Bleach: The 10 Transformations Of Ichigo Kurosaki - CBR

Close

• • Movies Submenu
    • Movie News
    • Movie Features
    • Movie Lists
    • Movie Reviews
  • TV Submenu
    • TV News
    • TV Features
    • TV Lists
    • TV Reviews
  • Comics Submenu
    • Comics News
    • Comics Features
    • Comics Lists
    • Comics Previews
    • Comics Reviews
  • Anime Submenu
    • Anime News
    • Anime Features
    • Anime Lists
  • Games Submenu
    • Game News
    • Game Features
    • Game Lists
    • Game Guides
• Videos
• • More Submenu
    • Lists
    • Interviews
    • Community

• Sign in
• Newsletter

Menu Follow Followed Like Threads 1 More Action Sign in now Screen Awards MCU, DCU & More Dragon Ball Lord of the Rings Procedurals & Dramas Westerns Zelda Close By Ajay Aravind Updated Jul 23, 2024 Ajay Aravind is a writer, having been published in various pop-culture magazines. Some of them include Buzzfeed Reader, Den of Geek, Polygon, Screen Rant, Forbes, The Caravan, and CBR. Ajay also writes short stories and is currently attempting a novella. Sign in to your CBR account Add Us On follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread 1 Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Ichigo Kurosaki is arguably one of the sweetest shonen protagonists out there, at least compared to Naruto and Luffy, whose brazen nature can occasionally be too much to deal with. Throughout Bleach's 16 years and its innumerable plotlines, Ichigo has run the full gamut of physical and spiritual changes, either losing his powers and regaining them, or suddenly discovering abilities he never knew he had.

Ichigo Kurosaki's evolution isn't exactly surprising, especially considering the genetic legacy. 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.

Updated on July 22, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Bleach finally returned to the television screen after a decade-long hiatus. With the first and second cours of Thousand-Year Blood War out of the way, fans can't wait for the third part to be released in October 2024. Bleach is nothing without Ichigo Kurosaki, the young Shinigami who consistently demonstrates his devastating power throughout the series. As such, we've updated this list of all Ichigo forms, as well as his complex legacy.

How Did Ichigo Become So Powerful?

Birthday	Height	Japanese VA	English VA
July 15, 1985	5'11½"	Masakazu Morita	Johnny Yong Bosch

Related

The Bleach Episodes Bleach Fans Need to Watch Before Thousand-Year Blood War

Bleach fans may have a bit of revisiting to do if they want to fully understand TYBW.

Posts By Louis Kemner

Shonen heroes are often ordinary boys who never realize just how much potential they have. With a few notable exceptions, protagonists such as Naruto, Tanjiro, Eren, and Yusuke eventually realize that they have secret powers. In Bleach's case, Ichigo is strong because of his genetic legacy. As fans learn in The Thousand-Year Blood War arc, both his parents are extremely powerful: his mother Masaki is a pure-blooded Quincy, whereas his father Isshin is a Shinigami.

Further, Masaki had Hollow essence ingrained in her after a battle with White, which Isshin managed to stabilize with his Shinigami aura. However, all the genes mixed together during Ichigo's conception, granting him Shinigami, Hollow, and Quincy abilities. The Shinigami powers surfaced first, followed by the Hollow, and finally, Ichigo's Quincy powers were revealed to be a part of Old Man Zangetsu. With so many contrasting abilities at his disposal, not to mention a metric ton of Reiatsu, Ichigo was destined to become one of the strongest characters in Bleach.

1 Human Ichigo Is Relatively Weak By Shinigami Standards

Arc Obtained: Agent Of The Shinigami

Special Abilities	Physical strength
	Fighting prowess

Ichigo Kurosaki begins the story as a student at Karakura High, where he meets Yasutora Sado, Orihime Inoue, and Uryu Ishida. They formed a little clique that would eventually be known as Team Ichigo. At this early stage in the story, Ichigo is generally shy and prefers to stay below the radar, explaining why his friend Asano Keigo is stunned to discover Ichigo's academic brilliance.

As expected from a typical Shonen protagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki tends to get into brawls now and then, mostly with the neighborhood ruffians. In one instance, he fights off a bunch of kids messing with a funeral shrine in order to calm the dead person's ghost. Human Ichigo is strong, but nothing compared to what he will soon become. It was only a matter of time before his latent genes were activated.

2 Ichigo Obtains His First Shikai When Rukia Stabs Him With Her Zanpakuto

Arc Obtained: Agent Of The Shinigami

Special Abilities	Enhanced power
	Getsuga Tensho

Related

The Espada: Ranking and Powers, Explained

The ten Arrancar who make up the Espada are some of the most devastatingly powerful characters in Beach, but what makes them so strong?

Posts By Louis Kemner

Ichigo Kurosaki first obtains his Shinigami powers when Rukia stabs him with Sode no Shirayuki in the Agent of the Shinigami arc. This process transfers half her Reiatsu into his spiritual body, giving him access to a shockingly high level of power. His Zankpakuto manifests as an enormous blade, considerably larger than most Shikai should be at this stage of development.

Armed with this prime version of Zangetsu, Ichigo Kurosaki casually cuts down a Hollow that is about to kill his sisters. He later battles and defeats Madarame Ikkaku and Renji Abarai, both formidable opponents in their own right. Ichigo's greatest accomplishment using his basic Shikai is defeating Captain Zaraki Kenpachi (without his eyepatch limiter). Unfortunately, he's no match for stronger captains like Aizen and Byakuya at this point.

3 Ichigo's First Bankai Takes Him Only 2.5 Days To Learn

Arc Obtained: Soul Society: The Rescue

Special Abilities	Remarkable speed
	Black Getsuga Tensho

Urahara formulates a special technique to speed up Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai training, claiming that he will be able to achieve it in three days. Ichigo manages to exceed all expectations by achieving his Bankai in 2.5 days, albeit under the observation and guidance of Yoruichi Shihoin. Tensa Zangetsu is first revealed when Ichigo fights Kuchiki Byakuya atop Sokyoku Hill, although only after he helps Renji escape with Rukia.

Ichigo Kurosaki's gigantic Shikai has now been condensed into a small and lean black-hued blade, and his Shinigami robes are replaced with a black-and-red Shihakusho. Byakuya mocks the pathetic size of Ichigo's Bankai, but the young hero shatters the Captain's arrogance by dispersing all of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi's hundred million petals within seconds. However, even Tensa Zangetsu couldn't overwhelm Byakuya's Senkei technique.

4 Ichigo's Hollow Form Manifests To Save Him From Byakuya

Arc Obtained: Soul Society: The Rescue

Special Abilities	Augmented Getsuga Tensho
	Hollow Combat

This dark form manifests in the same duel with Byakuya when Ichigo Kurosaki is faced with near-certain defeat. Refusing to let him die, Ichigo's inner Hollow forces his way out, an event marked by the iconic Hollow mask manifesting on his face. Ichigo Kurosaki has no control of his body or his actions at this point, but his Hollow version takes on Senbonzakura Kageyoshi's full might effortlessly.

Hollow Ichigo slashes a stunned Byakuya across the chest, laughing in exhilaration, but his true consciousness regains control before he kills his opponent. Nevertheless, Ichigo ultimately wins this fight only because of his Hollow's intervention. In typical Ichigo fashion, he exclaims that this fight doesn't count because he wasn't really doing any of the heavy lifting. And yet, Byakuya willingly acknowledges defeat, demonstrating that even he is capable of change.

5 Vasto Lorde Ichigo Appears When Orihime Calls Out His Name

Arc Obtained: Arrancar: Downfall

Special Abilities	Extreme strength and durability
	Overpowered Cero

Related

10 Bleach Villains That Are Stronger Than Fans Think

Some Bleach villains are considered weaker than they actually are by the fandom, whether it’s due to poor showings or not using their full potential.

Posts By Deni Sahbegovic

A long time passes before fans get to see yet another of Ichigo Kurosaki's transformations. In the Fake Karakura Town arc, the Espada Ulquiorra Cifer nonchalantly bores a hole through Ichigo's chest, which should have technically killed the Shinigami. However, Ichigo quickly awakens upon hearing Orihime's plaintive cries, unconsciously invoking the Vasto Lorde-like entity lurking beneath the surface of his soul.

Ichigo Kurosaki is unrecognizable in his Vasto Lorde form, shocking both his friends and his enemy. Before Ulquiorra comprehends the situation, Ichigo is already at his throat, crushing the Espada's Lanza del Relampago with his bare hands. After ravaging Ulquiorra's body, Vasto Lorde Ichigo tops it off with a ridiculously overpowered Cero that shatters Las Noches' roof. Ulquiorra simply cannot regenerate after this attack, and this Ichigo form never appears again.

6 Ichigo's Mugetsu Is Strong Enough To Defeat Aizen At His Peak

Arc Obtained: Arrancar: Downfall

Special Abilities	Incomprehensible attack power
	Immeasurable Reiatsu

One of the strongest Ichigo transformations is the Mugetsu, also known as the Final Getsuga Tenshou. After three months of time-dilated Jinzen inside the Dangai dimension, Ichigo Kurosaki achieves a perfect union with Zangetsu, learning the only method that can utterly destroy a Hogyoku-empowered Aizen. His appearance changes very slightly when he emerges, sporting longer hair and a chain wound around his arm.

Aizen proves to be a difficult opponent, morphing into a far more powerful Hollow form with the Hogyoku. Ichigo Kurosaki then releases the Final Getsuga Tenshou — his torso and jaw now wrapped in grey pieces of cloth, his hair pitch-black and flowing in the wind. Ichigo's Mugetsu overwhelms Aizen, defeating the villain once and for all. While Aizen does survive the attack, Urahara's secret kidou activates and seals the villain.

7 Fullbring Ichigo Doesn't Last Very Long Against Kugo Ginjou

Arc Obtained: The Lost Substitute Shinigami

Special Abilities	Energy Blast
	Superior Speed

Related

Why The Thousand Year Blood War is the Most Ambitious Arc in Bleach

While Bleach's Soul Society arc is the fan favorite, it's the Thousand-Year Blood War arc that stands as the series' most ambitious project of all.

Posts By Louis Kemner

Upon losing all his powers after unleashing the Mugetsu, Ichigo Kurosaki discovers a new ability that only humans supposedly possess. He undergoes a rigorous training regimen under Kugo Ginjou, consequently giving rise to the latest Ichigo transformation: the Fullbring. Ichigo is quite pleased by this new development as he had never expected to have any kind of powers again.

Ichigo Kurosaki is wrapped in bony armor from head to toe and acquires a short-bladed sword with a glimmering edge. Fullbring Ichigo can generate swirling blasts of Reiatsu, comparable to the Getsuga Tenshou in terms of aesthetic, if not in strength. Luckily for him, Ginjou steals Ichigo's Fullbring, allowing Rukia to inject him with Shinigami powers once again. Ichigo's Fullbring is actually one of his weakest abilities, as shown when he releases his Zanpakuto once again.

8 Ichigo's True Shikai Pays Homage To His Quincy And Hollow Aspects

Arc Obtained: The Thousand-Year Blood War

Special Abilities	Getsuga Juujisho
	Gran Rey Cero-Getsuga Tensho

One of Ichigo Kurosaki's transformations grants him his true Shikai for the first time. After Ichigo's Bankai is sliced cleanly in half by Haschwalth, he travels to the Royal Realm. Here, swordmaster Oetsu Nimaiya teaches him how to commune properly with Zangetsu. Ichigo recognizes the inextricable relationship between his Quincy and Hollow aspects, realizing that neither of them is an unwanted side-effect, as he had once believed.

CBR Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters

Our main newsletter packed with the latest updates, reviews and buzz from the worlds of movies, TV, anime, comics, and beyond. Get ready and let's dive in! Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Nimaiya finishes forging his new Zanpakutos, leaving Ichigo Kurosaki holding two black Zangetsus. One of his swords is short and solid, whereas the other is relatively long and hollow. Ichigo can now access a variety of new techniques, including the devastating Getsuga Juujishou. Unlike the iconic Getsuga Tenshou, this secondary ability allows him to release attacks from both swords at the same time.

9 Ichigo's True Bankai Makes Him One Of Bleach's Strongest Characters

Arc Obtained: The Thousand-Year Blood War

Special Abilities	Flawless attack power
	Golden Getsuga Tensho

Related

10 Biggest Mysteries Yet to Be Resolved in Bleach: The Thousand Year Blood War

Bleach fans may rest assured that the TYBW anime's final two cours, will offer them answers about all their favorite characters, one by one.

Posts 1 By Louis Kemner

Ichigo Kurosaki merely has to combine his dual blades to form his new Bankai: the smaller Zanpakuto fills the hollowed-out space in the larger one, creating the final Tensa Zangetsu. The outer section of Ichigo's new Bankai turns white, and a chain connects the opposite sides of the blended blade. Ichigo Kurosaki's appearance also changes along with his Bankai. A horn juts out of his left temple, one of his eyes glows yellow, and two black stripes run down his face.

This form mirrors that of the Tensa Zangetsu that Ichigo had earlier faced during Jinzen, an obvious foreshadowing of his true nature. According to Yhwach, this is the most powerful of all Ichigo forms seen in Bleach. This is also why the villain uses the Almighty to destroy the true Tensa Zangetsu, which is thankfully restored by Orihime and Tsukishima.

10 Ichigo's Final Zanpakuto Defeats Yhwach And Saves The World

Arc Obtained: The Thousand-Year Blood War

• Special Abilities

• Unknown

Ichigo Kurosaki's final form is not something that fans saw coming. Aizen and Renji lend their support during the series' final battle, but it's Uryu who plays his trump card. The young Quincy delivers an arrowhead of Still Silver that halts Yhwach's powers for a brief moment. Ichigo seizes the opportunity and rushes at the villain with his broken Tensa Zangetsu. Yhwach glibly attempts to stop it with his hands, claiming that Ichigo Kurosaki will never defeat him.

The hero's Bankai then disintegrates completely, revealing what looks like his original Shikai, the sword that emerged when Rukia stabbed him for the first time. The fandom still doesn't know what the final Zanpakuto means for Ichigo, but the scene certainly offers a nostalgic throwback to Bleach's heyday. In terms of success, however, this is easily the strongest of Ichigo's transformations.

Bleach

Like Follow Followed TV-14 Action Anime Fantasy Release Date 2004 - 2012-00-00 Network TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC, BS TV Tokyo Showrunner Tite Kubo Directors Mitsutaka Noshitani, Junya Koshida, Hodaka Kuramoto, Yasuto Nishikata, Hiroaki Nishimura, Kazunori Mizuno, Akira Shimizu, Rokou Ogiwara, Kazunobu Shimizu, Akane Inoue, Hikaru Murata, Tomoko Hiramuki, Kazuo Nogami, Taiji Kawanishi, Shigeki Hatakeyama, Eiko Nishi, Takushi Kimura, Koji Aritomi, Ogura Shirakawa, Kiyomu Fukuda, Yukio Okazaki, Mitsue Yamazaki, Yasuhiro Matsumura, Eitarou Ano Writers Masahiro Okubo, Masashi Sogo, Kenta Shimoyama, Genki Yoshimura, Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, Rika Nakase, Michiko Yokote, Natsuko Takahashi, Kento Shimoyama

Cast

See All

• Masakazu Morita Ichigo Kurosaki (voice)
• Fumiko Orikasa Rukia Kuchiki

Bleach revolves 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.

Creator Tite Kubo Main Genre Anime Seasons 2 Streaming Service(s) Hulu Powered by

Expand Collapse

• Anime
• Bleach

Follow Followed Like Share Facebook X WhatsApp Threads Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit Flipboard Copy link Email Close Trending Now

The Rookie Showrunner Promises Lopez & Evers Fans Will Be 'Very Happy' in Season 8

JK Simmons' Forgotten Alien Sci-Fi Sleeper With a Near-Perfect Twist Ending

Sentenced to Be a Hero Episode 2 Release Date & Time