Bleach Meta/Headcanon - Ichigo’s Zanpakuto
Bleach Meta/headcannon – Ichigo’s Zanpakuto
Something that’s been buzzing at the back of my mind for a few weeks now:
Zangetsu/Tensa Zangetsu/Mugetsu and their Getsuga/Getsuga Tensho are meant “to tear down the heavens”.
I don’t speak or read Japanese, so I’ll need to look it up to verify everything, especially whichever katakana/hiragana are used and their meanings but…
“Heavens” has several meanings.
1. Heavens as in Heaven (=> A.K.A in the Bleach Universe: Soul Society)
This means that Ichigo could potentially tear down Soul Society!
Which is something he kinda does when he invades SS after Rukia got taken and he manages to force them to change their ways;
2. Heavens as in the sky/air
Which more or less translate to Ichigo’s long range attack (Getsuga and its variants) AND his bankai ability to go faster than the wind (split/tear down the air to let him pass);
3. Heavens as a spiritual and metaphorical space/place, or as something physical-but-not: Reishi
Reishi, or spirit particles, are what everything is made of; especially in Soul Society where everything (from the clothes, to the food, to the bodies) is made of reishi.
This last one is important.
If Ichigo could tear down spirit particles/reishi he could tear down everything in his path!
For example, one of his getsuga could go through a body to attack directly the soul inside it! And thus dealing spiritual damage as well as physical!
Similarly, his bankai could potentially allow him to go through physical obtacles (walls, bodies, etc.)!
Awesome, right?
But wait!
Guess what is also made of reishi?
…
…
Attacks!
Shinigami, Quincy, Fullbringer, Hollows, … they all use reishi to fight!
Imagine Ichigo, after some training and studying his own ability (maybe with Hat-and-Clogs’ help), being able to destructure particle by particle reishi! Being able to cancel an attack directed his way by casting his own counter-attack. And lets’ face it, he’s smart. He’ll totally be able to do so!
Imagine fast!Ichigo (which he already is in bankai) being able to further distract/attack his opponent by going through them and dealing spiritual damage and physical one!
Imagine in a Fix-It/Time Travel scenario Ichigo going toe-to-toe against Aizen and not batting an eyelash at his illusions because said illusions are made of reishi and so he can see through them!
Basically more trained/older/wiser!Ichigo would kick some serious ass.
(I hope my babbling makes as much sense when written down than it did when it was floating in my head^^)