Bleach: 10 Things Anime-Only Fans Don't Know About Zangetsu

The iconic weapon wielded by Bleach's Kurosaki Ichigo, Zangetsu, is one of the most powerful zanpakutos in existence, if not the most. It is first obtained when Rukia Kuchiki "lends" him a fragment of her reiryoku, which triggers a chain reaction in the teenager and converts him into a Shinigami with a massive sword.

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Of course, he doesn't learn its name until much later, but once he does, there's practically no stopping Ichigo. He acquires his bankai in 2.5 days, embeds his Hollowification into his attacks, inventively employs the Getsuga Tensho in a variety of ways. But what happens to Zangetsu after the anime ends? Does it change, or remain the same?

10 It Is Broken

The Vandenreich Quincy mount an invasion of Soul Society, during which they smartly keep Ichigo occupied in Hueco Mundo with Quilge Opie. This is a pointless endeavor, because the hero breaks out of his "cage," and challenges Yhwach directly.

Unfortunately, the kid is overwhelmed by the sheer power emanating from the villain but is saved at the last minute by a little shadow realm loophole. Ichigo has not had enough; he goes on to charge at Yhwach, but his second-in-command, Jugram Haschwalth sleekly bifurcates Tensa Zangetsu.

9 It Is Reforged

Having journeyed to the Royal Palace in order to deal with his damaged zanpakuto, Ichigo is forced to contemplate the true meaning of his relationship with Zangetsu. In fact, Oetsu Nimaiya refuses to help him until Isshin Kurosaki explains the entire history of his conception and birth.

Finally, Ichigo reforges Zangetsu in the flames provided by the master blacksmith, along with Mera, Tokie, Hasuka, Nonomi, and Tsumiko, each of whom are zanpakutos themselves.

8 There Are Two Blades

Once Ichigo pulls the blade out of the fire, he is shocked to learn that he actually has two zanpakutos, rather than the single sword he is used to. One of them is large, approximately similar to his original weapon, with one main stand-out feature: an elongated cavity that extends from the hilt to the center.

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The other zanpakuto is not as big, and looks like a modified combat knife. Interestingly, the smaller one doesn't possess a hilt but has a kind of encased shaft for Ichigo to grip.

7 One Hollow, One Quincy

Nimaiya states that the entity he believes is Zangetsu is actually a form of Yhwach, and that his real zanpakuto is the inner hollow within him, White Ichigo. However, the hero realizes that they are both, in fact, equal parts of his personality as well as his history, accepting them together.

Ichigo is happy to fight with the Hollow and the Quincy sides of his nature, which is somewhat ironic given that he's supposed to be a Shinigami (what with the whole concept of zanpakutos being a specifically Soul Society thing).

6 Streamlined Bolts Of Force

Initially, Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshos were haphazard attempts to release the reiryoku contained within his body. Although powerful, they are nowhere near as intense as his fully realized state, obtained only after his familial epiphany.

In the zanpakuto's new form, the Getsuga is a lot more aerodynamic: in fact, he basically "draws" the pattern he wants in the air with the tip of the blade, which then results in a massive outward explosion, completely unlike the original blasts of unfocused reiatsu.

5 Getsuga Jujisho (Moon Fang Cross-Shaped Piercer)

Like the Getsuga Tensho, which means "Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer," Zangetsu is now capable of generating a double version of the same technique, known as Getsuga Jujisho, or "Moon Fang Cross-Shaped Piercer."

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This can be done by producing an individual Getsuga with both of Ichigo's zankpakutos, drawn out in a plus-shaped design. The effect of the Getsuga Jujisho is not simply twice that of the Tensho, but rather has a multiplicative effect.

4 Ichigo's New Paint Job

This is an added feature of Ichigo's recent progression, but it has been seen before in unrestrained environments, such as his Vasto Lorde transformation during the fight with Ulquiorra Cifer.

Here, though, it is completely within his control — as he blends with his Hollow self, he develops porcelain white skin all over his body, with a pair of ebony marks pouring down one side of his face. In addition, his left eye goes from standard brown to neon yellow, and he sprouts a Hollow horn from his forehead.

3 Gran Rey Cero & Getsuga Tensho

The Espada use the Gran Rey Cero as one of their most prized techniques: it incorporates their blood within their reiatsu, constructing something so overpowering that Aizen firmly prohibits any of his minions from activating it within Las Noches.

Ichigo takes it one step further, fusing a Gran Rey Cero with a Getsuga Tensho, sending the crescent of incandescent energy at Yhwach. While the Quincy King isn't exactly injured by it, this is when he chooses to trigger the Almighty, implying that anything less would not cut it.

2 An Unexplained Bankai

Ichigo basically recombines his pair of zanpakuto into a single magnificent blade, with the small one snugly fitted inside the bigger. Also, there is a large chain that extends from the lower to the upper part of the sword, whose exact purpose remains unknown.

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In fact, nothing is clear about this upgraded Tensa Zangetsu, save that it emits a deep-gold Getsuga Tensho which is strong enough to split Yhwach in half, but this doesn't kill the antagonist. Not yet, anyway.

1 The Final Zanpakuto

After the aforementioned bifurcation, Yhwach returns to life with the Almighty, arrogantly announcing that there is nothing in the universe capable of stopping him. Then Uryuu stops him dead in his tracks (a tiny fleck of still silver through his heart), and Ichigo leaps at the chance.

Yhwach still manages to crack Tensa Zangetu, but is absolutely astonished to discover that the original shikai, from the first arc, is hidden behind the shattering bankai. Given his mortality at the moment, one swing is all that's necessary.

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