When Does Ichigo Learn Bankai in Bleach? Both the First & Second Time Explained
No other comeback could be more epic than the return of Bleach. When the anime stopped airing after episode 366 with the Fullbring Arc, fans were devastated. After over a decade of waiting, Bleach has come back among fans one last time with its final arc, Sennen Kessen-hen, also known as the Thousand Year Blood War. So many captains’ Bankai will be revealed and we will get to see another badass villain squad like the Espada, which this time is made of a group of Quincy named Wandenreich. But the real question is when will Ichigo learn his true Bankai?
Ichigo used Bankai for the first time in the Soul Society Arc, episode 58, manga volume 19, chapter 162. He activated his basic level of Bankai named Tensa Zangetsu after training for only three days. After the Soul Society arc, Ichigo learns to control his hollow powers and achieves his Fullbring abilities which gave his Bankai some new looks and edges. But his true Bankai wasn’t activated until manga chapter 675, pretty much at the end of the manga.
To explain the true form of Ichigo’s Zanpakutō (Soul Slayer), Shikai, and Bankai, we will need a lot of explaining to do including Ichigo’s heritage and past. So let’s not delay anymore and get into the real part.
The Shikai form of Zangetsu
A Zanpakutō is called by its Shikai name. After Byakuya took away the power Rukia gave to Ichigo, Urahara made Ichigo train really hard and awakened his very own Shinigami power. That is the first time Ichigo called out the name of his Zanpakutō, Zangetsu which literally means slaying moon or moon slayer. It was a goosebump moment for us.
A body-length Zanpakutō without a guard or grip’ is how Zangetsu was demonstrated when Ichigo’s troupe infiltrated Soul Society to save Rukia. But this form of Shikai is neither the true version nor the complete one.
The first Bankai: Tensa Zangetsu
After achieving Shikai, Zangetsu remained in his Shikai form most of the time due to Ichigo’s poor reiatsu (spiritual pressure) control. The Bankai Ichigo activated from his incomplete Shikai is called Tensa Zangetsu. Though it generally takes at least 10 years to master a Bankai properly, Ichigo did it within only three days thanks to Urahara’s special training device. This Bankai was powerful enough to defeat Byakuya’s third-level Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.
In his fight with Aizen, Ichigo became one with his Shinigami power and thus unleashed Mugetsu (moonless night) which cost him his Shinigami power for almost forever. After the Arrancar arc and the Fullbringer arc, Ichigo learned to use his hollow and fullbring power. But the Zanpakutō was still yet to be complete.
The second and true form of Tensa Zangetsu
Ichigo achieves his new Shikai in the manga chapter 542. His Zanpakutō was destroyed by Yhwach and to get a new sword, he was sent to the Royal palace where Nimaiya forged him a dual-bladed sword. Yes, Ichigo becomes the third-ever shinigami to become a dual wielder after Kyouraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushiro.
Ichigo’s Bankai is first shown in his last battle with Yhwach where he activates his hollow form known as the horn of salvation. Then he activated his Bankai where he merged his blades making the ultimate Tensa Zangetsu.
How Ichigo gets to achieve a whole new set of Shikai and Bankai is vastly related to Ichigo’s past and the lineage he inherited from his parents. After hearing Ichigo’s story you will ask yourself which race is Ichigo really from. Is he a Shinigami (substitute or not), a human, a hollow, a fullbring, a visored, a Quincy? The truth is he is a mix of everything.
Ichigo’s lineage
Ichigo is the child of Shiba Isshin and Kurosaki Masaki. Shiba Isshin was not only a Shinigami, he was the captain of the 10th squad, the squad that Hitsugaya Toushiro leads now. The late Kurosaki Masaki was a pure-blood Quincy, and she was betrothed to Ishida Ryuuken.
Masaki was once attacked by a hollowfied Shinigami created by Aizen who bit a chunk off her shoulder. Isshin, who was in the real world at that time, defeated the hollow. Seeing Masaki’s life in grave danger, with Urahara’s help, he gave away his reiraku to save Masaki’s life. This stripped him of his reiraku and Isshin was like nothing but a simple human then.
Later they fell in love and got married. Thus Ichigo was born from a former Shinigami and a pure-blood Quincy. But Aizen played the real trick here. Aizen implemented a white virus that went into Masaki’s body when she was bitten by the hollow. When Ichigo was in her womb, the virus infiltrated Ichigo’s spirit core and corrupted it making him a part hollow, part Shinigami, and part Quincy.
In Ichigo’s new Shikai the smaller blade represents his Quincy power and the bigger blade with a hollow inside represents his Shinigami powers.
Which is Ichigo’s true Zanpakutō spirit?
Now, this may come as a massive surprise. The old mysterious man that Ichigo met a couple of times in his inner world is not the real Zangetsu. That man is the manifestation of Ichigo’s Quincy power. In fact, he acted as a powerful barrier that did not let Ichigo use his full potential. The old man never wanted Ichigo to become a Shinigami in the first place. Why you ask? After reading chapter 541, it simply felt like the old man was protective of Ichigo and never wanted him to get hurt.
The real Zangetsu spirit is Ichigo’s alter ego, the white hollow Ichigo (some call his Shirosaki as Shiro means white). The old man has been surpassing Hollow Ichigo all this time.
Now, come to think of it, the Hollow Ichigo is the one who has been saving Ichigo in crucial moments like when Ichigo was in bad shape during his fight with Byakuya or when Ulquiorra bore a hole in his chest and he almost died.
After Ichigo’s confrontation with the old man in chapter 541, the old man fades away leaving Ichigo’s inner world a complete wreck. It was truly a self-discovering moment for Ichigo.
Why Yhwach wants Ichigo dead
Since Ichigo is a part of Quincy, Yhwach could have wanted him in his team given Ichigo’s strength. But instead, he wants him dead. That is because there are five people whom Yhwach considers great threats who have the potential to change the course of an event.
These individuals are: Aizen Sosuke for his immense reiatsu, Urahara Kisuke for his scientific genius and incalculability, Hyosube Ichibei for vast knowledge and his name manipulation technique, Zaraki Kenpachi for his brutal strength (this guy defeated the 5th Espada without a Shikai), and lastly Kurosaki Ichigo for his great potential to become the most powerful individual in all dimensions.