Bleach TYBW: 6 Strongest Ichigo Forms in the Story, Ranked

Ichigo Kurosaki’s power has changed dramatically throughout Bleach, with every major battle revealing another side of his unusual heritage. By the current point in the Thousand-Year Blood War, he can draw on his Soul Reaper, Quincy, and Hollow powers in ways that would have been impossible earlier in the story.

The ongoing anime has also introduced Blood Chains Ichigo, a brand-new form designed and named by Tite Kubo. That makes ranking Ichigo’s strongest forms trickier than ever, especially when some transformations are temporary or never get a full fight. Here are the six strongest versions of Ichigo shown in the anime so far.

6 Full Hollow (Vasto Lorde) Ichigo Becomes a Monster Against Ulquiorra

Full Hollow Ichigo Kurosaki is the most frightening transformation Ichigo displays before learning to control his Hollow powers. After Ulquiorra fatally wounds him, Ichigo’s Hollow takes complete control of his body, producing the horned, white-masked form fans remember from their battle, which resembled a Vasto Lorde.

He completely overwhelms Ulquiorra in his Second Stage Resurrección, even overpowering his Lanza del Relámpago and Cero Oscuras. The problem is that Ichigo has no conscious control over the transformation and later gains much more refined forms. It takes sixth place because its raw power is immense, but its lack of control limits its standing beside Ichigo’s later forms.

5 Dangai Ichigo Turns His Training Into Overwhelming Combat Power

Dangai Ichigo is the form Ichigo reaches after training inside the Dangai to learn the Final Getsuga Tensho. His spiritual pressure becomes so immense that Aizen, even after evolving with the Hogyoku, struggles to sense it. Ichigo effortlessly stops Aizen’s attacks and overwhelms him in close combat before revealing the power of Mugetsu.

The form shows just how far Ichigo can push his raw strength without relying on a conventional Hollow transformation. It ranks fifth only because Final Getsuga Tensho represents the next step of that training and unleashes an even greater one-time attack.

4 Final Getsuga Tensho Ichigo Makes the Ultimate Sacrifice to Win

Final Getsuga Tensho is the ultimate lock-in technique Ichigo learns during his Dangai training, and using it means becoming Getsuga itself. In this state, Ichigo gains the power to unleash Mugetsu, the devastating attack that overwhelms Aizen after his fusion with the Hogyoku.

The price is severe: Ichigo loses his Shinigami powers after using the technique. It is one of the biggest sacrifices he ever makes for a single battle, and Mugetsu remains one of his most spectacular attacks. It takes fourth because its incredible burst of power comes with a crippling cost and lacks the versatility of his later forms.

3 Horn of Salvation Ichigo Masters His Hollow Transformation Fully

Horn of Salvation Ichigo is the controlled fusion of Ichigo’s Shinigami and Hollow powers after his Royal Palace training. The form gives him a single horn, Hollow markings, and a major boost in physical and spiritual power.

Against Soul King-empowered Yhwach, Ichigo combines a Gran Rey Cero with Getsuga Tensho and manages to cut him, forcing Yhwach to rely on The Almighty. It is one of Ichigo’s most impressive controlled transformations because he is still fighting with his own judgment. It ranks third because True Bankai and Blood Chains represent even greater late-series power.

2 True Bankai Ichigo Unleashes His Most Dangerous Zanpakuto Yet

True Bankai Ichigo has very little screen time, but its importance is impossible to miss. After reforging Zangetsu and accepting both sides of his power, Ichigo activates Tensa Zangetsu against Soul King-empowered Yhwach. Yhwach immediately breaks it with The Almighty, implying that he considered the Bankai dangerous enough to eliminate before Ichigo could properly use it.

We never get a full showcase of what the completed Bankai can do, so its exact limits remain unknown. Still, its terrifying potential and place in the final battle put True Bankai Ichigo comfortably in second place.

1 Blood Chains Ichigo Pushes His Hollow Power to Its Absolute Limit

Blood Chains Ichigo is the newest addition to Ichigo’s arsenal, appearing in Episode 45, “DEFEND YOU.” He awakens the Hollow blood within him, enters a partial Hollowfication, and then activates Bankai, causing his appearance and Zanpakuto to change together.

The official anime site describes it as his ultimate form, with his spiritual pressure, physical abilities, and reaction speed reaching a new level against Soul King-empowered Yhwach. Kubo personally designed and named the form for the anime. That combination of Hollow power, Bankai, and late-series scaling makes Blood Chains Ichigo the strongest version shown in the anime so far.

Which is your favourite Ichigo form in the series? We’d love to know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.