Highlights
- Ichigo Kurosaki's incredible growth rate and mastery of complex concepts make him one of the strongest forces in Bleach.
- His unmatched reserves of Reiatsu and control over his power allow him to channel it efficiently and use it in focused attacks.
- As a mixed heritage warrior with power from Shinigami, Hollows, and Quincy, Ichigo's unpredictable nature and unleashed potential make him a formidable threat to the Wandenreich.
More often than not, being the protagonist means that a character will inevitably grow to be one of the strongest individuals in a series, and this naturally also holds true in Bleach. A Substitute Shinigami whose power rivals and even eclipses that of the Captains of Soul Society's Gotei 13, Ichigo Kurosaki is one of the greatest threats to the Wandenreich during the Thousand Year Blood War between the Shinigami and the Quincy led by Yhwach. Primarily by virtue of his defeat of Aizen during the Battle of Fake Karakura Town, and the recovery of his Shinigami powers, Ichigo came to be acknowledged as one of the strongest forces allied with the Gotei 13 in Bleach.
This is one of the main reasons why he was selected as one of the five Special War Powers of the Wandenreich. In the eyes of Yhwach and his Sternritter, these individuals represented the greatest collective challenge to the Quincy invasion of Soul Society, such that subduing any one of them was sufficient insurance for them proceed with their plans. While Kenpachi Zaraki was initially designated as the most powerful of this quintet, his defeat at the hands of Royd Lloyd during the Wandenreich's invasion led to Ichigo taking his place among the list of most dangerous threats. But why exactly does Ichigo pose such a problem for the Quincy Emperor and his troops?
The Gotei 13's Wildcard
From the time he first became a Substitute Shinigami with the aid of Rukia Kuchiki, Ichigo displayed immense potential in grasping complex concepts at lightning speed, implementing them as if they were second nature. In fact, Ichigo's latent abilities and his staggering growth rate garnered a great deal of attention during the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo Arcs, where he was able to quickly make up for any deficits in his strength and catch up to much stronger opponents in no time.
Both Aizen and Urahara have commended the speed at which his abilities have grown since he first gained Shinigami powers, as the rate of his development is unprecedented for Shinigami of even Captain level caliber. Having mastered Bankai in less than three days through a dangerous method devised by Kisuke Urahara, he was able to reach the ultimate release of his Zanpakuto in a miniscule fraction of the time it takes most Shinigami, as they often require more than 10 years to truly gain control over its power.
Alongside this, Ichigo is also quite perceptive and possesses a good eye for analyzing his opponent's techniques and counteracting them with moves of his own, despite his outward demeanor which may come off as impulsive, hot headed, and stubborn at first. Moreover, he did not receive too much formal training in swordplay or Shinigami Zanjutsu prior to his arrival in Soul Society, but he was able to fight on par with and even defeat Shinigami of Lieutenant rank or higher. His ability to adapt and learn from the vast amounts of combat experience he has gained over time is one of his greatest assets, where his skills have been honed in the heat of battle rather than through dedicated practice.
Reserves Of Untapped Potential
Another reason why Ichigo is so highly regarded within both Soul Society and the Wandenreich are his incredible reserves of Reiatsu. Eclipsing those of most Captain level Shinigami in the Gotei 13, Ichigo was able to hold back the Sokyoku before awakening his true Zanpakuto, and could sense the Reiatsu of Aizen's Second Hogyoku Evolution from a distance, even while Urahara, Yoruichi, and Isshin Kurosaki were unable to perceive it, despite fighting Aizen at close range.
Ichigo's control over his Reiatsu was quite unrefined during his initial stint as a Shinigami, where it would leak out constantly, fluctuate wildly during Hollowfication, and hinder his ability to rely on stealth or misdirection against spiritually aware beings. This, compounded with the massive well of power contained within his body, made it quite difficult for him to regulate his Reiatsu at first. Later on, his time training at the Soul King Palace greatly increased his restraint over the amount of Reiatsu emanating from his body, enhancing how efficiently he could channel it into attacks or conceal it during endeavors that required him to move undetected.
Now, his control has improved to such a degree that his Reiatsu automatically becomes visible whenever he prepares to fight, and he can apply its power in a much more focused manner. He can harden it to augment the destructive power of his attacks, use it as a barrier to either reduce the impact of enemy attacks, or block them completely. Lastly, Ichigo is quite adept in most Shinigami combat skills apart from Kido, as he is a swordsman who can fight on par with Byakuya Kuchiki or Kenpachi Zaraki, and is also extremely proficient in the art of Shunpo, to bolster his fearsome raw speed.
A Warrior Of Unique Mixed Heritage
Although his raw strength alone is a force to be reckoned with, Ichigo is an anomaly in the world of Shinigami, Hollows, and Quincy, as he possesses power from all three races. Soon after awakening his Shinigami powers, Ichigo's inner Hollow also manifested involuntarily to defend him, periodically taking control over his mind. However, after training with the Visored, he was able to summon a Hollow mask at will and make use of the enhancements it provided to his speed, durability, and strength.
Once he learned the truth about his mixed heritage after traveling to the Soul King Palace, Ichigo also gained access to his real Zanpakuto, along with his true Shikai and Bankai in the process. This took his power to unforeseen levels, as he could now call upon his Hollow, Quincy, and Shinigami powers, using their combined might in battle. The potential which had previously been sealed within him was now completely unleashed, allowing him to fight without any restraints on his abilities. His fight against Yhwach in Soul Society also showcased his ability to use Blut Vene, as a consequence of his Quincy heritage through his mother.
As a consequence, he could then merge his inner Hollow with his other powers, culminating in a powerful transformation that eclipsed both. In this state, his physical attributes are augmented just like with his Hollow mask, but on an entirely different level. The speed of the merged form was enough to even leave Yhwach speechless, as had some trouble keeping up with it at first. In addition, this form also allowed him to merge two of his most powerful attacks in the form of a Combined Gran Rey Cero-Getsuga Tensho.
Considering all these factors, Ichigo is undoubtedly one of the greatest threats to the Wandenreich, and the unpredictable nature of his powers made him a variable that Yhwach's forces could not account for. They were unable to steal his Bankai from him, Quilge Opie failed to keep him restrained within a Reishi prison, and even the combined forces of multiple Sternritter using Quincy: Vollstandig was not enough to even hold him back when only using his Shikai once he returned from training at the Soul King Palace. Without a doubt, his explosive, mercurial strength is a force that can turn the tide of any battle in his favor, even one against the Quincy Emperor himself during the Thousand Year Blood War in Bleach.
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 – The Separation is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.