During the final battle of theBleachManga between Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Inoue against the Quincy King, Yhwach. Ichigo undergoes a brand-new transformation that shocks audiences. Commonly called"Horn of Salvation"because of the Manga chapter it debuted in, this form showcases a perfect unity of Ichigo’s powers.Bleach,as the peak battle Shōnen series it is, is full of epic transformations and power-ups, and Ichigo already has several iconic forms. But Horn of Salvation feels special.
For most of the series, Ichigo has been in conflict with himself, unable to accept his origins and powers. But with his battle with Yhwach and this transformation, Ichigo is shown to be complete, fully embracing all of what he is.
The following contains spoilers for the finale of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War
Ichigo’s Personal Conflict
Soul Reaper, Hollow, and Quincy.
Ichigo’s life has been full of turmoil. He lost his mother, Masaki, at a young age, and then, after becoming a Soul Reaper at age fifteen, he’s been involved in endless battles since. Ichigo eventually comes to discover two beings residing in his soul: anold man with shades claiming to be his Zanpakutou and the center of his power, and a Hollow version of himself, constantly at odds with him.
As Ichigo grew stronger, he remained in conflict with his Hollow side, unable to fully understand what he was and why he had those powers. Time and time again, his Hollow threatened to take control of his body. Ichigo kept fighting deadly foes while he had to fight himself at the same time.During his battle with Cuatro Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer, Ichigo was killed by the Arrancar. And when he heard Orihime’s cries of terror, he unconsciously surrendered control to the Hollow, who immediately transformed into a Vasto Lorde-like form and decimated Ulquiorra and almost killed Uryuu Ishida. After this, Ichigo feared his Hollow powers so much he was hesitant to use his Hollow mask against Gin Ichimaru and Sousuke Aizen.
“Thank you, Zangetsu…You are…Me”
During his first encounter with Yhwach, the king told him he was a Quincy, implying it had something to do with his mother. This was later confirmed by his father, who revealed his mother to be a pure-blood Quincy. Ichigo was faced with yet more confusion about his identity.The Hollow was eventually revealed to be his real Zanpakutou, Zangetsu. And the old man was actually the manifestation of his Quincy powers. Ichigo finally accepts his origins thanks to his father, Isshin, telling him the circumstances of his birth and the reason behind his mother’s death. As well as attaining the true form of Zangetsu, by accepting both sides of his powers. After so long, Ichigo was finally at peace with himself.
Horn of Salvation: Ichigo in Full Control
His Three Sides United
During his battle with Yhwach, Ichigo steadily absorbed the king’s Quincy reiatsu into Zangetsu, and once he had enough, he activated the Hollow reiatsu within him and underwent a brand-new transformation. This wasn’t his usual Bankai or his Hollow mask. In this form, the left side of Ichigo’s face and body gained black markings, his eye became that of his Zangetsu and he grew the iconic horn Zangetsu had in his Vasto Lorde form. This is effectively Ichigo using his Hollow powers to perfection without being taken over by Zangetsu like before.
When Orihime sees him, she first gets flashbacks ofZangetsu when he fought Ulquiorra, fearing Ichigo had lost control again. Only for him to turn to her and reassure her that it’s still him, and he’s alright, there’s nothing to fear. This moment serves as yet another step in Ichigo and Orihime’s future relationship. Ichigo’s bright, warm smile while wearing his Hollow physical features paints it in total contrast to every other time he used Zangetsu’s powers. Every time he used his mask or Zangetsu took over, it was sinister, and it made him look dark and dangerous. But now, Ichigo was wearing his powers in full control and a smile on his face. Zangetsu was no longer this evil entity he had to keep in check. Zangetsu was now fully a part of him, he was him.
“Yo! It’s all right, I’m still me”
Horn of Salvation allows Ichigo to use his Soul Reaper and Hollow powers in unison, effectively making it his most versatile and debatably most powerful form. With this, his character arc is complete, he’s embracing the side he has battled against for so long. He wore his Hollow horn in front of Orihime without scaring her. She was no longer afraid of losing Ichigo. Ichigo and Zangetsu, as one and the same together with Orihime, battle Yhwach, the ultimate evil.
