Age: 15
Height: 175 cm (5'9")
weight: 61 kg (135 lbs.)
race Human, Shinigami, Vizard
Rank(sol): retired captain of squad 11 and assistant gaming commisiner
apperance:
school
shinigami/shikai form:
Bankai form
Bankai & hollow mask
first Hollow form
second hollow form
Personality
Ichigo is a 15-year-old who attempts to cultivate a detached image, for which he keeps his eyebrows constantly furrowed. Ichigo has natural orange hair, a fact that annoys many bullies in his school, who constantly pick fights with him. Ichigo claims that he does not care what others think and seems to enjoy fighting the bullies. Ichigo has been friends with Tatsuki Arisawa since he was young when he trained karate at the same dojo as her. Tatsuki is his oldest friend and they go to the same school now. While in junior high school, Ichigo met and befriendedYasutor "chad" Sado, a boy from another school who helped him out of a fight. Chad, although extremely strong, was often the target of beatings because he refused to fight for his own sake due to a promise he had made as a child to his grandfather. Upon discovering this, Ichigo made a pact with Chad in which they both agreed to fight and risk their lives for something the other was willing to risk their life for. Ichigo comments that thanks to Rukia his life changed, and thanks to her he is able to protect the people he cares for.
Ichigo's blunt personality, aggressive behavior, and short temper give the impression that he is a rude person. Ichigo is actually extremely kind hearted and sensitive, he could never pass by someone in need of help. He cares for his friends and performs heroic deeds just because he wants to help. In contrast to his seemingly detached persona, Ichigo can actually be quite spastic and awkward at times. He has a tendency to shout excessively, and he overreacts to things that are sexual in nature.
When Ichigo was nine, his mother, Masaki Kuorosaki, was killed by the hollow Grand Fisher, although Ichigo did not find out the true cause of her death until early in the main Bleach storyline. Prior to learning about this, Ichigo felt guilty for his mother's death, blaming himself for wandering too close to the water and causing her to put herself in harm's way to save him. Even after that, Masaki's death continues to influence Ichigo by causing him to feel guilt for his inability to protect those close to him. Since then, Ichigo lives with his father Isshin Kurosaki and his two younger sisters, Yuzu and Karin. His father runs a small medical clinic.
Ichigo's name, written with homophone Kanji means 1 and 5 when separated as ichi (一) and go (五), the reason behind the two numbers' frequent appearances in the series, notably on the sampler hanging on his bedroom door. The word ichigo (苺/イチゴ), written in yet another way, means "strawberry" —one of his nicknames— in Japanese, and is normally only used as a girl's name; when teased about this fact, Ichigo proudly counters that his name is spelled with ichi (一) as in "first" and go (護) from "guardian". Ichigo's father once told him that his name means "he who protects." The name also means 'one's lifetime. His last name, Kurosaki (黒崎), literally means "dark destination".
Powers & Abilities
Despite having very little official training as a Shinigami, Ichigo's fighting abilities have come to be powerful enough to rival those of captain-level Shinigami, Menos-class Hollow, and Espada-rankedArrancar , capable of fighting on equal footing against all but the strongest and the most powerful of foes.
Master Swordmanship Specialist:
In terms of fighting style while in his Shinigami form, Ichigo relies mainly on swordplay, and thus would be considered a swordsmanship specialist. Despite his zanpakutō's large size, Ichigo has shown able himself able to use it with great speed and accuracy. While right-handed, Ichigo has shown capable skill wielding Zangetsu in his left. His overall skill has been shown capable of competing on equal grounds against sword masters of Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki's caliber. Aside from his initial training with Urahara, he is basically on a "learn as you go" training regimen thus his skill has developed by fighting rather than formal instruction, becoming even more capable with every fight.
Expert Hand-To-Hand Combantant:
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. He has repeatedly shown great agility and coordination in his attacks. In addition to having powerful kicks and punches, Ichigo has also shown proficiency in counterattacks, takedowns, and bodylocks. He also regularly defeats multiple bullies and gangsters, and is a better martial artist than Tatsuki Arisawa, the second-strongest girl in all of Japan, despite fighting with a broken arm in the last few matches of the competition. While he stopped training officially after defeating her, his constant attacks from bullies and his father help keep his skills fresh. It should be noted that he was able to effortlessly dispatch three lieutenants with shikai released zanpakutō merely bare-handed.
Flash steps Expert:
Though not particularly versed in its various techniques, Ichigo has become proficient enough of the technique itself 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. During his first demonstration of this skill, he was able to knock out three lieutenants before any of them hit the ground. Despite this, his inexperience with Flash Step has been seen various times as with his battles against Grimmjow and Ulquiorra who were both initially able to outmaneuver him.
Vast Spiritual Power:
Ichigo has been noted on several occasions to have tremendously vast levels of spiritual energy, even by captain-level Shinigami standards. It is capable of paralyzing with fear lieutentant-level Shinigami (e.i. Renji), and even intimidate captain-level Shinigami (e.i. Byakuya and Jushiro). It is so overwhelming that even when worn-out in battle, he can continue fighting effectively while still capable of unleashing Getsuga Tenshō. Yet as noted by Uryu, with Ichigo's spiritual energy constantly being so high even at its base level without him consciously being aware of it, he rarely becomes exhausted in battle, thereby meaning the sheer resilience and amounts of energy Ichigo has is monstrous. The best example of the sheer amount and strength of Ichigo's spiritual energy was when shown at its peak equaling if not surpassing that of Kenpachi Zaraki, another Shinigami well-known for his exceedingly high energy levels, even when at full strength. Despite all this, Ichigo’s spiritual energy is still rather difficult for him to control and is known to fluctuate wildly, as stated by the 4th Espada Ulquiorra Cifer. Due to this and that 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 and enhance the strength of his attacks or act as a barrier to reduce the impact of attacks on him, if not block them completely. Even before this, his spiritual energy was so great he was able to withstand a Menos Gillian-class Cero and subsequently wound the same Gillian, forcing it back into Hueco Mundo while using only his sealed zanpakutō.
Enhanced Strength:
Even without his Shinigami powers, Ichigo has shown himself to be deceptively strong, as shown from his ability to smash a man's head through a concrete floor. When he is in his Shinigami body, Ichigo's already impressive strength is greatly enhanced, most commonly shown from his ability to effortlessly wield his large zanpakutō with a single-hand. His overall abilities are great enough that he was able to fight off three Shinigami lieutenants and their released zanpakutō bare-handed in rapid succession with a single punch each; one of which shattered one of their zanpakutō at the same time.
Enhanced Endurance:
While only a teenage human, Ichigo has shown himself to be a highly resilient man, as shown from his ability to safely break free from a binding spell (albiet a low-level one) and withstand an assault from a large hollow. When in Shinigami form Ichigo's physical endurance is strengthened to the point where he can survive attacks that would easily kill normal humans effortlessly. It was stated by Rukia that a Shinigami's life force is their spiritual power. As such, Ichigo is able to withstand attacks that would be fatal to most Shinigami. He could even withstand a point-blank Cero blast from Ulquiorra Cifer. Even Aizen, who once nearly cut Ichigo all the way in two, was amazed at Ichigo’s ability to survive such a blow. Uryu once stated that Ichigo was a monster in this regard.
Advanced Growth Rate:
According to both 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 several years for even the most gifted Shinigami. Shortly after getting Shinigami powers and with no previous training, began learning advanced spiritual energy sensing techniques by sheer instinct, as he proved he can use a spirit ribbon to find Yuichi Shibata (in bird form). Another example of his growth rate is the amount of time he took to learn the Bankai of his zanpakutō, which he learns in two days (albiet with the assistance of a special device invented by Urahara that was originally intended for three days). For a normal Shinigami, this same feat would require several 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. Besides his improvements in his Shinigami abilities, Ichigo was also shown able to greatly increase the time he could maintain his hollow mask from eleven seconds to considerbly longer amounts of time. In the Hueco Mundo arc, during his first fight with Ulquiorra, he is instantly incapacitated by one Cero blast even with his Hollow mask (which broke within a second), but only a few hours later, he is able to withstand another Cero from Ulquiorra without undergoing Hollowfication and can analyze Ulquiorra's movements much better than before, whereas he "felt like [he] was fighting a machine or a statue", and failed to predict and counter his attacks. This feat, as Ichigo explains, was done either by experience, because Ichigo has become more of a Hollow, or because Ulquiorra has become more of a Human.
High-Level Intellect:
Despite his somewhat punkish attitude, Ichigo has shown himself to be analytical, perceptive, and deductive. In his high school, Ichigo's grades are almost always near the top, 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. He is also fairly charismatic, and while some of his monologues aren't entirely inspirational and philosophical, he's able to gain the trust, respect, and friendship of even his greatest adversaries, often due to his inwardly compassionate nature and remarkable combat prowess. Additionally, it's worth noting that Ichigo has impressive leadership skills, and will sometimes act as the de facto leader of the Ryoka, despite the fact that Uryū and Renji occasionally compete with him over leadership responsibility (often due to their proud natures, equally-impressive intellect, combat prowess, and leadership skills), as seen in the Soul Society and Arrancar arcs respectively. Ichigo does exert some amount of power and authority over Urahara at times, likely due to Ichigo's aforementioned charisma, coupled with Urahara's respect for him. He will also devise and execute strategies with high speed and precision (although not nearly as much, and not in the same league, as Aizen and Urahara), and will personally lead rescue missions and large-scale assaults against his enemies.
Determination:
It seems that Ichigo's power, both in terms of how much spiritual energy he can access and his actual fighting abilities, 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 and occasionally his being engulfed a bright blue aura. The same is included when he is in his Vizard form, in which case his glowing is 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 attacks. In his current battle with Ulquiorra, even after taking a direct hit from Ulquiorra's Cero Oscura and nearly incinerated, he is seen to be able to continue to fight and even use Getsuga Tensho
Zanpakutō
Zangetsu
Zangetsu (斬月, Moon Cutter or Cutting Moon): When Ichigo first becomes a Shinigami, his zanpakutō is a standard looking katana, but oversized with an equally-oversized brown sheathe hung by a strap over his right shoulder. It has a rectangular bronze handguard with inward-curved edges, a stylized flame pattern on the long sides, and a simple decorative slit on the short ones. The handle is red with two light blue tassels on the end of the handle. The large size is due to the unfocused but immense amount of Ichigo's 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 a Gillian-class Menos and lesser Hollows, completely blocking a Cero from the former. 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.
The spirit of Zangetsu resembles a tall (about the height of Kenpachi Zaraki) 30 to 40-year-old man with unkept faicial hair and long ragged black hair. He dresses in all black 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). 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, as it could be due to the massive amounts of spiritual energy, as demonstrated by Nnoitra Jiruga. Since first awakening his own Shinigami powers, Ichigo has had a strong connection to his zanpakutō, as shown from how Zangetsu would regularly come to aid him with words of wisdom when Ichigo is in a difficult situation.
However, since Ichigo developed an inner Hollow (as a result from nearly becoming one while 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; in which case, the spirit of Zangetsu takes the form of an all-white, somewhat deranged version of Ichigo.
Hollowfication
Ichigo's spiritual powers are not limited to just Shinigami abilities; he also possesses Hollow powers as a result of his training with Urahara. While attempting to recover his Shinigami powers, Ichigo began transforming into a Hollow from the corrosion of his severed soul chain. Ichigo succeeds in awakening his Shinigami powers, but retains his Hollow spirit inside himself from the transformation. The title page of Chapter 220 depicts the inner Hollow with the mirror writing, spelling backwards, of Ichigo's name.
At different points in the series, Ichigo's Hollow powers have manifested themselves in different ways. Initially, Ichigo's Hollow mask would appear on his body to block fatal blows, which Ichigo never noticed until after the fight had ended. During his battle with Byakuya Kuchiki, the mask appeared on his face when he was near death, allowing his inner Hollow to take over until Ichigo suppressed it. The same event is repeated multiple times after that such as when Ichigo fought Gō Koga in the Bount Arc. While suppressing his inner Hollow, Ichigo is left effectively paralyzed, since his concentration was focused on suppressing it rather than fighting. The Hollow claims that it manifests itself to protect Ichigo during near death moments because it is connected to Ichigo, and it would be a great inconvenience to the Hollow if Ichigo were to die.
While he was training with the Vizards, Ichigo's soul was completely overcome by his inner Hollow for a short period, causing him to physically transform into a Hollow. His near-complete hollow form resembles a large, humanoid lizard. In this form, Ichigo demonstrated several high-level Menos abilities, including: rapid regeneration, enhanced strength, and Cero.
in this form, Ichigo also demonstrates being able to generate other bizarre Hollow-like appendages from his body, like the large, eyeless, worm-like entity that he used against the Vizard Kensei Muguruma in retaliation to Kensei blasting him with energy gathered and fired from his released zanpakutō. However, this form didn't last long as Ichigo emerged from the Hollow shell as his standard Shinigami self wearing a Hollow mask
Vizard
Vizard are Shinigami who have obtained the power of a Hollow through a process known as Hollowfication. 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 right side, the mask possesses a total of ten red stripes (a total of ten can be seen during his latest fight with Ulquiorra) spread across three spots on the left side of his mask. The mask began with only three stripes, and has since increased. The red/black stripes on Ichigo's Hollow mask changed in thickness after he subjugated his Hollow, covering almost the entirety of the mask's left half during his third battle with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. 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 continued usage of his Hollow powers.
During Ichigo's fight with Ulquiorra, it changed to a mask that resembles a Human skull with two horns. Two stripes begin on the back of his mask and go to the front, resulting in a shape that resembles a broken outline of a heart. The eye holes also widen from their slit shapes, becoming more open.
When donning his Hollow mask Ichigo's sclera turns completely black and his irises become golden-yellow, just like his inner Hollow. 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 greatly increases during his third battle with Grimmjow and he was even able to reform it after being destroyed during his fight with Ulquiorra Cifer, 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 begun to crack during this fight.
Despite the Vizard's disappointment of Ichigo's initial time limit, most of the Vizard's also showed a relatively short time frame of three minutes. The reasons, behind Ichigo now being capable of fighting entire battles with his mask, currently remains unknown. While Grimmjow speculated that Ichigo's improvements came from a subconsious need, it's also possible that his time limit increased due to him fighting with it in Hueco Mundo similar to Chad's own powers becoming stronger there.
Hollowfication
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 its own before he mastered the Hollow within him), summoning the mask in a "ripping" fashion.
With the mask in place, Ichigo has access to most if not all the abilities of a Hollow (although most of the other visards have been able to shift the position of the mask while apperently still retaining the abilities of their hollowfied state) even subconsciously using a Cero during his training with the Vizard. Apparently, Ichigo can sustain his Hollow powers even if portions of his mask have been broken off without restoring them, as seen during the end of his fight with Grimmjow.
Vast Spiritual Power:
While wearing the mask, the spiritual power Ichigo possesses becomes even greater than before. His spiritual power is so great, that he was considered equal to a released Espada by the 3rd Espada, Tia Harribel.
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 of the Hollowfication, 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 zanpakutō during their fight, Hanatarō Yamada notes the hits could have been fatal.
Enhanced Strength: While using the Hollow mask, Ichigo gains a substantial increase in strength. As evident when he instinctively block an attack from Grimmjow in his released state and after unleashing his Hollowfication state in his battle with Ulquiorra, even was able to slightly pierce his sword.
Enhanced Durability:
As in his third fight with Grimmjow, Ichigo shielded Orihime from a barrage of Grimmjow's dart bullets which have enough destructive force to destroy a large building. Even after taking this barrage, he was still able to fight and defeat Grimmjow, even destroying one of his Desgarrón claws, which was Grimmjow's most powerful technique. Apparently, using the Vizard form makes him much more pain resistant, Ichigo even states at the beginning of his Vizard training that "wearing the mask feels like being in control of someone else's body".
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 Tenshō becomes drastically augmented to the point of seriously harming a foe to a certain degree.
Mask Regeneration:
Ichigo seems to have the ability to repair small amounts of damage that is inflicted upon his mask. This is seen during his 3rd fight with Grimmjow and during his most recent fight with Ulquiorra. This "repairing" of his Hollow mask manifests in a similar manner to the Hollow regeneration he exhibited when he was subconsciously transformed into a Hollow while being trained by the Vizards to contain his inner Hollow. It is currently unknown to what extent the damage can be to his mask before he is unable to repair it. He has also been shown to have the ability to call his mask out a second time after it shatters, but with less benefits. Also his sclera do not change, and remain human. This was first used against his first fight with Ulquiorra, although unseen, it was used to help defend against Ulquiorra's Cero, and again with his most recent confrontation with him, after he went into his released form.
Favorite Quotes:
(To Byakuya) "You said, miracles happen only once. So what's the second one?"
(To Byakuya) "You said I think too highly of myself? I saw every single step, Byakuya Kuchiki!"
(To Byakuya) "Stop telling me to leave you here and run away...it's so annoying! I told you, I don't care what you say. Heh...this is the second time now...I've come to save you, Rukia."
(To Byakuya) "'Our pride', you said? So that pride you're saying to be so precious, is that connected to killing Rukia? Is it? Then I should stomp on it as you said. 'Cause that's why I obtained this Bankai!"
(To Byakuya*its in the manga*) "...If fate is a millstone, then we are the grist. There is nothing we can do. So I wish for strength. If I cannot protect them from the wheel, then give me a strong blade, and enough strength... to shatter fate."
(To Ulquiorra) "...I'm surprised. I didn't think you'd unsheathe your sword right away. I thought I'd have to get you to unsheathe it. So, does that mean you see me as a worthy opponent now?"
(from Ulquiorra) "At the very least, I see you as someone who must be destroyed."
(To Ulquiorra) "The difference...in strength...what about it? Do you think I should give up...just because you're stronger than me...? I've always known you were strong. Nothing I see now will change my mind. I will defeat you Ulquiorra."
Zanjutsu: 10
Hadou:7
Bakudo:1
Hakudo: 1
Hoho: 10
Strength: 10
Stamina: 10
Speed: 10
Reiatsu: 10
No comments:
Post a Comment