Ichigo Kurosaki

:Name::ichigo kurosaki
:Gender::male
:Race::shinigami,vizard
:Age::15
:Personality::

:Background Information::Ichigo Kurosaki (黒崎 一護, Kurosaki Ichigo) is the protagonist of the Bleach series. The series begins with Ichigo receiving Shinigami powers as a result of a run-in with Rukia Kuchiki, the Shinigami assigned to patrol Karakura Town. These powers come at the cost of Rukia's own, and as a result, Ichigo concedes to work as Rukia's stand-in, fighting to protect people from evil spirits called hollows and sending good spirits, pluses, to Soul Society. Zangetsu, Ichigo's Zanpakutō, was voted the 3rd most popular Zanpakutō in a recent Bleach Poll.


:Current Rank:ex captin

:Zanpakuto Appearance[Shikai and Bankai]::
Shikai Form:

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Bankai Form:

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:Zanpakuto Info::Zangetsu (斬月, Moon Cutter or Cutting Moon): 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, implying that it is simply a type of zanpakutō that, once in shika.
The spirit of Zangetsu resembles a 30 to 40 year-old man, and 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, also it is simply due to the massive amounts of spiritual energy, as demonstrated by Nnoitra Jiruga. However, since Ichigo developed an inner hollow (as a result from 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.
When Ichigo first becomes a Shinigami, his zanpakutō is a standard looking katana, but oversized with an equally-oversized sheathe on his back, with a red handle, rectangular tsuba, and red tassel on the end of the handle. The large size is due to Ichigo's immense 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 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.
During Ichigo's battle with his inner hollow, it mirrored Zangetsu's shikai and bankai when fighting Ichigo while he was training with the other Vizard's having a Zangetsu with a white blade and black edge, and when in bankai wearing a white and black version of Zangetsu's black and red coat.


:Bankai Abilities and Powers[Limit 2, Bankai is only available to Rank 5(4th seat shinigami) and above]::Tensa Zangetsu (天鎖斬月, Heavenly Chain Moon Cutter or Heavenly Chain Cutting Moon): 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, handguard in the shape of the manji (which is the kanji for "ban," meaning "full"). The cloth wrapped around the hilt is replaced by a short chain with a broken link, similar to that of a Plus. In addition to his sword, Ichigo's robe is replaced with a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat with red lining that is closed at his chest, much like that of Zangetsu himself. As explained by Byakuya Kuchiki, Ichigo's Bankai is a compression of his remarkable power, rather than a vast expansion as other Bankai are. This vastly compressed power enables to reach levels of physical and spiritual prowess most Shinigami would have their bodies give out at and cannot handle. It allows Ichigo to move at very high speeds exceeding those of flash steps, and gives him matching agility and reflexes, possibly equaling if not, surpassing Yoruichi's speed, along with allowing him to use his natural strength to its limits as shown from how effortlessly he blocked a punch from Yammy, an Espada known primarily for his immense strength. The Shunpo's speeds are also enhanced in this state, allowing him to use flash steps at a speed much greater than Byakuya Kuchiki's. In addition, his already immense spiritual energy has grandly and explosively increased, and now has a deep black spiritual energy with a crimson outline. 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. With enough usage and acquired height, Ichigo can even appear as though he is flying. Ichigo's initial inexperience with controlling his Bankai led to a serious drawback; the force of his compressed spiritual power caused all of his bones to crack, as stated by his inner Hollow, gradually decreasing his speed and power over time. This drawback has not been mentioned since its introduction, so it has (presumably) been overcome.
Bankai Special Ability: Zangetsu's special ability remains Getsuga Tenshō. When used with Zangetsu's 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" (黒月牙; "Black Moon Fang"). This term simply refers to the darkened color of the attack, not its actual name. When used with his Bankai and Hollow mask in combination, Ichigo's tremendous speed allows him to move faster than the Getsuga Tenshō itself, allowing him to fire multiple blasts from different directions. The Kuroi Getsuga was first displayed by Ichigo's inner Hollow, and initially carried the risk of causing his inner Hollow to surface if used too much. With Ichigo's later control over his inner Hollow, this is no longer a problem. Ichigo is also capable of utilizing Getsuga Tenshō to augment blade swings, as seen in the fight with Byakuya Kuchiki, and the manifestation of Ichigo's inner Hollow. In fact it has come to a point where it literally just comes out of Ichigo's body, replacing his blue aura. It should also be noted that ever since Ichigo mastered his Vizard form, he produces a black aura that rages in the form of the black Getsuga Tensho that surrounds him as he initiates Bankai, rather than a white aura that shoots high into the sky. During his second fight with Ulquiorra, Ichigo retained his Getsuga Tenshō in his blade, giving each attack the power of Getsuga.