentarô Itô , Shinichirô Miki , Hisayoshi Suganuma
Main Genre
Anime

Seasons
17 Seasons

Creator
Tite Kubo

Production Company
TV Tokyo, Dentsu, Pierrot

Number of Episodes
366 Episodes
Streaming Service(s)
Hulu , Prime Video
All of Ichigo Kurosaki's Transformations in Bleach, Explained (2024)

FAQs

All of Ichigo Kurosaki's Transformations in Bleach, Explained? ›

From his base human form to his true Bankai form, each transformation grants Ichigo greater speed, strength, and unique abilities. Ichigo's most powerful forms include his Full Hollow, Vasto Lorde, Merged Hollow, and True Bankai forms, which enable him to overpower enemies and deliver devastating attacks.

What is Ichigo's highest form? ›

Ichigo's strongest form is his Merged Hollow form, a blend of Soul Reaper and Hollow powers that combine all worlds into a deathless state. Ichigo's powers reach their highest potential when he comes to terms with his grief over his mother's death and reaches self-acceptance.

What are all Ichigo's races? ›

At the end of Bleach, Ichigo learns that he is a blend of four distinct races — Human, Hollow, Quincy, and Shinigami — making him an overpowered cocktail of pure potential. He goes through multiple evolutions throughout the series, each of which is almost always stronger than the previous version.

What is Ichigo's Quincy form? ›

In actuality, Old Man Zangetsu is a manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy power, while White Ichigo is the manifestation of his hybrid Soul Reaper-Hollow powers. Quincy Zangetsu hates Soul Reapers, and knew that the path of a Soul Reaper would lead to a confrontation with King Yhwach and ultimately Ichigo's death.

Why does Ichigo's Zanpakuto change so much? ›

Ichigo's unique heritage led to his complex powers and multiple Zanpakuto forms. Zangetsu symbolized Ichigo's evolving knowledge of his true nature, changing shape as Ichigo gained a deeper understanding of his potential.

What is Ichigo's fullbring form? ›

Ichigo trained relentlessly, honing his Fullbring powers until he witnessed a profound transformation A sword and bone-like armor emerged, symbolizing the awakening of his latent abilities. This form was tied to his substitute Soul Reaper badge and enabled him to shoot mini Getsuga Tensho.

Is Zangetsu Yhwach? ›

When Ichigo tells him to explain himself, Zangetsu, stating what Ichigo was told is true, reveals his name is not Zangetsu. As Ichigo's inner world begins to crumble, Ichigo asks if he is Yhwach, prompting Zangetsu to state he is the manifestation of the Quincy powers within Ichigo, and he both is and is not Yhwach.

Is Chad a fullbringer? ›

Seventeen months later, Chad appears as an ally of Xcution, a group of humans with supernatural powers called Fullbring. Having learned that he is a Fullbringer himself, Chad agrees to help restore Ichigo's Soul Reaper abilities for Xcution's needs.

Is Ichigo a pure blood Quincy? ›

This makes Ichigo rare, for he is a "Gemischt" (混血統 (ゲミシュト), Gemishuto; German for "Mixed", Japanese for "Mixed-Blooded") Quincy with Shinigami powers.

Is Ichigo's dad a Quincy? ›

Ichigo's father, Isshin, is a Shinigami and reveals his true nature to Ichigo during a climactic battle. Ichigo's mother, Masaki, was a pure-blooded Quincy, and her Quincy blood is passed on to Ichigo, making him part-Quincy and explaining his instinctive use of Quincy techniques in battle.

Is Ichigo's father a Soul Reaper? ›

Ichigo's father was a Soul Reaper before Ichigo was ever born, and he knows the ways of zanpakuto and hollows as well as any Captain. Secretly, he rebuilt his old Soul Reaper powers bit by bit until he was ready to take on hollows once again, and even teach Ichigo a thing or two about fighting.

What is Ichigo's final Bankai ability? ›

Finally, his true Bankai power enables him to release his formidable hollow sword, making Ichigo one of the strongest characters in Bleach.

Is Ichigo related to Uryu? ›

Their first son is Ichigo Kurosaki. At around the same time, Ryuken married a mixed-blood Quincy called Katagiri. Their first son is Uryuu Ishida. As you can see, although not biologically related, the relationship between Ichigo and Uryuu is actually a lot closer than you might think.

Why can't Ichigo use Bankai? ›

After defeating Yhwach, why isn't Ichigo able to use Bankai again? Because, we never see him use it cause he isn't in a battle - where he would require the use of a Bankai at the end of the series.

Can Ichigo use Quincy Powers? ›

In fact, the only confirmed Quincy ability that Ichigo ever used was Blut Vene, and even then, he used it less than a handful of times.

Does Ichigo have a new bankai? ›

Ichigo's Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, undergoes significant changes due to his encounters with Fullbring powers, reflecting his growth and development as a character.

Is Mugetsu Ichigo's strongest form? ›

Is Mugetsu, Ichigo's strongest form? No. Here's some clickbait before I explain what is: To start off the list, let's only look at canon forms: Mugetsu is a form that is used for one highly compressed attack, which then causes Ichigo to lose his powers.

What is Ichigo's latest form? ›

Ichigo's new Fullbring form resembles his Hollow powers more than his Shinigami powers. Ichigo's speed, agility, and strength are once again enhanced, and he is covered in bone armor and fights with a short, glimmering sword.

Who is more powerful than Ichigo? ›

Ulquiorra Schiffer

Ulquiorra's released form, Murcielago, makes him stronger than Ichigo's Hollow mask form, and his Segunda Etapa powers him up even more. Ichigo was hopelessly outclassed, and Ulquiorra even had the benefit of rapid regeneration, a power unique to him.

What is Ichigo's ultimate power? ›

Immeasurable Spiritual Power: Ichigo has been noted on several occasions to have tremendously vast levels of spiritual energy, well beyond most other Shinigami. Even at less than half strength, his spiritual energy is comparable to a Captain-level fighter.

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