Ichigo's mother died in an incident when Ichigo was young. He has always blamed himself for her death which has led him to promise himself to never let anyone dear to him die or get hurt under his watch. Although his appearance makes Ichigo look like a delinguint, Ichigo actually has a strong sense of justice and will act upon his instincts if he feels something is not right.
Race: Human, Shinigami
Birthday: July 15
Age: 15-17
Gender: Male
Height: 174 cm (5'9")(formerly) 181 cm (5'11")
Weight: 61 kg (134 lbs.) (formerly) 66 kg (145 lbs.)
Blood Type: A
Professional Status Affiliation: Kurosaki Clinic, Karakura Town Loosely Soul Society
Previous Affiliation Unofficially: Visored Xcution
Occupation: High School Student, Substitute Shinigami and Errand Boy of the Unagiya Shop
Base of Operations: Kurosaki House, Minamikawase, Karakura Town, Japan, Human World
Known Relatives: Son of Isshin and Masaki Kurosaki, and older brother of Karin and Yuzu.
First Appearance: Manga ch.1 Anime ep.1
Ichigo Kurosaki is a Teenager with a bit of a bad attitude and a very short temper. Regardless, he fights others to protect ghosts. (Yes, He can see them.) He keeps to himself a lot and does not like opening up to others. Deep down, he does care about the people around him, even his Dad, who likes to roughhouse with Ichigo.
He is sometimes called "Strawberry" because the kanji for his name, Ichigo, also means strawberry. However, in episode 21 when Ichigo was fighting Jindanbou, guardsman of Gate of the White Way in Soul Society, Ichigo claims that his name translates to "number one guardian" (ichi - first/best, go - "guardian angel").
Ichigo's zanpakuto is named Zangetsu ("Moon Cutter"), though he doesn't realize this until he begins training under Urahara. Its unawakened form is very large and bulky, yet it isn't as powerful as compared to other sealed zanpakuto due to Ichigo's inability to control his own spiritual power (this form of the sword is shown above). This doesn't become apparent, however, until his encounter with Byakuya Kuchiki, who cuts off most of the blade. Subsequently, training with Urahara allowed Ichigo to finally get in touch with the spirit of his zanpakuto and reawaken his Soul Reaper powers. Further training forces Ichigo to finally learn--and call out--its name, thus awakening it. From then on, Zangetsu always assumes at least a released [shikai] state because of Ichigo's overabundance of spirit energy (this is the form seen in the nearby picture). Its special attack is called getsuga tensho ("Sky-piercing Moon Fang"). Again, Ichigo does not realize its name until he talks with the spirit of Zangetsu, who notes that knowledge of the technique affects its power.
Thanks to help from a device of Urahara's, Ichigo is also one of the few Soul Reapers not of captain rank to have achieved his zanpakuto's final release [bankai]--Tensa Zangetsu. What's strange is that most bankai reach out and change into huge forms--his compresses all the power *inward* (the sword itself compresses down into the size of a traditional nodachi or Japanese longsword). So instead of unleashing new attacks, Tensa Zangetsu enhances what's already there, from his natural physical ability (giving him speed that can surpass the flash step) to his getsuga tensho attack (which gains both power and control) to even his garb (which changes into a black coat similar to that worn by the spirit of Zangetsu).
Because Urahara's training took Ichigo to the edge of becoming a Hollow, that Hollow personality remains in him and will emerge at key moments during the Soul Society arc in order to protect Ichigo's life. It also risks emerging if his spirit energy destabilizes--which tends to happen when Ichigo is utilizing the demanding final release. Knowing how dangerous this evil side of him can become, controlling it becomes a constant concern. It is only during the Arrancar arc that he gains better knowledge about his Hollow side and learns how to better control and exploit it. He also realizes then that he is not the only vizard (a Soul Reaper also able to utilize Hollow powers) around.
Ichigo looks like a normal teenage boy, except that his hair is spiky orange, a trait that he has been ridiculed about for years on end. He is a fairly tall, lean-built person with peach skin and brown eyes. He likes to wear tight clothes top and bottom. He has a tendency to wear shirts patterned with the number 15, because his name is a homonym for the number. Since becoming a Shinigami, he has become noticeably more muscular, as noted by his sister Karin. When in his spiritual form, Ichigo wears standard Shinigami attire with the addition of a strap across his chest. Initially, it was a thick brown belt to hold his Zanpakutō sheath, but it later became a red rosary-like strap. The shape of them is a kite with a flat top and bottom. Ichigo's appearance has caused several people, including Jūshirō Ukitake, to notice a similarity toKaien Shiba; the former lieutenant of the 13th Division. After training in the Dangai, Ichigo's hair grows considerably and is noticeably taller, as stated by his friends.However, after Ichigo loses all his spiritual powers, his appearance reverts to the way it was before his Dangai training.
Seventeen months after defeating Aizen, Ichigo's appearance doesn't change, except that he becomes taller and grows sideburns. After regaining his powers, Ichigo’s Shinigami attire also consists of a thicker strap across his chest. He also has four black vertical lines on his forearms and black, tattoo-like bands crossing over his chest, wrists, and ankles. Similar bands, but with white ends, are around his neck as collars.
SHINKAI DESCRIPTION:
The Shikai form of Zangetsu looks like an oversized elegant cleaver rather than a formal "katana". He has no tsuba and no proper hilt; what Ichigo holds is the cloth-wrapped tang. The sword is as tall as Ichigo is, 1.75 meters, and has a black blade with a silver edge. The cloth wrapping on the tang seems to react to Ichigo's will, changing length at a thought or twining about the blade in an impromptu sheath. When in combat, the cloth falls away when necessary, shrinking back to a manageable size.The cloth can also be used to swing the weapon like a flail and toss it at opponents for mid-range combat, but this is rarely done. The cloth also can be done to wrap up wounds, as Ichigo does during his fight with Ikkaku Madarame, but this is also done rarely. Ichigo has also on more than one occasion used Zangetsu's wide blade as a shield from incoming attacks. Unlike most Zanpakutō, which can be sealed into their original form, Zangetsu is always in its Shikai form. Yoruichi Shihōin has stated that his Zanpakutō is a full-time released form type because of Ichigo's vast but uncontrollable spiritual energy upon generation of it, implying that it is simply a type of Zanpakutō that without proper control of his spiritual energy, once in Shikai form, it remains in its said state.
Zangetsu's is largely used for melee combat but possesses one known special ability.
Getsuga Tenshō (Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer; "Piercer of Heaven" in the English anime): At the instant of the slash, Zangetsu absorbs his spiritual energy and releases highly condensed spiritual energy at the tip of the blade, magnifying the slash attack and then flies forward. This slash takes the form of a crescent moon or in the shape of a wave. Ichigo uses this ability without knowing its name several times but masters the technique later on during his Bankai training. As stated by Zangetsu, knowing the name of an attack heightens its power compared to its strength when the wielder does not know its name. The Getsuga Tenshō is a powerful technique with great force, capable of causing large-scale damage and destruction. While it is currently the only attack Ichigo knows from Zangetsu, Ichigo has used this technique in several different manners, such as striking the ground to create an omnidirectional blast to knock away incoming attacks or slashing at the ground to upturn it and crush everything in its path.
BANKAI DESCRIPTION:
Tensa Zangetsu (Heaven Chain Slaying Moon): It is considered completely out of the ordinary for any Zanpakutō. Unlike most Bankai forms, which usually create some sort of massive creature or effect, Ichigo's Bankai actually shrinks his sword down to a daitō (Japanese long sword) with a black blade instead. The cross guard has four prongs bent out to form the shape of the manji (which is the kanji for "ban," meaning "full", as in "full release"). The blade itself can endure even the strongest of attacks, making it quite effective in blocking and deflecting incoming attacks; it can even withstand getting crushed by force. Instead of the cloth his Shikai form had, a short length of chain with a broken link at the end dangles from the base of the hilt. After Ichigo's training in the Dangai, Zangetsu's guard becomes noticeably big and rougher looking with its chain extending around Ichigo's entire right arm, as well as what appears to be a glove on his right hand. In addition to his sword, Ichigo's robe is replaced with a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat (or shikakushō) with red lining that is closed at his chest, then left to flare out into ragged ends, much like that of Zangetsu himself. This coat is part of Ichigo's Bankai and the damage it can take is directly proportionate to the remaining strength and level of Ichigo's Reiatsu.
BANKAI ABILITY:
Hyper-Speed Combat: Ichigo takes all the power of his Bankai and compresses it into a small, condensed form. Then, he uses the power of the Bankai to perform high-speed combat. His new speed is so great, that it also enhances his Flash Step prowess and allows him to create dozens of afterimages to confuse his opponent.Enhanced Strength: Ichigo's Bankai also allows him to further enhance his natural great strength as shown from how effortlessly he blocked a punch from Yammy Llargo, an Espada known primarily for his immense strength. He is strong enough to cut through Yammy's Hierro with relative ease. The sudden boost in strength upon releasing allows Ichigo to break free from any attack that binds him and prevents him from moving. After his training in the Dangai Precipice World, Ichigo's strength has increased to the point where a single swing of his sword can level a mountain. He can grab hold of Aizen's Zanpakutō blade with his bare hand without feeling any of the exerted force although that force was capable of doing considerable damage to the surrounding area. He is able to effortlessly break through a #90. Hadō spell Kurohitsugi with his bare hand.
Enhanced Getsuga Tenshō: Tensa Zangetsu retains the use of Getsuga Tenshō and can be used in the same manners, but can be used in an enhanced form. When used in Bankai, these potent blasts are black with a red outline and their path can be controlled, with explosively augmented power and speed. During Byakuya Kuchiki's fight with Ichigo, he refers to this attack as a "Kuroi Getsuga" ("Black Moon Fang"), referring to the attack's darkened color. Ichigo has stated that the Black Getsuga was originally Hollow Ichigo's technique, and has been proven as Ichigo had no knowledge of it during his fight with Byakuya Kuchiki, using the original Getsuga when in Bankai, and Hollow Ichigo stated that all Ichigo was doing when he used the technique was copying his inner Hollow. Ichigo can also keep Getsuga Tenshō within Tensa Zangetsu to augment his sword swings.
Enhanced Bankai Duration: Furthermore, the fact that all of his energy is "compressed" means that usage of his Bankai doesn't expel as much spiritual power as other Bankai from the point of activation; thus allowing him to use Tensa Zangetsu at a much longer duration than any other Bankai users of his level.
VIDEO GALLERY:
-Brian Lansangan
Follow me on Twitter @MrSnugglenutz84
No comments:
Post a Comment
COMMENT POLICY
We’re all here for the same reason: to share information, to discuss all things pop-culture, to better ourselves as writers, directors, cinematographers, producers, photographers... whatever our creative pursuit happens to be.
Criticism is valuable as long as it is "constructive", but personal attacks are grounds for deletion; you don't have to agree with us to learn something. We’re all here to help each other, so thank you for adding to the conversation!