Summary

• Ichigo's Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, undergoes significant changes due to his encounters with Fullbring powers, reflecting his growth and development as a character.
• In The Thousand-Year Blood War, Ichigo's Bankai experiences another big change, with his original Zanpakuto being destroyed and replaced with a new, more intricate design.
• Fans can anticipate further evolution in Ichigo's powers and appearance as he confronts Yhwach and the Quincy Empire in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.

Fans of Bleach who have returned for Thousand-Year Blood War may have some questions regarding Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai. The most powerful transformation of Bleach's protagonist looks strikingly different from how it did during the epic final battle against Sosuke Aizen, and the reason lies in a part of Ichigo's story that fans usually try to skip: Bleach's detested Fullbringer Arc.

Once Soul Reapers reach a certain level, they can release the true form and powers of their Zanpakuto, known as Bankai. Because these swords are actually part of a Soul Reaper's soul, their abilities and form vary according to the owner's strength, personality, and training. Ichigo's Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, was obtained through a special but dangerous method of training. When released, Ichigo's sword shrinks down to a more slender form, with a short length of chain.

Ichigo's robe is also replaced with an ankle-length black coat, which is part of his Bankai and reflects the level of Ichigo's spiritual energy. However, in Bleach's first episode of The Thousand-Year Blood War, Ichigo's Bankai appears strikingly different.

Ichigo's Bankai Looks Different Because of Fullbring Powers

During his battle against Sosuke Aizen at the end of the Arrancar Downfall arc, Ichigo unleashes all the power of his Bankai to defeat his opponent, obtaining the Final Getsuga Tensho form at the cost of losing his Soul Reaper powers forever. The following Lost Substitute Soul Reaper arc deals with how Ichigo recovers his abilities through his meeting with a group of individuals who use a mysterious spiritual power, called Fullbring. Fullbringers in Bleach are living humans who had encounters with Hollows even before they were born, causing mutations to their spiritual power. Ichigo's friend Chad is revealed to also be a Fullbringer, finally explaining his unique power.

Over the course of the arc, Ichigo also awakens this power. Fullbringers need a physical object to act as the focus for their powers, and Ichigo's was his substitute Soul Reaper badge. Ichigo's Fullbring power evolves, and the tie to his past as a Soul Reaper gradually causes it to develop to be more Soul Reaper-like. During his climactic battle with the leader of the Fullbringers, Ichigo is able to regain his Soul Reaper abilities thanks to the help of Rukia and all 13 of Bleach's Soul Reaper Captains, and the two abilities merge. While Ichigo is unable to use Fullbring after this, the changes to his Bankai remain as a reminder of that period, even if fans who despise the arc wish they didn't.

Ichigo's Bankai Has Another Big Change Ahead

In his Fullbring-improved Bankai form, Ichigo now wears a white undershirt beneath his black coat, along with black gloves with white x-shaped marks. Tensa Zangetsu's blade is much longer and curved, with three sharp protrusions along the blunt end of the sword. The chain is now longer, going from the base of the sword's hilt to Ichigo's glove, forming a wide loop. However, an even bigger change to Ichigo's Bankai occurred in The Thousand-Year Blood War's first part.

Ichigo's original Zanpakuto, Zangetsu, is destroyed in battle with Yhwach early in the Thousand-Year Blood War, sending him on a quest to reforge the blade. He meets the original creator of all Zanpakuto in Bleach, who initially refuses to create a new blade for him, as Ichigo must discover the truth about his family's past and his own heritage before his new sword can be forged. The new Zangetsu is now made up of two separate blades, which are considered a single Zanpakuto. The longer blade resembles his original sealed Zanpakuto, but with a cutout in the blade, while the smaller of the two is more knife-like. This change will, of course, affect his Bankai as well.

Ichigo's Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, is one of the most iconic looks in Bleach, instantly recognizable by fans of the franchise. However, its appearance actually changes several times over the course of the series, mirroring Ichigo's growth. Fans can expect to see Ichigo being forced to further evolve his powers, and his look in turn, in order to face Yhwach and his fearsome Quincy Empire in Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War.

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  Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War

  Release Date:

  2022-10-10

  Cast:

  Masakazu Morita, Johnny Yong Bosch, Takayuki Sugô, Richard Epcar, Ryûsei Nakao, Aleks Le, Karen Strassman, Neil Kaplan

  Genres:

  Animation, Action, Adventure

  Seasons:

  2

  Story By:

  Tite Kubo

  Writers:

  Tite Kubo

  Network:

  TV Tokyo

  Franchise(s):

  Bleach

  Directors:

  Tomohisa Taguchi, Mitsutoshi Satô, Hikaru Murata, Hodaka Kuramoto

  Showrunner:

  Tite Kubo

  Season List:

  Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War - Season 1, Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War - Season 2